An ode to Hawaii

One year ago we were in the beautiful place called Kauaii. It was probably the funnest, most relaxing, enjoyable things we've ever done. A week with no kids, and good friends- I will never forget that trip!  Sigh...







 I may just have to post more photos this week to remind me of that vacay.

Some favorites

These are a few of my kids very, absolute favorite books...

Anything by Kevin Henkes is so so darn cute.  But this particular book is a must at our house.
These books...by Mo Willems are the BEST!  He is so brill.  They're perfect for beginning readers.  Jay brings home these books from Kindergarten and I can barely get through them they're so BORING.  But these are funny, tender, have amazing illustrations and I want to read them all the time.  Soooo GOOD!  
That is all.

The count down

This pregnancy has really gone by so quickly!  Yay!  It's just the last few months that always seem to drag, peeing 3 times a night, waddling, getting even fatter, and out of control boobs, and pertruding belly button, not to mention the stretch marks (how come I feel I'm the only one who gets them so badly?).  But really, I'm so excited to meet this new babes.  Although, last night Tae was up in the night, it was treacherous getting up.  Now I'm officially scared to be up every few hours in the night again.  I mean come on, I'm not as young as I used to be people! :)  We still haven't decided on a name, I have 3 I like, but Jasper keeps suggesting more...such as:

Pedro, Chief, Captain, Pilot, Jedediah, Cane, Donald, the list goes on and on...we lay in bed at night and seriously laugh for hours about names.  

I failed only gaining 25 pounds...yes already.  I'm at 30 lb mark as of 2 weeks ago!  Dang it!  Those late night chocolate feasts have not done me right. 

                                                                     The Belly...
Anyhow, I have about 6 weeks left! Now I would like to tell you the things I have not yet bought (I gave most everything away), and honestly have no intention at this point in time:
Crib, high chair, swing, bouncer, pump, stroller...the list goes on. Luckily I have sisters who can let me borrow a thing or two! You'd think with number 5, I'd be set. Oh well, who needs all that stuff anyway? Don't I just need a dresser drawer?

My rant for the day

So last week I got a pretty little paper in the mail. It was a speeding ticket from a stupid traffic camera in Phoenix. It had this sweet photo of my husband driving, and gorgeous photo of my face whited out:


Now just take a gander how much that ticket was for? Guess farely high....
$181.50. I almost peed my pants. Mostly because I was pulled over on our way home and got my first speeding ticket, that one was for $80.00. So today I just spent $261.50 on speeding tickets. I feel so sick about it....do you know what I could have bought with that money? Uh...let me think, a crappy car. :)  My lesson....do not speed- especially through Phoenix!  I now hate that freeway.  But I'm not bitter-  
OK, now I can move on with my day.

I'm so proud....

I knew my fabulous friend Emily had been wanting a full length apron...I looked and couldn't find a really cute one for under a million bazillion dollars, so I busted out my sewing machine- it's been years- and made her one for her birthday. I am so ultra proud of myself. Isn't it so cute? I had a hard time giving it away. So here she is, in all her pregnant with twins glory.

Sunday forts

Sunday seems to be the magical day of forts. Within 10 minutes of being home from church this is what I found in my kitchen:




I love Sundays because the kids all play together all day, it reminds me of my childhood.  We used to play just like this, we'd play store, orphanage, house, and ship- where our blankets were our ship and my only brother was a shark.  Lucky Eric, when we'd play house he was the dog...Frank.  He got the shaft.  :)  I have so many memories of those games....good, good memories.

Christmas...even though it doesn't look it

First off...this was one pic I got from Christmas Vacay that looks like Christmas.  Only it's actually with my mom's camera, she emailed it to me.  I was laughing so hard because of Tae in this pic.  None of us had any idea she was pulling that FACE.   

I was so HORRIBLE this year about taking photos of Christmas. I didn't take ONE. Not one, not Christmas eve, Christmas day OR New Years. I should be fired. But I did take a bunch in Mexico. We went to Flagstaff to celebrate Christmas then headed to Rocky Point 2 days later for 4 days. It was absolute HEAVEN. It was so nice to let the kids play outside again. We stayed right on the beach with Jaspers family so we had help galore with the kids. They're the only grandkids so far on his side, so they are completely mega spoiled with attention.

Uncle Ramsey and Mad.  He and Ry are the best uncles.  Wish you could have come Ry.  Waaah.  I love the old look of this one.

Jasper attempting my camera.  He needs some tutorials.  :)


Grandma Nene and Tae.  
Nene, Papa and kiddies.  How we wish we lived CLOSER!!

Besties....
The kids theme of this trip seemed to be their "sea shell shop".  Mad and T had their shops all set up.  They sold their shells for shells.  Sometimes you could buy 4 shells for 1 shell.  Hot buy!  Jazz and I had a grand time picking odd shells from the shore for them.  

Here's Nene purchasing some shells from T's shop.

I'm really no good at taking photos of this man....the man of my dreams.  The man who's so good to me and our children.  I love you....
This one cracks me up...






I love seeing my children play together.  Maybe that's why vacations are so important.  Building relationships which each other...lasting memories to hold onto forever.

This image warms my heart....

Some quote highlights from our trip:

Hearing Maddie say: "Obi-wan Kanobi please come to the office, Obi-wan Kanobi please come to the office."  

Kimi (my baby sis) singing requested songs to Taelyn.  Tae requesting "star wars" but not knowing what she was saying until she sang it.  It was hilarious, she totally belted out the Star Wars theme song.    

Nine years

Today is our 9 year anniversary. I can't believe how fast 9 YEARS flew by. 4 3/4 kids later...we still like each other. I can't say enough how amazing my husband is. I don't think anyone else could put up with my craziness...on many levels.  To even think about how I ran from marrying him...I was crazy.  I'm so thankful he was so persistant.  He actually wrote in his day planner in 1999 that one of his goals was to "marry Jennifer whenever and wherever possible"  Uh...WHO DOES THAT??  Ya, he did.  Thank goodness.  Maybe he looked at that every time I so lamely shot him down.  Thank you for never giving up me!!

I think back to the first time I ever saw him, I was 16, and I remember thinking, "I could marry him".  Then I tried to french braid his long lovely silky locks....I laugh just thinking about how sexy I thought that was.  We came from 2 really different worlds, I was pretty religious, he wasn't in the least.  But he had the best heart.  Still does.   Just goes to show you never know what's in store for you.  I'm so grateful- a million times over, for you Jasper, I LOVE YOU!!  

Think I had enough flowers in that bouquet? It almost weighed as much as me.  :)




Oh how I wish I'd had an amazing photographer....  sigh....