dave+am

favorite toys

2012-01-26T21:17:00.001-07:00

I thought it would be fun to sporadically keep track of the kiddos favorite toys. I actually took these pictures before christmas, so they have some new favorites that they play with. Maybe more the reason for me to remember these.

Veda loves this little zoo toy. The animals spin around and it plays music.

Hendrix LOVES this firetruck. He fills it up with all sorts of things and zooms it around the house.

This car mat is awesome. I got it at IKEA. Best 15 dollars ever spent. I am constantly carrying it and up and down the stairs because Hendrix wants to play with it no matter where we are in the house.

ALL my kids play with this dollhouse. Julie got it for Quinn for her first Christmas. It has been a favorite ever since.

Play food. Man-- there is nothing I would love more than to throw this all away!! Only because I pick up play food more than anything else. I would never throw it away because the kids always always play with it. But I really hate cleaning it up all the time. :)

And there are some things I didn't take pictures of. Quinn loves to play with Little Pet Shop animals-- or any little animal type thing. And Hendrix's favorite thing is Matchbox cars. He has tons of cars/trucks, but if they aren't small/matchbox size-- he doesn't really play with them. And Veda's favorite thing is anything that she shouldn't have. Paper, trash, electrical cords, stairs, the dishwasher, etc.

I made these Gingersnap pumpkin cookies. Aren't you all so glad that I'm willing to try so many new cookie recipes for you?? They are amazingly good. :)

Kids

2012-01-24T06:42:00.000-07:00

Phone Pictures

2012-01-21T20:43:00.000-07:00

You ready for a humungous picture dump? These are all my favorite pictures that have been on my iPhone for months. And sorry-- they are all blurry. Blurry, and awesome.

Dave and the kiddos before bed.

one of my all time favorite pictures of Veda. Ever.

Veda. Sitting in a wagon.

Me and Vedes reading books in her room.

The kiddos hugging before bath time one night.

Quinn took this one. I love everything about it.

HAPPY baby.

Nothing to say about this. Just cute kids.

Cute picture Quinn drew on the magna doodle. It's the whole family. Holding hands.

Veda being silly.

Veda being sillier. haha... love this picture.

Aw. Remember when she used to wear headbands? I miss that.

Silly kid. And oh.. I think I'm going to cut his hair short again. I miss it. And I've been growing it out forever and haven't fallen in love with it. So it's coming off. Soon.

Veda's eyes... man. Just that little twinkle in her eyes as she's looking at her brother. Priceless.

Cute rosy cheeked babe. This picture proves that Veda hair is actually growing. Look how bald she was! Bald and precious and sweet and chubby.

just because

2012-01-21T09:13:00.000-07:00

Will somebody please stop this baby from growing up so fast? She's getting way too big.

Veda's getting good at giving kisses. And when I say "giving kisses," I mean "covering my face/cheeks with as much drool/licks as possible."

Veda has started pointing too. It's pretty great.

mommy-daughter date

2012-01-21T06:48:00.003-07:00

Quinn and I went on a date yesterday. She wanted to go back to Monkey Bizness. We had a lot of fun together. (Although that place is a work-out if you are actually running and jumping and maneuvering through those bounce houses (instead of hanging out and watching a baby play)). And the place unfortunately smelled REALLY strongly of throw up-- and was really hot. Quinn didn't notice either one of those things and played and giggled and had a great time. Afterwards we were going to go get an ice-cream, but decided to go to Cheesecake Factory instead and split a piece of cheese cake. It was a perfect little date with my darling little girl.

(I guess I should have titled this post "Ghouls-date," since just us "ghouls" went out :)

snow

2012-01-19T13:24:00.001-07:00

We got some snow yesterday. The kiddos were thrilled.

Dave can make a pretty awesome snowman too.

Veda wasn't really outside for long. Her and I just came out to take a picture. She looked like a cute pink marshmallow.

Frosty

Warming up.

I'm glad the kids had fun.
And I'm glad that Dave can just work from home when it's crazy outside.
And I'm glad that we're moving to a place that doesn't snow. :)

feeling lucky

2012-01-17T13:35:00.000-07:00

Life right now is not a cake-walk. Logistics of moving and selling our house and having enough money etc. causes STRESS. But today I'm feeling like one lucky lady. We got offers on our house-- yes- MORE than one. Not only that-- but we found out that the buyers of our house not only love our house, but ALL our stuff. Sometimes I look around our house and realize that it's full of homemade stuff. Furniture off craigslist that I've painted myself. Homemade bedding. Artwork made with scrapbook paper and mod podge. Mismatched picture frames that I've spray painted to match. Decor bought from the clearance section. It makes me happy that all of my hard work maybe doesn't look that bad. I've been selling a lot of stuff on craigslist this week-- and now it'll be nice if the new buyers of the house take the rest :)

I'm lucky because I have the worlds best kids. They are darling and healthy. I've had some pretty heart-wrenching things happen to some of my friends. It sure makes me squeeze my kids a little tighter. And deal with tantrums and arguments with a little more patience.

And one more thing makes me feel lucky today. My mom gets here in ONE MONTH!!!

And count the Apple products in this picture. Kids playing an iPhone, with an Apple tv remote under Hendrix's head, and and iPad behind him :)

cute kids and recipes

2012-01-15T19:31:00.000-07:00

wow. Where have I been all week? Here are some pics from today.

Making Hendrix give me a kiss :)

wow. He's one cute kid.

Look at her--- sharing already :)

Quinn was around today too. She's a master at avoiding the camera.

I thought I'd share a recipe with you. I always see new recipes that I'd like to try, but most of the time they have ingredients I don't have. But this one has stuff that I always have around (plus Dave likes it a lot, so that's a plus). I think I got it from THIS website.

Honey Salsa Chicken
4 Chicken breasts (I usually cut mine in thin strips)
1/2 cup honey
1/8 cup mustard
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/4 cup salsa
1 Tbs. soy sauce
mix sauce, pour over chicken. Bake at 350 for 1 hour. Serve over brown rice.

Want a good cookie recipe?? of course you do. Double Chocolate Oatmeal cookies. Make them with peanut butter chocolate chips. You won't regret it :)

randoms from the week

2012-01-11T20:48:00.000-07:00

Just some random pictures from my camera the last couple of days.

Veda looking cute as eva.

The kids bundled up to play outside. It's so freezing cold. It even snowed yesterday. Looking forward to Austin right about now :)

Lunch for my kiddos.

And what do you do when it's freezing outside and have nothing to do? You put on your swimsuit and pretend that beanbags are swimming pools!!

And stools are diving boards.

And if you're a baby... you watch :)

We've had a busy week around here!! We lowered the price of the house again. It's been magical. We had FOUR showings just today.
and last but not least-- Veda has her fourth tooth!!

shopping carts

2012-01-10T15:12:00.004-07:00

"Push me faster mom!!"

being a joyful mother

2012-01-08T10:43:00.002-07:00

I've been reading A Joyful Mother of Children, by Linda Eyre. Here is a section that I read today that I loved. I thought it was worth sharing.

I gazed at the wriggling baby in my arms, thinking about what a long, hard day it had been. My back ached, and my head pounded from a grueling day of feeding, washing, and refereeing; but I realized as I looked into those eyes that even though mothering was different than I had envisioned, it was better!

I relaxed, settled back a little, closed my eyes, and remembered that life is not one exhilarating joy after another. The occasional flashes of real joy, however, make us able to chalk up the rest of the experience.

Who can explain the feeling of sheer joy that comes from watching a baby's first breath? Suddenly all the discomforts of nausea, the awkwardness of getting in and out of cars, and the inconvenience of not being to tie your own shoes or even see your feet, or having grown out of all your clothes and wondering if you'll ever look normal again, fade into the joy of having brought a new person into the world.

The satisfaction, much fuller than you could have known, comes when you see two little girls, obviously feeling beautiful, skipping off to their dance review in the costumes you've made (with their help).

What fun it is to see your two year old finally fold his arms and sit through the family prayer almost to the end-- quietly-- and to watch your three year old actually try and draw his rendition of Jesus during church services and to know that, at least for a few minutes, his mind was in the right place!

Then there's the occasional meal when everything goes right. AFter meaningful family prayer, everyone explains his happy day, and no one cries over spilled milk.

It seems the blessing of motherhood never cease (I guess because the hard times never do either), and joy is so much more than we could have expected.

Veda clapping

2012-01-08T10:31:00.000-07:00

mooshy belly bunnies

2012-01-08T09:03:00.000-07:00

Veda was so funny while eating dinner last night. Dave was finishing up feeding her and she kept opening her mouth REALLY wide. She never does that when I feed her... it was so cute. I think Dave doesn't shovel it in as fast as I do so she would wait with her mouth all ready. :)

I made Quinn and Veda these "Mooshy Belly Bunnies." Tutorial was found HERE. They were super easy-- although I obviously haven't done their faces yet. They were both snatched from me and I haven't gotten them back to finish them. The girls don't seem to mind that they are faceless. And I'll admit-- the name "Mooshy Belly Bunny" is pretty cute too.

Dave went for a run yesterday and after he got home the kids couldn't help but join in the stretches. Even Veda.

clapping

2012-01-06T20:20:00.003-07:00

Veda can clap!!!

And it's so very cute.

three things

2012-01-03T12:49:00.000-07:00

Three things that my kids do right now that I love.

I love how when Hendrix says "Yellow," It starts AND ends with an "L."

"Lyellowl."

I love how when Quinn says "Girl," it sounds like "Ghoul." So every time she says something like:
"Hey mom! Let's have a GHOULS night!"
"Look mom-- all the GHOULS are wearing green today!"
or
"How about just the GHOULS go to the store?"
I can't help but chuckle a little bit.

I love how when Veda is even CLOSE to Dave she about leaps out of my arms to have him hold her. Doesn't matter if he is asleep or brushing his teeth or even looking at her. She literally uses all of her strength to get to him.

(an oldie but goodie of Quinn since it's close to impossible to get all three of my kids in a picture together.)

2012 Goals

2012-01-02T12:29:00.001-07:00

I am usually really bad at making "new years resolutions." But, I am a firm believer that if you write something down you are more likely to accomplish it.

So here are some of my ambitions for the year.

Have a more organized home. Hopefully moving will help. It's so nice to get rid of stuff!! If you need anything-- come over.

Start doing yoga. It's something I've always wanted to do, but have never really put any effort into it. I'm really inflexible. And quite uncoordinated. I'm totally envious of people who can do yoga. And it might help with my other goal of losing 10 pounds. More than the pounds-- I just want my stomach to look good. Even when I'm not sucking in or wearing something baggy.

Sell our house. And take a picture like this.

Have no major dental work done. This is a lofty goal. Pretty sure I need a crown on one of my fillings that I just got done that still hurts. It doesn't hurt to dream :)

Throw Veda a big first birthday party. Along with this goal-- encourage Veda to nurse as long as possible. I have absolutely no ambitions to wean her. When she's two and a half and still nursing, pat me on the back and say good job. :) okay, okay... not that long. But if her birthday party looks anything like this-- you can pat me on the back.

Potty train this little man. I'm not in a major rush. I'll wait until he's three. And we've moved. But hopefully before it's 2013 Hendrix will no longer be leaving majorly nasty poops in his diaper for me to wipe up.

Another goal I have is to be more fashionable. I have no real ideas of how to accomplish this though. (other than coming into a lot of money and going on a shopping spree).

Move to Austin and make a friend. Like a really good friend. And also help these three kiddos make some friends too.

I have a few more goals that I won't share since they are 'private' :)
Anyone have anything else I should add to my list?

2011 recap

2012-01-01T21:03:00.000-07:00

This has been quite the year!!! Here's a little recap of some cute pictures from last year.

January 2011... I was VERY pregnant.

This beautiful addition joined our family.

We've had lots of laughs.

This sweet boy had his tonsils/adenoids taken out and tubes in his ears. Way less ear infections, but not less sickness. :(

We had a fun family vacation to Portland with my family.

We had some awesome visits from my mom.

Can't wait to see what 2012 has to bring.
Happy New year!!

veda waving

2011-12-31T14:29:00.002-07:00

a short video of Veda waving before her nap.

I made THESE cookies today. They are really good-- but make a TON. I half the recipe, even though it says not to. Even half the recipe makes a billion cookies. If you have m&m's-- you should make them too. But maybe next week-- then bring me some :)

monkey bizness

2011-12-29T15:43:00.000-07:00

On monday, we went to Monkey Bizness with Chris and Sarah. We all had a lot of fun. Here's some proof.

See-- Dave looking glad that he agreed to take three hours off work to come with us.

Grace is about the cutest thing. Every other word that I hear her say is "Veda!"

She really wanted to hug Veda. And I just stood by and took pictures.

It's all fun and games until Veda starts pulling hair. It's something I struggle with myself every time I nurse her. She loves to get a good grip and PULL. :)

Holy smokes-- there was this giant slide. Dave had somehow talked Quinn into going down with him (on his lap). And she loved it. And eventually went down ALL BY HERSELF!! (That's cute Levi in front of her). What I should probably leave out is that I went up with Quinn one time. And had a mini panic attack because I got all the way up and it looked really steep and scary and I was not about to go down. Meanwhile all these kids were scooting in front of us trying to encourage me and help me feel better about going down.... haha. Then I finally just closed my eyes and did it since I didn't know if I could take the embarrassment of squeezing by twenty kids on my way down the ladder. It wasn't that scary-- it was a lot slower than I thought. I'm not usually that big of a wuss!! okay, maybe I am. But my heart raced for a good 15 minutes after I came down. I still can't believe that Quinn went down over and over-- and by herself.

Veda had a lot of fun in the baby part. so did Hendrix-- he didn't like the slide or bouncy things.

Levi took this picture. Not too bad for a four year old!!

Veder

2011-12-28T08:57:00.002-07:00

Veda is not quite ten months old. But I feel like she's doing so many new things that I needed to document them. So here's some cute things that she's up to at 9 5/8ths months old:

LOVES peek-a-boo. Giggles EVERY time. And also now uses her own hands to cover her own face to play.

Can do raspberries. It brings all of us a lot of joy. The kids will do them to her--she'll do them back-- and we all laugh our heads off.

Waves bye-bye. She could do this before. But she's better at doing it on command now.

Eats lots of solids.

She's a climber!! I have to watch her. She loves to climb up on things that she's not supposed to. She also LOVES laundry baskets. She'll flop herself right into one. And if I get her out, she gets right back in. The other day she hung out in a laundry basket while I folded two loads of laundry.

Can stand unassisted.

Walks along furniture or with a walker toy.

9 out of 10 nights she sleeps from 6:15 pm-5:30am.

3 teeth.

Bright blue eyes, an infectious smile, a darling dimple, hardly any hair, and has me and her daddy wrapper around her little finger. twice.

(super blurry cell phone pic).

random Christmas stuff

2011-12-27T12:21:00.001-07:00

wow. i don't even know where to start. My house looks like a bomb (or two) went off. Christmas stuff is half packed away... the other half is crazily strewn about my house. My dishes are stacked up the sink. I'm trying to majorly clean stuff out so when packing for the move starts things won't be 'as' crazy. And here I am doing a blog post. The mess will wait for me, right? :)

Here's Quinn and me with the blanket I made her for Christmas.

We have protected the Christmas tree all season from Veda by putting the ottoman in between the gap between the couches. It worked well... but sometimes we would forget and a little baby would sneak in. Look at that cute little foot.

Christmas morning was fun and magical. Kids make Christmas awesome. Quinn is so sweet and easy to please. She loved everything she got-- and also loved everything that Hendrix and Veda got.

Christmas morning chaos. I tried really hard to keep up with the trash since Veda puts everything in her mouth. This was me keeping up with it... I obviously did a lousy job. Wrapping paper can't be that bad for you, right?

Hendrix spilled his thing of mini m&m's more than once.

We spent some time with Chris and Sarah. Here's Veda at their house. Looking Christmas-y

And handing out hugs to cousins.

Hendrix got a paper jams guitar from my sister. It's definitely his favorite new toy. He plays it ALL day. Santa brought him a mini digital drum set too-- so we can have a family band :)
My sweet husband got me a pair of THESE. I've wanted some for a while, but I had no idea that he was getting me some :)
Now back to the grind. Dave at the office again and me un-digging ourselves after the weekend.

a bit of Christmas

2011-12-26T06:57:00.000-07:00

We had a ROCKIN' AWESOME Christmas. Hope ya'll did too.

catch up

2011-12-23T19:17:00.001-07:00

Here's Dave and I all dressed up to go our for our anniversary date. We were lucky to have some friends willing to come over and watch our kids. I can't wait to someday (hopefully) live by my parents so I'll have someone to watch my kids. Finding a babysitter can be a nightmare.

I know I'm cutting to close this year. But I finally finished X and V's Christmas gifts from me.

(for Veda's owl-- I used some old sleepers/clothes for some of the fabric. The purple sleeper happened to have this cute little pocket that says mommy and me. So I added it to the back)

And keeping with Keller Christmas Tradition-- all my kids decided to get sick. Here's my poor sweet sick boy. (snuggling with the monkey and super power guy I made him. There's hope for the silly looking robot I made him).

Since the kiddos are sick, we decided to take them to a candy store (of course). It seemed like a Christmas-y thing to do and we don't want to waste the season. And it took our minds off of runny noses and wheezy lungs for a couple hours.

Veda is hopefully going to be all better tomorrow. She seemed a lot better today. So hopefully the other two kids will be all better by Christmas morning. And thank heavens they aren't throwing up. Quinn has spent TWO of her four Christmases so far throwing up.

Before I wrapped the robot and owl I let Veda see the robot (not the owl, I didn't want to spoil the surprise of course). I don't know that I've ever seen her so enthusiastic about anything. I hope she likes her owl just as much.

Seriously-- she hugged and slobbered all over it and squealed with delight.

I wish you all a very merry Christmas!!!

new tooth!

2011-12-22T14:16:00.000-07:00

Santa came early. Veda's top tooth FINALLY poked through today. She's thrilled.

(I know I already posted this picture. but it's so cute... it needed a repeat).

Congrats sweet Veda-- three down--17 more to go.

Hap-Hap-Happy Anniversary!

2011-12-21T12:27:00.001-07:00

I know that Dave already did a super sweet post for me-- but I can't help myself. I need to do one more. :)

Here are NINE things about the Daver and I- to celebrate our NINE years of marriage (when did we get so old to have been married for nine years??!)

1. Dave and I recently read through my journal of the time that we met and started dating (I used to be an avid journal writer- I never missed a day). What a fun time to remember!! We were young, crazy, and in love. I was in hair school. Dave was on summer vacation from BYU. He was teaching guitar lessons one day a week- and spent the rest of his time working on his tan at the pool. We quickly fell for each other. How could I not? He was tan and had long blonde hair and played guitar (and had braces!!) :)

2. Dave is so sweet to me. When things aren't going my way, he knows just how to cheer me up. Usually by saying one of these phrases:
"Are those your real eyelashes?"
"You look HOT today."
"Why don't you just go to Target today?"
If those don't work-- he asks me about my eyelashes again.

3. We had a very memorable anniversary while living in Los Angeles. It was our 2nd anniversary. We had heard from one of our friends that there was a steakhouse in Santa Monica that we should go to-- that seemed reasonable priced (this friend had been there for a work lunch). So we put on our best jeans and went to this restaurant. Only to sit down and order drinks and open the menu and see it was at LEAST $80 a plate. Just for the main dish-- if you wanted a side of say 4 stalks of asparagus it was $8 more. Of course, being the young kids that we were, we pretended like it was no big deal, when inside we were freaking and wanting to cry because it was more than we would spend on groceries for two weeks. It should have been a red flag that our waiter greeted us with a napkin over his forearm. But by then, it was too late anyway.

4. We've had lots of cars in our marriage so far. Let's see if I can remember them all:
Black 89 Mazda
Turqoise 91 Chevy Cavalier
Black Mitsubishi Galant
Green-- what was that? Not a Taurus, but might as well have been
Black 94 Rodeo-- lots of memories in this. Dave drove this car when we met.
White 07 Kia Spectra
Silver 04 Durango
White 09 Dodge Grand Caravan

5. Dave's haircut is usually the last on my list. And likewise-- I'm the last person he wants to design anything for :)

6. I generally trust Dave's opinion on almost anything. He's smart. Has a good head on his shoulders. Has a good eye. Knows what's cool, good, and right. So if I need an opinion about what song to listen to, or what necklace I should wear with my outfit, or what appliance I should buy-- he's the guy to ask. He just knows.

7. Dave is the world's best dad. The kids adore him. And it makes me adore him even more.

8. Dave's favorite things are pickles, chips, beef jerky, and vegetables. My favorites include none of those. Opposites attract, I guess.

9. Even though we've had nine awesome years- we've had our share of ups and downs. I don't think there is a marriage on the planet that doesn't have good times AND bad. I'm grateful for a husband that works hard at our marriage. I'm grateful for the nine years we have under our belt and the things we've learned along the way. Life is an adventure-- and I'm one lucky girl to experience it with this guy by my side.

Just a couple crazy kids...

2011-12-21T01:02:00.000-07:00

Happy 9 years, my love.D

blue eyed babe...

2011-12-20T16:57:00.002-07:00

...practicing for the big day

confession

2011-12-18T20:42:00.004-07:00

I have a confession. I cried to today in the mother's room at church.

Not only that-- but it's the second time in a month that I've cried in there.

The last time I cried, it was right after a screaming baby had just left the room.

And there I was with my smiley little Veda.

Rosy cheeked, happy, content. Even though she was missing her nap to be at church.

Today it was for no good reason other than thatI LOVE THIS BABY.

I am blessed.

weekend fun

2011-12-18T20:29:00.001-07:00

We've had a busy weekend... :)

My darling niece, Ellie had a dance recital (She's the one on the right with her arms crossed). It was cute to see all the little dancers. But BOY was it hot and crowded in that little room with all those people. It has cemented in Quinn's mind that she NEVER wants to do dance. (because of recitals and being in front of those people).

Dave's parents were also here this weekend. And we had a little Christmas celebration with them since we won't see them on actual Christmas. They brought the kids this indoor snowball fight kit-- Veda loved the 'snowballs.'

And Hendrix got a CARS book from Grandma and Grandpa. He likes it :)

We also showed the house this weekend. So I put Quinn to work scrubbing the floors and base boards. (kidding... this was all her idea.) Saturday was the SECOND time this week we've shown the house. Who would have thought that the week before Christmas people are house hunting?

We also had a Rocket party at our house today. I forgot to take any pictures. But we had a great time :)

boo hoo

2011-12-15T09:01:00.000-07:00

I probably shouldn't do a blog post today. You guys will notice that I'm in a lousy mood :)

Three things:
What's everyone so busy doing? And why am I not busy? I get that there are Christmas work parties, church parties, etc... but what else does everyone else have going on? And why wasn't I invited? I should be busy going to cookie exchanges, craft nights, parties etc... nope. And maybe you're thinking... "well, Am. Why don't you just take matters into your own hands?" Well... I did. TWICE. And did anyone come? Nope.

I'm hoping for two Christmas miracles. Neither one of them will happen, I guarantee-- but here they are for the universe in case "Santa" in listening. I want a camera. I am SICK of taking crappy pictures of my kids with my crappy camera. I take tons of pictures... I deserve an SLR. And the other miracle... I want to not HATE my hair. I haven't liked my hair for a while. I'm sick of feeling like I look like crap. Wow... how many times can I say "crap" in this post? I told you I was in a bad mood :)

And the third thing. Thank goodness I have Dave. Yesterday-- he came home after dealing with his own giant plate of stress. (trying to merge two companies while being 1600 miles away). He comes home to hear me whining and crying about my own stress and disappointments and helps me feel better. He talks some sense into me and puts things into perspective. And suggests a movie with popcorn and m&m's. Love him. :)

Sunday

2011-12-13T09:06:00.003-07:00

Wow... I have one handsomely hot husband. And stinking cute baby girl.

We 'made' a gingerbread house on Sunday. And by MADE, I mean I bought a pre-assembled one and used the pre made frosting that came in the kit and stuck candy to it. Just feel free to call me Martha Stewart.

blanket for Quinn for Christmas

2011-12-12T20:28:00.002-07:00

To Quinn with love from mommy.

I'm always a little proud when I do mitered corners and they turn out :)
(The middle is minky- and the polka dot is fleece)

Santa!

2011-12-11T08:37:00.001-07:00

There's Santa!!!

Hendrix didn't say anything to Santa-- just kept pointing at his bag of candy canes. So Santa officially thinks that he wants a candy cane for Christmas.

Quinn was so sweet and did a good job. She was so nervous that she started crying a little bit. Sweet girl. But she did manage to whisper that she wanted a baby doll. Huh?

And Veda and the big man.

Then we decided to go to Toy's R Us and let the kids pick out a present for each other. Quinn loved it and had fun picking out a fun car for Hendrix and a cute little baby toy for Veda. Hendrix on the other hand-- had fun picking out things for himself. (so Dave helped him pick something out for Quinn.... I guarantee he has no idea what he got for her) :)

veda 'standing'

2011-12-11T08:31:00.001-07:00

How crazy will it be when all three of my kids can just stand up and pose for a picture? :)

I tried really hard to get a better picture of her 'standing up.' She thought it was kinda funny

And down she goes!!

cute toys and destroyed projects

2011-12-09T14:09:00.001-07:00

proof that my children (and their toys) peacefully co-exsist.

On a side note-- I've been doing a great job of destroying all the handmade gifts I've been making. I made three freezer paper shirts yesterday-- ZERO of them turned out. The gifts that I made for my mom and my sister both turned out WAY less than perfect. I sewed some pillows for my sister-in-law and after seeing them on her couch yesterday, realized they weren't great. What's the deal? I hope I snap out of it, because my list of things to make between now and Christmas is kind of long. I haven't even started my kid's presents from me...

I hope everyone has an enjoyable weekend. December is so fun.

Veda

2011-12-07T19:30:00.001-07:00

I love being her mom.

I'm one lucky lady.

Thanksgiving kick-ball

2011-12-06T20:55:00.001-07:00

The morning of Thanksgiving we met some other families for a friendly game of kick-ball-- and cinnamon rolls/hot chocolate. It was a little chilly-- so here's me and Veda (with one mitten)

A view of the exciting game.

Quinn hated every moment of the festivities. Sorry, Quinn. There were too many people, and it was cold.

Hendrix liked it though. He even got to kick first. AND he discovered hot chocolate for the first time. (And that darling little girl in the background is actually in my primary class at church. I LOVE her)

I think Hendrix drank three refills of hot chocolate.

"Nope mom... only two"

"hmm.. maybe three. Or was it four?"

It was a really fun way to spend Thanksgiving morning. I'm kinda sad we won't be around next Thanksgiving if everyone does it again. Or maybe we can organize our own game in AUSTIN. :)

purple sweaters

2011-12-06T20:12:00.001-07:00

Sorry (mom) for the lack of posting. We've been kinda sick around here so I've been spending my free time relaxing on the couch :)

But I know you are all missing my fuzzy haired baby, so here's a few pictures that I took last week.

Hendrix the destructor

2011-12-03T09:04:00.001-07:00

So... Hendrix is coming up on the "terrible three's." I remember when Quinn was three--thinking what a hard age it is. I can tell that Hendrix is getting there. And I thought-- what better way to remember how much I love him than to do a blog post. (Hendrix may or may not have brought me to tears a few times yesterday...)

I love that we have some time while Quinn's at preschool to hang out. Here are some pictures from my phone that I took this week while we waited outside Quinn's preschool. (because, of course, I got there too early).

And I'm so glad he has a hoodie on in these pictures. He is wearing a RED shirt and RED pants. But only because he only wants to wear shirts that have a guitar on them. And yes-- he then pretends to play his shirt like it's a real guitar while VERY LOUDLY saying "BUM, BUM, BRUM, BRUM." (but a good two levels louder than you just imagined)

His hair is getting longer!! It's still an inch away from not looking like he just hasn't had a haircut in a while. But it's getting there!!

And he's awesome at making silly faces :)

Love you, little buddy.

Happy nine months Veda!!

2011-12-01T21:55:00.001-07:00

Can you believe that Veda is NINE MONTHS OLD??!! Me neither.

I tried to get a picture of her smiling today... no luck.

But here's a picture of ME smiling.

I'm happy because I have this sweet little baby that I can call mine.

Veda is still acting like a classic third child. Mellow, easy, calm.

She is sweet and happy and patient. She loves to stand up and crawl around. She has hair that sticks straight up and still only two teeth. Living proof how two siblings can be so different! HERE is quinn at 9 months. (she had SIX teeth- and can you believe how much hair?)

Let the countdowns begin

2011-11-30T19:08:00.001-07:00

Christmas countdowns start tomorrow at our house. Quinn and I made this one together today. I think he turned out pretty cute. Quinn loves to use scissors, so I thought this would be perfect for her. You cut off part of his beard every day until Christmas. And no-- I obviously can't write numbers in a straight line if I start from the bottom. It gives him character.

My darling girl might be a little excited for Christmas festivities. And some of you may remember the other advent calendar that I made a couple years ago. That also begins tomorrow-- as well as the Christmas book countdown. (We open a christmas book everyday-- they are the same Christmas books that we read every year. I just wrap them and let them open one a day)

And this little apple of my eye couldn't be any cuter either. She's cutting a top tooth plus has a cold-- yet she is still super duper sweet. (Although I easily held her for 4 hours today. You should see my biceps.)

And on a completely random note-- I made Brown sugar and Balsamic Glazed pork loin for dinner. Make it. Super easy-- and quite good.

Moving

2011-11-29T07:58:00.001-07:00

As many of you know-- we are moving. But I thought that many of you don't know where we've decided to move. So I thought we would play a fun little game to see if you can guess. And some of you already know... and that's okay too. You're free to guess-- or throw people off :)

(most of my facts are from wikipedia)

It has bright sunshine 60.3% of the year.

Whole Foods was started and it's headquarters are there.

Population of 790,652. Making it the 35th largest city in the US. So nope-- we're not moving back to LA.

Live music capital of the world (this just gave it away for some people)... and no- we're not moving there because Dave's band made it big :)

Has more than 50 public swimming pools! (and yes, this means that it's HOT there)

1600 miles from where we live right now. Yowee... we are in for a long drive.

I NEVER thought I would end up in this state. But have been happily surprised by how awesome it sounds. (I haven't ever been there).

We aren't moving for a few months, but I know the time will fly by. We are very excited. The only downer is that we aren't going to be living by my sister like we thought (since she's movie to Portland). We are moving because Dave's company is merging with another company-- and that company is where we are moving. :) Any guesses???

Mini-van?

2011-11-28T13:18:00.001-07:00

Dave and I have held out for as long as we could. But now we are officially the happy owners of a mini-van! We bought our Durango a few years ago because it has a third row-- we knew we could fit a bunch of kids. But little did we realize that Durangos are NOT ideal for a bunch of little kids. It was so hard to get to the back. Plus the trunk was so small that I had to choose-- groceries or a stroller. (super annoying). We finally made the jump to a mini-van. And I'm HAPPY that it's over. The logistics of buying a car with three little kids is awful. It takes HOURS AND HOURS and test driving and moving car seats all over the place and taking turns at car dealerships and coming home to nurse Veda.... ugh. And too bad that my favorite (and only) babysitter was out of town for Thanksgiving. So we did it all on our own. (which will be good practice for after we move and are on our own again, I guess!) And yes-- this is our second white car :)

It's a 2009 Dodge Grand Caravan. And it's beautiful and roomy and has TONS of storage.

Veda's getting big!!

2011-11-25T19:37:00.001-07:00

Quinn is the perfect size for Veda to pull herself up on.

Quinn better watch out--Veda might catch up in size to Quinn pretty quick :)

Veda gets cuter every day-- which is hard to believe since she's already a doll. There's just something about her getting bigger and getting around more that makes her just the cutest little thing.

She can go up the stairs like a pro now. Which is good-- except she can't go down and has no problem just standing up and letting herself fall backward. (good thing I'm always right behind her) :)

Slow down my sweet baby girl!! I need a baby around here and I'm not about to have another :)

cleaning and car shirt

2011-11-24T08:45:00.001-07:00

Quinn has turned into quite the little helper. She is awesome at cleaning up toys- maybe better than me. And the other day she asked if she could clean the sliding door and the table with spray cleaner. Well... sure. I'm starting to taste the sweetness of having a child old enough to actually really help out.

oh but wait-- I forgot that Veda is REALLY good at cleaning my floor. Then eating it. Look at that concentration. And she knows how to find the goods-- she'll look right around the table legs because that's where it's hard for me to sweep up 100% of crumbs.

My friend April asked me to cut her some vinyl-- cute huh? So cute that I decided that Hendrix needed a new car shirt.

I tried to get a picture of him with it on this morning, but when I asked, he laid down on his tummy. I don't think he wanted me to take a picture :)

Thanks

2011-11-22T06:21:00.001-07:00

I thought I'd do a round-up of things I'm thankful for since it's practically Thanksgiving.

I'm thankful for my kids and husband and my parents/family.
I'm thankful for my health and for the church.
I'm thankful for my boots.
I'm thankful for Dave's job and his hard work supporting us.
I'm thankful that we are moving somewhere warm.
I'm thankful for my friends.
I'm thankful that my kids have cousins nearby that they love to play with.
I'm thankful for chocolate Cheerios.
I'm thankful for how cute Hendrix looks in his pi's.
I'm thankful that I live at a time of running water and flushing toilets.
I'm thankful for the $10 Old Navy gift card I have in my purse.
I'm thankful for my iPhone.
I'm thankful for our Christmas tree and the pumpkin pie that I have in the oven.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Mini Shoes

2011-11-21T06:19:00.001-07:00

It's clearly impossible to get three little kids to all look at the camera-- or at daddy-- at the same time.

But I'm thankful that if you take a picture of their bottom half-- you can't tell. I'm also thankful for little kid shoes.

Saturdays

2011-11-19T08:07:00.001-07:00

I love weekends-- Dave is home to hold this sweet baby and tease and tickle the other kids all day.

Me-- and the kids, are thankful for Saturdays.

Hair

2011-11-18T12:22:00.001-07:00

When I was in hair school, there would be lots of girls talking about how they wanted a salon in their house someday. I remember thinking-- "hmm... I don't. That's not for me." And obviously it wasn't for me for a while-- I worked in a salon for years. But while picking out our house, it just happened to work out. We picked a floor plan that had a den in the front-- and since Dave worked for the builder at the time-- we talked them into putting plumbing in the den.

So then it began-- me having a salon in my house. There have been times of ingratitude for it. Times when people didn't understand that it was my 'job' and not just something that they stop over for. Times when I felt like it was too much to be a mom all day and hairstylist all night. And other times-- it's been a huge blessing. I work after my kids are in bed, so most of the time they don't even know that I am doing hair. How awesome is that- I can work in the salon, while my kids are upstairs sleeping. When Dave got laid off before I had Hendrix and now when we are trying to save for our move, it is so nice that I make a little extra money. I'm thankful that I can do hair.

Toy Guitars

2011-11-18T08:26:00.001-07:00

My mom had sent me this baby guitar toy when I was pregnant with Veda. It has been Hendrix's favorite toy lately. He plays with it all day-- usually while dancing around and pretending to use one of Dave's guitar pics.

Today I'm thankful that my kids have toys to keep them busy and happy.

Have a ROCKIN' weekend!

baby tights

2011-11-17T06:44:00.001-07:00

In the summer- Veda lived in leggings. I don't like to put jeans on my babies until they get a little older--- so leggings were the next cutest thing! But now that it's winter weather, my favorite thing to put on little Veda is tights. Is there anything cuter than baby tights?! I think not. They keep her little feet covered (since she's good at getting her socks off) and look cute at the same time. I'm thankful for baby tights and the little legs to put in them.

Happy Snappy

2011-11-16T07:45:00.001-07:00

Today I am thankful for happy kids.

This morning we were playing in Quinn's closet (She has a large closet). Hendrix was sitting on my lap and I was burying us in tons of stuffed animals. He shouts: "This is so FUN and GREAT!"

Yesterday I went to Costco with Hendrix and Veda. Neither one cried or fussed or did anything embarrassing. Shopping with two or three kids doesn't always go that awesome, but I'm glad that it doesn't usually go that bad either.

Quinn and Hendrix giggle all day long. Quinn has turned into quite the giggler-- and it seems that Hendrix is catching on. I love to hear them playing and laughing together.

Even little things, like picking out which pajamas to wear to bed, make Hendrix so excited.

And Veda.... all you have to do is kinda look at her and she busts out in a smile.

friends

2011-11-15T07:39:00.001-07:00

Last night I was doing someone's hair and we were talking about friendships. Making and keeping close friends while we have young kids at home, how important friends are to have a good quality of life, etc. Then after I finished working, Dave was skypeing his best friend Paul. Dave has two best friends ever-- Paul and Clint. It makes me a little jealous-- because I don't have as good of friends as Dave does. They've been friends for years and see each other and talk often and about everything. I have had some great friends in my life too-- but also my fair share of friends who haven't been really good friends or very nice to me. Then-- this morning my mom brought up that she has been having a difficult time with a girl who has been one of her really close friends, but not at all lately. All these things happening in the last 12 hours made me think-- wow. Friends are important.

These guys-- since they are Dave's best friends, are really like my best friends too. :)

And these ladies-- definitely my best friends. I'm thankful for the other friends in my life who have been a constant support to me. Friends make life so much better! I'm thankful for friends.

ode to Krystal

2011-11-14T11:32:00.001-07:00

so. I have this sister-in-law.

whose name is krystal.

who asked for a blog post for her birthday.

So here's some awesome things about Krystal:

she's fun to go to parties with.

She's fun to do crafts with.

She's a good sport about being in pictures

She does all the work when we go for walks.

My kids love her to pieces.

She's grossed out by kids eating cupcakes.

She's a phone model (just on the weekends).

She's good huh? You all want an iPhone now.

(because of how cool she looks, not because how cool iPhones are)

Love you Krystal. Hope you have a wonderful Birthday. Wish you were here so I would have an excuse to eat some cake.

Hendrix

2011-11-13T19:23:00.001-07:00

This little boy is cute.

He makes me laugh every day.

He loves me a lot.

He tells good jokes.

He often tells me I'm cute.

He loves treats. (and cheese).

I'm thankful for Hendrix.

sewing

2011-11-13T12:17:00.001-07:00

I just asked Dave what I should be thankful for today. He said: chocolate. He's right-- I'm thankful for chocolate. But I have the flu, so today I'm not really feeling like chocolate.

I made Veda some more velcro wrap blankets. It's been really hard to find time to sew lately. Veda just doesn't cooperate. So the few minutes I have found lately while she's sleeping, reminds me how therapeutic sewing is for me. I love my sewing machine (until I see someone else's nicer one with tons of stitches and is all electronic). And I love making things. I'm thankful for sewing.

Please Do Not Feed the Animals

2011-11-12T05:33:00.001-07:00

Quinn's favorite thing to do lately:

Netflix

2011-11-11T06:14:00.001-07:00

Dave and I love to watch movies together. Even though we don't always have the same taste in what we watch*. We watch a LOT of Netflix. Netflix instant is awesome. My kids don't get to watch a lot of TV (only if Veda is asleep), but when they do watch a show it's usually from Netflix. And Dave and I watch it on a nightly basis. Whether it's a guilty pleasure like Giuliana and Bill, or a documentary-- I'm Thankful for Netflix.

*Have you guys seen The Tree of Life? Dave and I both liked the movie (is it possible to dislike a movie with Brad Pitt in it?)-- but I didn't really care for the 25 minutes of the film without people-- like the space/volcano/dinosaur parts. But Dave loved those parts. Dave still kind of likes me-- even though I can't always appreciate his taste in movies 100%. But I still always watch everything with him and try to not fall asleep.

preschool

2011-11-10T08:30:00.002-07:00

Quinn LOVES preschool. She has the best teacher who is super sweet and awesome to my precious little girl. Quinn has always been really shy, and preschool has helped her a ton to come out of her shell. We chose to put her in a preschool that's with her cousin-- which means it's not in the little town that we live in. Which means I have to drive 20 minutes (okay- it takes 15 minutes, but I have to plan on 25 to get there just because of getting kids in the car, shoes on, and my need to not be even one minute late). And honestly-- it's a sacrifice for the other kids. Dave usually drops Quinn off on his way to the office, so I just have to pick her up. But-- if I don't run errands, then I have to WAKE VEDA UP from her nap to go get Quinn- super sad. Plus, I have to try really hard to keep Hendrix awake since he should already be down for his nap, then he has to sit in the car for 40 minutes-- which doesn't always promote wakefulness. Despite the sacrifices made on the other kid's sleep, I am so glad that Quinn has a fun preschool to go to. She learns all sorts of fun and cool things that I've never even thought to teach her. I'm thankful for preschool.

(the other night before Quinn started eating dinner she asked me to take a picture of her and her "healfy" food.) :)

wanna see my haircut?

2011-11-10T08:23:00.000-07:00

alright... so you want to see my crappy haircut? here it is. see how thinned the back/bottom is?

look at that big hole on the bottom line. barf.

this angle not so bad (and I should also add that this was the first day I even remotely liked the way my hair looked). Give me three months. maybe It'll be grown out enough that I'll like it :)

"Hey Hendrix, let's quick take a picture before Veda gets us!"

"Take your finger out of your mouth-- here she comes!"

"Crap!! She's getting me!"

"Oh no-- not my teeth!"

Target

2011-11-09T07:25:00.001-07:00

I'm having an especially hard time feeling grateful this morning. Which is the exact reason why I decided to do a post anyway. What a great exercise-- to count our blessings. Sometimes it's hard when I'm tired, and kids are grumpy, and life is stressing me out. But I know I have a lot to be thankful for.

What is it about Target? Maybe it's because it's FAR away from my house? I have to drive 25 minutes to get there... it's a pain. But once I'm there-- they have EVERYTHING. Clothes, diapers, jewelry, cute kids clothes, deodorant, toys, a dollar section, chocolate. Man. I could just live there. And spend $100. On the morning I know I'm going to go to Target-- I literally wake up happy. (too bad I'm not going today-- I might have woken up in a better mood) I'm crazy. I'll admit. But I'm thankful for Target.

Babies

2011-11-07T20:28:00.000-07:00

Babies are the best invention ever. They are soft and warm and snuggly and smell good. They are cute and sweet. There is nothing better in the entire world than a sleeping baby. Or a smiling baby. Or a giggling baby. Or a baby smiling at her big brother or sister. I love love love babies. I'm thankful that I've had three.

thankful for...

2011-11-07T06:48:00.000-07:00

I feel like I need to jump on this "Thankful For..." bandwagon. I've loved reading the little things people are thankful for every day this month. I'm obviously starting late-- and I also don't guarantee that I'll do it EVERY day. I post a lot, but I give no promises to every day. :)

As I've been thinking about this the last few days, I realized that the thing that I'm most thankful for in life is Dave. Not just because he funny and hot and plays the guitar- but because he's my whole life. I feel like I've been on an emotional roller coaster lately. Selling the house (and the house not selling as fast as we want). Moving-- and not knowing where. My life is in limbo. And I'm a planner. I like to know what I'm doing and what time I'm doing it at. So it's been hard for me to have all of this back and forth and ups and downs. But the constant-- is Dave. No matter what happens, or when it happens-- at least I know it's happening with Dave. And I love him. I am Thankful for Dave.

Bunny ears and baby drool

2011-11-06T14:08:00.001-07:00

not sure why she's sad. but pretty funny.

Look at hendrix's face. He's not so happy about Veda's new skill of standing up. His stuff is now in danger of baby drool.

8 months old!!

2011-11-03T09:56:00.000-06:00

My baby girl is eight months old!!!!

Here's what she's up to:
*eats cheerios, puffs, freeze dried fruit
*Still some mushed up food-- but would rather the finger food that she can do herself
*waving (it's the cutest)
*sleeping through the night most nights. 6:30pm - 5 or 6 am
*crawls FAST
*stands up on everything. Even just on the wall. And attempts to let go-- more often than I would like.
*says "mama" and "dada"
*6-12 month size clothes (just in case you want to send her something) :)
*cutest little face/dimple/smile
*super happy and sweet baby. When she gets grumpy she just wants to be held. And boy... it's super hard to have to hold this sweet squishy baby. It's like she has to twist my arm :)
*two bottom teeth-- but she's working on some more.

Happy 8 months my sweet girl. You have made our family complete.

(and my hair's okay. I liked it more last night after I left the salon than I do today after styling it myself-- which is usually opposite of what happens to me. Maybe tomorrow I'll like it more. It's shorter in front-- but I'm growing it out a little. When I met the stylist and told her how I was feeling about my hair she gave me a couple of suggestions. The first was a pixie cut. hahahahaha... and the other was to leave most of it how it is, but expose my right ear. hahahaha.... what in the world? How cool does she think I am?! I'll take a picture, but maybe not today since I don't like it. It's just a square bob-- but the back is thinned out maybe too much-- which is why I don't like it. It makes the back of my head look flat. But thanks for all of you being so sweet about my hair woes) :)

hair and teeth

2011-11-02T12:59:00.001-06:00

so today's the day!! i'm getting my hair cut tonight. i still don't know what i'm going to do. but either way-- it's gotta look better than this:

and want to know a way to not eat all your kid's Halloween candy? Schedule yourself to get a whole bunch of dental work the day after Halloween. it works like a charm.

Trick or Treating

2011-11-01T07:41:00.001-06:00

For some reason Hendrix did NOT want to dress up. We finally got him to wear his boots and vest (and handed him his hat as he walked out the door). Silly kid. He would have looked even cuter if he had worn his whole outfit.

Dave had the pleasure of taking the kids trick or treating last night. I stayed home and put Veda to bed and handed out candy. After going to a few houses, Hendrix runs down a driveway and shouts: "I got SO MANY TREATS!!!" Sarah and Dave tried to recreate it for the camera. I'm sad I was at home and not there experiencing his excitement. Good thing for videos :)

the sweet little cat

All the cousins (and an extra neighbor- Spiderman... whose name is Quinn believe it or not)

SO MANY TREATS!!! :)

Two funny things that the kids said:
Last night on the way home from Chris and Sarah's house it was DARK. My kids are usually in bed before it gets too dark-- and Hendrix says to Dave: "Who turned out the lights??...... JESUS?!!"

The kids woke up at 6 am asking for candy. I told them that they couldn't have any candy until 8 am. (I know... I'm nice.) I showed Quinn on a clock where each of the hands had to be for it to be 8 o'clock. She was satisfied, but a few minutes later says: "Mom, this is gonna take FOREVA!! One of the hands isn't even moving!"

my hair?

2011-10-31T07:13:00.000-06:00

I seriously can't decide. I'm getting my haircut on wednesday. Do I cut it short or keep growing it? Help me decide.

I know this picture it dark-- and I'm pregnant, so not the best picture of me. But it was my hair at a really short stage, and I think I would do that again if I went for it.

And the other extreme. If I grow it out, I'm not going to grow it THIS long again. But after looking through pictures, I must say that I'm leaning towards longer. But that changes every day. decisions, decisions...

So if you have an opinion, please share. :)

Veda

2011-10-30T20:04:00.001-06:00

I love that little twinkle in this munchkin's eyes.

She is sure fun right now.

Standing up ALL the time.

Even one handed.

Growing some teeth... I think three right now.

She's got a drool rash on her chin to prove it.

Although she barely drools.

It's awesome.

Is looking pretty cute with a little pony tail.

Grow hair, grow!!

Happy Halloween

Quinn

2011-10-28T20:20:00.000-06:00

Quinn is growing up before my eyes.

I feel pretty lucky to be her mom.

I don't think I could ask for a sweeter little girl.

funny story: the other day the four of us were playing in the bonus room. Veda is getting pretty mobile-- and can get to stuff she wants if it's within reach. So we're playing and I hear Quinn yelling "Fetch! Fetch Veda!" And throwing stuff. She was trying to get Veda to fetch stuff so she would leave what Quinn was playing with alone. Nice... trying to play fetch with her baby sister.

Veda and Quinn and the "3" shirt

2011-10-28T11:59:00.000-06:00

Veda: 7 7/8 months old

Quinn: 3 years old

haha.... I loved putting this on Veda this morning-- knowing that I had made it for Quinn for her THIRD birthday. In Veda's defense-- it's a 12 month shirt!!!! :)

Halloween Party

2011-10-27T13:10:00.001-06:00

We had a little Halloween party with chris and Sarah's family on Sunday. Here were are with our home made root beer... I mean magic potion :)

And spider cupcakes.

Krystal and I with our finished piñata. Don't laugh... it was my first one.

It worked great-- that's all that matters, right? :)

Growing up we always had a fun Halloween family home evening-- including some of these things-- like root beer and making spiders. I have fond memories of doing those things as a family. I hope I'm creating the same fun memories with my kids.
My friend, Katie Louise would come over and join us sometimes for the festivities. And speaking of Katie-- she's in a writing contest. so VOTE for her-- would you? It only takes a sec.

snapshot in words 2011

2011-10-26T13:49:00.002-06:00

My friend Lindsey did a post about this a while ago and it inspired me to do the same thing. The things that I really want to remember aren't always things that are caught on camera (even though I feel like I catch a lot on camera). I want to remember the day to day things that make this time in my life so great (and also not-so-great). So many times during my day, I find myself thinking "I'm so lucky," or "man, I sure love my kids," or "what in the world was I thinking having all my kids 2 years apart?!" So here's my attempt to record some things from our life that I hope and pray that I can remember someday.

Hendrix says the letter "S" with his tongue between his teeth. I'm sure he'll grow out of it, but it's the cutest thing ever. He will also pretty much say anything you tell him to say. Like "Hendrix, say: mommy you are the best and prettiest thing ever." And he will. I by no means take advantage :)

Quinn can't say her R's. Sometimes she gets really lazy and they sound like W's-- but usually if I remind her to say them correctly, she'll try a little harder. But they are by no means R's like you and me say them. Like mother, like daughter. I was "Ambew" until 2nd grade.

It takes two of us to put our kids to bed. I don't know how mom's do it by themselves. I usually nurses and put Veda to bed between 6 and 6:30. And Dave entertains the other kids while I'm in Veda's room. What would I do if Dave wasn't around? There is no way I would get to have that quiet alone time with Veda-- it's the only real alone time we get. For the last week she's been sleeping through the night-- but has been up for the day at 5 am. So I guess we get a little more alone time between 5 and 6 when the other two wake up, but I'm usually trying to hurry and shower while Veda plays in the walker in my bathroom.

I make home made pizza and tacos for dinner every week. I need to branch out more. But both of those are easy and fast and healthy and my kids eat them. We always have fruit with dinner-- but not always a side of veggies (but since we don't eat a lot of meat, vegetables are usually in the main dish).

Hendrix has zero inhibition when it comes to singing. It'll be a sad day when he realizes that he shouldn't be belting out songs while waiting in line at Costco. He also loves to sing as loud as possible OVER Quinn. If we are in the car and she starts singing, he starts singing too and LOUDER. (Quinn doesn't really like that).

I've gotten good at throwing things to my kids while driving. (or at a stop light usually). Quinn and Hendrix are in the back row of the Durango-- and I can't reach them. So I toss them things-- like their sippy cups, snacks, books, etc. (The sippy cups are the most dangerous.... I will not admit if I've bonked them in the head).

Every single time I rock Veda before her nap I sing her THIS song.

Dave spends the minute he gets home from work until the kids go to bed WITH the kids. He plays with them, tickles them, teases them mercilessly, has dance parties, gives them a bath (I usually bathe Veda quickly, then get her out and Dave finishes the other two), supervises bean bag jumping, and reads bed time books with them. They adore him-- and nothing makes me happier. I've even teared up a couple of times lately because I'll go and get Veda out of her crib and she'll reach for Dave and hug him. It's the best.

Quinn has been doing well in preschool. She still struggles with wanting to participate with church/primary-- but we're getting there. Hendrix on the other hand-- did not acquire Quinn's timidness. He LOVES nursery and loves to play with other kids or at someone else's house.

I've been doing a lot more hair lately. Still not as much as I was doing pre-Veda. But a few nights a week. Dave usually spends evenings running/working out-- or catching up on stuff for work. And If I'm not doing hair, we watch Netflix together. I don't usually sew or craft in the evenings, because we spend the time together. We are very exciting :)

hm... I'm sure I'm forgetting a lot. But here's a start.

Candy corn and Kitty

2011-10-24T06:50:00.000-06:00

Every October my next neighbor throws this big Halloween carnival for all the kids. So the kids had a chance to wear their costumes on Saturday. Here are the girls.

Me and the candy corn

And the kitty

hehe....

Look at that face!!!! So cute

And.... Hendrix refused to dress up. My silly boy who usually LOVES to wear silly outfits, hats, Dave's shoes, etc., would NOT let us put on his costume. But he still won during the cake-walk. Even without dressing up :)

the weekend

2011-10-24T06:26:00.004-06:00

just some random pictures from the weekend with Krystal.

Here's Krystal wiping up some paste for our piñata

me and veda

krystal and quinn making the piñata

krystal told me to pose. so i did.

walking to the park. i love having a child old enough to actually push a stroller.

Quinn throwing leaves

Veda being cute

trying out some leaves

me and veda

the kiddos at the park. how many colors can i put on hendrix in one day? blue converse and red pants set me up for success :)

veda being sweet at the park

the kids during an exciting game of hide-and-seek at the park with me and krystal.

The Sunshine Pillow

2011-10-22T07:13:00.001-06:00

I made Quinn this shag pillow. I made it with a butter yellow fleece to match her room.

(I just cut a whole bunch of 4x1.5 inch strips and sewed them in lines on the pillow about an inch apart. I probably could have spaced out my rows a little more-- the fleece is so puffy that it's quite dense. I'm not unhappy with the results-- but I'll probably space out my rows more if I do fleece again.)

I started this while my mom was here. My mom is making one too-- but with a plain white knit. Also very very cute. But now Hendrix wants one.... and I'm sure Veda too. I better get to work.

Happy Fall

2011-10-22T06:53:00.002-06:00

Happy Fall weekend everyone!! Krystal is in town-- so we've been partying it up. Playing at the park... making a piñata and even went on a date last night!!

Our first attempt at a piñata. I'm sure there will be more pictures after it's done. :)

And look-- someone around to take a picture of me that's not a self-portrait! :)

Hair and standing

2011-10-20T20:10:00.000-06:00

look how long his hair is getting!!!

And this is what Veda does all day long. She loves to stand up at anything that's the right height. Today she even stood up at the couch.

Movie party

2011-10-20T20:03:00.002-06:00

What do you do on a rainy Sunday afternoon?

You have a movie party!

You get your kids, make some carmel corn, and pull all the pillows/beanbags from the house into one room, and watch a movie on your laptop. It makes four year old's pretty happy.

And don't forget your dimpled-cheek baby girl

This picture makes me laugh... It looks like hendrix has three arms!!! Magic. And his little crossed legs. :)

Found my camera. Actually Hendrix found it. In the bottom of his car toy box. Hmm.... I wonder who put it in there?

Veda's first haircut!!

2011-10-19T14:07:00.000-06:00

I haven't found my camera... these are from my iPhone. Quinn started erasing this picture off the Magna-Doodle, but I stopped her before she got too far. The "H" from Hendrix is gone, and so is "Ve" from Veda-- but you can get the idea. It's all of us and our names. And She even drew me holding Veda. Four year olds are awesome.

Veda modeling her darling face/smile/and new shirt

And Vede's first haircut. I gave her a pretzel to gnaw on to keep her distracted. She LOVED it... but kinda hated the haircut. (and thanks to Quinn for snapping some pictures for me on my phone)

See... once the pretzel was gone she wanted outta there.

You can't really see what I did to her hair. She had 20 newborn hairs on the top of her head that were 4 inches longer than the rest of her hair. I cut those.

I gave her one more pretzel... she ate it with enthusiasm.

And this one was a good shot of her tooth.... I love her little teeth.

camera

2011-10-19T08:28:00.001-06:00

My camera is lost. What could be worse? I've searched everywhere. I've gotta find it. It's kinda like my third arm.

And on a 'positive' note. I only need three fillings done. It could be worse right? And they are all existing fillings... that just need to be redone.

Cross your fingers that I find my camera. My posts aren't nearly as awesome without a picture. And my kids are growing up before my eyes. You probably won't even recognize them by the time I find my camera. :)

stressed out

2011-10-17T11:52:00.000-06:00

I'm stressed out. Want to hear me vent? If you just said "No," I'm very sorry.

I have to find a new hairstylist. What a silly thing to stress me out... I know. My beloved hairstylist that I've had cut my hair for years is having a baby, yay!!! So I received a recommendation of someone new from someone I really trust. But that new stylist can't take me.... And I'm sorry... but the world is full of stylists who don't really know what they are doing. And my grown out hair looks like crap. What I need is a Megan or Lindsay around... or a flight to LA to have Shugi do it. And since none of those are real options, I feel out of luck.

I have to go to the dentist tomorrow. I got a cavity filled six months ago that still bugs me. Ugh. I've put up with it for six months, but tomorrow is my normal cleaning/exam. And the last three times I've gone to the dentist I've needed at least one crown done-- if not two or three. And I don't have dental insurance. So I'm a little worried about going and finding out that I need something major done. boo.

No one has even walked through our house for 2 weeks. So those of you who are praying that we won't sell our house-- stop.

My mom is gone and not coming back for six months.

I have to clean my bathroom and mop my kitchen floor today.

Okay... there's my vent. Maybe I just need some ice cream...

leaf art

2011-10-15T10:34:00.002-06:00

we did some leaf crafts before my mom went home.

look at Quinn's cute person in her picture... it's me :)

Hendrix loving Grandma

And giving her a wink

my mom and her CRAZY picture...

And for the two of you who guessed that Veda is going to be a spider for Halloween... you were WAY off :)

halloween costumes

2011-10-14T15:18:00.001-06:00

I've been working on Halloween costumes. I just know that HAlloween is going to get here before I know it, so I thought I'd better finish them. Here are Hendrix's trick or treat bag and bandana.

"Howdy"

Veda's costume!! I'll give you three guesses what's she's going to be for Halloween. And make them count, people... I'm really only giving you three guesses.

not a costume. just a shirt I did a stencil on for Veda.

I bet you're all thinking "Well, what about Quinn?"

YES-- she's dressing up too. As a cat. Super easy. I might still make her a trick or treat bag-- or alter a bucket that we have to make it match her costume. Nothing has hit me yet, so I haven't done it.

two teeth

2011-10-13T21:59:00.000-06:00

This sweet,

darling,

fuzzy haired baby

has TWO teeth.

congrats my little darth veda.

mom's gone

2011-10-13T13:10:00.002-06:00

my mom left this morning. So sad. But we had a great time together. (And no recent pics since Daver has 'my' laptop today :))

Mom-- Thanks for coming. I love you!

Thanks for spending quality time with all of us.

Thanks for going shopping with me and buying me new clothes.

Thanks for cleaning my kitchen all day, every day.

Thanks for realizing how awesome my kids are and loving them so much.

We miss you already.

Now I'm back to the grind. Folding my own laundry, making all the meals again, and buying my own groceries.

first pony tail and cookies

2011-10-11T14:22:00.001-06:00

Veda wore her first hair tie/hair clip on Sunday. so I had to take lots of pictures to document the occasion. It's still a little soon for a pony tail-- but one of these days she's going to get some more hair :)

see look-- a cute tiny little pony tail. With the rest sticking straight up.

My sister sent me a cute set of cookie cutters for Amberfest. You can make all different pumpkin faces. Quinn and my mom had lots of fun cutting them out.

And Hendrix had fun cutting some out too-- and decorating. He surprises me with how good he does with stuff like that.

And just a funny picture of Hendrix. Sorry to spoil the surprise, but he's going to be a cowboy for Halloween. He kinda likes his hat. And see the tongs on the blanket? He LOVES those too. (He even takes a nap with them occasionally). And he's doing 'thumbs down' --- with his pointer fingers.

Linder Farms

2011-10-11T14:10:00.002-06:00

Man, I've had quite the lack of posting. But I have a good excuse :)

I sure love this picture of Veda snuggling grandma. She's the sweetest baby ever.

We went to Linder Farms last Saturday. Here's the family-- squinting into the sunlight.

Grandma and Quinn. Quinn has been in heaven-- a roommate, plus someone who will play with her 13 hours a day.

me and my mom. It's crazy how much we look alike.

Hendrix riding a tractor.

And looking up close at a sheep.

Me and Veda. Look at those blue eyes!!

On the hayride (in the wind)

my mom's here!

2011-10-08T08:14:00.001-06:00

My mom's here!! We've been having lots of fun. Too much fun to take pictures I guess... And out of the few I've taken, only these two turned out.

My birthday was awesome.

We had cheese fondue for dinner

I went to dessert with a great friend

My mom got here

We made delicious caramel brownie sundaes (instead of cake---when we celebrated with my mom)

My mom and I had a night out shopping

My mom and I had our traditional dinner at cheesecake factory

Dave and I get to go on another date

Plus-- we've got five more days of hanging out with my mom!

The kids are having fun too:

Birthday and Crafts

2011-10-05T15:10:00.000-06:00

isn't dave the best? nothing says "i love you" like my kid's pictures and potty humor :)

but seriously-- he's the best, sweetest husband ever for making me feel so special and loved.

And i've been busy making stuff and being with my kids-- so here's some pictures of both:

a video. more of veda nodding. because it's just too cute. (and yes, I was making her mad. I've asked her a LOT today if it's my birthday. And she always nods yes...) :)

I made veda a swaddle blanket patterned after this one (the velcro kind):

Yes-- I still swaddle her. but just from her chest down so her arms are out. It keeps her all nice and warm and snuggly. Plus it's a sleep cue for her.

Hendrix thought it was for him. (Even after showing him that he didn't really fit in it). I didn't get a picture of Veda in it, because after I took this off Hendrix- he took off with it and threw it into his room. But it fits her great-- even though I just winged it while sewing it. I need to get some girly fleece and make her more :)

Last night I hung out with some friends and made this candy corn banner.

Why didn't i just hang it up? ...

Because my birthday stuff is up!! :)

We also made these wreaths. The picture doesn't do it justice.... it's pretty cute.

And this little doll. Gosh I love her. It's amazing that she lets me kiss her 1,000,000,000 times a day. Literally... that many times. She's at such a fun age. And see that hair sticking up?! There is nothing I can do about it. I even try and paste it down with baby mousse. It just sticks right back up. Good thing her face is super adorable. And her little dimple. And blue eyes. She's just the best :)

And THANK YOU for all your sweet birthday wishes. I've had the best week ever. EVERYONE should have a Julie. (my sister). She is the most thoughtful, creative gift giver ever-- and she sends me a huge Amberfest package every year. I don't deserve her :) and NEXT birthday-- we will be living in the same place, it doesn't get any more awesome than that. And oh-- my mom comes tonight!!!!! woo hoo!!! Life is good.

HAPPY AMBERFEST!

2011-10-05T01:21:00.001-06:00

Yup, today is the culmination of AmberFest 2011. On this day, 28 years ago, our dear Amber was born. A glorious birth. In a shed. In the woods. During a snowstorm. Well, not really that last stuff, but up to the glorious birth part is absolutely the truth.

I'm well aware that my lolkellz™ had some hits and some misses. and as i fail to pull through with the Lexus-in-the-driveway-like-in-the-commercial-that-always-makes-you-cry gift for another year, i mostly wanted to remind you of the 3 best presents i've given you. namely:

...there may also be some chocolate and some other stuff involved.Now for some graphic BDA (blog'y display of affection):

Am, we love you. Seriously, like, way a lot. You are the best wife/mom ever. And we really did a statistical analysis using a random sample of subjects with a median child/mother ratio that included a substrate of ...

I love you because:
1) you make me laugh. mostly when you try to dance.
2) you sit through most crazy indie movies that only I want to watch (and are usually long/boring).
3) you love and nurture our kids with everything you have.
4) you are smoking hot (and i get to see you in a swimming suit sometimes).
5) because you consistently smell nice.
6) i can't imagine life without you.

Quinn, Hendrix and Veda love you because:
1) you provide fruit snacks.
2) you are a rock to them.
3) you know how to turn on their movies.
4) you eat a lot of candy, which in turns means there are always treats (and candy-flavored milk for Vaydz)
5) you know just how to hug the best after owies.
6) you teach them love by showing them.

So now, everyone who reads this blog, let's hook this wonderful lady up with some birthday comment love on here (or on the Facebooks) eh? And with that, I'm leaving you with a whole buttload slash grand finale of lolkellz™:

Day 5.

2011-10-04T00:31:00.001-06:00

bean bag

2011-10-03T20:09:00.001-06:00

I know that Dave is hilarious and all, but I thought I would post too. And don't even try and tell me that you didn't laugh out loud while reading Day 3.

Thanks for all the sweet Amberfest wishes. I'm having a great week. Even my kids are loving this Amberfest stuff. They get to help me open presents every day and they know which bowl has 'Amberfest treats' in them. (Even though I change the bowl every day to throw them off...) :)

The very best thing I have ever made for my kids EVER is this bean bag. If you don't remember, I made both the kids bean bags for their last birthdays. Here is when Quinn got hers.

I made it around the time that THIS pattern came out. I saw it and knew my kids would love it. I debated for days whether or not I should buy the pattern. I didn't. I still maybe regret it? Only because the cover on Quinn's is coming apart a little-- even though I did french seams. I might still buy the pattern someday just to make a new cover for Quinn's. We'll see.

But my kids play on this thing for a long time-- every single day. They not only enjoy jumping on it and being thrown on it-- but we read books on it every day (and every night at bedtime). And it happens to match Quinn's big girl room perfectly-- even though I didn't plan it at all.

Veda likes it too- -it's the perfect height for her to pull herself up on.

So everyone should have a bean bag-- it's seriously the best toy ever. And oh-- if you make one-- I filled Quinn's with half poly-fill, and half memory foam (cut up into chunks). Hendrix's bean bag doesn't have memory foam in it, and doesn't seem quite as squishy.

And this picture cracks me up. I told Quinn to point to her pumpkin. And she pulled the thumb point. Priceless. She went to the pumpkin patch for preschool last week and got a pumpkin. (And Aunt Julie sent pumpkin decorating stickers in my Amberfest package)

This is quinn's hiding spot. She uses it every day yet she still thinks she's being sneaky? Every other time we go up the stairs together, she runs ahead and hides by the bookcase. And just giggles since she 'tricked' me. She's been hiding there for at least a year and a half. I love kids.

Day 4.

2011-10-03T00:42:00.001-06:00

Day 3.

2011-10-02T11:14:00.001-06:00

nodding

2011-10-02T07:25:00.001-06:00

she fails to prove it in the video-- but you can tell by the look in her eye that she really can say 'mama.'

Day 2.

2011-10-01T00:54:00.004-06:00

AmberFest 2011 Begins

2011-09-30T01:25:00.012-06:00

Yes folks, it's that time of year again. And by that, I'm talking about when all the stores dedicate large isles to selling huge bags of Halloween candy. My favorite. Oh and by the way, this is Dave, not Amber. But either way, that first sentence pretty much would have been the same.

Also, it's AmberFest! Yay! Isn't it about time our favorite, most hard-working, under-appreciated, smoking-hot wife/mommy gets a little extra special something, which may or may not include at least two large bags of that delicious processed-sugar Halloween candy (it does).

So this year, having been inspired by lolcats (if you don't know what that is, then we welcome you to the internets. glad you could join us. feel free to poke around a bit. but hey, not too much. these bloggy things can literally loose hours of your life, where you have no recollection what happened, how you got that toast or where the kids are - or so i've heard). so where was i.. ah yes, the lolcats. So, in honor of Amberfest this year, I've decided to do something I'd like to call lolkellz™. er, maybe lolberfest™. hrm, this naming thing is proving to be tougher than i originally thought... anyway, the idea is that i'll come up with and post a few fam pictures with lolwords™ on the top every day. (queue nacho libre voice): it is for fun.

a few may give you a small chuckle, a chortle or if we get lucky, a milk-outcher-nose-er™. but, let's face it folks, most probably won't even be funny. and i'm not promising anything. nothing. at all. is. promised. to. you. people.

most of these will be done too late at night (like now) so they'll probably only be funny to those of us who hit the giggle hour after having hyped-up on some of that, what do you call it.. ah yes, sugar-candy.

so, here goes. do feel free to look away now - you've had your fair warning:

yeah, just an ok start i know. but i'm just getting warmed up erybody. i should probably stretch more before i start..

But Happy AmberFest mommy! We seriously love you. Like, Meelions.

ps. just so you know, occasionally i use capitals, but usually not. cause seriously who are these capital letters to be all walking around telling us what to do, wearing suits and everything. anyway, i just wanted to point out that i'm typically over-sensitive about punctuation and grammar, but in this forum i'm going for the opposite. just cause. so there. high five bros.

Amberfest memories

2011-09-28T13:43:00.001-06:00

Want to take a trip down memory lane??

Since Amberfest starts tomorrow, I thought I would reminisce. Feel free to join me at looking at all the Amberfest celebrations since this blog started. Or if you're busy, just look at a couple.
Amberfest 2006 (wow!! I was so young!! And little Quinn was still in my belly)
Amberbest 2007
Amberfest 2008

(There are posts every day this year-- by Dave, here are just a few)
2009 part 1
part 2
part 6
Best part of Amfest 2009 (feel free to cry when you watch this. Dave's the best)

Amberfest 2010 (I remember REALLY wanting to find out if Veda was a girl or a boy on my birthday last year... funny to remember that)

And yes-- my mom is usually here on or around my birthday. How lucky am I?!! I have a pretty great mom. She was supposed to get here today, but had to change her flight to Friday-- but then found out that my brother was going to be home next week. So she moved her flight again. So she'll be here on my birthday... and we'll celebrate after she gets here. With LOTS AND LOTS OF CAKE!!!! :)

(spell-check keeps telling me that "Amberfest" is NOT a word. huh?)

All about Quinn

2011-09-27T19:50:00.000-06:00

I'm sure that you all think that I do this blog for your enjoyment, and for my mom (obviously not for comments... haha...) but it's also a record for me. I thought I'd do a little update on Quinn.

She is an excellent big sister. She LOVES Veda. She is good at holding her and helping me with her. It's awesome to have a helper. She watches her brother and sister like a hawk. Usually the main reason that fights between Quinn and Hendrix occur is because she is trying to make sure he isn't doing something that he shouldn't. Which he, of course, plans on following through with whatever he shouldn't be doing-- which ends up with them fighting. But Quinn means well, and is just trying to watch out for everybody.

She loves to color, cut, glue, make necklaces, or paint. She loves to do Elmer's glue-- but the minute she gets any on her hands, she spends the rest of the time peeling it off her fingers. Keeps her busy for a long time.

Her favorite movie right now is Tangled. Which if you know Quinn-- is a big deal. She doesn't do 'bad guys.' She still has me fast forward through the 'scary' parts, but sometimes she will tell me not to, and tell me that she's not scared. For most of her life she has stuck to PBS shows or Bee Movie which doesn't have a villain in it. She is extremely sensitive to scary things. Not that I want her to be used to being scared, but hopefully this is a step in the right direction of her not freaking out if anything is remotely scary.

She is still REALLY shy. Even with people that we've known for a long time-- she gets really shy and quiet and won't even say 'hi' to them.

She is definitely a girl. She has an emotional side that is unmistakable. She has mood swings and will change her mind about something for no good reason at all. This past Saturday I was going to take her on a mommy-daughter date. Even though we had been talking about it for a couple of days and she was excited, on Saturday morning she decided that she didn't want to go. And that was it-- there was no talking her into it. She had even said "Just take Hendrix instead."

She has good imaginary play-- she'll get a collection of 'things' to play with, but it will be totally random: a small stuffed animal, a mini plastic dog, a car or two and a hairbrush that talks. But she'll play contentedly for a while-- and doesn't want me to interrupt or play with her. Other times-- she wants to pretend WITH me, but tells me what/who I am, what my name is, and what my person/animal is saying and doing.

We got this little 'grass head' in Portland. I wanted to take a picture of it with her while it grew (to do a cute blog post, of course). but she would have nothing to do with it. I only took 5 or 6 pictures, but all of them were like this:

or this:

I know that I have damaged her because of all the pictures I've taken of her throughout her life. It can be really hard to get her to cooperate in a picture.

Quinn is an awesome little girl. We love her a lot. I'm so excited for all the years to come of having a little buddy. She loves to shop and craft and loves birthdays -- we couldn't have more in common :)

And yes-- it was sweet of a couple of you to remember that Amber-fest is starting...