Laughs and Cries and Bags Under the Eyes

Closet Hotcakes

2012-01-16T15:23:00.000-08:00

I woke up this morning relieved that it's the MLK Jr. holiday and the girls and I have no school! Before I could even get out of bed, I had four rumbling tummies coming at me begging for their first meal of the day. Usually the mornings during the week are rushed trying to get everyone to school on time, so breakfast isn't very exciting. Frequently the kids eat cold (or hot) cereal, sometimes it's frozen homemade waffles popped in the toaster, and if we're in a big hurry it's a slice of toast with a piece of fruit running out the front door. Today, with the feeling of having a "free day off" (hardly) I was in the mood to cook them something special for breakfast. I pulled out my recipe binder and found a recipe for whole wheat vegan pancakes. I know, BORING right? Well I thought so too, especially when I had the idea to sneak in a scoop of oats (my kids probably hate me). Have no fear, I redeemed myself by adding loads of chocolate chips and sliced bananas to the batter, and served them sprinkled with some more on top. A drizzle of warm maple syrup and a mini mountain of soy whip and VOILA! Breakfast is served!

CLOSET HOTCAKES (because they're secretly healthy, shhh!)

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/4 cup oats (kids didn't even notice)

1 1/2 cup rice milk

2 tbsp coconut oil, melted

1 tbsp pure maple syrup

1 tbsp pure vanilla extract

*Combine dry ingredients in one bowl, wet ingredients in another. Whisk wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, stirring until combined (some lumps are ok). Cook and flip over medium heat until golden brown. Enjoy!

Black Chasm Cavern

2012-01-07T16:32:00.000-08:00

Earlier this week we took the kids on a day trip to Volcano, CA in Amador County. Just an hour and a half drive away from Sacramento, it's home to the Black Chasm Cavern. We had an absolute blast getting outside, underground, and exploring the many different formations inside the cave.

The entrance into the cavern...

Rare helictite crystals found in less than 5% of all the caves in the world...

Translucent drapery known as "Angel's Wing"...

Stalactite and Stalagmite formations...

Flowstones...

We were told not to touch the delicate cave formations. They take thousands of years to grow, and the natural oils from our skin may prevent further growth and cause damage to the rocks.

Food, drink, candy, and gum is also prohibited.

Black Chasm Cavern is incredible. There's even a bright blue lake at the bottom!

Gemstone mining outside the cavern...

Just a short walking distance away from the cavern, we went on a nature trail hike through the Zen Garden...

We had so much fun climbing up and down the huge moss-covered stones...

This place is gorgeous. It felt like something out of a movie!

Caught in the act...DESPICABLE!

Perfect for the kids to run around and explore...

We were in awe at it's beauty...

We had such an adventurous day, it was amazing! I highly recommend anyone should visit, especially with children. We already want to go back!

13.1 mile Itch

2012-01-04T08:36:00.000-08:00

I've been trying to push away a feeling, but it keeps itching at me: I'm ready to run another half-marathon...ekk! Wait, let me rephrase that: I WANT to run another half-marathon, but ready? Far from it. The last half I ran was in April, with Joseph, and neither of us did any real training. Well, I kept up on my weight training routine and uped my runs on the treadmill for 2 weeks prior, which still resulted in feeling like almost zero training. Although I didn't walk and probably pride made me run the WHOLE thing, I didn't get the same satisfaction in completing it like I did with my first half marathon, that I trained 8 weeks for.

American River Parkway 2011

A couple of weeks ago I got the email that sparked the itch. It was the sign up announcement for the 2012 Parkway Half Marathon on Saturday, April 28. I started spreading the word to some of my girlfriends, who I ran my first half and had a good time training with. I still had not fully committed to the idea though, because being in school makes doing anything else that much harder, and with running I need all the help that I can get! So now that I'm in my last week of break before starting school again, I knew I had a decision/commitment to make. This week I finally put on my running shoes and headed out the door 2 days in a row, to log my first official training runs! I'm now officially signed up for the race, so I guess I'll be juggling long runs with short school quarters, and a busy home life - yikes!

I've been getting some good tips found in the book The NONrunner's Marathon Guide for Women By Dawn Dais (who lives in Sacramento). I enjoy the author's sarcasm and sense of humor as she gives running advice. I appreciate her down-to-earth, honest way of validating how difficult running is for us average, athletically challenged women. I've started following her 20 week Half-Marathon Training Schedule found on page 6, but with the race 17 weeks away I started at Week 3. Also, there are lots of training schedules found online from other sources that I'm sure I'll be incorporating, to fit my schedule. I would much rather train with friends, so if you are interested RUN WITH ME!!!

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T20:34:00.001-08:00

Christmas Eve

My parent-in-laws do a pancake breakfast every Christmas, but with Christmas falling on Sunday this year (church) they bumped it up a day early. I actually like it better that way. It's like getting a Christmas a day early! We opened presents and enjoyed hearing the missionaries sing us a lovely Christmas song...

Meme read us a Christmas story...

That evening we went to my Aunt Maria's where my mother's side of the family gathers. It's our family tradition to eat tamales, drink atole, and wait up until midnight to celebrate the birth of Christ. I remember when I was a kid Santa actually came at midnight! It was so great visiting with my mom and sister, aunts and uncles, cousins, friends, but especially my Grandma Juanita!

Christmas Day
On Christmas morning we let the kids get into their stockings and open presents. Lucy noticed that Joseph's and my stocking was empty, so she put a "MOM" heart necklace in mine, and in Joseph's five dollars with a note. Her note reads:

"dad I love u and you problee hav nuthing so I did giv you 5$ and that is all I got. Love Lucy to dad"

...She is so considerate and thoughtful. She makes us proud!

My friend Stephanie mailed the kids brand new $2 bills. They had never seen those before!

At Nonna's opening more gifts...

At Uncle Tim's and Aunt Sandy's house in the afternoon...

Our gifts from the White Elephant gift exchange. Joseph got us a date night with candy and two movie tickets, and I picked Godiva goodies. This year the family decided to not open the gifts until the very end, so stealing was done while the gifts were still wrapped. I think it made for a "nicer" gift exchange with less fighting and gift envy. Definitely a plus!

In the evening at Nonno's...

Yes, that was all the same day! Although living near both sides of our family is indeed a blessing, all the running around to visit everyone during Christmas time sure makes for some busy, stressful times! And on top of it Joseph worked the graveyard shift in Fairfield that night. It took us a few days of staying home in our PJ's to recover from all the fun!

Santa!!

2011-12-23T23:39:00.001-08:00

Santa came to our ward Christmas party at church, and he even had a real beard!

Gabriel was the first one to hop on his lap...

Isaac is most likely on Santa's naughty list.

Isabel makes Santa's good list every year.

Lucy telling Santa what she wants for Christmas...

...Both girls asked Santa to bring them a puppy .

(Sorry chicas, not happening.)

Joseph and Jason got in some Santa time...

Saying goodbye to Whitney on her last night with us.

Lucy found the Christmas treats, yum.

...Until next year!

Yellow Belt

2011-12-21T23:55:00.000-08:00

In September Joseph signed up the four kids for karate at Matsumoto's House of Martial Arts, and they've been loving it ever since. With lots of hard work and practice, and earning 3 stripes along the way, the girls were ready to say goodbye to the white belt and test for yellow belt!

Stretching...

Showing Instructor Paul they have what it takes...

Isabel during her individual test. She was so nervous the whole week leading up to this. Poor girl said she couldn't stop thinking about it!

Lucy testing alone. She did great!

Their belt testing was on a Saturday, and the following Monday they received their yellow belts! ...But not without first a class full of cardiovascular PAIN! (You can just see it in their faces) These girls got their butts - I mean BELTS handed to them that day!

Congratulations!

31-derful

2011-12-13T23:44:00.001-08:00

I can't believe it's been one year since my golden birthday, turning 30 on the 30th - and now I'm 31! College has taken over my last 2 birthdays, and I'm sure it'll continue until I graduate (more reason to hurry up and be done with school!) Last year on my birthday it was the last day to submit an application to the UC's. So of course there I was frantically typing up my 2 personal statements, whilst Joseph and the kids waited...and waited... to take me out to dinner. I'm not sure which I was more happy to accomplish that day: finally submitting the long, detailed application that hung over me for months, or writing the 2 personal statements that could be NO LONGER than 1000 words, and that is exactly how many words I used to write them, 1000 words to the T! Anyway, fast forward one year later and yet again I had another thing due on my birthday that I waited until the last day to do. This time it was a 2 page writing assignment for organic chemistry, on any compound of my choice containing carbon. I spent the entire day before my birthday researching urea (think urine), and the whole night doing more research and writing the paper. And when I say "the whole night" I mean THE WHOLE NIGHT! I finally went to bed at 5:15 a.m. and got up to my alarm an hour and a half later at 6:40 a.m....time to get the girls up and ready and take them to school - oh yeah, and it's my birthday!!! (Zzzz) When the boys and I returned home from dropping off the girls, Joseph came home from work with a Grande Starbucks peppermint hot chocolate just for me! (I could've used some caffeine in that drink, but hey, I pretended.) I quickly left to school and I was there All. Day. Long. I felt like a walking zombie (I don't think anything stuck from lectures). When I finally got home close to 6 p.m. I had this to greet me...

...awww!

Joseph had to jet off to work, so that was kind of sad, but my mom took the kids and I out to dinner so that was nice...

BJ's Pizookie!

When I got home from dinner there was a surprise gift left on my doorstep from my girlfriends!

I put the kids to bed, got comfy in my pj's, and a friend stopped by for a visit to shower me with more birthday love...

On Joseph's evening off we went to Claim Jumper for one of my favorite desserts: Chocolate Chip Calzone...

On Saturday, the parental in-laws took me to brunch. Thanks Lisa for my cozy pajama bottoms and warm slippers!

After my last final at school, my cousin Jenny treated me to Rick's Dessert Diner...

Needless to say, I gained 2 blissful pounds during my birthday week and it was worth every fatty calorie. Much thanks to all my friends and family for spending "special birthday time" with me, and all your sweet phone calls, texts, Facebook messages, HeyTells, cards, gift cards and gifts! I even got a babysitting voucher that doesn't expire until November 30, 2019 that I still need to redeem (Thanks Abe!)

Wonderful people in my life sure made for a 31-derful birthday!!!

Playdough

2011-12-10T09:56:00.000-08:00

Isaac has been asking a lot lately to play with playdough, and without giving it a second thought my answer is always "NO". I know from experience that with four, "YES" equals a MESS!But the last time he asked the kid got lucky and I said "Sure buddy, go get it." He excitedly went to fetch some, except buddy couldn't find any because there was none in the house (whoopsie!). I didn't want to disappoint him so I quickly found a recipe online and we whipped it up in no time.

Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1 cup water
1/2 cup salt
1 TBS cream of tartar
1 TBS oil
food coloring

Once all the ingredients were mixed in the pot, I heated it on low to medium heat and stirred continuously...

I only had to stir it for about a minute before it reached the consistency I wanted...

We let it cool for around 10 minutes...

The recipe made enough for each of my four kiddos to get a big enough chunk to play with.

I didn't even bother saving it after they were done playing. It was so easy to make that next time we'll just make some more. I think the next batch we make, I'll add glitter to the mix and instead of food coloring, I'll dump in a package of Koolaid!

Thanksgiving

2011-11-30T15:44:00.001-08:00

I woke up Thanksgiving morning ready to do some nutritional damage. I prepared myself by hopping out of bed and going straight to my favorite X-Bike class, in hopes of negating some calories. The class was great, and I left feeling pumped and ready to eat! After getting dressed and preparing a couple of side dishes, we headed over to Joseph's Aunt and Uncle's house for the feast.

When everyone got the

A-Ok to serve themselves, I piled on the goods and happily gobbled it up amongst conversations about Cirque Du Soleil, instructions on how to brine a turkey, and Joseph's 85+ year old grandpa telling us how much better Lady Gaga is than Brittney Spears, and how he couldn't wait to get home to watch the GAGA Thanksgiving special on television (he was serious).

Grandma Ann is the tickle monster!

Cousin Kyle teaching us how to crochet hats.

Joseph with his mother Nancy.

Both his grandmothers are so sweet.

Joseph had to work that evening so we didn't stay long. It was nice to have a low-key, relaxing Thanksgiving this year. The holidays make it easy to remember the things I'm grateful for. Just a few on my list:

*Joseph, for believing in me enough to give up his sleep so that I can pursuit my goals

*My children, for teaching me unconditional love

* My parents, for giving me a heritage and culture I'm proud of

*My in-laws, for always loving me like one of their own

*My sister, for her goofiness and laughing at my dumb jokes

*My friends, for their support and willingness to help

*My treadmill, for sticking with me through "thick" & "thin"

Totem

2011-11-30T14:24:00.001-08:00

It's starting to become a tradition that anytime Cirque Du Soleil comes to San Francisco, my father-in-law Gil arranges for the family to see the show! This one is called TOTEM and it had something to do with the evolution of man?? To me, I don't really care what they're about because all the shows are based on some outta this world fictitious story. Your imagination is the limit! Naturally it was fabulous, so no surprise there. It was my 5th show, Joseph's 4th, and the girls' 2nd. Something about seeing the show in the big blue and yellow tent makes the experience so much better, and the drive and over night stay in San Francisco worth it!

Waiting for the show to begin!

The trapeze act was my favorite!

Playing with the merchandise during intermission.

Romance on roller skates.

Outside after the show.

TOTEM!

Joseph and his brother trying some of the moves. Not even close fellas.

Nice one Papi!

No ENCORES please.

The next morning in our hotel room their efforts didn't stop...

Lisa!

Abe??

Little man can do it on one arm!

These kids make it look too easy.

Abe gave it one more try...and ended up on the mini fridge.

"Cousins!"

Lisa being smushed by her "little" brothers.

With our niece Chelsea.

Isabel getting a whiff of the bath salts at Pier 39.

Creating her bottle of bath salts...

Finished!

They each had $10 to spend. Isabel chose to make a bottle of bath salts. Lucy picked bungee jumping. Talk about different personalities!

I love this little stinker.

Isabel spotted the good stuff!

A stop at the chocolate shop is a MUST. Isabel was sweet to share her chocolate rocks.

Joe-Joe's

2011-11-18T21:39:00.001-08:00

I made the mistake today of going grocery shopping HUNGRY! It's one of the first rules us domesticated divas learn never to break, but today I broke it, fair and square. And of course the worse place to walk into with a rumbling tummy is none other than Trader Joe's! I swear that place can do NO wrong. I was holding up pretty good with my cart full of canned pumpkin, almost too ripe bananas, baby spinach, knock-off Cheerios cereal, eggplant hummus, and a wholegrain crusty loaf of bread to eat with soup I would make later for dinner (which turned out FAB by the way). Little did I know that I was one aisle away from boxes upon boxes of DESTRUCTION!

Okay, okay, don't let me fool you. I knew what I was getting myself into when my sausage fingers grabbed a box of these Candy Cane Joe-Joe's (more like "Candy Cane NO-NO'S"). I'm a grown woman; I take full responsibility for my actions. Luckily for my thighs, they only come around during the Christmas season, so obviously I HAD to get them. If you've never tried them, well... YOU HAVE TO TRY THEM! If you're thinking, "It's a mint Oreo cookie, big deal" - you are WRONG! Let me talk dirty to you, straight from the box: "...two crisp chocolate wafer cookies, coupled with a smooth vanilla cream that is studded with pieces of real CANDY CANES!" Did you catch that: STUDDED! I love the teeny-tiny crispy crunchy little candy cane bits. Tell me what Oreo cookie can do THAT!!

FAST FORWARD

2011-11-17T18:23:00.001-08:00

It's my most favorite time of year and I'm quickly approaching a month-long break from school, so I predict I'll be posting lots in the near future! Having said that, I couldn't leave such a huge gap since the last time I blogged - APRIL...OUCH! I guess I've been too busy "living it up" to blog, hehe! Anyway, here's a brief recap of the last SEVERAL months:

APRIL

Twins turn 4!

Freezing before running a HALF-MARATHON!

(Joseph's first, my second.)

MAY

I graduate from American River College with

2 Associate degrees!

(Physical Science/Mathematics)

(General Science)

Lucy graduates from Kindergarten!

JUNE

Camping at Lassen Volcanic National Park

JULY

4th of July pool party!

Happy 12 YEARS!

Amber House Bed & Breakfast

San Francisco for Nonna's birthday!

Hotel room and movies for Papi's 33rd birthday!

Joseph and his brother Abe kayaking.

(They came back burnt UP!)

One of our most favorite people in the WORLD, the Hayes' come to visit!

(So many things we do in our home is because of your wonderful influence, Lynda!)

AUGUST

Surprised the kids and took them to DISNEYLAND!

(Joseph and I are too good at keeping secrets - nobody had a clue.)

A day of fun on our buddy Andy's boat!

Brace-Face!

First day back to school!

SEPTEMBER

Kids start MMA training!

Happy 9th Birthday Isabel!

(Camping at Bountiful)

Isabel's birthday present from her Aunt Lisa: Horseback riding!

Despite the many years of moving in and out of the country, having babies, and getting Joseph through school, I (we) never gave up on my education. I was accepted to UC Davis as a Clinical Nutrition major, and transferred with a 3.47 GPA!

Down and Dirty Night Mud Run 5K

I wish every date night could be as fun as this was!

Apple Hill

L'Halloween 2011

The Melting Pot

2011-04-07T17:01:00.000-07:00

Our girls have been asking to go to the fondue restaurant The Melting Pot for a really long time. They had never been, but hearing us talk about it sparked their interest (who wouldn't want to go to a restaurant that serves pots of chocolate??) So we decided to finally take them and surprise them with their first fondue experience (it would be Joseph's first time there too). But just our luck the day of our reservations Joseph came down with strep throat! I couldn't possibly let our reservations (and my craving) go to waste, so Joseph's sister Lisa came in his place. Too bad for him because he missed out on some pure yumminess! Actually, it's a good thing he didn't get to go because all it means is we'll need to go back!

Who would have thought apples dipped in cheese would taste good?!

I had to tell Lucy to SLOW down!

Lisa's gangster lean.

My favorite was the marshmallows and brownies.

And here's the main reason for the night...

...Cookies 'n Cream Marshmallow Dream

Dark chocolate topped with marshmallow cream, flambéed (aka: caught on FIRE!), swirled together and garnished with crushed Oreo cookies

It was heavenly.

Happy Birthday Lucy!

2011-03-23T09:42:00.000-07:00

Lucy is 6 years old! For her birthday we had a "tiny" party. Everthing was miniture and tiny, which made for BIG fun.

Freeport Bakery made Lucy's Itty-Bitty cake. Joseph and I made the mini cakes for her guests.

A bunch of tiny games to play with.

Marianna and the birthday girl

Nicole and Isabel

Dylan is loving the mini milkshake.

It's the perfect size for Jovian.

Milkshakes and supplements??

Playing Simon Says

Party hats become beaks and everyone starts acting like crazy birds!

Mini bowling

Swimming in presents!

Happy Birthday LuLu!

Sacramento Airport

2011-03-09T22:00:00.000-08:00

It was a Friday night with nothing to do. I came up with the idea of taking the kids out for dinner. Joseph came up with an even BETTER idea to take the kids out for dinner - at the airport! Since it's only about a 15 minute drive from us, we went ahead and took a little adventure.

Dinner at Chili's (sort of)

Next we took a free shuttle ride and pretended to be travelers.

We have lots of "baggage."

Dessert at CINNAFUN!

Looking at the airplanes, wishing we were on one of them.

We had such a fun night walking around and being silly with the kids. We daydreamed about all the places we've been to and all the places we still want to go. Despite the $8.00 parking fee at the end of the night, it was a perfect family date!

What a Smile!

2011-01-17T20:38:00.000-08:00

The twins had their first visit to the dentist today, and they did VERY GOOD! We were a little worried that they wouldn't sit still or open wide, but they did it all. They even managed to take a few x-rays too. Their teeth look great, inside and out. I'm so proud of them!

Gabriel very bravely letting the dentist examine his teeth.

Isaac was so calm and cool, he even got glasses to wear.

Gabe's turn with the glasses, having his teeth cleaned by the dental hygienist.

All done! The boys were so happy to get goody bags to take home. They couldn't wait to use their new tooth brushes from the dentist. WHAT A SMILE!

January Snow Trip

2011-01-17T18:23:00.000-08:00

As always when full blown winter strikes, Joseph starts bugging to take the kids to the snow. I gave in pretty quickly this time (mainly to get it done and over with), but I actually had a good time! We went on the last Friday of the girls' winter break from school, as their last big hoorah. I think what made it great this time was the kids are now old enough to run around and play on their own. The boys were whipping down the slopes like champs! We had some friends and their children come along as well, which made for an extra fun time with lots of laughs. We had a few falls and crashes and bloody gashes, but overall it was a really good time. I actually want to do it again - SOON!

Isabel

He let's me pick his nose.

Gabriel

Andy, Jr, Joseph, Clinton

Lunch time! Thank you Thomas family for the hot cocoa with mini marshmallows. SO hit the spot!

Me, Mary, Andrea, Stacie

Isaac with his buddy Sabrina. So cute!

Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

December 2010

2011-01-11T00:09:00.000-08:00

...Almost caught up...

Lucy in a Christmas musical at school, the last day before winter break.

With her teacher.

Lucy getting her hair washed and cut by the amazing Suzie.

Christmas Eve

Christmas Morning

Christmas Day

Amavisca Family Reunion

(This picture needs Tim to be complete.)

Christina and Lisa, Joseph's sisters.

November 2010

2011-01-10T23:37:00.000-08:00

Where did the last two months go?? Time to catch up you people on the happenings! Here's a recap:

At our friend's wedding reception. Congratulations Andy and Stacie!

We surprised the girls and took them to see Brandon Flowers (singer of The Killers) at the Fox Theater in Oakland. To OUR surprise, we got to meet the guy!

(Joseph's nervous face)

Our annual tradition is to have Joseph's sister Lisa take family photographs of us. This year we did them at the Sacramento Temple.

Mini chocolate cupcakes with pumpkin buttercream I made for Thanksgiving.

We had family portraits done in Davis by Angella Dawn Photography. The woman is so talented and great with children. I HIGHLY recommend her.

We left the kids for the day with their grandparents and took a drive to Napa, to visit my long-time friend Stephanie.

Eating at The French Laundry has been on my "Bucket List". This is about as close is I got.

LIZ's GOLDEN BIRTHDAY: 30 on the 30th!

Joseph had a "surprise" breakfast bash for me.

My birthday was more like a birthWEEK, with all the fun I had being taken out and spoiled.

My cousin Jenny took me out for sushi and BJ Pizookies. Yummy!

My girlfriend Jaycee took me to P.F. Chang's for "drinks" and a flourless chocolate dome dessert. TO. DIE. FOR.

My girlfriend Andrea took me out for breakfast, my favorite meal of the day!

The next evening after my birthday, some of my friends from church dropped in for a surprise visit and a birthday hot chocolate party. I was not expecting it, hense the robe and poofy hair.

Apple Hill

2010-11-05T22:29:00.000-07:00

Fall always calls for a trip to Apple Hill. I like to go to get out of Sacramento for a few hours and to be amongst the different apple trees. Joseph finds the mini day trip lame, but I'm glad he is willing to go once a season for my sake. While there, a MUST for me is the Fudge Factory Farm on High Hill Road- YUM! Yesterday I got vanilla ice cream with hot fudge and caramel on top. It was delicious, but having both toppings almost made it too sweet (NOTE TO SELF: Next year, get it with only hot fudge).

The kids shared apple wedges with caramel on top. I snagged a caramel apple TO-GO to enjoy at home. (I figure eating a slice here and there and making it last a few days shouldn't be too damaging on the thighs, right??) But what I want to know is who had the idea to dip an apple in caramel, then dip it in fudge, AND THEN roll it around in white and dark mini chocolate chips; A GENIUS THAT'S WHO!

These HUGE pumpkins were fun to play on.

Gabriel fell and hurt his elbow and knee.

Good thing band-aids make it

all better.

Showing off the apples they each picked.

(Lucy was NOT having a good day.)

They say an apple a day keeps the doctor away.

I hope that's still true if the apple in smothered in rich, gooey CARAMEL!

Four Eyes

2010-11-03T21:12:00.000-07:00

Denial. Don't let it BLIND you! Joseph has needed glasses for a long time. He's had a few pairs over the years, but he denied NEEDING them, so he never wore them. He would say he could see just fine, yet when I could read far away street signs that he couldn't he would be amazed - "You can see that?!" But now that he is a working nurse, he is thrilled to have "real" medical benefits. So he made an appointment for a much needed eye exam. Turned out he needed glasses (no surprise there). I must say, I was impressed with the nice frames he picked. And it's a good thing because the glasses he had before were way too dorky. He says now with his new glasses he is seeing the world in "high-def." He can't get over how sharp and defined objects are. I make sure to remind him to put them on (especially since I kind of have a thing for men in glasses). I love my four-eyed geek!

Halloween Carnival

2010-11-03T20:20:00.000-07:00

This year we did not take the kids Trick-or-Treating on Halloween, but we did go to a carnival the day before. It was a large event put on by our Stake (through church), so it was fun to see our friends dressed up. We had a good time collecting candy and playing a variety of games at the many booths.

Look at the girls having a donut race, no hands!

...Lucy won.

"I vill drrrink your bloooood."

Sweetest fairy around.

Fuzzy dinosaur.

This witch didn't want to wear her hat.

Some kids eat candy on Halloween, others eat SCARROTS!

Joseph with his brother Abraham. If Abe let his hair grow out, imagine his wig a light brown color and that's what he would look like. No lie - I've seen it, it's a crazy poof. Good thing he keeps it short.

Gut em'

2010-10-27T22:17:00.000-07:00

While Isabel and I were at a church activity last night, Joseph and the 3 kids carved their baby pumpkins. Isaac didn't want to touch the insides...

Lucy didn't mind getting her hands dirty...

Gabe working hard scraping out the guts...

Taa-daa!

Chopsticks

2010-10-27T21:58:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Joseph had a day off, so as a special treat we went to Ma Jong's for dinner. It's an Asian diner and we thought ordering noodles for the kids would be a safe bet. We gave them each a fork, but they saw the container full of chopsticks on the table and just had to try it. Lucy and the boys had a chopstick in each hand and picked and played with their food. But surprise-surprise, little Miss Isabel figured out how to PROPERLY use a pair of chopsticks WITHOUT any instruction. Joseph and I were amazed! If you're wondering what's the big deal and why is this blog-worthy, here is why: Ever since Isabel was a baby, doing anything with her hands has been difficult, especially when it's required coordination. For years now Isabel has been receiving weekly Occupational Therapy sessions to strengthen her manual dexterity and improve her fine motor skills. But yet there she was at dinner busting out chopstick skills; SOMETHING I CAN'T EVEN DO! Her accomplishment definitely made my and Joseph's night. And to add the cherry on top, I used a coupon and this family of SIX ate dinner for $14.90 - OH YEAH!

Tiny Tikes Halloween Party

2010-10-27T21:11:00.000-07:00

Sis, a girlfriend of mine from church, was so sweet to put together a SPOOKTACKULAR Halloween party for the little ones! It was during the morning while the girls were in school, so it was a nice treat for the boys to have a party especially for their age.

Isaac-osaurus and Count Gabriel decorating their cute baby pumpkins...

Count Gabriel eating his cupcake from the cupcake walk with his pal Nicole...

This little vampire was voted BEST COSTUME! He's quite happy with his prize...

...What fun! Thanks SIS!

Pumpkin Mission

2010-10-18T21:41:00.000-07:00

After the Zoo and lunch and having Isabel return to us (see last post if that doesn't make sense), we kept to our tradition and went to the pumpkin patch with my mom (Nonna). Lucy was on a mission to pick out a BIG one. She wanted this one but couldn't lift it...

Isaac preferred to be pulled the entire time.

Love my Gabe

All my little pumpkin heads!

11 pumpkins later we got the job done.

Thank You Nonna!

Down One

2010-10-18T21:03:00.000-07:00

We were down one kid Friday night into part of Saturday. Isabel spent the night with her Aunt Lisa. To help the other three who were left behind feel special, we took them to the Sacramento Zoo and out to lunch. Down the street from the zoo is a burger joint named FORD'S REAL HAMBURGERS. The place has been around for a long time and it's often voted as having one of the best hamburgers in Sac. I wasn't thrilled to go since I don't eat beef, but Joseph does (proudly) and he had been wanting to down one for a while.

Hey Joseph, on a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being outfreakn'standing) how good was your burger??

Just a 6 huh? (I'm guessing it's not one of the best hamburgers in Sac.)

Lucy's grilled cheese sandwich on sourdough bread - yum.

My veggie burger was really good. It wasn't that nasty pretend "meat" either. It looked like the patty was made of grains like rice and barley, mushrooms, and probably some other stuff I couldn't figure out. I give it a 9.

SO HERE'S THE LOW DOWN: Overall it was good, not great. My vanilla malt was very delicious, but how hard can that be to get right (Joseph said it was the best he's ever tasted...I think that statement is a little much...) He also said the fries were great (I didn't have any so I don't know). As far as cost: EXPENSIVE!

~1 Hamburger (no cheese)

~1 Veggie burger (w/cheese)

~3 grilled cheese sandwiches

~1 fries

~1 small vanilla malt

-------------------------

$32.42 ! (plus add a 0.79 cent ATM fee if you use your card)

Sorry Ford's, not worth it.

...Well, at least we tried it and now we know.

Farm Fresh To You

2010-10-12T16:54:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited! Today we received our first delivery of fresh LOCALLY grown, certified ORGANIC fruits and vegetables - right on our doorstep! I love it. For our family size I ordered the regular box (about 14 lbs) of mixed fruits and vegetables, delivered every other week, for $31.50. To see how the price compares to the grocery store, I took a list of the items I received in the box and noted all the prices for those same organic items at the grocery store. Turns out I would have spent close to $40 plus the cost of GASOLINE for my swagger wagon, and the cost of my precious TIME, not to mention the effort of packing up 4 little kids to tagalong, phewww! There is no commitment, and deliveries can be increased or reduced to our needs. Fruits and vegetables change with the seasons, and if there is something we don't like or don't want, they'll omit it and replace that item with something comparable. I appreciate that each box comes with a newsletter that changes every week, which includes recipes to try with the fruits and veggies. I am excited to venture out and try new vegetables. I would have never bought rapini or leek, but now I have a bunch of it in my fridge just waiting to get experimented on. This is what we got:

-Valencia Oranges
-Fuji Apples
-Pluots
-Leek
-Green Beans
-Kale
-Rapini
-Mixed Sweet Peppers
-Spinach
-Radishes
-Romaine Lettuce
-Mixed Heirloom Tomatoes
-Cilantro
-Fingerling Potatoes

If this sounds like something you're interested in trying, let me know because I have a $5 off promo code just for YOU! ~HAPPY EATING!~ http://www.farmfreshtoyou.com/

Ma Jong's

2010-10-08T17:41:00.000-07:00

Downtown Sacramento has a cute yummy Asian diner, Ma Jong's. I've been a couple of times and after going again last night, I wanted to spread the word. Go there if you want to eat a variety of Asian food with hints of Chinese, Japanese, Thai and more. Go there if you want fresh flavorful food at a good price. Go there if you want a trendy little spot, perfect for a girls night. I especially like it because you walk up to registers and order, then take a number and sit at a table. It takes away the hassle of ordering in a group and having to split the check or put money on the bill. And there isn't a server waiting on you, so there's no tip to leave either (although there is a tip bowl up at the front if you feel so inclined). There is also an outdoor patio area if you're in the mood to eat outside. I ordered the garlic tofu bowl with vegetables and brown rice. For $7.75 and enough food to fill me up there, AND enough food to pack home and fill me up the next day, it is very GOOD! But the best part about Ma Jong's is the RESTROOM. You must go into the restroom! Wash your hands, check yourself in the mirror, do what you need to do, but make sure you go in! Actually, if you're there on a date, make sure your beau goes to the bathroom at the same time as you. Or better yet, if you see a hunky dude going towards the restroom, you hurry up and go into the women's - AWKWARD! Sounds weird, I know, but when you go just do it. It's a trip... enough said. http://www.majongs.com/

Lucy's First Field Trip

2010-10-07T23:16:00.000-07:00

This girl was so excited to go on her first field trip, she couldn't handle the wait! Of course they sent home permission slips almost two weeks in advance, so it felt like forever to her. But finally this week her day arrived. I think she was more excited to ride on the school bus than to go to the pumpkin patch! Joseph went along with her to help chaperon. I sent him with the camera...

In the corn maze

When she dressed herself in the morning she made sure she put on an orange shirt. She said she wanted to match with the pumpkins.

That's a nice pumpkin you picked Lucy!

Playing Catch Up

2010-10-05T22:38:00.000-07:00

The last 6 months have been wonderfully busy and exciting! Lot's to report, but I'll do my best to condense down to chronological highlights:

April 2010: Joseph Graduates from Nursing School

The day he took his final the kids and I went to the school and gave him a "Heart Attack".

They're so proud of their Papi.

WE DID IT!

MAY 2010

Lucy graduates from Preschool!

Breakfast in bed for ME on Mother's Day!

JUNE 2010

Day trip with the Thomas Family to Coloma

Taking a peek into a replica of a Mormon cabin. Neat to see how they lived during the Gold Rush.

Whoa, don't fall in!

Summer fun on Andy's boat

Tricks...or not.

Lucy with Andy going way too fast! She's brave.

JULY 2010

On our way to a Forth of July bash. Isabel is proud of her homemade flag.

Independence Day wore them out, just the way we like it.

Celebrating 11 years of marriage

(Lucille's Smokehouse Bar-B-Que restaurant in Rocklin)

HaPpY bIrThDaY Joseph! The kids insisted we put a male nurse action figure on top of his ice cream cake. I love Gabriel's face in this shot.

Lot's of hands-on fun at our local science museum.

AUGUST 2010

A couple of hours before my FIRST Half-Marathon. After 8 short weeks of training, I'm ready! At this point, nothing but excitement...

...and now nerves are starting to set in. Right before the start of the race. See, that's my nervous smile.

At the finish line, and that's my "I'm so happy to be done" smile. Proud of my 13.1 NONSTOP miles. In my division women ages 20-29 I placed #20 out of 42. For the women's overall results I placed #75 out of 176. The fastest woman at the race ran it in 1:32:18 - and she's 51 years old! (Men ran it too, but who cares about their stats.) I may be slow, but I'll never give up and quit! Time to start training for my next race...

Joseph's mom turns SIXTY! All she asked of me was to make her a homemade cake...she's easy to please.

Last day of summer break before the girls return to school.

Of course we had to make it a pool day!

Lucy's first day of Kindergarten! She was BEYOND ready.

After 3 painfully long months of waiting for employment as a new Registered Nurse, Joseph was finally hired! His first gift to himself: a brand new 2010 Honda Civic coupe

SEPTEMBER 2010

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ISABEL! For her birthday she wanted to go to Scandia amusement park.

She let me race her around the race track.

Getting ready for their turn.

Next was miniature golf. It was a crazy fiasco of balls and clubs flying everywhere, but the kids had a BLAST.

The next day we packed up and went camping. We surprised her there with her very own mini cake. She was nice enough to share.

The girls helping me get the fire started in the morning. I was the first one up and awake, thanks to my earplugs and a comfy mattress - I slept GREAT.

Playing with a baby snake Joseph found - YUCK!

Packing to go camping for a family of 6 is always stressful. But once we're there and the kiddies can play and get dirty in nature, it's all fun and worth it.

On our "Girls Only" date at Claim Jumper restaurant in Roseville. No boys around to see us stuff our faces - you know we had to get the biggest dessert!

We ordered the "I Declair"

Baked fresh daily. Sweet pastry filled with a buttery Bavarian custard atop vanilla bean ice cream with hot fudge & homemade whipped cream $9.95 ...Our good looks got it for 77 cents! Okay not really, we used a COUPON and got it for 77 cents!

Swirly Goodness

2010-04-09T19:29:00.000-07:00

Sacramento get's a Pinkberry! The kids and I went on opening day to get some yummy frozen yogurt. What makes this yogurt different from the rest is it actually contains live active cultures and real nonfat/lowfat milk, so you get a dose of calcium and protein. Also, they have many fruit toppings that are freshly cut, NOT frozen or from a can. The downside: The PRICE. Four minis and one small came to $17.40! But for a once in a BIG while treat, it's worth it.

Isaac: chocolate with fruity pebbles

Lucille: mango with mini chocolate chips

Isabel: pomegranate with mini chocolate chips

Mama: original with cinnamon streusel & yogurt chips

Gabriel: chocolate with fruity pebbles

All done, yum.

"A Person's A Person No Matter How Small"

2010-03-06T21:06:00.000-08:00

In honor of Dr. Seuss' birthday, the kids and I spent an evening in Seussville! We made a special dinner: Green Eggs and Ham a la Sam-I-Am.Isabel did a fine job preparing the eggs.

Can't you see the excitement in Lucy's eyes...

...I think there's a little dread in her look too, but she ate them up!

Lucy with the hat she made at preschool. She was nice enough to let everyone have a turn with it.

After dinner it was time to have some fun with words and silly rhymes.

Our evening ended watching "Horton Hears a Who!"

At the end of the movie Isabel asked me "Do we live on a speck?" I honestly didn't know how to answer her. If you know the story you should find it quite thought provoking, if you think about it...

Quick!

2010-02-28T23:51:00.000-08:00

One of my (hi, it's me LIZ) goals for the year is to blog at least once a month, and since there's only 35 minutes left of the last day of February, I better get crack'n! Here are some highlights of our month:

Our Lucy-goosy turned FIVE!!! This means kindergarten soon! Yay!

Every year we get together with the Thomas' and Limutau's for a Valentine's Dinner. This year was Benihana's on a Friday night. Here we are after dinner, leaving the restaurant. The night was filled with lots of laughs, as usual.

On Saturday, the day before Valentine's Day the weather was beautiful and to get the kids out of the house we took them walking around Old Sacramento. We stopped in the old school house and they made sweet Valetine cards!

The girls getting a feel for what it would be like without pencil and paper.

Joseph really loves the snow and we went last month, but he just had to get in another trip. A big group of us went so there we many people to have snow ball fights with!

Joseph and the girls end the trip by building a snow castle...can you find Isabel and Lucille??

San Francisco

2010-01-12T11:24:00.000-08:00

Our Christmas present from Joseph's parents was a trip to San Francisco to see Cirque du Soleil OVO! For those not sure what that is, Cirque du Soleil is a Montreal-based circus (without animals) with live music, acrobats, contortionists, rope-walkers and other forms of entertainment that leaves the audience breathless. It's all very surreal and each show has a theme or storyline. The show we saw, OVO, is a love story about insects. If you ever have a chance to see any of the Cirque du Soleil shows, YOU MUST!
We double-dated with Abe and Ashley while our children were watched after by Grandma at the hotel.

The next day we walked around Fisherman's Wharf and Pier 39.

Here we are taking a boat tour of the Bay on the Lovely Martha.

The Golden Gate Bridge.
After our 1-hour boat ride we all worked up an appetite, so it was time for the Rainforest Cafe!Hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil.

Handsomely waiting for lunch.

Our Little Pumpkins

2009-10-22T14:27:00.000-07:00

It has sort of turned into a tradition that every year Nonna (Liz's mom) takes the kids to the Pumpkin Patch to pick out...well...PUMPKINS! They love pulling their own wagons around to find the perfect one, especially Lucy.

Gabriel preferred to be pulled rather than walk in the icky mud.

Isabel chose a white one this year. The little mother in her found a tiny orange one too that she cradled and brought home as the "baby".

The kids picked one for their Papi with a funny looking stem.

Searching, searching we go...

There was a fun, little hay maze Isabel, Lucy, and Isaac enjoyed running through over and over again. Gabe reluctantly went in about 10 feet, then came back out.

Our crazy bambini with their Nonna.

The trip was a success. We came home with seven pumpkins and supported our local farmers. Now it's time to carve our gourds!

Banana House

2009-10-13T11:42:00.000-07:00

Our camera is still dead, but Joseph's mother has a spare she is loaning us...so we can blog again! We had a very nice Sunday. It started with Gabriel playing with his breakfast and yelling "Look at my house!" He had constructed a house out of his bananas, and he was so proud! We always thought he looks and acts a lot like his Umpa (Grandpa Gilbert), but his work of art and imagination is definitely testament to that. Our budding little artist!
After Joseph declared he wasn't feeling right, Isabel's melt down, and the boys being boys, just Lucy and Liz went to church. Two hours of Primary Program practice for the both of them...fun. Next was an afternoon at the park for a family picnic. Staffed with grandma and grandpa, great-grandma's, aunts, uncles, cousins, in-laws, even a boyfriend and dogs too! The weather was beautiful, the kids got along, and there was plenty of food to go around.

Isabel got a kick out of pushing the button to start the water spouts. Amazingly they kids stayed dry.
Thirsty Isaac.
Lucy and Aunt Sandy's dog Pico. (All the girls' baby dolls and pretend pets are named after this dog!) While there, Lucy found a dollar bill in the bark...then she lost it. Looking all over, it wasn't anywhere in sight, until it was finally found again...in her pocket.
The kids found a princess party hat and of course Gabe wore it best!
Liz and Lisa catching up after her week long trip to Texas.

Broken Camera

2009-09-29T09:29:00.000-07:00

I don't know what happened, but our digital camera is no longer working! We tried new batteries, old batteries, shaking it, sweet-talking it, cursing at it and nothing. It wants to work, but then it just tweaks out! So I guess it's time to buy a new one and post no new pictures for a little bit. It's so irritating having an old blog! Actually, Liz has been in the mood to look at old photos we have on a bunch of discs from years past, so you may be seeing some of those popping up on our blog soon. Ciao!

Camping

2009-08-21T10:32:00.001-07:00

We had a fun weekend enjoying the great outdoors, eating yummy food, and sharing lots of laughs with our friends. It was good for the kids to roll around in the dirt and act like the wild beasts that they are.

Fire-roasted corn on the cob!

Clinton cooking his hobo meals. They were a hit!
We enjoyed kick back music courtesy of David and his guitar.
Look at all those kids, and Mary even has one in her belly! Baby Christian and someone else is missing from the photo...do you know who it is??
It's Lucy! She missed the picture because she was on a TIMEOUT. (Yup, those still happen on vacation)
Isabel and her Papi love 4 wheeling! With lots of coaching and encouragement, Liz finally stepped up and shot a gun for the very first time.
She liked it so much she went from the .38 straight to the shotgun...............
...........and then took control on the rifle with her sharp shooting skills. Now she wants to become FBI just like Lucy.
At the pond catching a polliwog. Isabel held it and talked to it like it was a baby...until it jumped out of her hands and all the kids screamed!
The girls soaking up some rays.
Joseph's favorite toy.
At the end of our trip we were all worn out and dirty! It was so nice to come home to the comforts of a shower and a bed. Days later, we were left with souvenirs...itchy mosquito bites!

Isabel's Firsts

2009-08-18T09:30:00.000-07:00

Last week marked two major "firsts" for our precious firstborn daughter:

FIRST, she lost her first tooth! It had been wiggly and wobbly for over a month, without showing any signs of it falling out on it's own. Everyday Joseph would encourage Isabel to jiggle it around to make it fall out. Liz on the other hand told her to leave it alone and let nature take it's course. Well, on a bright and sunny Sunday afternoon, Umpa (Joseph's dad) did to Isabel what he did to Joseph when he was a kid...yanked it out with floss!

As her tooth was being pulled, Liz was more nervous and anxious than she was! Isabel was so brave!

SECOND, Isabel started second grade! Here she is ready to go on her first day.

Tea Party

2009-08-12T14:30:00.000-07:00

For Joseph's mom Nancy, the grown-up girls got together and had a surprise birthday tea party for her. Her birthday was this past Saturday, so the timing was perfect. We went to Treasured Tea Time and had fun dressing up and acting like girly-girls. Of course Nancy felt loved and special, so mission accomplished!

Nancy's niece Sarah and sister-in-law Sandy looking marvelous!

Liz and Grandma Sonia looking oh-so classy!

Grandma Ann (always the lady) and Ashley enjoying a little afternoon tea.

We nibbled on a variety of goodies such as sandwich squares, muffins, tarts, scones, shortbread cookies and cake. We even had a creamy COLD soup with a dash of nutmeg that no one knew what it was, but it sure was tasty.
Look at us cute gals with our bellies full of tea! CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE CAKE

3 years ago Liz found a delicious looking cake in a Martha Stewart Kids magazine that she has been itching to make. It seemed like a lot of work, so she kept putting it off. Well, finally she gave in and made it for her kids to sing "Happy Birthday" to their Meme on Sunday. It was definitely time consuming, but super fun to make huge cookies! Five 8 inch cookies had to be individually baked, then cream cheese frosting was made and spread in between each layer. Mmmmm!

Joseph set a goal to stay away from sweets for 1 month...so how's that going buddy??

A day for GREATS

2009-08-03T20:29:00.000-07:00

It was such a beautiful day today, we just had to get outside! We met with Joseph's Grandma, and Aunt and Uncle at a park for fun and a picnic. Here are our kids taking up all the swings!

Even Uncle Tim is still a kid at heart!

Isaac getting some help climbing. After that, he did it about 10 times all by himself. Such a boy!

The slides were a big hit!

Joseph has hopes and dreams of being a contestant on the T.V. show WIPEOUT...he used today as practice.

Liz tried to get in on the fun too, but ended up almost hurting herself on the monkey bars! Guess those days are over!

Joseph's Birthday

2009-07-21T12:58:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a special day for Joseph. Not only did July 20th mark forty years since man first walked on the moon (which Joseph believes was a hoax, while Liz believes it's true) but he also turned 31! His birthday started a week early with a surprise trip to the beauty salon for a pedicure, courtesy his brother Abraham and wife Ashley.

After this kind of gift, Joseph made sure to start his actual birthday in a manly way working out in the garage!

Later, a few of his friends came over during the day, before Joseph had to go to class later in the evening. We made sure to take some family pictures on his special day!

Liz's gift to Joseph was tickets to see The Killers!!! The tickets were purchased a while ago and it has been so hard for Liz to hide her excitement...but now the gift has been given, so it can finally be released!!! YEAHHHHH!!! We love Brandon Flowers!

...Now, it's going to be a loooooong 2 months wait, Ugh!

So, when the time quickly approached for Joseph to leave for class, he decided to take the day off and not go. Liz "tried" to remind him how important his education is, but was happy when her efforts failed. To get the kids out of the house we took them to Ancil Hoffman Park for a nature walk, and we saw all sorts of wild life! Just minutes into our walk we saw deer, a buck, lizards, turkies, ducks, rabbits, a hawk, and plenty of other birds we didn't know what to call. Here are some pictures of the kids playing in the rocks when we reached the river.

Overall, it was a fun day...HAPPY BIRTHDAY PAPI!!!

Independence Day

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

Our 4th of July started early at our church pancake breakfast. There was plenty of food and it wasn't too hot, which made it nice.

Joseph riding his mom's bike during the parade...always a kid at heart!

Next, we FINALLY got to see...
The movie was great! ...And those muscles!

Joseph was moved by all the emotions involved in the plot. Liz found Wolverine quite aesthetically pleasing. Okay, forget the fancy words: He was hot!

Our evening was spent at Cal Expo waiting for the big firework show.

Lucy and Nonna (Grandma Martha)
Liz and her sister Monica

The boys were happy as can be...until the fireworks started. Hopefully they won't cry and be so scared next year.
BOOM-BOOM-POW!

Zoo

2009-07-06T10:17:00.000-07:00

On Friday, Meme (Grandma Nancy) and Aunt Lisa invited us to go to the zoo. It was a much needed outing! Joseph was at work so it was just Liz and the kiddies. It was fun seeing the different animals and watching the kids get excited.

Lucille is the toughest girl around...but she loves pink! She bacame very happy when she saw the flamingoes.

Here is Gabriel watching the chimpanzees. As soon as the chimps started eating their own poo, it was time to move on!

Isaac and Aunt Lisa taking a break in the shade.

Summer's Here!

2009-07-03T10:02:00.000-07:00

Our little kiddie pool in the backyard lost it's magic, so we took the kids to our neighborhood pool instead. It was the girls' first time using arm floaties, and they did pretty well. There was one time though Isabel started to go under, and Lucy went to help her and they both ended up almost drowning! Good thing we were near!

The boys drying off in their hats.

What do you see Isabel?

Gabriel wasn't too comfortable in the water and clung to his momma a lot of the time. Joseph has hope and dreams that one day Gabe will become a U.S. Navy SEAL...not sure if that one will happen.

June

2009-06-16T09:21:00.000-07:00

We don't know about you, but June is passing us by so quickly! Here are some of our highlights so far. With Father's Day on Sunday we're sure they'll be more to come!

HAIRCUTS

Joseph was the barber this time around and Isaac giggled the whole time...

...Gabe on the otherhand was not happy.

TIMEOUT

Lucy was sent to her room for doing something she shouldn't have been (probably harassing her brothers), and on her bedroom floor was a pile of clean clothes waithing to be folded and put away. More time than was necessary for the punishment had passed and when Liz finally remembered to relieve her, this is what she found:

Lucy had folded all her and Isabel's laundry! Liz was shocked at how perfectly every piece was folded and organized. She felt bad for forgetting about Lucy during her timeout, but made sure she gave lots of praises. What a big helper! Unfortunately for Lucy she has since acquired a new chore...

FORT NATOMAS

4 kids + beautiful weather + being bored indoors= DISASTER!...So luckily for us we live close to a wonderful park! We all had a good time getting some fresh air, along with getting lots of energy out.

Isaac discovered a magic swing...it makes you grow extra arms and legs!

Splish Splash

2009-05-27T19:30:00.000-07:00

The kids have been going stir crazy indoors, so Joseph had the bright idea to get them a little kiddie pool. Fun for them, not fun for Liz having to roast in the sun making sure no one drowns! The girls splashed around and liked the slide, while the boys refused to sit and screamed the momment anyone got too close.

Lucy always loving the camera!

This is basically what Gabriel looked like the whole time.

Mother Isabel helping Gabe feel better about the horrible splashes everyone was making.

He couldn't take it anymore and started wetting the photographer!

Memorial Day

2009-05-26T09:05:00.000-07:00

We had a great day! First, Liz's friend Stephanie of 17 years came to visit her from Kentucky. We got to meet her new baby boy Wyatt, and Joseph got to meet her husband Ben. After visiting for a while at the house, we went to In-N-Out Burger for lunch. Liz didn't want Stephanie to go and amongst their goodbye hugs Liz said she would fly out and see her, all by herself. Joseph didn't like that idea! We'll see what happens...

Next, we went to the Green's for a BBQ/swim party. Had a nice time there, but we were loser parents and didn't let our kids swim. Sorry, no pictures.

We ended the day with a trip to Wal-Mart (NOOOOOO!) and Family Home Evening. Lucy was in charge of dinner and chose to eat hot dogs, beans, cantaloupe, and ice cream for dessert.

Isabel did the lesson with her mama's help, and taught about Baptism. Besides the boys not getting their naps and a few tantrums along the way, the day was an overall success!

2008-08-06T21:53:00.000-07:00

Hello, this is Liz. I'm still trying to figure out this whole BLOGSPOT thing. Thanks Jaycee for getting me interested...now I'm just confused!?!