Bob's birthday!

The only picture I have from Bob's birthday. And a typical scene at our house. All the kids wanting to snuggle up with daddy. I couldn't ask for a better man for our kids! They are so attached to him, I don't complain one bit when they'd rather have daddy. And I've never heard a complaint from him either. Ben and Sierra definitely fight over him, and Andrew waits his turn patiently to play games, he loves to play video games and board games with Bob. Ben just loves to be with him and do whatever Bob is doing. Sierra follows him around when he's home and expects to be held at all times.
We love you Bob!! Thanks for being a wonderful daddy and my best friend.

Benjamin's 4!!!

Happy birthday Ben!!! Well, actually it was back in May, but I'm just now getting around to posting about it. I've been waiting for all the pictures....then just gave up, if and when I ever get them....I'll post those as well. So for now, here we go! Yes, I buy my boys matching outfits for their birthday. It's fun too because their birthdays are only 11 days apart.

Ben wanted to swim on his birthday too, but it was too cold...so instead, they played trains!

And because I have no pictures of his PINK cake! Yes...ever since he could tell me what kind of cake he wants...it's been pink...of course that's because it's strawberry;) I only hope HE remembers that years down the road when he looks back and wonders why he always had a pink cake for his birthday. Pink was his favorite color for awhile. He was even convinced that Sierra's room was his because we had painted it pink.

Favorite color now...green, or sometimes pink. Ben will eat just about ANYTHING if it's green or pink! Favorite thing to do outside..swim of course...or just being outside if it's not to HOT. favorite thing to do inside...play with cars. He's ALL about his cars and loves to line them up and group them by style and size. Or, he will just chill and watch a super hero movie.

Ben, you make us laugh so hard with your silliness, and frustrate us with your little attitude. At least it never lasts very long, so I can just walk away and you'll soon be distracted and back to your silly self.

You love being just like Andrew and love playing with Sierra, she sure thinks you're pretty silly and loves to follow you around. I'm glad you don't mind.

We love you Ben! can't wait to see what the years ahead will bring us!

Congratulations Andrew!!!

I just HAVE to post this, because Andrew is SOOOOOO Excited! Yesterday he came home and was in a HUGE rush to take of his backpack and show me something. I tried not to laugh at how excited he seemed. He then whipped out an invitation to a pizza party with his principal and the librarian! At his school they have an Accelerated Reader Program, or AR for short. The kids read books and then take a test on the computer about the book they just read, to test their comprehension. He had scored high enough enough times that he was invited to a special pizza party. He says he was the only one in his class that got one! Way to go Andrew!!!
I wish you all could see how excited he is to be able to attend this special party! He just BEAMS when he tells us about it and couldn't wait to tell Bob when he got home last night too. We're so proud of you Andrew!

Andrew's 7!!!

For Andrew's birthday this year, he wanted pizza and to go swimming. Luckily it was warm enough! We have loved having a pool, it's a great place to go and relax AND of course have lots of fun together as a family. Sierra LOVES the pool...yes, she's tied to a rope. The water was a little cool for mommy so I sat on the edge, we have this GREAT step that the kids can play on, it's only about waist deep on Sierra, which is perfect, but she doesn't pay attention to where the edge is....obviously, she's only 1...so, we put her in her floatie and she can wander and play and walk off the edge, then all I have to do is pull her back to me! Don't worry, we made ABSOLUTE sure she can't tip it or climb out of it, and she's really never too far away.
Ben enjoys just floating and chillin'.

Look at my cute family! I love them! They are so good to each other. I can't believe Andrew's 7!!

For dessert he wanted an ice cream cake. We love Cold Stone's cakes so I was ALL for it! Great choice Andrew!!

He also got his traditional personal cake. Except this year instead of a number he wanted his first initial...so, that's what he got!

We Love you Andrew! We are so happy to have you as a part of our family. You're an amazing big brother and Sierra follows you EVERYWHERE!!!

I wanted to put in a few of your favorite things right now, but you have a love for EVERYTHING! Your favorite color would be blue...or is it magenta today? Outside you love to swim, or play soccer. Inside you love to play video games, or board games, or play with Ben and Sierra. You enjoy reading too and learning A LOT. I guess you could say your favorite thing to learn at school is Math, that and learning a new language. You've decided you want to learn all the languages so that you can talk to everyone...all over the world. You're a great friend and make friends easily.

Happy Birthday Andrew!! We look forward to another amazing year and helping you prepare to be baptized! One thing you're looking forward too....that and going to Cub Scouts!!

Disneyland!!!

About a month ago we surprised the kids with a trip to Disneyland! They were very excited. It was a great day too, hardly ANY lines! We were having SO much fun, we didn't take too many pictures.

Sierra wasn't too sure about most of the rides...including the tea cups.Astro Blasters became a fast favorite. Not only does the line move super fast, but they get to shoot things!! A HUGE plus for my boys!! Ben had awaken around 5AM...in turn waking EVERY one up by 5:30. We weren't too sure how the day would go with no sleep. Ben crashed waiting in line for the jungle cruise...around 5 or so. Surprisingly, every one's attitudes were pretty good. Andrew got a little bored a few times, he's getting a little big for some of the fantasy land rides....but Ben's the perfect age, and with mom being pregnant and Sierra being so little, fantasy land had the best rides.

The tickets we had bought previously were for 2 days, but didn't have to be used back to back..but did have to be used by the 14th. So, on Sat we woke the kids up REAL early and back to Disneyland we went. We didn't tell them, we had hoped they would fall back asleep...no such luck. We knew they should be OK, since they had done Disneyland once before on no sleep. But since we were going on a Sat, we didn't expect much. Again the lines were almost non existent!

This time, we stopped a few times to take pictures. Here they are trying to pull out the sword in the stone.

Mommy and Ben on Dumbo!

Mommy and Sierra on the tea cups. This time, we rode separate from the boys so that they could go FAST! Andrew's getting daring in his old age and now enjoys going fast and really has no problem trying new things.

After the tea cups I told Bob he should take the boys on the Matterhorn, last time every time we thought about it, the line was to long. Today it was PERFECT! Ben's also tall enough, so off they went while Sierra got a chance to stretch her legs. When we're at Disneyland, she gets to be held by daddy ALL DAY! She doesn't complain ONE BIT!

Then we headed to the jungle cruise...another favorite. Sierra loves just taking everything in, the boys love the animals, and we like the break from walking. Yes...Ben is on a leash, he just gets so excited at candy land (as he calls it) that he doesn't mean to wander off. He actually LOVED his leash...it gave him some freedom. We even put Sierra on it a few times to let her stretch her legs...but she just wants to go where SHE wants to go.

Sierra was SO tired that FINALLY by 4:30 she crashed. She didn't even move when we got on and off the rides. Funny thing...right before we went on the Winnie the Pooh ride Andrew was complaining because he wanted to ride on more roller coasters, more big boy rides. he felt SO cool that he could ride something with daddy. He was even trying to walk in step with daddy. We got fast passes for big Thunder but had some time, so we went over to Winnie the Pooh while we waited. When the ride was over, Andrew wanted to do it AGAIN!! So much for his idea of NOT riding on anymore "baby" rides.

Another of his favorites was Mr. Toads wild ride. One of Ben's favorites is Snow White....he likes the witch and the crocodiles.

They both kept asking to do the Matterhorn again, so daddy obliged and they got to go on it again. They are so fun right now. Ben is just tall enough to ride almost everything at Disneyland which is nice, so by 5 we had ridden everything that we could/wanted to ride. What an AMAZING day! Of course we didn't leave though! We had to stay for the fireworks, so after some dinner and a change of clothes we were back at it! The boys were FANTASTIC! Andrew walked the whole time. Ben had a few melt downs but nothing that wasn't solved with some dinner and negotiating. I told the boys that because they are SO good at Disneyland, it makes it easier to want to take them back.

Because it was a celebration of their birthdays they each got to pick a hat.

I finally got some decent ones at home. Ben and his Kermit ears (because they're green)

Andrew and his custom made birthday ears!

More Spring Break

All through spring break we had told the boys that if they could go to bed real good all week and do all the chores I asked of them, we could have a 'campout' in the backyard. Of course, that comes along with getting in the pool while dinner is cooking.

Earlier in the week I had let Sierra soak her feet, well that only led to her wanting to get in ALL the way. So, this evening, daddy obliged his sweet princess. She LOVES the water and can't wait to get in! She didn't want to get out, she kept shoving the towel away and would try to get back in.
Andrew got used to the water pretty quick this year too. Neither of the boys have gone under yet, they say it's just too cold. But they have been happy to just float for a little while.

Ben actually made it off the step tonight! He's been wanting to, but hasn't quite had the courage.

See, it's a good thing daddy was paying attention! We'd tried to get her out, but she promptly tried to get back in!

We ended the evening with tin foil dinners we had cooked in our fire pit, then, because the cold and rain started to move in, the tent was set up in the living room for the boys to sleep in. They LOVED it! In the morning we were off to spend Easter in San Jose!

Easter

We were able to head up to San Jose and spend Easter with Bob's brother Steven, his wife Jen and their kids Dylan, Hazel, and Seth. We had so much fun just hanging out, playing games and letting the kids run WILD!!

They did have baskets, I just forgot to take a picture. They really enjoyed the books, they're really into reading right now.Here they are trying to wake up! Poor Seth and Sierra were so tired, so were Ben and Dylan, we woke them up so that they could get their baskets and hunt for eggs. We put all the eggs out the night before...I don't even know how many, we were so tired by the time we got around to it. I do remember some of them being in really odd spots...like the oven! The kids had fun though. Seth and Sierra just wanted to eat them.

Ben playing with his new Superman trio set.

Dylan and Andrew figuring out the Batman trio.
I tried to get a picture of all the kiddos dressed in all their Easter glory....they did OK.. Sierra wasn't having ANY of it. She was asleep for the first round, then we had to wake her for church and she wasn't to pleased.

She wouldn't even take a picture with her brothers!!At least Steven and Jen's kids know how to cooperate and take a fun picture! Thank you Steven and Jen for allowing us to invade your house for the weekend, we had a lot of fun!