It's great to be needed!

I think every mom can agree that it's great to be needed every now and then.  Olivia woke up just needing me a little more than normal today!  We spent the whole day together attached at the hip and we had lots of fun.  We didn't do anything out of the ordinary, just the same old routine.  We took our shower, and she wanted to help me get ready.  I put on deodorant, she put on deodorant, I put lotion on my face, she put lotion on her face, etc. etc, down to the powder brush and spray of parfum.  It was so much fun to have her right on the counter getting ready with me, we both loved every minute of it!   She was acting so 'grown-up'.  Tonight she helped me make dinner, apron and all.  She even wanted to tag along as I went to my Enrichment meeting tonight.  I love having a teammate in this house full of boys!  These are the days I think I'll remember most, the everyday little things that bring any mom lots of joy! 

Our kissy fish face! 

Isn't this the cutest apron ever?!  My mom sewed this for Olivia for Christmas this year.  It's a vintage fabric that she found of the old 'Dick and Jane' character books.  Those were the first books that I learned to read from!  I need to learn to sew someday.  Anyone up for teaching me?

Me, Myself, and the kids...

This past weekend I was able to go to beautiful Coeur d'Alene!  A friend of mine from high school was having her wedding reception, and I haven't seen her for probably 6 years or more.  So I thought it was a great excuse to go on a road trip adventure with just me and the kids!  They did GREAT in the car.  What would I do without the DVD player on road trips??!!  It's a lifesaver.  I did get tired of listening to 'Blue's Clues' and 'Kung Fu Panda', but we did take a couple of singing and 'I spy' breaks.  I always love going back 'home'.  I really miss living by old friends and family, but it makes it extra fun to get to see them when we do go to visit.  Here are some pics from our weekend adventure.

 Our walk on the centennial trail that runs along Lake Coeurd'Alene.  It was a beautiful, sunny day.  It was fun to show KJ all the places I used to go when I lived there.  I ran this trail almost everyday when I was playing soccer, it was fun to go back.  I always forget how absolutely gorgeous it is there.

I love this picture of Nana.  Every night she sang to the kids while they sat on the kitchen bar and they loved it.  I don't know anyone who doesn't just adore this woman.  I hope that someday my grandkids love me half as much as I love Nana!

I had to add this picture cause it was one of the first jobs I had, I worked at the BEACHOUSE restaurant.  It paid for my schooling so I am grateful for it!  We had some fun working there and would always jump in the lake after our shifts were over.  I always said that someday I would be one of those customers who pulled up on their boat for lunch with some girlfriends!  Someday...

The happy couple and their first dance!

Me, Monica, and Kelli O.!

  At the reception with some old friends from high school, most of them I hadn't seen in 10 years, it was great to catch up on life!

Monica was my partner in crime back in the day!

Valentine Weekend....

We had a super Valentine/President's Day weekend (well everyone but Dan did).  A shortened summary:  My parents and little brother came in to town on Friday and we were able to spend the weekend with them.  Saturday (Valentine's Day) we went to out to Brasada Ranch and took the kids swimming, their favorite thing to do!  It was fun because we had some snowflakes falling on us when we were outside in the hot tub.  I love that!  It was beautiful, peaceful, and really cold when we got out!  Then we came home, got ready and my mom and I went to an early dinner with some girlfriends who were in town for the long weekend as well.  There were 4 ladies from Coeur d'Alene who came for some skiing at Bachelor, we had a yummy dinner and it was really fun to 'catch up' on life.  I know what you're thinking......You and your mom went to dinner on Valentine's Day?.....Where was Dan??  Poor guy was flat in bed, sick.  Later that night, I had helped a friend throw a Valentine party, so I went by myself for a little bit.  We had a great turn out, cute decorations, and lots of yummy food to dip in the chocolate!  I left when the 'newlywed game' got started.  There were some funny questions, but it's not much fun to play that game by yourself!  My parents took the kids out on a special date and took them to the store to pick out some candy!  They had lots of fun.  Sunday was a lazy day, but sometimes those are my favorite kind of days.  We went to church, watched movies, made Carne Asada and all the fixin's, then played Dodge Ball down in the basement!  I love watching our kids play with their 'Ninny and Papa', they have so much fun.  I just wish they lived closer.  Today before they left, we let the kids decide what they wanted to do and what-do-you-know.....they wanted to go play at the McDonald's Play Place!  My last choice, but when 'Ninny and Papa' are in town the kids get anything they want!  We love it when we have company.  Thanks for coming to visit.  Hope everyone had a Very Happy 'LOVE' Day!

Ninny Shell read the kids their favorite books every night

For our Valentine's Day breakfast we made heart shaped pancakes with all the goodies piled on top!

Cute little Olivia!

Keaton and Jess relaxing in the hot tub

Jack splashing away!

Keaton can swim now!  He's so proud of himself!

Jack on the McDonald's bridge.  I need one of these in our play room!

What a way to finish off our 3 day weekend!  The kids were in heaven!  Thank you for coming to visit, we miss you already!

I've been Tagged!

The rules are pretty simple for this 'tag'; find the sixth picture in the sixth album on my computer, post the picture and tell about it.  It was fun to look at the pictures from that far back.  So much has changed since then, yet it seems as if it was just yesterday.  Here it goes.....

Okay, so I cheated, but just a smidgen....the 6th picture was of me and my sister in our swimsuits and there is no way on earth I was about to put that up, but this was the very next one!  I love this picture.  We've been able to go on some great vacations, but this was by far our favorite one!  We went to the Virgin Islands back when Keaton was only 11 months old.  We brought my sister Nicole along with us for her high school graduation present.  I have so many fun memories of this trip, I could have posted a bunch of beautiful pictures.  It was really fun to go back this far and remember what a great time we had.  This picture was taken in Saint John with one of the lifeguards. (look how beautiful the water is, crystal clear and nice & warm).  It was really fun to go there because my dad lived in the Virgin Islands for a while and we were finally able to see how beautiful it really was in person instead of just from his photos.  If anyone is planning a trip down there, let me know and I'll give you some pointers and great spots.  (We found our own private island with awesome snorkeling, a restaurant in the middle of the ocean on an old boat, and lots more!)  Now I really want to go back, anyone want to go??!

I am just tagging all of you who want to be tagged!  Go for it, it's fun!  TAG....You're it!

Snip, Snip!

Tonight was our monthly 'hair-cut' night (how does boy hair grow so fast?)!  We have to do a buzz cut on Jack cause he's so wiggly, the only thing that keeps him on the stool is telling him he gets to pick a treat out of the 'treat box' once we're finished.  He had us all laughing so hard tonight!  He was playing hide-and-seek with the cape and the hair kept going in his mouth and he was spitting all over trying to get the hair out.  Yuck!  I tried to snap a good picture of how much hair he had in his mouth, but it didn't show up very well on the picture.  We thought it was so funny, you just have to know Jack to appreciate this!  He always keeps us laughing, he makes normal situations so much fun! 

Here's the hide-and-seek part!

Aren't they supposed to have 'cooties'?!

Last Friday when I was picking KJ up from school his teacher asked if she could talk to me for a second.....uh-oh.....now what?!  After the kids left she told me that she thought it was so cute that KJ had a crush on the 'new' girl in class.  She said that he keeps asking her if he can move to her 'group', sit by her in circle, and he asked his teacher to ask her if she would play with him at free time!  What?  I'm so confused.  I thought that Kindergarten boys and girls were supposed to chase each other at recess yelling, "get away from me, you have cooties"!!!  

Turns out that for the next few weeks we will be watching her on Monday mornings until they go to afternoon kindergarten.  This morning she came over to play, I saw it firsthand.  It was so funny watching them try to 'show off' for each other, it was so obvious.  I just got back from taking them to kindergarten and I heard her tell him in the back seat that she thought he was really cute, his face turned bright red.  REALLY?!  Should it really be starting this young?  Well in any case, KJ officially has his first kid 'crush'.