The life of E-I and Baby B

2011-03-06T15:00:00.000-08:00

I don't really blog, nor do I intend to, but I figured I would write down a few thoughts since I'm on here. I absolutely cannot believe it is almost Spring. I love Winter. It's my favorite season, time of year, even Dec 21st is my favorite day of the year, because it ushers in Winter! If I had to order the seasons, they would be as follows: Winter, Autumn, Spring, Summer...and that's at a distant number 4 ranking.

With Spring comes the idea of new birth, new things, Christ's resurrection to give us Easter...what better timing than to realize new things for my own life. I am excited about the changes I see in my future, and for once in my life I am not feeling rushed to get there. I understand that it really does take little steps to get through this transformation of life.

I am so grateful for a fabulous group of friends, strong family ties, memories, and life. A life that's truly worth living. So many people go through life as though it's an existence. But why not live it to the full? I have an amazing friend whom I have known for years that recently reminded me of that. And what's better is that I love Christ - so that relationship alone should be the drive behind my passion to embrace all of life.

Ok, so I will be done. I'm not really good at writing out thoughts, but I also do not have pictures to add because they always go to Facebook first! I will leave with this Bible verse, which has become my "mission" for life:

"Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh. Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you, and revile you, and cast our your name as evil, for the Son of Man's sake. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your reward is great in heaven. For in like manner, their fathers did to the prophets."
Luke 6:20-23

Finally!

2010-11-18T21:17:00.000-08:00

It's been 6 months since I actually added pictures. It is just so much easier to post onto Facebook. But I thought for now I can start by adding Christmas pictures - to set the mood for my absolute favorite time of year!

Brooklyn makes Rice Krispy Treats

2010-05-31T20:02:00.000-07:00

Today was Brooklyn's first time helping make rice krispy treats. She enjoyed it! I love watching my kids bake. I think my favorite part of the experience was when half the bag went on the counter instead of into the bowl. She's so stinkin' adorable.

Painting with pudding

2010-05-21T18:32:00.000-07:00

What started out in a bowl for dessert, quickly went on to a plate for painting sensory time with chocolate pudding. She had it all over! But she thought it was the best time in the world! In the pictures with the huge smile try to imagine the best littly giggle laugh - it really is quite adorable! After the "painting" was done, she needed a bath right away. Elijah was currently in the tub, so she took her first ever bath in the sink. She loved it! And she tried to swim...but as you can see that didn't work out too well!

Family Baking

2010-05-03T18:43:00.000-07:00

Tonight we did some family baking! This was Brooklyn's very first time! We made homemade lowfat banana chocolate chip muffins! (they turned out SUPER yummy)! I love the pictures because they perfectly show how different their personalities truly are! We had fun and Mommy loved every minute of our family time!

Kids singing

2010-03-02T10:26:00.000-08:00

Mommy's little angels

2010-03-02T10:19:00.000-08:00

February 2010

2010-02-28T19:07:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day! Kids loved their presents from Mommy and had a great time at church!

We had a wonderful afternoon with rain and Elijah got the chance to play like crazy! He loved every minute of it!!!

My little ham!

Our day at the zoo! We went with Uncle Jeremiah, Tarah, and Lalia. The kids had a blast. We mainly played in the children's area. Riding the tractor, milking cows, petting zoo, and animal fun!

We went back to Jeremiah's after the zoo and had a BBQ. Elijah helped Uncle Miah. This was his first time "working the grill". He LOVED it. And the cousins had a chance to play.

Outside playtime

2010-01-11T18:14:00.000-08:00

The kids got some MUCH needed outdoor playtime this afternoon. It was 73 degrees and so clear and perfect. Elijah ran around, shot some hoops, and played with his dump truck. Brooklyn ran in circles around one specific plant while holding tightly to a piece of sidewalk chalk. We finished it up by taking a walk to get the mail.

Christmas at our home

2010-01-11T18:10:00.000-08:00

We didn't get back to AZ till January, so we celebrated Christmas at our home in the new year. We started a new "tradition" this year, where they each receive 3 gifts from me - the same as Christ did from the wise men. I'm so excited that my children LOVE to talk about and celebrate the true meaning of Christmas.

Miss B walks!

2009-11-05T19:32:00.000-08:00

Schnepf Farm October 2009

2009-10-22T19:12:00.000-07:00

Today I took the kids with my nieces, Larissa & Isabelle, to Schnepf Farm. The had a blast! The kids got to ride all kinds of rides, walk through a corn maze, did some face painting, went to a candy shop, and got down & dirty in the pumpkin patch! Brooklyn thought it was God's gift to her to crawl through the dirt and be so messy! I enjoyed taking pictures - each child had a different type of fun. Elijah was very brave and rode the roller coaster with Isabelle! Hope you enjoy the pictures of our day!

Art & Playtime Fun

2009-10-20T22:57:00.000-07:00

Today we had a family art day. The goal was to finger paint with orange glitter paint and Mommy would make pumpkins out of the finished product. Brooklyn, as usual, loved the painting part but was extremely upset at the end of art time. She had glitter and paint everywhere. Elijah also worked on some other fall projects, as well as water color painting. He painted circles over and over on the same paper.

I realized that I rarely take pictures of the kids anymore. This isn't for lack of desire - more or less lack of memory and time! I just took some random snapshots of the kids playing this afternoon. Brooklyn started the basket climbing adventure. She often finds mischief in odd places. Elijah is very much into Toy Story right now, so he plays with those toys just about all day!

***She still refuses to walk on her own though she is very capable of doing so! ***

*** Brooklyn enjoys throwing mini fits all day long. I love that I was able to capture this face on camera! ***

Brooklyn's First Ponytail

2009-10-20T22:52:00.000-07:00

As you can see, Brooklyn was THRILLED for Mommy to do her hair! :) She actually kept it in for quite a while! I love the mohawk at the end of the night. Her hair is growing - just at a very slow pace. I've already warned her that when it's longer, she'll have beautiful hairstyles. Hopefully she won't be like Mommy and will allow for her hair to be done!

Brooklyn Turns One!

2009-09-26T16:48:00.000-07:00

In my family we have a birthday tradition that on the morning of your actual birthday, you wake up to cupcakes. You get to eat one with breakfast and can choose to share with the family. Brooklyn however, had brownie bites. And well, you can see what she thought about that!

We were so blessed by the family able to visit for her party. Granma Jean, Auntie Nana, Kristin, and Saith all flew down for the festivities! (We missed you, Grama Trina - we knew your heart was here anyway!)

These 2 pictures are from Brooklyn's first birthday. She opened gifts, loved wrapping paper, and snuggled her baby doll. Everything had to move quickly, but she seemed to enjoy the gifts.

The cake must have been her favorite part! Granma Jean made her a beautiful ladybug cake. She wasn't afraid of digging right in. She absolutely LOVED the frosting. She made a great mess, but far less than the one her brother created when he turned one. Afterwards she was climbing and splashing in the tub. She so very much enjoyed her day!

My precious angel getting her beauty sleep before another party.

We have such an amazing group of friends! Thank you to ALL of you who were able to attend Brooklyn's party~ I am sorry we didn't get to talk much, but it means the world to me that you were there!

Brooklyn doesn't like crowds - not in the least! She clung to me during most of the party and cried at the thought of others being near her. It was so nice to have the playroom for all the kids to play in! At last rough count, we had approx 50 in attendance!

Well, that's the end of first birthday activities! Hopefully I will be better about taking pictures and posting them. Elijah started Itty Bitty Sports today and we have been doing lots of art to decorate for fall! Love to all!

Summertime Fun!

2009-07-28T17:33:00.000-07:00

The kids have been enjoying the summer in spite of our recent move and added stress of life! Elijah is learning how to use scissors, which he is doing a great job and LOVES to cut all paper. The kids wanted to bake chocolate chip cookies - and I think they did a fabulous job! They turned out very yummy! As you can see in one picture, Elijah thought touching the dough was the worst thing ever, so Mommy had to finish his tray. After baking we finished the day catching bubbles with the bubble machine outside. For about 10 minutes. Then we were covered in sweat!

Happy 4th of July!

2009-07-06T21:48:00.000-07:00

We spent the 4th of July with our friends, Becca, Stefan, and Caty. We enjoyed a delicious BBQ and followed it with a trip to the park to watch Caty perform her dance routine. Afterward Brooklyn and I went back to the house and everyone else went out to watch fireworks. I think Brooklyn enjoyed her first 4th of July!

Time for Art!

2009-05-29T22:01:00.000-07:00

We had a fun morning of misc art! Elijah made a collage with things that stick - one side is stickers and one side is glue. He moved on from there to paint with misc art utensils - it's kind of nice for him to have a mommy who taught preschool - he now has tons of supplies! And the last few pictures are of Brooklyn during her first painting experience! The last picture of her crying is not a picture of dislike but rather a fit because Mommy took away the paper and she wanted it back.

Poor Gecko

2009-05-27T11:42:00.000-07:00

Elijah totally put the head of the gecko into the spot for a drill bit and turned it on. I am so proud that he is so creative and inventive. SUCH A BOY!!!

Family Fun at the Zoo

2009-05-27T11:15:00.000-07:00

Monday was such a fun day! We went to the zoo with my sister in law Nora and the cousins! They had a blast. We really didn't see too many animals but had fun on things like the rock wall and water play area. After the zoo we went to Bahama Bucks, which has the best shaved ice around! It's the consistency of snow! They have hundreds of flavor combination choices. Next we went to Ashley Furniture to get some stuff for the new home. Dinner was at Rubios, which has become one of our favorite places to eat - fresh mexican food! The night and temp was so perfect that we ended the day at the park. Elijah totally mastered that little rock wall - he was so excited! Lots of family fun today!

Elijah Rocks Out

2009-05-21T17:48:00.000-07:00

Elijah was totally into the American Idol Finale - he HAD to have his "tar" aka guitar and loves to try and sing along. He was having so so SOOO much fun!

Baby B loves to crawl

2009-05-11T09:39:00.000-07:00

Mother's Day 2009

2009-05-11T08:32:00.000-07:00

This was my first Mother's Day with Brooklyn, and as a Mommy of 2! We had so much fun! After Church we went to Becca and Stefan's house where Becca and I were blessed to leave the 2 older children with Stefan so we could get Pedicures. Brooklyn joined us thanks to this little attachment issue she currently has. For dinner Stefan grilled and later we enjoyed brownie bites and cheesecake. We ended the evening with all 3 kids sleeping and the adults were able to "enjoy" a movie. Let's just say when you rarely get the chance to watch a movie, you don't wish for it to waste 2.5 hours of your life. But this one sure did. Anyway - I am so blessed by my precious angels! I am so very thankful for them each and every day!

Our First Family "Vacation"

2009-05-03T17:00:00.000-07:00

We are so blessed! We had the chance to go to Portland, OR on vacation with Kristin, Brian, and Saith - some of our most favorite people! The kids really enjoyed the trip, though it was clear at the end that they were so ready to be in their own home. We drove down on Monday - the pictures of them sleeping are from the one hour that overlapped where all 3 kids were actually sleeping. Tuesday we went to the Portland Zoo and swimming in the hotel. (PS - the hotel was AMAZING, but, um, the pool - not so much). Wednesday we drove to Newport to go to the Aquarium. This was probably the favorite part for all the kids. Even the "Twini Mini's" were able to see because the fish swam instead of just sitting there staring at them. Each child took turns with the Touch Pool - B tried to pick up the starfish. We tried to take them to the beach but the wind was so strong and the walk was so far down and out that it wasn't worth it this time. We decided that they need to be on a warm beach anyway - like San Diego ... :) Thursday was a bum around day and we all went our separate ways on Friday. I had so much fun - I really look forward to our next vacation with the Loneys!

Horseback Riding!

2009-05-03T16:54:00.000-07:00

B and Elijah had a chance to ride horses with their cousin Tessa. This was Elijah's 2nd time and he acted like he was a pro. B seemed to enjoy the horse as long as it just stood still. She did not really enjoy the walking part.

Easter Fun

2009-05-03T16:44:00.000-07:00

The kids and I spent Easter at my Grandparents' house. Elijah dyed eggs with GG Terry and Great-Great Grandpa Roger. He absolutely had a blast! On Easter morning Grama and Granpa joined us for breakfast (which they made - yum!) and an egg hunt. The yard was muddy so Elijah got a change to try out his rain boots. He was so excited and so deteremined to make sure to find each egg that was his! Brooklyn even had a chance to find her eggs. We just had to put them in a tree so brother couldn't get them.

Easter"ish" Egg Hunt

2009-04-05T21:25:00.000-07:00

Today we did an Easter Dinner and Egg Hunt at Becca's house. The kids were absolutely adorable and had so much fun. Elijah even enjoyed helping sissy find her yellow eggs.

Choo Choo!

2009-04-05T21:22:00.001-07:00

Elijah absolutely loves all kinds of transportation vehicles right now. He was so excited when he saw his very own "choo choo" and loved it even more when Sissy played in it with him.

What a Ham!

2009-04-05T21:19:00.000-07:00

My darling Brooklyn loves to ham it up for the camera. Sometimes she's just too precious for words!

Brooklyn and Catalina

2009-03-30T22:44:00.000-07:00

Brooklyn and cousin Caty, (my Goddaughter / niece), took their first official "cousins" pictures this month. They both had so much fun and look beautiful together!

Homeschool Preschool

2009-03-27T01:25:00.000-07:00

I'm so proud of Elijah! Granma Jean started working with him on lacing in January, and at the time he could, as he says, "push" but not "pull" the string for each bead. Now, he can do both parts and he really enjoys doing it! When picking out a bead Mommy will ask him for a certain color and shape and almost always he gets it right! My little Man is growing up! :(

2009-03-27T01:22:00.000-07:00

Brooklyn tried Pancakes, but really didn't know what to think about them. She used it to teeth for a little while, then threw it on the floor. I love this picture of her sleeping because she's just so squishy / comfy looking!

Elijah plays soccer

2009-03-21T22:52:00.000-07:00

Elijah started playing Itty Bitty Sports through the YMCA today! He has 3 weeks of soccer then 3 weeks of T-Ball. He really seemed to enjoy soccer. He has a very powerful kick, however he felt things could get done faster if he just picked up the ball and threw it. :) When the coach is talking they have to stand with their foot on the ball. He did a great job of this! What a balancing technique. However, most of the kids used all of their attention and focus to do this so they couldn't pay attention to the coach. :) Mommy had a ton of fun playing with Elijah on the field!

Beautiful B

2009-03-21T22:47:00.000-07:00

Brooklyn spent time with Mommy working on picking up the blocks and putting them in the bucket. She did a pretty good job, with the occasional pause to chew on a block. The chewing and chomping finally paid off as she has her first tooth!

Sensory Time

2009-03-21T22:43:00.000-07:00

Elijah and Mommy spent about 45 minutes playing in the lentil sensory tub. He thought this was pretty neat! I am a huge advocate for the use of sensory activities with children. The picture of him buttering bread was when he helped make his grilled cheese sandwish. Don't worry - I removed a bunch of the butter. He has been very interested in helping cook and washes EVERYTHING around the house!

Outdoor fun!

2009-03-16T19:34:00.000-07:00

Elijah has a new bike! He loves "riding" on it. We are working on trying to learn to pedal the bike without Mommy's help. He wasn't very excited about having to wear the helmet, but when Mommy said he couldn't ride without it, he started singing a different tune! He also has a new bubble blower, and I love the random pictures of him playing. My 2 favorite ones are: 1 - in the bush - if you enlarge the picture you can see he's trying to dig out a bubble and 2 - the picture where he's crouched down next to the machine and tyring to figure out how it works. Now he's "riding" the bike in the house and trying to not ride over sissy!

Sitting on my own!

2009-03-16T19:26:00.000-07:00

Brooklyn is doing a great job of learning to sit on her own! She still wobbles a little, but she loves to sit up!

Cousins!

2009-03-16T19:21:00.000-07:00

On Saturday my kids had fun playing with their cousins. There wasn't too much free time to take pictures, but the girls were so cute together. I love the picture of the boys both napping.

Time to Eat!

2009-03-12T22:35:00.000-07:00

Just Havin' fun

2009-03-12T22:24:00.000-07:00

I love to just take random pictures of the kids. The top picture is Aunt Nora with Lalia, Jeremiah's baby girl. I absolutely love how Elijah and Brooklyn sleep. They crack me up!

Peas, Please!

2009-03-02T17:13:00.000-08:00

Baby B tried peas today for the first time! She actually loved them! Homemade peas are SO bright green - kind of weird looking, and you can't fully puree' the shells. She now has squash, carrots, yams, and peas under her belt! Yams are clearly her favorite. No suprise there, though, because Big Brother LOVED yams for a long time!

Pizza! Pizza!

2009-03-02T16:41:00.000-08:00

Today the kids made their own pizzas. This was fun to watch how their own personality and style developed into dinner. Elijah enjoyed doing this for the first time, and he took ingredients from his cousins. In one picture he is clapping for himself and saying "yeah!" And, as you can see, Brooklyn was very involved with the process!

Cousins

2009-02-28T19:59:00.000-08:00

This weekend my nieces, Larissa and Isabelle, are staying with us. We went to the park and they had a blast! This was Brooklyn's first time in a swing! She loved it! Elijah thinks that Isabelle is as good as gold, so he is attached at her side all the time. Larissa absolutely adores Brooklyn, so she helps so much with taking care of her. I am so thankful the cousins all get along so well!

First Vegetable!

2009-02-24T19:59:00.000-08:00

Brooklyn started eating squash on Saturday. I made her food - which was kinda scary because I had to try and remember what I did to make Elijah's when he started eating. She LOVED it! Today, (Tuesday), she started eating carrots. It's great to watch how excited she is when she sees the bowl of food!

Another Day of Role Play

2009-02-24T19:51:00.001-08:00

He is so very attached to Curious George. He talks to him like I talk to Baby B. Tonight he read his Bible to him, then sang "Jesus Loves Me," and ended it with holding George's hands together and praying. This is our nightly routine. I love that he is learning about God and Jesus and that he so enjoys it!

Sleeping Beauty

2009-02-24T19:47:00.000-08:00

Role Play

2009-02-20T20:53:00.000-08:00

Elijah is very much into "role play" right now. I found the teddy bear in the tub one morning, and he was using Brooklyn's gum cleaner on the bear's "teeth." He is also very attached to his "eh eh", which is the sound for monkey. I have also seem him walking around in my shoes, pretending to go to work, "fix" EVERYTHING around the house with his tools, and talk on his play cell phone. I just love to watch him in action. Ted would have been so proud that Elijah loves Curious George. It was one of Ted's all time favorite characters.

The Kiddos

2009-02-20T20:46:00.000-08:00

I'm so in love with my precious babies! Elijah totally adores his "sisssisssy" and she is in awe of him. In the picture with the crib Brooklyn is chewing on the bar.

Baby B jumpin' around

2009-02-20T20:33:00.000-08:00

Learning all about Playdough

2009-02-20T20:16:00.000-08:00

Smart Little Man

2009-02-15T21:43:00.000-08:00

Elijah is learning about shapes, colors, same and different. He did this activity correctly multiple times! I'm so proud of him! Everytime he got one right he clapped for himself and wanted me to clap too! I guess that's what happens when you praise your child from the start! :)

Baby B

2009-02-15T21:39:00.000-08:00

Brooklyn is such a joy! Her middle name is truly fitting to her personality! She LOVES her feet - as you can see in one of the pictures. She recently decided to give Mommy a heart attack an rolled on to her tummy during nap time. I love the picture where she is smiling at herself in the mirror. If she only knew it was actually her! And the little "bear - bee" is from her Valentines stuff from Mommy.

2009-01-29T00:02:00.000-08:00

Brooklyn is using her water sippy cup for the first time, She enjoyed "teething" on it, and did not like the water at all that was in the cup.

Life

2009-01-28T23:56:00.000-08:00

Elijah learning how to put together a Mr Potato head, which is affectionately refers to as "shoe." I think it's because that's his favorite part to pick out. During our bedtime routine, Brooklyn basically took the Bible from me and started "reading" it. The picture of both kids is from the zoo. Brooklyn was able to hear the bird make noise, so she turned her head to look and she found the bird! The last picture is of my niece with Little Man. I remember when my niece was that young!

Sleeping Angels

2009-01-06T20:20:00.000-08:00

My angels are sleeping! I am so in love with them! The "doll" that Elijah is holding is named April. Ted's mom, Jean, made it for Ted when he was a baby and named it April because he was born in April. The hair has since worn off quite a bit, and lately Elijah has been taking it EVERYWHERE with him. One minor detail, though. He calls it his "Eh-Eh", which is his sound for a monkey. He thinks it is a monkey. I so love his imagination!

2009-01-06T20:17:00.000-08:00

Baby B loves to play!!! She is getting so strong and has amazing eye / hand coordination! In the picture with Elijah at the crib - I heard him "singing" and I went in there to see what was up. He pointed at Brooklyn and said, "Sissy. love ya!"

2009-01-06T20:14:00.000-08:00

We had a very uneventful New Year's Eve. The only cupcakes we could find to celebrate had pink frosting. Poor Elijah. He seemed to enjoy the treat anyway!

My Ladybug

2009-01-01T08:52:00.000-08:00

My beautiful baby girl - learning to sit up, play, and take a rest! She's such an amazing baby and a real blessing in my life!

Baking with Mommy

2009-01-01T08:40:00.000-08:00

Elijah was working so hard to make these yummy cupcakes! He even cracked the eggs by himself! (Needless to say the shells were all over :) ) And at the end he loved sampling his work!

Our New Blog

2009-01-01T08:24:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited to start the new year with a fresh look at life! I've created a new blog to share our "new" family with you - hopefully I will do a better job of keeping up with it!