Friendship

This is a photo I took of my daughter and one of her best friends before we moved.

I love her little toothless grin!

At School I learn to...by Christopher

Excuse the color, the scanner let in a little light while scanning this big of a picture.

Meow, Meow, Hey! By Bekah

Christopher's Handwriting First Grade First of the Year

Bekah is officially a monkey

After weeks of trying, she finally can get all the way across the monkey bars. We are so proud of our little monkey!

 

Problem Solved.

Watch out Bad Guys for them Wheels

Book Review Daddy Dates by Greg Wright

I received a copy of Daddy Dates to review from Book Sneeze in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are all 100% my own.

I really enjoyed this book written by Greg Wright. His writing feels like you are talking to a good friend and listening to his experiences with his kids...which I guess it is. As a mom I found this book fun to read and found a lot of good insights for my own relationship with my 8 year old daughter.
I wanted it for my husband to strengthen his relationship with her and I know that he will get inspired to spend that special quality one on one time with her and show her how it feels to be respected and loved by a real gentleman.
There were a lot of good ideas for actual date nights, the why behind it and the results from doing them.
I know date night is super important in my husband and I's relationship and I can see how beneficial they are for us as parents to spend time with our kids and feel that connection with them.
Greg is funny, easy to read and has lots of good insight.
I would recommend this as a great gift for a dad of a young tween who is trying to find out how to keep her daddy's little girl just a little longer.

Book Description;

Daddy Dates gives the average Joe easy steps to actively and successfully engage with his daughter and raise a confident woman-to-be.

When faced with the reality of raising four (4!) teen daughters, Greg Wright went on a soul quest.

He came back with a mission: Don’t Screw Up.

This funny, insightful, and relatable book poses the wildly original concept that should be a “duh” for most dads—but isn’t: In order to raise a confident woman-to-be, show your daughter what it feels like to be treated with love, respect, and true interest by a man who loves her.

Daddy Dates shows the average father how to actually do that. It is written in an original voice and will appeal to both men and women. It is the kind of action-oriented “how to” material that guys enjoy, and so many others will recommend to other dads.

Book Review; Illusion by Frank Peretti

I received Illusion, a novel by Frank Pertti from Handlebar Marketing, in exchange for an honest review on the book. My opinions are 100% my own and are not influenced by any product compensation or persuasions. 


Illusion starts as a story of a mourning magician husband who lost his wife just as they were about to start a new chapter of their lives, retirement. 


From the very beginning you feel for this man as his heart is ripped from his chest as he watches his beautiful wife burn to death in a car wreck. Suddenly you are involved in his wife's life 40 years earlier before she ever met her soul mate; who gets thrown into our decade through some time shift and all those she loved and cared about are gone. 


While trying to make sense of it all, Mandy finds that she can move through time somehow and escapes the mental hospital she has been kept captive at. She has always loved magic and with her new found abilities, starts a little magic show at a local coffee house.


As luck would have it, Dane, the magician who is still mourning his wife finds the girl and has his heart broken all over again as he gets to know her, realizes that it is his beloved wife and comes to understand that she doesn't know him or any of their life together. He also finds out that she is in trouble and that he needs to do anything he can to help her escape those that intend to use her powers for the wrong reasons, and cause her and others harm.


This story kept me intrigued the entire time. Just when I thought I knew the answer to one question, I'd get thrown for a loop. The writing was phenomenal and the story was something that I had never seen before. It was original and fascinating. 


I loved that a good story can still be told without the swearing, sex and shock gore that is in so many best sellers today. I will definitely pick up past and future Frank Peretti novels.I would recommend this book to anyone.

Hanukkah Acrostic

Dear Mayor Obama....Stop the Bird Killing

Is it really that good? nom nom nom

He has a Dream

Christopher's 6th Birthday

This kid.

He sure knows how to make us smile. 

Even in a group as animated as this one. 

He is not one to go unnoticed.

Had to throw in this messy kid. 

He likes cake, and he's not afraid to show it.

Christopher's birthday was pretty low key.

We went to Disneyland the week before.

We really couldn't top that.

We had presents and cake and ice cream, ate pancakes for breakfast and pretty much just vegged out in front of video games the whole. entire. day. 

Some things about Christopher at age six.

• He has two volumes; loud and really loud
• He is brilliant at math-seriously does stuff in his head that I have to write down and borrow and carry and stuff
• He is a good reader, but doesn't really enjoy it
• He is Mario Brothers obsessed. He is really good at video games and would play them all day, every day if mom would just let him have his way.
• He is silly. All. The. Time. 
• He likes to dance, and has some pretty funky moves.
• He is so sensitive and cries easily...a little too easily most of the time.
• He is very sweet to his sister and Oliver...and Porter...most of the time.
• He still likes to cuddle with mom and dad.
• He is our only kid that can't stay up late-he crashes wherever he is when the clock hits about eleven. 
• Exception to the previous statement is if he is playing his DSi or the Wii. Then the kid has no limit.
• He has a big imagination and loves to play pretend.
• He loves Star Wars
• He likes to build things with blocks, Lego's and anything else he can stack up into interesting contraptions.
• He says the most thoughtful prayers of any of my kids. He always thinks about what he is saying and prays for specific things. I love this about him.
• He is really fun to be with.
• He tells people his name is Christopher, but his family calls him Topher.
• He has a bit of a short fuse, but is quick to say he is sorry.
• He's not as fearless as he once was
• He is all boy, farts, poop and burp jokes are absolutely the funniest things on the planet.
• We love him so much and can't believe that 6 years have gone by since that big nine pound five ounce baby came into our lives and turned into our little Toph guy.

Masterpiece.

Porter leaves his masterpieces all over my walls on a nearly daily basis. 

No lie.

I throw crayons away.

I hide pencils and pens like they are expensive chocolates.

I keep permanent markers on my list of things that don't enter the house...I mean right up there with porn and crack.

Yet somehow he manages to find things that I don't know exist or finds my secret stash or climbs the wall like a spider monkey to get the pencils off the high shelves.

This was our favorite find.

My baby covered in permanent markers that Bekah had gotten from her school this week. 

Not aware they were permanent.

Not until we tried to clean his face, hair, stomach, hands, arms, legs, neck.

This is the morning after the fact.

My little artist is going places.

Like a time out.

Wardrobe Malfunction...On Purpose.

Bekah and Topher wanted to play outside.

It was cold so I told them to get hats on out of the winter bag.

They went one awesome step further.

They were outside playing like this for about a half hour before I realized what they were wearing...in public.

Rock stars. 

Both of them.

Bekah's Baptism

February 4th was a very special day that we won't forget anytime soon. 

Our sweet baby girl made the decision to get baptized and confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. She was so lucky to have her amazing daddy be the Priesthood holder who was able to perform these blessings for her.

Her grandma's were both able to come, so it was really special for her...and for the rest of us!

 I have the absolute BEST friends on the planet who drove out to support us on this fun weekend. Sara, Carissa, Jaime, Cathy and April-you rock. Literally. Love each and every one of your cute faces.

 Right before the dunk we were able to get a couple pics with Bekah and her daddy. Obligatory.

And how cute are these friends of hers who drove out with their mommies to be a part of this special day? I know this just made it such an incredible experience for her and she loves these friends as much as I love their moms. Ann, Theo, Raegan, Phoebe and Ellie...thanks for being exactly the kinds of friends that I have always wanted for my daughter, she is so lucky.

Bekah's Baptism Dress

I finished sewing Bekah's baptism dress today. I was really worried that it wouldn't turn out how I wanted it so I put it off for a couple weeks.

Luckily, after a few little mishaps on my end, and a few more on the sewing machine's end...the dress is just what I envisioned...ruffly, girly, white and precious. 

I snapped just a few pictures of her in it just to show it off, but I'm sure I will get more when it's not so cold and windy out. My girl was brave enough to just stay out for about 2 minutes before her teeth started chattering. 

I can't believe this day is almost here...she is growing up to be such an amazing young lady, I ask myself everyday what I did to deserve such a princess.

Bekah's Bowling Birthday Party

Bekah had her 8th birthday party at the bowling alley and had a lot of fun.

One of my favorite pictures from the day is not of the birthday girl though, but of this cute little backside. He took the game very seriously and thought it was about the most fun this little 3 year old had ever had.

Bekah had two of her best friends joined her for the afternoon, and they just happen to be twin sisters. Such cute girls, I'm glad she is able to have some good friends here.

Not to mention silly.

Speaking of kids having fun...this one took my turn because he just couldn't stand the thought of not rolling the ball down the ramp like his big brothers. He really didn't like waiting for his turn to come around either.

The happy little birthday girl with her (not homemade) cake. :)

I know I say it all the time, but WOW she really is growing up isn't she? She looks like such a big kid in this picture, not at all what I picture her in my head.

The mandatory blowing out the candles picture...

She got some really fun gifts too, like this Littlest Pet Shop set from Sydney. Bekah is obsessed with Littlest Pet Shops...I should take a picture of her collection someday...although it would probably have to be several pictures!  She also got that fun bowling pin drink cup from the Bowling alley, she has been toting it around full of water ever since.

She got a whole bag full of fun loot from Brook, lotions, candy, pencils, hair things...

This was my favorite moment though.

We had gone to the Dollar store that morning to get plates and cups for the party and she saw this little bear that she really wanted. I told her no because she had too many stuffed animals and she didn't bring her own money. Well after that, Christopher went and took his own money and put the bear under his coat and ran up and paid for it without her knowing. It was really cute.

Then when she was opening and realized what it was she squealed "ooooh!" and threw her arms around him and hugged him for a long time.

I'm sure her friends were thinking, "wow, we got her way better presents and she didn't get that excited!"

I may have had a little tear in my eye at the moment though.

These two really are so close and are so thoughtful of one another, and these kind of moments make my heart melt. 

Later that day Topher and I were talking and he told me that; "I loved giving her that bear, because she squeezed me so tight, and I just love her."

Ahhhh.

Best dollar ever spent.

The Tooth and nothing but the Tooth

It starts. 

One down, 19 to go. 

My baby's sweet smile has a hole in it.

Baking Cookies

Baking cookies with this little man is never dull. He is very "helpful" and must always wear an apron.

I can't believe how very big he is...but yet still so much my little boy.

Porter's Haircut

If you noticed in the last post, boy number 2 was looking a little scruffy.
His long hair is the source of much happiness in my heart, but he was starting to scare people. :)
So he got it cut short, and he looks so cute still...but now I have a hard time telling him and Christopher apart when I am not looking at their faces!

Chad is the boy hair cutter extraordinaire in this house, so he gets the credit for the cute boys hair.

I am really smitten with this kid, no matter how naughty he is.

I mean look at those eyes...couldn't you just get lost in them?

Me too.