a few more just for fun

the grounds at Northcoast Village are unreal

when i grow up i want to be a photographer

day five

Family photos at the beach are a real pain. We always do them on Sunday morning and really no one wants to do them. But we did it and I think we got two pictures that we could possibly put in frames.

I have never done a red white and blue theme, but I tried it this time just to do something different, I think it turned out ok.

Happy 4th of July everyone. God bless America!

day four

So it's taken me forever to post day four. I know I shouldn't attempt such sequencing of vacation days. I'm really not a reliable blogger.

Day four was different because it was overcast for most of the day. I love overcast days, it's like having a giant softbox over the earth and it softens the world including all photographs which is so cool.

Kite flying at the beach is a must. Dave and I could hardly keep up with two kites and four kids but I think by the end of flying kites Arden and Spencer were pro kite fliers.

I already want to go back, what else can I say.

Love.

Ocean Day Three

I am alway enamored at the amount of excitement two boys can have with a ball, specifically brothers. Gavin had me enthralled with his endless brother calling, "Shpencer, Shpencer, Shpencer!" with his raspy like voice. I think they finally had to end this game when they lost the ball in the ocean.

Not normal. I woke up but couldn't get out of bed. I slept till noon. My body felt completely wasted. The stomach bug that had been throughout the rest of the family finally got to me. Alexis slept with me all morning in the kind size bed upstairs, she must still feel sick also. When I woke up I found Arden asleep and Alexis and all the boys had abandoned us for the beach. We were sick, at the beach, how horrible. So I drug Arden down to the beach, she sat on the boogie board for a long time and just watched the waves. Everyone once and a while my stomach would turn and I felt sick, but more than anything I just felt wasted.

You can tell a good Dad when you see one, it looks something like this; launching a six year old in the waves on a boogie board over and over again until the six year old finely gets it and loves it! Spencer and Dave had the time of their life in these waves.

You can tell an over confindent Dad when you see this two year old launched into a sandy, salty wave on a boogie board with absolutely no sucess at all.

Ocean Day Two

 I looked forward to this everyday. I don't really like cold swimming pools, but I rarely pass up a hot tub. Spencer and I see eye to eye on this, although he can last for hours in the cold pool without me.

When I agreed to this thing I do called "motherhood" I didn't know I was getting this angel. Everytime I asked Alexis to look at the camera she did and she smiled and gave me this look, well if the ocean isn't heaven, this is. Love you little one.

Ocean Day One

I look forward to this trip every two years since that is our schedule for ocean vacations. But more and more I feel like it should become an anual event in out family. We talk about it for two years, dream about it, anicipate it's arrival. The sand beneath our feet beckons us, the smooth ocean rocks, the endless miles of seashells that my children collect by the gallons in ziplock bags. The ocean seems new to Gavin, who doesn't remember this trip two years ago. He is not sure if he really likes the feel of the seawater on his legs, but he plays in it anyway. I photograph everything my kids do. I am obsessed with the sound the shutter makes when I push the shutter release button. I am in heaven on the beach tweeking my camera and watching my kids. I am convinced Heaven isn't Heaven unless there is an ocean there.

 A sand dollar. A precious find in our family. Every morning before anyone was out of bed, before anyone was on the beach, in the breaking dawn hour, Dave would get the girls out of bed and take them down to the beach in search of sacred sand dollars. If you get there before the seaguls do you might find one perfect unbroken gem. It's the hunt my girls have been waiting for all spring.

In retrospect I am not sure really which day was day one or day two. My mind has already lost track of events and blurred them altogether.

There is a jetty on the northside of our beach condo, it goes out about a hundred yards. Dave and Spencer are in search of a crab.

On the jetty the kids found different colors of starfish attached to barnicals. Arden caught about nine small crabs, although they outsmarted her and got away, crawled right out of her container and jumped back in the ocean. She was devistated at first until she realized that she can't keep them anyway, they aren't exactly like sand dollars now are they.

Take me out to the ball game!

This post is long overdue. I have been feeling somewhat guilty for not posting it sooner. Spencer has had a great t ball season, one with lot of excitement and not tears. I am really proud of him for getting out there and giving it his all. Game on Spencerator!

Gavinator and the Ball

I can't believe Gavin's T ball season has come and gone. I took these pictures yesterday at his last game. I was a good season. He loved it. He was always excited about going to t-ball. He loved his coaches; coach Kilee and coach Mario. Gavin is still two but they let him on the team anyway, I thought that was really cool of the YMCA. I think Gavin is going to be our kids that LOVES sports or anything that has to do with playing ball! And...he has a pretty good little arm for a two year old. 

Happy Mother's Day

Dave took this photograph of the kids and I today in the back yard. Although I took a second to put lipstick on, this is how we are today only edited in photoshop for a bit of a snappier pic. Love the light in their eyes, can't believe they are mine.

Happy Mother's Day to all the great Mothers that have ever lived. My Mother is my greatest example of love, courage, strength, hope and FAITH. I love my Mother so much. I miss living close to her and wish that I could be with her more and that my children could spend more time with her. My mother is always teaching my children, she is always kind and loving and a great inspiration to my children.

My husband also has an amazing mother, who I am so grateful for, she is good to my children and above all, she raised Dave to be such an amazing man. My sisters are incredible mothers, I look up to them in so many ways. I think what I admire most about my sisters is the great relationships they have with their children. I have so many good sister-in-laws that are fabulous women and are good friends to me, I love them very much.

A good friend once said, "I never thought I was  beautiful until I had children." I feel like that simply because my children make me a better person, they give me greater purpose in my life. I love each one of my children and wouldn't trade one day of being with them for anything else in this world. My family is my greatest treasure. I am so grateful for my life with them. I pray everyday to be a better Mother, to be the one Heavenly Father wants me to be. It requires a lot more spiritual strength than I ever thought that it would.

I have found that when Dave and I read scriptures and say family prayer everyday with our children, everyone is happier, everyone is calmer and life is better. I have felt the spirit with my children and know that Heavenly Father is watching over us everyday.

I love my children, they are so beautiful. Thanks kids for making me laugh everyday, without you live would be so boring. Love Mom.

Today

Today I spent the day with Gavin, just like everyother day, he is really my best little buddy all day. I love being with him. He is the funniest, most sarcastic, naughty little lovable kid. He turns three in June. I don't want him to grow up, I want to FREEZE TIME for now. He makes me laught everyday, tells me he is not poopy and that I am. He tells me I am a bad Mom whenever I do something wrong like dropping something on the floor. When I threaten to spank him when he is naughty he says, "Spank me Mommy!" He rides a two wheeler without training wheels like a stunt man. He tells me he loves my brother Brad and not me but he hugs me all the time and snuggles with me. He loves to be rocken in the rocking chair, but hates it when I sing to him. He is all boy and I love him so much. 

Dune Buggey

My brother told my kids he ownes the fastest and funnest dune buggy in the whole world and that it can go faster than my mini-van. The kids thought it was a riot, especially Gavin, sorry I didn't get a photo of him in the buggy. Check out the shocks on this baby! My kids can't wait to go to the dunes with my brother, the talk about it all the time.

Zoo

 Ye haW! Ride em coWboy! I love boy DraMa.

Alexis was "utterly" enjoying herself here. She sat here and milked the fake cow at the Phoenix Zoo for what seem like too long for to be normal. I was starting to worry. Maybe we need to move to a farm?

Spencer again

 picking oranges

goofball

Scooter rides

Arden in the Grarden