sleepy morning eyes. she may look happy now....hmmmmm. it wasn't two minutes later she was crying.


why is it that kids instinctively know when you have things to do in the morning....they get up super early? for the life of me i can't understand this. well, actually i think i do, but i don't want to believe that satan would use my sweet little babies to deter me from getting into the Word for a little while....but why wouldn't he? he makes me so darn mad. i need to remember this when my feet hit that last stair in the early morning and the baby starts crying to not get mad at them....but to pray instead. not let him win! seriously, it never fails that on days that i intentionally set my alarm to get up early to read my bible and workout they are up as soon as I get downstairs!!! i have conquered kylee in regards to this...she can now read a clock and knows not to come out of her room until 7:00...alaina doesn't do it very often because she has big sis telling her not too....well, miss mya...sigh! it hasn't helped that mya has not been taking very good naps as of late. she was only taking a 30 min nap in the morning, so my thoughts were to get rid of that one and just put her down for an early afternoon nap. well, that is not working out very well. she thinks she only needs an hour to an hour and a half nap. NO WAY kid...you need MORE!!!!! mommy needs a little more time and a happy baby at the end of the nap! needless to say it has been a rough few days if not longer than that. i remember this time not being very fun with kylee and alaina too....but kylee never did wrap her head around the nap concept...alaina thankfully did (and still does on occasion) i am hoping and praying that mya will follow suit with her middle sis. i guess we will just wait and see.

thankfully she loves going to bed at night. in fact, her bedtime routine is such a sweet part of the day. she gets a bath, gets dressed, get her blankie, we snuggle up in the rocking chair and read her Bible! She LOVES her Bible, it is the ONLY book she will actually sit down (and really relax) and let me read it to her. i can read it cover to cover (it's a baby Bible, so that is not hard to do) and she won't move unless there is an action that i have her do with the story. it is so sweet and so hopeful...."it is the same with my word. i sent it out, and it always produces fruit. it will accomplish all i want it to, and it will prosper everywhere i send it." isaiah 55:11 NLT His words and truth are in her...she already longs for them. how awesome is that!!!! help me Lord, to not just be a hearer of your word, but a doer...so my girls will see your love, your truth and your ways through me. AMEN!

t-rex never again

oh my....how i wish i would have had a video or even a picture of the experience we just had. i hope my words can do it justice. for our last evening without daddy ohie was going to meet us out for dinner. she told me to find a place that would be fun for the kids. well, the only thing i could think of that was close was T-REX. we have never eaten there and the girls have talked about going there every time have been up at the legend's. so...we get there a little early to walk around before we were supposed to meet ohie at the restaurant. we get to there, i open the door....alaina's feet stop and then SCREAMS! her feet wouldn't move! i tried telling her that we had to go in to see if ohie was in there waiting for us. yeah, that didn't work, she wasn't going in. so we back up and move away from the door. i try to calm her down and explain that the dinosaurs are fake and that i would never take her in a place that wasn't safe. well, that didn't work either. at this point i am hot (literally) and really getting frustrated. what do i do? i try calling ohie to let her know what is going on, but can't get a hold of her. so i keep trying, and keep trying to explain that we have to go in to make sure ohie is not there. i was thinking she just couldn't hear her phone inside the restaurant....so i knew we had to get in some how. by now, we had been sitting outside in the blazing sun, we had tried several more times to walk up towards the restaurant with no success, just more screams, i was getting mad, i was dripping sweat everywhere....i was to the point of tears...and didn't know what to do. finally, i put the stroller about three feet away from the door and tell the girls not to move...i was going to open the door and try and get the hostess's attention....at this point we had a large group of people (who turned out to be a little flash mob....not obvious or anything) staring at us (lainey is squatting down behind the stroller....and did i mention that kylee is now crying and scared too! the only calm one was mya, and she was the one i was concerned about). well, i can't get the hostess's attention, but i get the attention of some guy standing there who was able to get the hostess's attention. she eventually came over, i asked her if they had someone come in that was expecting anybody, she said she didn't think so. awesome! now what? i was done and walking away when my phone finally rings...it was ohie calling from another restaurant nearby telling me that she had left her cell at home and that she couldn't 't find a place to park. after all that, i was done and ready to go home and make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. after getting to the car and cooling off, i just laughed. what else was i to do. it really was much funnier to me....my words definitely did not do it justice ;-) hope everyone else is having a great saturday night!!

pucker up butter cup

lots of pictures.......







summer is half way over. even with it being as busy as it has, it hasn't gone as fast as i thought it would. but i still feel like i haven't gotten anything accomplished....except for this weekend i guess. the hubby is out of town on a float trip, so it's just been me and the girls. so i have been able to check off a couple of things on my LONG list of "to do's"......painted tables, painted the girls cork board frame, met some new friends at the pool (this has been on the "to do" list for one whole year!!), maybe get a few pictures hung?? anyway....i feel a little lighter.

the first night without daddy, the girls (minus baby) had mini facials and pedi's (at "momma's special spa"), watched a movie, read a book and all crawled into my bed. i think my back is still a little sore from that night. last night kylee had a friend sleep over, which included pizza, popcorn and cookies. tonight is going to be low key...maybe a little movie, then off to bed (church in the morning)! we've had a good time, the girls have been great, but we all miss daddy!

i don't think i have posted since mya started walking. she took her first steps june 25th (actually walking)...and now she is pretty much all over the place. it is still so new that i forget that she can walk, when i turn around and see her coming towards me, it freaks me out a little. the latest thing is to carry something in each hand while walking! one of the cutest things she is doing right know...is give kisses. these aren't just any ol' baby kisses (you know the open mouth slimy kisses we all love), these are big puckered up kisses! she was never one to give out any kind of kiss, but now.......oh, they were TOTALLY worth the wait!! they are awesome. what is even funnier is that when she gives one, she expects everyone else to line up. she will give one kiss, then turn to whoever she wants to kiss next, pucker up and expect that person to come running....which of course we do, who wouldn't? i think she just likes to watch us all act like fools for her! but we are fools for her, she kind of melts our hearts!

kylee and alaina are about finished with their summer rec activities....which have been great! lainey has been taking a music an swimming class. kylee has been taking karate and loving it! oh, and miss alaina lost her very first tooth (june 30th)! i have a feeling she is going to be pretty toothless this school year....there are two more wiggly ones in there. i guess this means we will probably be heading to the orthodontist soon for spacers. her narrow little mouth isn't going to tolerate all those new big teeth. can't wait ;-) she is so much like her dad (he had to have them too! however, i was looking at alaina the other day and realized that her and i share the same chin. i know this has no significance to anyone, but to me it does. i didn't think this poor child even came from me, she is her daddy's clone.....but she did and she has my pointy chin ;-) it made me smile. why does it make us happy that our children look like us? i don't believe that it is because we are being conceded, maybe just to prove to the world that they are really are children. why, i am really not sure? weird!

well, miss mya is up from her nap....way TOO early i might add. this switching to one nap a day is for the birds. i forgot how bad it stinks. she has only been asleep for maybe and hour and a half...yuck!!! fun times ;-)

before i forget...while driving the other day, lainey overheard me talking to my dad. when i got off the phone she asked me why i still call my dad, "dad." so we went round and round about how even though you get older your parents are still your parents and so on. she proceeded to tell me that her kids will call alan, "alan." she also realized that papa and ohie would be her kids great grandparents and that papa would become "papapa", hence the extra "pa" stands for the "great." did i explain that very well. it sure was funny listening to her tell me. i couldn't stop laughing. i just love her wittiness, she's so funny without even trying to be funny! got love her ;-)

PS. for those of you who read our blog, please excuse the fact that i include dates of things in the midst of writing.....it helps me remember (since i have been terrible at keeping up baby books, this is as close as i will get)....and the fact that i can't remember anything anymore!

summ 'a' time

man where to start? this summer has been so busy already. i am caught up with a few things, so i thought i would take a little time to reflect....while i enjoy a cookie!

miss mya had a great birthday! fun filled with lots of cake and presents...with all the fam ;-) the morning of her birthday the girls just couldn't wait to give her their present....so, before breakfast they gave her their present and sang happy birthday to her. we have never had a reaction with the other girls like we did with her. she got so excited when she saw her baby doll and then danced when they sang happy birthday to her. it was great! that night after dinner, i took pictures of her as she dived into her very own cupcake. what was better was when she dug into her polka dot birthday cake. she didn't hesitate....she had fun picking off all of the polka dots...then sharing. man i love that girl.

i love ALL my girls! we were sitting in the doctors office the other day for mya's one year appointment when i had a profound moment...imagine that!! sitting next to each other on the exam table were all three girls.....as i stood there watching them something one of my girlfriends had said to me hit me..."you were so meant to have girls." in that moment as i looked at them i realized that she was right. i was meant to have girls....these three beautiful, sweet, sweet girls!! i always thought that i would have little boys...why, i am not sure. i think that the thought of having girls scared me a little bit. in fact it still scares me. i start to think about how badly i will screw up, how i might scar them, or break there spirit. typical mothers guilt i suppose. but what i have to remember is that God knew what he was doing when he made me their mother. yes, i will screw up....but God has my back. i know the Lord is always with me, i will not be shaken, for He is right beside me (psalm 16:8) i love these girls so much, but God loves them a hundred times more than i am even capable. He has plans for them, and i need to remember that.....and pray like crazy over them. i am not one to brag, but our girls are amazing. precious gifts...that is for sure!!!!

today, i was able to spend the whole day with one of my dearest friends (and her boys). our visits are few and far between, but it is always so great to sit and catch up. i miss having her near. i did love being able to hang out with her three boys today too. they are so precious. her littlest one is just 15 days younger than mya, but doing everything 10 steps ahead. in fact, the last time she was here (which was about three months ago) she brought her little guy with her who was already crawling (mya was not)....but a week later she started crawling. well today mya got a glimpse of what "walking" looks like. so what did she try to do tonight....she tried (took one step) to walk. i have a feeling it will be any day now. i guess she learns by example?? oh, and something else i forgot to mention...two days after her birthday she finally cut her first two teeth. after her bath tonight i noticed that her front two teeth are next in line..they are almost ready to pop through! my baby is getting big. i guess that happens when you turn "one?"

well, i think it is time to close up shop....a storms a brewing....i think the house my blow over (the lightening show is pretty incredible though!)

:::one:::

where to start?? a minute ago i was praying that God would give us another baby, a second ago you born....and now you are a year old!! last year on this very same day (only it was a thursday) i was going about my day as usual. i had to work that night at the hospital so i laid down to take my nap...only my nap didn't last very long because my water broke (kylee informed me yesterday that "my water bottle broke, then you went to the hospital.") within hours, you became an official member of the Rimbo fam! you completed our family circle! our new home finally felt like home. i have enjoyed every moment with you. your personality is really starting to shine....you are so wonderful! you are our last little baby, so it makes me sad that you are already a year old....but instead of being sad, i want to embrace this time. it is just too fun to miss. you are crawling all over the place (very quickly i might add), you are standing all by yourself and walking when holding on to one hand.....you are so close to doing it on your own, but i am okay with you waiting a little while longer. you love your baby dolls...and you love to EAT! you are almost done breastfeeding....i give it a few more weeks, if that (you are too busy). you are still a good little sleeper. you go to bed at 7:00 and wake up at 7:00. although i think you wake up before then, but you play quietly in your crib until i come and get you. you are still taking a morning and afternoon nap, but i am not sure how much longer we will keep the morning nap...this summer is already so busy. i think you would rather be playing in the pool with your sisters anyway.

miss mya, you are a little ray of sunshine, you do make me happy when skies are grey....and you will never know dear how much i love you!!! you are an answer to my prayers. i love you so much...i am so lucky to be your mommy. i hope you have a wonderful birthday...even if you will never remember this one.....i will. we LOVE you so very much!! xoxo

ouch!

after


before


i know this is gross, but for the past few years we have had a bad case of plantar's wart living among us. it actually started with me probably 5-6 years ago. i went from dr. to dr. to get ride of it and it always came back. it was in such an odd place it really bothered me so i was determined to get rid of it. so two years ago, i finally found a dr. that got rid of it. by this time alan already had one. about six months ago (if that) we found one on lainey's foot. the exact same foot and same spot as alan's. they are more alike everyday ;-) anyway, yesterday she had it removed (cut out). the worst part of it is the shot....it hurts like a son of a gun!! after laying on top of her and alan holding down her leg...and the screams terrifying the whole office she did great! i have had such a hard time keeping her off of her foot. even today after foot had "woken" up, she has still been all over the place. sweet funny girl. i think she is going to be just fine!!! she sure is doing better than i did!! next it's alan's turn ;-)

miss mya on the other hand is becoming quite the ornary one! let's see if i can remember everything. the other day she was in my closet when i noticed that she was playing against the wall next to the door....it was odd, so when i went in there to see what she was doing, i saw her fiddling around with the electrical outlet!! YIKES!!! great...the one outlet i forgot to put safety covers on. thank goodness she didn't get a finger in there. today i hadn't turned for more than a minute and she was climbing up the stairs. crap!! the other two never went near an electrical outlet, and was never very interested in the stairs...at least not for a little while longer. she is definitely going to keep me on my toes. i am going to be very said when lainey goes off to kindergarten next year...not only because she is leaving me, but i am also losing an extra set of eyes!!

this week has been such a whirl wind, i hadn't had a chance to post earlier how great it has been to see the sunshine. it was so needed, and i was so grateful. today is a work day (well, tonight anyway), so a little rain is nice!

a side note: at bed time we have been reading about moses and the israelites. it's funny when one of the girls recognizes what we are talking about they get so excited and try to blurt out what they know before i can read or say it. well, we were talking about the israelites wondering in the desert....they weren't going to get to see the land God had promised them. kylee piped up and said, "oh yeah, the land of honey and nuts!" i about fell over. too darn cute. i love it when they say stuff like that. it makes my heart smile. now i just wish i could remember the funny things lainey has said in the last couple of days....i just can't remember them (darn it)!! my very literal girl always says the darndest things. if i remember i will post them.

blah....

i would really love some of this.........



today is just one of those days. i know i shouldn't complain...so i am not going to call it complaining....it's more like crying out to God. i don't think i can take anymore of this weather. my mind and my heart don't want to take it. i almost said "can't," but i know this would be untrue because i CAN do all things through Christ who gives me strength. so Lord, i need strength. i am spent. i have been in a foul mood all weekend....and i am sure others would tell you "before that!" it doesn't help that little miss mya has not been herself either. major fuss bucket. i cannot figure out if she is just tired or she is teething. i don't think it is the later because there is no swelling, no drooling and no chewing. she actually made it to bed at 6:15 tonight! now i am hoping she will just stay asleep ;-) so my prayer tonight is for a fresh new attitude and strength....and a bit of sunshine tomorrow....pretty please. thank you Lord for your many blessings...thank you for letting me come to you when i am weak. love you, amen!

:::11 mo:::

wow, my baby is 11 months old today!!! has it really been almost a year since we welcomed her into our lives?? unbelievable! she has been such a joyful blessing...in so many ways. in the last few months she has really blossomed. she has really "popped" out of her shell. she is so happy and so good. she has actually become quite the ham! she just likes to see our reaction. she is crawling and standing up everywhere.....but still no teeth!! they are no where in sight. oh well, she eats just fine without them. tonight for dinner she ate salmon, asparagus (not a huge fan of that) and mashed potatoes. i couldn't keep enough of the salmon and potatoes on her tray. she is quite the little piggy. she was hilarious the other night when alan and i went out for a little sushi. we barely sat down and she started clowning around. alan and i were trying to figure out what we wanted to order when i look over at her....she was downing the bottle of soy sauce!!! good thing she chose the "low sodium" bottle.....geesh! oh, and she would only eat the rice if it was dipped in the soy sauce. i know, not good for her, but she really liked it and i didn't give her very much. later that night after she had gone to bed, i went in to check on her and her room STUNK of soy sauce (it was from her clothes in the hamper). it really was hilarious. we sure got a good laugh!

alaina had her very last day of preschool today! or should i say "graduation"? they all wore there little caps, it was so cute. i just wish she had felt a little better. she just wasn't herself. but this afternoon we were back to normal.

it has been pretty exciting around here the last few weeks. we got a swing set (alan and our very gracious neighbor spend an entire weekend putting it up), a new fence and storm doors. i topped it off by planting flowers and herbs. the girls are having so much fun on the swing set....even mya (she cries when we take her out of the swing). it all looks so nice and it is so nice to have something to do outside....and to be able to let the dog outside without hooking her up to her leash. we are in love.

all my girls....so wonderful. this mother's day was so great. we didn't really do anything, just went to church and hung out around the house (played on the swing set.....and i got a nap...then a lovely dinner out). just being with my girls and my guy was so awesome. i am such a lucky lady. i wasn't sure what it would be like having all girls...and sometimes it scares me, but when i look at them and hold them in my arms i just know that this is where God wants me. this is what i have wanted my whole life...to be these girls mommy! they are so wonderful and i am so blessed because of them. they make it mothers day..and they make my day great (mostly crazy....but great just the same)!

with school coming to and end and summer starting the beat down the door...literally....i am ready to start organizing and cleaning out the house. tonight i started with my closet. can i just tell you how much fun i had! it was fun because i pulled out
all of my old jeans (that i have had for 6-7 years)....and they still fit!!!! awesome! too bad i won't ever wear them because they aren't as cool as my new jeans. alan was watching me do this....he looked over at me and asked me if i was having fun, i said, "heck yeah!!! this is great!" now my closet is cleaned out and i have several bags ready for the goodwill. now on to the girls room.....hmmm, maybe i'll wait a little while. that is exhausting. speaking of exhausting...i think it is about time for bed. good night!

spring randomness

it is quiet in my house and i am unable to sleep before work tonight...probably because my brain is buzzing...and the wind is banging the crap out of my blinds....anyway. i have been reading a book by one of my favorite authors, it is one out of an endless series (which i love) and i can obviously tell that the theme is "moving on....leaving" which makes sense since the title of the book is "Leaving"...duh! anyway, it reminded me of a children's book that she also wrote titled "let me hold you longer" (which by the way is a tear jerker....so mom's if you need a good cry, read this. i can NEVER finish the darn thing. whenever the kids bring it to me to read alan just laughs because he knows he will have to finish it). it talks about holding on to those precious "lasts." you know last t-ball game, last dance recital...that kind of thing. well, it got me thinking and now my brain won't shut off. last night was kindergarten round up for alaina. this was the first year that they actually had the kids come with the parents so they could meet the teachers and see the classrooms, while the parents stayed in one room to listen to a few speakers and fill out paperwork. it really hit me hard when she got up to and ran to where the teachers were standing. she is going to kindergarten (it's a good thing alan didn't see my glistening eyes because he was making fun of all the moms who were already crying). i know i just said something about this, and i said something a while back about kylee, but it is hard. it's a new season and a last. her last day of preschool is in just a few weeks. i am not sure how to explain it...but in this season of my life (a mom of small children) is busy and things that are hard seem like they will last forever. like kylee learning how to read.....whoah...i thought that teaching her how to do that would last forever (and it was not fun), but it past and it became a "last" time of us having to help her how to read....and how i didn't stop and recognize that. i guess what i am saying is that i want to slow down and recognize those times...stamp them on my brain so i will remember for as long as i can. mya is speeding through some of her lasts.....and for me those will be the very last because we are not having anymore kids. alan, just wait for kindergarten round up for mya....i will just plan on bringing my box of kleenex! i am not ashamed!!

on another note.....spring is here and feels oh so good. have i mentioned how much mya likes it? she absolutely loves it outside. i cannot wait for our fence to be put in so we can finally get a swing set. i think i may be more excited than the girls.

a couple more things about mya that i want to get down before i forget....

*i don't dare change her diaper before she eats in the morning (she freaks out...for the life of me, i don't understand why she would want to lay there in saturated

diaper...yuck!)

*if you take something away from her that she is playing with...watch out, the back is

arched, the head into the floor and the screaming begins (isn't it a little early for

tantrums?)

*she absolutely loves taking walks.

*loves, loves, loves food....she really likes broccoli, which i think is pretty awesome!

*she is officially on the move (except when she is wearing dresses...they frustrate the crud

out of her because she trips up on them.

miss kylee had her first father/daughter dance the other night. kylee didn't want to go because she didn't want to wear a dress. but sure enough, once she put it on her eyes lit up and she was ready to go. she looked lovely! her daddy looked pretty good himself!

oh, and little lou is becoming a pro at doing her own hair ;-) lainey has really been into hot dogs too, so the other day i told her she was going to turn into a hot dog if she kept it up. she told me, "no, i'll just have hot brain!" (i guess that is the opposite of brain freeze??) what a goof! as always she makes me laugh!

:::10 months:::

i swear there is just not enough time in the day....but if there was i would probably fill it with more stuff i "have to do." well, i am taking a minute tonight to talk about my sweetie pie. the last few months have been busy and exciting for our miss my my. up until a few days ago i referred to her as my little "slug." she had no desire to move anywhere on her own...she would rather us pick her up or bring things to her. but now she has discovered that it is fun to move around a bit. the weather is warming up....finally, and she is a happy camper. she likes to have bare feet and legs. she also likes to eat....everything! it has been so long between kids that i forgot what i could start feeding her when she turned nine months and will NO teeth. we were told not to hold back...so we haven't. spaghetti, chicken, eggs, strawberries, avocados, rice.......even broccoli....she really likes it! she is so funny. it is so fun to see her little personality start to shine. she is strong like kylee and ornery like alaina. boy are we in for it! so worth it! she is amazing and i love her so much. even though she doesn't really like to laugh her scrunched smile warms my heart and makes me laugh. my dearest darling mya, i love you so very much...you are AWESOME!!!!

too long

all i have wanted to do since we got back from our trip was to blog about it. so much has happened these past few weeks...i didn't want to miss anything. well, i guarantee i will forget or have forgotten all that i wanted to say. darn it!!!

i guess i'll start with our trip. it was wonderful, but how could hawaii not be wonderful? ten minutes before we left for the airport we got a phone call from papa telling us that there was huge earthquake in japan and a tsunami was on it's way...but that we should still plan on coming. uh...what.....o...k! thank goodness everything turned out just fine. and that little baby of ours that we were so worried about taking on a plane for so long....AMAZING! miss mya was delightful. thank you everyone who prayed for us. we truly felt them. i just think she loved the all the extra attention she was getting from everyone on the plane. she was eating it up.

well we got there unscathed! the first couple of days for poor kylee were a little rough....from being visited by a water bug (which was almost 2 in long) while going to the bathroom, sunburn cheeks...aloe vera in the eyes, then a bee sting to boot! poor baby. fortunately things started looking up and she never looked back. we all were taken back by mya. she was the happiest baby ever. what's not to love...no clothes, warm sun, soothing water, family all around me and mommy ALL the time...oh, and PUFFS! i wasn't sure we would be bringing back a baby to kansas, rather a gerber puff!

we celebrated alaina's fifth birthday while we were there! we started the day with with breakfast in papa and ohie's bed...seeing as how the girls never stayed in our condo! then instead of beach time (because the girls faces got a little too much sun) we went and played miniature golf (lainey called it "nature golf") and jumped on the big trampoline. her birthday cake had to be improvised a bit. it was a pineapple upside down cake that was frosted....it was oh so yummy! we even saw a hula show....that kylee and alaina were the stars of.

one morning all the girls were swimming in the pool with ohie. mya was in her little raft and was not too happy. there was a group of older gals doing water aerobics in the pool watching her. ohie starting singing her favorite song, "you are my sunshine" so she would quiet down. well, the song seemed to get every ones attention...all the women started singing "you are my sunshine" to her....even the man floating in the deep end joined in. it was so cute!

i hate that so much time has passed...i am forgetting all the funny little stories. oh, i just remembered one! on our way to the airport alaina rode with papa and ohie, while the other two rode with alan and i. i guess someone cut off bruce while driving and he almost said something not so nice....when alaina chimed in and said, "my daddy says bad words when people do that."

o: "oh he does?"

a: "he says ass...uh.....hhhh.....ol...e."

o: "i bet your mommy gets mad at daddy when he says that."

a: "nope, she says them too....she says stuh....oooo...p...id."

phew! it was a good thing she didn't remember something i said on a bad day in the car.

i guess if another story comes to mind i will have to add it to this. i know they are in my brain somewhere...it's just late and i need to go to bed.

::5:: a little late

you are five! you will be going to kindergarten in the fall...you will probably lose a tooth or two...you will learn to read.....sob, sob!!! my darling lainey, you are growing up. what am i to do? you girls make a sandwich and you are the turkey in the middle. but not just any turkey...the sweetest! you are as cute as a button and are so darn funny. you don't even have to try. you are smart, cute, funny, gentle...and very clumsy! seriously, you have run in to so many walls and fallen off many chairs. you don't like to pay attention...you are just off. you don't like to clean your room...or any room for that matter. i will tell you to pick up your room and when i come back there is even more stuff out because you found more things to play with along the way (your daddy says that i do this....i don't know what he is talking about. wink, wink!!) you love to play with your barbies and dolls. and you still love to put things in a bag!! you have been like that since you learned to walk. you are so unique and special, i could just eat you up. you brighten my day with your sweet smile and gentle hugs and kisses. i love you sweet girl....my little turkey in the middle!!

lots of cake...no party

my girl knows how to rock it!!

daddy thought she needed a little taste of frosting...hmmmm!

okay, the cat is finally out of the bag! after waiting over five months the girls now know we are going to hawaii. the next morning i go downstairs to find their backpacks packed.....hence the reason we waited so long to tell them!! we all agree that we aren't leaving soon enough, but it is almost here! which is why these past few days have been a little stressful. i am trying to wrap my mind around packing for all three kids (and all the baby stuff!) i know you don't need a lot when going to hawaii, but to really convince me of that is extremely hard to do. kylee missed two days of school last week because she was sick...and she hasn't been sick in a long time!! now, miss alaina is sick!! i should be very grateful that this is happening now and now when we leave.....but, that still leaves the chance of mya, alan and myself of coming down with something in the next several days. prayers welcome!!

today was supposed to be the girls combined birthday party, but with lainey being sick and other friends and family who were sick we decided to cancel. alaina was sad because this party was geared more for her since she was not going to have a birthday party (due to our trip), and i was sad because i had made so much freaking cake!! thanks to our lovely neighbors who allowed me shove half a cake in their arms. anyone who wants cake or a cupcake come by...i need it out of my house ;-) anyway, it was a good thing we didn't have it. right before dinner lainey comes downstairs shivering....fever!! looks like we will be visiting the doctors office in the am. does someone want to come over an pack for me? maybe i should go do that now...or go to bed. i have much more to say, but i think bed would be a wiser choice. later!

:8:

morning birthday calls.....;-)

this morning our baby turned "8!" i am humbled by this fact...not even sure if i like it much. every year i post on her birthday the fact that i don't like that she is getting older, but the truth is i love watching her grow up! tears are filling my eyes right now at the thought. it is and has been such a privilege being her mother. watching her grow is such a gift that only God could have given us!!

Kylee, you are beautiful, sweet, tender, compassionate, genuine, fun and strong...and those are just a few words that describe your heart! the heart that Jesus gave you is so special, words really can't express. i am amazed and the person he has created in you. you are AMAZING sweet girl. eight years ago, i held you in my arms for the first time and couldn't even fathom how much joy you would bring to your daddy and i's life....and to the lives of those around you. i hope you have a wonderful day! i am dying for tonight....you are going to get the biggest surprise ever! we love you so much!!! xoxoxo

happy "valentime's day" spelling is correct ;-)

"happy valentime's day" (i hope it will always be "valentime's day") a little late in the day! once you have kids, valentines day is really whenever they have their school parties, not necessarily on the actual day....so this was put off a little. both girls had their valentine's parties last week (not sure why kylee had hers last week....why not start the week off with a party). candy is again coming out of our ears.

i can't stand that every time i sit down to post something, i forget EVERYTHING i was going to say. darn it!! the girls have been saying the funniest things lately and i can't remember all of them, but one of them is the "ducks of huzzard." kylee came and told me about this show alan had let her watch and kept saying something about "ducks," i was so confused. i finally went to alan to clarify...."dukes of hazard!" oh, and tonight we were sitting at dinner, watching the news when an old picture of elizabeth taylor comes on and kylee pipes up and says that she has an "air fro!" alan and i look at each other and start cracking up. it didn't take her to long to figure out that she meant "afro." alaina, today in the car told me to stop talking because her knees hurt. it just made me laugh. out of the mouths of babes! speaking of laughing, mya still does not laugh, well, she does laugh it just sounds more like a high pitched cough...if you can imagine. it's pretty funny! all it takes is for you to start laughing then she will get all excited. she has finally accomplished putting "puffs" in her mouth. it has amazed us that everything else can go in her mouth, but she couldn't put a puff or a yogurt melt into her mouth. so we have been helping her and when she gets it, we all cheer...and she LOVES that!! it is really funny, because when we started putting things on her tray it looked like a game of hungry, hungry hippos....her hands attacking the puff, only pushing it away with her fingers. so funny!

the next couple of weeks are going to be busy, birthday month is coming and i need to get prepared....and start thinking of all the things i need to gather together for our little adventure. it's time to make some more lists! oh boy! wish me luck. anyway, i hope everyone had a great valentines day. we did! i just love my honey's practicality and love....he got me a book light for my kindle (so i don't have to look like a miner at night) and a movie that i was never able to see at the theaters (hope it is good). thank you sweetie. i love you so much!! i love all my funny little valentines!!

random

naptime....sweet sleeper!!!

i'm up ;-)

coach papooh and his girl!

today after a little latte stop, it was time to take miss lainey to school. since it was a little out of the way, i think it may have confused her. she proceeds to tell me that we are going the wrong way (we were just going a different way) so i asked her how we should go...."we need to go back there, then back, then turn. that is the easiest way." sounds simple enough to me! it made me laugh. i love kid directions. i wish she could have given them to the two people from craigslist that stood us up. i recently posted a few items on craigslist to help buy our girls a swing set this spring. i responded to the first person and we agreed to meet at a store at 3:30....we all loaded up in the car, and waited and waited until i called him asking if he was still coming. his response "never mind," and hung up. okay! then alan spoke with the next person who said he would come by that evening, but it wouldn't be until after the superbowl, but because it would be so late they decided that the next day would be better...so he said that he would call the next evening. the next evening, no phone call....and no response after alan called. why are people so inconsiderate? if you don't want it, no big deal, really! but to stand someone up, or not to respond...not cool. i was so irritated yesterday i could scream. luckily the third time was the charm. done!!

oh, and kylee just finished up basketball this past weekend. she had a good time. and it was fun to watch....they really showed improvement over the weeks that they played and made a few friends too. thanks dad for being willing to coach. kylee has already asked if you are going to coach again next time. we may have to do a little practicing this summer ;-) when lainey saw the trophies being pulled out of the boxes she announced that she wanted to play next year so she could get a trophy too....i think she should just borrow kylee's! i guess we'll see!

and sweet mya, i just couldn't resist sneaking up on her during her nap. i have loved watching each one of the girls sleep. too bad the camera wakes them up ;-) when i was putting her to bed the other night she was wide awake, not wanting to go to bed, she leans in for a big open mouth baby kiss. so sweet...even if it turned into a game of sorts....getting out of going to bed! she kept turning her head away, then turn back to find my lips and give me a kiss, over and over again. the next morning alan is making his good bye rounds when he comes to her...he leans down to give her a kiss and she gives him one back! this causes excitement from everyone, so everyone lines up to get a kiss from miss mya...kylee first, she gets one, then lainey, she gets one....then me...NOPE! what the heck? can you tell i was a little disappointed? i guess i will have to wait until she doesn't want to go to bed at night! little stinker ;-)