Mariano family

4 months

2011-06-27T00:45:00.000-07:00

Time just seems to fly by these days. All of a sudden our sweet little Davin is no longer a newborn but a 4 month old! He is getting so big. His most recent stats:

Weight 13.38 lbs (17th %)

Height 25.75 in (77th %)

Head circumference 16.25 in (23rd %)

So, basically he is long and skinny with a tiny head - but a big brain! He is one smart little guy of course.

Some fun facts at 4 months:
~Smiles ALL the time and has the cutest little laugh
~Thinks his brothers are just the greatest and loves to be with them - and the feeling is mutual
~Loves to watch TV and cries when he hears it but can't see it
~Is reaching out for us
~Reaches for his toys to grab and play with them
~Loves to push the buttons on his bouncer toy so he can hear the music and see the lights and then thinks we are all crazy when we stand around just to watch him do it
~Had been teething for about a month now (drooling and chewing like crazy) but nothing to show for it
~He can still wear his 0-3 month shorts and size 2 diapers
~Has HUGE feet but they are super skinny with really long skinny toes. His feet fit in size 2 shoes, but are almost grown out of them
~Loves to stand and bounce on our laps and loves to play 1-2-3 stand! He almost always will stand on 3
~Thinks he is such a big boy when he sits in his high chair or his Bumbo at the table for meals
~Really likes eating real food, except for peaches which make him gag
~He is trying so hard to rolling over
~Loves to talk and even try to imitate tone of voice so he can call to daddy or his brothers - so cute!
~Sleeps from about 10pm until 6 or 7am everyday
~He is just the cutest, most loving little guy ever!!

It is so fun to see how much he grows every single day!

Newborn

1 Month

2 months

3 months

4 months

Got a little catching up to do...

2011-06-11T23:35:00.000-07:00

I am so far behind (how did that happen??) and I don't really even know where to start...everyone is doing great! The boys are growing and happy to be on Summer break. I went back to work in April and am so happy to be back, although I feel a little overwhelmed at times with everything (but that's life right??) and Mark is doing great with his job. Everyone is healthy and happy, yay! We have had so much going on, I'll try not to forget anything...

Nancy (Mark's mom) came to visit for a week and we had so much fun with her!

Brayden played baseball (he was #12) and did awesome! And he loved it!! He and Landon can't wait to do it next year.

Tarell had an end of the year concert for band - he played the trumpet this year and did such a great job! Sadly, we can't seem to load the video we took, but here's a picture of him. He loves jumping on the trampoline at Grandma's house.

Brayden was given an attendance award the last week of school and he was so proud. We are so proud of him too!

We have spent a lot of time playing at the park- Mark had way too much fun there.

Brayden and Landon are doing swim lessons and LOVING it.

We got new family pictures. My super talented cousin Kami too them and we just love them! She also took Davin's newborn pictures, which turned out amazing! I strongly recommend her!!

And last, I just had to add this picture in here. Davin is growing up so fast - he's 4 months already - and he is so cute!!

Anniversary

2011-03-29T00:05:00.001-07:00

Sunday, March 27th, was our 7 year anniversary!

7 YEARS!!!

I can't believe how fast the time goes by. The past 7 years have been wonderful (most of the time. LOL). I have the most AMAZING husband ever! He works so hard to support our family each day. Then he comes home and helps me.

This man does laundry, dishes, cleans the house, entertains the kiddos, helps with Brayden's t-ball games each week, gets up with Davin on the weekends so I can sleep...I could go on and on. I seriously couldn't imagine a better husband. I LOVE him more than I ever thought possible. HAPPY ANNIVERSARY MY LOVE!!

1 month!!

2011-03-22T23:41:00.000-07:00

We had Davin's one month check-up today (it was a little late since he is now 5 1/2 weeks) and he is growing!!

His one month stats:

Weight 8lbs 15 oz (16th percentile)

Length 21.5 in (30th percentile)

So basically he has gained almost 2.5lbs and grown 2 inches, but he is still a little guy! I know that someday soon he will catch up.

Some if his recent milestones:

He is awake more hours during the day (Yay!!)
He loves to watch everything going on.
He has finally grown out of his newborn clothes and is now into 0-3mo outfits. BUT, most of these are still a little big.
He hates to be naked. He cries during diaper changes and baths or anytime when his clothes have to be removed.
He is a mover already! When we put him on his little floor mat toy he scoots around it and usually ends up on the opposite end or off the mat completely.
He only has 2 volumes - either silent or screaming and he goes from one to the other in 0.2 seconds.
He has decided that he has no use for a binkie but he loves to suck on his arm.
He tracks things when you put it in front of him. But, if you are bugging him then he will swat you away. Sometimes he even grabs for whatever is in front if him.

He is absolutely adorable and we love him to pieces!!

2 weeks!!

2011-02-27T22:30:00.000-08:00

Our sweet little Davin is 2 weeks old now! I can't believe how quickly the past 2 weeks have gone!! It has been so fun to have a little baby again, but I have forgotten just how much work it is and how long it takes to get out of the house when we go anywhere! Oh, and let's not forget how much stuff we have to take with us now - I feel like a brand new parent all over again. :-) But, I'm loving it!

Here are a few fun things about Davin:

- He is so mellow and sweet!! He hardly ever cries!

- He is super smart (I may be a little biased, but you wait and see!!). By day 2 he learned how to hold his binkie in his mouth with his hand and can even put it back in if it falls out. He is also trying to hold his own bottle - so cute!

- He has great head control and tries really hard to sit up. It looks like he is doing mini crunches.

- He LOVES to sleep! Definitely my boy!

- He is wide awake every morning from 1-4 am.

- He LOVES music and sometimes when we sing to him he will sing along - ok, he just makes noise, but I like to think he is singing. :-) On the rare occasion that he is upset over something, he can be easily calmed with a quick song.

- He doesn't tolerate milk (sad) so we had to switch him to soy and he is a much happier baby.

- Davin loves to listen to stories and will stare intently at the person talking to him (if you can catch him awake!!)

- He loves his brothers and is the happiest when they are around. They get more smiles than any of us. His brothers just adore him too!

- He is super ticklish everywhere! His whole body spasms if you touch his back, head, face, stomach, ears, or feet and sometimes it sounds like he giggles a little.

- He is very stubborn! If we don't get him what he wants when he wants it he doesn't get upset, he just makes us wait until he decides to take it. Usually it's his bottle and he will purse his little lips until he decides he is ready. It's so funny!

- Davin has the biggest feet and longest toes of any newborn I have ever seen! His feet don't really fit in any of his newborn clothes (even though the clothes themselves are a little big because he is so small!) and his toes curl around your finger. It's so cute!! Someday he will grow into those feet.

We are so blessed to have this sweet little guy in our family! We love him so much!!

A baby story...

2011-02-20T13:32:00.000-08:00

On Thursday, February 11th, I had a doctor's appt which was great because I had been feeling awful. At the appt my blood pressure was 189/104, which is really dangerous for both me and the baby. A few minutes later the doctor came in to let us know that she was sending me straight to the hospital - to have a baby!! She didn't feel like we could wait anymore since my blood pressure was now out of control and I was feeling so bad. Before we left we had an ultrasound to check the baby's size where we found out that he was breach! This kiddo had a habit of doing gymnastics so it wasn't really a surprise that he was breach but I was disappointed because that means a c-section!

At the hospital we talked with the doctor to see about any other options - I was really opposed to a c-section if possible. She said that I could stay the week in the hospital to manage my blood pressure and check eveyday to see if the baby turned, or we could just do the c-section in the morning. Not too thrilled with either of those options! We decided to do the c-section in the morning - then the nurse came in to tell me that if I promised to follow STRICT bedrest then the doctor would send me home and I could be seen in the office each day waiting for the baby to turn so we could induce. YEAH!! If we are going to wait I would rather do it at home. Before we left we had to have another ultrasound to make sure baby is ok - he was doing great, in fact great enough that he flipped over as we were watching. YAHOO!! Now we get to stay and start the induction!

A few minutes later the medications were started and we hoped to quickly get this show on the road. By the next day not too much had happened so the doctor broke my water and started me on Pitocin to make things move faster. I thought for sure this labor would go quickly because Brayden's had, but nope - it seemed to go on forever!

Finally by Saturday I was having hard enough contractions to get the epidural. Not too long after that labor stopped! About this same time the baby was having a hard time too - his heart rate kept dropping and wasn't recovering quickly. The nurse was doing everything she could and finally the only thing that would keep the baby stable was to have me on my back with oxygen on - so I had to stay that way until delivery. The only bad thing about this position is that the epidural wore off, except for my legs, which were completely numb. About 1:40am on Sunday everything was set up and I could start pushing. Then, 3 hard pushes later, at 1:55am, little Davin McKay was born. He is perfect and we couldn't be more thrilled!

Despite being 3 weeks early, Davin is healthy and absolutely fabulous! His brothers adore him and are wrapped around his little fingers. They are all so cute with him! The first morning we were home Brayden was talking to him telling him how much he loved him, and Brayden had tears in his eyes. Then, as he left the room he told Mark that he loves Davin so much that it makes him cry and he didn't know he would love him so much! Tarell wants to spend every minute holding Davin and Landon just loves to sit with Davin no matter what he is doing. It is so cute!!

Special Delivery

2011-02-14T22:46:00.000-08:00

Davin McKay Mariano

made his appearance 3 weeks early, on February 13th at 1:55 AM.

The past few days have been exciting, scary, and absolutely wonderful - I will post the details later!

But, for now.....vital stats:

6 lbs 7 oz

19.5 inches long

a head full of dark hair and so HANDSOME!!

Check back soon for the exciting details!

SNOW!!!

2011-01-18T23:15:00.000-08:00

Since last year we have been promising the boys we would go to the snow for the day so a few weeks ago we finally made good on that promise. We drove to Flagstaff early one Saturday morning and found the snow-play area by Snowbowl (the ski area). It was perfect! Tarell has played in the snow before but Brayden and Landon hadn't so it was a whole new experience for them. I'm not really sure what Brayden was expecting but he was a little shocked.

When we first got out of the car we got all geared up and Brayden made a mad dash to the top of the small hill we had claimed. He immediately sank to his thighs in the snow but he continued on his trek. Once at the top of the hill the cold hit him and he ran back down yelling about how he hated the snow because it was too cold. As soon as he got to the bottom he sat down, in the snow, and proceeded to take his shoes and his socks off because he had snow in them. (Brayden HATES having things in his shoes!) It took a few minutes to talk him into putting his shoes back on and just dealing with the cold so he could have fun. He finally did! It took everything in me to not laugh out loud at him (I know, meanest mom ever!!) but it was so funny! After a few minutes he joined in the fun and had a blast. While he was trying to decide if he really did want to play or sit in the car Tarell and Landon had taken the sleds to the top of the hill and were already having so much fun. In the end we all had a great time and can't wait for next year. Next year I can sled too!!

Baby update

2011-01-13T14:03:00.000-08:00

I just got back from my doctor appointment and thought I would update. So far everything is still looking great. My blood pressure is holding steady, still high, but not so concerning as a few weeks ago. Because I've been deemed "high risk" (because of the blood pressure) I have had a ton of appointments and careful monitoring. I now see the doc twice weekly for testing, which includes an ultrasound to check fluid levels and a non-stress test for the baby, as well as monthly ultrasounds. Even though I feel like I am ALWAYS at the doctor it's been nice to be able to see this kiddo more often. The difficult part has been that I see a different doctor each week - this practice is set up differently than others so I don't see the same provider, instead I see whoever is there that day. Unfortunately that means that I sometimes get different answers to questions and dates and such. But, at least they all agree that this baby is looking great so far.

Today we found out that he is approximately 4 lbs and 11 oz and right on target and he has been doing somersaults and is now head up (first time ever!!)! It looks like he will be a little bigger than Brayden but I also think the doc will let this guy stay in-utero a little longer than Brayden did. We got some cute pics (unfortunately our scanner isn't working though!) that showed him sucking his thumb. We also saw that he has huge pinchable cheeks and a ton of hair! He has a very similar profile to Brayden so we are pretty sure they will look alike, but we will see. We just can't wait to see and hold this little guy.

I asked the nurse practitioner today when she thought we might expect to be induced, assuming I would be based on the other doctors thoughts. She didn't seem to think that I will need inducing early at all, which is kind of disappointing for me - this bedrest is getting old!! One doctor told me that she wanted to induce me around 34 weeks, another said around 35 or 36 weeks, another said keep cooking until 39 weeks, and then today not at all. Oh well, I just want him to be healthy. I would like to be induced though - the thought of just going into labor kind of scares me. With Brayden I was induced at 35 weeks and once my water broke I pushed twice and he was out within 20 minutes. If that happens with this one we are in trouble because we are about 30 minutes from the hospital. Oh well, I'm sure there is a U-Tube video we could watch to figure out how to deliver this baby in the car if necessary, right??

We can't wait for this little guy to make his appearance, no matter when or how, which could be anytime betweek 1-6 weeks. He is so loved already and will definitely need to be ready for lots of attention

"Best Christmas EVER!!!"

2011-01-10T20:47:00.001-08:00

That is what the boys kept saying on Christmas Day, and each day for a week after. I know we slightly spoiled them, or rather Santa slightly spoiled them, but it was fun.

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A picture collage by Smilebox

Where does the time go??

2010-12-20T21:24:00.000-08:00

The past few months have gone by so fast and I am so obviously far behind with updates. So, here we go with an update....Halloween was fun! We had a Storm Trooper, a ninja, and a garden gnome. We had 3 days of Halloween - a trick-or-treat night at Brayden's school, the ward trunk-or-treat, and then a festival at the park. Good times!

Just a few weeks later Brayden turned 6!! I can't believe he is 6 now! We celebrated with his favorite breakfast before school - waffles with whipped cream and a big "6" candle and hot chocolate. Then just 3 days later Landon turned the big 4!! (unfortunately I can't find the pictures of his big day!! Bad mommy!!) That weekend we had a party for the boys and rented a huge bouncer at the park. They had so much fun and still talk about it. I will forever rent a bouncer for birthday parties - it was so entertaining!

Tarell's football season ended! He did such a GREAT job and had a blast! We can't wait for the next season to come around. He has really gotten into football lately and it's been fun to see. He tries explaining the game to his brothers and it's so fun to listen to.

Thanksgiving was fabulous! My brother and his family were here from China and it was so fun getting to know their sweet family. They have 3 of the cutest little girls ever and our boys had so much fun playing with their new found cousins. We can't wait until they come back someday. I know we too pictures but can't find them. I don't think I should be in charge of the camera anymore!

Latest baby news - things are still moving along and this little guy is growing nicely. My last ultrasound last week showed him moving (which I feel ALL the time!!) and he weighs about 3 pounds now. Right about where he should be. My blood pressure is still really high so the doctor ordered me to stop working and get more rest! He figured this would bring down my stress level - little does he know that staying home with 2-3 kids everyday and worrying about money will only bring more stress. I guess I'll have to work on it. This last week I spent a few hours in the hospital getting fluids. I was super dehydrated after spending 15 hours not able to keep anything down at all. Then 2 days later Brayden got strep throat! So far there hasn't been much resting - maybe after Christmas. I see the doctor in a week and then after that I have to start going 2 times per week until the end, which will probably come about 35 weeks. The doctor's goal has been to keep this baby cooking until about 35 weeks (anything after that will be a bonus) and depending on how the baby is I could deliver. So, we could have this baby anytime after January 20th! I can't believe it's almost the end! We are praying every day for a healthy baby - keep us in your prayers too please! We will keep everyone updated.

Last - today is my darling husband's birthday! Of course, true to form, I took no pictures! Sorry honey!! We had all the local family over for dinner and cake and ice cream. It's always so great to have family over - we love you all! Mark is having a hard time believing he is the big 37 now! I love you sweetheart and hope you had a great birthday!!

Baby update

2010-09-30T20:23:00.000-07:00

We had our ultrasound today and the baby looks great! We didn't get a good look at the full spine because this kiddo was a little stubborn (imagine that!!) :-) It was a very exciting hour as the tech tried to get a good look and give us the one piece of info we really wanted. FINALLY, we found out that we are having .......a........

BOY!!

Yep, another boy for the herd. We aren't disappointed at all, we are only super excited!! Now, only to decide on a name. Any suggestions??

School

2010-09-09T00:30:00.000-07:00

Brayden started 1st grade at the end of July! 1st grade people!! We moved him from the Charter school he went to last year to the public school by our house. It was such a hard decision but the school by us seemed to be a much better choice. The first couple of weeks were a little rough on Brayden - he got several time-outs and was even in a fist fight the second day! I didn't realize that changing schools would be so traumatic for him but he seems to have settled down and is now liking school and has even made several friends. He is doing amazing too! He loves spelling and mathm and is such a great reader - he can even read the same books Tarell reads. Good job kiddo!

Tarell turned 10 August 1st and is definitely growing up. The following week he also started school and is really happy to be back. He enjoys playing with his friends and learning new things. He also loves math and we are so proud of him! Tarell decided this year that he would skip out on orchestra and try something new - he chose the trumpet. He is super excited to learn this new instrument and we can't wait to hear him play.

Landon started preschool at his daycare and LOVES it! This kid is almost always happy. He is so outgoing at school and also enjoys playing with his friends, which he has a ton of! Landon can make friends wherever he goes. He is working on letters and numbers and recognizing colors. He loves it!

I LOVE when the kids go back to school. I love homework time each day after school and I love hearing about their daily adventures. It's also so nice to know that someone else is entertaining these darling kiddos each day, especially since I have not been feeling so well the past few weeks. YAY for school - it really is the most wonderful time of the year!!

San Diego 2010

2010-08-24T23:10:00.000-07:00

For our summer vacation we went to San Diego this year and had a blast!! There was so much to do. We:
Went to the beach
Spent a day at Sea World
Hit up Old Town
Played at the Mormon Battalion (a MUST!!)
Hung out at the beach again
CAN'T WAIT TO DO IT AGAIN!!

Here are some of the pics we took while there

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Cravings...

2010-08-07T00:07:00.000-07:00

So everyone has been asking about any special cravings I've had lately and it makes me laugh. It seems that I've craved almost everything I could at one point or another. When I was pregnant with Brayden I really craved Jack-in-the-Box tacos - weird right? With this baby it changes about every 5 minutes but I can't always satisfy them due to the overwhelming and constant nausea.

Funny story - for about the first 2 weeks after finding out the fantabulous news all I wanted to eat were Hebrew National hot dogs (specifically) and cheddar & sour cream potato chips. I never actually got to eat either of these things though. Toward the end of this craving the nausea was becoming unbearable so I called my doctor and asked for a prescription of Zofran - I specifically asked for Zofran because it has fewer side effects and is totally safe. When they called back they wanted me to first try eating potato chips and drinking lemonade. WHAT?!?! I explained that I hadn't been able to eat anything for about 2 days because I was so sick and they wanted me to eat this? The thought only added to the nausea. Well, I never did try this but I had to laugh at the suggestion. I finally did get the Zofran after 2 additional phone calls and an entire weekend. Luckily it helps a little but they also gave me Phenargan, which helps but knocks me out. Oh well. I'm happy to be nauseaous - it means that I really am pregnant still. YIPPEEEE!!

If anyone has any nausea helps I will happily take them - as long as they don't involve potato chips and lemonade.

Really??

2010-07-27T21:24:00.000-07:00

For 5+ years now we have been seeing doctors, tried unsuccessful treatments, been heartbroken, felt hopeless, went another direction...but never stopped trying. I guess relentless determination pays off....

I'm pregnant!!!

We were shocked at first but I think we have moved past all that to just beyond ecstatic now. I don't even have words to explain how I feel. This is truly a miracle that we had been told would most likely never happen for us again, for unexplained reasons. AMAZING!!

So, on July 4th, after feeling really icky for a week or so I decided to take a test - who knows why, just a random thought. To my incredible surprise it said positive! I couldn't believe it. I yelled for Mark, who came running while wondering what was wrong. I was shaking so hard that he couldn't even see what I was holding so I had to explain it to him. He was in shock also. Then he went to the store, upon request, to buy 3 additional tests but different brands, to make sure it wasn't a false positive. After those 3 were positive also we went to my doctor for a blood test - I still didn't believe this. As we were driving I kept thinking of all the other possibilities...I could be in renal failure with excessive protein in my urine causing a positive pregnancy test, I could have a uterine or ovarian tumor causing the HCG hormone...it was too much to actually think we could be having a baby.

The next day I got the positive blood result from the doctor - we really are going to have a baby!! Since then we have had 2 ultrasounds - the first was too early to show much more than a blob, but the second (just yesterday) showed the beautiful heartbeat and gave a due date of March 7th.

The boys are also pretty excited and can't wait to start shopping for a new sibling. This is such a miracle!

So long kindergarten!

2010-06-04T00:21:00.000-07:00

The end of May brought Brayden's kindergarten celebration, also considered a graduation of sorts. It was the cutest thing ever and he was so excited! I can't believe that he is now a 1st grader! I'm so proud of Brayden and everything that he accomplished this year. He can now read at a 2nd grade level and is doing 1st grade math - awesome!! It was fun to see how proud he was of himself too.

On the last day of school there was a birthday party for one of his classmates that turned 7 and Brayden was so amazed that he can do everything his friend can do and is even ahead of the friend in math. He said "Mommy, I'm only 5 but Ryan is 7 and we can do the same stuff, except I beat him at math!! And we are in the same class!" Brayden told me that I was right, that he really is smart like I tell him all the time. I'm so glad he now realizes that he is smart.

Father's & Son's

2010-06-02T00:10:00.000-07:00

May always includes the Father's and Son's camping trip and I think I look forward to it more than the boys do. I LOVE that I get a night to myself - even though that night usually just includes me hanging out in my PJ's watching a chick flick...FABULOUS!!

The boys all had a great time. They went up a little past Payson by the fish hatchery. The wind was blowing and it was freezing but they had a blast. The highlight of the trip seemed to be the campfire, which I'm told was the biggest campfire of them all. Good job guys! On the way home they made a stop at the hatchery too - what a great weekend - and they even made it back in one piece, that's always a plus!.

Help!!

2010-05-28T23:42:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago we were at the park and the boys were playing while Mark and I were talking. Since we were discussing something (it must have been important at the time) we were just letting the boys play on their own and weren't really paying attention. After a few minutes we heard this little, tiny voice say "Ummm, can I get some help here?" We looked around and saw this....

Somehow Landon had gotten off the platform while grabbing onto this ring-thing and was just dangling in the air. Mark rushed over to "save" him while I quickly snapped a picture. Luckily for everyone, Landon is quite the adventurer and wasn't too scared to keep playing - he actually thought it was pretty funny when he was finally down. This kid makes me laugh!

Spring

2010-04-30T01:04:00.001-07:00

The past few months have been very busy for us...work, school, extra activities, etc. Life is fabulously busy all the time. Here are a few of our activities - loaded with pictures of course.

Mark's family came to visit and we had a blast with them! We took more pictures than you will see here but I can't find them. But we have great memories! We spent a day at the Wildlife World Zoo and Aquarium and I definitely recommend it. It is quite a drive but so great! Mark took the boys on a great log ride and they all got soaking wet! We also saw some weird creatures and the boys pet a stingray - good times!

Easter weekend was a lot of fun too. We colored eggs at my parents and the next day we had an egg hunt. The boys loved it!

Spring in AZ is beautiful so we have spent a lot of time playing outside.

Brayden has had a wonderful year in kindergarten so far. His reading skills are amazing and he loves math! He can add and subtract double digit numbers and is reading Tarell's books now - amazing! They have also learned about cowboys and got to dress up and had a field trip to see dinosaur bones at the Natural History museum, just to name a few of his favorite topics. Brayden also just started soccer and is quite the player!

Landon just started a new preschool/daycare and is loving it! He has made some new friends and continues to develop such a fun little personality. We have been a little worried that his vocab skills are a little behind but the past few weeks his language has just exploded! He loves to ask questions and learn and it is so fun to see!

Tarell is the best big brother ever!! He is such a great helper all the time and is growing up so fast. Although he loves school he is really looking forward to summer. He keeps asking what we are going to do over the summer - I guess I should start planning since it is coming up so fast!

Christmas (Finally!!)

2010-01-28T22:43:00.000-08:00

Our Christmas was fabulous - I love this holiday! We opted for a real tree again this year and found the most beautiful one. We had a great time decorating it together and it looked so pretty and peaceful, I never wanted it to come down.

A few weeks before Christmas Brayden lost his first tooth. Boy did he think he was grown up! At his dentist appointment in November the dentist saw that it was a little loose and Brayden obsessed over it and wiggled it until he wiggled it out. He looked so cute with a little missing tooth.

We had our family Christmas party on the 23rd (I had to work on Christmas Eve - boo!!) and it was so fun. There were even a few celebrities that made an appearance! Santa came with presents and all the kids were in awe! We even had our China and California cousins on Skype and Santa was able to send them a present using Christmas Magic - it was amazing! All the kids personally received their Christmas pajama's from Santa himself. Then, the Dancing Doll and the Dumb Baby made their appearances. Good times were had by all. Christmas morning was spent opening presents and visiting family.

A few days after Christmas Mark and the rest of the guys in the family went snowmobiling in Yellowstone for 3 days - BRRRRR!! The high during the day was 15-18 degrees. Surprisingly, no one froze. They had such a great time and look forward to doing more activities together.

My attempt to catch up...

2010-01-22T21:54:00.000-08:00

A few months ago I was working on my laptop on the couch as we all watched a movie. In the excitement of the movie, one of my dear children accidentally knocked the small table that had my computer on it and spilled my drink....all over my laptop!! Apparently, rootbeer + laptop = fried motherboard. Bummer!! Sadly, my internet capabilities were greatly hindered by this. But, I am now back up, sort of. I have another computer that is several years old and sooooo slow, but it works! YAY!!

Well, the title says it all. I am waaaayyyy behind in blogging and have missed several major events. Let's see if I can catch them all now.

November 17th was Brayden's birthday. He's 5!! I can't believe it! He is so grown up, it just amazes me everyday. He started kindergarten this year and is doing amazing. He is learning math (addition and subtraction) and is reading. He gets so excited when he realizes he CAN do these things. So, for his birthday we just had a small party - grandma and grandad came over for Brayden's favorite dinner, spaghetti and meatballs. (The second picture was the present that grandma and granddad gave Brayden - it was a Star Wars toy wrapped to look like a robot! It was the greatest thing!)

November 20th was Landon's 3rd birthday. He is growing up so fast too and changes everyday. He is definitely feeling comfortable and part of our family and is, most often, a typical 3 yr old. He can be the sweetest thing but can be a terror too. Then he smiles and it's so hard to get mad at him - and he knows it so he uses it to his advantage! He loves to play and is always laughing - sometimes I'm not sure he knows what he is laughing at but that laugh is so cute! For his birthday, we had to celebrate a little late because Landon was sick but we did celebrate. Thanksgiving morning we met with grandma and granddad for a "Birthday Breakfast". Landon picked out his favorite doughnuts for everyone - he loved it.

The last day of school in December was Brayden's school performance and it was just too cute! His class sang "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" and looked so adorable! He was pretty nervous at first but quickly got into the routine and did awesome.

(here is Landon waiting patiently for the performance)

Brayden is the youngest kid in his class but notice how much bigger he is? He is at least a head taller than everyone else. Hopefully one day all the other kids will catch up to him.

Ok, I think that gets us caught up until Christmas so that will come next.

2010-01-02T01:20:00.000-08:00

Well folks....it happened! On December 31st at approximately 9:15AM, Landon Jameson Mariano officially became a Mariano! We are so happy! He has been part of our family since February so it's feels so good to have it be official now. Yay!!! Now, take a look at that face - isn't he a cutie?!?!?!

P.S. I realize that I am super far behind in blogging....I have 3 birthdays, a school program, Christmas, and I'm sure many other things to blog about and I will get to it eventually. Maybe I will even share the ill-fated story of my laptop and the reason I am so far behind....someday!

October 2009

2009-11-12T21:04:00.000-08:00

Boy have we been busy! But for some reason we didn't take a lot of pictures...oops! But, we did take some Everyone is still doing fabulous and we are having fun.

Brayden had his first field trip and I got to go with him! All the kindergarten classes went to Schnepf Farms for their Halloween festival and it was so much fun! There were fun kiddie rides, pig races, and we got to pick a pumpkin at the end. There were also enough parent chaperones that we each got 2 kids and then split up to have some fun! I had Brayden and his friend "A" and it was great. I hope I always get to do the fieldtrips with the boys!

The weekend of the 24th Gilbert had a Halloween party at Freestone park. There were fun games and bouncy slides, as well as a few characters. It was a lot of fun and something that we will definitely make a tradition!

We also got to have 2 Halloween's this year. On the 30th our ward had a Trunk-or-Treat so the boys got to dress up and we even did a trunk. There was a great turnout and the boys got a ton of candy! We even won first prize for best trunk! Woohoo!! The boys costumes looked awesome too and they were so in love with them - that's the best part! We had a mad scientist, Zorro, and a cute little scarecrow.

Then, on Halloween night, we went to the Queen Creek Trunk-or-Treat. That was a lot of fun too! In addition to the trunks there were a bunch of kids games they got to play for more candy. Unfortunately Tarell wasn't with us for Halloween night but he had his own fun. And, we ended up with WAY TOO MUCH CANDY!! I think next year we may find an alternative to keeping the candy.

**Stay tuned for birthday pics for Brayden and Landon!

Here we grow again...

2009-09-25T21:18:00.000-07:00

After swearing it wouldn't happen again...

We got a dog!!!

And she is super cute! The boys love her and have been having sooooo much fun playing with her. It took a couple hours but we settled on a name and she loves it and has answered to it from the start. So...meet Maizy!

YAY!!!!

2009-09-25T21:12:00.000-07:00

Landon is now potty-trained! YAY!!! It seemed to happen overnight, after working with him for months. We are so proud of him - and he is proud of himself. He hasn't had any accidents, even at night. Amazing!! He even go to pick out his own underwear. He now has a great selection of Cars, Spiderman, and Elmo underwear. So cute!!

Seattle vacation

2009-08-16T21:31:00.000-07:00

We went to Seattle the end of July for a much needed family vacation. It was so much fun to see family and check out some great places. Here are some pictures we took:

Hanging out by the waterfront

The boys were all so excited to see the guys that throw the fish - when it came down to it they were a little hesitant. Landon wouldn't go anywhere near the "disgusting fish" as he put it.

I really miss all the fresh flowers in buckets at Pike Place - they are so beautiful and cheap!! This picture doesn't do them justice at all!!

We even got to go out on grandpa's boat. We went in waves so unfortunately there aren't any pictures of Brayden and Tarell, but isn't Landon cute driving the boat?? These are a tad little blurry but too cute! They were being so silly!

The boys loved the Space Needle! We were so high up!

Of course we had to get a picture with all the grandkids - aren't they a handsome bunch? Maybe next time they will sit still - right!! If anyone got a good picture I would love to have it!

We also went to cousin Tom's wedding - I wish we had some pictures of that. The boys all looked so handsome and Tom and Rebecca looked beautiful! And Aunt Anita - we didn't get a picture of you either! We are horrible! We miss you all and wish we could see you more often!

We had such a great time! Thanks to everyone who made it possible for us! We love our family!

HE DID IT!!!!

2009-07-10T22:31:00.000-07:00

We had Brayden tested for early entrance into Kindergarten....and.....HE MADE IT!!!! He is definitely ready, in every sense, and is ecstatic! His birthday falls 4 months short of the cut-off so it's not like he's a full year early but the fact that he will be 4 for almost half of his kindergarten year is a big deal. I'm so proud of him! He will be the youngest kid in all of the kindergarten classes and he even beat out some 5 year olds for a spot. I knew you could do it big boy...I love you!!!

Has it really been 2 months???

2009-06-19T21:42:00.001-07:00

So I realized that it's been nearly 2 months since I blogged last..WHAT?!?! Why does time go by so quickly?? If someone could figure out a way to slow it down please let me know. :-)

We haven't really been up to much since last time...Mark works and is still loving his job and continues to do great. Erin LOVES her job too and is constantly learning new stuff. Tarell and Brayden are out of school for the summer and they love that! And last, Landon continues to grow and progress - he talks more and more everyday and we can actually understand him now...yippee!! We have fun and stay busy. Here are some pictures:

Mark's parents from Seattle came to visit and we had so much fun with them.

The boys went on the annual Father's and Son's campout and had a blast. They played, got dirty, got soaking wet, were cold, and they loved every second of it! Look closely - you can see grandad "roasting" Landon's socks. The boys got quite a kick out of that but they had to dry the soaking wet socks somehow.

The boys caught a new "pet" - this is Bryden asking if we can please keep him. IT was a moth that they named Charlie. Unfortunately Charlie went the way of some of our previous pets. Goodbye Charlie! I think we are done with pets forever!

Last, Mark had to have an emergency appendectomy about a month ago. He had been sick for a few days but refused to go to the Dr. (Ugh..men!!) Then, one morning he was home with Landon and Brayden (I was at work) and he felt really sick so he texted me to say he was calling 911. Seriously, 911?? Can it be THAT bad?? I thought he was joking so I called him and told him to wait and I would come home to take him to the Dr. Well, apparently he couldn't wait because when I got home Mark was gone and Brayden and Landon were being watched by 5 firemen. They boys thought it was great and "so cool!!" but I was mortified!! My house was a disaster and the boys were only half dressed - it was awful! So, I thanked the guys and took Landon to daycare and then met Mark at the hospital. As it turned out he need his appendix out! So, about 2 hours after arriving in the ER Mark was in surgery, after which he felt much better! We are all glad that he is ok and all better now.

For now, we are looking forward to our first vacation in FOREVER!! We are going to Seattle the middle of July and we are all just so excited! We have tons of fun things planned, plus we get to hang out with family! Yeah!!

I think that's about all for now. I'll try to be better at updating this thing more often.

Brayden's future plans...

2009-04-26T22:40:00.001-07:00

I know I haven't blogged for awhile - I keep meaning too, promise. I even have pictures...someday I'll get to it.

But for now I had to share Brayden's latest thoughts. We were driving in the car the other day and had a conversation about the possibility of taking a roadtrip. We were all discussing where we could go; Tarell wanted Disneyland, Landon wanted to go to the park, and the only place Brayden wanted to go was to college. I asked him what we would do at college. Very matter-of-factly he stated that we could go to college so he could tell them that he wants to be a SWAT doctor and he wants them to be ready for him. (for about a year now he's been talking almost constantly about being a SWAT doctor when he grows up - too cute!)

I had to laugh - I love that he's making his plans already. Not even in kindergarten but he's thinking about college and his future. For about the next hour all he talked about was going to college - and he wanted to make sure I would go with him. I love my boys!!!

Oh, BTW, I didn't think SWAT doctors were even real but I looked it up and they are! I love it!!

World Cup?

2009-03-27T22:43:00.000-07:00

Maybe not the World Cup but to our 4 year old it feels like it. Yep, Brayden is now playing soccer again...and he is quite the player! He has really improved and just loves it!

And what does Landon do during soccer practice?? Plays on daddy of course! Next year he can play too and he can't wait!

Polar Ice

2009-03-18T22:31:00.000-07:00

A new Polar Ice skating rink opened close to our house and the boys have been begging to go there. So, I looked into it (can you imagine me on ice skates? Not me!!) and found that they offer some great kids programs. My favorite program is a 4 week intro course to ice hockey. The best part - it's FREE!! Even the equiptment is free to borrow. Awesome! Of course we signed up for it and have been 2 times now.

The first week the boys did great but spent more time on their little behinds than on their feet so I thought for sure they would hate it. But, they got off the ice and talked about how much fun it was for days after. Yeah!! There are 2 weeks left and they love going. Landon even loves watching his big brothers play. Maybe next year he can do it too!

Drumroll please.....

2009-03-12T20:26:00.000-07:00

I'm so pleased to announce that

I HAVE A JOB!!!

I got the call today offering me an RN position at Banner Baywood in the PCU (Progressive Care Unit). This unit is kind of a cross between the ICU and a regular medical floor taking care of patients with heart issues. I am so excited! My official start date is March 23rd! Yeah for me!! I am actually going to be a working nurse! Wahoo!!

Its a wonderful life

2009-03-03T23:31:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone!! It's Mark, the quiet other half. I have been wanting to post for awhile, but wasn't sure what momentus occasion to write about. Then I had an epiphany, my entire life is a momentus occasion. I am married to the most wonderful and caring woman....thats you Erin. She is the reason I look forward to waking up each day, and the reason I strive to be a better man. I am so proud of you Erin for all that you do and the great example you are to the boys and I. I have three amazing, smart, handsome little boys who I love so very much...who always greet me when I come home with "Daddy's home!", followed by hugs and kisses. I love you Tarell, Brayden and Landon. I work for an awesome company with an extraordinary boss....you couldn't ask for a better working environment. I have the opportunity to work with some of the most grateful, motivated and dedicated people. I have both amazing parents and a wonderful mother and father in-law who have always been there to support us through thick and thin, I love all of you for that.I am so grateful for all that we have been blessed with over the years and the opportunities that have been made possible for us. As Erin and I approach our 5 year anniversary it gives me a chance to think back to when we first met and the butterflies I would always get when I hadn't seen each other for awhile...those butterflies never left. Erin I love you more now than I ever thought possible. Although we have made some questionable decisions over the years, I don't regret any of them because it has brought us to where we are today. I am realizing now that it is almost 1 am, so I hope that this is as coherent in the morning as it seems to me now. Thank you again to all of our friends and family....we love you all!

Too long...

2009-02-26T20:31:00.000-08:00

I realize that it has been nearly a month since I last posted - boy this month went too fast! Our month has been super busy and full of fun. Here are some pictures (please ignore the fuzzy pics...I have yet to figure out the settings on the camera to fix this!)

We played at Grandma and Grandad's house and got to see Grandad's new toy!

We played at the park

We spent a day at the Renaissance Festival where Mark got to participate in one of the "shows" they put on. This guy was some kind of traveling entertainer who juggled and played with fire - it was very entertaining for the kids. They especially loved when daddy was called to the stage to "help" out. Mark didn't love it so much but was a good sport.

All in all we have had a great month!

My boys...

2009-02-01T19:49:00.000-08:00

Aren't they handsome in their Sunday best?? I certainly think so!

Park fun

2009-02-01T19:29:00.001-08:00

We picked Landon up on Wednesday and got him all moved in. It's amazing to me how much stuff kids can have! Combine Landon's stuff with Brayden and Tarell's stuff and we have a full house.

The boys have really formed a strong bond and have had such a great time this week! Here are a few pictures. Enjoy!

Our first visit

2009-01-26T19:08:00.000-08:00

Today we met Landon in person and it was so much fun! When we first got to the door he ran up to me and jumped into my arms and wanted to take us into his room to see his toys. He was all smiles and laughs for the visit.

As we were getting ready to leave he was sad and asked if he could come home with us. Even though we wanted him to it just couldn't happen today as he had a doctor appointment. He did give both Mark and I hugs and kisses - it was so cute! I will be picking him up for the day on Wednesday and then we will pick him up on Friday for good.

We are so excited and did manage to get a few pictures today. Some of them are a little fuzzy - it's a little difficult to get pictures of an active 2 year old.

Have you heard???

2009-01-23T19:25:00.000-08:00

We knew it would happen sooner or later...

We were hoping for sooner rather than later...

We have been preparing for this...

Now, the time is here and are we really ready???

Can we do this???

I'm hoping so; here goes...

Introducing our(Click here for the post explaining)

On Wednesday we were selected to add a new member to our family and we couldn't be more excited! We met this new member's paperwork and picture today to determine if we want to proceed and there was no question about it...it is meant to be!

We are so excited to be able to introduce our new little boy to all our friends and family. His name is Landon and he just turned 2. According to the information we got today he will fit nicely into our family, and he even looks like our boys! He is very much a boy and loves to play outside and be "rough and tumble" - sound familiar anyone??

We told the boys tonight over dinner that they will be getting a new little brother and they could not be more excited! They have been constantly talking about how they will be the best big brothers ever. They can't wait to have Landon join our family.

Mark and I will meet Landon in person on Monday and then will hopefully be moving him in later in the week and we are so excited!

We feel strongly that this is what is meant to be and feel so blessed by our Heavenly Father. We know that Landon is supposed to be a part of our family. We are so thankful for everyone's prayers and thoughts throughout this journey and can't wait to see what the future brings. We are also very grateful for the adoption agency we chose and their help in continuing to make this relatively painless. If anyone ever wants information on how our adoption process worked then we are more than happy to help, and highly recommend it! We are so looking forward to having everyone meet Landon in the coming weeks! As soon as we can we will get a new family picture up for everyone to see!

Ahhh, the good life!

2009-01-19T21:23:00.000-08:00

The weather here in good ol' AZ has been beautiful! We took the boys to the park to enjoy the incredible weather so here are some pictures. For those of you living in the snow, rain, and downright miserable weather, I'm sorry! Feel free to visit!

Why??

2009-01-09T00:02:00.000-08:00

So, have you ever wanted something but it just wasn't happening? Yeah, I know how that feels. I've really been struggling with this lately and can't seem to get past it. I know this will sound a little like I'm whining - and, well, I am! It's my blog and I'll whine if I want to!

I just don't understand why I can't seem to have this thing...let's call it a green bouncy ball. Other people can have green bouncy balls, some people have like 18 green bouncy balls. Even older women are having green bouncy balls , and teenagers - why??? Even people who don't want a green bouncy ball are surprised with them and not everyone keeps theirs. How sad!

Don't get me wrong, I do have one fabulous green bouncy ball, that I love so much, but I would love to have another. Is that too much to ask??

So, why can't I have another one? There seem to be plenty of them left. Nobody can even figure out why I can't seem to get a green bouncy ball - it just isn't fair! (I know, life isn't meant to be fair!)

Even as I write this I realize just how selfish and bratty and ungrateful this sounds...I just feel like something is missing. Something like several green bouncy balls. But, my head keeps telling me to be greatful for what I have. So, that is what I will do....but deep down I still want more green bouncy balls. Maybe I will find someone to give me their's. (Sigh!)

End of the year wrap-up

2008-12-29T22:21:00.000-08:00

**WARNING! Long post ahead!

Well, the end of the year is here much quicker than anticipated. I can’t believe how fast this past year went – but I guess we always say that right? There was so much we wanted to get done in the month of December but it just didn’t work out –the biggest thing being our Christmas cards. Yes, we were actually going to do cards this year. We even bought some. We were also going to get a family picture to put in them but that didn’t happen either. Sorry to all our friends and family! So instead this quick letter will have to suffice. But please know that we were thinking of you during this holiday and that we love you all!

This year has been a busy and productive one for all of us! Brayden started pre-kindergarten and is loving it. He has learned so much, some good and some bad. He seems to be a 21 year old stuck in a 4 year old body! He is very intent on doing everything his own way, doesn’t ever take advice, and loves to tell us all how smart he is and how he wishes that mommy and daddy were as smart as him. He has a very fun personality and loves to joke around and play but can also be quite serious too. His new favorite saying is “Don’t you realize I can do it myself” or “Gosh, you just don’t understand me!” We have a lot of fun with this sweet little boy and maybe someday he will get us raised the way he wants us.

Tarell is in 3rd grade, turned 8 years old, and getting smarter everyday! He gets to be with us every weekend too! He moved to Scottsdale with his mom, which is about 30 miles closer to us so that makes the weekly drive much better. Tarell got to play football earlier in the year and had so much fun with that. He continues to develop a sweet personality and is so helpful around the house. He definitely enjoys being the older brother and likes to teach Brayden all kinds of things. Tarell is pretty sure that he will be the one to teach Brayden to read – it’s too cute!

Erin graduated from nursing school in December and is so excited! She is studying for the state boards and will hopefully take those in January. Then she can get a job and start contributing! Just kidding! We are so proud of everything she has accomplished and she definitely deserves a little break. During her break, in addition to the studying, she has decided to repaint the downstairs and catch up on all the laundry that has accumulated. Maybe by next year all that will be finished.

Mark has had a busy year at work! In addition to his regular work he started a telemarketing department that is going strong! He now has 6 telemarketers that keep him busy so they can keep the rest of the company busy. His hard work has been paying off too – the company has been able to cut down on their marketing mailers while continuing to obtain new customers. We are so proud of him! He works so hard for our family – we love him!

Our Christmas was wonderful, filled with love and happiness. We spent it with family, all the while missing those not with us. We hope all our far away friends and family had a wonderful holiday also.

We have been so blessed this year and are so thankful for everything we have. We are also very thankful for the support and love of our family and friends – we couldn’t do it without you all! We are all looking forward to what the coming year has in store for all of us – it promises to be great. We love you all!

Happy Birthday!

2008-12-20T10:13:00.000-08:00

Today is my wonderful hubby's birthday. I promised I wouldn't publish his age but he is now in his mid-30's and as awesome as ever! Here are a few of my favorite things (but not the whole list because that would go on FOREVER!!) about the most wonderful man!

He is the hardest worker and always made sure to do whatever it took to help me get through nursing school

He NEVER complains!!

He is the best dad - always playing with and taking care of the boys

Mark is a "whatever it takes" kind of guy

He is always happy - this works well to counteract my moodiness!

Mark is always making our lives more exciting, fun, and happy

He can be a little bit silly and always makes me laugh! (See the picture) ----------------->

He loves me no matter what (That's what he tells me!!)

He is so supporting all the time

I am so thankful to have the most wonderful husband in the world! I love you Mark and hope you have a fabulous birthday!

New title

2008-12-19T21:42:00.000-08:00

Well, I did it! As of today I am an RN!! Can you believe it?? I still don't - maybe tomorrow it will seem real...maybe next week, we'll see!

But I graduated. I'm a nurse - yay for me!! (Can't you just see me doing a happy dance??) Merry Christmas to me!

Erin Mariano, RN

Visit with Santa

2008-12-06T21:39:00.000-08:00

Today we went to the mall for our traditional Santa picture. The boys were so excited - they love to see Santa - and they looked so handsome!

Last year we discovered that Fiesta Mall has a great activity around Christmas. On certain nights (Schedule) Mrs. Claus reads a story, it snows, and the kids can dance to Christmas Carols. We didn't do it tonight but we will be there for it in a couple weeks. The boys loved it last year. Maybe we will see you there too??

Catching up...

2008-12-05T22:22:00.000-08:00

I have been meaning to post for several days now but better late than never! The Wednesday before Thanksgiving Brayden had a "Feast" for his class. Mark and I were both able to be there and it was so cute. All the kids sang a few songs for us before we ate. Preschoolers are so cute! They got so shy doing their performance but they looked so cute with their little turkey hats.

Thanksgiving was great. It was very small for our family but still fun. For some reason we didn't get any pictures.

Then, on Dec. 3rd, I took the biggest and scariest test ever - up to this point anyway. This test is the one that determines if I am able to graduate from nursing school and take the state boards. It is considered a predictor test for the state boards and was 40% of our final grade. I was SO NERVOUS! It was 160 really tough questions and I finished after about an hour - way too soon! When I got to #160, I chose my answer and then sat and stared at the computer screen for about 10 minutes, not wanting to submit the test - I didn't want to find out my score. I thought for sure I would cry if I didn't pass...oh, the agony! So, I finally submitted the test and got my score - I PASSED! With flying colors! I did awesome! And I am still on cloud 9 over it. Ahhh, 2 years of hard work and I am essentially done. I go back to school on the 16th and will officially be done on the 19th. Then I get to study for my boards, which I will hopefully take in January. Until then, I look for a job. I am so excited!

Tonite we decorated our Christmas tree - well, the boys did most of it. It's really cute! We got a smaller tree this year, you know, cutting back. I had visions of making this beautiful tree, you know, like a department store tree. Well, ours doesn't look like that at all but I love it. The boys did a GREAT job - it is beautiful! I love my family. I love my house. I love my life! Things are FABULOUS!!

Nope, still not the right time

2008-11-21T19:29:00.000-08:00

I guess that says it all. But, the time will come. I'm sure!

Thanks for all your prayers - we love you all!

Will it happen THIS time?

2008-11-20T16:12:00.000-08:00

We got word that our family is being considered again for another sibling group adoption. We are kind of excited but are being careful to not get too excited, since last time we got disappointed. We should know by late tomorrow afternoon if we were chosen or not - there are 3 families being considered and only one will be chosen at the meeting (called a red file staffing) tomorrow afternoon. So, please keep us in your prayers that what is supposed to happen will happen.

We aren't going to give any more information about the kids until we know for sure - then we will tell everyone how many kids, ages, gender. For now we will just say that we will get enough to fill our house and make life very fun and interesting! The boys are super excited too - they really want this to happen. We'll keep you posted! Thanks for your prayers and we love you all!!!

4 years old!!

2008-11-17T06:00:00.000-08:00

Exactly 4 years ago today, at 12:17pm, my sweet Brayden made his incredible debut into the world. The past 4 years have been so wonderful with him, I really couldn't imagine life any other way. I love this big guy so much! A few things about Brayden that I love so much:

His big blue eyes and cute smile. He has 4 super cute dimples that just make his face light up.
He is funny and love to make people laugh. (see last post about his joke)
Brayden is so caring about other people. He worries about how others feel and is always trying to make other people feel better when they are sad.
He is friendly to everyone and love to have friends.
Brayden is so inquisitive...all the time! his favorite questions are "why?" and "then what will happen?" and always has to know the REAL answer, not something made up.
He is so considerate (most of the time!) of others feelings and tries to include everyone.
He is super smart!
He loves to help with everything!

So, Brayden's birthday kind of turned into an entire weekend thing. We started on Friday by going to Peter Piper Pizza, also known as kid heaven! Seriously, where else can you drop a good chunk of change for pizza and tokens, the kids can play happily for hours, and then walk out of there with "treasures"! It was so much fun!

Then on Saturday we had a birthday lunch and Brayden opened his presents. He had already seen them wrapped in the garage and just couldn't wait anymore - he had to have them.

On Sunday we had another birthday lunch after church with Grandma and Granddad! Lots of birthday celebrating for a special kiddo. We love you Brayden!

Brayden's joke

2008-11-05T22:03:00.000-08:00

On the way home from Brayden's school today he told me a joke. What makes this such a "blogging" occasion you ask? Well, it was his first joke that actually made sense and wasn't well rehearsed - it just came out of the blue.

Brayden: "Why did the duck cross the playground?"

Me: "I don't know."

Brayden: "To get the other SLIDE!!"

And then he cracked up, as did I, for about 10 minutes. It was hilarious! I also thought that he was asking me a legitimate question - those of you who know Brayden knows that he has a knack for asking random, incessant questions - so the joke was a total surprise! I just can't get enough of him!

Happy Halloween

2008-11-03T20:41:00.000-08:00

Halloween was so much fun for the boys this year. We started by carving the pumpkin of course. It took a few minutes for them to get past the gross feeling of the pumkin "guts" and Brayden actually gagged with the first whif - it was so funny! Eventually they really got into it though and had a blast cleaning it out. Here is the finished product.

Halloween night we took the boys to the Queen Creek annual Trunk-or-Treat and it was packed!

We couldn't even get Brayden to look at the camera - he was in awe. A real Storm Trooper!

There were lots of kids activities sponsored by groups in the community so the boys got to play some games to earn candy. Then for the Trunk-or-Treat portion there were about 40 cars in the parking lot and the boys were hooked up! Their bags were so full! But the best part of the night was seeing the Storm Troopers and C3-PO. Since Tarell was Darth Vader the Storm Troopers would even solute him when they saw him and he would salute right back just like it was normal. It was so funny!

Their favorite activities were the cow milking contest and the pumpkin put.

This is definitely going to be a yearly tradition - it beats traditional trick-or-treating!

Kids Fair = good time!

2008-10-25T22:40:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago we ventured out to the Cardinals stadium in Glendale for the annual Kids Fair. It was quite a drive but the boys had so much fun! There were so many people inside that we could only move with the crowd! But, the boys were hooked when we first walked in and saw Darth Vader and the Storm Troopers - it was the best day of their young lives. The best part for us was when Brayden, with all the confidence in the world, walked up to Darth Vader and stuck out his hand to shake hands. It took Darth Vader by surprise and he just stood there for a second and then finally put his hand in Brayden's. It was great to see the HUGE smile on Brayden's face - I've never seen him look happier! Unfortunately we weren't ready with the camera so we didn't catch that but here a few of the pictures we did take.

It was a long day but so much fun!

Nope, not the right time

2008-10-10T22:54:00.000-07:00

I guess the title says it all. We were not chosen to be the adoptive family for the little 5 yr old boy. As much as I wasn't sure about this being the right thing I was pretty disappointed when I got the call. Oh well, right? What else can I say...I guess it will happen when it's meant to happen, hopefully.

Brayden asked again tonight when his sister is coming. Well, soon I hope. Then he asks me, "Did you ask Heavenly Father if she can come now?" I tell him, "Of course" and he wonders, "What is taking so long? Can she hurry?"

Oh, my dear boy, I wish she would hurry too. We'll keep asking!

Is it time??

2008-10-08T20:12:00.000-07:00

Remember a few posts ago I shared that we are hoping to adopt a child or children? Well, I received a call yesterday that we have been "matched" with a child. He is 5 1/2 and has been in foster care since he was 3 and, from what we have been told, a sweet little guy. There are also several other families that are also being considered so on Friday there is a meeting where all the agencies with families will meet together and basically "sell" their family to find the right home for the kiddo.

We are really excited since it feels like we have been waiting for so long but this is definitely not what we were expecting. We had originally said we could take a sibling group of 3 with at least one girl - we so want a girl - and we just aren't sure if this is the right thing for us. We are praying about it and are getting mixed feelings...sometimes it's so hard to decipher our feelings and what we are being told to do.

So, please pray for us right now, we could use all the prayers we get right now! Please pray that the right decision will be made for this little boy and for us. Whether that means he is placed with us or not he needs a good home! Thanks everyone! We will know by Friday and I'll post the outcome!

Walking with Dinosaurs

2008-09-18T21:44:00.001-07:00

Last Friday we got to go see the Walking with Dinosaurs show and it was INCREDIBLE!! The boys were in awe the entire time. Here are a few pictures we took...

The dinosaurs are amazingly life-like and I thought the boys might get a little scared but they didn't at all. In fact at one point, toward the middle of the show, Brayden declared loudly for all to hear, "Don't worry mommy, those are just costumes, they aren't real dinosaurs. But I will protect you if you want." Thanks kiddo!

Brayden's wife

2008-09-03T19:45:00.000-07:00

After I picked Brayden up from school today we had a funny conversation. To preface this - he has been really concerned lately about growing up and having to live on his own. He just doesn’t want to do that! He says he wants to live with us forever. He gets pretty worked up over it almost daily and wants my reassurance that I will allow him to do that. Of course I tell him that he can, but I know that he will change his mind in just a few years.

So today here is our conversation:

B: “Mommy, when will I have my own daughter?”

Me: Well, you will grow up, and go on a mission first. Then you will come home and meet a beautiful girl that you will fall in love with, get married, and then have kids.”

B: “But who is this girl? Do I know her?”

Me: “I don’t know who she is. But that’s something to worry about when you are older, not now.”

He sits back and thinks for a minute.

B: “I am going to marry a girl named Alicia.”

Me: “What? How do you know that?”

B: “I had a dream and I read a book, the Book of Alicia. That told me I would marry her.”

Me: “Is Alicia at school or in Primary?”

B: “No, I don’t know her but she is beautiful!”

Me: “What does she look like?”

B: “She has green eyes and short dark hair with a ribbon in it. The ribbon is pink or red and that makes her beautiful!” (He has had this thing for girls with ribbons in their hair – they are only beautiful if they wear a ribbon.)

He seemed very sure about this and I didn’t even know what to say – I was too busy trying not to laugh because he was SO serious. So, I guess if anyone comes across an Alicia that fits his description let us know so we can keep in touch with her so Brayden doesn’t have to look too far for his future wife. Oh, the funny things kids say! Gotta love em!

Outing to the park

2008-09-02T21:39:00.000-07:00

Well, we found our camera cord for downloading pictures but now we have lost the memory card! What?!?! How does one lose a memory card, but not the camera, you might ask?? That is the exact question we have been asking Brayden - that dear boy has quite the knack for taking apart whatever he can and then losing interest. Maybe there will come a day when we will stumble upon our long lost memory card in a very unlikely place. But, that would require a deep cleaning so maybe not! :-) In the meantime we have a smaller memory card we can use...oh well!

A couple Saturdays ago Mark took the boys down the street to the park and they had so much fun! They started out on their bikes while Mark carried the remote control cars. After about a block Brayden didn't want to ride his bike because he said he was "too busy" (that has always been how he describes being tired) and instead wanted to run alongside Tarell. How funny that he was too tired to ride his bike but he could run no problem.

So they got to the park and pulled out the remote control cars - one is a HUGE jeep and the other is kind of a stunt car that can crawl and do tricks without crashing. Oh, boys and their toys. A great time was had by all - especially me since I got to sleep in! Oh happy day!
Here are a few pictures from the park...

Auction for NieNie

2008-08-27T23:55:00.000-07:00

About a week ago my mom called to tell me about a horrible private plane crash in St. Johns (my old home town). She then went on to tell me about the couple (Christian and Stephanie Nielson) in the crash and that they were friends of my SIL Kellie. I immediately went to their blog and recognized that I have been there before. (Maybe I shouldn't admit it but I spend WAY too much time blog surfing) This blog (NieNie Dialogues)is an amazing example of how to be a wife/mother/and beautiful person. Stephanie and Christian have 4 beautiful children, a wonderful extended family, and the faith and prayers of thousands across the country as they lay in critical condition in and AZ hospital. They are both in a medically induced coma, with Stephanie having burns over 80% of her body. According to the updates that you can read here on her sister's blog they are both doing fairly well, all things considered.

So, now the reason for this posting...to help raise the much needed funds to help pay for their medical expenses and other needs during this time of healing many blogs are holding a silent auction. Check out the many sites participating, find something you like, and bid your hearts out! I have seen some fantastic things up for grabs. It seems like a win-win situation; you get something fabulous while contributing to a wonderful cause.

Check out DesignMom for participating blogs and BID, BID, BID!!

The latest...

2008-08-21T23:42:00.000-07:00

ARGHH!!!!! I've put off posting for a couple weeks now because the memory card reader on my computer isn't working and I wanted to put up pictures. So, I've been looking for the cable to download the pictures from the computer but can't find it...where could it be??? Well, I decided that I wasn't going to wait anymore, I'll just post the pictures later.

The last few weeks have been exciting for us. The first excitement came when Brayden started school. Well, pre-kindergarten that it, but he goes to an actual school Mon-Fri all day. He was so excited for his first day that he couldn't even sleep the night before! And, each morning he can hardly wait to get to school - it is so cute! His teacher, Mrs. Lambert, is now the smartest person he knows (I've been replaced!) and he has made some good friends. Yesterday he came home with a little bracelet thing (that he SWEARS is NOT a bracelet) that he called a Principal Paw. He then told me that they talked about respect at school and everyone who was respectful got an award, the Principal Paw. He also taught me what it means to be respectful...you have to be nice and listen and follow directions. He also taught me about trapezoids and parallelograms - since when do 3 year olds learn about these things? It is so great to see him excited about learning...and great to see that he is learning! (We have some great pictures of his first day at school in his cute little uniform with his big-boy backpack that I will post later)

Next exciting thing...we painted part of the house, and I LOVED IT! We painted the kitchen, eating area, entryway, and family room, and it all looks so great! It's nice to not have to stare at white walls anymore. We have the best deep red wall in our family room, a gorgeous light yellow-green in the kitchen, and a green-khaki wall in the entryway, with cream colored paint on the other walls to bring it all together. We also painted Tarell's room (finally) a safari yellow color for his jungle/safari theme room. My next project is the kids bathroom, the downstairs bathroom, and the master bedroom. Then we will have to hire someone to paint the livingroom since the ceilings are so tall. Eventually the entire house will be beautiful! It's kinda hard to picture so just think Model Home - It looks great!

Last exciting thing...I finished another semester of school! YEAH!! I took my last final yesterday and was kinda nervous about it but my grade was posted and I did fabulous! Not to brag but I'm feeling pretty good about my abilities as a nurse! I now get to have one wonderful week off then 10 weeks of school, 3-4 weeks of preceptorship (where I actually work in a hospital side-by-side with a nurse)and then I am done!! My dream areas are Labor and Delivery and the NICU working with premies. I can't believe I am this close to being finished with this part of my nursing school. I have plans to continue on and get my Master's and possibly my Doctorate but we'll see what happens.

So that's the latest and greatest with us. I promise to get some pics up as soon as I can find that blasted cable...I'll keep looking!

Family

2008-07-30T00:26:00.000-07:00

So, I've been debating about whether to write this post or not but I finally decided to just go ahead and do it! I've been inspired by others that I have met through blogging and other places that some things should be shared, even if they are slightly personal.

Many of you know that we have been trying for about 3 years to have another baby and it just hasn't happened. We have even seen a fertility specialist and undergone treatments but stopped short of in vitro (it's amazing how expensive that can become!). Unfortunately I seem to fall into an ever growing category of women who have unexplained infertility and it seems that there really isn't anything that can be done about it. This has proven to be extremely frustrating because Mark and I both have felt that more children were in our future and Brayden and Tarell have been BEGGING for a sister for awhile now. We've prayed and fasted asking for the opportunity to have another baby and never really felt like we got a clear answer. So, instead of waiting for a time when we might have money to try in vitro we decided that there are plenty of kids out there that need a home...we have a home that needs more kids so we looked into adoption.

We checked several options..private adoption, out of country adoption, church social services, etc and the common problem is money. I can't believe all the fees that go along with adoption and it can run around $50,000. Since I am in school and we have only one income at the time that just isn't an option. So, we looked into the child crisis nursery here in AZ and found what we were looking for. This kind of adoption involves slightly older children that are in state custody for any number of reasons...but they need homes too. In order to be eligible for this we had to take some classes and then fill out loads of paperwork and have our house inspected and then be approved by the court. On May 22nd we were finally certified to adopt! YEAH!!

We thought for sure that we would have kids soon after. Now, 2 months later we are still waiting! This is the hard part. We've had some possibilities but nothing that we felt was right for us. As badly as we want more kids we want it to be a good situation for everyone so we might be a little picky, which we have been assured is a good thing in order to make it work! We are super excited and we decided that we could even take a sibling group if it is the right situation. Our desired ages are 0-7 and i absolutely require that we get at least one girl! I'm longing for some pink princess stuff! We'll see what happens!

I had originally wanted to wait to let anyone know what we are doing until something actually happened. BUT, I decided that prayers and support of family and friends might help out in finding the kids that are meant to be part of our family. So, any prayers would be greatly appreciated! Thanks everyone, we love you!

2008-07-23T23:12:00.000-07:00

I realized that I haven't put up very many pictures lately and that makes a boring blog! So, here are a few pics of us over the last few months.

Picnic at the park

4th of July fun

Fun in the backyard - maybe someday we'll have a pool???

These 2 boys could stay outside playing in the water FOREVER if we let them. We love these guys!

The talk

2008-07-23T22:55:00.000-07:00

I've had a few questions about how Brayden's talk went a couple weeks ago and, well, let's just say we are glad it's over. I gave him a few options for topics and he chose missionaries. In the week leading up to the talk he practiced and was sooooo excited to get up and give his talk in front of everyone. He was really worried that the kids would laugh at him though but we had seemed to work through that by Sunday.

On Sunday we got to the primary room a few minutes early so he could get used to standing at the podium, which he enjoyed. Then the kids started coming and I could see him get nervous. I tried to talk to him but he was pretty worked up and kept asking when it was his turn. He was very fidgety during the opening exercises and then suddenly it was his turn. We walked to the podium and that's where it all went downhill. He stood up but got incredibly shy and wouldn't talk. So, he held the pictures for me while I gave his talk. He did offer a few words every once in a while but for the most part he refused to talk. (He's gotten really shy all of a sudden - I'm not sure what's going on!) After it was over he got upset and felt pretty bad that I wouldn't "let" him give his talk! It's funny how things can get so turned around in a 3 year old's mind! But, we talked about it and he ended up being ok. Now, he wants to talk again...so we'll try it again someday. I was proud of him for the effort and he still remembers what the talk was about. It's cute to hear him quote it once in a while.

He also reminded me about the talk incident after church this past Sunday when he told me that the older kids don't always talk either. Apparently one of the older kids did the same thing as Brayden - and he really emphasized that the boys was OLDER. I hadn't even brough it up but it seems that he's been thinking about it. It was sweet. I love that little boy!

Rock Star

2008-07-13T13:40:00.000-07:00

The other day Brayden started telling me that he has "always wanted to be a Rock Star!" WHAT?!?! ALWAYS huh?? He was so serious too - and he made it sound like I was holding him back from his rock star dream. Too funny! He has a guitar that looks like a rock star guitar that plays rock-like music and he has been having a blast with that. We were driving in the car with my mom and Brayden gave us a concert with his own songs, it was great. He sang about wanting to be a rock star and a doctor and a policeman and that he was a great rock star. I wish I had a video camera to catch it all, it was so impressive and creative. Then he played the guitar over his head and down at his feet with his tongue sticking out and a true "Rock Star" face. So, I wonder who has been showing him old 80's rock videos - we don't even get MTV so it wasn't at our house. Here are some pictures I took of the concert he gave me later that afternoon.

2008-07-11T21:49:00.000-07:00

Brayden had surgery yesterday to have tubes put into both ears and his adenoids out - YEAH!!! No more ear infections and hopefully no more snoring at night! When we went to the ENT a few weeks ago for the consultation he did a hearing test and found out that Brayden has moderate hearing loss due to all the recent infections and fluid build-up. I was thinking that everytime he said he couldn't hear me he was just trying to get out of something - I felt so bad!! Luckily the hearing loss is reversible and we are already noticing a HUGE difference. I whispered to him from the other side of the room and HE HEARD ME. It was wonderful! He has had a little pain from the adenoid removal but not too much.

He was really excited about the surgery and was pretty wired that morning. We we were scheduled for 8AM so we had to be there at 6:30AM and he was so happy, I was amazed. Not once did he cry or complain. I had explained to him what would happen so he was prepared. As he was wheeled away from us (we had to wait in the waiting room) he just smiled and waved, then turned his attention to the cute blonde nurse with him - always the ladies man!! Here he is before the surgery, walking into the center.

No, he isn't screaming, he is just wired but we weren't really sure why!

I didn't take any pictures of him after the surgery because he didn't look so good. He was pretty swollen and he just looked drugged for the rest of the day. By yesterday afternoon though he was up and moving around and wanted to get out of the house. He asked me if we could please go run errands and just get out of the house. Today he was back to normal, if not a little crazier. I'm so glad that he heals quickly and his procedure was not too extensive.

Any ideas???

2008-07-07T18:34:00.000-07:00

Brayden has been asked to give his very first talk in Primary this Sunday. He is so very excited and I'm NERVOUS!!! He can't wait to get up in front of everyone and talk into the "speakerphone". When I asked him what he wants to talk about he confidently stated "Pirates". I tried explaining that we need to give a talk about something that would make Heavenly Father and Jesus happy and he said that "Pirates would make Them happy". I guess the topic is all up to me then!

So, I'm looking for some ideas for a Sunbeam talk on a subject OTHER than pirates. Got any ideas??????????

Our daddy (from Tarell and Brayden)

2008-06-16T17:14:00.000-07:00

10 reasons why we have the BEST daddy EVER!!
10. He works hard so he can buy us toys
9. He buys us treats
8. He lets us play in the backyard in the water
7. He helps us if we need; like when Tarell is tickling Brayden, daddy will help
6. He is always trying to make us happy
5. He takes us to the park
4. He plays with us and reads us books
3. He likes to wrestle
2. He us funny and makes us laugh
1. He loves us very much!

Tarell and Brayden came up with each of these reasons and were so excited to post them on the blog -it was so cute! They want everyone to know that they love their daddy SOOOOOOOO much and he is the BEST daddy EVER!

Tagged

2008-06-14T17:23:00.000-07:00

My friend Mikala tagged me so here goes...

A: ATTACHED OR SINGLE – happily married
B: BEST FRIEND(s) – My husband and my mom
C: CAKE OR PIE - Why must we choose?? Since I must choose – pie.
D: DAY OF CHOICE – Saturday – no school and I get to spend the day with the fam
E: ESSENTIAL ITEM - my cell phone or my laptop
F: FAVORITE COLOR – changes by the day - anything bright
G: GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT - Hmmmm...nearing the end of nursing school - it's been a LONG road but only 6 months to go!
H: HOMETOWN – Mesa, AZ
I: INDULGENCES – Reading something other than a nursing textbook!
J: JANUARY OR JULY – January – it isn’t so blasted hot then
K: KIDS - 2; Tarell 7 1/2 and Brayden 3 1/2
L: LIFE IS INCOMPLETE WITHOUT - My kids and husband
M: MARRIAGE DATE – March 27, 2004
N: NUMBER OF SIBLINGS - 7
O: ORANGES OR APPLES – Green Granny Smith apples
P: PHOBIAS OR FEARS – Losing one of my kids
Q: QUOTE - Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.
R: REASON TO SMILE - any day without homework so I get to play with the boys S: SEASON - Winter - I love the cooler weather and of course Christmas!
T: TAG THREE FRIENDS – Carol, Kristin, Laurel
U: UNKNOWN FACT - I plan on pursuing my education and someday get my NP license
V: VERY FAVORITE STORE – Target – you can get almost everything there
W: WORST HABIT - I drink a Coke a day - I can't seem to give it up
X: X-RAY OR ULTRASOUND – No difference to me
Y: YOUR FAVORITE FOOD - anything Mexican and spicy with green chiles
Z: ZODIAC - Cancer

Monster zucchini

2008-06-03T20:23:00.001-07:00

We decided to plant a garden this year, although I was a little hesitant. I have never been able to make ANYTHING grow (I have killed bamboo twice - you aren't supposed to be able to kill that!!) so I didn't have a very positive attitude about it, but decided it was worth a try. We started small and cleared out a little corner in the backyard and then went to Home Depot to decide what to plant. We thought we would have better luck with starters rather than try to plant seeds. After about an hour at Home Depot we came home with about 5 zucchini,3 tomato, 3 cucumber, and 3 strawberry plants. After planting those we carefully watered and fed them all with Miracle Gro as directed. Two days after planting we lost the strawberries (not really sure what happened, they just dried up), one tomato plant, and the zucchini looked a little unhealthy. So, we thought we would try again but this time we went to a nursery with hopes of getting healthier plants. I was determined that it was going to work this time and we once again left with 5 zucchini, 3 tomato, 3 cucumber, and added 3 yellow squash plants. When we got home we pulled up the obviously dead plants but left the zucchini in place with high hopes that we could nurse them back to health. Once again, we lost everything except 1 tomato and all the zucchini plants. The yellow squash also seemed to have survived. Now fast forward about 4 weeks and our zucchini plants are taking over! Our lonely tomato plant has about 4 tomatoes on it and is doing fairly well but holy moly - the zucchini is something else! I have never seen such big zucchini leaves and have been looking forward to seeing how much we end up with. Well, yesterday I was outside with the boys watering the plants and started poking around in the leaves. Because we planted the plants in such close proximity to each other (not something we will do again) it is kind of like a jungle in that little corner. As I'm poking around I see a dark green funny looking leaf so I bend a little closer and much to my surprise I see the BIGGEST zucchini I've ever seen. I am so amazed at what has grown and how quickly it came up. It is about a foot long, 6-9 inches around at the base, and weighs 4-5 lbs. Check out the pictures! The boys think it is so awesome, as do I since I have never grown anything edible before. YIPPEE! I can't wait to see what continues to grow!

Father's and Son's outing

2008-05-06T22:27:00.000-07:00

The guys had a great time on their campout! They roasted marshmallows, had hot chocolate, slept in a tent, had a campfire, and did all the typical camping activities. The highlight for Brayden was throwing things in the fire and Tarell said he liked it all. They can't wait to go again next year!
Setting up the campsite. Ok, granddad is doing ALL the work! Thanks granddad!!

Weekend activities

2008-05-02T08:40:00.000-07:00

This weekend is a very exciting one in the life of a Mormon wife/mother. It's time for the yearly Father's and Son's outing!! YEAH!!!!! This is a time when dads and their boys get to go camping overnight with other dads and boys from the ward. It is the best time for the moms! We get to have an entire Friday night and Saturday morning to ourselves! YIPPEE!!

So, what am I going to do???? ANYTHING I WANT! I can read a book uninterrupted! I can watch ANY chick flick without having talk someone else into it! I can watch said movie without having to wake someone else up because he is snoring so loud I can't hear the movie! I get to go to bed as early or as late as I want! I can make whatever I want for dinner. I can go shopping without having to stop at the play area at the mall! The possibilities are endless! I am so excited!

I will miss my boys though! I know that they will have a blast and I can't wait to hear all about it! Brayden has been super excited because it is "just the boys and no girls" because, as he puts it, "girls ruin things!" Interesting! Have a good time boys!!

Thought provoking...

2008-04-27T21:37:00.000-07:00

I received this in an email last week and thought it was something we should all think about. Let me know your thoughts!

"Consider these words written by Abraham Lincoln as part of a
resolution in 1863:

"'We have been the recipients of the
choicest bounties of heaven; we have been preserved these many years in
peace and prosperity; we have grown in number, wealth, and power as no
other Nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten
the gracious hand which preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched
and strengthened us, and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of
our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom
and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success we have become too
self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving
grace, too proud to pray to the God who made us.

"'It behooves
us, then, to humble ourselves before the offended power, to confess our . .
sins, and to pray for clemency and forgiveness.' (John Wesley Hill,
Abraham Lincoln, Man of God, 4th ed., New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, p.
391.)"

Topic: Gratitude

(Marion G. Romney, "Gratitude and Thanksgiving," Ensign, Nov. 1982, 50)

If this is what President Lincoln thought about his time, 145 years ago, what must he be thinking now? What changes must be made in our own lives to prevent this from happening further in our own homes??? We definitely can't do "life" by ourselves!!

Finals

2008-04-24T21:40:00.000-07:00

Today I took my last final for this semester and a huge load has been taken off! The end of this semester was so stressful because we had a HUGE test evaluating everything we have learned since the first day of school - CRAZY STRESSFUL!! There wasn't really any way to study for it either since that was just way too much info - an entire year and 4 months worth of info could not be re-studied over just a few weeks. So, needless to say that I have been more stressed than ever - my poor family has put up with me so nicely (thanks my loves!).

But, no worries here...I PASSED with flying colors. YIPPEE!!! Whew!!! I am now at the point in school that if I wanted to I can take the state board exam to get my LPN license and work to get some experience, while continuing, of course, toward my RN. I'm contemplating that - I can hardly wait to be working again. Something to think about I guess. But for the meantime, I get an entire week off before starting again. YIPPEE!!!!!

Family from Washington

2008-04-21T15:48:00.001-07:00

A couple weeks ago Mark's family from Washington came to visit. His parents, sister Jennifer and her son Davis were here for an entire weekend and we had alot of fun with them. I thought we had more pictures but I can't seem to find them, but here is one from our backyard. Thanks for visiting - it was a great time!

Little kicks

2008-04-09T23:06:00.000-07:00

Brayden just started playing soccer with Little Kicks and he loves it! Little Kicks is designed for preschoolers so they can learn the basics of the sport without any competetive games. It is so cute to watch a bunch of 3-5 year olds run around the field with their little soccer balls - I love it! In just the few weeks that he has been participating I have seen a ton of improvement in his listening and following direction skills. He is also really good at handling the ball, instead of it handling him. Check him out!!

Football

2008-04-09T22:42:00.000-07:00

Tarell has just finished a season (ok, just 6 weeks) of playing flag football. He had a blast and showed some real talent. Here are some pics of his adventures. As you can see, he even won a trophy and a medal for the most flags!! Way to go Tarell! He just might be a future NFL superstar!

Anniversary

2008-03-27T23:13:00.000-07:00

Today was our 4-year anniversary and unfortunately it was a lot like any other day: Mark worked and I was at clinical. But, we are celebrating tomorrow so I feel better about it. I did have time to reflect about my incredible husband though and I just had to let everyone know…..I LOVE HIM! He is the most wonderful man ever! Here are a few reasons I adore my husband…..

Mark is a fabulous father to both Brayden and Tarell. Everything he ever does is with our family in mind and for our best interest.

Mark has never-ending patience. I don’t know how he does it but he can handle anything.

He works incredibly hard to support us all and ensure that I don’t have to work while I am in school – and he does it all with a smile on his face.

He is the best when it comes to distracting and entertaining Brayden whenever I need to finish homework or projects.

He can cook! And he cleans! Not all the time of course but he steps in and does a fabulous job if I am busy.

He keeps me grounded. If I’m freaking out about school, or I have spent a million straight hours studying for a final, or doing a concept map, or he can tell I just need a break, he finds a way to grant me that.

No matter how busy he is with work or what-not he finds time to spend with the family.

He is my best friend! I can talk to him about anything and no matter what my mood he can make me feel better with a huge hug and big grin – who can still be upset after that??

He loves me. Even when I come home from school and take a nap instead of doing the laundry or some other chore, he doesn’t get mad – he just tells me he loves me and I deserve the nap.

He can make me laugh –sometimes hysterically – and we have so much fun together.

He has the most incredible blue eyes and infectious smile – I think he’s HOT!

I could go on, and on, and on.

Mark – I love you with all my heart! You are the best and most wonderful husband I could ever ask for. Thank you for all you do for our family, for me, and for the two of us. I LOVE YOU!!

Handsome lil' devils

2008-03-18T12:30:00.001-07:00

After church on Sunday we took some pictures of the boys looking very handsome and grown-up. Aren't they cute??

Not really sure what

Brayden is doing here

Best Friends!

Brayden's dinner adventure

2008-03-03T20:00:00.000-08:00

We went out for Chinese food a few nights ago and found Brayden's hidden talent. He wanted Lo Mein (his all-time favorite) with chicken and was just ecstatic when it was delivered. It had CHOPSTICKS! His very own!!

He has wanted chopsticks for at least 1 1/2 yrs; ever since he saw grandma eating with them. For some reason Brayden just thinks they are wonderful - I always thought it was a passing phase.

Anyway, when his food arrived with the chopsticks I told him I would get a fork. As I was getting up he grabbed my arm and very adamantly said "NO!". He was so forceful that I decided to let him see just how difficult chopsticks are to use and would wait for him to ask for a fork. Well, I guess he is smarter than I am because he just started eating away like he had been doing it forever. It was the funniest thing. I have never been able to use them and my 3-year old son just picks up a pair of chopsticks and starts eating away. Now, they are the beginner ones - the kind that are attached at the top - so they are easier to use but still, I was having trouble with them. (maybe I shouldn't admit that??) I took a couple of pictures with my phone (sorry for the poor quality) but if you look closely you can see the chopsticks in his left hand (yes, he is left-handed) and his bowl is almost empty. He did it - just Brayden and a pair of chopsticks! He was pretty proud, and rightly so. I may have to send him to visit uncle Garrett, aunt Kellie, and his cousins in China - it seems he would get along just fine.

If you look closely, you can see a fork in his right hand, but he was only using it so he could pick up the noodles without getting his hands into his dinner. Pretty resourceful if you ask me!

It's about time!!

2008-02-26T19:04:00.000-08:00

WE HAVE A CAR!!

After much searching and trying to come to a decision (which is not easy for us!) we finally found something. I really wanted something big like the Expedition and Mark wanted something more economical, so we compromised. Our new vehicle is more economical but not as big as its predecessor. We decided on a Honda Pilot and so far we love it. We both feel like we got a great deal on it - she is a 2007 with extremely low miles and my favorite feature is the navigation. I never thought I would use it (I'm usually pretty good with directions) but it has been so much fun. I have to be careful though and not use it when driving! I promised Mark that I will not have another accident!

2008-02-06T23:14:00.000-08:00

Nothing exciting or fun has happened with us lately....until yesterday. What happened wasn't fun and the excitement was not a good excitement. After 30 years of being completely accident and ticket free I(Erin) can now only say I am ticket free. Yep, I was in an accident.

I had just left my house for school and had to go east on our strret, into the sun, since there was construction blocking the other end of our street. The houses usually block most of the sun so it isn't too difficult to see. But, as I was about 3 houses away from ours, the sun broke through the houses and blinded me. Naturally I started to slow down but didn't see the parked industrial size trailer that I slammed into. I hit the side of the trailer head on in our Expedition at only about 15 mph but holy cow - I never knew how much damage could be done at that slow of a speed. I have HUGE bruises over my chest and the rest of my body is so sore I can hardly move at times. Thank goodness nothing is broken and I was the only person involved.

When Mark got home to help me figure out what to do (since I had not idea) and saw the damage he was shocked. The Expedition didn't take the accident very well at all and that surprised us both. The seat belt didn't work properly and I slammed into the steering wheel and the airbag didn't go off. That might be a blessing since I don't really want a broken nose or arms but it still makes me worry about the safety of the vehicle. But, as Mark pointed out, if I had been in the Altima the top would have likely been taken off and who knows what would have happened to me...crazy to think about that!

Brayden was pretty upset that I "crashed the Monster Truck" and he really wants to know who put the trailer in my way. His concern is very cute. He wants to know when we will get the monster truck back or when we will get a new one. Mark has been so wonderful and helpful during this too. I am so grateful to have such a wonderful husband. Not once has he been anything but loving and understanding and thankful that things weren't worse. He has been catering to my every need and has taken time to take me to the doctor and totally take care of Brayden. Thanks my love - you are the best!

We did hear from the dealership trying to fix the truck and it is looking like it will totalled! Wow! A minor crash totalled my big SUV - unbelievable. So, I don't think we will be buying a Ford again. A few pics are posted down below - I wish I had taken some pics of the non-existent damage to the trailer.

Anyone have any suggestions for a large SUV that won't be more than our mortgage??

2008's gonna be a great year!!

2008-01-10T22:35:00.000-08:00

This has become Mark’s mantra. Hopefully 2008 can live up to this.

So, we finally decided to become part of the “cool” crowd and get our own blog. Now, hopefully we can keep all our far away family and friends posted. Here’s a recap of the past year:

Mark has been working at Collins Comfort Masters and wears several different hats, keeping him very busy. His most recent job addition has been overseeing the Home Depot program. In short, Collins Comfort Masters has a contract with Home Depot that allows them to work inside the store generating leads for both the sales and service departments. Most recently CCM picked up a store in Payson and Mark has focused a lot of his time in making this a successful store. He has worked very hard to grow this program and to make it more successful than it has ever been which has quickly earned the respect of all those he works with. Good job Mark!

Erin started nursing school (yeah!) and is loving it. She is now halfway through and has decided that labor and delivery will be her specialty. Her clinical rotations have so far included a nursing home (least favorite), pediatrics, psych ward, labor and delivery, and just a general floor. While this has given her exposure in several different areas it did confirm what she has always known – labor and delivery is definitely for her. We’ll see what the next year holds. We are all so excited for her.

Tarell moved to AZ early in 2007 and it has been so great to have him here. Even though he lives about an hour away from us, we still get to see him more often than when he was in Seattle. He is in 2nd grade and loves school, with recess being his favorite part of the day of course! He also loves riding his new bike with his brother up and down our street. He does wonder where all the rain is but he enjoys all the sunshine.

Brayden has really enjoyed having his brother around more. He turned 3 in November but if you ask him he will tell you he is 12. He has so much personality and is incredibly smart. Everyday he has a new word or phrase that is very atypical of a 3-year old – and he always knows what he is talking about. Lately he has been telling me to “take it easy mommy, everything will work out”. When I ask him what that means he says “just don’t think about your problem anymore and it will work itself out”. WHAT?!?! He also says everything is “Incredible!!” lately. He’s a funny kid.

(I'll get a better pic of him soon - this was Christmas day and he was pretty dazed!!)

We also added a new family member at Christmas. Her name is Zoe, she is a 10 week old Maltese/Shih tzu mix and weighs about 3 pounds. She is adorable and the boys absolutely love her, even Mark loves her although he won’t admit it.

As if that wasn't enough excitement for one year....we bought a house! After several months of looking and almost getting frustrated we found a house that we love. For those of you that are familiar with the area we are on the border of Gilbert and Queen Creek in a fairly new subdivision. We happened to be in the right place at the right time and got a screaming deal on a brand new house that someone else had decided they couldn't buy. Yippee for us! (For some reason these are the only pics we have but we'll work on getting some more of the house soon. We are so bad with the camera lately! But, we did have to show off the backyard - it's bigger than it looks, and we finally have a yard! Yeah!! Also, the kitchen pic was taken the day we moved in...it doesn't always look like this!)

We hope this finds all our family and friends happy and healthy. We wish you all the best in 2008...it's gonna be a great year! We’ll be adding to our blog periodically so check back often for updates.

Testing, testing

2007-12-01T21:59:00.000-08:00

Well, we have finally decided to join the rest of the world and have our very own family blog! Yeah for us!! So, this is our first post but will have more on the way soon. Happy blogging!