Happy 1 year birthday to DREW!!!




Just wanted to wish my cousin Jimmy, his wonderful wife Becca , and their GORGEOUS 1 year old little man Drew a HAPPY 1st!!



To many, many , many more fun birthday's!! I enjoy seeing you grow in the pictures mommy posts of you! I sure can't wait to see how you celebrated your 1st!

Happy Birthday to you!

Sucess in steps

McKayla's transition to the crib is going much better than expected.

She is definetly one for routines.

As long as there is one....she's good to go.

At first it was...mommy and Kayla go into the back room around 7:45 and I would lay down in our bed with her and nurse her to sleep (most nights taking up to 45 min). And then she would sleep in our bed waking up every hour and a half to 2 hours crying to nurse again.....repeat throughout night. *shakes her head*

Now...

around 7:30 I pick her up and sit with her to nurse (trying to break this part of it...but it's kinda her cue that its bedtime) out in the living room. Then when she is done, I pick her up (at this point she is already waving bye-bye to daddy) and tell her its time for bed. Time to say nite-nite to daddy and sammy. She does, blowing her sweet kisses along the way. Halfway down the hall I start singing (in my OH SO wonderful voice *smirks*) "twinkle twinkle little star". We walk into the back bedroom since the crib is in our room...shut the curtains, turn on the humidifier (for noise..I need to get something different)...all the while singing (she is humming with her head against my shoulder...and it feels like she is clinging to me getting all the snuggle time she can while she can) She loves her back to be rubbed...so I'll finish the song standing by her crib rubbing her back. I'll lay her down with George (the monkey), a blanket, and her body pillow IN the crib. And now she sleeps until between 3-5. WHICH Is MAJOR steps for us! :)

Can I get an AMEN?!?

Zippy's Chili For sale!!~

Yay...it's my 1st fundraiser for the school!!! (I know I will rue those words one day)

Sammy's preschool has asked the parents to sell chili tickets to a local restraunt.

Each parent is asked to sell 25.

They are $6/pc ....but you get 1 and a 1/2 pounds of the most DELICIOUS (holla) chili on the island! So in support of KCAA Preschools of Hawaii I am officially one of those annoying parents that if I see you in the hallway or on the elevator chances are you'll hear from me...

"Hi, do you like chili? and would you like to support my son's preschool?"

A lulluby.....

Found this (thanks to a friends blog), and laughed my butt off!~ I wonder if you'll find it as amusing as I did.
This guy is hilarious. His name is Stephen Lynch. If you like this....go to YouTube, and he has a lot more FUNNY ones!



I also like his "superhero" song.

Enjoy!~~ TTFN~

Glad we can come back and edit....I ran across this (in all my free time...right Amber? lol)...and wondered why I hadn't heard of it before. This guy is going to change his name to whatever the highest bidder decides. It is already up to like $31,000.

Hmmmm...this gives me and idea....

:o) :o) ;o)

Update: Had to change the song version since I guess whoever downloaded it to YouTube did a copyright infringment, Here is the song anyway, minus the great faces he makes!~ I still enjoy it!

TRUE BLESSINGS!

McKayla

I love how she waves and blows kisses to EVERYONE she meets. She charms even the grumpiest of people. I love how she pats my back when I pick her up, as she lays her head on my shoulder. I love how she gives "high fives" whenever she realizes she has done something good. (she has learned to carry her diaper to the trash and throw it away...of course this comes with finding toys, appliances, and book in there as well! LOL)
I love how when Sammy gets into trouble and has to put his nose on the wall, he will be crying and she will walk up behind him and kiss his back. And then stand beside her brother and put her little nose on the wall, in her innocence not realizing he is in trouble. Just wanting to make him feel better. (and 1/2 the time it is for taking her toys). I hope she continues to be so compassionate. I love how she will be sleeping SOUNDLY in the car, but as soon as you turn the engine off she pops up like "what did I miss...let's go!" EVERYTIME! I love how she shakes her head "yes" and "no" to questions....she looks sooooo cute.



Sammy

I love how he watches out for her EVERY day as we walk to the car....trying to grab her hand, and telling her firmly she has to wait for him. He is so protective of her, I hope he never loses this. I love how he asks for a specific number of kisses each night. "Mommy...lets do 6 kisses...ready.." and then tries to count as his lips smash against mine however many times he chose that time. He is such an affectionate little boy. I pray he never gets too embarrassed to give his o'l mom a hug or kiss. I love how he tells me he has to stay home with daddy "cause he's sick, and doesn't feel good" while I go shopping. (something he would NEVER usually miss) I love how when McKayla wakes up from a nap and is grumpy, Sammy will do whatever he can..including trying to hand her whatever he was playing with at the time....just to make her happy. He hates to see her sad. or anyone for that matter. I pray he always thinks of others.

If you have pearls....

I HIGHLY recommend putting them on while you do your housework! *grins*''

no, I'm not drinking (as a matter of fact I am not a drinker AT all! lol)

I have just decided, that since I don't get many occasions to wear them, Why not?

They are just hanging in my bathroom....begging to be let off the "hook" ...(get it? I have them on a hook ....ha ha ha...*shakes her head*)

And honestly

McKayla has worn them more times than I have.

She thinks they are hers.

As a matter of fact....

as soon as I put them on (necklace and bracelet)...

she started grunting and pointing giving me the "stink eye"..

when she realized I wasnt parting with them (hey...I felt "pretty"....*laughs out loud*)

She shook her fist at me (yes, she actually does this! where she got it??....I have NO clue!) and stomped off to get her "baby" (a cabbage patch doll)

Well...I continued to clean.

I'm telling you.

It put a "hop" in my "skip" or a "jump" in my "step.....

oh however that saying goes. *rolls her eyes*

Everytime I bent down to get a dish out of the dishwasher to put away, my pearls would brush up against me, and I would just feel "pretty" all over again!

It didnt even feel like I was cleaning!

goofy I know!~

Soooooooooooooo.......

if YOU have anything that you dont get to wear often that makes you feel good....


I HIGHLY recommend doing your housework in them! (maybe not the dirty, dirty stuff....but the simple picking up and light dusting.)

You may be surprised!~



Note to self: Wear pearls more often!! (Thanks Cody!~)

One small step for most....~

One GIANT miracle for Mommy!!~~ (right Becca? ...oh wait...read on..you'll see what I mean, and I'm sure after all the emails back and forth and what not, you may agree!)

Yay!~!!~~!!~~!!~!~!~!~!

**does the cabbage patch, and the happy dance running man**

Can you tell how excited I am??

I am literally grinning from ear to ear .

My chest is puffed out (in the proud mommy way, of course lol)

I just keep shaking my head wondering why it took me so darn long.

Are you curious yet?

Well.....

wait no longer...

because...

McKayla slept in her crib!!!!!!!

I know...I know *shakes her head*

It is something that is LONG overdue...her being 14 months and all.

And most would say I am a "horrible" mommy for even getting her into the habit of sleeping with me to begin with. Poo to you! lol I don't regret AT ALL all the wonderful snuggles I got for the past year from her, the small sighs, her hand on my neck, or as she pats my back as she likes me to do for her. Those memories I'll cherish!

I WON'T miss the kicks in the stomach waking me up suddenly, or the whimper every 2 hours so she could nurse. ah well.

the good with the bad they say!~

Anyway..

We bought a bunkbed, and once we get her used to the crib we will move her to the bottom bunk (sammy has the top claimed already lol)

but whoa whoa whoa... hold up...I'm getting WAY ahead of myself here.

After all it has only been 2 days.

The night before last I was exhausted from my hospital trip and needing some time to just be.

So I nursed her, and then put her in the crib to fall asleep on her own!

She cried for about 5 minutes....

and then

WELLA

silence.

blessed silence.

Brad must have asked me a million times if I wanted to go check on her.....and I told him...if he was SO concerned to get his butt up and check on her himself! *rolls her eyes*

Of course he didn't.

So after about 15 minutes of silence I got up and peeked in the room.

She was SOUND ASLEEP!

***insert harps playing and angels singing****

A true miracle in the making. (hey, this is from a girl that used to require me and my boob for about 45 min EACH night to put her to sleep...and then she would wake up an hour later to nurse BACK to sleep again (in my bed)...and then 2 hours later...and so on....so...honey...miracle it IS!)

Plus the crib was used for storage (laundry etc...hehehehe)

So I would FINALLY have some space AND be able to sleep in some other position, other than on my side (OUCH) with my boob stuck in her mouth. (sorry men for that.. :^O )

Well......kinda...now daddy could move back in. (hahahaha)...

of course HE doesnt think it's funny.

He has been complaining about having to sleep out in the living room. (we move a full size mattress in and out every morning and night so he can sleep in peace since McKayla USED to get up every 2 hours to nurse.) And I don't blame him!

*fingers crossed*

Hopefully.... we have started a pattern.

Tonight I stuck her in there after her bath and telling her it was time for "night-night" and singing "Twinkle twinkle little star" I firmly put her in the crib, said I love you and walked out shutting the door.

She cried for about 10 minutes this time. But the results were the same.

AND

she seems to sleep longer by herself, and NOT waking up to nurse. (amen!)

So....my friends.

the time to wean has come upon us.

I think it is harder on me. My little girl is growing up SO fast!

*sniffle sniffle*

but.....

I SURE AM PROUD!

How do you put your little ones to sleep at night? singing? just putting them in there? reading? Any advice would be appreciated!!~~~

TTFN!~

Update: We are on day 3...and I again put her in the crib after a bath and a song. She cried for about 10 min again and was out. She did get up a few times, but put herself back to sleep!!!!!!! Around 3 she really wanted to nurse so I went ahead and got her out, did it and we both fell asleep before I could move her back. But PROGRESS is being made and DARN it feels good!~

When it rains.....it pours!~

Isn't that how the saying goes? hehehe.

Well...I just got out of the hospital yesterday after having to go in for difficulty breathing, sore throat, chest pains, neck and back pains, and sinus trouble...(I'm a mess I know!)

Turns out I had walking pneumonia.

nice.

Sammy is STILL coughing.

McKayla was up all night with this croupy cough and hacking.

and poor, poor Brad.

he tried to sleep.

really he did.

We even moved a bed out into the living room so he could be out of the "germs" of the kids and I.

sleep?

sleep?

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA..ha...ha.....hiccup.

*sigh*

No really...

After about 2:30 in the morning things settled down and we ALL got some much needed rest.

And things are looking better today.

I was So blessed to have Popo and Papa here to watch the kids while I was out of commision...and they have been a blessing by taking time off of work to be there.

BIG MAHALO TO YOU GUYS! THANKS!~ *hugs*

Anyway...I better get off, as the kids require my attention. Sammy wants me to watch him do a somersault off the couch onto this seseme street couch that the kids have.

do I sense another ER visit in the making?

:o)

Love and Blessings to all! xoxo

105.2

That was McKayla's temperature yesterday!

I thought you died at that temp.

Apparently not...thank God!

It started friday night with a slight fever of 101.5. She had been pretty cranky all day, so I knew she was either teething or coming down with something.

Then Sat, we went to the commissary to do our shopping (spent $220...holy moly!) Made homemade beef stew in the crock pot and homemade bread in the bread maker! (both turned out SOOO yummy!) Spent the day around the house...laying low so the kids could get better (Sammy has been battling a cough from before Christmas).

On Sun (yest) we decided to do pretty much the same thing. Low key day. But as I went to lay with McKayla for our afternoon nap, she was ON FIRE.

Brad got her thermometer and I took her temp. Sure enough it ws 104.6 . I waited about a half hour, to see if the tylenol helped or if it went up.

It went up.

It was now 105.2

*enter slight panic mode here*

I called Kaiser Advice line. They told me to take her in to Urgent Care. She was soooo hot, and she was panting, like she couldn't get a breath in.

Brad started running around (almost like when I went into labor) and getting all worried and worked up.

We arrived at Urgent care. I knew that there would be nothing really they could do for her....which is one of the reasons I waited to take her in.

The POOR THING!

They tortured her.

1st with an oxegyn reading machine (they tape this tab thingy to your toe and it monitors your heart rate and oxegyn level) which she HATED. But the nurse got a kick out of her answering her back. She was so tickled. She asked Kayla...you dont like this? and Kayla would shake her head "no". Then she would ask her if she wanted it off her toe. Kayla would shake her head "yes". She said "you dont like it do you?" and Kayla again shook her head "no". All while screaming and trying to shake it off.

Next they put us in the room. The dr comes in, wants her undressed.......hello? It is SOOO cold in there and she is burning up.....how smart is that?

But I had to do it. SO they weighed her. 21 Lbs.

Check her ears...can't see anything. Too much crud, and too small ear drums.

The Dr. is concerned since all she has is a HIGH fever, and no other symptoms. He orders chest x-rays.

Have I mentioned how much I HATE these things. You would think in this day and age they would have a better way for doing these. For those of you LUCKY enough to have avoided the experience....let me enlighten you. They have the baby put their legs through this saddle looking thing. Then you have to stand there and pin their arms up against their head so the nurse/dr can wrap these 2 plastic sides around her middle...locking her into place. Then you have to stand there (holding their hands up) while the dr/nurse takes their time getting the slide ready ...and then taking the picture. **Meanwhile your child is screaming bloody murder and looking at you with such despair in their eyes wondering why you are standing there allowing this. (talk about pure torture for ME) **

Well, when they couldn't get a good side shot and wanted to put her in it again...I had had enough. I went and got Brad. Totally thinking I could sneak out and take a 5 minute breather (she had been screaming for about 45 min at this point).

WRONG.

Brad wouldn't let me leave. When I mentioned stepping out...he looked all panicked and said "but baby you cant leave her...she needs to see you".

damn.

So 20 minutes later and a VERY upset McKayla, Mommy, and Daddy...we got them done right.

only to show nothing.

Then the Dr. decided he wants to clean her ears.

huh?

This child has been through enough.

So I pin her down while they squirt water into her ears to rinse them out. (and rule out an ear infection)

McKayla is still screaming at this point. She is PISSED.

The dr says thats better than lethargic.

yeah right.....I wanted to punch him.

Next they did a mouth swab...to rull out flu.

Nope. not the flu.

Well, he says, we can run a catheter to get a urine sample to see if she has a bladder or urinary tract infection. But that normally has other symptoms like vomiting or less urine in the diaper. None of which she has had up to this point.

I decline

Hasnt the child been through enough?

Well, he says again, there is nothing more we can do.

They give her a tylenol suppository **poor thing**, and tell me I can go home but to come back if it isnt better by tommorow (today).

I am livid.

I KNOW it's not his fault, and in all fairness he DID try and find out what was wrong...but,,,,,

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR.

I KNEW this would happen and I could have prevented 3 hours of stress on her AND on us.

But like Brad pointed out....isnt it better that they DIDNT find anything wrong?

well, yes.....but geesh!~

Anyway...she is doing better today. Still running a fever. (though its only gotten as high as 102 today)...Still cranky. But at least she seems to be o.k

SO......anyway....all mommies out there....DON'T Panic if you get a temp that high.....but DO take them in. They said anything over 105 needs to be evaluated. Better safe than sorry.

seriously....

I always thought you would be dead...or at the very least in a coma.

Learn something new every day!~

HAPPY MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY!~

Update: McKayla developed some kind of splotches all over her neck and part of the way up her face. So I called Kaiser and spoke with Dr. Meyers (a.k.a Ben Stein)...because her temp had also gone up at this point to 103.8. I explained everything to him (about the Urgent care visit and what the dr. there had said) ...and then I explained what she had developed since then. He immedietly said it may be a common childhood illness called rosolio (not sure if thats the rigth spelling). He went on to explain that ALL children get it before they are 2, and it is most noticable (but not always) by a high unexplained fever,and splotches on face and neck. HELLO! Thats EXACTLY what it seemed she had! *whew* He said it wasn't serious at all, and it would go away on it's own. However if she changed any of her 3 A's (appetite, attitude, and awareness) then I should bring her in to the Urgent care. He would be working there tonight. SO....hopefully it is all she has and it will go away soon. I'll keep you updated.

Here is a pic of my "bad" mama!!

*thanks Nana for the Steeler tattoo's!*

What a ham...what a ham indeed. This is just one of the poser pictures she did for me. I'll be back on to post them soon!

Hope everyone had a GREAT NEW YEAR....and PLEASE keep in touch!

Leave a comment if you can...I often wonder who jumps on to check in on us!~ You can leave a comment under anonymous, and then put your name at the bottom. Of course if you haven't the time..I understand! Peace, Love, and Happiness all!~~

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Just some video's of the kids!

1st we have a father and son duet. *sigh*...giggle ..giggle..snort. It really is great blackmail material!




Then we have miss McKayla...haming it up FOR SURE! I love this girl!~



Hope ya'all had a great weekend! We went to the waterpark to use our passes for the 1st time. butit was quite cloudy and a little too cold, so we were only there for about an hour and 20 min. It was A LOT of fun though! Popo and Papa were kind enough to watch Kayla so I got to ride the rides! fun fun!

Other than that it was a mellow weekend! I like those! :O)

NO MORE TOYS!

It is amazing how much toys you can collect. We have everything. And if that breaks...don't worry we probably have double. LOL

I have filled 3 massive black bags full of them.

.....Tumble time Tigger, computer games, remote control cars, books, baby toys.....

the list goes on. I wish there was an orphanage or somewhere I could take them that would REALLY like them.

I mean Goodwill is fine and all, and I HAVE taken lots of stuff there before...but I think they charge too much for what people give them, for other people that may need them. (was that confusing?)

I have taken all my maternity stuff to a catholic charity that I knew housed homeless pregnant woman, and it had them do chores and good deeds to earn coupons to "buy" stuff people donated. I thought that was really neat. Though these are mostly toys and a few shirts and shorts Sammy has outgrown. I want to give them to kids that don't have toys. Any idea's?

Well, I better get back to the chore....I can't believe how long it is taking me! Of course having 2 MONSTERS ooohing and aaaahing over toys they had NEVER paid attention to before and mixing my piles up was no help!~ LOL Though it was fun! And Sammy got a kick out of trying to give away all his toys (seriously!) to the kids that are "sad cause they dont have any." He wanted to leave and go drop them off as soon as we packed the 1st bag. And he hasnt stopped asking me to leave ever since!! He keeps saying "Come on mom, can we go give these toys to the kids now...they are sad.. hurry" or "Is it time yet to go mom? The kids are waiting for us" It is nice to know he is so worried about other people! I love seeing these traits come out in him!

*sigh*

I am the luckiest mom in the world! (though I am SURE a bunch of you beg to differ! LOL :o))

P.S. I am doing much better since the previous post. Nothing has changed but I have had my cry, and it's a new day. :o) So thank you ALL for your touching emails and comments letting me know I am not the only one in this world that feels like this!~

Woe is me...as my mom used to say! The pity party is OVER! :o) haha (for now)

Of all the things I miss.....

I miss my mind the most! ar ar

no, seriously.

I think I lost it right around the middle of Dec.

I need a break.

away.

away from everything.

I am at that point where if I don't get some time to myself (and I mean MORE than 1 or 2 hours..which is normally spent cleaning.) I am going to lose it.

I clean.

it gets dirty 5 minutes later.

I cook.

then I have more to clean.

And when my dear husband is kind enough to give me that hour alone in the tub for a good soaking, and the luxury of reading a book (my fav PAST time)....

it is normally interuppted with the escape artist Sammy (who comes when dad's attention is otherwise diverted with his sister...*oh oh...do I sense a mini-me in progress?* I am in trouble! ) who comes knocking (as loud as he can, scaring the beegees out of me and causing me to almost drop my book)

"MOM.....MOM....Can I come in?" (followed by another insistent rapping) *rolls her eyes*

"No Sammy...Mommy is busy"

"Whatcha doing mom? Can I come in?"

"No sammy...please leave mommy alone, I'll be out soon and we'll play"

*his bat ears pick up the sound of water*

"Are you taking a bath mom? huh? Can I take a bath with you pleeeeeeeaaassee" *knob jingles frantically*

*enter brad...who realizes Sammy is missing*

Brad: "sammy leave mommy alone,,,come out here and play"

Sammy: "nooooo. I wanna take a bath with mommy...MOMMYYYYYY..PLEASE can I take a bath with youuuu?"

*enter struggle between father and son...and then a bunch of bribing*

"wanna some crackers Sam?"

"NO"

"want to go to the park?"

"NO"

"want a cookie?"

"NO"

"want to watch mickey mouse clubhouse?"

"can I have a popsicle too?"

"ok"

*voice trails off* " I want a moon one...and can i watch the one with goofy sick? it makes........"

*sigh*

Oh...it doesn't end there. But I'll spare you the baby crying, and Brad throwing his hands up in the air saying "I guess they just want you babe...what do you want me to do?"

SO....

Sorry I got off on a tangent there......

no, but seriously....

I wish I had someone that understood.

DH doesn't.

My dad (papa) just laughs and says i should have 4 more.

Jane (popo) bless her heart, DOES take them for me (like last night..she was even kind enough to make them dinner...so Brad and I had 45 min to ourselves) but I know she is tired after a long day and doesnt want to try and manage 2 kids...and like i said I spent that MAKING us dinner...so there really was no "time".

I KNOW I chose to be a stay at home mom. I wouldn't CHANGE a thing....even if I COULD be driving a mercedes (as my dad likes to point out) We have to make sacrifices, and are happy to do so.

It's a full time job.

no sick leave...let alone a sick DAY

no vacation

No breaks

No one telling you what a good job you are doing (.....or not, for that matter......no wait...i have my dad for that)

I am just tired.

physically. mentally.

But who hasnt been there that has kids right?

*sigh*

stick a fork in me ya'all

cause I'm DONE!~~

Goodbye 2006....Hello 2007!!

*clink clink*

To a wonderful year full of love, laughter, family, friends, blessings, trials and growth! To 2 wonderful kids that show me the meaning of UNCONDITIONAL love every single day. To 3 set's of parents, that even though we may not be as close as we would like...you are in our hearts always! To the friends that have been there for all the ups and downs! To many more years full of LIFE!

*clink clink*

Christmas Pictures!.....

Here are a few of the pictures taken on Christmas. These ones are taken down at Popo and Papa's house. I have more coming of ones taken at our place. What fun we had!

Here is Sammy opening his 1st gift at their house....Lightning McQueen boxer briefs!
woot woot. He was so excited! :o)



Then we have McKayla opening one of hers (with the help of mommy)...a pooh bear phone! Whooo Hooo!~



Here is Brad opening a gift from "santa"..what a cool picture frame! (did I mention how much I LOVE to take pictures?? lol...I can NEVER have enough of these babies! lol)



Here I am with one of my favorite gifts! Water park passes!! :o) Thanks Popo and Papa....we can't wait to go!!!! (already planned a trip this Sat lol)



Here is Sammy with his 2nd favorite gift....a karaoke mic that lets you see yourself on TV. For Mr. Vain this gift is PERFECT!



Here he is trying it out!~~ It was the cutest thing!



"what a mess!"



A little relaxing before we officially get the day started. We have Sammy singing "who let the dogs out?"



McKayla's favorite gift! A cabbage patch newborn doll. It was perfect for her size! She loves that thing, and has finally stopped carrying around George. Here she is with the baby in the carrier it came in!~

Merry Christmas...and Happy Holidays!!

I will be back on later to post some pictures of our FUN Christmas!! Sammy REALLY got into it this year...to include an advent calender!~ So he was SUPER EXCITED!

In a nutshell....Sammy's FAVORITE gift was the Dora's talking kitchen (poo to those who say it is for girls...at 4 Sammy doesnt know or care..and neither do I)...but he sure does enjoy cooking me stuff...the next take home chef maybe? :o) hehehe Love that show!~

Mckayla's favorite gift was BY FAR a cabbage patch doll she recieved from Tee....my brothers wife. She has not stopped rocking and playing with that thing since we opened it. It came with a little carrier...so she just sits there and puts in in there and takes it out to hug it and put it back in...back and forth! :o) The cabbage patch even came with the name Michaela (her name but spelled differently) AND was "born" 4 days after her! LOL Thanks Tee! So thoughtful!

My favorite gift had to be the breadmaker! i LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE it! I have ALWAYS wanted one of these since I LOVE the smell of fresh bread baking AND i love to cook. woot woot! I have to go and get all the ingredients though! I can't wait~! (and neither can Brad judging from the 100 times he has asked me if I went to the store to get what I need) :o)

Brad's gift...hmmmm...he liked the running shoes Sammy got him. So he could run in the park with him. But I think his favorite one was a Stainless Steel Coffee mug that had his name engraved on it and had a Steeler's emblem on it! He had a grin from ear to ear! Thanks Mom (Darla) and I loved my forggie jammies! ...But.. he also liked the waterpark passes too! (me too!) So it was a hard call! You know it was good when you can't choose! :)

Anyway...I'll be back with the pictures as soon as I can get them downloaded!

Merry (belated) Christmas Everyone! GOD BLESS!!~~~~~

A little taste of home....


that was ALL TOO SHORT!! My dad (Cody) came into town from Virginia (for work) and we got to spend a little time with him!


The kids fell in love with him all over again....in fact..McKayla took to him SO QUICK I was shocked....soon she had him wrapped around her finger.......literally!!


She led him around the house taking him wherever she went. And if he happened to sit down she was right there, grunting and grabbing at his finger.


Poor Cody sure hated that!


LOL....yeah right! I think they were both in heaven!


Here are a few pictures from the visit.....



McKayla giving Grandpa a kiss...





Sammy got to open a gift early, and here he is showing Grandpa his COOL NEW CAR!







Another "early" gift....Sammy had a BLAST with this one! He sure loves his Hot Wheels and Race cars.





Here we have McKayla trying to fill my shoes! hehehe and Grandpa laughing at her efforts. She loves to walk aroud with our Sandals or shoes on one foot, and flop here and there....







Ya have a few more years honey.....your growing fast enough!





Our little acrobat.....she loves to try and run on the couch...its just a matter of time before I'm blogging about an ER trip.....this girl has us on our toes...just ask her Grandpa.





Sticking close to her new friend!




All tuckered out from playing with Grandpa...




My poser....see our pathetic little tree.....we had to finally take all the oranments off the bottom and move them up...so now the top 1/3 of the tree is decorated! hehehehe



Sammy with his morning bowl of dry cereal (it's like an appetizer to him lol)




O.K Now here we have McKayla putting MY mascara (my now...old mascara) in the toilet......



And then for her next trick.... ewwwwwwwwwww...;o)



And then she gets MAD at me when I tell her "no" (oh if she only knew!)





Alright dirty girl...it's bathtime!....



"Mom...I'm trying to take a bath here!"




Bedtime...get the baby....and we are out!



Cody...you come back real soon...ya hear!

Video's of the babies..


Here is one of McKayla waving "hi" and playing around!



Here is one of McKayla throwing a fit when she doesnt get her way....and Papa acting like a bear..






Kayla gets herself stuck....and unstuck..also dances a bit to "jingle bells" courtesy of Papa



Adn lastly we have the bugs in Sam's room...then little miss McKayla decided to take off on me....



TTFN~

Oh Christmas Tree...Oh Christmas Tree..

We got our tree this past Sun (3rd)...and finally put it up last night.

We were supposed to do it Mon night down at my dad's....ordered Pizza and everything...but by the time the pizza got there, and we ate...it was time for bath ...and by the time that was done...it was 8:15. PAST the kid's bedtime. So we called it a night and decided to do it the following night.

I made Stuffed Green Peppers for everyone...so we ate, and then decorated the tree..*christmas music playing LOUDLY in background*
Side Note: We asked dad to turn up his hearing aid, so we could turn DOWN the music...but I guess he couldn't hear us.

LOL

that was a joke by the way..ar ar

Here is the tree as we brought it in...(this is the big tree...that we are keeping down at my dad's since McKayla has her Papa's hearing...eheheh)... all bundled up :o)




Sammy gives the "thumbs up" that we are ready to decorate!



Brad thought he was being funny when he draped this all over Sammy...little did he know...



Here is Brad and Papa "stringing" the tree with pearls that Papa INSISTED on having. ;o)

Sammy putting an ornament on...



Then we have McKayla putting on her 1st ornament ever!



Here we all are...my son is so vain...he watched himself decorate the whole time! *sigh*...now I wonder where he got that from...



After she got bored with the decorating, McKayla decided to read a book... again I ask...where did she get the red from?

The final result (after a few broken bulbs and ornaments from the "helpers") hee hee



Night shot...with the light off..



Thats all for the Christmas pictures...here are a few we took the other day of Kayla in her outfit that I LOVE! (thanks Popo)



Love the hat! hheehehehhe


Thats all folks! TTFN~

A little help please..

So I thought as a service to anyone in the midst of their shopping this year I would put together a gift guide, something to help you figure out what not to buy this holiday season in the hopes that your gift won't end up in the back of someone else's closet only to be re-gifted to you for your birthday in two years. Happy shopping!

1. Try to avoid giving those huge gift baskets of cheese and salami to anyone on a diet, or twenty-pound bags of Starbucks coffee to someone trying to cut their caffeine intake. However, if you've already purchased these items, I'll be happy to take them off your hands. Or any chocolate of course.

2. By the same token, never give a hypochondirac a vile of mock "ebola virus". They will call and endlessly ask you if it REALLY is a virus in there.

3. Don't give gifts 'for the baby' to a pregnant woman. This will only breed resentment towards the unborn child because what the mother-to-be really wants are some nice bath products or a gift card to an all-night donut shop. There'll be plenty of time for resentment once the baby is born.

4. Additionally, absolutely never gifts 'for the baby' if you're not certain the woman is pregnant. If it turns out she has just put on a little weight you can just kiss that friendship goodbye.

5. Stay away from any-themed gifts unless you know that the recipient is a fanatic or subscribes to "whatever it may be" magazine. I have a friend who gave me Mickey Mouse things every year. For Christmas, Birthdays, New Years...hell, whatever, and whenever a gift is given. Earrings with Mickey Mouse, Mickey Mouse necklaces, Mickey Mouse stationery, even a fly swatter with a felt Mickey Mouse on it. The sheer awfulness boggled the mind. While we had a little statue we loved, I never considered myself a 'Mickey Mouse collector person,' one of those people who wears huge sweatshirts with sparkly, appliquéd mouses or mouse ears on the front and who always signs their name with a MM and a pair of mouse ears. So, please if I don't already have 3 or more of something (that YOU havent gotten) chances are I am NOT collecting it.

6. When giving an item of clothing to a female friend, never buy it in her actual size, always at least two sizes smaller than she wears even if you know it will be an inconvenience for her to return it. She will think you see her as thin, which is important to all good friendships.

7. It is never a good idea to give suggestive pictures of yourself to your husband for Christmas, as this may cause some uncomfortable moments during the big family gift exchange. Plus, it can be crushing when your niece asks, "Are those pictures of Grandpa Cody?"

8. Don't give movies unless you are certain of the recipients tastes. It's fine, for instance, to give a Super Deluxe Gold Re-mastered Pantomimed Edition of The Lord Of The Rings if you know that the person is a fan of the movie. But buying someone a DVD because you've "watched it at least fifty times" is not a good reason, and you may be shocked to discover that not everyone thinks Patch Adams is a cinematic masterpiece.

9. The same rule applies to books. They are not a good gift choice unless you know the person very well, or are trying to date them in which case remember to only buy books that greatly exaggerate your intelligence and knowledge base. Art Of The French Renaissance will get you considerably more action than Garfield: Survival of the Fattest.

10. Never give anything that can't be quickly recovered from the closet and put on display whenever you come over. It's unfair to expect your friend to haul out that life-size panda wall clock you gave her whenever you decide to drop by for a visit. At least that small vase made out of walnut shells can be brought out from behind the books at the last minute. Be considerate.

11. Try not to give expensive gifts to your neighbors. They will perceive you as being rich and will constantly be over to ask for things, like a cup of sugar or some gold bullion bars.

12. It is dishonest to give someone a gift you know they won't use because you are secretly hoping they'll turn around and say, "Oh, I'll never use this. Here - you take it." Like giving a friend who never cooks an expensive enameled sauté pan. Not that I've ever done that. I'm just saying.

13. Avoid stereotypical ethnic gifts. It annoys the hell out me when someone gives me a pair of chopsticks, or a toothpick-holder shaped like a rickshaw, or a 3-disc bundle of all the Karate Kid movies. If you feel you really can't help yourself from buying these types of gifts, try not to preface them with statements such as, "I wanted to give you something from your motherland" or "Your people sure know how to kung-fu."

14. Unless you are very close to the person you are giving to, never hand them a gift and say, "I know you're going to love this. I bought ten of them for myself." It is a 100% certainty that they will hate it, and then question your taste for all eternity.

Hope that helped!~

What do I want for Christmas?

Besides the usual world peace? ha

Makes me stop and think, because honestly, what do I want for Christmas?

We (mommies) have this habit of putting ourselves last when it comes to gifts.

Don't believe me?

Go ask your own mom what she wants for Christmas, and she'll probably say, "Oh, I can't think of anything I'd like for myself."

Or she'll give you a list of things for the house, for your father, and for the family pet before she'll think of anything just for her.


Me? When it comes to gifts I love to give rather than recieve.

However if you REALLY want to get a gift....here are a few "idea's"...not just for me...but ANY mom out there.... ;o)

Time off - Kids, work, and a house tend to eat up all of the time a mom has. If you want her to have a special treat, give her an afternoon where she is ordered to do nothing except read, relax in a bath, or whatever it is she likes to do to unwind. Take the kids elsewhere. On those rare times when I'm alone in the house (and I mean totally alone - no child up in bed), I almost don't know what to do with myself. I can turn the music up loud! I can eat without anyone else begging for my food! I can take a bath without a toddler knocking on the door saying, "Come in?" And I can just relax.

Pampering - I barely have time to shower 3 days a week, much less do my hair, exfoliate, or apply a moisturizing mask to my face. A gift certificate for a spa service would be a welcome gift for many moms. Not only does it give us the first gift of time off, but we also are doing something to look better and feel better about ourselves, which has a bonus for our guys, right? One of the best gifts I ever received from Brad was last year when I was pregnant with McKayla and he got me a $150 Spa certificate to "Heavenly Spa" where I got a pre-natal massage and some much needed "down" time. It was a very welcome, and well-planned, gift.

Assistance - I never like to ask for help, even when I know I need it. But I have a dream of someday having a maid service come to the house once a month to help with the deep cleaning. It's a frivolous expense for us, and one we can't afford, so we continue to split our chores and do them regularly (OK, maybe not as regularly as we should). However, even the gift of one maid service visit would be an awesome gift, especially now with 2 rugrats..who has the time to dust....then you have the "helpers"...enough said!

Food - Does the mom you know like chocolates? Get her some of the best chocolates out there, then. And if you have thieving little hands in the house, buy a box to lock the chocolates in, too, so mom can be the only one to enjoy them, after the kids are in bed.

Date nights - Truthfully, this gift is a benefit to both a mom and her husband/partner. But if mom's the one who gets to pick the restaurant, the movie, and isn't the one required to find the babysitter, it's a real treat. If this is a gift from another member of the family, it makes a great gift for the couple, if presented with the offer of babysitting, of course. I want to go out with my husband more, just the two of us, and spend time together as an adult couple, instead of just parents. When we don't get time together over a long period of time, I feel like I'm less wife and more mom than anything. And well, it was the wonderful time we had together as a couple that led to parenthood, so I'd like to keep as much of that couple-time as possible.

So there's my list for what to get a mom for Christmas. Did I miss anything?

Ho, Ho, Ho....Merry Christmas...

Took this this past weekend at the Honolulu City Parade of Lights. It was beautiful though we had really poopy seats. Thinking of making our "christmas card" out of it...I just HATE Sammy's shiner! *sigh*




Merry Christmas everyone~

Thanks My Love....

What a wonderful Anniversary planned for us!!

Brad came home around 2, and then let me take a MUCH needed nap

McKayla was up (i kid you not) every 30 minutes the night before...she is cutting a few teeth...so I had a ROUGH night and was soooo tired.

Anyway...he took McKayla out and I slept until about 3:45.....when I was awoke by my son's laughter.

What was he doing home?? I hadn't picked him up from school yet..??

Brad took it upon himself to go and get him so I could sleep an extra 1/2 hr. *sigh*

We played with the kids a bit, then it was time to start getting ready. *yay*





Off to Popo and Papa's they went!! (HUGE thanks to them!! You guys are great!)


And off we went to dinner.....

I was shocked!


I thought we were going to Outback, or somewhere like that...

but instead we went to DK Steakhouse ...


which was FABULOUS!


While were waiting for dinner to arrive he was grinning and finally shoved the bag across the table at me.."I can't wait any longer...open it"


Ya don't have to ask me twice!


Though I DID wonder why it was so light....he had said earlier that I shouldn't expect much, it was just something he had made. I was so excited to see what he had thought to make me.


I open the bag....


and there is a teddy bear inside?!?

"How could you have made that?"

"Just open it" he says impatiently

And I notice the bear is holding a box....

Maybe he made something and stuck it in there...I thought

I open the box and there is another box.

a jewelry box.

my heart skips a beat.

You see...Brad NEVER gets jewelry.

he claims he doesn't know what I like or what to get.

so I was still wondering what it could be.

I open it..

*gasp* and there are a pair of diamond earrings!!!!

They were beautiful!!

I look at Brad and he is sitting there with a grin that went from ear to ear.

"Do you like them" he asked (like he had to! lol)

"Are you serious? Are these for me?" I am looking at him kinda like he has grown a purple dot on his forehead.

"Of course honey...and if you don't like them we can take them back...I got them from Zales" he said proudly..knowing FULL WELL I LOVE them!!

I take out the gold earrings (in photo) he had got me for our 1st Christmas together, and put the studs in.

I quickly excuse myself to use the restroom.

I HAD to see them on me. My 1st pair EVER, I was beyond excited.

I get to the bathroom and look in the mirror...the shine in my eyes match the shine in my ears!! They were so gorgeous....and HUGE!

I quickly make my way back to the table so I can show them to him.

I can't stop smiling.

I read the wonderful card that goes along with it, and then our meal arrives!






I had Surf and Turf (8oz Prime Rib and Carribean lobster tail) and Brad went with a HUGE steak (24 ozs)...Isn't that CRAZY!


Needless to say.....mine was WONDERFUL, and his was so-so. He couldn't even finish HALF of it! LOL....

We get ready to go, and the staff comes up with this YUMMY little vanilla custard type thing with fresh blueberries, and they all wish us a "Happy Anniversary" dessert on the house! :O)

What a perfect end to a perfect evening!!~~

Thanks a million times over. For your thoughtfulness in taking such effort to plan our evening! Am I blessed or what?

Happy 5th babe!

To 5 HAPPY, EXCITING, WONDERFUL YEARS.....

and many, many, many more!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Husband,

I want to thank you.

For what you ask?

Where do I begin?

I want to thank you for being the best dad in the world...for loving your kids the way you do, and for loving ME without hesitiation or judgement. No one in the world can make me feel like you do and it's so hard to believe we have barely spent a week apart since 1998. I wouldn't change it for the world. You are my best friend, my confidante, my treasure and my hero.

Thank you for working SO hard to support our family. I am so proud of you and everything you accomplish. I love the pride you take in your work, and in your family!

I love the twinkle you get in your eyes just watching your kids play....it melts my heart.

I am TRULY blessed!

I thank God every day that he has placed you in my life....to learn with, to grow with, and to see our family blossom each day. How did we get SOOOO lucky?

I thank you for listening to me every night talk for an hour when you get home, so tired and exhausted but still willing to make me feel SO important, like you hadn't heard it already 1000 times before. You understand that all I have had for company all day is a 1 year old.

I thank you for helping around the house....every little thing you do means SO much to me. I never have to ask twice (o.k well maybe sometimes:) ) You cook ,clean, and give the BEST massages!

I thank you for letting me complain about how hard being a "stay at home mom" can be and NEVER saying "well, maybe you should go back to work then" or throwing it in my face!

I thank you for just being you. I know we have our up's and down's but baby those UP's go SO high!!! I barely remember the low's. I wouldn't change a thing about you, and if I had the chance I would marry you ALL OVER AGAIN!

I know I could go on, and on , and on...

I just hope that you have SOME small idea of how precious our marriage and the life that we built together is to me! And I truly look forward to growing old and gray with you!

Happy Anniversary Honeybunch!~~ I love you!!~

Your,

Loving Wife~