C-A-L-I-F-O-R-N-I-A

San Diego 2009

I have so many pictures to add to my blog and I am a little overwhelmed so this is going to be a very LONG post. I use this blog as my journal so beware of MANY pictures! We made a decision at the VERY last minute (I am talking within 15 minutes) to head to California for a week over Memorial Day. We packed up and ended up leaving at 10:30 at night and we planned to drive through the night while our kids slept. It was harder then we had planned and we decided that we are not as young as we used to be and we NEED our sleep. Nate had been working five days in a row before we left so he had only had a few hours of sleep a night and I just have a hard time staying awake. Nate drove until about Cedar City and then he woke me up and asked if I could drive. Well that lasted about an hour and then I was falling asleep! We pulled over and took a 15 minute nap and then Nate was ready to go again. Needless to say, we were exhausted by the time we got there. We headed to San Diego to visit Nate's sister's family first. We stayed with them a few days. We went to the beach and just hung out. It was a lot of fun to be with them. We haven't been to there house since Brinley was just little so it was fun to spend some time with them. My kids LOVE Nate's sister because she gives them all her attention when they are around. Her kids are all older then ours so she loves to spoil them. Here are some pictures of our visit to San Diego:

Nate took this picture of Brinley. She is spitting out the salt water after swimming in it.

Teresa and Nate relaxing by the ocean

They LOVED playing in the waves. It was a little overcast, but I still got burned! Their was this perfect little beach that was like a cove. It was so much fun and the girls LOVED it!

Jaxston reading about the seals that live here:

Halle hated the smell! We went to La Jolla and saw the seals in the little cove. It was fun but their weren't as many as Teresa thought their would be. It was still fun anyway!

Aunt Teresa and the girls!

La Jolla Cove

Jaxston's Special Day

Isn't he handsome? We sure think so!!

We blessed Jaxston last Sunday...Mother's day. What a great day it was! I felt so lucky to share this day with him. I feel so blessed to have these children in my family. It is such an amazing feeling knowing that I have been trusted to raise them....and little scary! Nate did a fantastic job during the blessing. He got choked up right at the beginning after he said his name. (We named him after Nate's great-grandpa, who Nate thinks the world of. He died right after we were dating so I didn't ever meet him but I have always felt his spirit and the many lives that he touched. I felt honored to name Jaxston after him.) So anyways, Nate had a hard time through the blessing but he did an excellent job! I am so proud of him and I feel so blessed to have this special spirit in our home. We didn't think we were going to be able to have any more kids and I feel like he was sent here for a specific purpose. He is so much fun and just a little spoiled to say the least! I just can't get enough of him. I could hold him all day long and be content.

This is how he felt before his special day even began!

A little upset that I was taking pictures and not holding him!

My Cute Family
~ Which I DO NOT like this picture of me at all, but I had to include at least one of us! (Isn't Halle's facial expressions so funny! She looks just a little upset to be in this picture. She was ready to play with the cousins!) I had a very special mothers day! We had so many family and friends that came and supported us and we feel very blessed! Thanks to everyone who came and made this day special for us! Sorry to those who couldn't make it. I know it was kind of hard because of Mothers day. We missed you and wished you could be there (especially my sisters...you really need to move a little closer!)

Brinley;s school Opera and Jaxston turns 6 weeks!!!!!!

I had to include this picture of Halle. She always has a funny face to add or she has to pose a certain way, she can't just SIT for a normal picture!

Brinley's 1st grade class performed their opera this last week. She was so excited and was counting down the days. Last fall when they were writing it and choosing the parts she told her teacher that she did not want to have a speaking part. She was very shy about getting in front of anyone. Then when it came time, she told me that she wished she would have chosen a speaking part. She told her teacher, "I am not scared at all, I've done this a million times." I just love her 1st grade teacher, she has done so much to help Brinley progress and not be so timid. I will be very sad when this year is over.

This was the set that they painted themselves. She was very proud of it. Nate went and helped them paint it because I had just had the baby. (He is very good to help out in her class and the kids in her class love him!) Anyways the kids write the Opera and the songs and then the perform it all from memory. Brinley was a girl in the opera. It was called "Dirty water, Clean Water." It was about a small town that needed some water because it hadn't rained. They found a way to make some clean water. It was very cute and she did an excellent job! Her teacher told me that when they were practicing and someone was absent, she would call on Brinley to play their part, because she knew every one's part. (I guess it is okay for me to be a proud mom once in a while)

My mom brought Brinley a rose after the first performance and she was very proud of it. It had to be in every picture and then she had to take it that night to show her teacher. Nate had ordered her some flowers for that night as well. He didn't even know that my mom gave her any and I didn't even have to hint to him either. I was very surprised! She was so excited and could not wait to get home to put them in water. She has them sitting in her room, displayed very proudly! (I love that Halle has to be in every picture with Brinley, and she has to pull some crazy faces!)

On other news...Jax is 6 weeks old already! I can't believe it! It makes me a little sad! I love the newborn stage and he is just about out of it! We just love him more and more everyday!

5 weeks....

He likes to scowl a little, but he still is a happy little guy!

He has been smiling for a few weeks. It is so fun to see him recognize us and smile!

Our girls begged me to let them fed him a bottle. They were thrilled to be able to feed him! Such good helpers they are!

Happy Easter!

The girls and I colored easter eggs while Nate was gone! Halle was so funny. Every time she pulled an egg out of the dye, she would say, "This is so amazing, TOTALLY amazing." It was fun to see their reactions and how excited they get. Here they are showing off their colorful eggs!




We had a great Easter. The girls were so excited to find their Easter eggs and baskets. I tried many times to take a good picture of them in their Easter dresses, but as you can see it was hard. They had to wear their sunglasses in the pictures or make silly poses. They are so much fun and I am sad that Spring Break is over. I love having them home! Oh well, only six more weeks left of school! YEA!
(Sorry: LOTS of pictures to come!)











And of course, I couldn't leave off our little Jaxston. We still can't get enough of him! The girls love him and when they get home, they are no longer so excited to see me...they run to find him! Let's just say that he is spoiled and loves to be held! That's okay with me though, I LOVE this stage when they cuddle into you and go to sleep. Just don't look at my house, because it is usually messy! It used to bother me more, but I am a little more relaxed about having a spotless house. As my mom always tell me, "It will wait for you." But babies just grow up too fast so I am just enjoying every minute I have with him! He makes it so easy to just adore him. He is a good baby so far. He has slept though the night a lot of nights, but if he wakes up it is only once. He is very mellow and SO lovable! We love you Jaxston!

My little toothless girl......

Brinley FINALLY lost her first tooth on Monday and then the second one came out today! It was like Christmas for her. She is the ONLY one in her school class that hasn't lost any teeth! She was so excited to go to school and get to put a tooth on the chart. She was so worried that she wouldn't loose any teeth during the school year. It's about time, she is 7 years old! I do have to say that it made me a little sad when she lost it....that means she really is getting older! These two teeth have been loose for the last few months! She twisted them and finally they popped out. Here are a few pictures......before and after the lost teeth!

BEFORE......

AFTER.....

2 weeks already???

I can't believe that our baby is already two weeks old! The times sure does fly when they are finally here! I have just loved having this little guy in our home and the sweet spirit that he has brought. I was a little worried about having a boy because I have bonded so much with my girls. But I just have LOVED him and he has been a very good baby. He still gets his nights and days mixed up but he goes right back to sleep during the night after I feed him. He is so much fun and our girls love having a new baby just as much. We just can't get enough of him! I took him to his two week checkup today and he wasn't quite back to his birth weight, but the doctor wasn't too worried. He weighed 7 lbs. 3 oz. and that was what he was at when we left the hospital. He did have jaundice and he had to be under the lights for a few days. I was so sad, I cried just to see him laying there and not being able to hold him. Here are a few pictures from the last few weeks!