Matt, Nicole, Lukas & Lydia

Virginia trip with sweet hubby

2011-07-19T10:19:00.000-07:00

I've just had the BEST last couple days! My hubby called me about 2 weeks ago and said he was going to VA for a work conference for a couple days....so guess who got to go visit with him?! Yep, me and Kate. It was so great to be back with him. I can see why Heavenly Father made families necessary for us to grow and progress and become like Him. I love my sweet hubby. He met me at the airport with a huge bouquet of flowers. Can you say, adorable?! ;) I arrived on Wed night and left Sunday morning. We had 3 full days together and it was SO worth all the money it took to make it happen. hahaha. He was suppose to work 8-5 on Thurs and Fri but we got a fun surprise when he came home early from work on Fri at only 10am! We spent a few days on Virginia beach which was beautiful. Matt bought a nice skim board and had fun trying it out. I had fun watching him and his hott body. hahahah. Nice farmer's tan though. lol. We spent Saturday at Colonial Williamsburg and had fun experiencing life in the 1700s. Like I said, it was a great, much needed trip/break for mommy. And to top it off, Kate was a perfect angel during the 3 flights it took to get there and back. *sigh, best trip ever!

General George Washington's church pew in Williamsburg

VA capitol in Williamsburg

Wig shop

Yorktown with Ms. Liberty

Beautiful moon shots on VA beach

Woo woo, hott stuff! ;)

Governor's mansion

Simply the most adorable baby shot, ever!

almost

2011-07-10T23:05:00.001-07:00

I almost dropped Kate right on her head tonight. If it had not been for me grabbing her legs last min while she dangled half a foot off the floor, she would have been in serious trouble. What a horrible feeling. I'm so grateful for the tender mercies of the Lord. I love you Kate and I'm so glad ur safe.

little ones

2011-06-07T07:54:00.001-07:00

I seriously love my little ones. Although I don't know if I show them enough. Life as a momma is hard to balance fun time, work time, learning time, errand time, praise, and discipline. Now that my kids are older they are starting to talk back and behave badly quite frequently. I've tried the last couple months to give them slack because of all the changes in their lives, esp their missing poppa! However I still need to pull in the reigns a little because it's getting to be way too much. Oh I hate discipling. Mostly because I don't know if im doing it right. We just watched the sound of music last night. Such a good movie! But oh how it made me want to be like Julie Andrews. She made mothering SO fun and look so easy. I wish I could be as care free and involved and fun with the kids. That alone would do wonders for their behavior I'm sure.

matchy matchy bangs

2011-06-04T11:36:00.001-07:00

For the first time in my adult life I have real full on bangs. So different. Luckily I can swoop them to either side as well. My mil and hubby say I look like Hannah Montana. A hahaha. Oh well at least it's fun to look like my mini me ;) I love this crazy girl!

happy children

2011-06-01T15:09:00.001-07:00

There's nothing better than happy children. They are finally putting together these train tracks by themselves. They've been playing nonstop with them for the last week. It's great!
Kate is just a happy baby. Good thing since the other two have been super demanding since daddy deployed. Love my kids.

Just a great day

2011-05-11T22:41:00.000-07:00

**I know we've been offline a lot recently and haven't really explained anything in our lives. However, I just sent this post to Matt in an email and thought I'd post it here too. Sorry I don't explain more. I mostly just wanted it blogged for our family book.**

My day was great. We spent 2 hours doing school stuff. Luke didn't
feel very well today and only wanted "short school". lol. We start
every day of school with a prayer, the pledge of allegiance, calendar
time, a question of the day, and then something new. I decided that we
need some more gospel discussion/learning during school. My mom has
this great book for kids that teaches a story from the scriptures and
then the application in our lives. The kids loved learning about the
parable of the merchant who sold all his possessions to buy the
biggest, most perfect pearl. They learned that the pearl represents
the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and following Jesus'
commandments. The commandments we learned today were: go to church,
read the scriptures, say your prayers, and obey your mom and dad. lol.
;) They got it down. haha.

Some learning activities we did today were: sorted colored beads and
put them on their corresponding colored pipe cleaners. The kids were
done with that one pretty quickly so then we played "number store".
They lined up some cards labeled with the numbers 1-20. I had a glass
jar with marbles in it. I called out a number for Luke to bring me. If
he brought me the right one then I let him pick a marble to put in his
glass jar. If he got it wrong he had to give me one of his marbles. It
was great because Luke doesn't really know his 11-20 at all and this
game really helped teach him that. Lydia just played with the glass
jars and pouring the marbles back and forth. They made a fun clinking
noise every time you dropped them into the jar. They were thoroughly
entertained with that.

After school I went out to Taro's sushi with my brother Josh as a
"congratulations on getting your mission call". It was way fun. Then
when I came home the kids and I played game after game. Luke was just
on one with playing any/all adult games in the house. I obviously had
to change it up so he could play with me. ;) We loved Boggle and just
shaking the can and then yelling out what letter we had to find. The
first one to find it got to shake the jar. Then we spelled our names.
I was surprised that Luke really knew a lot of the letters. So fun.

After games we had story time on mom's lap. I made up 3 stories about
a mom and a dad and their three kids: luke, lyd, and kaitlyn. haha.
They ate those up. I mean who wouldn't when it came to magic wish
granting apples, a magic homemade table that cleaned your house at
night, and a dream about becoming birds and flying though the sky.
hahahaha. so fun.

I just had a blast with the kids today. I love them so much and love
being their mom.

**These pics are just random recent pics that have nothing to do with my post ;) **

One step closer

2011-04-15T07:08:00.001-07:00

You know its kind 0f crazy that I still have not officially graduated from college. I have 3 more general education classes to finish. Last Aug I got a scholarship for military spouses which purchased my last 3 classes via BYU Independent Study. I have one year to complete them (however you can purchase a 2-3 month extension). So I have to complete them by Aug 5th. Unless I purchase extensions and then it will be Oct or Nov 5th. With Matt gone and me having lots of free time when the kids are asleep as well as free babysitters galore while living with family, I decided its high time to get graduated! Don't you agree?!

I'm going to document my progress here so I'm responsible to more people than just myself.

I'm currently finishing my Political Science 202 Western Political Heritage class. I finished 9 lessons and their respective quizzes online as well as took the midterm. All within the last 2 weeks. I have 9 more lessons and quizzes and the final. I'm half way done with having 1 class down. I'm pretty proud of myself. ;)

TP & Hospital

2011-04-05T16:00:00.000-07:00

We've been visiting family and friends in UT for the past month and been having a blast. We really lucked out with good friends allowing us to stay in their amazing extra house close to my brothers. Just after getting here I found a soaked TP roll on top of the toilet wrapped in a towel.

Lukas was in the bath and I asked him if he knew anything about it. He said "It fell on the floor mom so I washed it off". LOL.

My kids always seem to get seriously sick when we travel. This time was no exception and shortly after arriving both Luke and Lyd got serious colds, coughs and fevers so we went to the urgent care. Luke had strepp and Lyd had double ear infections. They were sick and cranky for 2 weeks. Unfortunately, Kaitlyn got it as well and wasn't doing too well so we went to the ER. She had to have all these tests so she got a catheter to test some urine, an IV to get some blood and to hydrate her, and a couple X-Rays. Luckily she didn't have to get a spinal tap! Test results showed she had RSV (which is just a cold but for newborns its very serious seeing as they can't clear their nose of snot which results in difficulty breathing). She also had mild pneumonia in her left lung. So they started antibiotics and kept her overnight because her blood oxygen levels were too low. We were seriously blessed because she improved drastically overnight so we were able to go home. With an 8 day course of antibiotics and a free pass to the respiratory therapy clinic at the hospital (where they clear out her nose so she can breathe) she's now almost completely healthy. We are so grateful the Lord continuously takes care of us. We certainly do love being healthy and happy!

Kaitlyn LaRita

2011-03-22T09:15:00.001-07:00

Kaitlyn joined our little family on Valentine's day. She weighed 7 lbs 8 oz and was 19.5 inches long. She's just wonderful! I will tell the birth story as well as post hospital pics next time. For now I will post these adorable pics that my amazing sister in law took when K was 4 days old. Oh and can you see K's super cute heart birthmark on her forehead? She came out face up so we think that had something to do with it. ;)

Quick Update

2011-02-11T05:49:00.001-08:00

So we are alive......;) I can't believe its been over 2 months since I posted last. We have moved back to family on the West coast from Mississippi and are waiting for baby sister to arrive in less than a week. So weird. Exciting, but weird to think that I will have 3 kids! Unfortunately it will be bitter sweet because dad will have to leave for a long time on deployment. I'm so glad I have the gospel and faith and my awesome family to lift me up while we deal with this trial. I just wanted to make a list of things I would like to post about once I'm feeling up to it. ;)

- Lukas' birthday (yes that was back in JULY! haha)
- Halloween
- California in Oct
- Moving to MS
- Thanksgiving
- Christmas
- My birthday
- Lydia's birthday
- Cross country trip to CA including our fun adventure to Disneyland!

What a pathetically long list that starts way back to last summer! haha. Well hopefully I will get to it all. Hope life is treating you all well!

Crayon/Box Car Holder Tutorial

2010-11-29T13:45:00.000-08:00

I know I have a lot of catching up to do....but that's for later. I've been busy making Christmas gifts and thought I'd start some tutorials in case anyone else is interested. This first tutorial is for a crayon/box car holder. Really it can be used for anything you'd like. Use your imagination. ;) I did not come up with this pattern. A girl in my new Relief Society is the genius behind this and taught me at our ward's Super Saturday a few weekends ago. So I've made it into a tutorial for one and for all. Hope you enjoy. Oh and the next tutorial is for one adorable little girl's apron! I'm really excited to make that one. ;) So stay tuned if you are interested.....oh please, you know you are! ha

Moving, Baby, Deployment

2010-09-09T06:38:00.000-07:00

We found out we're moving to Mississippi in a couple months. Then we'll be receiving a new special bundle of joy in February! That's right, we're PREGNANT. 17 weeks to be exact. We don't know what we're having yet and might keep it a surprise. ;) After we have baby #3 we will sadly have to say goodbye to daddy in March as he deploys to Japan for 9 months. We are sad to see him go but very excited it is to Japan and not Afghanistan! We love the military and believe in supporting our troops in defending and building up our country. ;) We know the Lord will take care of us as we begin these big new adventures over the next year. Wish us luck!

The BEST Recipes

2010-08-02T11:09:00.000-07:00

My friend Shayna gave me the BEST BEST BEST recipe for pizza dough (or rolls). I've tried a lot out over the past year since we have homemade pizza almost every Friday night. THIS one is by far the BEST! It swells up so thick even though it only is allowed 15 min to rise. AND it tastes so incredibly good. Matt loved it as well and voted it the best too. So there you have it.

Pizza Dough (2: Lg. pizza crusts) or Rolls

1 1/2 Cups pretty warm water 2 eggs
1 1/2 Tbsp. dry active yeast 1/2 Tbsp salt
1/4 Cup white sugar (1/2 cup if rolls) 5 Cups flour
1/4 Cup olive oil (1/2 cup if rolls)

Stir: water and yeast. Let sit for 5 min. Add sugar and oil. Add eggs. Add 2 cups flour. Add salt (and basil, oregano, and garlic salt if wanted). Add rest of flour. Might need more or less flour depending on texture. Should not really be sticky. Knead for 5 min. Let rest for 15 min.

After knead then it differs for rolls and dough:

Dough: Let rest for 15 min with towel covering. Separate into 2 equal parts. Roll out and top.
Cook at 350 degrees for 15-20 min.

Rolls: After kneading roll out into 2 " balls and set on cooking sheet, cover for 45-50 min. Can make croussant (sp?) rolls by rolling out into pizza shape and cutting with pizza roller into triangles. Roll largest side into point.
Cook at 375 degrees for 12-15 min.

Another EXTREMELY GOOD recipe I have found lately is one for Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins. They are TO DIE FOR! I was skeptical about using the whole wheat but that's all I had yesterday and I'm so glad for it. Try these! Seriously.

"Healthified" Banana-Chocolate Chip Muffins

85% less sat fat • 66% less fat • 38% fewer calories than the original recipe. More banana for natural sweetness and whole wheat flour makes muffins better than ever!

Prep Time: 15 min
Total Time: 40 min
Makes: 12 muffins

15 Ratings
3 Reviews

Muffins
1 2/3	cups Gold Medal® whole wheat flour
2/3	cup sugar
1	teaspoon baking powder
1/2	teaspoon baking soda
1/2	teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4	teaspoon salt
1	cup mashed very ripe bananas (2 to 3 medium)
3	egg whites
1/4	cup canola oil
1/4	cup fat-free (skim) milk
1	teaspoon vanilla
1/3	cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
Topping
1	tablespoon sugar
1/8	teaspoon ground cinnamon

1.	Heat oven to 375°F. Spray bottoms only of 12 regular-size muffin cups with cooking spray, or line with paper baking cups.
2.	In large bowl, mix flour, 2/3 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and salt.
3.	In medium bowl, beat bananas, egg whites, oil, milk and vanilla with fork until smooth. Stir into flour mixture just until flour is moistened. Gently stir in chocolate chips. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups.
4.	In small bowl, mix topping ingredients. Sprinkle evenly over batter in cups.
5.	Bake 20 to 24 minutes or until light golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Immediately remove muffins from pan to cooling rack.

Make the Most of This Recipe With Tips From The Betty Crocker^® Kitchens

What is "Healthified"?

We've replaced ingredients with great-tasting alternatives to create better-for-you recipes that are just as yummy as the originals.

Success

One of the secrets to tender muffins is to not overmix the batter. Stir just until the dry ingredients are moistened.

Did You Know?

Bananas that are too ripe for eating are perfect for baking. If you can't use them right away, just freeze. They'll turn dark brown on the outside, but be soft and ready for baking (when thawed) under the peel.

Time-Saver

Wrap cooled muffins individually and freeze. You can grab just one for breakfast on the go.

Nutrition Information:

1 Muffin: Calories 210 (Calories from Fat 60); Total Fat 6g (Saturated Fat 1g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 160mg; Total Carbohydrate 33g (Dietary Fiber 3g, Sugars 18g); Protein 3g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 0%; Vitamin C 0%; Calcium 4%; Iron 6% Exchanges: 1 Starch; 1 1/2 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Vegetable; 1 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 2
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Blurb Picture Books Discount Code

2010-07-29T06:33:00.000-07:00

My friend told me about a HUGE discount for blurb picture books going on until Aug. 31st, 2010. It's $39.95 off your product total! The discount code is BLOG2010. This information was posted on Leelou Blogs and you can check out the info here. Happy scrapbooking!

Girl's Trip 2010

2010-07-22T16:14:00.000-07:00

DISCLOSURE: Documented mostly for my benefit. Contains lots of inside jokes and pointless information. ;)

My good friends, Shayna and her sister Vanna, and I decided we needed to start a new tradition: a GIRL'S TRIP every year! When Vanna and I were 16 and Shayna was 18 we took a week long trip to Utah and Idaho to visit family. It was the BEST trip I can remember in High School. So this time we decided to go to San Francisco. We got a hotel off of priceline and lucked out. It was right smack dab in the middle of downtown San Fran which is sometimes scary. However, our hotel was great. Very nice and we felt special. It was called the Hotel Whitcomb. We got there, checked in and went shopping. We ended our shopping and tried to get some food at the food court in the mall. We took too long to decide what we wanted that all the places ended up closing before we decided. lol. So we went to the food market and took over an hour to try to figure something out there. Oh and figure out what to put on our air popped popcorn later that night in the hotel. We bought some salt but couldn't find butter. We seriously are SO dysfunctional that we took an hour trying to figure it out. We still couldn't find a solution and we still hadn't had dinner and it was 8:30pm.

We began to walk to the hotel in the dark. Shayna was on the phone trying to find a pizza place that would deliver. Vanna and I saw a pizza place just a block off the main street and started walking to it. Seriously, like 20 feet in we realized we had made a huge mistake. It was like we entered a different world. Scary, dirty, swearing, smoking, drug doing, drunk people were EVERYWHERE! Shay was distracted on the phone until she realized where we were and then said in a very loud voice "I'm about to be mugged!" Of course she did it right when a scary guy was walking right past us! AHHHH. So we quickly did an about face and booked it to our hotel. We saw a Burger King right across our hotel and had to get those chocolate pies they sell (we got one almost everyday while in high school). When we crossed the street we realized it was also a little scarier with questionable people all around the outside. Shayna saw a picture on the outside of the store and started walking around the wall. Vanna quickly stated, "I like to be inside, Shay". haha. She was trying to be discreet and that's why she stated it that way. lol. Inside a bum tried to get money from us. *Sigh

We got back to the hotel safe and sound and laughed at our stupidity. Shortly after getting there Shayna comes out of the bathroom and says, "I don't want to alarm anyone, but I just dropped $40 in the toilet!" HAHA. She ended up washing the bills with soap and then stuck them in our AC unit until they dried. lol. We ate pizza and watched 2 hours of "Pride and Prejudice". We watched it for the first time on our teenage trip, so its tradition from now on. ;) The next morning we had breakfast in the fancy hotel restaurant. I think we all got yummy french toast and fruit. It was delicious. We then got trolley passes and hopped the trolley to the Ghiradelli chocolate factory where we got the famous chocolate sodas. Can you say YUMMY?! It was cool to see all the original machinery and read how they made the chocolate. We then walked along Fisherman's Wharf and went to Pier 39 to catch a bay cruise. However, we got there last minute for our cruise and due to our dysfunctional-ism we missed. Although, we blame it on the weird guy taking the money....Anyways, we caught the shorter cruise for later. Glad we did cause it was plenty. They waves were ridiculous for the first part of the cruise out to the Golden Gate bridge. Alcatraz was cool to hear about. Very fun ride.

We packed up and checked out of the hotel after the bay cruise. Drove partway home and stopped in a Target parking lot to finish our last 3 hours of "Pride and Prejudice" on the car dvd player. HaHa. It was so fun! I'm glad we went. Love you girls!!! Oh and thank you Gwynn and mom and dad for watching the kids while I was gone! Even while they were still sick. You are the BEST! ;)'

2010 Girl Trip Quote Book:

Shayna: "I'm about to get mugged!"
Vanna: "I like to be inside Shay."
Nicole: "Where's my water?!"
Shay: "I don't want to alarm anyone, bu I just dropped $40 in the toilet!"
Vanna: "Here's a cute picture of THEM on the cable car"
Vanna: "Oh yeah, that does make sense"

It was SO windy on the bay cruise...but don't we look HOTT?! ;)

YeaH baby, our awesome trolley ride. Vanna and Shay loved hanging out the sides and coming within inches of cars passing by. Carazay!

We ate breakfast at the fancy hotel restaurant. YUMM!

The curtains and wallpaper made us feel all uppity uppity. lol.

You think I could take a picture of the hotel room BEFORE we made a mess....

Shay dropped her $40 in the toilet.

Washing it

And then drying it. haha

Shayna, Vanna, and moi

View of San Francisco from the cruise.

Vanna, Shay, & the Golden Gate bridge

Vanna, me & Golden Gate bridge

Alcatraz

California Trip Part 2

2010-07-22T15:49:00.000-07:00

After all the previous fun mentioned, Matt went home and the kids and I went and spent some time with my family. However, it didn't begin as I would have hoped. The day before Matt left Lydia got a 103 degree fever. It stayed for 3 days and then she got a horrible rash on the inside of her arms and backs of her legs. We didn't know what it was. I took her to an urgent care. They said it could be strep throat since she had some spots on the back of her throat, which I guess can be accompanied with a rash. They tested for that and we waited. Negative. Could be chicken pox. Tested for that but the results wouldn't come back for 5 days. Went home and took care of her as best as possible. One night she screamed in pain for 4 hours! It was awful! Poor thing. After like 6 or 7 days of this she got sores on her tongue, around her mouth, and huge blisters all over her feet. So I believe she really had hand foot and mouth disease. Then why did she have sores on the insides of her arms and legs you might ask. I think its because she has bad, itchy eczema on the inside of her arms and behind her knees. She always has her hands in her mouth and then itches her eczema. Voila! Hand foot and mouth disease sores in places they wouldn't normally be. Anyways, it took a long time for the sores to go away but they finally did.

A little less than a week after Lydia had her health fiasco, Lukas decided he couldn't be left out. We went to a wedding reception for one of my friends on Sat night. It was outside in high grassy fields. Luke got 2 bug bites on the back of one leg. Within a day one had just swollen and got hard and VERY painful. He couldn't sleep. He kept waking up crying every hour. By Monday night he was acting strange and it had gotten a red dot in the middle of it. I took him to the urgent care. Diagnosis: Staph infection. Got antibiotics and antibiotic cream. Worked magic within a day. Thank goodness. Its funny how this stuff happens AFTER Matt goes home and leaves me alone to deal with it. lol. Luckily, I had lots of family support and the kids are nice and healthy now.

My youngest brother Josh graduated High School one of the last days we were there. I was very impressed with him. He's the youngest of us kids and I've always thought of him as being a little kid. He bore his testimony at seminary graduation and he was just SO grown up! He has the heart of a bear and wouldn't hurt a fly. He was always offering to help with the kids and always very concerned about how everyone felt. I'm VERY proud of him and wish him luck in life!

We had lots of fun playing with family for almost a month. It was so nice. Thank you parents for everything! Love you!

Lukas rocking out.

Is this face HILARIOUS or what?! I wish it were in focus...

My bro Gilbert has always had a special bond with Lukas. Why am I not surprised that he now does with Lydia? If Lydia was crying or upset all I had to do was send Gil to fix it. And it got fixed instantly. lol.

Luke's spider bites that led to a staph infection :(

And Lydia's HORRID hand foot and mouth disease that got in places it shouldn't have! Darn eczema! Oh and this was a couple days after the worst of it was over.....ugh..

Really??

2010-07-20T06:28:00.000-07:00

So I've had this really annoying (and very painful at times) "thing" on my right pointer finger since JANUARY! At first Matt and I thought it was a splinter or something and so I tried digging it out many a times. However, nothing ever came out. Sometimes it would be very painful to the touch and other times nada. Gradually it started getting a brownish, reddish dot that looked like a blood blister under the skin. The finger would swell to almost 2 times the size of my left hand one. So on and so on. I even asked my bro-in-law what it could be (he's in podiatry school). He guessed a sliver or a wart. I even made an appointment with the dermatologist to look at it next month.

Well, yesterday we're playing at the park for FHE and I decide to pick at it again. this is Gross sorry. Well pus or something starts coming out by the ton. Never happened before. Then a 1/4 INCH sliver of GLASS or plastic or something comes out! It was SO LONG! I couldn't believe that that was in there!!! Seriously, I've picked at the dumb thing so many times. Even with a needle and nothing ever looked like it was in there. Matt and I were laughing, like REALLY?! was that really in there for 7 months people?!!! lol guess so. Its still kind of painful so I'm not sure its all out. Hopefully it is and my dumb finger woes are all over. ;)

California Trip 2010 - Part 1

2010-07-15T14:33:00.000-07:00

I'm SO far behind at documenting our past couple months of travels and fun so this might take me a while to catch up. We went to CA to visit both families for almost a month. It took us 5 days of trying to hop 6 different MAC flights (free military flights) to finally buying last minute commercial flights before we got to CA, but all in all it was a good experience. (I can say that now ;) ). We went and visited great-Grandma Dee (Matt's mom's mom) and had a fun time. It was the first time she met Lydia and she's 18 months! Lydia's name came from Dee's ancestor, Lydia Knight. We had a sweet time together.

Then we had a little accident at Grandma Gwynn's house. Matt was pushing Lukas really hard on the backyard swing and he fell off backwards and hit the back of his head on a large flower pot and then biffed his face smack dab into the deck. The amazing thing is that he didn't really get seriously hurt even though all odds were against him. The swing sits half over the stairs and deck and half over the grass which is like 3 feet below. Luke barely missed the wooden railing when he fell and the metal outdoor deck set. The pot he hit was also VERY soft, made of like styrafoam, and so that probably saved him from being hurt more seriously. He got a little scrape on his nose and mouth, a swollen lip and nose, and a bump on the back of his head. We are VERY grateful for the Lord's tender mercies. (Just a note, Luke didn't ride the swing for a while and then when he did he went slow).

We then headed to a beautiful, relaxing beach house with Matt's family. It was so wonderful to all be together again. Very fun to watch the cousins go crazy together! Lots of time was spent on the simply beautiful beach, playing in the water, shopping, picking strawberries, eating, and playing games. We always go to the O'Neill Surf shop's memorial day sale and get some good bargains. Last year Matt got a full body wet suit for himself as well as other things. Lukas' cousin Zoe was getting a 1/2 wet suit this year and guess who wanted one for himself? That's right, Lukas. So we caved and got him one too since he looked too darn CUTE! ;) We had lots of fun!

Great-Grandma Dee, Lukas, and Lydia

He really wanted to climb this tree but couldn't. Good thing for dad's, huh? (Can you see Lydia's head and hands at the bottom trying to climb up just like her brother. lol.

Owies from the swing fall.

Can you believe he fell off of this swing. Backwards! See the pot that's tipped over on the right. Yep, that's the one he hit. Super close to everything that could have done some real, scary damage...

And the blessed pot that saved him.

The beach house we stayed in is the one to the left of the yellow one.
Right on the beach. So nice.
Living room
Kitchen. And sweet cousin Hadley.

At first, Lukas was scared to get in the water. But as soon as he did it he LOVED it!

Eatin, always eatin'. ;)

Newest cousin Amara at 9 months. So cute!

So sweet. Mom and son.

My favorite picture E.V.E.R

I love this cheesin' pic of Lyd
Bros zippin' up the wet suits

Matt, his younger bro Brett & older bro Jeremy

Aren't my wet suittin' boys adorable?!

Luke had a BLAST playing with his cousin Zoe!

So funny with his band aid. He picked his scab from when he fell off the swing and blood went everywhere. He was shocked and screamed. Band aids have magical powers to make everything better.

Kids after picking strawberries. From left to right: Hadley, Jonas, Malachi (all 3 bros), Lukas, Zoe. It was near impossible to keep them from eating all 20 lbs of strawberries we picked!! And yes, we ate all 20 + lbs in 2 days. ;) They were the best! Oh, and only $1.45 a lb. Heaven. Thanks Janelle for finding the place.

Southwest Airlines Deal!!!

2010-06-22T07:28:00.000-07:00

Go HERE to score great deals on Southwest Airlines. Here's some info:

Each way:
$39: 0-450 miles
$79: 451 - 1000 miles
$119: 1001 + miles

For 72 Hours Only, We're Gonna Party Like It's Our Birthday!

No need to bring a present to this birthday bash; we’re giving you one instead! For the next three days, you can score some of our most amazingly awesome deals of the year for travel September 8 – November 17, 2010. Our gift to you!

Don’t miss out on this limited-time-only party favor. Book by June 24, and let the celebration live on through your next vacation!

Great Deals!

2010-06-15T21:16:00.000-07:00

Tmrw only! YUMM!!
(Although, Sorry MD friends I haven't seen one in MD yet...Let me know if I'm wrong!)

And here's some GREAT DIAPERS Deals! My friend Lauren is amazing and always posts these great deals on her blog. Click here to see the deal for diapers at Rite Aid. I went to my parent's local Rite Aid here yesterday and the manager said I couldn't use the manufacturer's coupons. SAY WHAT?! So I was mad and came home and called customer service. They said they do accept them and then they processed my complaint. This morning I got a call from the manager here apologizing for the inconvenience. She said they "changed the policy on her while she was out on leave for shoulder surgery". So how could I be mad at her? I went back today and got the 3 packs of size 4 & 5 Huggies diapers for $12.97 + tax! That's 89 diapers people!!! lol. So go do it! I dare you! ;)

Utah

2010-05-11T15:43:00.000-07:00

Two weekends ago I was able to visit my family/friends in UT. It was very last minute but SO SO needed and appreciated. I even went SOLO! Incredible, huh?! I think so. My brother Chad was graduating UVU and my whole family was going to see him and celebrate. I decided long ago not to go because 1) I had a stake camp meeting (the one and only one before camp that gave all the info I needed) and it was the night before him walking at 8 am on Fri morning, so I would miss it anyways if I flew in on Fri (the soonest possible), and 2) it would be expensive and 3) I was going home to CA 2 weeks after (even though I wouldn't see my bros and their families or my extended family since they wouldn't be in CA). So amidst much struggle I decided against buying a ticket.....

Well, Tuesday before the Friday that Chad would be graduating I decided I HAD to go! I called Matt and asked if he could take Fri and Mon off to watch the kids for me and then I called my good friend who used to fly for Delta to see if he could get me a deal on a ticket. Both came through. Matt asked his boss for time off by saying "Sir, my wife woke up this morning and said to me...'I have to go home to see my family'" haha His boss was like, "umm..okay, is everything okay???". haha guess the way he worded that made it seem like we were having marital problems! LOL thanks Matt! ;) But at least it did the trick and he got it off. Then my friend got me a ticket for only $256 when it was bought 3 days before the flight!!! I was way lucky. Thank you both!

The day before I headed out Lukas got a fever and had a bad cough. Then the night before I left it seemed like Lydia was getting the same thing. I still hadn't decided whether I was going to take Lydia or not....Well, guess not if she was getting sick. Darn. lol. So I got freedom for almost 4 days. It was HEAVEN! Don't get me wrong, I absolutely LOVE being a MOM. Its the best thing in the world and I wouldn't give it up for anything. ;) Glad I'm back but I'm also glad to have had a little break to recharge my batteries.

So my friend Shay picked me up on Fri morning 2 hours after my brother walked. She was Super sweet to do so (THANK YOU!) and dropped me off immediately at the restaurant my family was eating at to celebrate. Now, the only people who knew I was coming into town was my bro and sis in law Brad and Amy, and my dad. No one else. I wanted to really surprise them all, especially Chad. I went into the restaurant and came up behind my bro Chad's back and certainly surprised him. He was ecstatic and we hugged. The whole time we were hugging my mom was freaking out and my grandma kept asking my dad, "Who is that girl?" HAHA. That was the family joke the whole trip, "who is that girl?" I guess we were hugging too long and my grandma was getting concerned. LOL. To her credit she didn't see my face. ;) So after eating we all hung out the rest of the day, went shopping at BYU and got matching BYU shirts for Lukas and Lydia, ,one for me (Matt has plenty hehe), and a BYU hat for Lyd (Luke & Matt already have one). We also got to meet artist Liz Lemon Swindle. She's amazing. Got some beautiful art for cheap cheap. That night I went and hung out with Shay and spent the night. We made a yummy yummy yummy (yes that YUMMY!) chocolate, hazelnut cheesecake with oreo crust and white/milk chocolate drizzling and chopped hazelnut topping. Oh. My. DIVINE. And she made up the recipe. Yes, she is amazing. Don't worry, she's starting her own cheesecake business so you can taste some too. ;) We stayed up late chatting and watching the new 2009 4 hour version of Emma. SO. GOOD!

Saturday, we finished watching Emma and then I headed up to a family get together with all my dad's family. Had some yummy food and played some b-ball and catch. Then spent the night at Shay's again and went to her RS in the morning because she was teaching the lesson. Really good. Then headed to my niece's baby blessing. Then had a family birthday party for my bros Chad and Gil and my grandma Pat. Monday morning I flew back home at 10am.

Such a great trip. It was nice to be able to wake up, shower, do my hair and makeup all without ONE SINGLE INTERRUPTION. It felt great. But I missed the kids. Especially Luke sneaking into my bed first thing in the morning. Both Luke and Lyd's kisses and laughs. And I definitely missed snuggling with my hubby. ;) Glad to be back.

I hope my grandma doesn't KILL me for putting this pic up. HAHA! Its great. My parents gave her that card for her birthday and she was such a great sport to mimick it for me. I LOVE YOU GRAMMY!!! ;)

My family is craaaazy...

All of us together, well minus Matt and the kiddos :(

The birthday trio. My bros are definitely goofy

Happy 4 Years BABE!

2010-04-29T12:49:00.000-07:00

Well, we've done it! Yes, its been 4 whole years since we tied the knot and we're still here going strong!!! Here's some stuff we've done the last 4 years:

- Moved 7 times and lived in 4 states.
- Had 2 beautiful kids!
- Explored Hawaii together while I was 8 months prego with Luke. Then ended the trip by both getting EXTREMELY sunburned! It was horrible! haha
- Have been to Disney World with our 2 kids.
- Went and did a mini church history site tour together in Palmyra,NY and Harmony, PA. As well as visited family in Rochester. We also saw about 70 % of the Hill Cumorah pageant before we got rained out. ;)
- Been to Niagara Falls and Yosemite National Parks.

And had a whole heck of a lot of fun in the meantime! ;) Thanks for a great 4 years of marriage babe! I love you and everything you stand for. You are the BEST person I know! Thanks for putting up with me and my sometimes crazy personality. ;) I LOVE YOU!
Okay I just had to include this one because I think I look beautiful! haha.

March/April 2010

2010-04-27T12:07:00.000-07:00

Here's some pics of random stuff we've done the past 2 months. We LOVE to dance all the time. Lukas always grabs Lyd and they dance around the room. They actually were dancing so cute one time while I was videoing, until Luke noticed I had the camera on them....Then Luke bolted to me and Lydia went bonk! Poor girl. But she still loves him and they still dance together. So cute.

One of the kids' favorite things to do is to ride their kid bikes in the house. They love hopping on Luke's together. lol. I love it when they are playing together nicely. Lydia also loves to climb in and out of drawers. She's also figured out how to climb on top of the office chair and almost on top of the desk. haha. She's definitely my side of the family. Both my oldest bro and youngest bro were climbers and escape artists!

Luke and Lyd got sick at the beginning of the month so we watched movies and had a picnic in the TV room. Luke loved it.

We went to a cool park last month. The kids had a blast playing in an airplane, playing musical pipes, hanging on miniature monkey bars, and digging in the sand with a personal mini back hoe. On a side note, Lukas always loves to point out every piece of construction equipment and tell me what they are by name. His favorite is a back hoe. ;) Thanks to daddy for schoolin' him in the ways of construction.

I made another diaper bag for a friend at church. She picked out the material and I went to work. I LOVE how it turned out. Hopefully she does too. ;) On another side note, I really need to find people to sew my stuff.....

I Love Her

2010-04-26T08:11:00.000-07:00

We were watching Toy Story yesterday (I think for the first time ever) and as soon as Little Bo Peep comes on the screen Lukas says "I love her mom!". haha. He said it 2 or 3 more times before the movie was over. :)

White House Egg Roll

2010-04-08T12:24:00.000-07:00

Matt got us tickets to go to the White House Egg Roll on Monday. I was super stoked to go. We both thought the kids would love it. However, when we got there Lukas started a HUGE dramatic temper tantrum. Over nothing. And everything. We were just waiting in line and he was not stopping the tears or screams. I was completely annoyed since nothing had set him off and we had just got there. Matt knew I was about to lose it so he kindly took Lukas away. I love you honey. When we got in they were handing out some free snacks. Lukas finally decided he was okay since he now had some food. I wonder why he didn't just tell me he was hungry?! But after that he was great. It was PACKED! Took over an hour of waiting in line til we finally got in. For those of you who don't know it takes place on the White house back lawn. So we got up close and personal. It was beautiful. Lukas loved seeing all the characters in costume. We did the traditional White House Egg roll. Even Lydia loved it. lol. Hunted for eggs. Saw Michelle Obama twice. She was 10 feet away. Pretty cool even though I don't exactly care for the Obama's or the whole publicity crud most people do. Saw Sara Berreillas (sp?) play and sing "I'm going to write you a love song". Luke and I were on the front row rocking it out with Michelle Obama 5 feet away (look at pic below. She's in the hot pink shirt behind the bald headed secret service guy. lol). Searched for eggs. Hula hooped. Played tennis. And through all of this 2 hour fun got SUPER sun burned! I got the bad mom award for the year because I was the only mom who didn't put sun screen on her poor children! Good thing they have my Greek olive skin and we all turned tan after a couple days. ;) At the end we got peeps and a wooden Easter egg signed by Pres. and Michelle Obama. It was fun!

Oh and our Easter was great. We opened our baskets first thing in the morning (don't judge my funny looking kids. they just woke up okay...) We loved listening to General Conference! Luke got some garden gloves, a turtle watering can, and a toy story frisbee. Lydia got a black headband, purple princess bracelet, and some pink tights. Lukas loves putting on her headband and bracelet and dancing around in them. lol. Matt got some toblerone chocolate, black licorice, and a laser light (its what he wanted. I guess for work to point out problems in construction??). Matt got me the movie Blind Side (LOVED it) and a chocolate rabbit. We also had a small family devotion in the morning and bore our testimonies to the kiddies and each other about our Savior. We are so grateful for all He did for us and to know that HE LIVES!!!

Michelle Obama waving to the crowd. 20 ft away.

Sara Barreillas (sp?) "I want to write you a love song". Such a good song!

Michelle Obama rockin' out to Sara Bareillas. 5 ft away.

Matt and Luke getting ready for the Egg roll contest. Luke did pretty well.

Lydia and I getting ready for the egg roll contest. She just wanted to eat the egg. ;)

Searching for eggs. The lady told us to find 2 eggs each. This one girl kept taking them all. I think she seriously had 20 in her basket. It was hilarious!

Yay for Easter egg hunts. Although, they took all the eggs back. lol.

A ball and motorcycles?

2010-04-08T11:41:00.000-07:00

Matt and I have been fortunate enough to have spent some good ol' fun together this past month. Twice in fact. And doing some not so average stuff might I add. First we went to the Seabee Ball. Thank you Melissa for the beautiful dress I was able to borrow. I will return it soon. ;) It was fun to get all dressed up and fancy and then go eat a nice meal. Then to top it all off dance the night away. I will say that I am extremely blessed to have a hubby who doesn't mind dancing it up with me on the dance floor. But for anyone who knows me it is a must that I married a man who can and will dance with me since I love it so. ;) Thank you honey for a good night. And thank you Armour's for watching our kids. It was their first sleep over (besides at gpa and gma's house). They loved it and so did we!

Had to have a pic without the glasses (Matt has had to wear glasses for the last 4 months in preparation for eye surgery (kind of like lasik) but then just found out he was denied due to his eye being a really odd shape which could cause the surgery to go bad. I was glad cause then he could wear contacts again. He was sad. So he talked to some other people to get a second opinion. Now he still has to wear glasses until he gets that opinion. I guess its okay since I think he's still HOT with or without them. And whatever makes him happy! ;))

Last week we did something I've always wanted to do. Learn to ride motorcycles!!! Yes it was a blast and no I didn't fall. ;) For 2 whole days we learned all about riding in class and on a bike. At the end we had to pass a test to get certified to drive on base (and get a discount on our insurance). We both passed. ;) Unfortunately a girl dropped her bike and so wasn't able to pass. She left kind of in a huff. I feel bad for her. I'm glad we both passed and that neither of us got hurt. It was seriously a blast. Oh and I don't know who was more excited, my dad, or me! lol. He's been riding since he was 15 1/2. Oh the joys. Thank you Colleen for watching my sick kids for those 2 days!!! YOU ARE THE BEST! ;)

Matt's motorcycle pics

Nic's Motorcycle pics

Grandpa came to visit

2010-04-08T11:20:00.001-07:00

At the beginning of March Grandpa Dave was able to come visit us. He had a business trip in Baltimore for a couple days and decided to extend it through the weekend so we could have a few days with him. It was a blast! We made homemade pizza on Friday night and topped it off with rootbeer floats, a Lost episode, and a game of scrabble. On Saturday Matt and his dad went and played some hardcore racquetball for a couple hours and then met me and the kids and some friends at the Naval Air Museum. We all were able to do the flight similators. THANKS GPA! ;) Went out to eat at a very yummy restaurant where Lukas got paint on his shirt from some fresh paint. I was not very happy. The manager swore the paint would come out. It didn't. Not happy. Anyways, then we went to the International Spy Museum up in DC. SO FUN. Although, we didn't know that no strollers were allowed so we had to hold/run after the kids the whole time. It wasn't really kid friendly either. But we had fun. Thanks for a good ol' time like always Grandpa! Here are some cute pics of Gpa Dave and the kiddos.

I love how Lukas was sweet enough to try and block the sun for Gpa. ;)

What to do

2010-03-01T12:27:00.000-08:00

Kids/babies screaming on purpose is about the most annoying thing to me.....BOTH my kids are doing it right now while they are suppose to be taking a nap. Lukas was never a screamer. That is, until my little Lydia came along and started screaming. Now Luke joins in all the time. Why it annoys me I don't know. But it does. Bad. You would think its kind of cute that they do it back and forth like they are talking and bonding..... No. Nope. Not working. I hate it. How do I stop Lydia from screaming?????

National Zoo

2010-02-28T12:42:00.000-08:00

We love the National Zoo in DC. Its free for one which is awesome but it's huge as well. Lots of good animals to see. For the first time in months it was a great day yesterday for going out. Still freezing but at least not snowing or raining and the roads were clear. So we had to go out. Kids loved it. Matt and I loved it. Must do it again.

Luke was so excited when this small tortoise started walking. Pretty cool to see.

Giant tortoises. In the words of Lyd, "WHOA!"

My favorite pic.

This momma gorilla was awesome. She has a little baby in her lap. By the time I pulled out the camera the baby ducked back down. Its amazing how much they look like humans.

The orangatangs were my favorite. They have such freakishly long arms and were swinging everywhere. So fun.

Every kid should have his own anteater statue....

I just love this one. Luke didn't want to smile for the camera or take a pic with me so I tickled him. I love being a mom.

Lydia's Birthday

2010-02-26T06:00:00.000-08:00

Okay so its been over a month since Lydia's 1st birthday....I'm getting there, I'm getting there. I made her a yummy, yet ugly looking cake. Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. I didn't make it until late in the day so we didn't have it until 9pm. haha. Regardless it was a hit. A few things about our little sissy.

- She loves music and lets you know it as she shakes her hips and waves her hand. A little story: We were at church 2 weeks ago and Matt had to take a cranky Lyd out of Sacrament mtg. When he came back with a sleeping Lydia the special musical number was just starting. As soon as the 2 violins began Lydia's arm went bezerk, waving all around (the sign for music in ASL is a hand wave back and forth). Yes, she was still asleep. At least for the first minute. Funny girl.
- She loves juice and will go crazy every time she sees me pull out a juice box.
- She loves torturing her big brother by following him around and stealing his toys. Luke then runs to me crying saying Lyd took something from him. ;)
- She claps her hands and does the Indian chant.
- She flirts with anyone and everyone by squinting her face and cheesing.
- She does the most intense army crawl you have ever seen! She doesn't want to give it up because it gets her places FAST. So she doesn't walk yet, or even stand by herself. In time.
- She's the BIGGEST cuddler you have ever seen. Anyone who picks her up she'll immediately put her head down on their shoulder and cuddle. LOVE IT! Both my kids were cuddlers.
- She loves crawling up the stairs...had a few falls too but she still does it. And when I tell her to get down she just cheeses at me. haha.
- Can entertain herself with anything. Luke could never do this so I'm loving it.
- Has now begun to love looking at books. Although, she's a book ripper. Darn it.

So that's our little girl. We love her to death! Happy belated Birthday baby girl!

She dug into it a little prematurely. Can you see the little finger marks in the frosting at the top.

New Diaper Bag

2010-02-18T05:31:00.000-08:00

I made this x/lg diaper bag for my sister-in-law who will be having her 3rd baby hopefully within the week. I absolutely love the uneven pleat in it. What do you think?

My sweet hubby.

2010-02-16T04:31:00.000-08:00

We've had lots of time with Matt this past week and we've loved every minute of it. Yesterday was a holiday so he had last Friday off as well. Starting Friday Matt decided to make me a tool board for my craft/business room. He wanted to make it "perfect" so he spent a lot of time and work on it. And boy was it worth it because I LOVE IT! Don't you? Totally making my life easier already. Thank you honey.

Because we were out of town and sick during my birthday at the end of December Matt had yet to get me a gift. Finally he decided to paint me a picture of Yosemite falls (we went there 2 yrs ago when Luke was 10 months). Isn't it B.E.A.U.T.I.F.U.L????? I absolutely love it. Now just have to get it in an equally beautiful frame.

Yesterday Matt finished up my board and then went outside with Luke to play in the snow. They ended up building an IGLOO! How freakin' awesome is that? We have our own life size igloo in our backyard. Luke loved it! And sis enjoyed it from the comforts of our kitchen. ;)

In anticipation

2010-02-12T07:13:00.000-08:00

Matt and Luke are at the hardware store picking up stuff to make me a tool rack for my craft/business room. Matt thought of it yesterday and ever since he asked me if I wanted one I've been extremely excited. He's even painting it. Supposedly he says it will be done today. Keeping my fingers crossed. ;)

UGH.....

2010-02-08T10:48:00.000-08:00

I HATE taxes. Mostly because it makes me realize what a terrible record keeper I am. Especially now with a business I am in total heck because I did not keep good records......UGGGG AHHHHH AAHHHHH!!!! Ok now that I've cyber screamed I'm good and will now get back to figuring it all out.

Random

2010-02-06T06:58:00.000-08:00

So there's ANOTHER big blizzard here in good ol' MD. Very strange compared to last year. We only had one major snow storm that accumulated 12 inches tops and that was in March. We've already had 3 major ones this year with the first accumulating 18 inches! The second was last Saturday and it got 12 inches. Church was canceled because of it. Between yesterday and today they forecast between 20-28 inches! However it seems more like 12 so far. Wonder if they will cancel church tomorrow. I really hope not. People here are crazy when it comes to snow. They all rush to the stores to stock up on random stuff and leave work early (or get a hotel) just to not have to drive in what I think is very mild snow weather. Although, I do think it is smart to avoid driving in the snow but canceling school 3 days this last week even when it WASN'T snowing at the time but just because it had snowed or was going to snow. Puh-lease people. Okay, really its not a big deal I just think its funny after living in snow town Provo.

Anyways, here's another thing to complain about: A couple months ago my tooth starting hurting. One that had a root canal already done and a permanent filling put in (but not a crown yet). I went in and found out it needed to be re-treated for that root canal. Lame. Luckily I had it done in cheaper UT during Christmas vacation. However, it was still $320 my part. Ouch. Then I went in to get a crown 2 days ago. I thought oh the most for this would be $350 maybe $380......Nope a grand total of $501.50!!!! Yes, my part. That's even with insurance paying 50%. Man, that just SUCKS! ***Note, I've VERY VERY VERY grateful that we have insurance to pay at least half or life would really really suck. And I'm glad for my overall health. BUT just to warn you all who are thinking of getting your dentist to do your root canal (if he does do them), DON'T!!! I've had 3. 2 were done by an Endodontist (root canal specialist) and one was done by my general dentist....Guess who's it was that needed the re-treatment (aka lots more money for me to spend fixing his bang up job)???? Yep, the dentists. Now I will only go to a specialist, even if it is a little extra.

On a happier note, Matt brought me breakfast in bed. Yumm. Sweet man. Now he's outside with Lukas making an awesome snow man. Lukas is in heaven and so am I. ;) Hope you all are warm and happy on this good Saturday!

New Boy Shoes and Girl Boots...FINALLY!

2010-02-02T07:52:00.001-08:00

So after much goof off time I finally got around to designing boy shoes and girl boots. I'm pretty much in love, especially with those stinkin' cute boots on my little girl! ;) (Oh and no, the idea for the boots is not all my own. Took the idea from a cute, however really expensive, shop called Gracious May). After I make them a little more my uniquely my own then I'll be posting them to my website soon. Oh my web address is now www.LuckyButtonDesigns.com. Yay.

One year older and wiser too...

2010-01-14T16:55:00.001-08:00

2 days after getting home from UT I turned 25! AHHH! I can't believe I'm 25. I know, its really not that old but I still think I'm 19 sometimes. ;) Anyways, Matt was terribly sick this day and the kids were extremely cranky so it wasn't all that fabulous of a birthday. However, I will say that it was still a wonderful birthday knowing that I'm married to the sweetest man ever and have 2 adorable babes to take care of. I love that. So even if it wasn't a spectacular day it was still great. Matt felt bad and so he made me a WONDERFUL dinner on Sunday when we celebrated my birthday. He made salmon, rice, homemade mango salsa (so yummy!) and even homemade rolls! Yep, it was yummy! And yes, he's amazing, and all mine. *sigh. hehe. We then had cake and icecream with the kiddos. Matt was adament about putting all 25 candles on the cake. We only had 24 candles so he made a makeshift candle out of a rolled up paper towel. I started becoming frantic when it wouldn't blow out after trying 5 or 6 times. Matt then blew it out for me. haha. too funny. So I got myself 8 settings of plain white correll dishes. LOOOOOVE them. So light and chip and break resistant. Gotta love that as a mom. I also bought myself an adorable picture creation that says C-R-E-A-T-E in 6 different pictures of different things that look like that letter. Make sense? My favorites are the R is a pipe that looks like an R. The A is dark ladder contrasted on a light background of a plaza. The T is part of a bridge from where we live. They are all in black and white. So cute. I'll have to take a pic of it and post it soon. Oh and yes, I did say I bought both of those presents for myself. Matt is still thinking of what to get me....haha.

Christmas in UT...or should I say sickness in UT....

2010-01-14T16:32:00.000-08:00

We headed to the airport on Friday December 18th and we were late of course. I was frantic that we were going to miss our plane. We had just heard that a MAJOR snow storm was due to hit at midnight and this was the last flight out to UT for the day. So we HAD to make it if we wanted to see family for Christmas. Luckily, we made it due to a very, very nice man who let me check in all our stuff outside without charging me. Thank you sir! (Good thing we made it because they got 18 inches of snow the next day! Ouch! The most we got last year was 12 inches and it was in March, not DEC!! Glad we missed that!)

The day was kind of hectic to start off with actually. Lydia had a fever for 2 days before we left. No other symtoms just a 102 degree temp. Then she woke up with a 103.5 degree temp the day we were leaving! I was going to take her into the urgent care but her temp finally went down to 101 so we decided to just go and if I needed to take her in then I could in UT. Well, her fever broke that night on the plane. However, Luke got one the next day for 2 days. Then they both got HORRIBLE coughs and extremely runny noses for the next FOURTEEN days!!! I took them into an urgent care in UT 4 days after getting there. They were fine. Then 4 days later Lydia got another fever for 2 days. Then Lukas got another one. We flew home on Dec. 28th. Lydia was horrendous on our flight home even though we had given her motrin before the flight. She was awfully cranky for the next 2 days and Lukas was clingy. We took them to the Dr's 2 days after getting home. Both had dual ear infections. Oy. That was them. I got the stomach bug and was throwing up for two days while in UT and then Matt got it the day we got home. Then Matt and I got colds....So we've been sick for 3 weeks in our household. Very lame. Although, I'm VERY VERY VERY grateful the kids did not get the stomach bug that Matt and I had so I will stop complaining. ;)

Ok that was our Christmas time. Sick sick sick. It really was fun to be with family though. We stayed at my brother's house. He has 3 kids. My parents flew in with my 2 bros who stayed there too. We then had my grandma Pat come stay there too. And then to top it off we had my last bro and his family (2 kids) come stay 3 nights with us. It was a FuLl house to say the least. We passed different sicknesses around and layed around most of the time. haha. It really was pathetic. Matt's parents and younger sis also flew in and the day they came Matt's younger sister had a fever and her throat hurt. Matt's mom took her to the urgent care in UT and she had strep throat. So amid all the sicknesses we rarely hung out with them. So sad that they flew in from CA to see us and we didn't get to do much. But we were very glad for what time we did have. THANK YOU mom and dad G and E for everything! We love you guys and miss you already!

We didn't get very many pics unfortunately because of being sick. This is all we have. Wish we would have gotten some with the grandparents and kids.....

Lydia's stroller/walker I got at DI in UT for $2! I miss UT for that very reason.

Matt and Luke got matching remote control cars that go really fast and do flips and stuff. They LOVE them.

My parents with Lyd on Christmas morning.

Tis the Season

2010-01-14T06:47:00.000-08:00

I know I'm really behind posting about Christmas stuff...so, what's new, right? ;) We got our small Charlie Brown Christmas tree the Saturday after Thanksgiving this year. We knew we would only be around for 2 weeks before heading off to UT for Christmas so we got a small (aka cheap ;)) tree this year. Every morning Lukas would jump out of his bed, run down the stairs, and head straight for the tree where he would plug in the lights and say "WHOA mom. Mismus lights!" haha.

On Dec. 12th we had our ward Christmas party. I was in charge of it and it was a lot of work but I think it paid off. The decorations were a Winter Wonderland theme so everything was navy blue, baby blue, white and silver. We put baby blue paper all over the walls and then stapled different color snowflakes on it. We strung Christmas lights across the ceiling and made cute table toppings that consisted of fish bowls with white tulle (sp?) and blue and silver ornaments in it. They were set on square mirrors and topped off with blue/silver confetti and garland. I thought it looked very classy and was quite proud of myself if I do say so. ;) Thanks so much to Rachel for all the help...she came up with all the ideas for the decorations. Really I had NO idea what I was doing and she took over and made me look really good. SO THANK YOU!

The kids got to meet Santa and got a treat bag. Santa showed up late too and I was freaking out about what to do since he's the biggest part of the night. haha. Luckily he showed up and was so apologetic because he thought it started an hour after it really did. ;) Thanks Santa for coming through for us!

Both elated and deflated

2009-12-15T11:18:00.001-08:00

So for the past 4 days Lukas has stopped what he is playing with/doing and gone to the bathroom to go #2 all by himself. I didn't even ask him too. He just told me "Bathroom mama. poo poo. No help. I do it. I do it." Then he runs and opens the door himself (he just learned how to open doors about 2 weeks ago. Now his bedroom door handle has been turned to lock on the outside of his room so he can't come out during nap time ;) Matt is so smart.). Even gets himself undressed himself and then up on the toilet. All by himself. What a big boy. Yesterday I couldn't find him and then I heard something from the downstairs bathroom (the door was shut). guess who it was?! Yep, Lukas on the toilet and done going #2. *Sigh. I'm in heaven.

On a down note, my best friend Shayna has moved home. Today. I'm trying to keep busy cleaning like crazy (before we go to UT on Fri) just to try not to think about her being gone. I miss her already. She helped me so much. Not just with the kids, which boy did she ever, but I miss talking to her all day. Her insights are fantastic! Her spirit so bright and her attitude very contagious. We never thought we'd have the chance to live together since I got married shortly after she got home from her mission. Well I'm VERY glad we did! Thank you Shay for everything. I love you chica!!!

DisneyWorld

2009-12-08T08:31:00.000-08:00

So I think its been long enough that I can now post about us going to DisneyWorld at the beginning of Sept! ;) My friend Shayna had just moved in with us 2 days before we left. We were so grateful she was with us. What a big help! It took 2 days to drive down. The kids were on verge of breakdown on the second day right when we started out. It was a Sunday that day an we wanted to stop for Church somewhere. However we didn't really plan in advance. We did luck out to find a random small town with an LDS chapel. We were hoping it started at 9am (we arrived around 8:15)....Unfortunately, it didn't start until 10am. I was cranky and so were the kids and so I just wanted to leave. Matt was sweet and said we should wait. It was a good thing we did. Church was much needed for all and left us all in a better mood. As soon as we got in the car to go both kids fell asleep for 3 hours! Thank you for blessing us because we went to church! We got to our hotel (Thank you Armours for hooking us up with your sweet 2500 sq ft pent house! ;)) around 5 pm and settled in. Our hotel had a full fledged kitchen, dining room, living room, 2 master bedrooms with separate showers and jetted tubs, and 2 smaller rooms with their bathrooms across from them, as well as a washer and dryer and patio with a view of the park's fireworks shows. Needless to say it was WONDERFUL!

The first and fifth day we went to Magic Kingdom which is pretty much a bigger Disneyland. Super fun because we were all able to go on all the rides in the park together (even sis) except 2. I really love that DisneyWorld/land are for families to do stuff together. It was a lot of fun. The second day we went to Animal Kingdom where we got to meet all the characters (without any crowds at all!) and go on a sweet safari ride. Epcot was fun because of all the shows but not very many rides for little kids. Hollywood studios was AWESOME because of one new ride - Toy Story 2 4D!!! It was the BEST ride by far! We each had a cannon with a rope to pull to launch our paint balls. The screen was 3 D and had moving targets for us to hit. It kept our score as well. SO FUN! The kids had a blast and were amazingly good the whole trip. We all definitely plan on going again sometime.

Goofing around in the Space shop

Our friends the Armour's on their favorite ride - the Aerosmith roller coaster. The beginning is super fast. Its great!

Look at how close the animals were on the Safari ride! They have a ton of acres and just have the animals roam free. The ride just takes you through the area without fences or anything. So awesome!

Just 'Cause...

2009-12-03T05:45:00.000-08:00

So I haven't really posted anything about the kiddos for a while. I finally uploaded some recent pictures from the last couple weeks....Can I just say my kids are the CUTEST?! ;) I guess you can decide for yourselves.

Look at me, I'm SO cute!

Can you see my fangs? (Watch out I now have 6 teeth!)

Lydia got stuck for a second in this awkwardly small position. How this girl gets herself into these spots I have no clue. She always seems to get herself out. Very determined little girl, I'm telling you.

Right after getting herself out of this stunt she somehow squeezed her little self over some major obstacles to get behind the TV. I found her there with a lady bug in her mouth. YUMM! ;)

Lydia can now pull herself up to standing and is learning how to cruise along furniture quicker. Watch out world! My little girl is going to start walking. :0)

Lukas had some obsession for a week or so with ties, mittens, his Elmo slippers, and putting things on his head. One time he stuck his drum on his head and was banging on it. We tried giving him a cracker which he took and tried to shove in his mouth....only to his the outside of the drum that was covering his head. HAHA. It took him a second to realize he needed to put his hand (with the cracker in it) under the drum to get it into his mouth to enjoy. ;)

Obsessed with helping Mommy and Shay (oh yea my best friend Shay has been living with us since the end of August. So fun. Luke calls her "wa wa" for some reason. hehe) in the kitchen. He's actually a VERY good helper.

One day he stuck mittens on his hands, Elmo slippers on his feet, a tie around his neck and a laundry basket on his head. hehe. He's such a goober.

Obsessed with ties. Making a funny face for the camera.

Lydia's crib music player was broken and I put it on the stairs for Matt to fix, which ended up staying on the stairs for almost a week. A couple times I'd catch Luke in this position. He'd turn the music on and lay down and pretend to sleep. hehe.

Caught Lukey playing with mom's makeup. Isn't he SO cute?! haha. Oh yea and notice the tie. Can you say OBSESSED????

Lydia is a following in Luke's footsteps and becoming quite a goober herself.

Family Pic.....Finally!

2009-11-23T05:56:00.000-08:00

Its sad to say that we don't really have a good family picture of all of us since Lydia was born. I know, pathetic. But we finally did it thanks to our good friends the Armour's. Thanks guys for getting us in gear. I think they turned out well. Lukas looks fake but its still cute. Lydia just woke up from a nap and wasn't smiley yet. haha. Oh well, we are all looking at the camera and that is remarkable for us! ;) Excited for Thanksgiving this week!

Halloween

2009-11-11T14:01:00.000-08:00

Luke's buddy Charlie (cute Dash from Incredibles)

I know its been a while and I have a TON of pictures to post...but for now you get Halloween stuff. After going to Disney World in September (yes pics will come soon) Lukas has been obsessed with Mickey mouse. When I asked him what he wanted to be for Halloween he quickly responded with "MICKEY!!!". So here's my cute Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse (of course Lyd had to be Minnie ;) ). I was in charge of the ward Halloween Trunk or Treat. Matt got a little carried away with the trunk decorations. He won first prize. The skeleton was set up in the back of our van with the candy bowl in between his legs. When people put their hand in to take some candy the skeleton would move and scare the kids (compliments of Matt hiding behind the curtain). I can admit that it was pretty good...even though I don't do ghorry (sp?).

Catching up on Rochester

2009-09-22T06:20:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of July we had the privilege of going to Rochester, NY to visit Matt’s grandpa Doug and grandma Betty. It was our first time (including Matt) visiting them at their home and boy was it FUN! We went to the Strong National Museum of Play, which was incredible. Seriously, every town should have one of these. It was full of hands on things for kids to play with. They had a whole section of Sesame Street things, a full kid sized grocery store where they got hands on experience from shopping to checking out, a fairy tale section, and a butterfly house. I don’t know who had more fun, Luke or the adults? It was great.

We then had a fun filled day at Niagara Falls where we went to the aquarium (not very fun because there was only like 3 things to see), the park, and even got to experience the falls up close and personal (thanks grandpa and grandma for watching Lydia so we could go!). On the way home we stopped by a wharf and had some great seafood. Yummy.

The third day we were able to go see the church history sites in Palmyra. It was incredible to walk through the sacred grove, see the replica of the tiny log cabin where the angel Moroni visited the boy Joseph, and the large Smith home that was 80% original! It poured on us (and boy do I mean poured..and thundered and lightening) halfway through but it was still fun. Matt, Lydia and I tried to go to the Hill Cumoruh Pageant that night (thanks once again grandma and grandpa for watching Luke so we could go). By tried I mean that we got through about 70% of the show before it POURED on us. Of course we left the umbrellas in the car and so poor Lydia got a bit of rain before I stuffed her in my jacket. Unfortunately, they cancelled the show because of it. (For those of you who aren’t familiar with the Hill Cumorah pageant it is done outside on a huge stage that is on the hill Cumoruh where Joseph Smith got the gold plates. It is an amazing top notch performance of segments of Lehi’s time through until Christ comes again to the Americas and then the restoration of the gospel.) It was one of the most amazing plays I’ve ever seen. Wish we could have seen the end. Good thing we know how it really ended though. I love the gospel!

On the way home we took a slight detour to Harmony, PA to see the Hale’s and Smith’s home (well foundation since the original homes are no longer there). This is the place where Joseph Smith translated most of the Book of Mormon. Joseph and Emma’s first born son was buried in the cemetery adjacent to the property. Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery were baptized in the Susquehannah River (which we walked down to and is beautiful). They also had a large statue representing the Aaronic and Melchizedek priesthoods being restored there. So lots of church history there as well which made the detour well worth it. Oh and we got to stop by Scranton, PA on the way home (the town where The Office is suppose to be located). J Matt was giddy.

We had a blast visiting you grandpa Doug and Betty. Thank you so much for your hospitality. We love you guys!

So these pics are a little backwards....

Matt doing a quick photo shoot of Lydia. Harmony, PA

The monument in memory of the Aaronic and Mechizedek priesthoods being restored. Harmony, PA

This is the Smith family home that is 80% original. Matt and I couldn't believe how modern it looked. Apparently Alvin Smith was an accomplished carpenter and decided to build this modern home for his family. He was able to complete the foundation, framing, roof, exterior walls, and part of the interior himself before he took ill and died suddenly (the church believes it was due to a ruptured appendix - according to the elderly missionary there). Unfortunately the Smith's didn't know how to build a home like Alvin so had to find someone in town to help them finish it. The man who helped them finish it ended up stealing the home from the Smith's by paying the last $100 on their mortgage and took the deed out from under them. He then rented it out to them for a couple years before his oldest daughter got married which he intended to give it to her as a wedding gift. The Smith's were then required to move back into the small log cabin down the street with Hyrum and his wife. 11 people in a tiny, tiny cabin because of a greedy man who stole their house. So sad.

Replica of Smith log cabin. This is the room that the Angel Moroni appeared to the boy Joseph Smith.

Sacred Grove

Yes, that is me getting soaked. Believe it or not it was really scary to go on that. They put up those bridges every Spring and take them down every fall. So kind of scary to think about how rickety they are. But Matt dared me...so I had too.

Losing Luke

2009-08-27T19:17:00.000-07:00

I went to JoAnn's on Tuesday just to grab one thing. So I didn't put the kids in a cart (besides this JoAnn's carts are really tiny so the kids don't fit in one anyways and I didn't want to deal with it). I turned around for one second and turned back to Luke...only, there wasn't any Luke. I thought he ran down a nearby aisle because seriously I looked away for ONE second. I hollored "Luuuke". No answer. I glanced down the aisle. No Luke. I then had a feeling to look outside. Now, we were pretty far into the store and so I thought "there is no way he is completely outside". So I just glanced at the doors to the store. No Luke. I then started getting frantic and ran down more aisles to try to find him. I had ANOTHER feeling to look outside. Good thing I looked at the doors. Luke was standing outside the store door pounding on it yelling "MAAAMMAAA". Oh my gosh! Can I just tell you what a HORRIBLE feeling it is to realize that my 2 year old ran out of the store and was outside for like a couple minutes!!! My stomach dropped. Worst feeling EVER. He could have gotten hit by a car. How did he know what doors to come back too to find me? Can I just say, TENDER MERCIES from the Lord! And, how dense can I be to not heed the Spirit when it said to "LOOK OUTSIDE!" AHHHH! Thank you so much Heavenly Father for looking out for my son! Next time I promise I will try to listen to the promptings of the Holy Spirit right away. Thank you for Thy tender mercies.

And the Baby Shoes WINNER is....

2009-08-13T05:49:00.000-07:00

First I want to say THANK YOU to everyone who participated! You guys are wonderful to support me in my efforts to start my own little business. I love doing what I do and hearing that other people love my products as well. So thanks again! ;) I decided to involve my hubby in on this little giveaway I was doing so I put all the names into a bowl and had him pick one out. haha. I'm a nerd but it was fun. So without further ado, the winner of her own custom designed baby shoes is....

TXMOMMY

Congratulations! Please email me at LuckyButtonDesigns@gmail.com and tell me what colors/ size you would like for your baby shoes.

Thanks again guys! :) Oh, and check back often because I'm thinking of doing more giveaways!!!

Last Day For Baby Shoes GIVEAWAY!

2009-08-12T05:59:00.000-07:00

Today is the last day to enter the giveaway. I decided I would extend the time to midnight PST. Also, anyone can enter this. If you don't have a little one yourself, these shoes make great gifts! Oh, and if you don't have a blog to post about them you can tell someone about Lucky Button Designs then just leave a comment here and that will count for an extra entry as well. We're trying to get our name out there so just encourage everyone you know to come join the giveaway! ;) I'll post the winner tomorrow morning. Thanks everyone for your support!

Baby Shoes Giveaway!

2009-08-05T04:39:00.000-07:00

I've decided to hold a little giveaway for one pair of cute little baby shoes. And not just these ones. The winner can pick a preferred color and size (up to 12 months). I know I have only shown 2 kinds of girl shoes but we will have some for boys as well as a variety of colors for both. So all are invited to participate. Here's what you got to do to get a chance to win:

For one entry:
1) Post a comment telling me
a) how much you think I should charge for these baby shoes;
b) what colors you think would be popular (including sole color); and
c) any other advice on what you would like to see on a future pair of baby shoes.

For a second entry
2) Post about my shoes on your personal blog and leave a comment here telling me that you have done so. My website is www.luckybuttondesigns.mybisi.com. My blog is www.luckybuttondesigns.blogspot.com.

And for a third entry
3) Grab the html code for my website (not blog) button (in the text box to the left) and add it to your blog. If you have questions about how to do that, then let me know. Then leave a comment here telling me that you have.

You get one entry to win for each thing that you do, so up to 3 entries. I'd love for your guys' advice and help in getting my name out there. You have until next Wednesday, August 12th, until 10pm EST. Thanks guys!

Baby Shoes

2009-07-31T08:20:00.000-07:00

Messed around yesterday and came up with these cute babies.

Photo Shoot

2009-07-21T17:45:00.001-07:00

i

Took Lukas and Lydia to Target photo last week. Luke turned 2 and Lydia turned 6 months so I figured it was a good excuse (and about time for Lydia - haven't taken anything professional for her yet!). They turned out better than I thought they would while the photo shoot was going on - they both were pretty stinky during the whole thing. I just wish the one of them together would have been a little better ... where's the smile Lyd?! Lukas' other ones are down in the last post I did. Can't wait to go pick them up next Monday.

Happy Birthday Lukas!

2009-07-17T17:59:00.000-07:00

Birth

3 month stud

1 year old

18 months

2 years old...and another cause he is so darn cute! ;)

I can't believe that my little man is 2 already. Ah man, I'm already emotional writing this. haha. He's seriously one of my best friends. I love how he such a chatter box...well, in sign language at least. He carries on full conversations with me in sign language. All day. The kid is so funny. He is the sweetest little boy. Everyone he meets (that is close to his size or smaller) he always gives them a hug. Sometimes a kiss too if they are lucky. ;) If he does something wrong, all I really have to do is calmly talk with him about why it is wrong and then he stops (most of the time, if I do it in a calm loving voice). He listens to me chatter all day... which is probably why he does then, huh? His new favorite thing to say (verbally - not sign language) is "Dada, Mama, Baby Iluvu" (he runs I love you all together). It seriously melts my heart every time. I love you too Lukas. Thank you so much for coming to our family and helping us all live life a little better and happier. Happy Birthday little man!

Luke, how old are you going to be?

2009-07-06T07:54:00.000-07:00

We've been trying to teach Lukas how old he is going to be. So we've been practicing. I think he finally has it down. Although, he's still trying to get the right 2 fingers down (right now he does an L with his thumb and pointer finger). We have a week and a half until our big guy turns the big TWO!
A Potty training side note (beware a little graphic, haha):
I've been trying to get Lukas used to the toilet lately. I've heard of potty training in 3 days and have read a little of it but haven't wanted to do it just yet because of all the vacations we are going on this summer. So I've just been trying to get him on the toilet as much as possible. However, he HATES the toilet. Every time I say "want to go poop/pee on the toilet?" he screams NO! Its like he was scared of it or something. So after thinking about it I decided not to say a word to him at all about the toilet. Now I just calmly hold his hand and lead him to the bathroom, pull down his pants and pull up, sit him on the toilet and simply say "I'll be right back" and then walk away. This does WONDERS for Luke. He then doesn't freak out and just sits there calmly. I'll try doing this a couple times a day. Twice last week I could tell he was pooping in his diaper so I just calmly and quietly took him to the bathroom and sat him on the toilet (thinking the whole time that he wouldn't go because he already had in his diaper). I left to put Lydia down and then realized that he had been really quiet for a while. I walked back and peeked in through the crack in the door and he was grunting and trying to look into the toilet. I waited until he stopped and yelled "MAMA POOP" hahaha. I went back in and simply said "Good job Luke" without seeming too excited (even though I really was ecstatic! its just better for him if I act like its an every day normal thing - nothing special). He went #2 again the next day even though he went a little in his diaper again. Then we went out of town the next couple days and he didn't go in the toilet again until yesterday. He's eating his lunch and then he says "Mama poop". I looked and he hadn't gone yet so I set him on the toilet and...... dum duh duh dum... HE WENT! WOO HOO! So I know that this is going to take a lot more to fully potty train him but I'm just excited he is not afraid of the toilet anymore and that I found a way to get him comfortable enough to go in the toilet. AND that if I'm very aware of him during the day and catch him before he goes #2 in his pull up then he will go in the toilet so I don't have to change his poopy diapers as often! That's a great feeling for a mom! ;) Although how do you guys handle public restrooms with young children who are being potty trained? The front part of the seat is missing on those and that is where Luke sits. How do you handle that? And how do you handle the yuckyness of the public toilet? Any advice??

Gettysburg Reenactment

2009-07-06T07:34:00.000-07:00

Matt heard from someone that the Gettysburg Reenactment was a must see on the 4th of July. And we agreed. So off we went at 5:20am to drive the 2.5-3 hours to Gettysburg, PA on Saturday morning. It was really fun. The country was absolutely breath taking. There were tons of actors and actresses dressed in authentic civil war attire, cannons, horses (Luke's favorite), and fun bands playing awesome music that Luke couldn't get enough of. The actual reenactment took about 1.5 hours and then had a cool live mortar competition between the Union and the Confederates with different size balls. They shot them 100, 200, then 300 yards. The last thing they had to do was hit a hay barrel that would then explode. Matt got a pic of it exploding. All in all it was very fun and worth the cost and drive. How blessed we are to live in such an amazing country. Thank you to all those who have given their lives in fighting for the freedoms that we now all enjoy. Thank you to all who have served and who are now serving. How proud we are that Matt is serving in the military now to protect not only his family but all who live here. Thank you honey! We love you! God bless America!!!

s

a

New Phases

2009-07-06T06:49:00.000-07:00

Luke and Lydia seem to constantly be changing and entering new phases these days. It's so fun to watch as a mom and rejoice with them in their new adventures. About a week ago we were driving to the store early Saturday morning and happened to see our LDS neighbors having a yard sale which included a very cool car toddler bed. We weren't planning to get Lukas a toddler bed, I was just thinking we would skip over that and go right to a twin bed to avoid subsequent costs. However, after seeing this bed I wanted it for Luke. It was only $20 for the bed, mattress, and mesh side rail (not in the pic)! HELLO! Who wouldn't want it for that price?! They even had a Cars Movie comforter and sheet set for $10 that we got as well. Now we don't have to fork out the hundreds it would have cost for a twin bed frame, mattress, sheets, and comforter...well, not yet at least. ;) We weren't going to have him sleep in it just yet because we didn't really want to deal with him getting out of bed all the time. But he had different plans in mind. He was SO stinkin' excited that night to sleep in it that he made us set it up for him. He hopped in and didn't even move a muscle all night! Say what?! Yep, every night since and nap times he doesn't move off of the bed. He had no issues switching to it at all. Yes, we are very spoiled parents and are very grateful that this phase has been a breeze for him. Matt and I think he just hasn't figured out yet that he can get off of it any time he wants...we hope he doesn't figure that out for a while. ;)

Lydia has began the never-ending moving phase. It's so fun to watch her reach and grab everything near her with such precision too. She won't stay still for a second. Once I lay her on the ground she is over on her tummy and turning in circles for hours. She is such a good baby. She also had yummy rice cereal twice this last week (at 5 1/2 months old). She loved it and is definitely wanting to feed herself already. Lukas was a big help in feeding her. They have so much fun together already. I can't wait to see how much more fun they will have when Lydia is older to do more with Luke. Oh the fun phases of growing kids! ;)
Matt didn't take a pic of Luke before waking him up after the first night of him sleeping in his new bed (like I had specifically asked him to do). I was upset (I know, its really not a big deal). So he tried to make it up to me by having Luke pose in these pics. haha. He even made Luke pretend he was asleep. haha. My boys are too funny.

Lydia is 5 months

2009-06-18T10:49:00.000-07:00

I know Lydia just turned 5 months but I thought I'd post her 4 month stats since I haven't yet.

Weight: 16 lbs 3 oz. (that's a 4 lb increase in 2 months!!!)
Height: 25 1/2 in.

She is such a sweet baby girl. This last month she has become so active! She kicks her feet all around every time I put her on the ground or in the tub (she absolutely loves bath time - especially with Lukas). She always likes to be reaching and playing with something. She has rolled over from her back to her tummy once, and lots of times on to her side. She has also gotten somewhat good at sitting up. She also found her feet and loves to hold them when she's on her back. She absolutely LOVES her big brother. I just can't believe how much she really does already even though she's so little. Maybe little kids just have a stronger connection to each other than adults do. I can rarely get her to laugh and if I do its just a little soft one. But then Lukas comes on by and she is giggling like crazy! haha. I'm not jealous. I really do love it. Lukas got hurt the other day and he cried and cried and then I laid him down by Lydia and he just stopped crying and cuddled up to her and held her. AWWW! Seriously precious. I can't believe my kids are growing so fast. Lukas will be 2 next month and Lydia will already be half a year old!!! I'm so grateful to be their mom. We really do have so much fun together!

Nothing like some good ol' bakin' to cheer a kid up

2009-06-18T10:06:00.000-07:00

About 2 weeks ago Lukas was having a really hard day, therefore, so was I. To top it off, Matt didn't come home until around 9. After dinner he started having another crying tantrum so I decided that it was high time to make some oatmeal chocolate chip cookies (I for one, definitely needed the sugar relief). We both got our aprons on and went to work. He had a blast! Its amazing how a little one on one time doing something as simple as making cookies can make a kid so blasted happy. I love my little stud. Even more so when he is happy! ;)

I know this one is blurry but doesn't he look so happy?
Cookies are great.

Camping with hubby's fam

2009-06-01T12:12:00.000-07:00

After hangin' in the crazy house with my fam ;) we went camping at New Brighton Beach with Matt's family. It was so nice to be out in the fresh air all day. It was beautiful. His family has gone there a few times during Memorial Day weekend growing up. A lot of people in his stake go as well. His mom started it up again last year and now it will probably be tradition for all of us to go every year. The O'Neill Surf Shop has a major sale every year during Memorial Day weekend which we always hit up. This year Matt finally purchased his Officer candidate school graduation present - a full body wet suit! He's lovin' the water now. We also went to Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Matt and I were able to go on a roller coaster together (THANKS J for watching our kids!). Then we took Luke on a couple different ones. We really liked the beach boardwalk because they had a lot of rides that were toddler oriented and even ones where parents can accompany their toddlers free of charge. It was great.

Before we took off for home Matt's parents gave a short family devotional about some of their ancestors in honor of Memorial Day. It was great to hear about father-in-law's Great Grandpa who immigrated to the United States and began a great legacy for his posterity. We also heard about our baby Lydia's name-sake : Lydia Knight who was Matt's mom's great (not quite sure how many generations) grandma. If you don't know about her I highly recommend reading up on this great pioneer woman! She was incredible. Matt's grandma actually gave us an original copy of Lydia Knight's biography that was first to be printed in the series of great pioneer women. Thank you grandma Dee for such a treasure! We love you guys! Thank you so much for a wonderful time and cherished memories for years to come!

What a stud, huh?!

I went with him on this one to show him the stick lever made the dragon go up and down. Sadly however, it was broken and only went up. So as soon as it started I told Luke to pull it so it would go up and then for the entire ride we weren't able to get down. haha. Good thing he didn't care and just liked being on it.

He didn't understand that you could make the plane go up and down if you pulled the stick back and forth. He was content just going round and round like most of the other rides.

Cousin Zoe lookin' cute.

Luke gets obsessed with a few different things. Balls, guitars, and now skate boards. He has to be just like his dad. Ever since Matt got an Indo board from his parents this last Christmas, Luke has to be right there balancing on everything with him. Amazingly, he was really good at it.

California with my fam

2009-06-01T11:35:00.000-07:00

After 6 days in Utah we flew out to CA to hang with both our fams. My 2 older bros and their fams, and my younger bro, Gil, decided to drive out to CA at the same time. So there were 9 adults and 7 kids in my parents house for a whole 6 days!!! That's 16 people, people! Needless to say, it was total chaos...but oh so much fun! ;) We went to Fairy Tale town one day, Matt went boating with his fam twice, we hit up a Zoo Sanctuary, and played in the sprinkers and kid pool. It was a blast! Thanks so much Mom and Dad for all the fun times! We love you guys!

So I think Fairy Tale town was a big hit! I think all big cities should have something like this for kids. Luke and his cousins just loved it! Most of these pics are from there.
King Arthur's court. Unfortunately, our camera was being weird. My sis-in-law has a good one of us on her camera. I'll swap it out when she emails it to me.

Makinzie, Luke's cousin. She's a month younger than Luke. Luke at that beautiful smile!

Luke and Mak peeking through the holes. Can you see them? That's my older bro Chad in the background.

Lydia just chillin'.

Old Mother Goose slide.

The giant in Jack and the beanstalks' foot.

No, my mom normally does not look that scary. ;) Conner, Gma, Luke, Makinzie.

Robin Hood and Little John.

My mom could not stop laughing because Lukas was terrified of falling off Matt's shoulders so he would grip Matt's face and refuse to let go. Even though he would cheese his cheesy smile the whole time while doing so because he knew I wanted a pic. haha. Thanks son!

Grandma playing Indians with the grandkids. Lydia had a blast.

The Old Mother who lived in a shoe was made into a giant slide. Luke went down like 10 times. I went down with Lydia but that pic is on my sis-in-laws camera. I'll post it later when I get it.

Yes, my mother is a goof ball. I love it!

Utah

2009-06-01T10:58:00.000-07:00

We're finally back (well...a week ago...yes, I'm slow posting about it) from our great 2 week vacation visiting family and friends. It was so much fun to go to Utah for 6 days to visit Matt's grandma Rita, various aunts and uncles, my 2 bros and their families, my grandma Pat, and my best friend Shayna. Matt had an all expenses paid trip to SLC for the military engineering conference this year so we decided what the heck, why not all of us go since we would only have to pay for myself to fly. We stayed at my brother Brad's house (THANK YOU GUYS!) in Pleasant Grove and had a blast playing Rock Band 2 with the fam and celebrating my younger brother's birthday (Happy 20th Gil!). We celebrated Mother's Day with my grandma Pat and visited Matt's grandma Rita for the big Sunday feast (THANKS Caroline & Gary for the yummy food!). Matt had a good time at his conference and even had a good time in the golf tournament that they held one day...they sure do know how to have fun in the military! ;)

They even had an elaborate ball that was held the last day of the conference. Matt was lucky enough to find a free ticket for me (otherwise we would of had to pay $100+ for my ticket) and we had my best friend Shayna and her friend, Jeff, watch our kids for us in our hotel across the street from where it was being held. This was the first time Matt and I have had a real date since Lydia has been born. It was so much fun! I borrowed a fancy dress from Shayna's friend and she did my hair all prom-ish. I felt like a million bucks. Matt got to wear his hottest uniform.....dum duh duh dum....his choker whites....*sigh. He looked so yummy! ;) Everyone at this thing looked so fancy shmancy! It was great to feel like we were living the high life. The ball had scrumptious food and then dancing afterwards. We LOOOOVE dancing so it was great! The military really does know how to throw a party! Seriously though, we find ourselves so lucky to be a part of such a great organization. Hoorah Navy!

Our prom picture. Yes we did it on purpose. Doesn't he just look so great! Man, am I lucky or what?! I love you Matt! (I'm so sad the pic is blurry)

We had to take Lukey to our old stompin' grounds.
We had to buy him a BYU hat and football too.
We rocked out to Rock Band 2 and Luke refused to let go of one of the guitars until we finally swapped it out for my brother's real one so more of us could play. I'm very tempted to buy a playstation 3 now just for the Rock Band 2 game...so addicting...and fun....ok but not worth $700 to me!!! Maybe used. We'll see.

Luke wouldn't leave Lydia alone. He had to lay by her. Give her hugs and kisses. Keep his arm around her. And just look at how she repays him. haha. Lydia wouldn't leave her shirt alone. Had to suck on it. Love her little Budda belly. That probaby isn't very politically correct to say...My kids are adorable. ;)

Family

2009-05-04T19:02:00.001-07:00

We were blessed to have Matt's parents and younger sister Emily come out to visit us for a week at the beginning of April. (Thank you to Shelly and Christina for letting us borrow beds for them!) It was so much fun to visit all the sites with them. Here's a TON of pics of our time together.

The first day they were here we went up to the heart of DC and watched the Blessing of the Fleets. Its a time when an Admiral in the Navy speaks (this time it was about the SeaBees (CBs - Construction Batallions) which is what Matt will be on our next tour) and blesses the Naval fleets. Water is collected from the 7 seas and then poured in the fountains that line the Navy Museums in DC. It was a really neat experience. We then went into the SeaBee Museum and had yummy free navy bean soup (I'll post the recipe later). Luke got to play in this cool fort.

The SeaBees symbol is a Bee w/ a gun and a construction worker drilling. Their motto is Can Do. We build - We fight. Matt is very proud to be a SeaBee and we are too!

Left to right: Me, Matt's younger sis Emily, Matt, Luke, Matt's mom Gwynn, Matt's dad Dave.

Another day we visited the SeaBee Memorial which is right across the street from Arlington National Cemetery. Its a beautiful memorial and Matt's favorite thing we did. ;)Thank you SeaBees for all you do!

We rode around all day on bikes with Luke in a trailer. Dave (Matt's dad) was sweet to walk with Lydia half of the time because she was too young to go in the bike trailer. Thanks dad!
Washington Monument
Beautiful view of the Cherry Blossoms. The National Cherry Blossom Festival was the same week that they came into town and it was seriously PACKED everywhere! We had to walk our bikes half the time because it was so packed.

Lukey was kind of nervous riding in the bumpy trailer. Oh yea, it was SUPER windy that day too. Annoying. Luke just wanted to get out and run. Poor guy was stuck sitting down or being dragged along while we all looked at the "boring" (to a not yet 2 year old) sites.
Taken on the steps of the Lincoln memorial.
Lincoln Memorial. B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L. Did you know that the guy who made this statue was deaf. When he made it he made Lincoln's hands in the shape of his sign language initials. So one hand is doing an A and the other is doing an L. Pretty cool huh? Thanks for teaching me that one mom! ;)
WWII Memorial. Very beautiful and humbling. WWII Memorial

Changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns. For those of you who don't know (like me before I went) the Tomb of the Unknown is where they keep those individuals who have died in combat and were not identified. They stand guard at the tomb 24 hours a day/ 7 days a week. During tourist season they change the guard every 1/2 hour (Normally its just once every hour on the hour). Its an amazing ceremony. Definitely a must see. They ask that you all remain standing, even young children during the about 10 min ceremony. One young boy was sitting down and they stopped the ceremony and the guard said "young man, please remain standing". Once he stood they resumed the ceremony. So humbling. Seriously we need to remember to respect those who have died in combat fighting for OUR freedom!Arlington National Cemetery The eternal flame at John F. Kennedy's tomb. I believe this was at Arlington National Cemetery.

We also hit a lot of other sites. A lot of the different Smithsonian museums, a tour of the Capital building, the Naval Academy (which is GORGEOUS) in Annapolis, etc. It was SO much fun. Thanks mom, dad, and Emily for making it a fun one! Please come back soon!

Elders

2009-05-04T18:56:00.001-07:00

We had the missionaries over for dinner 2 weeks ago. Lukas just immediately bonded with, get this, Elder "our last name" (no relation that we know of)! Then they came over again tonight for dinner and once again it was all about "the" Elder. haha. Luke wouldn't sit on Matt's lap. He had to sit on "the" Elders'. Anyways, we had to take a pic of the Elders with Luke and "the" Elders' extra name tag pinned on him. ;)

"the" Elder, Luke, Elder Swain

Seriously he was being so stinky and wouldn't smile for me. Yet 2 seconds later "the" Elder took a pic of him and he smiled like an angel for him! haha.

Been A While...

2009-05-04T18:47:00.000-07:00

I got a text from my good friend a couple weeks ago that said something to the effect of "Its been too long so post pics of your cute kids now!".....sorry Luce that its taken me this long to finally heed your order, er advice. ;) I took these pics yesterday. Lydia is growing up so fast and is our cute, yet very chunky monkey. She is now 3 1/2 months. Luke is our spaz and is currently 21 1/2 months. *Sigh* I just love my kids.

Chunky, chunky thighs. Hmm sorry hon you get those from your mommy.

Look at them beautiful baby blues!

This is Luke being stubborn and not wanting to smile...& yet Lydia not being able to contain hers.

And finally he gives in and does his cute cheesy smile. Oh yea both smiling and perfect!

Craft Fair & New Products

2009-05-04T16:35:00.000-07:00

Did a pretty big craft fair this last Saturday. Unfortunately it was stinky weather so it didn't have as good of a turn out as was expected. Although we only sold a couple items we (me and my new business partner, Christina! ;) ) still think it was good to do because we got our name and websites out there. Even a pretty big order was placed so it was great. I will say though that I think craft fairs are too much of a hassle to get ready for, set up, sit through, and then take down. It just doesn't have enough of a return for all of that hassle. Our products tend to focus more on mothers and babies and I don't think we get enough of that kind of audience at these craft fairs. I think we will start focusing more on word of mouth and internet sales. So if you guys can help spread the word that would be GREAT! I think we will be having a raffle soon for a free product of your choice (a bag, apron, nursing cover, or baby flip flop - specially made with any material you choose that you see on any of our products). You will just have to put our business blog button on your blog which will get you one entry into the raffle. Then for every other person you refer who does the same on their blog will get you one more entry per person as well as that person will then get one entry for doing so on their blog. Make sense? Anyways, let me know if you guys would be interested in that. If so, we will probably do it in the next week or so.

Here's pics of my booth. I sold my Mary Kay stuff as well as my Lucky Button Designs stuff. I also shared it with my friend who sells BEAUTIFUL glass jewelry here. Christina and I had a blast sharing our stories of how we met our spouses, the courting experience, and then on through the engagements. It was fun to reminisce about that time of our lives. It made me realize yet again how much I love my man! ;)

Here are some new products we have. We have an unlimited amount of the baby flip flops in sizes 1-3. We have a couple of the pink cream flower bags (also a cute blue, red, & yellow one that I will post soon) and one each of the apron and various nursing covers. Check out the business blog if you are interested in ordering some. Lots of new ideas in the making so check back often! Thanks!

Growing

2009-04-02T14:27:00.001-07:00

I haven't posted any stats of Lydia besides her birth ones so I think its about time to catch up on that. I haven't posted them because the military base clinic here doesn't print them out for you with the percentile of each. I guess they just don't like going above and beyond anything for you. Even though every other pediatrician office I know of does. Seems basic. The guy even gave me a weird look like he was being put off when I asked him to write down all of Lydia's stats from her last 3 dr's visits. Like HELLOOO dude isn't this your job?! Am I being crazy about this? Anywho, here's her stats. (oh yea and he didn't write down her head circumference even though I specifically asked for that too....grr).

1 week
weight: 7.4 lbs
height: 19.88 in
2 weeks:
weight: 8.4 lbs
height: 20.28 in

2 months:
weight: 12.6 lbs (90th percentile)
height: 22.44 in (50th percentile)
(oh yea and the dr just decided to add the percentiles for this last visit. weird. why don't you just do that EVERY visit please?)

I also asked for Lukas' 18 month stats since Matt had to take him since I had just had Lydia a few days earlier. The military (or maybe just dr's offices in general but this is the only one that doesn't like to convert them for me) likes to record all their stats in kg and cm...what a pain when they don't convert them for me when I specifically ask for them to. When the guy handed Luke's stats to me I saw that they were in kg and cm still and asked him to convert them for me. I got the paper back with what appeared to be his handwritten calculations. However, he seemed to get the cm to inches wrong since he said 84 cm = 21.6 inches. For some reason I don't think Luke is smaller than Lydia.... Ok poor guy I really shouldn't give him such a hard time. I really can't complain when I don't have to pay for a thing with the military insurance. ANyways, here's his stats.

Luke 18 months
weight: 29.5 lbs
height: 33.1 in

My little guys are growing up!

12 Blessed Hours

2009-04-02T14:21:00.000-07:00

Last night Lydia slept 12 hours straight....HALLELUJAH! :) Actually the week before daylight savings time she was doing about the same thing. One night it was 9 hours, the next 12, the next 10 and again 12. Then daylight savings hit and she has been screwed up ever since. Ok I think she has also been growing a lot so she has been really hungry. But last night was AWESOME! 12 blessed hours! Although I was in a lot of pain in the morning, it was SOOO worth it ;). Here's what I attribute to my success.
This book was the best Christmas present I ever got! Matty gave it to me the Christmas before I had Luke. It worked like a charm on him and I'm happy to say it has also worked its miracle on Lydia as well. *Sigh* Its a wonderful life! (Knock on wood) ;)

Free Living Scriptures Family Fun Pack

2009-03-30T14:43:00.001-07:00

My friend posted this on her website which she found on her ward Relief Society blog. Go here if you want to sign up for a free Living Scriptures family fun pack. It has an animated dvd for kids, a dvd of some documentary, a 48 page FHE book, and 8 Book of Mormon character magnets. It is supposedly all for free - even shipping. I signed up for it about a week and a half ago I think. Still haven't gotten anything but I think it will eventually show up. Just thought I'd pass it on for anyone who's interested.

Bro & Sis

2009-03-24T12:21:00.000-07:00

So I wanted to post a couple pics of Luke and Lydia when they were first born and a couple weeks old. When Lydia was first born we thought that she looked nothing like Luke. Now I still think she looks different that Luke did at her age, except for every now and again I totally see Lukas in her. I just needed to post these pics so I could see them next to each other myself. Do you think they look alike or different? Besides Lydia having a nice tan. ;) I still can't decide.

. Lukas 1 day old

Lydia 1 day old
Lukas 2 weeks old

Lydia 3 or 4 weeks old.

Story time

2009-03-24T07:56:00.000-07:00

Lukas sure does love his story time. We always have to read a couple books before naptime and then again before bedtime. He absolutely loves his 2 curious George books and his Cat in the Hat book. He can have us read them to him over and over again. Well, a couple nights ago Matt was lying on the ground on a pillow reading a book. I heard him whisper to me (I was sitting on the couch talking to my parents) to look at Lukas. I watched him grab a pillow and put it next to Matt on the ground, go get his Curious George book and then proceed to lay down on his tummy just like Matt was to read his book. SO CUTE! Here's a pic of my little guy..well he isn't so "little" anymore. ;) (I don't know why this text is all underlined but I can't get it off and I'm not about to re-type this whole story). Ok and I just have to add this adorable pic of Lydia. It was taken about 2 weeks ago. I can't believe my little girl is already 2 months. We have her 2 month check-up this Thursday. I'm pretty proud of myself that it is only a week and a half late/after her 2 month birthday instead of like the 2-3 weeks late that it would always end up being with Lukas. ;) She looks a lot pudgier in this pic than she really is.

New girl flip flops

2009-03-24T07:49:00.001-07:00

Here are some new girl flip flops size 0-3 months. My friend is buying one (thanks Sabrina!) and the other will be up for sale on my website at www.luckybuttondesigns.mybisi.com. These are so fun to make. I want to keep them all for Lydia! ;)

Another addition to the family

2009-03-21T18:46:00.000-07:00

One week after Lydia was born we welcomed yet another addition to the family - a navy blue 2005 Toyota Sienna LE to be exact. I'm so glad we decided to buy a minivan instead of a full size sedan or a compact SUV. I just love being up high, and not having to bend awkwardly down to get our kids in and out of the back seat. I love the features. I love the smooth ride. And I really love how gas prices are so low that it only costs $35 to fill up my 20 gallon tank. Thank you honey for allowing me this lovely luxury! I strongly encourage anyone even thinking about getting a minivan to get a Toyota Sienna. I certainly love it!
This picture isn't of our car but you get the idea...