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!   

Two Other Men in My Life

This would be my oldest and my youngest!

 

I'm thankful for the 3 year, 9 month, and 6 day gap between them...

 

Why?

  

Because these two are crazy and LOUD!

  

I can't imagine having them back to back... 

 

God was kind in giving me an "in-between" break with Parker!

  

Isaac and Blake have very similar personalities...

  

They both had many expressions from week one! 

 

They were my "smaller" babies yet, they never acted like newborns...

  

Super alert!

  

Turn on a video camera now and they start performing. Their volume, especially together, is deafening!

  

They feed off of each other and already have competitions for who can be the loudest!

  

They also compete to be louder than the blender and the vacuum! As if that noise isn't enough... 

 

They both have a hard time holding still but, if you sit and read a book with them, you have to poke them to make sure they're still alive. 

 

They have great focus!

  

They both love animals.

Blake tries to eat anything with fur!

Thankfully his ear piercing squeal usually scares the live ones away...

I hate pulling hair balls from his mouth!

  

The other day I asked Isaac what it was that I tell him the most. He thought for about two seconds and said, "To be calm!"  

 

At school he is working on using his inside voice! 

 

They both play with their hair... All. The. Time!

Which is why you will find food in it. They also use their head as a napkin!

  

They take turns blowing raspberries on each other's tummy!

 

  

They light up when they see each other! I love the special bond they have!

 

 

My Middle Man

 

This would be my middle child 

 

From the womb he was different from his brothers...

 

Unique!

 

He doesn't have the volume they have...

 

Thankfully!

 

He's quieter...

 

A thinker...

 

I'll do it on my own kind of kid!

 

But, he is jam packed with personality!!!

 

He is never Parker James...

 

Usually he's Peter Parker!

 

 Or a Ninja Turtle, Power Ranger, Super Hero, Star Wars guy, Buzz, Woody, The Hulk, Peter Pan, Batman...

 

You get the picture!

 

He is quick to forgive and move on...

 

As well as not sulk in his mistakes!

Parker is the first up in the morning but, the last to get dressed. He's the first to get in the car but, the last to get buckled. He makes the biggest messes and has the hardest time cleaning up. If we're down stairs he wants to go potty up stairs. At dinner he says he's tired and at bedtime he says he's hungry. He doesn't care for animals and I think he hides his toys and then asks for them at bedtime just so I'll go in search for it!

 

I am so thankful for this little guy! Or should I say big guy... He's almost three!!!

 

Blake's BIG Phone Call

I knew this day would come. Besides, all families with little kids experience this type of thing at least once... It's kind of like a right of passage. The pounding heart, shaking hands, confusion, disbelief, embarrassment... How boring life would be without these unexpected twists and turns!

When the boys woke up Saturday morning, they all climbed into bed with me. Shaun was working so it was a special cuddle time just with my little ones. Blake was the first to want down but, when he found the house phone he was totally entertained with the lights and sounds. If it had been a play phone he wouldn't have cared for it! How do they know the difference!?! He played with it for about five minutes and when I heard ringing I figured he needed to be done. I quickly hung it up and set it aside. However, when it rang probably 20 seconds later I just let it go. I didn't feel like explaining that I let my child play with the phone so I could stay in bed a few extra minutes!

As I laid there I wondered who he might have called and if I should have answered that call back. At that exact moment, there was a LOUD banging on the front door. I panicked and jumped out of bed. I told the big boys to stay where they were and to watch Blake. Before I could get to the door there was more banging and ringing of the door bell. Freaked out I answered the door (we have a security door so I still felt save). Two men in uniform where standing there... Cops. They quickly asked, "Did someone call 911?"

I felt soooo bad! I opened the security door and apologized over and over. I told them that my son must have found the phone (of course I wasn't going to tell them that I GAVE it to him. But of course I NEVER thought he would have figured out 911)! They were very nice and understood. They did ask how old he was and when I told them almost 14 months they kind of chuckled. Can't lecture a kid that young about calling 911.

It ended up being a great teaching moment for Isaac. It was safety week a few weeks ago at school and he came home and tried calling 911. The teachers informed us what they were learning so I was waiting for it. Thankfully he practiced on wall phones at school. We have a portable one and you have to press talk first. I walked him through it then and this time he got to see that people really do show up to help. :)

This is where I like to see my boys. All together in one place, loving on each other! One of me makes it hard when they're all over the house!

Elevators are for Wimps

Shaun hates when people find out that he's a fireman and then call him a hero. He doesn't do it for the attention, he does it because he has a servant's heart. At least that's what I think. He says he does it because he likes it... Not for the glory! A lot is expected of firemen when it comes to the community (besides on duty calls). See, Shaun doesn't just go to work and then sit back and relax on his days off... No, he's still out serving the public. Fill the Boot. Make a Child Smile. Serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner to whoever, whenever. Climbing to the top of buildings in FULL gear! Wait... What?

 

  

The YMCA has a fundraiser in downtown LA every year and they always ask for support from the firemen and police men. The US Bank is the tallest building west of the Mississippi (like 76 floors) and people rally together and climb to the top. Shaun has participated in past years but, this is the first time I have been able to join him. I'm soooo glad I was able to go! The guys were hilarious as they were trying to pump each other up. energy bars and drinks were in hand! I followed them around and secretly watched all the young, pretty girls watch them. The guys would ask me to take a picture and I'd see random girls pull out their smart phones and snap a picture too!  It was also funny to see people in normal work out pants, that had just finished the climb, hold back their huffing and puffing when the fireman passed them! Believe me public... These guys were DONE when they hit the top floor! They want the fire wives to do it next year. I think I'll pass!

 

Our view as we drove into LA. Shaun took a deep breath when he saw his building trying to hide behind all the other ones.

The guys enjoying their last few minutes before they had to throw on their gear and start hiking!

So glad this isn't my job!

So proud of my man!

La Jolla

The Fullertons were in town from Arizona so we met them at La Jolla for the day. It's not a beach we go to often but, that's going to change... We loved it! So much to see and do! Caves and sea lions were an added plus for my boys. It was a perfect day (which I guess is normal for the coast) and if our boys didn't have afternoon meltdowns, we would have stayed til sunset!

 

Most of these pictures are blurry due to a broken lense. That's why I put them in the collages. You can't really tell that they're not clear when they're little... Thankfully a new one is on it's way!

I thought this is where Blake would spend most of his time so I didn't bother bringing his swim gear... Boy was I soooo wrong...

All this crazy kid wanted was to be swallowed up by the waves! It was  quite the distance from where we set up to where the water started but, he made a dash for that ocean and screamed every time I rescued him from a wave. He was having the time of his life. One lady even walked over to me and said, "I'll help you keep him from drowning!" Apparently my last second saves made her nervous!

Digging for crabs and jumping over waves.

My boys loved having Kyle and Ryan to follow around!

Rub-a-dub-dub, first time in the tub!

I just found this in my draft section of my blog posts. It's about 12 months and three weeks late but, I figured it was still worth posting. It's amazing that not too long ago Blake was this small! As I rocked him to sleep tonight I almost started crying. He's lost that itty bitty baby smell (tonight at the playground he definitely smelled like a boy) and my arms started aching because he's put on about 15 pounds since birth! I love watching my boys grow up... I just wish that every once in a while I could press a button and they could be tiny again. five minutes, that's all I need! No talking, just coos and little grunts! I miss the little sounds... There are no little sounds in our house anymore!

 Not. Even. Close!  

 

 

They all look so little!

 

So fresh and so clean, clean!

His hair looks dark (and a little curly) here but in the sun it has a slight redish tint. Two days before he was born I dreamed that he would be strawberry blonde.

Traumatized!