Juliet!

Some cute pictures of what we call "Hippo teeth"! I love when she smiles and has big hippo teeth! Here is her sweet smile!
Now she is done! I took these pictures in about a 30 second time span!
Bathed and ready for bed with one of her best buddies! (He makes her laugh the most) Dash had to have this picture cause they got matching (boy) jammies. Clearance at Target 1.80 a pair! They are his favorite to wear cause he matches his sister.

My friend Anna

So I don't have a ton of friends out here in L.A. BUT this is my cute friend Anna! This is at our R.S. birthday dinner. She is in the Presidency with her mom (who I adore too, and all her sisters). We did boot camp together and we walk/run/walk the trails sometimes in the morning. She is ADORABLE and one of the FUNNIEST people I have met! I would love for her to marry into my family! Since I only have one brother that will have to be it!

Quote of the day

So I told Brandon that he needed to shower with Max and show him what he needed to do because I don't think the boy is getting clean enough on his own! He will be 7 next week and mommy can't shower him any more! SO this morning I hear B and Max as Max was showering and B was standing out and making sure it all got done to my standards.

Max: "Dad why are you just standing out there"
B: "I am making sure you get it all done and get really clean."
Aggravated Max: "Well stop standing there and watching me it's disturbing!"

Brandon left the bathroom and we had a good ol' laugh! How does he know that word and then how does he know how to use it? Brilliant stinky dirty little boy!

Quote of the day

Dash: "mom do you know what Swipers last name is?" Only half listening and doing other things I say "no Dash, what is it?"

Dash: "swiper JERK!" "Because he is a JERK mom!"
Mom: "Dash, (giggling a little because Jerk was REALLY emphasised) Swiper isn't always a jerk!"
Dash: "only in the Christmas one is he nice. He is a JERK"
Mom: "ok honey but lets not call people jerks cause it's just not that nice of a name."
Dash: "ok mom" under his breath "swiper JERK"

Happy Happy Birthday Nana Dear!

My mom's birthday was on Wednesday but our internet was down! She is the Best! She works, she sews, she has time for all of us and she loves freely! She is one of the nicest people you will ever meet with one of the kindest hearts! She never asks for much and always gives to her fullest! I don't know if she got much for her b-day but she never complained and was so happy for what she did receive! What a great example! (We got her jammies....still on our counter, ready to be mailed....I suck at mailing things!) I always ask my family what is their favorite things about the birthday person. This is Nana's!

B: "I love her generosity and her cheerful disposition and her great example to my kids!"

Sue: "She is always there for me or for any of us. Just a phone call away. We would be lost without her. She is an amazing seamstress. She gives the best gifts and always knows what you want!"

Darby: "That she is OUR Grandma and we would DIE without her!"

Max: "When she comes to visit she always brings a candy for us or a coloring book or something!"

Dash: "She's nice and she snuggles with me!" (that was my favorite, cause he said "I snuggle you and Miss Anna too!")

Juliet: "She looks JUST like me and that means she's one FINE Nana!"

Callie the Cat: "Meow!"




Happy Birthday Nana! We love you!

papa papa paparazzi

I was just listening to Dash sing the song Paparazzi by Lady Gaga (his cousins were listening to it) and his version was "ozzy ozzy ozzy...o-zzy!" I love that he has NO idea!

Christmas Nativity!

Every year one of our favorite Christmas F.H.E.'s is to build our own nativity. I assign everyone 3 things that they have to bring back! Everyone rushes away to find the perfect fit! This year they had to tell us what part each person played in the nativity. I LOVE this tradition. The kids are so proud of what they build every year. It is the ugliest most beautiful Nativity we own! This year Max had Joseph and the shepherd. He told me that Joseph was Jesus' daddy. Correct answer but I wanted them to dig deeper! HE then surprised me and told me that the shepherds had to be worthy to see the star so they could follow it to find their savior! Darby had Mary and the wise men. She told me that the wise men brought gold, frankyscents and Muir. (hee hee) There is even some Muir in the manger with the baby Jesus! Dash had the baby Jesus and the donkey.

Cast: Batman = Joseph
Barbie = Mary
Lizard guy, Cop, Sailor little people = Wise men
General Grevious, misc star wars guy = shepherd
Neo pet = baby Jesus
Stegosaurus = Donkey
Cotton balls = hay for his bed
paper towells = snow?

MALO!

My cousin Malory came to visit with her friend Kim before Thanksgiving. They were sooo much fun. They came and went and I didn't have to entertain them! They included us and even baby sat so we could go to the temple and I could get a pedicure. I got to go out on the town with them one night. They are such good girls and I love them! I don't have a favorite cousin but if I did it would be Mal! I'm just sayin! Me and Mal!
Me, Kim and Mal! Oh to be young and go on trips with your friends again! (They both work for a dentist....hence the SUPER white teeth....I do not work for a dentist! :)

A girl after her mother's heart!

I tried to take it away! Look how happy it makes her! Her hair is all frazzled after a long day. How can you not sit back and enjoy a little Diet Coke in the company of some good friends?
She was eye ballin' me cause she knew I was coming for it!
She was NOT happy. I feel your pain baby! Trying so hard to give it up but Juliet is showing how I feel inside (and sometimes outside) while I try to give up this sweet nectar called Diet glorious coke!

Hangin' out with the fam!

After Juliet's party we all just hung out cause everyone was leaving the next day! Uncle Jamie and Aunt ELaine.One of the Bingo prizes this year was a pair of "boingy" glasses. Well, the eyes fell out of them so we all took time squishing them on our eyes. Scary! Aunt Elaine and Jayden!
Uncle Tim and Justin.
Darby.
Daddy!
Olivia and Jenny had nothing to do with it! We all had so much fun being together! I can't wait for a BIG family reunion when ALL of us can be there!

Juliet's 1st Birthday

We had Juliet's 1st birthday party the weekend of Thanksgiving because all of our family was up for the holiday. She loved getting her gifts. My other kids liked the paper. She wanted to play! Here she is making her "o" face. When ever she liked something she used to make this face and say "Oh Oh Oh Oh"!
She couldn't wait for B to get the paper off!
Her cake with her hand print!
She wasn't to sure at first. She definitely liked the gifts more than the cake. Maybe if she had a little diet coke to wash it down she would have enjoyed it more! :)

Santa Monica Pier

When my parents came out for Thanksgiving, one of the days they were here, we went to Santa Monica Pier. My dad hadn't been there for years and years (went with the military) and mom had never been. We accidentally parked in the wrong place and discovered a really fun part of the beach! This was at the end of the trip and Juliet had crashed. She LOVES her papa and has him suckered! All she had to do is fuss a little and he picks her up and carries her all around, in or outside! SOOOO tired. Can she ride in the stroller and sleep? NOOO. She had to sleep on papa!
Juliet loves to watch the waves. She didn't want to look away from them for me to take a picture but she turned her head at least. (her eyes would NOT look at me)
She was cracking up here.
There are all sorts of vendors and performers and stuff on the pier. Today there was a "bird guy". He had a couple birds and would let you hold them and take pictures with them while he told you all about them. They work on tips only so everyone gave him a dollar and this is what came out of it!
I DID NOT give him a dollar because I do not care for birds (on me that it) It was a surprise and I didn't move! You can see Brandon in the back watching like he knows I would never do that on purpose!
Darby was the first and the bravest.
Juliet didn't want anything to do with the bird!
Dash was ok til the bird started to climb him.
He loved cradling the bird like a little baby.
Max was super ready for his turn!
Then was super ready for his turn to be over!
This bird stayed on Darby for almost 10 minutes. The bird guy had 4 birds and a ton of people there. He said this was a really good bird so he didn't mind leaving it and walking around with the other birds. Poor Darby just stood there patiently til he came back for her. There was no way I was gonna take it from her!

Such a cute picture for us to put on Papa's Father's Day tie and Juliet turned away at the last minute! GRRRRR!
She is such a pistol. You can see on her face that she is with her Papa and she doesn't care what you say to her. Talk to the hand mommy!
This is a big ol pirate ship for the kids to play on. I think it used to be a fountain.
Here is a dragon that was part of the ship and the fountain. Darby was pretending to be consumed. What a ham!

Oh Christmas Tree Oh Christmas Tree

Another one of our family traditions is to put the tree up the day after Thanksgiving. My kids love getting their new ornaments from us and looking at all their old ones! I gave them each a theme! Darby is snowmen, Max is Santas, Dash is reindeer and Juliet is penguins. That way my tree is still cute and when they leave they will have really great and cute ornaments that they will want to use! (Even the boys wives won't be able to argue with that...no nfl or Teenage mutant ninja turtle ornaments....not that there is anything wrong with that!)

This is where my dad pretty much stayed the whole time they were here! He had a portable dvd and would plug it into one ear. That way he could still hear us if he HAD too...sort of! He would watch his series "The Unit" and crack peanuts! I loved it! The finished product! We almost need a bigger tree cause my mom buys my kids an ornament (in their theme) every year too so we are running out of room. Each one of my kids can tell you which ornament is their favorite and why. It is never the one I expect it to be!
Juliet was gettin out of the way of the boys and the flying limbs!
I thought when I got married I would always have a real tree! I have loved nothing more than watching them all help sort limbs and click them into place then spread the branches out with Brandon. We never have to worry about budgeting for a tree every year either. Light a pine scented candle and that's as real as it gets!