34 ain't that bad!

I've been 34 for a couple of days now. 34 feels like 33. 34 even feels like 25. I guess 34 feels like how I feel which isn't bad at all.

I've decided that age is just a number. Take my Mom for instance. For the longest time, every year on her birthday she would tell us that she was celebrating her 21st birthday. I would giggle adding, "Yeah for the 20th time!" or "Yeah for the 30th time!".

My Mom also taught me that you are only as old as you feel. If that is the case, I am easily still in my 20's!

My birthday was filled with cards. . .

A new bike. . .that I bought with the photography money I have been saving.

New running shoes. . .I told my Mom what I was buying with my birthday money and she remarked, "I knew you would buy something practical!" Practical or not, I still get excited! My MIL told me to buy cute shoes. Do these pass?

Red velvet cake. . .We invited friends over for birthday cake. I'm so blessed with such good friends!

Dancing time. . .Since it was my day, I decided that I could make everyone do what I wanted. The kids entertained me with a dance contest. Of course I had to jump in!

It was a great weekend! Ben took me to see the new and not yet released Pirates of the Carribbean at his work and dinner at the Can't Fail Cafe (which is owned by a member of Green Day). Very fun and delicious!

My rose bush even honored me with roses this weekend!

I guess 34 ain't that bad!

M&M's all for MEEEEE!

I remember when my MIL, had a giant glass container filled with M&M's. "Why did she have to live 12 hours away?" I whined. I was so hoping that when I visited her in June, that there would be still M&Ms. Luckily, her container was so enormous that they lasted for months and I was able to have some for myself.

Guess what I got for Mother's Day????

M&Ms all for MEEEEEE!

Ben brought home this really cool glass bowl that I have quite figured out what I was going to do with. He filled it with regular M&Ms, peanut butter filled ones, pretzel filled ones, and my favorite, ALMOND JOY ONES!

He even made a heart for me on the side.

Heaven!

I also got 2 dozen flowers which I love! Too bad they don't stick around as long so I can enjoy them longer.

Yesterday, CJ brought me home chocolate covered strawberries and chocolate covered pretzels that Ben bought from the Young Women for their camp fundraiser.

Then. . .

Today the kids and Ben made me breakfast in bed with blueberry waffles topped with whipped topping and fresh blueberries, bacon and eggs. The kids showered me with homemade cards and gifts.

Mia asked me a long time ago to print pictures off of me. Little did I know she was making me a very cool box with her treasures in it. Treasures like, shells, glittery stones and tattoos.

I had to immediately put on my My Little Pony and flower tattoos and wear them to church!

At church, the kids showered me with these precious tile necklesses.

Mia was bummed because I got to see what they were because I am in the Primary Presidency and helped put them together. She loves surprising me and felt jipped that I already knew. A friend of mine, who is also in the presidency told her on the way out that I never saw them that she put mine together!

And if this all wasn't enough, my friend invited us over for dinner and I didn't have to cook! Yay!

Best day ever!

Year of the Beaches

We had a wonderful Spring Break and a wonderful way to kick off our "Year of the Beaches". We have had the "Year of Discoveries" and the "Year of the Hike". Both, very good and adventurous years.

This year we are hitting the beaches. We went to Point Reyes on one of the days Ben had off during Spring Break. He had taken some days off to go with the Priest on a High Adventure and had an extra day. We snagged that one up in a heartbeat!

Here is a beautiful view. You can check my other blog out for more pictures.

We hiked to the lighthouse, which happened to be closed on the day we went, but enjoyed the scenery nonetheless. We also hit Drakes beach.



Zoey was afraid of the waves which worked for us. She played in the sand and stayed next to me. Usually, Zoey is drawn to the water. I think she maybe part mermaid.


The bigger kids had a blast playing in the sand and chasing the waves.


We all wrote our names in the sand and CJ had to write her and the boy she has a crush on in a heart in the sand. Ben wrote "gross" underneath!


I love the shacks that people build out of wood. It became the kids' playhouse. I also asked Ben to take a picture of me. I'm beginning to think I need to document that I was there too.


If that wasn't enough, the next day, I took the kids to Capitola Beach. We went with some friends which always makes an outing more fun!



This time,the waves didn't scare Zoey away. There was this stream of water that flowed out to the main body of water. I was had to constantly stay by her. Even though the water wasn't deep, there was a little current that would knock her over. I would try to get her to play in the sand and she would fight me so hard. Finally, I just gave in and let her play in the water and stood by her to make sure she didn't fall in.



My friends helped me out and gave me a break which was relieving. This age is so exhausting for me! We had a wonderful time and enjoyed the beautiful California weather!



Later that week, we went with a friend and her kids and hiked around Lafayette Reservoir. We only had one casualty. Mia feel down and got a pretty good gash on her knee. She was a trooper and made it through the rest of the hike.



Can't wait to hit some more beaches this summer!

Easter

Each time I blog, I think to myself, "Hmmm what creative title can I give this entry?"

And each time, my brain is mushy from all the resizing of the pictures that it just ends up being something simple like this. . .Easter.

We decided that we would try a community Easter Egg Hunt. In the past, Ben and I try to avoid these. From experience, the kids end up with one egg or one piece of candy. But, since we have moved to California, we have had nothing but pleasant experiences. I told Ben maybe it is because most families only have one kid here versus Utah where, well, they have a little more. We went down to Heather Farms and even arrived early!

Being early wasn't fun for Zoey especially since all the candy was in hands reach. In the last picture above, Ben decided to give her plane rides because she was getting too hard to contain.

This was CJ's first time where she was too old to participate. You can see her happy face on the first picture and then after, check out her face! She wants to be grown up most of the time, but sometimes, I think she misses being a little kid. Don't we all?

They had little minature ponies for the kids to pet. Zoey was excited because it looked like a giant dog to her and she loves dogs.

Easter day, Zoey woke up like this.

A reaction from the antibiotic she was taking for Strep. I guess Zoey is allergic to Amoxicillin.

The kids had fun finding their baskets and the hidden eggs.

Goggles were the biggest hit!

The kids in their Easter clothes. . .

CJ

Xander

Mia

I didn't get any of Zoey. I was lucky to get some of her with the rest of the kids. She is constantly on the go, go, go!

Many times when Ben and I are giving Family Home Evening lessons, we are doing it while there is screaming, fighting, and constant chaos all around us. That was exactly how our Easter lesson went. There was screaming and constant running after Zoey. Even though, life is chaotic, I still think that something sinks in and that the kids do learn something.

Family Twista' and a Buzz

For Family Home Evening tonight, we played Twister. Funniest thing to watch ever! Let's start with my favorite picture of the night.



We split the girls and the boys up and took turns. Xander did surprisingly well and Ben, well, he lost.

We played four rounds to get our fill of this game. We learned that Mia is flexible, CJ is not, Xander does pretty well knowing right and left, and Zoey plays with no rules.


Rules or no rules, Zoey had fun joining in the game.


As for the "buzz". You'll have to watch this video to see what we are talking about.


Hope you all had a wonderful Easter!

Springin' into Spring!

Ahhhhh.

April.

Spring time.

Allergy time.

Easter time.

Since Xander was the only healthy one of the young ones, he went to the Easter Egg Hunt all by himself. Along with these other kids too.

Did I tell you that Mia and Zoey got Strep too? Oh yes indeed it is true! What's a virus if it can't be spread amongst family members?

Guess who did not want to be in the picture?

Spring is also time for planting flowers and lots of them!

Remember our house when we bought it?

We'll, we are coming along. The grass still needs help, but it looks a ton better!

Spring time is also outside time! When it is cold and rainy here, we don't go outside as much, but when the sun is shining, we can't help but be outside!

Crazy kid time! I took this picture as Zoey was running away from me. That is basically what I do when I let this kid out.

I chase Zoey down the street.

I chase Zoey out of people's front yards.

I chase Zoey away from people's front doors.

I LOVE SPRING!

Xan is the Man!

I signed Xander up for Kids Love Soccer. This is a great program to get kids excited about playing soccer in a non competitive environment. They play fun games and even scrimmage each other. Out of all my kids so far, Xander seems to enjoy soccer the most.

When Xander met his coach, to my surprise, it was the same person who coached Mia when we lived in Alameda 3 years ago! Almost an hour away and 3 years later, we met up with Coach Chad.

He was great with the kids and knew how to make them laugh.

Xander learned that the most important rule in soccer is. . ."NO HANDS IN SOCCER!" You must yell it when you say it!

Xander is very coordinated and has a great spacial sense. I think we'll be doing soccer or maybe even basketball in the future! Maybe I'll even coach his team??

On another note, this is what poor Xander looks like. Last week he was complaining about a sore throat. He had a fever the first day of his complaints and had lost energy and his appetite. The next day he went to bed at 4:00p.m. Poor guy!

A couple days later, we noticed red sores on his face. The sores looked like zits to begin with and some began to crust over.

Xander acted fine and almost himself. It was Saturday and we had no idea what was going on. We kept him home on Sunday from church and a friend mentioned that I should look up Hand, Mouth and Foot disease.

I looked it up and read a couple of articles on it. It seemed like there were alot of similarities like tiredness, fever at first and then a couple days later the sores would appear. The big difference was that the sores were only on his face not his hands, mouth, or feet. The pictures I saw looked just like Xander's face and he complained that his mouth hurt even though I couldn't see any sores. The articles also said that we wouldn't necessarily see sores on all his hands, mouth and feet.

Ben and I were convinced he had it. I took him to the doctor on Monday and they said he had Strep throat and that on his face was Impetigo. He must have infected his face somehow. Now he is on an antibiotic and hopefully on his way to feeling healthy.

Love this boy!