Up!

My mom and I took the kids to see up today. I recommend this movie! It was really cute! Michael liked it, but I don't think it's one of his favorites. Whenever they would cut to a new scene, he would say "That was a great movie" as if it were over already! Emma sat through the whole thing, but started to cry during the short film before the movie started, for some reason. It wasn't scary, but she just started crying. If you haven't seen it yet, go see it!

Little Miss Emma!

One year ago, I took Emma to the doctor for her 6 month check up. We had issues with our insurance and had to switch doctors, which only lasted basically for this particular check up. The jist is she didn't gain any weight between 4-6 months and the new doctor was concerned to the point that we had to run a bunch of tests/x-rays. I tried to explain to the doctor that she was just tiny and that I was the same way, but what do I know?! It's one year later and Emma went to the doctor for her 18 month check up and is 33 1/4 inches tall & 29 lbs 9 oz! She is in the 90th percentile for BOTH height & weight! I'm pretty sure that there's nothing wrong with her as far as being underweight! I didn't change anything in her diet at 6 months and now she's eating whatever we're eating for meals like she should be. Take that Dr. Pardo!

A few thinks about Emma:

• She LOVES putting ANYTHING in her mouth still (and when I say anthing, I mean ANYTHING)
• She loves to dance
• She loves to give hugs & kisses
• She has started telling me "secrets" (she leans into my ear and whispers....usually just jibberish, but it's sooooo cute!)
• She has FINALLY started to talk more and says Mommy. Still not as often as daddy, but at least she says it!
• She loves her big brother and they play very well together (when Michael's not tackling her!)
• She is such a daddy's girl!
• She loves kitty's and doggies.
• When she sees a picture of a monkey, she starts to "ooo ooo ahh ahh"
• She says "pop" for grandpa (I just think it's cute! Michael used to say "bada")
• She's a really good sleeper at night, and VERY rarely wakes up
• She has started to throw some pretty major tantrums that usually involve throwing herself on the floor and pushing you away
• She LOVES swimming lessons and is to the point where I can't keep her on my lap, or anywhere really, and just jumps into the water even though she can't touch the bottom.

I could go on and on, but I'll spare you. She gives me a lot of grief sometimes, but I wouldn't ask for anything less! I'm not looking forward to her stubbornness as she gets older, but I guess that's what I get for being so stubborn, myself! She keeps life fun and I'm so glad I get to be her mommy!

My Dad!

I probably have the greatest dad ever! I've always been "daddy's little girl" and I've pretty much always known it! My dad tries so hard to make sure that his "little girl" is well taken care of and happy! He is constately doing things for me, even when I don't ask him to. He has always been there for me when he could be, even when he didn't really want to. Almost anything I've asked him to do, he's done it. I sometimes sit and debate whether I should bring something up to him, because I know that what I ask, he will try to do and I don't want him to feel obligated (especially when it comes to watching the kids!) I noticed yesterday, just before Ron went to work, that my backyard was looking like a mess! The yard hadn't been mowed in I don't know how long and the weeds were almost as tall as the plants! (before you judge, just remember that weeds DO grow FAST!) So, I asked him (since he knows a lot about working in the yard) if one day when Ron and I were both off (preferably before summer school started) if he would come over and help out and give us some pointers. I disturbed him during a project he was working on and hesitated and wasn't at first real happy that I brought it up. But, like he always does, he called back after a few minutes and said that he was coming over to help when he got done with what he was doing and appologized for being snippy earlier! I told him that he didn't have to come over that day, that we would do it another day, but he insisted, because that's who he is! He came over, mowed both my lawns, weedeated the lawn and flower beds, and even trimmed my bushes/trees! I even invited them over for dinner tonight and my dad did the dishes for me! I am so lucky to have been sent to him and my mom (yes, she's a big help to me, too!). They are such good people and wonderful examples to me. I love them so much and am grateful for all that they do for me and my family. Thanks guys! I LOVE YOU!

Emma's Nap

Yesterday Emma gave me a hard time staying in her bed for nap and when she was quite, this is what I found...

Stubborn little brat! :o)

Sacramento Trip

Last weekend we went to Sacramento for my Aunt Sue & Uncle David's farewell. They are leaving tomorrow for a couples agricultural mission in Utah and were speaking in church on Sunday. My parents took my kids Friday afternoon and I rode up with Ryan & Amanda since Ryan & I had to work. Luckily I got off at 3:30 instead of 5:30, so we were able to leave a little earlier. The kids were already in bed when we got up there. We all stayed at my uncle's house, but his house is HUGE, plus, he has a really nice motor home that my parents, and me and the kids were able to stay in. His house is on a HUGE lot and they have chickens, dogs, a "pond/lake" in progress and also a huge RV garage/house that will have rooms, etc. The house is gorgeous and the kids LOVED running and playing outside in the dirt & with the dogs!

My cousin, Emily, created the ultimate slip 'n slide down the hill in the backyard for the kids (and some adults!) to go down. She put down some foam, cardboard, and blankets for padding, unrolled 100 feet of plastic, turned on the sprinklers and let the fun begin! My kids didn't care for it much, but the older kids had a BLAST!

The grass had a lot of stickers in it, so I pulled one out of Michaels foot, but he didn't believe me, so I took a picture of his foot so he could see that it was okay!

Fun with the tractor!

This is where my kids hung out after their one time down the slide!

Sunday, after church, my cousin Emily put on a family singing program (that's what the Nielson's do) as a final send off. She had all these different songs to do, some for the kids to have fun with, some that meant something to someone, and some that were more serious. It was a pretty good program, and the kids sure enjoyed the fun songs & musical instruments!

This is my aunt & uncle. We wish them the best of luck as they embark on this new challenge and hope they have great success!

Swim Lessons Pictures

Michael doing his "kickers"

Emma floating on her back (they had the little ones put on these life jackets.)

Michael getting "rained" on

Emma reaching for the ducky

Swim Lessons!

The kids started swim lessons yesterday. Emma and I are in the "Mommy & Me" class and Michael is in the Preschool class. They both seem to be enjoying it. The classes are at the same time, so I don't get to watch Michael much. It does take him awhile to get used to being there by himself, but the teachers give him a ball and he's in Heaven after that! They've been getting him used to the water and using arms and kicking. Emma's enjoying our class, too! She is blowing bubbles, kicking her legs, moving her arms and today she was climbing out of the pool by herself and jumping to me with no help until she got in the water! After she'd jump she'd say "gain" for "again." The teacher told us to have the kids float on their back, but she didn't like that much. I think it was because the sun was in her eyes. I only have this one picture from their actual swim lessons, the other two were them playing around this morning. My dad took some videos of the kids and I'm going to try to post that, too, but my dad's not a videographer so you may get a little sick watching it! I know I did!

These are Michael's new "wobble goggles" (from Imagination Movers) that I bought in Camarillo.

She just LOVES to say "cheese!"

Mother's Day 2009

I was waiting for this past weekend before I posted about my "gifts" for Mother's Day (at least that's what I told Ron they were...one from him, and the other from the kids :o) ) So, last Saturday, my mom, Carianne and I went to Paragon for a spa pedi/mani. It was so awesome! The last time I had a pedicure was when we went to Hawaii in January! I need to go more often (but not to Paragon...it's pretty pricey!) After that was lunch at Olive Garden where I got the Chicken Rolletini (SO GOOD!) and then to Moo Creamery for ice cream. There was good service, good food, good company & good conversation the whole day! (LOTS of conversation! We lost track of time!) My 2nd mother's day gift was our new annual Mothers Day Mayham trip (we were trying to come up with something catchy to call it...what do you think?) down to Ventura. My mom and I took the kids last year, but this year I wanted to myself & Amanda was able to go with us! We stay at the Hyatt Westlake in Thousand Oaks (GREAT hotel!) and we visit the Camarillo Outlet Mall. It's pretty big and has a cookie store called 'Terri's Cookies' that have THE BEST cookies I've ever had! We left pretty early Friday morning and drove down. After checking in, we ate lunch and it was off to the outlets! We shopped ALL day with a break to watch a movie (because it was "twilite" time and the tickets were only $6.00!!). We saw "Ghosts of Girlfriends Past." I liked it. It's like The Christmas Story, only with girlfriends and more flesh (not total nudity, just bras and panties.) After the movie, we did more shopping and then went to dinner at Wood Ranch then back to the hotel. The next morning Amanda and I went to the gym to get on the elyptical (I know, crazy!) and then we went for our complimentary buffet and it was off to the Strawberry Festival in Oxnard. It was pretty fun, but I don't think we'll go back again. The tickets were like $12.00 a piece plus $5.00 parking! Lot's of neat stuff, though! After that, we went to Ross and did more shopping, stopped at Chili's for dinner and then headed home. It was a GREAT mother's day this year and hope to do it again next year! I didn't get a whole lot of pictures due to the shopping, but here are some from the festival.

Mom all excited for the Festival!

Amanda and baby Amos all ready to go! (Inside joke, she's NOT naming the baby Amos...that is until I say it enough that she ACTUALLY does! But I doubt it!)

"The handle is $10.00 more!" (not really, that's just what she thought he said)

Holy Strawberries!

Clean House!

Yesterday I spent about 8 1/2+ hours cleaning, doing laundry, and taking care of the kids. Needless to say, I'm pooped! But, I feel so relieved that it's done (for now) and I feel so much better. I wish I would do it more often, but it's so easy to put it off and most of the time I start some of it, but I don't finish. I'm proud to say that I did ALL the laundry INCLUDING washing my bed sheets and the guest bedroom sheets! All that's left is to unload the dishwasher (that I started before work this morning) and put the dishes I handwashed away. Oh, and put the guest bedroom comforter back on. When Ron came home I told him (because he was watching the kids in the morning) that if ONE thing was not in it's place when I got home from work, he was dead! Lucky for him, everything was in it's place! :o) So, if anyone wants to come over, do it now before my house is a wreck again!

Mother's Day

The day started out with breakfast in bed, then it was on to church. Afterwards, my mom and I took some mother's day plants to our VT ladies. We went back to my parents house where we had a yummy enchilada dinner and some good conversation and fun with cousins. The kids and I then left and went to Ron's aunt Glenda's for more yummy food and dessert and then it was time to head home & go to bed! When Ron got home, he dished me up some ice cream and we just hung out. What a great day to honor mothers! I LOVE being a mom and credit my abilities to all the "moms" that have been such a wonderful example to me! Let us remember those amazing women and show them our appreciation more than just that one day a year!

Happy Mother's Day to Me!

These are my 2 most favorite reasons I LOVE being a mom! They test my patience, they can be stubborn, and they misbehave at times, but they are the BEST thing that has EVER happened to me! They are always willing to give me hugs, they get excited to see me when I come home, and they love me unconditionally! I love all their little quirks and laugh many times throughout the day at the new things they come up with! I'm so grateful to my Heavenly Father to have trusted me to raise these sweet spirits and to be their mommy. I couldn't have aske for better kids! I know my job is trying and will never end, but I'm enjoying the ride! I LOVE YOU GUYS!

Honey Bunches of Oats

We had just opened a brand new bag of cereal when all of the sudden I hear what sounds like rain. What I saw was this...

Apparently Michael was hungry!

This was after I vaccumed up the mess (the container was empty when I started!

I failed to Mention...

Ron just read my post about Relay for Life, and he pointed out that I didn't mention him as a cancer survivor. Now, mind you, Ron did have some skin cancer that he had removed behind his ear, however, I'm pretty sure it wasn't the bad kind (I forget the name), but he likes to say that he's a cancer survivor like my mom! Okay, honey!

IT'S A(nother) BOY!

Ryan and Amanda jut found out they are having their 4th boy! I didn't believe her because it is still early, but there are a couple of ultrasound pictures that look pretty much like a boy! I'm excited to have another nephew, but not looking forward to the name picking process! They are AWFUL at trying to agree on a boy name! Ryan has been wanting Robert Glen (her dad and my dad's names) but Amanda doesn't want it. We all give her a hard time for it with every boy. It's already been shot down with this one. The older boys want to name him Mario Luigi, but that's not going to happen either! They'd like to stick with a name from the scriptures, so if anyone has any ideas, I'll pass them along! I just feel bad for Emma! She has boys all around her! She's gonna be one tough cookie!

Relay for Life Recap

Yesterday was the annual Relay for Life out at CSUB. Bakersfield's Relay is #1 in raising money & turn-out! Pretty impressive! They start out the event early with the National Anthem (which was sung by a tongue cancer survivor who was told she would never be able to talk/sing again and did an AWESOME job!), then it was time for the survivors to release the butterflies, then it was time for the survivors to kick off the relay by walking the lap. It's always very emotional for me during this morning part because it just makes me realize how lucky I am to have my mom here with me and my family. She was diagnosed with Uterin (sp?) cancer almost 3 years ago and was immediatly scheduled for surgery on 9/11/06 (ironic?) which was 2 weeks to the day prior that I went into labor with Michael. She was in the hospital for a week and I spent most of my time with her as my dad had to work and I was off on maternity leave. I figured it would be okay to go into labor since I was at the hospital already :o) Anyway, she had her surgery and during they found cancer in another area they didn't think was there before which caused her to have to go through radiation treatments. Michael & I went with her most mornings (our house was being built at the time so we were living with them.) It was pretty nice to have her home with me, but scary knowing what could've been. Since then, she's had several appointments and still continues to go and things have been great ever since. We've gone to Relay for Life twice now and it's just a great experience to be there. There are many booths set up with raffle prizes, food, crafts, etc to help raise money to fight for a cure. It's a great atmosphere. It is a little hard when you walk by a booth that's there because they had a 2 year old child pass from cancer, but then you look around and see the sea of purple shirts of the survivors. It's a bitter sweet moment. All in all, it was a great time, they had lots of different shows that were put on by different people. We watched some belly dancers because my aunt had to take pictures for them. They invited people up on the stage for a "dance off" and Emma kept trying to get on the stage! Some guy told me "Let her dance!" I would've, but the dancers weren't paying attention to her so she could be a part of it. Oh well. The kids got to run around & play some games. They also had a kiddy area with a couple of bounce houses, a slide, velcro wall and elastic thing that you put on, race with a friend and it throws you back when you've stretched it out. We were out there from about 8:30am till 9 pm! It was a long day! The kids got sunburned on their faces! Not fun! I'll take a picture when my camera batter gets charged. If you're not doing anything next year when they put it on, I definately recommend attending. It doesn't cost anything to get in, they just have several booths that ask for donations.

Relay for Life 2009 Pictures