End of June- California Vacation

We have been planning this trip for a while now. We had 8 straight days of family fun. The Martineau's rented a beachhouse for all of us so we were so excited to stay in California for a week. Shaun and I did the "Give a Day, Get a Day" with Disney and got free tickets. So our little family was going to head to Cali a day early so we can go use our tickets. We were going to leave Thursday afternoon, and get to the hotel around 10:00pm. I had packed the day before and it was a good thing I did because that night Amelia woke up with the barfs. Her and I were up all night, poor dollie. We were freaking out wondering if we were going to be able to go as we planned. Well thanks to a fathers blessing and one trooper little girl she was feeling better by that afternoon and we decided to still go. No one else got sick and she did great.

Here is Millie resting during the day, while I got everything together and packed the car up.

Friday morning we got up and headed to D-Land. Ryker LOVES maps and knows the park like the back of his hand.

The kids saw these hats and really wanted one. I told them if we bought them, they had to promise to wear them all day.....and they did =) Don't you love how they never look at the camera.

While Daddy and Ryk went on Star Tours, Millie and I sat and waited. If you give Amelia a wet wipe, she will clean everything. So I sat and rested my big belly, while Amelia cleaned the windows, her stroller, the ground etc...

Ryker's FAVORITE ride....Buzz Lightyear

Millie's FAVORITE ride....Tea Cups (she loves Small World equally as much)

That night Nana and Pa joined us at Disneyland then the next day we were able to go the beachhouse. Saturday Nolan, Missy and Riley joined us.

The beach was across the street. It was so much fun. I love the smell and breeze of the beach. Shaun and Ryker built sandcastles.

That afternoon it got a little windy so Millie who is skin and bones was chillie. We snuggled and watched the boys.

Tuesday was Sea World. Nana with Ryker and his trust map again.

Rykers FAVORITE thing.....the SHARKS.

Nolan, Mis, Riley Bear, Ryk, Millie, Shaun, Nana.....Feeding flamingos

The kids loved touching the HUGE sting rays

Ok, not to impressed with the Shamu show.....2 thumbs down....but Shamu is pretty cute.

Wednesday beach day again. Millie was happier, it wasn't as windy.

Pa, Nana and Millie

Yes I was the official "beached whale" the whole time

Thursday we went to the San Diego Zoo

The kids liked the sky buckets the best

Enjoying a little ice cream

Silly Millie and Mom

Last day at the beach

We had such a fun time. I can't believe we didn't take any pictures of us at night but once the munchkins were in bed, we played card games. I guess we really liked Scum because we played that the last 4 night till 1 or 2 in the morning.

Also as we were driving home, Nana and Pas car started to stall on them. Their was no way it was getting them home so they had it towed to the nearest auto shop and of course it wouldn't be open till Tuesday. So they had to leave it behind, they put some luggage in our van and hopped in with Nolan and Missy. They will have to go back and get there car =( But things could have been worse right?

Thank you Martineaus and Palmers for the fun trip. I was sad to leave but look forward to the next time we go!!!

First few weeks of June

I think I just love sleeping pictures because kids will fall asleep so funny sometimes. Right before Shaun goes to bed we both go check on the kids.....I guess Ryker wanted to dream about being a cowboy.

Adelle left us for Colorado and to go hang out with Abe, Shannie and Briss. I don't know when she will be back but we miss her much.

The Wildlife Zoo brought some animals to the Library and we couldn't miss that. The snapping alligator-turtle was Ryker's favorite.

We went to the Tempe Town Lake Splash pad with some friends. The kids had a blast. We have swim lessons Mon-Thurs and we go swim after lunch at Nana and Pas but we still have to find stuff to do on Fridays and such.....I have way to busy of kids.

This last week I got to go to Girls Camp for the 3rd time with my ward. It was a great year. This is were I went for most of my Girls Camp years, so I LOVE remembering back to my days of camp. I will spare you all and I won't post any past pictures, you can thank me later Julie, Dionne, Tiffany, Rhona etc...... =)

The Boulder Creek Gang....We had 29 girls and 7 leaders. Our theme was Be Strong and of a Good Courage, which is the mutual theme this year as well.

Ward teaching time and this is the Addie I stayed in the past 2 years!!

Some of the AMAZING leaders. I'm bummed we are missing 2 of them in this picture.

Each of them are women I strive to be like someday!!!

I stayed in the Addie with the 1st years. This was our smallest group and they were so tiny and cute. The last night the YCLs scared them good with the Mona story on the bridge. I HATE ghost stories or getting scared so I sort of felt bad but after awhile we told them it was all fake.....or else I think they would have ended up in my bed =) The cute blue with white poka-dot backpacks are the ones I made for each of the girls, all 29 of them. They loved them, thank goodness. They took me a few weeks to make.

The best was our late night speed UNO game. Um I think we were the last of all the camp to go to sleep that night and the stake leaders heard us and had to come up and tell us to be quiet =) Such a great time and not any problems with the girls!!

Another Highland High Grad

My sweet baby sister graduated from Highland High School last week. It is so fun to go back to where I went to highschool as well and watch all my younger sibling grow up and start a new chapter in their life. I love my Wuggie, she is my lifesaver. I can always count on her to help me out with my kiddos. She is such a beautiful girl. Her diet consist of pop and sugar and yet she is the skinniest thing you have ever seen. Seriously she is missing organs or half of her intestines or something. I will never forget when she was born, she was the cutest baby ever with these huge puppy dog eyes. I remember her wearing this one little outfit that was red with black polka dots and she was our little ladybug. I wish you well Wuggie (also we have no idea where her nickname came from but, we have called her this for as long as I can remember)

We love you!!!!!!!

Ryker has loved Wugs from the day he was born. She was always his favorite.

We didn't bring Amelia for obvious reasons....but it was exactly 10 years ago May of 2000 that Shaun and I graduated here on this same football field. Man oh man, time flies!!!

Annual Girls Trip!! Well our husbands were kind enough to let us escape for 24 hours to go and relax and talk, talk, talk. Megann got ot come for the first time, she lives in Idaho so when she told us she was coming for a visit, we had to plan it so she could go. We MISSED Alissa, Heather, Linds and Rhona.

Thank you Nattie and her parents for letting us use the cabin =)

Out shopping at a few boutiques.

4 of the 8 of us are pregnant, Alissa due in Sept, Me due in Oct, Heather due in Dec and Nat due in Jan......so the annual May girls trip 2011 might have to be postponed due to baby madness but one of these times I hope to get all 8 for a fabulous trip somewhere. Love you girls and thanks for letting me talk a little politics with you =)

22 weeks and Preschool Graduation

Ok so 2 weeks ago I posted and said I was 21 weeks. I was a week off. I get my weeks mixed up all the time because really you are pregnant for 10 months but we go by 9...I'm always confused. So this saturday I will be 22 week, ummm am I a little freaked out that a have a little over 4 months left.......YES. This pregnancy is flying by and I like taking care of my babies in my belly and want him to stay their for awhile longer.

So if you read the picture, it says 22 weeks with baby Irkmel. Let me explain. About a month ago Ryker was asking what we were going to name the name. I told him we didn't know yet and probably wont till he is born. So Ryker got the Magna-doodle out and told me to write down the letters he says. So he would say 6 random letters then tell me to read it...after 5 or 6 tries he spelled out I, R, K, M, E, L... I read him the name and he says Yes that is it.....so ever since then we call baby boy, Irkmel. Hopefully Shaun and I come up with something because right now we have nothing, or we might have to go with Rykers choice =)

Ryker has been doing a few chores each day for awhile now and every Saturday we have a bigger list. This last Saturday he was getting done with his stuff so quickly so I was trying to come up with more things for him to do so I said ok clean the tub. This kid scrubbed the tub for like 20 mins. He cleaned it better than I do. Hopefully his future wife will thank me.

Ryker had his last day of preschool. This has truly been the best thing for him and me. He loved going each day and had some fun little friends that he always talked about.

Amelia and Ryker enjoying their snack at the graduation party.

He had a great teacher. The kids called her Teacher Julie.

We are so proud of all your progress Ryker-man.

Ryker's 5th Birthday!

My little man turned 5 last week and he has been so happy. He says he is faster now, quicker now, a better helper now...all because he is 5. The night before his birthday we went to Chuck E. Cheese with Nana and Pa and the Palmers. We took all the pictures with Pa's camera so I don't have any to show but we had a great time. Then on his real birthday, he had a few neighbor kids come over for an "Ocean Adventure" birthday. His cake looks lame but he wanted cookies instead, so I made sugar cookies, shaped as the #5.

We took our under water pictures.

Made this oh so cute whale craft

And went for a deep sea dive to find buried treasure.

Then when daddy got home we had homemade chicken nuggets, Rykers favorite. Then a big chocolate chip pazzokie for his cake, once again that is what he wanted. He loves cookies.

Ryker recieved so many fun gifts, but the one he was dying to get was the Gorilla Mountian playset.

I hope you had a great birthday Ryker. We love you so much!!!!

2 of my Favorite Peeps and my Ladybug

Ok I didn't think I would be emotional a week later doing this post but I'll blame the pregnancy on my tears. Last Monday I had to say good-bye to 2 of my FAVORITE people in the world and my cute little bug, Miss Briss. Abe (my big little brother) found a temp job in Colorado. They will stay there until Thanksgiving and then head up to Idaho where he will be going to school in Rexburg for 4 years. I know many families don't live by each other but it is going to be hard. I just love them and we are very close. Abe and I have always been the best of friends and Shantay is the best addition to the fam. Of course what can I say about my first niece, she is a doll and not being able to watch her grow during the first years of her life is one of the hardest parts. Abe and Shantay have been the BEST uncle and Aunt to my kids, they loved them as if they were their own....truley. My kids are wild and hard for some to love =) But I know this is what they need to be doing for their own little family. I guess I just need to find ways to make money so I can go visit them more often.

Shannie, Briss Briss and Abeos

The whole Fam-Damly

Cousins!!! My kids LOVE Bristol. They ask about her all the time.

We are all cry babies and took a pictures right before they drove off.

Off they go. I week before, Abe and my dad took some stuff they don't need right now to Rexburg and put it in a storage unit up there.

This is out of order but the night before was Sunday so we had a big BBQ dinner. The boys played a little soccer.

Ryker Bday was in a few days so Auntie SuSu made him a big Oreo cake....The cream stuff was so good.

Thank you Sarah!!

Well I love you guys and know you will do great. We will text and call often and Shantay you have to start a blog so I can see Briss Briss grow!!! Thank you for your great examples and being the bestest brother and sissy-in-law ever.