When Mom Leaves...

the boys get really creative. Yesterday they found the facepaint. This was Dad's creation.

Viva Las Vegas

This weekend we spent a few days in Las Vegas with Grandma and Grandpa. We had a great time celebrating Grandpa's birthday, touring the Hoover Dam, seeing downtown Las Vegas, eating REALLY yummy food, and swimming in the beautiful hotel pool. Thanks Grandma and Grandpa for spending the weekend with us! It was fun to get away and play for a little bit!

Happy Boys! All smiles when Gma and Gpa are around!

Checking out the M&M Nascar. I'm not sure how they got it up to the 4th floor.

This will be a bridge that goes across the Hoover Dam starting late 2010. The picture doesn't do it justice, it was amazing!

Down inside the Hoover Dam-Kevin was very interested in how it all works, and loved looking at all the big tools and machines.

The coolest souveniers ever!! The boys were working on the Dam. I can't get them to take off the hard hats! I think we may have just discovered our Halloween costumes for this year.

When I Grow Up.....

Mark had to take some things to his jobsite (the Foster Farms plant in Livingston) and we decided to make a family trip out of it. The boys love going to dad's work to see the crane, boom truck, and tractors (not sure what exactly they are called.) They found some hard hats and vests and played the boy version of dress up. Of course they didn't want to take it off and leave, but we bribed them with dinner and ice cream. Overall it was a fun way to spend the day as a family!

Birthday Pictures

Kevin trying ou the pinata

Mark tried too, it took many tries to break it

Making a wish and blowing out the candle

Anxiously waiting to open presents

FINALLY!!!!

I am very aware that I have gone the entire summer without any updates to the blog. I feel like the summer came and went and I somehow missed it! So what have we been up to?? Well let me tell you!!

June-

-We inadvertantly found out that the house we were renting was headed for foreclosure, so we decided to take advantage of all the tax credits and purchase a house.

We are so excited to have a home that is actually ours!! And I am really happy to be done moving. We will be staying here for many years!!!

July-

-We celebrated 4th of July by hanging out with friends and attending the Grizzlies baseball game. This has become a tradition for our family and I look forward to the fireworks show after the game!

-Mark's family from Colorado and Utah came to visit us for a family reunion at Shaver Lake. We had a lot of fun, and with 10 kids running around, there was always someone to play with! The kids cried when their cousins left, it was so nice to have them here!

-Marky turned 5! His birthday happened to be during our stay at Shaver lake, and he had to best day ever (according to him). He went fishing, drove a boat with grandpa, played at the lake, and had a party with all of his cousins. It really was the perfect day. I DO have pictures, however I am having difficulties downloading them, so I will post soon!

-Teresa (Mark's sis) and Sperry and their kids stayed a few extra days and since it was 105-110 in Fresno, we headed to the beach for some cool weather and relaxation. The kids got a kick out of being buried in the sand.

August-

-We have been busy preparing for school!!! I can't believe that I have a child in school, it just feels too weird. Today was Mark's first day of Kindergarten. I really need to stop calling him Marky, since he reminds me all the time that his name is just Mark. He seems to have grown up a lot in the last few months. He has been really excited about starting school and getting to play with his friends every day. I am excited to be on a normal schedule once again. This summer was kind of all over the place for us, and I discovered that we don't do too well with no structure. Anyway, here's to a great school year! I'm sure Mark and I will both be learning a lot!

All Grown Up

Easter 2009

Making a mess with the eggs

Kevin finding his treasure

Mark trying to figure out how to get to his treasure

Posing before church with some of their loot

This year we had another quiet Easter Sunday at home. We went to church, dyed eggs, and had an Easter egg hunt in the back yard. It was low key and a nice way to spend a Sunday!

Top 10 Reasons I Love Mark

10. He's the handiest man I know. He can fix anything. He can build anything. And we have garage full of tools to prove it.

9. He works hard at everything he does. He puts in an amazing amount of hours at work and then comes home and helps with the dishes, gives the boys a bath, and sings to them in bed. There's no "unwinding" time in his schedule, and he never complains about it.

8. He once got out of bed to drive 30 mins to change my flat tire.

7. I can still see a glimpse of the crazy, funny, teenage boy I had a crush on in high school.

6. He's always setting goals, and pushes me to do the same. There is nothing stagnant about life with him.

5. After 8 years, I still get excited to go on dates with him!

4. He stands up for his beliefs no matter what.

3. He lets the kids work along side him, even if it takes twice as long to complete a task.

2. He is a hero to my boys.

1. For some reason he wants ME to stand beside him forever, and I couldn't think of a better way to spend MY forever!

Happy Birthday Babe! I love you!!!

Fresno's Hidden Treasure

"Hiking" to the river

Playing in the water and getting muddy

It started off ok......

But it ended in a MESS

Right here in Fresno there is a river with a small walking path and picnic tables that many people don't know about. The boys love to go and take the dogs for a swim. When the weather is nice (like right now) the boys get in the river as well, and everyone gets nice and dirty. I think it's a great place to spend an afternoon with the family, and I am happy to stand on the side and take pictures! It was pretty hot Saturday, so we got some ice cream after, and it's a good thing Kevin wasn't sitting INSIDE the truck when dad let him loose with a Wendy's Frosty!

Go Indians!!

This weekend was the first TeeBall game of the season. We are the Cleveland Indians, and the little guys are just way too cute!! Mark is having fun coaching, Marky is having fun playing, and I am having fun hanging out with my friends watching!

I have received a few comments about my dinner menu that I started recently. I thought it was a good way for me to keep track of my menus, but I cannot take credit for it! I stole the idea from my friend Laura. I just thought it was so neat I had to try it!!

Mommy-According to Marky

I took this facebook quiz with Marky, and it was just too cute, so I am posting it here, mostly for my reference!


Here are answers from Marky-age 4

1. What is something mom always says to you?
"Ok, it's bedtime"

2. What makes mom happy?"
when I listen to you"

3. What makes mom sad?
"When I don't do what you say"

4. How does your mom make you laugh?
"when you say silly words"

5. What was your mom like as a child?
"I dont know because I wasn't born"

6. How old is your mom?
"68"

7. How tall is your mom?
"18 tall"

8. What is her favorite thing to do?
"Go to Bed, and play with the kids"

9. What does your mom do when you're not around?
"go to stores"

10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
"I dont know what that means"

11. What is your mom really good at?
"making lunch"

12. What is your mom not very good at?
"breaking glass"

13. What does your mom do for her job?
"go to meetings"

14. What is your mom's favorite food?
"anything"

15. What makes you proud of your mom?
"when you do stuff with us, and when you buy me toys"

16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?
"the girl one"

17. What do you and your mom do together?
"go on dates"

18. How are you and your mom the same?
"we read books"

19. How are you and your mom different?
"we wear different clothes"

20. How do you know your mom loves you?
"because i do fun things with you"

21. Where is your mom's favorite place to go?
"target and the grocery store-but you don't like home depot"

Oh, out of the mouths of babes!!! Now I tag all my friendswith little ones to "interview" your children, it's pretty fun!

Pro Golfer

Mark attended a golf tournament for his company on Friday. You can probably tell by the picture how well he did. Yes, the ball is still on the ground, but that was a great swing!

Mark showed me this target as he was unloading his suitcase. I said, "Good job honey." Then he said, "No, this is Marky's target. He shot the 22." I'm not sure if I should be impressed or terrified!

Boys Trip

This is the new version of "Marky's Park". He used to go there all the time when we lived in Colorado, so he thought it was his own park.
A different park Grandma and Grandpa took him to.

Hanging out in the Cockpit.

Here's a few pics from Mark and Marky's trip to Colorado. Mark went for work, and we decided to just send Marky with him this time. They had a lot of fun, and Marky loved the one on one time with both his dad and grandparents. Today he came home from Preschool and has been sleeping for over 2 hours!! I dont think he got much sleep this week!

Why did I agree to this???

This is just some of it!!

My wonderful friend Lisa invited us (me and Kevin) over for dinner this evening!! It was really nice to get out of the house and have someone for Kevin to play with and adults for me to talk to. I had the dogs in the laundery room all morning while we were at church, so I decided to be nice and let them stayin the family room while we were gone. I gated off the kitchen and the hallway so they couldnt get into trouble....or so I thought!! I came home to the biggest mess I have ever seen!!! I have 3 diapers left from the box i bought YESTERDAY and absolutely no wipes other than those I had in my purse. The dogs found treasures from each room and took them to the family room to play. AHHHHHH Oh, and of course Mark is out of town so guess who gets to stay up all night and clean??? I'm not a happy camper.

Any Ideas???

So Mark and Marky are going to Colorado Saturday through Thursday, and that leaves me and Kevin for dinner each night. I know I can't go to In and Out every night, but I don't know what to make for 1.5 servings and I would rather not be eating leftovers for a week. Any ideas? Does anyone have some simple recipes that would feed just me and Kevin??

Happy Valentine's Day!

This year we were so lucky to have Valentine's Day on Saturday, so we celebrated all day long! We started with donuts and little gifts in the morning and then headed off to Marky's last basketball game of the season. He got his trophy and proudly brought it home to join the others on the shelf. Then we had lunch and cleaned up the house and yard and the boys decorated. (There was lots of crepe paper!) After their hard work all the boys, including dad. took a much needed nap while I made sugar cookie dough. We had lots of fun making heart-shaped cookies, even though every surface in the kitchen got covered with flour. After a quick attempt at cleaning up, we headed to the Valentine's get together at church. They had salads and desserts, so that you could drop by and get a bite and socialize before going out with your sweetheart for the evening. I thought it was a pretty good idea, and the kids had fun running around with their friends. Soon we were back in the car heading to Me and Eds for heart shaped pizza! We had some friends over and the kids had a great time frosting cookies, eating pizza, and playing. It was a great way to spend Valentine's Day-family style!

Tagged- 5 Things

5 Things I was doing 5 years ago:-
-Expecting my first baby
-Driving my Expedition
-Working Full Time
-Being a pregnant bridesmaid in 3 weddings
-Spending a lot of 1 on 1 time with my husband

5 Things on my to-do list today
-Laundery
-Watch Niki's kids
-Start sewing PJ's
-Clean my bathrooms
-Make dinner

5 Things I would do with a million dollars
-Buy a House
-Buy a Car
-Donate to a Charity
-Put away money for retirement
-Set up College Funds for my kids

5 Places I have lived
-Friendswood, TX
-Loveland, CO
-Rexburg, ID
-Clovis, CA
-Fresno, CA

5 jobs I have held
-Chuck E Cheese
-Student Patrol at Ricks College
-Security/Team Leader at Target
-Teller at Wells Fargo
-Stay at home Mom

5 things I want to be doing in 5 years-
-Going to School (not sure for what)
-Actively involved in my kids' schools
-Staying on a schedule
-Learning the Piano
-Be done having kids

5 people I tag
-Kerry
-Laura
-Kristen
-Tiffany
-Heather

They DO like each other!!!

I walked into Kevin's room and found my boys like this! Too cute.

Happy Birthday Kevin!!

Blowing out his candles

Excited with all the gifts

Marky enjoyed this more than Kevin

Kevin and Dad putting the Geotrax Airport together

Figuring out the scooter

He's good if it's not moving

This week we celebrated Kevin's second birthday. I can't believe he is already 2! Where does the time go? It's fun to see him get it this year. He smiled all day, and asked everyone to sing Happy Birthday to him several times. I can't imagine life withought my dear little Kevin. He brings so much joy to our family. He's the one that says the funniest things and makes you smile when you're having a bad day. I still think he's a baby, but he reminds me every day that he's not a baby, he just Kevin!

Catching Up!

I know that I've been slacking on the blog, but now we are back to normal life and I promise to be better! December was crazy, but tons of fun! Mark took some time off, and we had Grandma, Grandpa, and Uncle Mike come visit for the holidays. We packed a lot of excitement into a couple of weeks, and we had a wonderful Christmas. Some highlights for us were:

• Making cookies on Christmas Eve as a family. The boys loved rolling the dough, using the cookie cutters, frosting them, and of course eating them!
• Going to see Marley and Me on Christmas Day. I don't think I have ever cried so hard at a movie! And I'm not really a dog person!
• Getting in an accident in the rental car, not our fault but SUCH a pain!
• Riding the train to Hanford and getting lunch at the Creamery.
• Grandma's Hannah Montana Birthday Party! The boys worked really hard to put it all together.
• Shooting rockets
• Fixing the rockets so they could shoot them again.
• Flying RC Helicopters.
• Fixing the RC Helicopters so they would fly again.
• Driving up to Shaver to eat some good pizza and play in the snow. It was Kevin's first time and he loved the tube! It was a beautiful day and so fun!
• Marky getting car sick and throwing up in the rental car on the way home from Shaver. Not so fun. That poor car.
• Driving to Tulare to eat hot dogs in an airplane. It was freezing, but a fun experience.
• Staying up and playing Hearts after the kids went to bed.
• Eating lots of good food and enjoying the company! It felt so good to have family for the holidays!