O-R-E-O

We have ALL seen the comercials.  

We ALL have our OWN way to do it....

It was HIGH TIME Erick show the kiddos 

THE RIGHT WAY 

to eat an

O-R-E-O

 It takes a bit of prep...but everyone needs at LEAST  4 cookies!

 Then you place your OREO into the milk so it is TOTALLY submerged and hold it there....

 See those bubbles?  You have to hold the cookie in the milk until the bubbles STOP....THEN AND ONLY 

THEN...

Do you eat your O-R-E-O!

Erick explained to the kids that he used to do this with his Mom nearly EVERY night!!  Lucky guy!!  The kids had so much fun watching Erick's every move like they were learning a serious life skill.  Really if you think about it...

THEY ARE!!

On LOVE...

      This subject has been on my mind a LOT recently.  I am not sure why but I think about it every night and a lot during the day.  So I thought maybe if I blog it...I can move my thoughts on...time will tell!
When I think about love I immediatly think of my family.  My kids and my Cowboy.  Simple right?  
Not really, there are so many degree's if you will, of love.  
      I remember when Erick and I were engaged, he told me one night that his Dad had talked to him about being "in love" with me.  He said that he told him that he probably was not really in love with me as much as he just loved certain things about me.  That being IN LOVE with someone takes time, years even.  Woahhhh did that ever hurt my feelings!  ESPECIALLY because Erick said he agreed!! I just figured, they were men and didn't really know what they were saying and I KNEW that Erick was in love with me so what-EV!! 
     Not long after we were married, we had a little disagreement and I was trying to prove one point and Erick another.  I then said to Erick, "I am SURE my Dad would agree with me."  To which Erick replied, "well, your DAD has loved you A LOT longer than I have!"  He was right! I had to laugh at that!  I still do actually!  As our marriage went on, I can remember SPECIFIC things/times that I felt myself fall IN love with Erick.  When we had Claira Joe and I had so many complications and had to come home from the hospital a week after we had her with a cathider for 2 weeks, and Erick who DOES NOT handle stuff like that well, was AMAZING (and that's an understatement!!)  He cared for me as if he had loved me as long as my Dad had.  I remember FALLING IN LOVE with him during that time.  It was also during that time that my Father in Law's thought's came back to mind and I knew that he was in fact RIGHT.  
     There have been times over our almost 10 years that I have fallen more for my Cowboy and I love that it is still happening.  The love I feel for him is true, and real and pure.  It is the sort where the thought of hurting him in any way is more than I can bare.  Silly and sappy yes, I know but it really is true.  It is fun for me to think of all the things that I love about him, it is wonderful to think of the moments I fell in love with him.  
     On the flip side of this, is our children.  I fall IN love with each of them the MOMENT I see 2 lines on the little stick!  I fall deeper in love with them when I see that little heartbeat on the screen at 9 weeks pregnant.    I have NEVER in my life felt such a love as I feel for my children.  It is INTENSE and STRONGER than any other emotion I have felt.  This little baby girl that will be coming within 4 weeks has my heart.  I know that she is going to ROCK MY WORLD with craziness and sleepless night's and feedings etc. but I am SO IN LOVE with her!  I can't wait!  I can't wait to take part in the MOST AMAZING experience that any human can experience and work hand in hand with the Lord and bring her into this world.  There is a moment right after these babies come that you can't deny that the veil is thin.  Knowing, her little perfect spirit just came from His glorious arms.  It is sacred.  It is powerful and unforgetable as a Mother.
     People keep asking us if we are going to have dare I say it...ANOTHER child.  (as if it is any of their business!) To that question, I don't know.  I am not sure.  What I do know is that our family is full of LOVE.  We have a lot to share.  We just might have 3 more kids, we might be done.  This decision is ours and ours alone.  The joys of bringing a child to our family FAR out weigh the pain and the "risks" that we are dealing with right now.  So rest easy and KNOW that we have it under control.  
Being IN LOVE is good, it is something I hope I never take for granted.  What a shame that would be!

I'm gonna miss this...

These past few weeks have been kind of crazy around here.  I have not been feeling my best as my body is preparing to have this sweet baby girl. I have been tired and cranky and just not myself.  I got up one morning and decided this was the day I was going to get things back in order and regain what I had lost (which was control) of my home and really myself.  So I worked ALL DAY LONG! I worked hard and it was painful, really painful.  It was hard and it was long and it was EXHAUSTING.  I cleaned EVERYTHING and EVERYWHERE.  I got the laundry caught up and put it all away.  I even had dinner going.  As exhausting as it was, it felt good.  NO, it felt GREAT! I was so proud of myself.  I was so proud that I made the decision to do this and I was getting it done.  So as the day went on, with my music going I was thinking about my kids and how everything I do, I do for them.  I was thinking about what it is going to be like when Lyndee joins our family.  I was thinking about what life will be like when I don't have to clean up little toys and little socks and little shoes every single day of my life.  I cried a little at the thought of my kids growing up.  It is happening so quickly.  It hurts my heart to think too much about it.  Really, it does.  So as I cleaned little handprints and footprints and toys from the floors, I cried and I cried.  I am sure a lot of it is pregnancy and hormone related but I am kind of a spaz all the time when it comes to my babies.  All of a sudden it was time to pick everyone up from school.  As I walked through my home one last time admiring my day's work I felt so...fresh and good and peaceful inside.  Our home looked beautiful!!  I couldn't wait for Erick and the kids to see...

We got home...the kids ran in before me as always.  When I walked in...this is what I found...

No kids in sight...they were in the back yard swinging and laughing together.  I went out to see them and Derick said, "Hey Mom, I love the clean house!"  Kash and Claira agreed with him and they went on swinging.  I had to smile...because I knew that they felt the peace in our home as well.  I walked in, snapped this picture and picked up their stuff.  That is what a Momma does.  That is what I do.  I am blessed, so very blessed to have these backpacks and jackets to pick up.  I am blessed that I have 4 beautiful children that give me reason to live every second of every day.  I am so blessed to have the opportunity to have another baby girl. Even though, I am in pain.  I KNOW it is a blessing.  I know that in 5 short weeks, she will be here with us and I will have one more person to clean up after. One more person to do laundry for. One more little pair of socks to clean up.  I am also so blessed to realize that ALL OF THIS...EVERY SINGLE SECOND of it will be gone in a couple of years.  That is why I choose to be happy with our messes, and our chaos and our crazy life because it is perfect for me. It is perfect for our family.  I don't want to miss this...I want it to stay forever...but I know, I know and I understand that I WILL in fact miss this....all of it.

Daddy Daughter Dance 2011

This year, one of the Dance Studios in Maricopa put on a Daddy Daughter Dance.  The girls were SUPER excited to go as was Erick.  The day before the dance, Erick took both girls shopping for a new dress.  They were gone for quite some time and tried on many dresses.  In the end, the girls had beautiful matching pink dresses with just the right amount of spin and they both felt like little Princesses.

The day of the dance I took the girls to get Manicures and Pedicures with Kenzie and 5 other little friends that were also going to the dance. They were treated with hot rock massages and fancy nail designs.  We came home and got all cleaned up.  I did the girls hair and put make up and glitter on them. They were in HEAVEN!

I LOVE Claira's face in the picture below.  She was so excited and felt so special.  

 BEAUTIFUL SISTERS

 Erick and the girls had a wonderful time.  They all danced and went out for ice cream afterwards.  I am so thankful that I have 2 girls.  My sister and I are best friends.  It is a friendship that I treasure and I have friends that do not have a sister that are envious of that.  I love that Erick enjoys spending time with his girls even though a dance is TOTALLY not in his element.  He is such a good Dad.  I have wonderful memories of "dates" with my Dad.  I cherish them, and I know that our girls will too.  

Ear Piercing, Bench Building Bonding and Wolfing Whipped Creame!

Claira and Paizly got American Dolls for Christmas.  Well Claria did and Paiz got the generic Target version...Shhhhhh don't tell!

Anyway's Claira's doll Lucielle came with pierced ears and Paizly's Sadie doll did not.  We could NOT have that...So Erick, being the SUPER Dad that he IS, took matters into his own hands...

 I LOVE this picture with both their hands.  LOVE IT!!!

 My HANDY HUBBY built us a bench a couple years ago for our kitchen table because all the chairs we bought with it were one by one falling apart.  Well recently we were down to one chair and that bench.  So Erick decided to build another one for the other side of our table. Erick amazes me...he whipped this thing up in an afternoon.  Then being the ever so patient Daddy that he is, he went and got aprons for all the kids and let them stain it.  It is beautiful and the memory is even more so!

 100 Days of Kindergarted behind us!!!  Kash has an awesome teacher...Mrs. Damron who made this day SO much fun for him.  He came home grinning from ear to ear!!

 Derick earded his Wolfe Badge in Cub Scouts! He was recognized at the Blue and Gold Banquet and was the only Scout that got an award that night!  

 His Den Leader Sister Delap is SO MUCH FUN....since he earned his WOLFE he had to WOLFE down this whipped cream...

 Only Sister Delap had another plan for him once he started...

He never saw it coming!!  Sister Delap...you are such a great leader!! Thank you so much for your time and dedication to the Scouting Program.  We LOVE YOU!!!

Erick received a cool hat as a "thank  you" for all that he does as a Cub Master.  

We have a great Ward, with REALLY great leaders.  We are so thankful!