Overflowing

Blogging has become a little overwhelming. Seeing as how my blog is my journal, record keeper, scrapbook, the place I go to reflect, etc. AND the fact that I print it at the end of every year, I want to be able to post about everything we do! However, I just can't keep up with our busy schedule and, in the meantime, it doesn't allow me to write about the little special moments. I'm trying too hard to record all the big stuff. When the boys grow up I want them to see all that we were able to do while they were young but, it's just not working. Therefore, I'm going to lift the weight off my shoulders and let it be ok if I don't get to every event in our lives. I want to take this blog to the next level... Go a little deeper... More reflection and thoughts. Disneyland and Sea World just aren't cutting it anymore! I'm sure there will still be some "fluff" but, I want to record more of my heart... Or something like that!

 

Soooo, here's going out with a bang... A few places we've been in the past week or two...

 

Arizona

Shaun works Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve so I figured October was our last chance to get to Arizona in 2012. We left Shaun home to work and the boys and I boarded a plane and took off. It was my first time flying with all three by myself. It was a lot of work keeping them all busy and happy but, I survived.

 

Mummu and Iso with their four grandsons. Their fifth, Landon James, will be here in February!

 

The cousins and Ryker. He blends right in!

(Ryker will be a big brother, to a little brother, any day now)

Matching shirts from Kauai, Hawaii!

The boys had their first birthday celebration!

Tati and Uncle Mike  putting together their presents for the boys. Mikey the Ninja Turtle's skate board and a transformer!

This little man did a lot of solo standing... But that's it... Still not walking!

 Mummu gave him his second big hair cut! He grew a few months over night! Thankfully it is still curly! 

 

 

Pretend City

This is the BEST place for little people! The last time we went was over two years ago. We were due for another trip. Adriana and her kids (Kylie and Jeremiah) and Emily and Andy and their kids (Aubrey and Anya) came with us. So much better with friends! The kids had a blast creating, running, dancing, building, driving, and laughing!

 

This picture IS our family exactly! Isaac looking at the camera, Blake distracted, and Parker rolling away not even caring!

I had way too many photos to choose from!

What our family would look like if we had four kids... Cause it would be another boy! Duh!

"Will always smile for the camera" Isaac

"Three pictures is all your getting of me" Parker

"I'm gorgeous and I know it" Blake

 

 

Trunk or Treat

Every Friday before Halloween, the boys get their hand made costumes! And every year Ammah out does herself and makes these boys light up! This years theme was Peter Pan. I couldn't get Isaac to wear the wig (because it was too girlie for him) but, he played a vicious Captain Hook. Parker, as Peter Pan, was full of happy thoughts and crude remarks to the mean old "codfish." And Blake, one of the lost boys, was the sweetest smelling skunk alive!

 

The church around the corner from us always has a grand celebration so Ammah and I headed over there with the boys! This is our third year going so we've kinda figured out a system on how to beat the crowd... Cause it is CRAZY!!! They play games, jump in bounces houses, and admire all the costumes.  

 

 

Thanks Ammah!!!

  

 

Victoria Gardens

All our husbands were at work so Emily, Adriana, Me, and our seven kids got together. Emily (a friend since college) just moved to Chicago this week to help plant a new church. Yes, she and her husband AND their two kids picked up their comfortable life in Southern California and moved across the county to the freezing cold because God told them to and they were faithful! Wow!

 

I love this picture cause it shows just how crazy we are. Taking this many kids out is no easy task.  

 

Can you spot all seven kids?

 

 

Halloween

This year our church didn't have an event on campus but decided to send it's members out to the neighborhoods. We called it "10/31 @ home." They asked the members to set up a trunk at some one's house, decorate it, and pass out good news tracks with the candy. Our Bible Study group got together and had a pumpkin themed car. We wrote on a pumpkin shaped poster this little message.

 

We are Like Pumpkins:

God picks you from the patch,

brings you in, and washes all the dirt off you.

 

Then he cuts off the top and

scoops out all the yucky stuff.

 

He removes the seeds of doubt, hate, greed, etc.

and then He carves you a new smiling face

and puts His light inside of you

to shine for all the world to see.

-Unknown

 

Halloween is not a holiday that I care for. There are so many gross things about it. I feel like I spend half of October trying to shield my boys from all the blood and guts and scary skeletons people have hanging in front of their houses and store windows. However, after this Halloween, it's going to be one of Isaac's favorite memories. Excitement was charging through his blood as he ran from house to house with some of his best buddies, collecting candy! Seriously, does it get any better than that!? It was dark so I don't have many pictures... And we were trying to keep an eye on all these sugar high kids. Oh the joys of being little! 

 

Isaac, Cassidy, Carson, and Parker

I mean... Captain Hook, Captain America, Super Woman, and Peter Pan

The "Captains"

 

The only smile Hook gave for the camera! Every other picture was in character!

Love Little Red Riding Hood's skirt. She wouldn't look at me but, Addison looked so cute!

 

 

Disneyland

A year at Disneyland has come and gone. While we will not be renewing our passes (due to a 30% price increase), we did end the year on a GOOD note!

 

Shaun took Blake to a play area so I could take the big boys on Peter Pan AGAIN! When we were done we passed through a store just so the boys could look. here's the conversation I had with one of the workers.

 

Worker: Are you finding everything ok?

Me: Oh yes, my boys want everything!

Worker: Is this there first time here?

Me: No. We got season passes for the boys' birthday last year and this is our final trip.

Worker: Is it their birthday today?

Me: No. Well, they're in like two weeks!

Worker: Well lets get them a pin anyways.

(He gives them their birthday pins as well as a tissue for Parker's runny nose. As he is finishing up Parker's pin, Isaac comes over to me with a Mickey lightsaber and lets me know that he REALLY wants it. I ask him to put it back and let him know that we'll have to go ask daddy. Isaac does as I asked)

We thanked him and start to walk out. The worker calls me back and hands me a bag from the store. He tells me, "Happy birthday from Mickey Mouse!" As the boys open the bag and reach inside I almost start to cry. It was two Mickey Mouse lightsabers!!! I couldn't believe it! Isaac and Parker were thrilled and a lady handed me a tissue cause she saw my watery eyes!

We thanked them like crazy now!

We rushed off to show daddy and of course he was shaking his head as we approached because he thought I gave in and bought them for the boys. After I told him the whole story, I turned around and there was the worker handing me a third lightsaber. "I saw you have three," he said and then hurried off! AMAZING!

I'm sad I don't even know his name but, he made a believer out of me! It was so cool!

 

Taken with my iphone cause the zoom lens was way too close!

Of course the highlight was the Peter Pan ride!

The birthday boys!

Isaac knows nothing about the Sword in the Stone so when I told him to go pull the sword out, he really thought it was going to work. He was thrilled thinking he was going to have a new weapon! See, even the last trip brings a first discovery!

 

Thank you Mickey for all the smiles you brought to my boy's faces. Lower your prices and we'd love to come back again! ;)

 

 

 

Ahhhhh! I'm tired! that was a lot. There won't be much to post for a while. Parker and Blake are sick (which meant no homecoming at CBU today and no church tomorrow) and tonight we set our clocks back an hour. It's going to be a loooooooong day tomorrow. Shaun goes to work and the sickies will be up early! Ugh! I'll definitely need to put on my Super Mom cape... Not to mention the mask, gloves, belt, boots, tights, and everything else!