The Howard Family

Time Marches On...

2011-10-06T12:22:00.000-07:00

I am having a hard time trying to type where I want, so I guess it will go here. Yes, the Howards are still alive and kicking, and a lot has changed. Quick summary: we are now living in Louisiana for the next 3 years Rich graduated his residency and is now an official endodontist; Paden is almost 12 and is an all A student, loves soccer, piano and excited to go on his first deer hunt; Amelia is 9 and has an amazing mind, also has all A's, is doing fabulous learning piano, and is very imaginative; Larisa just started Kindergarten and has basically taught herself to read, is on the team in gymnastics and has competed, taught herself to swim this summer and LOVES animals; and Jack is almost 2 and is extremely active, loves trucks, balls, tractors, swimming and airplanes.

I guess this is better late than never, but I feel bad for all the memories I have missed recording. I used to be so good at keeping a journal, and then when I had my sweet kids, when it should have been so important and fun, I just didn't make it a priority. That HAS to CHANGE! I hope to do better for my kids.

Kids, kids and more kids

2010-05-14T17:34:00.001-07:00

I haven't been very good at blogging lately, but had to share a few... okay, a LOT, of cute pictures! I am dying over how quickly my kiddos are changing and growing up. I remember being Paden and Amelia's ages, and it doesn't seem that long ago. We have been enjoying the slower pace of the last few months and the kids are all doing fantastic. This summer is going to be busy and fun! Paden and Amelia only have a few weeks of school left, and then I am going to do my annual trip to Utah. Unfortunately Rich can't come, so I will be driving 21+ hours solo. I sure hope Jack is ready to live in that car seat! Speaking of Jack, he had his 4 month visit and is now a whopping 15 lbs. 2 oz. and 26 inches long! He is our biggest baby yet! We are all still smitten by our Jack Jack. The kids love watching him roll around and love his smiles and giggles. I got a big surprise for Mother's Day... a new, much needed camera! Lot's more pictures to come!

Jack- 2 Months old

2010-03-02T17:22:00.000-08:00

I can hardly believe that my baby is already 2 months old! Jack doesn't have that tiny, newborn look anymore, and he is so strong and interactive. I love when he looks at me with total love and seems to look into my soul. I love this baby so intensely! It constantly amazes me how a parent's love grows exponentially when they have more children. Each one is amazing, unique and captures your heart. I love my kids and am so grateful to be a mom, even when I haven't showered for three days and my house is dangerously cluttered!

At 2 months old Jack:
*loves his baths
*smiles so big his entire body wiggles
*loves to eat
*talks and coos
*laughed for the first time last night
*loves to be held by his brother and sisters
*holds his head up when he has tummy time
*has the most sparkly eyes
*sleeps most nights between 7-10 hours!!!!!
His stats at his checkup today were:
*23 inches tall (25 %)
*12 lbs. (41 %)

The doctor thought he looked longer than the length the nurse recorded, so she measured him two more times. It was the same number every time. She kept saying, "He looks so long! I thought he would measure longer!" I think he is going to be all legs like his daddy!

Our Amelia

2010-02-15T07:56:00.000-08:00

I decided a few years ago that buying school pictures is not the way to go for our family. They are too expensive and my kids are usually flashing a fake smile with hair all messed up. I have ended up taking them to get pictures done at Walmart or JCPenney, and they turn out great! This school year I didn't take Paden and Amelia for pictures because I felt pretty horrible most of the time. I finally took Amelia in and will schedule Paden, Larisa and Jack soon. I am so happy with Amelia's pictures! The photographer was so great with her and let her be herself. I just can't believe how grown up my little girl is!

Catching up

2010-01-31T13:24:00.000-08:00

December and now January totally flew by for our family! Our Christmas was different, being that we didn't go home to Utah for the 2nd time in 10 years, but very special and magical! Jack was such a good boy and waited to make his arrival until after Christmas was over and Paden's birthday celebrated. It is so strange to look back on these pictures now and think that we were a family of 5 not too long ago. Now we can't imagine life without our sweet Jack.
We were able to go to Sea World and Six Flags a lot and enjoy the lights and cool weather. The kids loved the 3-D Polar Express movie at Sea World, complete with "snow" that fell on us at the end.
The last two weeks of my pregnancy were the best by far. I finally wasn't nauseated and felt great! It was fun to spend lots of time with Rich and the kids. My blood pressure, which has been very high with all 3 of my previous pregnancies, stayed good until the last week. On the 23rd of December it was up to 148/99 and I thought I was going to have to be admitted early, but my prayers were answered and I was able to wait until the 29th to go in.
Amelia and Larisa love to hug the characters and pose for pictures! Paden... not so much. I think he feels he is too old for it most of the time.
Six Flags had the most amazing lights and sounds for the holidays! We have loved living minutes away from roller coasters and fun!
Santa took so much time and really listened to what the girls had to say. Paden relented and stepped in for a picture, but he didn't sit with Santa this year. Sniff. He IS so grown up!
We had such nice weather during the holiday break, and the kids were able to play outside lots and enjoy their presents. Leave it to Amelia to play with the packaging!
Paden amazed us by sticking to his goal of not eating candy for a YEAR (except on holidays and family birthdays)! He got the idea from his cousins last year and wanted to do it. They get $100 if they stick to it, and I wasn't sure Paden would really do it, but he was determined and got his reward on his birthday. All through the year he would remind his teachers and even us that he couldn't eat candy. We are proud of Paden and know that with his determination he can do anything!
Paden got a basketball stand for his birthday and has been practicing everyday that he can. He is on the Red Raider team and has his first game this weekend!
I thought Larisa looked like a little teenager with her cute Christmas outfit! Tonks looks thoroughly amused, don't you think?
Christmas morning 2009... I thought for sure I would be going in that day because I had some serious contractions during the night and all day. What a fun and memorable Christmas!
Poor Paden got a bad headache after we opened presents and he sacked out on the couch.
Larisa is at that magical age and loved every minute!
Oh Amelia! She has wanted this Shamu in a purple purse from Sea World since we moved here. She wrote a letter to us at school asking for it and if we couldn't buy it for her, would we please send the letter to Santa and Mrs. Clause so they could maybe bring it to her for Christmas. She was one happy girl when she opened it!
Our favorite Christmas present came a few days later! We love our Jack Tanner!

Baby Jack

2010-01-24T08:46:00.000-08:00

I finally have a few minutes to share some pictures of our sweet, new, baby boy! Jack Tanner Howard arrived December 30th at 12:32 A.M. He was 7 lbs. 5 oz. and 21 inches long! What a blessing baby Jack is! We are all in love with him and enjoying every minute. I'll post more later. Jack is sleeping at the moment and the kids and Rich are at church. I hope to get a little nap!

Thanksgiving 2009

2009-12-06T17:23:00.000-08:00

My parents were able to come visit us for Thanksgiving and see a bit of San Antonio. It was so much fun, but went way too quickly! We enjoyed a delicious dinner on Thanksgiving and just enjoyed spending some time together. On Friday we went to Sea World and couldn't have asked for better weather. We all loved the Christmas shows, and even got my mom to go on a few roller coasters. Amelia was very willing to get her picture taken, and I realize how few Paden and Larisa are in alone. Sorry kids, we'll get more next time!

On Saturday we went to the Riverwalk and rode on a boat ride. What a beautiful, entertaining place! Again, perfect weather to enjoy! Thanks grandma and grandpa for all the fun! We miss you and can't wait to have you visit again!

We truly have so much to be thankful for! How blessed we are to live in a free nation and have so many privileges. We always have plenty to eat, a house to keep us warm, clothes and shoes, family, friends and countless other blessings. I am so grateful for my husband and sweet children. I am thankful for a loving Heavenly Father and for His Son who made it possible to be with all of my family forever!

Larisa is 4

2009-12-03T10:12:00.000-08:00

Some things I want to remember about Larisa at this age are:
1. She loves to be anywhere that mommy is. Hopefully she will love helping with the
new baby.
2. She is very creative, independent, loving, smart, thoughtful and helpful.
3. Her favorite food is dinosaur oatmeal.
4. Her favorite place to go is Sea World.
5. Her favorite thing to do is have rides up to bed from daddy and be tossed in the
beanbag.

I wish we could freeze time and enjoy our sweet Reesa being this age! She is such a joy in our family and we just love our Jelly Bean!

It's a .....

2009-11-15T09:04:00.000-08:00

.... well, we won't find that out until December 29th, or whenever this baby makes it's debut. I am finally getting around to posting the ultrasound picture from a few months ago. Baby #4 is sure active, and we are getting so excited to welcome him/her into our family. I bought a baby boy outfit the other day and it's hanging in our bedroom. That has made it so much more real! We have lots of fun baby girl clothes, but will have to do lots of shopping if we have a boy. This pregnancy has been pretty rough for me. I have been VERY sick and still am nauseated almost everyday. I don't want to complain, just document and remember. I am so grateful for the opportunity to have another baby. What a blessing children are! 6 weeks to go!

October in our house

2009-11-01T13:59:00.000-08:00

October was a fun, memorable month filled with soccer, camping, fishing, gymnastics, play groups, scouts, homework and Halloween! We love the Fall and Texas is finally cooling off so we can enjoy being outside more. Paden and Amelia brought home report cards on Friday and both earned all A's! We are so proud of them!
This was the first year ever that I opted to stay home and pass out candy. Being 31 weeks pregnant and very nauseated on Halloween night helped sway me. Rich had fun taking the kids and they came back with buckets full of treats! Paden was a knight, Amelia was Hermione and Reesa was Tigger. Some neighbors thought that Amelia had a pretty great wig on, and were amazed when she told them it was her real hair. What a fun night!
I am sure glad that Rich tackles the pumpkin carving every year. He does a great job and lets the kids choose whatever design they want. I think Paden and Amelia need to start doing their own next year, though. Nothing like carving a pumpkin yourself!

Paden had the Raingutter Regata and had a pretty nice boat. Rich had never built one before and Paden got beat by the boy that ultimately won the competition. I think next time Rich will have a few tricks up his sleeve.
Amelia lost her 4th tooth and looks so cute! She wanted to do the doorknob trick and you can see her little tooth dangling on the floss. The funny thing is that later that night she wanted the tooth back in her mouth. She told me her mouth had let her down and she didn't want the Toothfairy to take her tooth. I think she didn't like not being able to pronounce her f's and s's as well. This is the child that was talking sooooo clearly at 1 year old and has always been very articulate. Now her other front tooth is loose... maybe she'll have them both missing for Christmas!
Our ward had a Trunk or Treat so the kids got double the candy and fun! Reesa had a few costumes to choose from and played dress up all month long.
Rich and Paden went to a Father and Son's campout and got to fish a bit. Paden is quite the fisherman!
With our season passes to Sea World and Six Flags, we had lots of fun with all the spooky Halloween happenings. This character was walking around and little Larisa insisted on posing for a picture. She is one brave cookie! I took the kids on "mommy dates" individually to the theme parks and they loved being able to go on ride after ride without the long lines. All in all, October was a great month! Now we are looking forward to some birthdays and the holidays, and then our new baby will round out the year for us!

Camping at Jellystone

2009-09-23T14:39:00.000-07:00

We've had this tent for a few years, and the boys have used it, but this was the first time our entire family camped in it. So fun! Just wish it would have been cooler at night... made us miss the mountains in Utah!
The pillow was great for wearing out the kids (and the adults, too). I have never seen one like this. We'll go back just for another round on the pillow!
Yogi Bear didn't steal any of our picnic or dinner, but he did show up and greet the kids.
Watching Larisa jump and play like Paden and Amelia made me realize how grown up and big she is getting! Wish I could slow down time a bit.
Larisa enjoying getting a little dirty!
We really fill up the tent! The kids were so good and went right to sleep without a peep after scriptures and prayers. I brought warm jammies for them to sleep in and don't know how they could stand it. It was TOO hot for me!
Paden is a camp pro and showed the girls how to "safely" (most of the time) build a fire and roast marshmallows and hot dogs.
Amelia was hard to get a picture of because she was in constant motion. What a fun ball of energy she is! Always putting a creative twist on things!
Enjoying oreos and milk.

We had so much fun going camping as a family last weekend. We camped at Yogi Bear's Jellystone Campground and got dirty and eaten by bugs! The kids loved the giant pillow they could jump on and I loved that we could jump in the pools to clean off and cool off a little. There is just something about being together with no electronics and nothing taking our time, other than having fun together. Trying to sleep in a hot tent being six months pregnant was a new experience, and I spent most of the night listening to everyone breathe and talk in their sleep. We all had a great time, though, and hope to go again!

Better Late Than Never

2009-09-12T12:28:00.001-07:00

I haven't done a lot of blogging lately, so here are some pictures of what we have been up to for the past few months. The kids and I went to Utah as an end of summer retreat. It was wonderful to see family and the kids had a ball with cousins and grandparents! Someday we hope to call Utah our home again. Paden and Amelia have been in school for a few weeks now and seem to have adjusted well to a new and much larger school. Their teachers are great, and Paden and Amelia have been making some good friends. I can't believe Paden is in 4th and my Milly is already in 2nd grade! They are even walking home from school by themselves and really like feeling so grownup and responsible. Larisa is back to having just mommy to entertain her in the day. Poor little thing misses the kids when they are gone, but she is a big helper and does so well on her own. I am glad our long summer is over. We had a lot of big changes and we all had to adjust to life here in Texas. Today we are breaking out the Halloween decorations and getting ready to open the door to Fall! I don't have a favorite time of year, but am always ready for the next season to begin. I am looking forward to hot chocolate evenings, crunchy leaves, hot soups on cold days, being able to take the kids to the playground without them burning themselves on the equipment, crisp apples and all the fun of Halloween and Thanksgiving!

Summer Moments

2009-07-29T21:03:00.000-07:00

This summer has been so fun but so challenging. The move went so well. Nothing to complain about, and we love our house! The kids are really missing their friends, but are slowly making some great new ones here. We are becoming well acquainted with Sea World. I don't think we'll ever grow sick of the rides and amazing shows. I get teary every time we see the Believe show with Shamu! The challenge has been that mommy feels nauseated almost 24/7 and isn't very fun this summer. The kids have been troopers and are great at fixing breakfast for themselves and helping out with the house. Some days are much better than others...today being a lower end of the scale day. But the hope of seeing this little one in December makes it all worth it. The kids are making plans for what they are going to do with the baby and are very excited!

Announcing...

2009-07-03T12:01:00.001-07:00

We are so excited to share our wonderful news!!! Larisa is going to be a BIG sister! Baby #4, already being affectionately nicknamed "Gummy Bear" (because the doctor told Larisa that is how big it was at our first visit), is due to make it's much anticipated arrival on December 29th or January 5th. Depends which ultrasound measurements we go by. I will stick with the January date, and will be pleasantly surprised if the baby is born sooner. We may have another Christmas-time baby to share Paden's celebrations. Paden's birthday is December 27th, and he is REALLY hoping for a brother. It will be a long wait to find out, as Rich and I like to wait until D-day to discover the gender. What an exciting holiday season our family will have! We are so grateful for the blessing of bringing another precious spirit into our home.

Amelia is 7

2009-06-19T07:17:00.000-07:00

What a fun, unique little firecracker our Amelia Dawn is! She makes our family life so interesting and is always the life of the party. Amelia started talking VERY well before her first birthday, was saying the Pledge of Allegiance by 15 months, and has a mouth that NEVER stops and is always on FULL volume! She is such a fun sister and makes friends so easily. We love her spunk and enthusiasm for life! We sure love our Milly Bug! Happy Birthday!!! We hope this year of being 7 is adventurous, exciting, memorable and wonderful!

All About April

2009-04-28T16:22:00.000-07:00

My pictures are out of order, but this will have to do. These little, fish are Paden's winnings from the ping pong toss game. I told Rich that the kids would love to try, and that they absolutely wouldn't win (we hadn't seen anyone win while waiting), so we didn't need to worry about the move. Well, Paden's first toss went right in, followed shortly after by another golden toss! Their beaming faces show how much fun they had!

The Snake Pit! I have to admit that this was pretty neat to see. I was nervous about being in a tent with hundreds of Rattle Snakes, but the kids had no fear and loved being face to face with them. There was a snake handler that walked around in the cage and the snakes would strike at him. The plexi-glass was just safe enough for me, but I wasn't about to sit for one of the "photos with a live rattler" pictures for $5. Thanks goodness the line was long enough to discourage Rich!
Paden was in heaven being able to study and basically interact with the snakes in these wire-mesh cages. My stomach was in knots, even though I was reassured that he wouldn't get bit.
The Air Force base had a fun egg hunt, which was over in under 30 seconds or so. Larisa loved this bunny and probably set a record for the most hugs given to the sweet, Easter Bunny!
Sometimes she just looks so darn cute! Even with the chocolate in her teeth and "cute smeared all over her face" as Rich likes to say!
When we were on our house hunting trip, Larisa found a new "best friend" in sweet Emi. Now Larisa is constantly asking when we are moving so she can see Emi again. Thanks for being so sweet Emi!
I think Rich is softening to the idea that we ARE going to have a dog someday, thanks to Indiana, the Neilson's dog.
Larisa and Tyler lounging around on Indiana.
This is about the only good picture we got on Easter Sunday. I love how much my girls love each other! It was overcast, but the kids couldn't keep their eyes open. Paden looks "every sort of handsome", as someone in our ward said to him, in his new suit. We will have to get a good picture of him soon.
For the kids' Spring Break, I took the kids to Quartz Mountain to have a picnic and hike.

April has gone so quickly with soccer, Easter, house hunting and lots of fun activities. I just wanted to post a few pictures because I have not been great at journaling about everything as I intended. I don't feel ready for May and the move, but ready or not...it is a few days away

Our New Home!!!

2009-04-18T20:57:00.001-07:00

Rich, Larisa and I spent last week looking for a house in San Antonio. After a few days of finding some great houses and having them taken so quickly, we found this one. We are so excited and can't wait to get settled in and enjoy getting to know San Antonio. Thanks to the Neilsons for letting us stay with them!!! We owe you BIG time!
Rich loves this tree and wouldn't consider any houses that didn't have shade potential after seeing this beautiful Spanish Oak.

FHE at the Smith's Ranch

2009-03-10T09:56:00.000-07:00

Amelia, Emily and Tricia Smith and Paden taking the hay to feed the cattle.

Larisa loved riding Sunshine, and told me she wants a real horse that can walk and eat for her birthday. Uh oh! Wish we could, but I don't think it will happen. Thankfully her birthday is a ways away and she is constantly coming up with new ideas for her wish list.
The kids got to feed the cows and horse, but Larisa and Amelia thought their tongues were GROSS! Love this pose of Larisa!
Paden, Amelia, Larisa and Emily all had such a blast jumping from haystack to haystack. Who needs a swingset when we can go buy one of these to climb on?
Those cows meant business when they were eating, but these little girls sure spooked them into giving them some room.

A few months ago, we had a YW fund raiser and our family won a bid for a night out at the ranch of a family that is in our ward. Last night we were able to have FHE there and we all got nice and dirty! We were on tornado watch, and saw some "storm chasers" parked out in some nearby fields, but it was so much fun and the weather stayed cool and safe for us. Someday we hope to have land and animals for our kids to enjoy and work hard with.

Just so I don't forget...

2009-03-05T19:11:00.000-08:00

I haven't been very good at posting the day-to-day happenings, or the cute things that the kids do, but I need to do it. I look at my kids and can't believe how grown up they are...where did time go? We were walking to pick up Amelia from gymnastics and Larisa was running about 30 feet in front of me. My heart just melted watching her little body running with all her might to try to keep up with Paden. I remember when Paden and then Amelia were 3 year olds. Every age is fun, but there is something about a capable, independent, tiny 3 year old that is irresistable. I took her to the park today and we had it to ourselves. She loved the one-on-one time and attention, and she surprised me by jumping up and crossing the monkey bars. I held my hands under her after a few bars, but she did it all by herself! The other day we were driving and Larisa said, "Mommy, I just got out an ear wak!" It was so funny to me because Amelia used to say the same thing when she was about Reesa's age. I guess that was their way of saying ear wax singularly.

Here a Hair, There a Hair

2009-03-04T19:28:00.000-08:00

SO, did I cut Amelia's hair?...........................
No, Larisa's finally getting enough for me to try something other than Cindy Lou-Who ponytails. She really wants long hair like her Amelia's, and she is so good about sitting still and patiently getting her hair fixed.
I was so excited about the fun "heart" hairdos for Valentine's Day. I tried this one twice and Amelia really loved it!
I always had short hair growing up because mine was so thin and stringy. My mom had it cut in little bobs, but I longed for hair like my sisters. Now I get to have fun with my girls and style their pretty hair to my heart's content. They are good sports and love getting their hair done because they get to watch cartoons!
Anyone know how to do a shamrock for St. Patrick's Day? Maybe we'll just have some fun with green ribbons!

FINALLY!!! Amelia lost her 1st tooth

2009-02-02T12:36:00.001-08:00

Amelia has been SO anxious to loose a tooth...she tells me that almost everyone in her class has lost some teeth, some even in Kindergarten! She has been really working on her wiggly tooth and last night asked Rich to tie floss around her tooth and then to a doorknob. We have gone that route before with Paden and it didn't work (I don't think his were ready yet), but Amelia slammed the door and that little tooth flew right out!
Amelia HAD to call ALL our family and was so animated and excited! I was laughing so hard and loved seeing her soooo happy! She really makes life extra fun!
My pictures are out of order, but she put her tooth in this little pillow and we read about traditions in other countries for loosing teeth. When Amelia and Larisa finally went to bed, Amelia said Larisa kept whispering,"Is the Tooth Fairy here yet?...When will she come?...What if she can't find your tooth?" Such fun and precious memories! I am a little sad, because it means my Milly is growing up. Wish I could keep her this age a little longer. But I am looking forward to all the fun and new experiences we'll get to have with our sweet Amelia!

Belated Holiday Happenings

2009-01-19T18:42:00.000-08:00

We traveled to Utah for Christmas and had such a great time with family and friends! I am sad that we didn't take more pictures, though. Rich and I were both sick most of the time. Rich was able to go on a horse round-up to bring a herd of 39 horses off the mountain. He felt like "The Man From Snowy River"!
We were introduced to Rock Band and really loved playing it with our family!
Snow in Southern Utah is a rare thing, and when it stays around for a couple weeks, it is almost unheard of! Amelia had actually forgotten what snow was like (it's been almost 3 years since we lived in Ohio and were snowed in all winter), and it was new and exciting for Larisa, too! I am so glad we took our snow gear so they could enjoy playing in it.
Amelia hiked around for about an hour while the snow was falling, and looked so cute!
Larisa was constantly telling all her cousins, "We don't eat yellow snow, okay guys?"
On Christmas Eve we had a delicious dinner and the kids got to make cookies for Santa at my brother and sister-in-laws' house. Santa was very well fed!
Paden was sooooo excited to get his first gun! He used it a lot and I'm sure will be a good hunter like his daddy someday. We really didn't get any great pictures of anyone else Christmas morning. The girls were in constant motion and I felt pretty sick. It was such a fun, magical and memorable Christmas, though! I love being with my family!
Paden celebrated his 9th birthday while we were there, and all he wanted to do was be with his cousins. They had fun playing laser tag and mini golf. What a fun and good kid that Paden is! I'll do a post later all about our Bubba!
We towed our trailer to Utah full of presents and motorcycles so Rich and Paden could ride all over at the Howard's place. That snow stuck around for almost the entire trip, but Rich finally broke out Paden's bike on one of our last days there. It was a muddy ride, but Paden had a blast!
On New Year's Eve, my brother, Jed, had an awesome party and at midnight everyone jumped in the pool for the "Polar Plunge"! Brrr!!! They all jumped into the jacuzzi quickly, except my brother-in-law, Heath, who swam around for about 5 minutes. Crazy! I didn't get to participate because I had Strep throat. Sigh. And I am bummed not to have more pictures, but it was a great night and the kids had such a fun time!

Larisa is 3!!!

2008-11-22T09:28:00.000-08:00

What a sweet baby Larisa was. Paden and Amelia were so happy! Nov. 12, 2005

Larisa's friends made her birthday such fun! Such cute, little monkeys!

We sure love our Larisa! She is such a silly, funny, creative and fun little angel. What would we do without our Reesa Roo Roo?

So Long Summer!

2008-10-19T11:54:00.000-07:00

Now that it is starting to feel more like Fall, I feel like we can FINALLY say goodbye to summer! I looked through our pictures of the last few months and chose a few to remember the fun we had. It was fun to go to the park, especially now that Larisa can play on her own and mommy can enjoy watching and chatting with friends.

While we were off having fun, daddy stayed nice and cool at work. He didn't get a whole lot of down time, but is making up for that now.
We lived through a tornado (or what ever they classified it as...it was pretty destructive and scary!) in the early part of the summer. No, this is not our house. We were safe a mile or so north or this.
The kids and I had fun in Utah with grandparents, aunts and uncles and cousins galore! Larisa took a liking to Doby and gave her lots of love.
I traveled across the US (or close to it) with my kids. They were SOOOO good! This was a pit stop near Lake Powell. Entertainment really doesn't have to cost anything when there is dirt and open air!
We all had fun celebrating the 4th of July. Larisa discovered that fireworks are NoiSy!!! She preferred staying in the house to watch the excitement. I will always treasure her comment after we picked out "fire crackers" at a stand. She was so excited when we were driving home and asked if she could eat her cracker now. What a disappointment the loud, smokey "crackers" were!
Paden and Amelia had fun with friends and helping daddy set off the stuff they picked out. Mommy had to console Larisa and try to take pictures.
The rainy days and our trampoline were hits! I miss the smell of Utah storms, though. The sagebrush and hot dirt are so much better than the mildewy smells here in OK.
Paden was the star of his baseball team, if I do say so myself! He played catcher and did a great job!
Amelia gave t-ball a shot and was a trooper. She MUST be sweet because the bees were after her ALL the time! We tried to convince her that they wouldn't bother her...uh, we lied. She got stung while daddy was at her game and I was at Paden's. When Rich brought Amelia to me, she had another one on her shorts that stung me when I picked her up. After that day, I don't think Amelia was able to enjoy t-ball anymore! Poor thing!
Paden perfected his diving board skills and is such a FISH! We spent a lot of time at the pool this HOT summer!
Amelia turned six and got to have a short (thank you lightening) party with her friends at the pool. We had to compromise and at least try to make her cake a little girly. She got her snake- and I made it pink!
Amelia mastered swimming and was ALWAYS seen under water with her BIG, blue eyes staring up at you.

We had a GREAT summer and will miss it! Now that school is in and soccer, scouts, dance, PTO meetings, Rich's pilot lessons and YW occupy our entire weeks, I am enjoying the next season of life, but miss the SLOW pace and relaxation of summer.

How I Love This Little Girl!

2008-09-12T19:47:00.000-07:00

This evening when we were getting the kids ready for bed, I was reading with Amelia, and Larisa went into the bathroom and went potty all by herself. I went in to help her and told her how proud I was of her. I said, "You are totally potty trained, Reesa!" She gave me her heart-melting smile and said with sooo much excitement, "And I'm really poopy trained, too!" Can she get any cuter?!
Then, when I was saying her prayers with her, I tried to help her a bit a few times and she stopped and said, "Why are you saying MY prayer, mommy?" I couldn't help giggling a little as she started over completely. I once again tried to help her when I thought she was ready to end her prayer and she said, "Mommy, you're really saying my prayer again!" Larisa is such a complete joy! Even when she is having her moments, I just can't believe she's mine. Last night I had one of those precious mommy moments where I was just watching my three kids and felt like my heart was seriously going to burst from the love I felt for them. I feel so blessed! I absolutely am in love with my kids! That's not to say that I don't have those frustrating moments that feel like hours everyday, but these kids of mine amaze me and humble me.

31 Things We Love...

2008-09-08T14:59:00.000-07:00

Rich's birthday was actually on the 4th, but I am a little slow. I have seen this idea on other blogs and really like it, so here goes...Things we love about Daddy
1. He is a great daddy.
2. He is a loving husband.
3. He is a very hard worker.
4. He has LOTS of hobbies and includes our kids in them.
5. He is very determined and accomplishes his goals.
6. He does the dishes when I don't get to them.
7. He folds laundry, even though he would rather be doing most anything else.
8. He supports the kids in their sports and activities.
9. He encourages me to have "Girls' Night Outs".
10. He likes to spend time with the family
11. He is a great example to our kids.
12. He is a great dentist.
13. He is going to willingly go back to school to become an endodontist.
14. He has a strong testimony and honors his priesthood.
15. He knows how to fix lots of things and saves us money on cars, house repairs, etc.
16. He is very handsome!
17. He gives the kids bean bag rides, flip flops, airplane rides and walks on the ceiling.
18. He helps me clean up the horrible messes that come with potty training.
19. He likes to take our kids out to give them lots of experiences. Been There, Done That!
20. He isn't afraid to dream and hope.
21. He loves me and still thinks I am pretty.
22. He is a great Primary Teacher.
23. He puts up with all my reading.
24. He knows how to hunt (I am thinking that I will appreciate this talent someday if I ever can't run to Walmart or the grocery store for meat).
25. He wants his pilots license but is considerate enough to make sure I am okay with it.
26. He finds the good in every place we have lived long before I do.
27. He is very patient with our kids.
28. He shaves everyday--thank you Air Force!
29. He is proud to serve our country and is hoping to be able to serve on a deployment.
30. He is shy but has really loosened up over the 9 years we've been married.
31. He gave me our beautiful children!

Happy Birthday Daddy

2008-09-08T14:06:00.001-07:00

Larisa (center) with Malie and Jacob climbing the pirate net.
So I know Landon has already been spoken for by a cute, blonde, dimpled girl, but Larisa thinks he's pretty great, too! He also has me wrapped around his finger!
Paden is captured by Kennedy and Sydney. I love the mischievious looks and fun they all have together.
I absolutely LOVE this picture of Reesa! She was so excited to catch the frisbee, but forgot to open her eyes. What a dolly!
Cute Amelia had fun, too. She was pretty good at throwing the frisbee, something I am not too great at!

My sweet lady friends and all their cute babies (Julie's Ashton was in someone else's arms at the moment). YES--this makes me baby hungry!
Amelia posing with her buddy, Joseph, and cute Jacob in the back.
For Rich's 31st birthday, I tried to pull off a Surprise Party with some friends. I overlooked how strange it was for me to be baking 4 dozen cupcakes with frosting, which Rich doesn't care for. He came home from work and knew something was up. I told him to "play along" and not ask questions. Anyhow, we had some of our friends meet us at the park for cupcakes, ice cream and frisbee. It was perfect weather and the kids had a ball playing and eating. I think Rich had a good time, too!

Rodeo Fun

2008-08-28T14:55:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we went to the rodeo, one of the BIG things to look forward to. The kids loved the animals, sites and smells (of the foods, of course!), and lots of our friends were there, too. There was a longhorn cattle drive through the base, which is a pretty rare and neat thing to see.

Larisa loved riding the pony and was heart broken when her time was up! Maybe I should go into business and charge $5 a pop at rodeos and fairs. If only we had the property for my new
million-dollar idea!
The girls got up close and personal with the longhorns. Amelia said their tongues were slimy and LONG! Reesa kept stuffing hay up their noses.
Paden's 12 seconds of rodeo fame.
Rich has always wanted to ride bulls and I was more than happy for him to get it out of his system on this particular bull!

2008-08-13T10:44:00.000-07:00

They looked so cute walking up the street to school. Their school is on the Air Force base and all the kids have parents in the Armed Forces, so they are all used to moving around a lot. Larisa and I are sure going to be lonely without our two rascals around all day. As we were leaving, Larisa told us she was mad. It's because she wants to go to school, too. Why do they all grow up TOO fast?!

I guess Amelia was given a number on "Meet the Teacher" day and she was telling Mrs. Schure that she is #3. Amelia had all-day Kindergarten last year, so 1st grade won't be too much of a transition for her. She did ask me this morning if there is snack time in 1st grade. That was about her only worry. Yesterday I took Amelia in for her 6 year old check up and she still is in the 10th percentile for height and weight. She is a shrimp, but we noticed there was a little boy in her class smaller than our Milly.

Paden was very independent today and went to his class alone. I couldn't resist poking my head in and getting a picture of him, though. I think I may have had my first experience of being an embarrassment to my child. He ducked his head and quietly said, "Moooommmmyyyyy!" He was a good sport and humored me by smiling for me. What a sweet, handsome kid! I hope they have a great day at school. I think I am going to get busy and make some of their favorite cookies, Chocolate Krinkle Cookies!

First Day of School

2008-08-13T07:32:00.001-07:00

Paden and Amelia were both very excited to start school today. Paden is a 3rd grader now! He is getting way too grown up for my tastes. What a good kid he is! Amelia is now in 1st grade and was eager to see her friends. I hope she loves school as much as last year. This is the first year that Paden gets to go to the same school. I think it has helped him become quite resilient, but I love that he knows the layout of the school and has friends already. We met their teachers on Monday and they both seem very nice and enthusiastic.

Bring Back Memories???

2008-08-08T17:54:00.000-07:00

Maybe I am a crazy mom but my kids love to sled down the stairs, and I actually love to watch them and hear their squeals of excitement and fear! Even Larisa joins in!

Amelia has always been fearless and silly. Don't mind her hair...it had been a LONG day!

Paden tries to find ways to make it more challenging and interesting. So far, dare I say it, no broken bones or stitches for our kids yet. I know these are dark, but it's fun to see in old fashioned looking footage.

2008-07-31T08:36:00.000-07:00

I have decided to jump on the Blog Band Wagon and try to stay in touch with some friends this way. I love looking at my friends' blogs and hopefully can learn from them. Anyhow, I just went on a trip to Utah with the kids for 3 weeks. Rich couldn't go because of work so I was the sole driver for the 18 hour drive each way. It actually went really well- my kids are pro-travelers! Paden was such a big helper, and as long as I kept the Dramamine in Amelia, she did great. Larisa was content to watch movies and eat snacks for about 6 hours each day and then it got a bit interesting until she would fall asleep. We had such a great time being with family and being around the beautiful mountains and red rocks in S. Utah. Hopefully Rich can come on our next trip!