Chillax day today - playig TBall and watching Wipeout. Oh, and digging easter eggs (rocks) out of the backyard. We are starting the demo work for our backyard renovation. Bets are on for how long we'll last until we call someone to come in and do the work for us..... :0)
And this is our last week before Cozumel! We are soooo looking forward to seeing the ocean and relaxing!
But for now, it's time for the 4 year old and 35 year old to do their homework that is due Monday!
Wow~ that's a big crane!
We went to work today to see the world largest crane.
This is also the site the President spoke at when we visited the Ocotillo campus on Wednesday!
Lilly was more interested in measuring EVERYTHING with her new measuring tape. We all topped out at being 3 feet tall.
We are so ready for the weekend!
After a quick trip to the duckpond...
We had a family craft night.
Marshmallow guns!
We had a great time putting them together and figuring out how to get the most marshmallow bang for our buck! Our guns have went through many modifications and improvements to turn them into a multi-firing machine! :0)
And Bronco couldn't be more happier cleaning up the used ammunition!
Yet again, a missed post last night. Internet not the culprit this time. Emotional roller coaster of a 4 year old over-tired from a long school day and swim class was. Extra cuddles from both mommy and daddy were required (and we were overjoyed to provide).
This water bug is our shining star, our universe, and as our family unit, our everything.
I'll try posting daily, but priorities are priorities. And I know where mine lie.
Showing off her new swim goggles before class. What's up with the popeye grin? Smartphone pic, not Canon.
And now, with them on. They fit perfect (with some slight adjustments!)
Dinner at Fibber Magees! $5 burger night. One of the reasons we moved to where we did.
Amazing news - President Obama is going to be visiting the factory-site that Justin and I both work at on Wednesday! Read it here. Regardless of your views - it's still pretty awesome to say that a sitting President actually visited your worksite.
She's back!
She had a great weekend with the grandparents and is in rare form now! She and daddy are bonding.
We took it easy today. Bug is out until tomorrow, so we did something we can't do when she is with us. Antique browsing! Pulling tree stumps out of the backyard! Watching whatever we want to TV! So thrilling.
She's back tomorrow!
Rug rat has a sleepover, so we are living the "childless" life tonight. That consisted of dinner and now, some rented movies.
We'll start with Thor. I hope I don't fall asleep (super tired).
And I'll have to find time to watch Glee Concert in 3D (because Justin said over his dead body am I going to make him watch that!)!
Tonight was gymnastics! Not the greatest pictures from my phone, 20 feet up on the "observation" deck.
Tonight was swim night! Lilly water bug loves swim class! I can't wait till it's warm enough to swim in our pool. Lilly wants to go to the community pool ASAP and jump of the high dive! (she did it last summer - to everyone's amazement!)
As I'm writing this I am enjoying listening to Daddy and Lilly discussing measurements (they are making dinner) - very funny!
I wonder how many times I'll say "quick post" because of time (or lack there of)! :-P
Been busy editing Steph's pics. We realized tonight that family weeknight will only happen on Monday's now for the for the next few months. Justin is going to school in the evenings and Lilly has 2 nights of gym/swim class - wow - that was quick. We'll have to make the most of our weekends together.
Quick post, as it's a late night for all of us - and someone shorter than 4 feet tall is over due for bed!
We had a fun day with the family. Pictures, visiting and lots of laughing.
Stephie and I took a ton of pics. Fun!!!
These were taken at the Scottsdale Borgada, while we were waiting for Steph to get her hair/make-up done.
And the finished product! So pretty!!
I'll post some "after-photog" session pics soon - I can't post all my pics in 1 night! I got an entire year!!! :)
Happy (??) Friday the 13th!
Lilly got a stellar review from her new dentist. Her loose tooth (knocked on the fireplace Thanksgiving Eve) is still loose, but xrays show her adult teeth look great.
Tomorrow the Cottonwood fam is coming to the Valley for a photo shoot. While all my Grandma's kids are in the same state, we figured it would be an opportune time to take some pics. And Steph will get some Senior pics as well. I'll post some pics of the fun.
Until then, here are some pics from our last photo shoot w/my niece. (I took these, not the photog)
Of course, I didn't take this one! :-)
Today was a sick day for me. I was looking forward to staying home, feeling sorry for myself in my "horrible" sickie condition. Not so......
Once the Princess of the Castle (POTC) woke her pretty little self up - and realized I hadn't woke her up at our customary school day time (I let her sleep in because I had to sleep in!) - she declared that she would remain home with me to take care of me.
I knew better, but (of course) I could not deny my POTC her desire to take care of mommy the best way she knew how.
And how was that? She made sure I had her set up with all her breakfast requests (toast, but not toasted, no crust, no jam with only butter); her movie (Barbie's Perfect Christmas - again); her bubble bath, complete with a tea party and dressed in her "ligadarg" for her new gymnastics class tonight - all by 9 AM.
Lilly's Signature Pose
Doesn't Bronco look "thrilled". He's thinking - "What in the heck are you people doing here?!?!? You are ruining my prefectly great nap time, right in the middle of YOUR bed!" (yes, we know)
Me? I'm taking my Dayquil, carrying around my tissue box, wrapped in blanket and HAPPILY completing all requests as promptly as my aching body will allow!
And yes, I still have the Christmas tree up. I have a sneaky suspision the boxes will emerge from under the stair way this weekend, to put away the holiday cheer for 11 months. :-)
I have "enrolled" in the Outlander Series Reading Challenge: 2012. My mom has always been an avid Gabaldon fan - and now, I'm turning into one as well!
In December I took my mom to Changing Hands Bookstore in Tempe, Arizona for Diana Gabaldon's book signing of her new book, The Scottish Prisoner. I had been telling her about the place for months - so it was extra exciting to be taking her to the bookstore (we LOVE books) but to also meet one of her favorite authors (which was a total surprise for her!).
Diana is amazing. The woman is strong, funny, inviting and such a genuine soul. I hadn't read a single word she ever wrote, but I became a personal fan of her. I was amazed at her writing techniques, her endless research and her love of her characters. I couldn't wait to get started and see why my mom, a lot of my friends, and so many people across the globe hung on her every word. And I needed to figure out who these Jamie and Clair characters were!
Let's just say, I have fallen in love.
Hello World! Princess Lilly checkin in. Short post today - it's been a LONG day and we are all ready to slumber!
The hair... She wants to grow it out (and oh, how I want her to as well) - but it has this nasty habit of falling right into her face, and any hair accessory I put in place to block it - she has taken out by the end of the day!
Her goal: Long enough hair to be a ballerina. :-)
Conversation topics at our dinner table this week:
And, we'll leave it at that.
Short post. :-)
This pic was taken a couple of weeks ago.
The tree is still up. Any bets on when it will come down?
I almost forgot my resolution today - I've been rather pre-occupied in the amazing works of this woman!
Lilly is most certainly my child. She LOVES Star Wars! If only I had these cool shirts when I was a kid!
And she's definitely enjoying her (almost) daily photo shoots!
Love my gal.
Pink feathers in the hair, excessive lip gloss (with a bit of chocolate chips in the mix). Super sweet!
Throwing around Grandpa's leaves was so much fun!
I took this shot, reminded of when he's held her up high (in a tree) before.
March, 2008
Flashback Friday!
A fave pic of mine every Friday.
4 days old.
Today Lilly invited a male preschool friend over to take a bubble bath. I guess the conversation was quite lengthy between the two, negotiating how hot the water would be!
Celebration time!
Lilly bug has been promoted to the next level of her gymnastics class!
She moved from the Tumbling Bug team to the Lightening Bug team.
I have no idea what qualitifications she met for this - but I do know it puts a monkey wrench into planning out our week (because now, she can't go to the time her previous class was in, which is right before swimming). Looking forward to it warming up so we can swim in our own pool and not have to go to classes 2 nights a week!!
And right after THIS picture was taken (and I ran inside to download so I could meet by BLOG committment) - Miss Thing almost cut her toe off with a hedge trimmer, which was left in the backyard by her "I'm having fun in Telluride for the weekend" Daddy!
So, quick safety sweep of the backyard and all is well.
