Livin' the Yeh Life

My Boy

2012-01-25T21:22:00.000-08:00

My Boy likes to be held.
It's a good thing we have lots of "holders."
That's all!

Happy 8th Anniversary!

2012-01-24T23:01:00.000-08:00

It's a good thing we have a blog... every year we have to go back and check what we did on our previous anniversary! (Pathetic, I know!) But, we had a wonderful anniversary yesterday! After school, Daniel watched the kiddos which allowed me to go on my first post-baby run! The weather was perfect, which was my only motivation to keep going out there. (Ok, so going out to eat and having an anniversary dessert was also a bit motivating!) I went a couple miles, and was definitely inspired to try to get healthy, again. This extra 15 pounds feels awful! But, I am trying oh so hard to be patient and ok with it for the time being.

After my run, I showered and got ready for the babysitter to arrive! The girls were so excited, and did great for our sweet Emily! I got to spend my anniversary with both my men. Despite not sleeping, Malachi did great. No fussing! So, we enjoyed a yummy dinner at Harvard Square in Claremont.

After dinner, we did a little shopping and found some great deals before heading home. Once we got home, Malachi finally went to sleep and slept almost 7 straight hours for us. I think that was God's anniversary gift to us!

Truly, I feel so blessed to have this man in my life. I could go on and on, but I will save that for him.

Happy anniversary, Daniel!

Decorating for Valentine's Day

2012-01-23T20:21:00.000-08:00

I was thinking about it today... In a span of 107 days, from Oct. 31 - Feb. 14, our family celebrates 4 holidays, (Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Valentine's Day), 4 birthdays, (Sierra, Malachi, Natalie, me), 2 New Years' (Gregorian and Lunar), and 1 anniversary, (Daniel and mine). And, that's just our immediate family! No wonder I've been feeling so busy!

But, I love each new celebration as it comes! And, I especially love all the red and white of Valentine's Day. The girls and I had fun pulling down the bins of Valentine decor and getting started on the decorating. I am so happy I made an extra mailbag for the back of Malachi's chair last year... I just need to add the "M."

The girls found exactly 3 leftover heart lollipops. How could I say no to those faces? They got right to work coloring with our heart crayons and stamping with our heart stamps, which left me to decorate the house. We now have 3 weeks to write fun notes to each other and stick them in our mailbags!

Chinese New Year 2012

2012-01-22T20:29:00.000-08:00

It's days like today that I am SO glad I married into a Chinese family! Today is Chinese New Year's Eve, and we celebrated with a hot pot/ sushi feast with our family. Not only do I get to enjoy all the yummy food, but since I'm not Chinese, my husband does all the work. It's a win-win-win for me!

As always, the girls got so excited to have family come over. We are so blessed with such a wonderful extended family... (on both sides!)

After dinner, we played a new game we got for Christmas; Farkle Frenzy. Daniel creamed us the first game. I scored a win the second game. And, Allison was a great sport despite multiple losses!

The kids were also blessed with red envelopes... even Mr. Malachi!

Happy Chinese New Year!

Organizing Kids' Artwork

2012-01-21T21:08:00.000-08:00

I bet you've been wondering what I accomplished on my day to myself, ha?! Are you ready? Absolutely nothing that was on my list. My little man needed a lot of attention in the morning, and my teeth needed a lot of attention in the afternoon! (Deep cleaning, but no cavities!)

But, the day wasn't a total loss. I was able to organize the girls' artwork while holding Malachi. First, I took pictures of all of Natalie's 4-yr-old art and put it into a collage. In case you didn't know, Picnik is offering their premium services free until April. That's the good news. The bad news is, they are closing after that. Anyway, I was able to make this collage of Natalie's 4 year old art:

Next, I organized Allison and Natalie's art from their art class. I bought 11 frames from Ikea for less than $30. (Their Nytjia frames are so cheap!)

I love the fun colors of their artwork, and I love having it displayed. Now onto the next project!

Ritz Sandwiches

2012-01-20T05:26:00.000-08:00

We had our Keepers of the Home meeting this week, and it was Allison's turn to bring the snack. Still in recovery mode, I went for something super easy. (Thankfully, they were super tasty, too!) I saw this recipe on Pinterest, but didn't actually pin it myself; so I winged it! We just mixed a little powdered sugar with some peanut butter, made sandwiches with the Ritz, then dipped them in melted chocolate chips. We decided to add sprinkles as well.

Just look at my "helpers." Ha!

What?

Absolutely Nothing

2012-01-13T21:32:00.000-08:00

Where do I begin? I wish I could say my lack of blogging was due to exercising... but my doctor told me I had to wait 8 weeks. So, I'm continuing to feast on junk, totally unmotivated to eat healthy until I begin jogging again.

I wish I could say I've been working on my next craft project... but I haven't.

I have been home schooling... but nothing too exciting there.

The reason I haven't been blogging is simply that I've had zero energy. I had a nasty cold/ sinus infection that is finally starting to lift. I've been taking some pictures and "blogging" in my head; but my brain has felt too tired to actually sit down and blog.

Thankfully, I turned a corner today. You know how you don't realize how yucky you felt until you finally start to feel better? Yeah. That's me today.

Tomorrow my husband is taking the girls to Knott's Berry Farm... again! I have a dentist appointment, but other than that I am praying my little man will cooperate and allow me to get some things accomplished. Do I...

organize my mess of a closet?
work on the upstairs bookshelves?
work on the downstairs built-ins?
sew some pillows from the fabric I just bought?
work on a painting I've had in my head?
catch-up on blogging?

So many possibilities. I'll let you know! (Just keep me off of Pinterest!) :)

One good thing about the Santa Ana winds...

2012-01-11T06:56:00.000-08:00

1. Tie a bag to a string.

2. Send kids outside with said bag.

3. Relax inside while the kids play "kite" for an hour.

Did you know...

2012-01-10T05:08:00.000-08:00

2-year-olds look even cuter on bad hair days? (Yes, I'm jealous!)

there is such a thing as rainbow roses? My parents celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary on January 3rd, and my dad sent my mom this lovely bouquet with rainbow roses. How do they do that?

everything tastes better with a toothpick? It's true... my dear friend Kelly introduced me to this concept, and I think it is so fun!

there are a lot of words that start with "b?" The last few afternoons while I painted, the girls came up with a letter, drew pictures of things that started with that letter, and then painted them. They started with the letter "b."

homemade pizzas are one of my favorite dinners, but I can never seem to get the crusts quite right?

even Grandmas get worn-out?

My "New" Dresser

2012-01-09T05:27:00.000-08:00

Nine days into 2012 and I have my second goal accomplished: I finished painting our old mini-dresser. It is the first piece of furniture I've ever attempted to paint, and I am so happy with it. First I lightly sanded it, (with a little help). Then I did as follows:

The girls were always so eager to help. Other than allowing them to sand a bit, I let them stir the paint... and that was it. I'm such a mean mommy! But, I had a brilliant idea:

I had the kids actually paint their own stir sticks. What for? I have no idea! But, it worked! They were happy doing their thing...

...which left me happily doing mine.

And, here it is:

I gathered and painted items in my house to put in this new shelf unit above the dresser. I'm proud to say I did not spend a penny on anything in this project; everything I had on hand!

And, today marks the 6 week post-op from my c-section which means I'm cleared to exercise. No more excuses; it's time to move on to my health goals and resolutions for 2012!

New Year's Eve 2011

2012-01-08T18:47:00.000-08:00

As usual we kept a pretty low-key New Year's Eve. Daniel had to work, so it was just us girls and Malachi! I explained to the girls that people often associate glitter with the new year, so we took advantage of the beautiful weather, headed outside, and glittered away!

Back inside, I had the girls fill out a 2011 Interview that I found on this site. I was so excited to find this, and I want to add it to our New Year traditions. I found out things, such as Allison wants to be a housekeeper when she grows up!

Allison made a paper chain to count down until midnight! The girls took turns tearing the chains off.
We also finished our night with our traditional puzzle, though Allison was frustrated, Malachi and Sierra were needy, and Natalie was overly tired and begging to go to bed... It was only 7:45pm. I went to bed shortly after the girls, and awoke only to hear the neighbors light off fireworks, blow horns, and yell "Happy New Year." And, a happy new year it has been so far!

Christmas Day 2011

2012-01-06T18:36:00.000-08:00

Christmas morning started out as it always does with little ones... full of magic and excitement as they run to their stockings to find what Santa Claus brought. Allison and Natalie were thrilled with their new scented gel pens and journals; they got right to "work." Sierra was equally excited about her watercolors. It didn't seem to bother her that the other girls got a lot more "stuffers" in their stockings. (Not sure that will be the case next year when she's three!)

Daniel came home from work, and we enjoyed our traditional Christmas Eve breakfast a day late. Its one of Daniel's favorites, so we had to wait for him! The casserole is basically sourdough, sausage, eggs, milk, and a truckload of cheese. It might as well be called heart attack casserole. There is a reason we only make it once a year!

After breakfast, Daniel's parents came to visit bearing gifts. They didn't stay too long, but long enough for sweet cuddles from Malachi and sweet kisses from Sierra!

Just look at all these presents. Where are we going to put them all?

The big girls got to work passing out gifts...

Who gave SIERRA a hairbrush???

Natalie and Allison gave each other a very special gift they had been wanting for a long time: best friend lockets.

Another special gift had a lot of love and time poured out into it. Look at this amazing vanity my mom hand-painted for the girls:

Isn't that amazing? And, the special gifts didn't stop there. My sweet husband got me something that totally shocked me and I will treasure forever. He designed and had his firefighter partner hand build the most amazing jewelry box. Check it out:

I know, I know... I need some better pictures of it. I also need some pictures of the gorgeous necklace he gave me. I figure you will see me wearing it in most of my pictures from now on!

Sierra is SO into rocking horses, we just had to get her one. This particular one Daniel picked out, and it sings. Be glad you can't hear "I'm a pretty pony... clippity clop, clippity clop." You can't get it out of your head!

We ended the day with a lovely dinner of beef tenderloin. Unfortunately, Allison wasn't able to enjoy it as she came down with the flu in the afternoon. Natalie followed her footsteps and was throwing-up by 10:00pm. It was a violent, nasty flu, but was short-lived. Poor Uncle Nate got it 2 days later. The rest of us were spared! Overall, it was a very fun and special Christmas with our newest little addition.
See! I told you I would blog Christmas. :)

Blah, blah, blah...

2012-01-02T16:25:00.000-08:00

Confession: I still don't want to go back and blog Christmas. Bah humbug! But, I will... it is a resolution!

I wanted to come-up with some awesome resolutions. I have a few, but nothing written down. Instead, I read my friend Melissa's awesome list and decided I would go back to it if I needed inspiration!

One goal for the New Year was to move Sierra to a big girl bed. You may remember we failed miserably once. Today is January 2, and we are well on our way. I couldn't be more proud! Next it's on to potty training. Joy. ** read sarcastically! **

My mom is still here... which is such a blessing! Today we began school again, and it went incredibly well. I am blessed with the 2 smartest, sweetest students in the world. (Excuse the bragging, but that is my heart today!) And since Malachi chose to sleep and Sierra played happily upstairs with Grandma, it was an awesome day! Oh, if only every day were such...

Because school went well and the kids slept well, I was actually able to work on a project once dinner was prepped! Before:

Well, I didn't get too far. Look who decided to help:

Still, I started. Now I have to finish, right?

I am still madly in love with my other man. He slept all day today. I was so happy watching him sleep in my arms, it took me over an hour to put him in his crib! Praying he sleeps tonight... I am also madly in love with his sisters!!

I have no idea how to decorate the built-ins in my family room. I love them. They are beautiful. But right now they are empty. I don't like clutter... yet they are bare shelves calling for something. I need help. Perhaps I need to just be patient.

It's 2012. How did that happen? I am just thrilled at the prospect of a new year and a fresh start. Here I am just rambling... but I plan to write some things down, too. I really will. God is tugging at my heart, and I am ready to listen. I need Him!

If you made it this far, congratulations and thanks for listening to me ramble. I am beat. I need to find my blogging groove, again!

Christmas Eve

2011-12-29T21:20:00.001-08:00

I have to confess, it is very difficult for me to post about Christmas once Christmas is over. Why is it that all the magic and splendor and beautiful decor looks like clutter that you can't wait to take down the day after Christmas? At least, for me anyway... But, I didn't take these pictures for no reason, and we truly had a wonderful Christmas, so allow me to re-live Christmas one last time for you beginning with Christmas eve:

The winds were finally gone, and the weather couldn't have been more perfect. So, to the park we went on Christmas eve!

The dogs were very grateful to come along, (despite the fact that the little kids at the park attempted to ride them!)

As usual, Grandma kept the kids well-entertained! They are so blessed to have such a fun Grandma!

Well... at least the kid with the glasses is smiling!

And, certainly Grandma is smiling holding her newest grandbaby!

That evening we picked-up Uncle Nate from the airport. Just think, little Malachi... instead of Sierra getting thrown around, that will be you, soon!

Traditionally, we do Christmas eve service that night along with our Swedish meatballs. This year, since Daniel was working and Christmas fell on a Sunday, we saved all the festivities for Christmas day. Pictures to come... and then I'm officially done with Christmas!

Malachi at One Month

2011-12-28T20:57:00.000-08:00

Malachi...
You've only been here a month, but you've completed our family!
Sweet and mellow are the 2 words I would use to describe you.
I LOVE when Sierra calls you dude.
We worked hard to get the perfect cross-eyed picture of you; so precious!
You have baby acne, but I still think you're the most handsome thing ever.
Your Papa and I go gaga over you every night.
Your sisters fight over who gets to hold you.
Sometimes Sierra likes to poke your eyes. Sorry.
You slept 5 1/2 hours straight for me last night. Please make it a habit.
Love you tons, Mama

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-24T15:52:00.000-08:00

The Graber Olive House

2011-12-23T19:48:00.000-08:00

...Only a week late! Last Friday we joined some homeschooling families from our church for a tour of the Graber Olive House in Ontario. I had never even heard of it before, but really enjoyed the tour!

One thing we learned is that most olives are picked very early and then soaked in lye to turn them black... Graber's, on the other hand, are hand-picked when ripe. They were really yummy!

I must admit, I spent much of the tour looking around at the old original barn-setting, dreaming of what an awesome renovated house it would make. Oh, it had such character!

And, Daniel spent much of the time doing double duty with the kids! (What a stud!)

If you get a chance, check them out. They have a really cute gift shop with some unique things, as well. And, if you like olives, these are awesome!

In search of snow...

2011-12-21T20:08:00.000-08:00

Natalie's birthday celebration, day 5: Searching for snow!

Ok, this is the final birthday celebration for Natalie... I promise! Really, this was just fun for the entire family, but it was inspired by Natalie. If you recall, we went to the beach and stayed at the Ritz Carlton for part of Allison's 5th birthday. (I had won a free overnight stay at a raffle through my husband's work!) Ever since then, Natalie has wanted to go to the mountains for her 5th birthday since her birthday is in winter. So, that's what we did! First, the girls helped us get out our Christmas letters... then we searched for winter clothes, (which was no simple task; the girls have grown!) Finally, we were off...

Once again, lollipops saved the day keeping them happy on our short commute, and lasting through the ~~ice~~ snow adventure!

We usually head to Wrightwood, but decided to try Mt. Baldy this time. It is literally a 25 minute drive from our house; can't beat that!

Daniel and the big girls spent much of the time hiking up the steep ice and rocks. Meanwhile, Malachi was in the bjorn, and Sierra and I hiked down the not-as-steep rock and ice path. We sang songs together as we held hands, looked at pinecones, sat on logs, and she loved dipping her lollipop in snow. I loved it!

Aaaah, the joys of being a 2-year-old.

Can you spot Sierra in the picture below?

Once again, happy birthday Natalie... until next year!

Natalie Turns 5!

2011-12-19T23:02:00.000-08:00

Even though we had a big birthday party the day before her birthday, we tried to make Natalie's actual birthday a special day, too, by giving her a choice of what she wanted to do. I slept-in with Malachi, but my hubby was on top of things making her a special pancake breakfast...

(... There was a special breakfast waiting for me when I woke-up, too!)

After breakfast, we opened family presents. Once again, Natalie was spoiled with lots of fun gifts from Grandma! She was also very excited about her gift from Mom and Dad... a new bike!

One of Natalie's favorite dinners is Panera soup and bread. Ironically, a sweet friend signed up to bring us just that for dinner that night! (She even spoiled us with bagels and honey walnut cream cheese for breakfast the next morning!)

That evening BOTH big girls had a gift to open... new pajamas for their special sleepover. As I mentioned earlier, we gave Natalie the choice of many fun things to do for her birthday. She wanted just one thing; a sleepover with her sister! Daniel took the girls to the library ahead of time to pick out a movie.

Natalie chose "The Princess Stallion." They were also allowed to pick a dessert to bring upstairs. Both girls chose a lollipop!

I stayed just long enough to take a few pictures, then headed downstairs to clean-up the kitchen. For their first sleepover, the girls did great! They talked just a bit, and then fell fast alseep. I believe we have reached a new level of maturity where the girls are finally good sleepers... ooh I hope so!

Happy birthday, my sweet Natalie. I am so proud of you!

Hello Kitty Bubble Gum Party

2011-12-18T21:20:00.000-08:00

I love, love, love that my girls pick a theme several months before their birthday, (often 11 months!) and stick to it. It makes the prep work that much easier! This year Natalie chose a Hello Kitty Bubble Gum theme for her 5th birthday. Since Hello Kitty is everywhere these days, (and since we have a lot of HK stuff ourselves), I was in luck! We even have Hello Kitty Christmas lights my dearest friend Glory gave us years ago... how perfect is that?

Below is one of my favorite finds: HK ornaments that came in a 5-pack in the dollar section at Target!

In addition to knowing the theme super early, I also attribute all of my party success to the most wonderful, helpful husband in the world! He took the girls to church that morning ~~giving me 2 hours to clean-up uninterrupted~~ so they could learn about Jesus! And, he made nearly 40 Hello Kitty pannini sandwiches for lunch!

We had 2 crafts:

I used my Cricut to cut-out HK santas and made them into ornaments for the girls to decorate.
I found a "How to draw HK" tutorial and printed it up for the kids to try.

Sierra was a little shy at first... good thing for sweet friends to help take care of her!

The sandwiches turned out soooo cute... (Great job, Honey!)

For games, we played a little game I made-up using an old bubblegum rhyme I learned as a kid... it was similar to hot potato, but the kids got a prize for going out so they wouldn't be upset about it. :)

Of course, after the balloon game came the real balloon fun... kids just going wild!

We also played pin the bubble gum on the bubble gum machine.

"Let's get serious now," says Sierra!

The kids were so good while Natalie opened her presents. Natalie sat on the birthday chair while the kids took turns bringing her their presents. I was proud of all the kids at how well-behaved they were! And, Natalie was blessed with a lot of fun stuff!

Once again, we had "Tata" make the cake. There are no words... she is uh-mazing! Natalie even thought the top was a doll; nope! ALL cake! I feel truly blessed and humbled that my friend would do that for us. Natalie was beyond thrilled.

It was a fun day! Little Malachi slept through most of it, but woke up just in time to ask...

..."Is it over, already?"

Natalie's 5th Birthday Tea

2011-12-17T19:44:00.000-08:00

Natalie's birthday celebration, part 2: A trip to Barbara's tea house for a special mother-daughter date. Natalie has been looking forward to this day since Allison turned 5 and had her special tea. I prayed that it would be as special as Natalie had pictured it, and I believe it was!

Being that it was the Saturday before Christmas, you can imagine it was quite packed. But, there was a special little table set aside for just Natalie and me. It was the perfect setting!

Natalie was in awe of the food before us, and the gorgeous "fancy" setting around us. I noticed she spoke with such manners; then she pointed out she was being polite because that's what you're suppose to be like at tea. (If only every occasion caused the same thing.)

Natalie is my slow eater. However, she had no problem eating quickly this day. (Murphy's Law... or perhaps it was the yummy food!) At least quickly for her was about "normal" for me!

Part of the reason she ate quickly was she was so excited to go look around and try on hats and boas and look at all the pretty, fancy things!

When we were finished, sisters came to pick us up.

Allison enjoyed finishing the cucumber sandwiches and tea. We chose raspberry coconut creme and tiramisu teas. They were both incredible! Natalie picked the raspberry coconut creme to buy and take home.

True story: sit on the bench next to Alison while I tell you...

When we first arrived, I walked in with Natalie and my diaper bag. I set the bag down, then exclaimed, "Natalie -- I forgot Malachi!" I had left him in the car with Daniel and the other girls. My heart sank. Of course, I knew he was safe -- and it was only for an hour and a half. But, still; how could I forget my baby? I felt horrible. I didn't bring my phone, and Daniel didn't return until it was time to pick us up. Malachi had slept the whole time. All was well.

Egg Rolls

2011-12-16T21:01:00.000-08:00

So it begins... the 5th birthday celebration for Natalie! We have lots planned for this weekend, beginning with our Family Fun Friday. Lately, every time we go out, Natalie orders egg rolls. Tonight, Daniel decided to show her how to make them!

I just love how Daniel takes the time to show and teach his daughters everything. They have no idea how blessed they are!

Once upon a time, before having kids, Daniel and I spent an evening making egg rolls as Christmas gifts for friends. This brings back fond memories!

The egg rolls were a huge hit with everybody! Natalie claimed them as her favorite. They also made some cream cheese won tons that the girls loved. (Who doesn't like those?!?!) We will have to do this again, soon!

The Slippers.

2011-12-15T18:15:00.000-08:00

My friend gave me a bag of hand-me-down slippers for my little man, and I absolutely fell in love with one pair. These little gray slippers can be found keeping his toes cozy most days. I haven't even tried socks yet, as none of my other kids ever could, (and still don't) keep socks on. So, I am SO grateful for these slippers. They are tiny, and I will be so sad when he outgrows them.

Christmas Pictures

2011-12-14T21:30:00.000-08:00

We planned to have our friend take Christmas pictures for us last weekend, but unfortunately her family got the flu! We tried calling other friends, but we had no luck. Finally, we decided just to use our tripod.

It was Sierra's nap time.
There were "prickly things" all over the ground and our big girls were wearing sandals.
The dog loved to run into the picture, but would not sit still or look at the camera... just to set the scene!

Truly, the setting was perfect, but the circumstances not-so-much. Out of 100 shots, I found 1 picture that was ok as a family picture. We used it. I'll post it on Christmas. For now, here are some of the kiddos:

Well, at least they're done! And, I still haven't finished getting them out... tomorrow!

That Christmas Glow

2011-12-13T19:30:00.000-08:00

Today was suppose to be day 2 of rain, though we had mostly sunny skies throughout the morning. Rainy days in December are my absolute favorite because of the beautiful glow of the Christmas lights. Here is the view from our front door this afternoon:

The funny thing is, Allison commented, "I'm going to look for a rainbow." She walked right out the front door, then exclaimed in joyous shock; "Mama, Papa, come look... there's the most beautiful rainbow!" And, here was the view from inside:

Now the house is quiet. The girls are all down, and Malachi is cuddled up with his daddy. It's time for me to go send out our Christmas cards!

Going Solo

2011-12-12T20:19:00.000-08:00

I survived! 28 hours on my own with my 4 little munchkins... Of course, we didn't go anywhere or do anything special. And, my sweet friend Karen brought us dinner. And, my precious Malachi slept most of the time! And, my aunt came to visit. So, it was a fairly easy day... but I'm still happy to have my hubby home again for 2 more weeks!

Our favorite activity of the day was making coffee filter snowflakes, as demonstrated by my little ninja below:

There's just something magical and timeless about making snowflakes. Every snowflake was filled with anticipation and excitement as we prepared to open it up. It was so fun to see how much my girls enjoyed it! Then came the clean-up...

Of course, this is only a small picture of the mess we made... but it was worth it! I wanted to stay-up last night and blog a little more about our day -- but, I also wanted to clean-up for my husband coming home. The night before he left he stayed-up late making sure the kitchen was clean for me, the garbage was taken out, and I was all set for my solo day. He is the best! So, I made the right choice; I cleaned instead of blogging.

I probably did too well cleaning-up; I need to pretend I am still suffering a bit so I can get away with lounging around a few days longer. :)

Peppermint Playdough

2011-12-09T19:10:00.000-08:00

Today marks the end of our 3 weeks of no school. I can hardly believe it's been 3 weeks, already! When asking the girls about school, Allison commented: "I really miss school... but I'm in no hurry to start-up, again!" Ha! I thought that was pretty funny.

Anyway, though we haven't had formal school, we've managed to keep quite busy. Today we decided to make some red and green peppermint-scented playdough in honor of Christmas. I am amazed at how long a fresh batch of playdough can keep them entertained. I am also amazed at how messy the floor gets under my 6-year-old!

We made pretty girls...

Christmas trees...

... more Christmas trees...

And, who knows what!?!? To make the playdough peppermint-scented, I just added a teaspoon of peppermint extract to a simple salt playdough recipe. It smelled deeee-licious!

Oh, how I love playdough!

My son.

2011-12-08T20:05:00.000-08:00

I LOVE this picture.
Little Malachi is still little.
Just 10 days old!
But, I know he will change quickly...
Right now he is still so good.
Sleeps ALL the time.
Rarely cries.
(Hope I'm not jinxing it!)
Content to lie on Papa's lap while he does his thing on the computer.
Sweet as can be.
Fits in the tiniest of clothes!
He's a little doll.
He is precious.
I LOVE my son!

Knott's Berry Farm, take 4!

2011-12-07T21:38:00.000-08:00

4th Annual Father/ Daughter Knott's Berry Farm trip!

Each year, Daniel takes advantage of the firefighter/ police free admission to Knott's Berry Farm and takes the girls for a day out with dad. (I was especially amazed last year when he took all 3 by himself, with Sierra not even able to walk, yet!) This year it was a bit chilly, but otherwise uncrowded and a perfect day! Since I wasn't there, I'll let the pictures and videos do most of the "talking." I'll just add that the girls were very excited that they got to go on stage for one of the shows to shake "jingle bells."

Tea Party Tuesday

2011-12-06T15:05:00.000-08:00

We knew today would come... the day we had to say goodbye to Grandma!
Sleepovers, afternoon movies, trips to the park, tic-tac-toe, Christmas decorating and Christmas crafting, games of Sorry, and so much more! Grandma sure spoils her grandbabies! Last night we played one last round of Sorry...

Luckily, we had a diversion... today was also the girls' Christmas tea party for Keepers of the Home. We spent the morning getting ready:

snack -- check
recipe cards -- check
secret sister gift -- check
ornament for exchange -- check
tea cups for the tea party -- check
Bibles -- check

Allison commented, "It seems like we're packing for a trip!"

I was so sad I wasn't able to go. I am feeling almost normal again, but didn't think it would be wise to bring Malachi. Luckily, our sweet leader just sent me pictures.

Looks like a fun time... and what a perfect distraction from saying goodbye to Grandma!
We miss you, Grandma! Glad you're coming back soon!

One Week Old

2011-12-05T20:12:00.000-08:00

I'm one week old, today!

I celebrated by sleeping... ALL day! Mom says I'm the easiest newborn she's ever had. Sometimes she forgets I'm around! So...

I opened my eyes for a bit. Papa styled my hair. Now I'm sleeping, again. Life is good!

Life Blows On...

2011-12-04T19:05:00.000-08:00

We came home from the hospital to two trees down in our backyard... one of them being my favorite pine tree. :( Apparently, the winds were super bad that night! My husband spent most of yesterday cleaning up the trees as well as the pool. Unfortunately, the winds are suppose to be back tomorrow...

...life blows on! But we are still...

... and still adjusting. Somehow, adjusting to life with little Malachi has been somewhat easier than with previous newborns. Of course, I have my mom and husband who are absolutely wonderful! I have my incredible friends bringing meals and blessing us in so many ways! But, it's more than that... Knowing that God answers prayers, I made my prayers for this little one more specific than before. I prayed for a good sleeper and a good eater; and that's what we got! (At least so far; I know he's not even a week old, yet!)

The hardest part for me is asking for help and taking it easy. But, I have been doing just that and actually feel rested! I think God is trying to teach me something. The other hard part is not being able to hold Sierra. Last night I had a rough time listening to her cry in her crib, and just prayed that the Holy Spirit would work for me. I forget that these are His kids! He comforted her, and she fell back asleep. This may be my fourth child, but I still have lots to learn!

Cozy

2011-12-03T19:20:00.000-08:00

Although I didn't quite accomplish everything on my "must-do" list before having Malachi, I am happy that we were able to get most things done, including decorating for Christmas! There is really no season more cozy than Christmas, and having a baby to top it off is just too sweet! Of course, a fire in the fireplace adds to the cozy and you can't have a fire without s'mores! Here's how Allison felt about our s'more night:

Christmas decor... a fire in the fireplace... and a newborn baby! Nope, it doesn't get more cozy!

Malachi Asher Yeh

2011-12-02T18:57:00.000-08:00

November 28, 2011. Arrived at San Antonio Community Hospital for my 4th and final c-section.

As always, I was nervous, yet excited. More excited than nervous, as I allowed my Bible verses to flow through my head over and over and as curiosity had the best of me... what would he look like? Would he be healthy? Was it really a boy?

I prayed he would cry loud and hard. That was my security, knowing he was ok. I remember not hearing much with my first three... God answered my prayer!

Malachi: God's messenger
Asher: Happy, blessed

Oh, the joy!! Welcome, Malachi Asher Yeh. 12:50pm, 8 lbs. 7 oz. 19 in. Even in the OR, the doctors jokingly asked if he was really mine. :) My OB, who delivered all 4, told us we made one model!

The first day was quite busy. I was so excited to have my girls and parents come meet our little man. And, I was really excited to see my husband hold his son!

Each girl was so precious holding Malachi. None of them wanted to give him up for her sister! But, I was especially surprised to see how grown-up Sierra seemed, and how much she loved (and still loves) holding him. "Hold it, hold it." So, so sweet.

Day 2: Back for more hugs and kisses!

Are they really all mine? Four precious blessings, all at such fun stages. Exhausting? Yes. Worth it? Absolutely!

Day 3: Back again. They just couldn't stay away from their little brother. (I like to pretend they missed me, too!)

Going home...

Day 4: Here he is at home!

Still being held...

Still getting kisses...

Still melting our hearts!
Thanks to all my sweet friends and family for all your love, support, and help. It is so tough on me to not be able to hold my girls, much less walk very much. I am so grateful for all the love and care I am receiving. We are so blessed!

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-25T19:29:00.000-08:00

Oh, we have SO much to be thankful for. My heart is still bursting with joy as I think about all the Lord has done for me. We live a blessed life! And, yesterday we enjoyed celebrating with our family. What a wonderful feeling it was to wake-up knowing my husband would be home for a month, my parents and Daniel's parents were on their way, the house would soon be filled with wonderful smells of cooking, and our girls were bursting with excitement!

Our first task was to work on pies, as well as homemade butter! Natalie was so excited to do the pumpkin pie, so I recruited Allison to help me make butter. It is the simplest think ever... yet so fun! You fill a jar 1/3 full of heavy whipping cream, add a marble or bead and a shake of salt, and then shake until you can no longer hear the bead. Allison and I also came up with a game we called the "Pilgrim butter roll," once our arms tired of all the shaking!

It's like magic! You open the jar, and you have yummy butter! I found the recipe and cute labels from "A Lemon Squeezy;" You can find them here.

Grandma and Grandpa were the first to arrive at noon, and the girls were all smiles!

Sierra wanted to enjoy the pie-making experience as well, and bullied her way onto the chairs to help. Her big sisters were very kind and patient with her! Allison worked on the berry pie, and Natalie was the helper with the pumpkin pie.

Both pies turned out incredible!

The girls thought it would be fun to wear Indian vests... Allison didn't even decorate hers, and Natalie glued on 3 feathers. I found them quite humorous!

We enjoyed our very first fire in our fireplace. (Does it get any cozier than that?)

The dogs were all about begging. Poor guys had to smell the yummy food all day!

Sierra was quite content in her new boots from Grandma!

For our 3rd year in a row, we enjoyed a delicious smoked turkey from Lucille's. But, that doesn't mean Daniel didn't slave all day in the kitchen working on the pies, the sides, and a wonderful salmon dish!

Even now as I type this and look at all the pictures, I can't help but feel so thankful and overwhelmed. My girls just love their family. We are blessed with health, good food, a beautiful home, and a God who meets all our needs and then some!

Despite being overly tired, Sierra was so happy and stayed up late playing with her cousins and grandparents!

Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

The Fountain

2011-11-22T22:00:00.001-08:00

And, I officially made it through day 3 without Daniel. No sign of labor; kind of a bummer, yet what we wanted! (Daniel really needed to work these last 3 days, but I also wanted the excitement of actually going into labor for once!) So, why am I up late blogging? Well, 2 reasons, really.

I was feeling lazy and took the kids to Chick-Fil-A for dinner, and now have a caffeine-high from all the sweet tea I consumed.
I am still in nesting mode in preparation for the baby coming, and actually almost finished our 2011 Christmas letter!

Speaking of nesting mode, I think I've mentioned before how we've been getting a few projects done here and there lately. Before he left, Daniel got our fountain up and running, again. I just love the sound of water running throughout the day! Sierra has also enjoyed it, (and given me cause to change her outfits several times a day!)

Only 6 more days until Yehbie arrives! (But who's counting?)

Thanksgiving School 2011

2011-11-21T19:16:00.000-08:00

Today we had our "Thanksgiving School," which our girls have been looking forward to for a week now. Unfortunately, I was a little too tired to actually plan and do all the fun things I've pinned on Pinterest and seen online. But, we ended up having more than enough activities, and the girls had fun with their friends!

(Side note: the 2 older boys are just one week younger than each of my older girls, the babies are just a few months apart, and my friend is pregnant with her first girl while I'm pregnant with my first boy. Too fun!)

We started off reading some Thanksgiving jokes. Here's one for ya: Q: Why did the turkey join the band? A: Because he had drumsticks!

I found a fun little game online, (So sorry I lost where I got most of this stuff!) It's called "Roll a Turkey" and is played just like "Cooties," only you draw the turkey in parts as you roll them. Natalie was our winner!

You may wonder what you do with 2 little ones while trying to teach the older ones. I've found these 3 steps to work wonders:

My friend brought a wonderful story of why we celebrate Thanksgiving, and not just "Turkey Day."

And, we limited our crafts and upped our recess in honor of the boys. I had 3 crafts planned, but decided to go with just one. Oh, little baby boy in my tummy... what am I in for? :)

I didn't take pictures of everything, but we found some great Mad Libs on Classroom Jr. and Family Fun. Before lunch, since we had to wait for the pizza man, we put on the "Charlie Brown Thanksgiving." Such a classic!

Once the boys left, I put Sierra down for her nap and then went on to our last activity. I sent the boys each home with a can so they could do it while their little brother was sleeping, too. I came up with this late last night, and was excited about it. I had SO wanted to make some fun turkey treats. I found a million ideas out there -- but alas, I didn't have the energy to go to the store with the girls in the rain to buy the neccessary ingredients. Then it occurred to me... why not throw a bunch of leftover Halloween candy in a can and have the girls make their own turkeys? It's a snack and a craft all in one! Here's what they came up with:

Each can had the following:
1 each: red, yellow, orange Starburst
1 pack: m&m's
1 pack: candy corn
1 pack: Reese's peanut butter cup
4 peanuts

That's it! I just had to help the girls manipulate their Starbursts enough to make legs, eyes, a beak, etc.

We're on an indefinite break from "formal learning" as I am now one week away from giving birth. It is a nice relief to not have to plan for a while -- at the same time, we are finally in such a good routine, it will b a little difficult to stop and have to start up again -- especially with a new little one around! For now, I am just going to enjoy each day as it comes.

One more idea for you... I taped a Thanksgiving word search to the window. Each time the kids remembered to say "Thank you," (which wasn't very often!), they were allowed to go to the window and look for a word. If they found one, they were rewarded with a treat. I may have to keep this up for a while until saying thank-you once again becomes a habit!

Date Night!

2011-11-20T21:17:00.000-08:00

I have been dreading today for a while... it's the start of my husband being gone for 3 1/2 days. Of course, that's a common occurrence when you're married to a firefighter; just not so fun at 39 weeks pregnant! It didn't start out so great, either... bad dreams for my 4-year-old kept me up from midnight until 3:30am this morning. To top it off, today was gloomy and rainy. And, the girls have colds, so I couldn't even escape to church!

Good thing God is bigger than my circumstances! I was reminded last night to take one day at a time, rather than looking at the 3 1/2 days. I was also reminded to count each day a blessing (Psalm 118:24) And, today really was not so bad at all! We had a few hours of overcast before the rain came, and had a great time at the park. We were the only ones there, which always makes me wonder, "Where is everybody?"

Despite being overly tired, the girls were very good and the day went by fairly quick. They had fun flying their new gliders from their cousins' birthday party yesterday from the top of the stairs down, as well as playing with Triscuit on his new pillow we bought him on our date last night. I couldn't believe what a good dog he was; he just let them cover him in blankets, put on a dinosaur mask from the birthday party, and jump all over him. I guess wearing him out at the park was as important as wearing the girls out!

Yes, we bought the pillow on our date night last night. I just love cozy date nights... and yesterday was super cozy! We got coffee, walked through model homes, went to a creperie for dinner, and then did some Christmas shopping while bundled -up and holding hands. We came home to 3 sleeping girls, and our sweetest friends asking why we were back so soon!

Things will change soon; in just a week, in fact! I am so thankful for these times of refreshing. The next year I will have a little one attached to me once again. Or, perhaps, this will be the first baby to allow me to pump a bottle?!?!? Either way, I am exited for the change, as I know time goes by all too quickly and I will soon have time to myself again. For now, I am anxious to meet my little man; but I will do my best to cherish each day before he gets here; (Including the next 2 1/2 when my husband is gone!)

Pink Patience Day

2011-11-18T14:29:00.000-08:00

Ever since finding out we were going to have a boy, I've had this idea in my head... I wanted to surprise the girls with a "girly-themed" day just to celebrate sisterhood! I wanted it to be one of the last school days before Yehbie arrived, and a day when Daniel was gone so that it would be all things girl-related. I decided to go with a "Pink Patience Day."
I decorated the table, and bought the girls a few fun pink surprises the night before. I was excited to see their reaction the next morning when walking into what they thought was another ordinary school day.
The most important element I wanted to give them was a love letter to each girl. I want each of them to know how special they are, and how much I enjoy having girls. I also explained to them that I will be busy nursing a lot when Yehbie comes, and they will need a lot of "pink patience." I also asked them for grace when I am fussy, tired, and impatient, and we did our morning Bible study on what that means.
The letters were definitely a huge hit. I would do today all over again, just to give them the letters. But, sometimes things don't always go as planned... Rather than a "Wow," when seeing the decorated kitchen, I got more of a "Why does it look like Valentine's Day in here?" This was followed immediately by tears, and a rendition of "Why are Allison's socks more beautiful than mine?"
The pink muffins were snuffed because the raspberries made them "too sour."
Gotta love 2-year-olds; "A muffin on my plate is not good enough! I must have a different one, lick it, and leave it! Then I must whine and throw a tantrum because all I want is the pretty pink candy on the table!" (Guess I asked for that one myself!)
Our manicure/ pedicure session was fairly successful. The girls were actually pretty excited, since I don't normally alllow them nail polish. However, our pink smoothie "snack" which followed was also a disappointment, as the 2 big girls have decided they don't like smoothies. (And, this was a really yummy one!) At least Sierra still appreciates my smoothies.
We did a few pink school activities, including a pink scavenger hunt.
Then came lunch... turkey/ cheese croissants. Apparently, they were "too pink," the apples were "too sour," and the lmonade was "too bubbly." At this point, I reached my peak of complaints. I honestly questioned whether I wanted to do anything like this, again. I made an analogy that they could understand, asking them how they would feel if they worked really hard drawing a picture for someone, and then the person didn't respond well...

... Natalie got it! She worte me this note, and I decided I would definitely do this again!
And, just so you don't think we're too girly over here, the girls enjoyed a nice wrestling session after lunch!
Overall, it was a really good day! I share the complaints and some of the negatives just so you don't look at the pictures and think things are "perfect" around here. Tonight actually ended really well. At dinner we discussed our highlights and low-lights of the day, and then I explained my 3 reasons for doing pink day once again. They really got it. And, they thanked me sincerely; my heart is full! The beauty of the discussion was I even heard some things that surprised me, like how excited they were to see the table in the morning. As I mentioned earlier, they sure didn't show it at the time!

One last thing:

Hobby Lobby recently opened up here in Rancho Cucamonga. I have never been to a Hobby Lobby, and have always wanted to go. I told the girls we would go and look for a "pink patience craft." I ended up letting each of the girls pick out 4 colors of embroidery floss to try friendship bracelets again. I reminded them each time they needed my help and I was helping the other person that this is how it is going to be when Yehbie arrives. Once again, they totally got it and smiled patiently.

The Kids Bathroom

2011-11-14T17:59:00.000-08:00

Slowly but surely our house is turning into a cozy home. Of course, by that I mean we are putting our creative touches on it. I hope to show you all the rooms, soon! You caught a little glimpse of Sierra's big girl room the other day. Today I'll share our kids bathroom...

I love the double sinks and long counter space! We also have lots of drawers, which Sierra LOVES to destroy, (as evidenced above!)

I went for a bold turquoise for fun, and once again gave them hooks in hopes that towels actually end up off the floor. (It's still a battle to get them to hang their towels, but at least they can -- I'm not a fan of towel bars!)

In addition to hooks for their towels, they each have an additional hook for their swimsuits.

My favorite part was the addition of the girls' artwork. They are so proud, and it adds such a personal touch! Of course, I can't say for sure we are finished... I need to add Yehbie's initial. We do indeed have a name picked out, which is such a relief! Other than that, it is probably our "most finished" room.

"Build and Grow"

2011-11-13T21:32:00.000-08:00

I always hesitate a little to brag on my husband for a couple reasons.

I don't want to embarrass him.
I am not trying to make it seem like we have the perfect life/ marriage. We don't. Nobody does.

But, I am often amazed at what a wonderful father/ husband he really is, and I do want to honor him for that. So, honey, forgive me if this embarrasses you...

We recently discovered these "Build and Grow" days at Lowe's. They are awesome! The first one Daniel took the girls to, they built a toy firetruck that had a working siren and all. The second one, they built a "monster truck" in honor of Halloween, and it had a working green light. This past weekend, despite feeling sick, Daniel took all 3 girls once again to Lowe's... this time to build a science test-tube kit. And, he didn't stop there...

Once they got home, he made them lunch, put Sierra down, and then did several of the experiments with the big girls. Then they played a game! Ok, I'm done boasting... but isn't that awesome? This is all while I spent the morning at a women's gathering at church, then came home to a nap. The best part is, he took pictures of the experimenting for me to share! Here you go:

You can see the wood test-tube holder they built. It also came with 2 test tubes, a plastic dish with a spout, (sorry, I don't know the scientific names), and several experiment cards for the kids to try.
In addition, each project from the firetruck to this one comes with a patch for the kids. Once I get to making the girls' vests for "Keepers of the Home," I have 3 additional patches to add to them!

Well, it looks like they had a lot of fun! Tomorrow we will school early, and then I will be off to get my hair cut and then to the doctor to see how my little guy is cooking. Something tells me the girls may be doing a little extra science tomorrow!

Big Girl Bed...

2011-11-12T22:05:00.000-08:00

... Not so much! Unfortunately, our attempt at transferring Sierra to her big girl bed was a giant failure. At first, she was super excited. She crawled in herself and wouldn't get out! So, we brought her favorite blankie and animals up, tucked her in, and turned out the lights.

I wanted to lay down with her to make her feel comfortable, but that made her think it was a game. She kept sitting-up, laughing, and poking me. Then she kept getting out. Hmmm...

I decided I just had to pray with her and kiss her goodnight. I prayed. I kissed her. I said good night. I left.

Hysterical. She went bollistic. She banged on the door as if her life were in danger. I walked back in and told her it was ok, and I would lay with her a while. That's when she threw-up... and so I gave-up. We washed her up, and brought her back to her crib. That was 3 nights ago. She has happily gone to bed AND for naps in her crib with no protest since. (She has always been a protester!)

So, for now she stays. In the meantime, I have lots of other projects I am working on trying to accomplish these next 2 weeks. I can't believe I only have 2 weeks left! Perhaps you will be seeing a lot more posts on the things I am accomplishing around the house during this nesting phase!

Brussel Sprouts

2011-11-11T18:33:00.000-08:00

Just for fun... we bought a "stalk" of brussel sprouts from Trader Joe's. This is why I thought it was great:

The girls had fun breaking them all off.
They seemed much fresher.
The price was a lot cheaper; one stalk was about 3 times more brussel sprouts and the same price we normally pay.
We love brussel sprouts. See HERE.

Miss Manners

2011-11-09T19:44:00.000-08:00

I'm really not sure what happened inside of Sierra when she turned two, but she is seriously "Miss Manners" these days! It has actually been great for all of us because I've noticed how lacking my older two have become in their manners, and it is encouraging them to say please, thank you, and sorry a lot more. I think Sierra is quite aware that she melts my heart every time she says any one of these three phrases, and she actually looks for opportunities to do so. And, she is right... I am smitten!

The "Pokey Thing"

2011-11-08T19:33:00.000-08:00

I am once again on a quest for age-appropriate activities for Sierra; (mostly to keep her busy while we homeschool.) I came across a website on pinterest that suggested letting 2-year-olds stick toothpicks into a salt shaker. Being that I don't have an empty salt shaker, nor one the appropriate size, we decided to improvise.

The big girls and I finished off the chai tea, (using our special "Alice in Wonderland" tea set), and then created our container.

Sierra loved it, and kept asking to play with the "pokey thing." The big girls surprisingly had fun as well, and begged to decorate the can once Sierra went for her nap.

It was Allison's idea to glue beads around the holes, and I thought it was brilliant...

... Unfortunately, Sierra thought it was fun to pull the beads off, throw them on the floor, and then play with it again. **sigh** Well, it was almost perfect!

Another activity that has recently intrigued Sierra has been "drawing," so I taped a long piece of paper to the ground, (like I used to do for Allison and Natalie), and had them draw things they're thankful for.

And, play dough can last anywhere from 2 minutes to 20 minutes depending on whether I will play along with Sierra!

Not pictured, but another thing Sierra loves doing is stacking and unstacking our bathroom little Dixie cups.

And, last but not least... the girls have really gotten into playing the Cranium game, "Hullabaloo."

They can play it over, and over, and over, and...

Well, with 3 days of rain coming this weekend, I hope some of these ideas are helpful for you and your 2-year-old! I was quite excited to find them successful; at least for us!

Full Term

2011-11-07T21:27:00.000-08:00

I made it! Today I am 37 weeks pregnant; technically "full term." It is always such a relief to hit this point. The other night I was laying in bed, wide awake at 4:00am, and feeling my little guy win his boxing/ kicking match. I wanted to be asleep, but I couldn't help but smile. This last time of being pregnant, I want to cherish every moment!

That being said, I really am wondering how I will function when I'm already so tired and the baby isn't even here, yet! I remember before Sierra came thinking that things were starting to get "easy..." and then it all changed! Lately things have started to feel "easy," again. And, I am so thankful! Turning two seemed to be like magic for Sierra, and suddenly our communication has improved a ton!

The best part is watching my 3 girls play together. It is just too sweet for words for me as their mom. I have lots of pictures... and I plan to work my hardest to get them up on the blog; not for you, (though I love and appreciate you!), but for this:

Even Sierra now requests to "See blog." They love it. It is their scrapbook. And, hopefully one day, it will inspire them with recipes and games and activities to do with their kids!

Pie in a Jar

2011-11-06T21:11:00.000-08:00

I haven't blogged about it since our first meeting, but the girls and I are LOVING being a part of Keepers of the Home. This past week at our meeting, we made "pie in a jar." I'm telling you, we have the most creative, organized, wonderful leader! (I'm not sure how she does it all being a homeschooling mom of 3 girls and a little boy, but I will soon find out what that's like!)

Each girl was given a jar and a pie crust that was to fill the entire bottom and sides of the jar. Next, the girls went in the kitchen and took turns peeling/ cutting their own apples using the Pampered Chef apple corer/peeler/slicer. They came back and mixed their apples with a cinnamon sugar mix, and a threw-in a cube of butter, then stuffed it all in their jar. Lastly, they cut a shape out of their leftover crust to put on top. They were each given a label and lid to screw on top, and they were all set!

Here is what they jars loked like all finished. What a perfect project for these girls... they were able to pretty much do it all by themselves!

Fast forward to today... it was cold, rainy, and Daniel had to work. We did a lot of crafts, (surprise, surprise), since we didn't have school to do, but we also decided it would be the perfect late-morning snack to start our day!

You simply take off the lids and bake them at 350 for about 45 minutes. We added some whip cream, as well. Natalie's shrunk down a lot, but Allison's spilled over it was so full. Anyway, they turned out perfect... SO yummy, and the house smelled wonderful. I cannot wait to do these again!

I was lucky to get in a bite; both girls scraped their jars clean! :)

Around the House...

2011-11-05T21:26:00.000-07:00

Many days, just walking around the house I find things that make me laugh.

EXHIBIT A:

EXHIBIT B:

Of course, I wish there were only "pleasant" or "funny" surprises around the house. Every mom knows that a house with little ones means a house with messes! (Especially a homeschooling house with a 2-year-old... ehem, Sierra!)

But, when I went in the bathroom the other day and found the bear on the little potty, I couldn't help but burst out laughing. I realized, as I laughed a deep, fun laugh, that I don't do that enough. Sometimes I get into "Mommy mode," and simply block out the funny to show that I'm serious. Or, I offer a little giggle. Not this time!! My girls heard me laughing, and joined right-in. We had a great laugh together!

It was a little lesson for me. I realized that I really don't let go often enough. And, I decided I am going to make a conscious effort to laugh more, and harder, and deeper with my girls. I am going to try to look for the funny, rather than jump into "Mommy mode." My Grandma is like this. She is 96 years old, and on her last leg. But, she still laughs... and is remembered for her laugh! I want to be like her. I want my girls to remember the joy in me -- not the one who wants the house to be clean above all else. It's good to laugh!

Halloween 2011

2011-11-03T19:36:00.000-07:00

It's only 3 days past Halloween, yet it feels like forever ago, already! As always, we celebrated with some fun new foods and activities, as well as old traditions. This year I couldn't pass-up the box of "Count Chocula" at Target; (mostly because I always wanted to try it when I was a kid, and never did!)

We did a Halloween version of school, including a devotion on Isaiah 46:10 reassuring the girls to "Fear not, For I am with you..." It was a good reminder during some of the spookier houses we came across that night!

We also had fall sudoku, and a new game: "m&m math." It was suppose to be a candy corn game, but Natalie doesn't like candy corn.

I found the game on Pinterest. Basically, it is a very simple game. You roll 2 dice, add up the numbers, and eat the corresponding m&m. I added an extra step of making the girls write-out their problem on a white board.

One activity that I was really looking forward to was the pumpkin flip book; also an activity I found on Pinterest. My girls' reaction?? "This is ok... not so fun." Huh? Funny how these things work out sometimes!

For lunch, I made goofy pumpkin faces. Deviled egg eyes, ham and cheese crescent roll noses, and apple, peanut butter, marshmallow mouths. We also made some guacamole for our orange and black chips. I'm happy to report lunch was a hit!

Dinner was our traditional sloppy joes before hitting the neighborhood. (The girls informed me that they no longer like orange jello, so if anyone wants I have a whole thing in my fridge!) We got kind of a late start, but were still some of the first to hit our block!

Here are our dressed-up girls:

Of course, Sierra makes the perfect lion with her natural mane. Natalie was a beautiful butterfly! And, I was SO proud of Allison for making-up her own costume. I didn't help her one bit. She was an "old-fashioned girl," and very proud of her original self!

Sierra loved going to the doors, and often stood there for a while. She was so funny! I think this will be a favorite time of year for her.

Lots of walking. Lots of fun treats. Way too many fun treats, really. Until next year, Halloween!

Celebrating Sierra

2011-11-03T13:30:00.000-07:00

For the first time ever, I didn't plan a birthday party for one of my girls. And, it felt quite strange! But, we decided our Legoland getaway was a good celebration for Sierra, and that we would have a fun celebration day with the grandparents, as well. Since Sierra is really into horses these days, we started with a trip to the pumpkin patch; (specifically for pony rides!)

Sierra rode one horse named "Oats," and one named "Cookie Monster." Even today, Sierra was asking to go ride Cookie Monster. Despite being totally exhausted, she loved her pony rides!

Of course, the other girls had a blast, as well...

...Goat nibbles and all!!

Rootbeer floats and kettle corn... Yummy!!

Sierra chillin' with Grandma and Grandpa while the big girls...

... JUMPED! (And tried to flip!)

The vendor selling water also let us try some of his watermelon candy corn!

The U.S. Forest service was giving a demonstration on cutting trees. Daniel couldn't leave without paying them a visit. Both girls came home with a stamped piece of wood as their souvenir.

We couldn't keep Sierra awake in the car. Poor thing was out! But, that wasn't the end of her fun day.

Back at home, we made Sierra a birthday cake. I was so unprepared, and had a lone box of white cake mix in my cupboard. After playing around online, I found a recipe for turning white cake into peanut butter cake, and another place had a recipe for nutella frosting. So, that is what we did!

We also carved and painted our pumpkins! Allison carved Ariel, and Natalie painted a castle.

We ate dinner outside, enjoying the beautiful weather!

Finally, came presents. (Forgive the pictures; I apparently had the camera on a funky mode!)

Sierra loved her Barbie horse, and tried to ride it. The funny thing is, it didn't work too well. It would walk a few steps and then fall. But, that was Sierra's favorite part. She loved watching it fall!

The cake turned out ok... I wasn't a huge fan of the Nutella frosting. But, it was a great way to end a busy, fun day! Sierra... you are a precious gift to our family, and we are so in love with our little curly-haired 2-year-old!

It's A...

2011-11-03T07:00:00.000-07:00

... BOY! Did I tell you we were having a boy? Well, it was suppose to be a surprise; for all of us! Unfortunately, the technician blew-it. She made it quite obvious. "Wow, look at that! Are you sure you don't want to know? Look at his ** um ** it's leg!"

Yes, she blew it! But, we still waited 7 more weeks (in torture) before we decided to find out for sure. The second technician confirmed it. "Yup -- there's the turtle!" To be honest, it's been so much fun to think of my son. I'm loving telling one person at a time the exciting news and seeing their reaction.

When I told my sweet friends Kelly and Tricia the fun news, I was offered a little boy shower. I can't think of 2 more creative, generous, and prayerful friends... truly, they should be professional party planners! I did feel a little funny saying yes; after all, it's my 4th baby! But, I am so glad I did... these ladies blessed my socks off!

Here I am with my sweet friends:

It was a beautiful breakfast with fun, original games, awesome food, and a wonderful devotion/ prayer time. The theme was "trains;" both for little boys, as well as "train up your child in the way he should go..." from Proverbs 22:7. (I told you they are super creative!)

My favorite game was "Boy mom in training." I was asked questions such as "Name as many 'Cars' and 'Thomas the Train' figures as you can." -Or- "Scenario: you're playing and your son shoots you -- give your best dramatic death." Hilarious! So creative! (This girl mom didn't do so well!)

As I mentioned before, we also had a wonderful prayer/ devotion time. God filled my love-tank big time! I feel so refreshed -- and that perhaps I can do this! I am one blessed Mommy! A huge thank-you to ALL my wonderful friends!

Speaking of thank-you's... time for me to go write some cards!!

Happy 2nd Birthday, Sierra!

2011-11-01T21:06:00.000-07:00

It's been a BUSY weekend.... a long weekend... and a very fun weekend! Baby shower, birthday party, grandparents visiting, Halloween, pumpkin patch... ok, I am exhausted just listing it all. Honestly, I am exhausted anyway! I don't remember being this tired my first 3 pregnancies. I am sure I was, but right now I am beat! I can't wait to blog it all. For now, enjoy this picture of my little sweetie who is 2 years old tomorrow!!!!

Happy birthday, precious Sierra!

Legoland... again!

2011-10-27T13:38:00.001-07:00

Weather: 70 degrees and overcast
+
Admission for family of 5: $42 (2 free adults, 1 free toddler, and 2 homeschool special kids)
__________________________________________________________
PERFECT DAY!!

Sierra is now exactly 34 inches; the minimum height for most of the rides. Thank goodness!

Sierra was a little nervous at first getting on most of the rides, but loved them once they were going. After all, she had her Papa to keep her safe!

Allison was finally too old for the little driving school, and moved up to the 6 - 12-year-old course. What a crack-up! I had to joke with Daniel that she got the Asian female driving genes. :)

We did a few new things this time, including watching a show. The girls now want to name our baby after the show's funniest character!

Oh my... I see the fatigue in my eyes!

Allison also reached a height milestone this time; 48 inches! Just tall enough to ride by herself... (or with the her sister and no adult!)

Ok, so I've always hated the swinging ship ride. Here they have a swinging AND turning ship. Just watching it makes me nauseous. I was shocked to see the height limit allowed for Sierra to ride. I tried to save my poor baby, but her daddy insisted. Both she and Natalie had the look of death when the ride started, and decided they would never do that again. Allison, on the other hand... not usually our daredevil... but look at her! Who knew what turning 6 would do!

Poor Sierra SO wanted to ride a horsie... I remember when Natalie was her age and she just cried and cried because she couldn't ride a horse. At least Sierra spared us the tears, but she did give me an idea for her birthday gift coming up!

Truly, it was a wonderful day. We finished it off with some apple fries, then headed home where all 3 conked out in the car. It's weird to think this was our last getaway as a family of 5! But, I am soooo excited to meet Yehbie #4!

San Diego Day at the Beach

2011-10-26T08:10:00.000-07:00

I'm sure you've noticed by now, (if you've been reading this blog for a while), that San Diego is one of our favorite getaway spots. We're usually down there twice a year for a little mini-vacation. (Not sure you can call a vacation with little ones "r and r," but they're certainly fun, none-the-less).

We arrived around lunch time, and stopped at a Burger King, which also happened to be next to a frozen yogurt spot. We're huge froyo fans, so this seemed perfect. The funny thing is, our girls are not huge fast food fans, and had never been to a BK before. Allison said many times that it was the best lunch ever, and we needed to come here every time we go to San Diego. Daniel and I looked at each other and smiled!

After lunch, we dropped our stuff off at the hotel, then came straight to the beach. It was overcast, but not too chilly. If you ask me, it was the perfect weather!

Allison wasted no time running into the water. Now that seemed a little too cold for me; not-to-mention, I would be a whale in a swimsuit right now!

Natalie followed right after...

And Sierra was not too far behind! As you'll see from the pictures below, Sierra was quite happy to be at the beach; even if it meant skipping her nap! (Or, especially because it meant skipping her nap, I should say!)

Daniel decided he was going to build a giant butterfly. In digging, he discovered something even better: sand crabs! That began a wonderful search which turned up more and more crabs... and even some worms! I think they spent the next hour digging away. We had dozens! Even Allison and Natalie were able to catch some themselves!

I gave Natalie the camera to take a picture of me... she was so proud! But, alas, I couldn't post it. I really am feeling quite like a beached whale these days. Just over a month to go! Legoland pics to come...

In case you were wondering...

2011-10-25T21:38:00.000-07:00

...where we've been, we went on a little min-vacation this past weekend. Want to know where? Here is your clue:

As we were leaving the hotel, Daniel brought me this note he found in Allison's room. She and Natalie had actually written several notes; all were precious! They had such fun, and did a great job. I think it was the best hotel stay we've ever had -- not one single cry during the night! Anyway, I'll reveal the destination tomorrow. For now, I'd love to hear your guesses. :)

Spontaneous School...

2011-10-21T21:08:00.000-07:00

Friday morning was another glorious overcast fall morning. To be honest, I wasn't as prepared for school as I would have liked. So, we started with a tea party. I usually ask the girls what kind they want, but this time I had it ready for them when they came down for school... along with cookies at 8:30am. (Sometimes it's just fun to surprise them; and they were pleasantly surprised and ready for school!)

We always start with our Bible verse and devotions, and then move on to history. Allison is my history girl. She loves it, and never misses a beat. (That's my girl!) On this particular day, we read about the pilgrims putting up the frames of their homes. Here's where the spontanaeity comes in... I grabbed some straws, gave them tape, and told them to build a frame like the pilgrims. They enjoyed it so much, we pulled out the popsicle sticks and did the whole house.

Allison was beyond excited. She must have asked me 20 times if this was the most fun I had ever had. ** big smiles**

Meanwhile, Natalie was in her element. She drew pictures of pilgrims and colored them in for Allison to cut out and use as puppets for the new house. She used one of her "Draw, Write Now" books, and did an amazing job!

Both girls spent the afternoon painting their house. Sometimes spontanaeity is the best!

Canvas Art and a Baby Shower!

2011-10-21T13:32:00.000-07:00

So, how did this begin? A dear friend of mine left a comment on my blog about how much she liked the "Oh How He Loves Us" canvas painting. So, I told her to come over and make one! We hardly ever get to see each other, but every time we do I feel so refreshed and joyful. She is the type of person who always encourages you and makes you feel special... the kind that even after a full day together, you think, "That wasn't enough time!"

So, I bought 6 more canvases and we had a blast. I was amazed at how well the girls did! (We had an extra girl over, as well, while her mommy was out to lunch!) Each girl picked a picture from a coloring book as Melissa and I drew it in pencil, and then they painted them. Surprisingly, my girls had less patience this time. Perhaps the newness wore off... but they still had a blast!

The other 2 girls put a lot of time and effort into theirs.

And, here are the results:

Allison: "Orange Blossom"
Courtney: "Hello Kitty"
Ella: "Hello Kitty"
Natalie: "Unicorn inside heart"

I was enjoying my company far too much to work on my painting. I wanted to do something for my friend's baby shower on Saturday. I began my work around 9:15pm on Friday night, and finished by 1:00am! Dr. Pepper saved the day. I was able to listen to some homeschooling conference cd's I'd been wanting to hear, and just enjoyed he peace of the night; it was wonderful!

And, here is the beautiful mama to be:

It was a beautiful shower with some of my favorite people! Looking forward to more opportunities to be creative!

Daisies and Magnolia seeds...

2011-10-20T19:56:00.000-07:00

This post is brought to you by the colors yellow, as in yellow daisies, and red, as in red magnolia seeds. Finally, our cooler, (though still not too cool), fall weather has returned. Luckily, I had a crockpot meal from pinterest simmering in the kitchen, so I was able to enjoy a late afternoon/ early evening out on the front porch with my girlies! They spent a LONG time decorating our porch with yellow daisies (see above), and red magnolia seeds, (see below).

They commented over and over and over how much they love fall... Yes, they must be my girls!

Random Life...

2011-10-17T20:38:00.000-07:00

This post may more appropriately be called "Why I blog." As you may have noticed, I take pictures. Daily. A LOT of pictures. Believe it or not, I don't even post all my pictures. Nor do I take pictures of all my homeschool activities, as it would take up most of this blog. None-the-less, I take a lot of pictures... Here are some examples of things that didn't even make it into the blog this past week; (until now!):

Our girls, along with our neighbor, making a rabbit trail of lettuce for the rabbits.

Sierra picking flowers for the slide.

The big girls taking delight in setting the table, (including centerpieces and folded napkins!)

Chilling on the couch; a rare 3 smiles all looking at me!

An organic brown vs. standard white egg taste test via Daniel who insists the difference is great enough to justify the price difference.

Finding inspiration in our Halloween books to draw and then paint Halloween pictures outside.

Swimming with friends... (Yes, the pool is way too cold, and the kids are crazy!)

Having a rummage sale. (Not really!)

Coloring by lamp light.

You see, none of these is really an "extra special" occasion. I'm not sure anyone else would care to read about them or see them... other than Grandma, of course. But, for me they are priceless. These are the simple, every day things that warm my heart. By blogging, I am preserving these memories. I am taking lots of pictures and attempting to be creative with my photography. I am cherishing the simple, every day moments. I am filled with gratitude as I record how blessed we really are. I see past the messes and screams that rarely make it into the blog. I look back and see how the kids have grown and matured both physically, mentally, and spiritually.

I am not pretending to have it all together. I don't purposely make it look like we are perfect... because, of course, we are not! But, I do choose to see the positive. I would almost say blogging for me is therapy. It forces me to reflect, encourages me to make the effort for things I may not have otherwise tried, allows me to be creative, and provides a record of recipes, games, and crafts for me to look back on and try again. I am so thankful for this outlet! Thanks for reading!

Oh... and, in case you were wondering, the girls thought the organic brown eggs tasted better. (I still couldn't tell the difference!)

Pumpkin Ice Cream

2011-10-14T19:16:00.000-07:00

Happy Family Fun Friday! What do you do when October gives you 100 degree weather? Make pumpkin ice cream, of course! And, while I personally am not pumpkin'd out at all, unfortunately my family is. I may need to take a break from all things pumpkin... or else trade-in my family. I think I'll go with option A!

As we learned the first time making this super simple type of ice cream, it's always best to do the shaking outside!

And, even though they claim to be pumpkin'd out, they certainly seemed to enjoy this special treat! Although, Allison did only eat half of her bowl...

Here's my fellow pumpkin-lover:

Once Allison gave-up her ice cream, she traded it for the camera...

Finally, here's what happens when you try to take a bite of Sierra's ice cream:

Oh, so sad. I couldn't resist taking a picture! You see, her last bite of ice cream had melted, so she reached into Natalie's bowl. When I picked up her bowl and ate her last bite, I devastated her world. It was all over. Natalie even gave up her own bowl, but it was too late - Sierra would have none of it. Oh, the rough life of an (almost) 2-year-old!

Truly, I thought it was delicious and simple! Here's what I did:

Pumpkin Ice Cream:

1 1/2 cups half and half
4 Tablespoons sugar
2 1/2 Tablespoons pumpkin puree
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
red and yellow food coloring (optional)

Put all ingredients in a quart-size ziplock bag. Fill a gallon-size ziplock bag half full of ice, and add 1/2 cup coarse salt. Put smaller bag into larger bag, go outside, and shake away for 5 minutes. That's it! I promise! Hope your weather is a bit cooler than ours, but enjoy anyway!

Pumpkin'd Out?

2011-10-13T21:45:00.000-07:00

That's the question my husband asked me when he walked in the door from work, yesterday. (Apparently, he's been reading the blog! :) ) Luckily, it didn't stop him from bringing home a pumpkin bundt cake! (Yes, I blame him for all my excess baby weight... and the lure of pumpkins in the fall... and Claremont... ok, perhaps I'm to blame?)

Anyway, we enjoyed a yummy pumpkin bundt cake with cream cheese frosting for our mid-morning snack today. Yes, I said "we" because I actually decided to share with Natalie and Sierra today. Sadly, Miss Allison is not a huge pumpkin fan. Or, not so sadly as I enjoyed a larger piece than my other girlies.

And, I am still not done with pumpkin! I'll show you what else we decided to do with pumpkin... tomorrow!

Pumpkin Muffins

2011-10-12T08:08:00.000-07:00

Yes, we're still going pumpkin crazy over here... despite the near 100 degree heat projected for today and tomorrow! I've posted the recipe before... you can find it here. Happy pumpkin season!

Salt Dough Fall

2011-10-11T05:49:00.000-07:00

There are so many fun ideas I find online, and I love that I can just throw them on Pinterest now for safe-keeping. However, I try to only pin ideas that I truly think I will do! So far I've tried a few recipes, and a few crafts. Here's one we tried recently:

Salt Dough. So, so simple! I bet you can memorize this recipe. Ready?
1 cup salt
1 cup flour
1 cup luke warm water

Unfortunately for me, the dough came out a bit runny, so I just added a little more salt and flour. Once I thought the consistency was right, we had to let the dough sit for 1/2 hour. (Well, that's what the recipe said to do.... perhaps you could get away with it, but I made my girls wait!)

They had so much fun making Halloween "ornaments." Meanwhile, Sierra was given the pumpkin playdough to play with. Even that didn't last long, but she got 3 minutes of joy from it!

Next, came another hard part... waiting. The directions had you bake at 250 for 3 hours or so. So, I promised the girls we would paint them the next day.

True story:
We were doing school today when it came time to do reading. As usual, I sent Allison to her desk for spelling while I sat on the couch to read a little "Bob book" with Natalie. The couch seems to have powers of its own in the afternoon. Suddenly, I couldn't keep my eyes open. At least 3 different times, I dropped the book and realized I had fallen asleep; I had even begun to dream! I'm not sure Natalie noticed me falling asleep, but she did laugh and think it was quite funny when I would drop the book!

Anyway, we finally made it through the book. I told Natalie to go practice her handwriting, and I told Allison I would take a brief nap before reading with her. Seconds later, I was gone. I awoke to find this:

The girls had painted the ornaments themselves. They did a great job! I was very impressed. But, that is why I have no pictures of them doing it! Speaking of sleep...

Beautiful Fall Weather!

2011-10-10T21:00:00.000-07:00

What a gorgeous fall we've been having! The weather has inspired us to be outdoors as much as possible.

Saturday Daniel was working, so I took the girls to the duck and turtle pond. We hadn't been in a while, so it was the perfect opportunity!

Allison and Natalie love runnning down the big hill, while Sierra prefers to run after the ducks!

We also spent tthe day Daniel was home working on our yard. Our poor little apricot tree finally got planted, along with a new lemon tree. We even cleaned out our front porch for the first time since moving here. Oh, how good it feels!

This week it's suppose to get back up to the 90's... but at least it still cools off at night! Looking forward to more gorgeous fall days!

Pumpkin Pie Crepes

2011-10-10T07:46:00.000-07:00

Ok, so these weren't the best pictures. Personally, I like blogs with pictures best, so even if they're not the greatest, I tend to post them! Anyway, we made pumpkin pie crepes for breakfast this past weekend. Oh, yummy! I've found a new fall favorite! I literally just took the pumpkin pie mix right out of the can, squirted on some whipping cream, and rolled them up onto fresh hot crepes...

Natalie was a huge fan, too! I love that she loves all things pumpkin with me. If you have a crepe pan, I insist you try these. If not, come over and I will make them for you. They are that good!

Mission Accomplished!

2011-10-08T21:47:00.000-07:00

When we began looking at houses back in May, I had a goal: get moved-in and unpacked in time to put-up my fall decor. It was a lofty goal: could we even find a house by then? Of course, I wanted a house with a pool as well in time to enjoy for the summer. Well...

We fell in love with the first house we looked at. We put in an offer. We closed escrow just 3 days into summer. We have thoroughly enjoyed the pool. And, as for the decor... we were all decorated by the first day of fall! I'm feeling so blessed! We still have a lot of little projects, of course... but I'm still feeling super blessed!

They Came!

2011-10-08T21:25:00.000-07:00

Last Wednesday, our long-awaited package finally arrived from Amazon; "real" Bibles for the big girls! (Side note: it was not Amazon's fault that it took so long, but really mine and Daniel's, as we couldn't decide which one to buy!) We decided to go with the NLT since that is the version I use and it seems easiest for the girls.

They have been THRILLED! Natalie wants to read it every day instead of her school books. Allison is reading hers all the time, too. It is so fun for me to see them this way about a Bible! May it last forever! :)

Signed,
Proud Mama

Pumpkin Waffle Recipe

2011-10-06T21:52:00.000-07:00

Pumpkin Waffles, (from Family Fun... these are the best!)

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup canned pumpkin

Instructions

Set up the waffle iron on a countertop or table within easy reach of the cook. Plug in the iron to preheat it. (Remind your child never to touch the surface of the iron; she should touch only the handle and always cook with adult supervision.)
In a medium-size mixing bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, melted butter, and pumpkin. Pour the wet ingredients over the flour mixture and stir just until combined.
Coat the preheated waffle iron with cooking spray. Pour the waffle batter onto the center of each section of the iron. (You will need 1/4 to 3/4 cup of batter for each waffle.)
Cook the waffles for about 4 to 5 minutes or until they are crispy and light brown. (Read the manufacturer's directions for details about how long you should cook the waffles in your particular waffle iron.) Serve immediately with maple syrup and butter. Serves 4.

RAINY Day

2011-10-05T16:10:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not, these pictures were taken THREE days ago! Yes, it was warm enough to swim... well, at least the kids thought so. (The pool was a bit chilly for me!) We could hardly believe there was rain in the forecast. But, alas...

Today it came! And, the girls LOVED it. And, I LOVED it! They came downstairs all dressed in warm clothes once again, and immediately asked to go outside. Wet clothes = wet floors... sigh... "Sure, you can go outside!"

The girls tromped around for a good 20 minutes, and then decided they needed to warm-up. What better way to enjoy this rainy day than our first hot chocolate of the season?

Sierra did great with her first-ever hot chocolate!

One of the reasons I love homeschooling is rainy days. We didn't have to rush out of the house; we put on our cozy slippers and jumped right into school after our jaunt outside and hot chocolate warm-up. Both girls sat on my lap to do their reading, and I just held them tight, looking outside, so thankful for this time.

We also studied a little about underwater creatures for our science exploration, and then I had the girls do an art project about the sea star and sea urchin. They had to figure out themselves how to give the creatures texture. They chose salt for the sea star and toothpicks for the urchin. I was so impressed! Happy rainy day!

BUSY Day!

2011-10-04T20:50:00.000-07:00

It was a glorious fall day! High of 70 degrees... rolling clouds... blue and gray skies... And, best of all, we started up with our cooking class again, today!

There's nowhere else in Southern California I'd rather be on a day like this than Claremont! This year, both Natalie and Allison are doing cooking. (I must say, I missed having my little artist/ photographer with me, but she loved her class!)

Like the outfits? I had to laugh; I told them to dress warm, and this is what they came up with! Can someone say "Punky Brewster?"

Sierra was a fun companion this year. We watched for a little while, then headed to the toy store. As always, her favorite was the stuffed animals. We also went to the bakery to get some fresh bread to go with the homemade lasagna that was in our crockpot at home, along with some pumpkin cookies for the girls' secret sisters at Keepers of the Home.

Meanwhile, the girls made some Halloween-themed treats including "eye of gnewts," and "candy corn parfait."

Sierra was lucky her big sister Allison decided to share her candy corn parfait!

We got home with just under 2 hours before Keepers of the Home. The girls didn't need lunch since they ate at cooking class, so we decorated bags for our coookies and drew pictures for our secret sisters.

Littlest one decided she would talk in her crib the entire time instead of napping, so she came out for the last 10 minutes to do some decorating of her own. FYI, Sierra LOVES glue!

The girls came home from Keepers and were SO excited to see Uncle Gary and Aunt Carol had come for a visit. They were down from Montana, and the girls didn't even remember the one time they had met them before, but it didn't matter... they were family, and the girls were thrilled!
They came bearing gifts, including Halloween crafts for the kids, and Huckleberry jam for mommy. Time to make some crepes tomorrow!

We had a lovely dinner, another pear pie and pumpkin lattes for dessert, and then fun time! The girls made bracelets and headbands from their new pipe cleaners. Even Sierra was so excited, she kept saying, "Cawol -- Uncle Gawy!" My heart was just bursting!

Lovin' this weather... lovin' my family...

Halloween Painted Rocks

2011-10-03T21:53:00.000-07:00

Q: What do you do when your kids are asking for a fall craft and you don't have time for anything elaborate?

A: Let them paint rocks!

We brainstormed lots of options, and even looked through some books for ideas. I shouldn't have said the words, "candy corn" out loud, because then Sierra pointed to the real deal, and was done painting!

Finally, display them in a bowl for them to feel proud!

Once Again...

2011-10-02T19:30:00.000-07:00

Oh, Trader Joes... I will blame you for all my excess pregnancy weight! Just read that package; dark chocolate, peanut butter, wafers, crunchy, creamy, salty, sweet... I know I bragged about my clean house and trimmed yard yesterday; I spoke too soon. I didn't realize I had 5 loads of laundry piled-up to do tonight. Thank goodness for these awesome cookies, and "The Amazing Race!"

Goodbye, Summer!

2011-10-01T13:55:00.000-07:00

Happy October! Let's see... the house is clean, the lawn is mowed, the pool is clean, and we even decorated for fall! This is a rare day, indeed! Even though it is officially fall, there is still some summer left in the air and we are enjoying a few of the summer perks, such as the ice cream truck!

I sent the girls out by themselves and let them pay, as I watched from the door. It was a little surreal to watch!

...And, evening popsicles and playtime on the Yehground. All too soon it will be too cold and dark to go out after dinner. Even now, there is a hint of chill in the air, that just warms my heart!

Swinging, sliding, imagining, blowing bubbles, picking flowers... I usually opt for these at night, rather than dishes. Sure, the dishes are waiting for me once the girls go to bed. But, there's something in the cool fall evening air that gives me such joy that the dishes don't seem that bad! Oh fall evenings, welcome!

Fair 2011, Take 2!

2011-09-30T16:51:00.000-07:00

We did it... again! Today was actually the last day of the fair, so it was a lot more crowded. But, despite the crowds I actually enjoyed the fair a bit more this time. For one, it was a lot cooler! Secondly, we were able to go on more rides and see more new things. At the same time, we still spent a good portion of the morning at our favorite spot; the big red barn! This is how I feel about now:

Sierra was a lot more excited and a lot less nervous this time, as well.

Enjoying our chocolate and strawberry milk:

We decided to do the goat milking this time around. Only Allison wanted to actually get in the line and milk...

The petting zoo:

Just look how comfortable Sierra was this time:

We decided to splurge and buy lunch this time. I was thrilled; it smelled SO yummy! And, it didn't disappoint. After lunch, it was ride time!

We finished the day with a few exhibits. Here they are with the dinosaurs!

Until next year, fair!

Canvas Painting Part 2!

2011-09-29T20:54:00.001-07:00

My turn! I told the girls I had been wanting to paint canvases, as well... they asked me to join them, but I didn't want to start something I couldn't finish; (when Sierra woke-up it would be all over!) So, last night once the kitchen was clean and I was (somewhat) prepared for school, I decided to go for it! I turned on "Focus on the Family," prepared an iced coffee, and thoroughly enjoyed my evening of creativity!

The first canvas was inspired by something I found on Pinterest. You can see my inspiration here. The second painting I knew I wanted to do an elephant. I also wanted it to "match" the first painting. I just sort of went for it... decided to add a bird... then finished with the "tweet." I'm happy with the results, but not sure if 2 canvases is enough or if I should do a third. Either way, I will show you pictures of the finished nursery very soon. It's almost done!