Playing Hooky!

On Friday the boys and I played hooky from school! It was so much fun! Friends from Michigan were here for their spring break, and are every year, so we took the day to go and see them. They stay with family about an hour or more away so it really does take the whole day!

This was at the end of the day, but it made me laugh so I had to put it first...it is a pic of the boys being silly after they had been good for a billion and one pictures!

This is Sean and Brendan. Sean's mom, Grace and I have been friends since before we both got married, so 11 years now! We were both teachers together in 1998 and then we both got married, a month apart, the summer of '98 and then we both go pregnant at the same time, summer of '99 and then we both delivered 3 weeks apart spring of '00! So needless to say, Brendan and Sean have been friends even before they were born! And it doesn't matter that they only see each other once a year...it is like old times!

Here is me and Grace, picture courtesy of Brendan!

When we got to Sean's grandparent's house (where they stay), the boys played while Grace and I chatted. After about an hour, we packed up a picnic lunch and headed to a park for some play time!
Here are the boys playing and being silly on the teeter totter! Grace's in-laws live at the foot of the Superstition Mountains, you can see them in the background...absolutely beautiful!

Striking a pose...David (5) at the top, then Brendan (9), Sean (9), and Colin(7) at the bottom.

Brendan and Colin trying out their tottering...although it was a challenge since Colin now out weighs Brendan by 15 pounds!

Hey boys...try looking at the camera next time! I did have another shot where they were, but I really liked the angle of the one!

After our picnic in the park, we went back to the house and while the boys played, Grace and I talked and talked and talked! Before leaving we had to have one final group shot so here we are posing in the backyard. Not only do they live right by the mountains, they live on a golf course too!
This has become a yearly tradition and I look forward to it each spring!
Until next spring, take care Grace, Sean, and David! We will miss you!

I'm Gonna Miss This...

Last Saturday, the boys and I spent the afternoon dying Easter eggs. They had so much fun deciding which colors they were going to use, how to mix them, what colors to use with what colors...it is all science! I loved spending the time with them. I sat across the table, camera in hand, just watching and listening! It was such an amazingly fun time!

Getting ready...

Working closely together to get just the right combination...

Brendan getting it just right...

Colin so proud of his egg...

I know that soon, these all too eager boys will be too old or too busy to spend an afternoon dying Easter eggs (or hunting them for that matter!), so for now and the next few years, I will sit back, camera in hand, smiling, listening and loving the fact that they are so careful at picking and choosing the colors they will dye their eggs!

Join Pam for more You're Gonna Miss This.

Where's Mom?! 8/52 Pictures of Me!

Are you a mom? Are you missing from the pictures? Most moms I know are, and now here is a great meme that brings us moms from out behind the camera and puts us in the limelight! I know it can be scary, but it also can be lots of fun! Just think of all those pictures you take and there are none of you to be handed down to your grand babies! Carin over at Forever in Blue Jeans created this fun, year long meme that brings us out and makes us put on a smile (well most of the time, anyways!) It's easy, give someone else the camera, pose (or not!) and then post! And the best part is that you can jump in whenever you start! This is my 8th week of this fun challenge!

This week I decided to post a family picture. We are at church after Easter service posing in front of one of the 'Flowering Crosses'. I dressed everyone matchy~matchy knowing that I wanted to snap a few pics somewhere on our church campus!

It's so easy...give someone else the camera, say cheese and join the fun!

'Egg'cellent Pictures from Easter!

Flat Stanley Comes to Visit!

Last week the mailman, I heart the mailman, brought us an envelope all the way from Michigan (were we used to live!) and in it was Flat Stanley! For those of you who are not Stanley fans, he is a book character who is flattened by a bulletin board at school and then his parents mail him to California for a visit! Well, my nephew, Austin, is reading this book in school and made a Stanley. They mailed him to us for a 2 week adventure...and so it begins...(a little out of order, but fun none the less!)

Here are Brendan and Colin posing with Stanley outside of their school the first day he was visiting!

And at Colin's baseball game...he was a great cheerleader!

And riding the ferris wheel at our church's Easter carnival with Brendan, Kennedy and Colin

Standing outside in the courtyard of our church on Easter Sunday
Posing with Stanley in front of one of the "Flowering Crosses" at church on Sunday

Here he is sneaking into Brendan & Colin's Easter baskets before they woke up on Easter morning!We are having lots of fun taking Stanley on different adventures! The boys still want to take him to a couple of stadiums around us and to our city hall and of course one of Brendan's baseball games! We can't wait to send Stanley back to Austin with his journal full of adventures and pictures!

Easter Fun...

Before the boys went to bed on Saturday night, they were specifically told that they could NOT come out of their room until at least 7 am on Sunday morning and they listened!!! I was up at 6:30 getting everything ready when I heard them rustling around and calling out from behind the door..."Mommy, can we go potty?" and I was like, oh my gosh, yes!! After, we all went into my in my room and read the Easter story from the Bible. It was such a great feeling knowing that they are getting it...they know what Jesus did for us. They were asking questions and getting excited about it. We were there for almost half an hour as a family; it was awesome! After, they raced out to the family room to find their baskets!After baskets, it was time to find the eggs...

There it is!
After hunting eggs and a quick breakfast of warm, gooey, yummy, cinnamon rolls, we got ready and headed off to church!
Before dropping the kids off to their respective rooms, we stopped in the courtyard to "flower the cross". Each year our church puts bare wooden crosses in the courtyard to be covered with flowers. This represents the new life that Jesus offers us at Easter and every day. When He rose from the dead, He overcame eternal death once and for all for everyone who believes in Him. Once the crosses are covered in the beautiful flowers, they are carried into the sanctuary and placed up on the alter. They are so beautiful.
After church, there was a super fun carnival in the courtyard! They rode the 50 ft. ferris wheel, plus lots more!

Here is a picture of the boys sliding down the giant slide!

After playing at the carnival for a few hours, we headed home to get ready for dinner. Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt Jen, Cousin Kennedy and friends of my parents, came over to enjoy an Easter dinner of ham and all the fixin's!
We had such a great day and hope you and yours did too!

Happy Easter!

May you and your family have a Blessed Easter...

for Jesus Lives!!!

Flip Flops are FABULOUS!!

Last week, MiMi over at He & Me + 3 had her 1 year blogoversary! Everyone was sosososo excited about it, including me! She did a week long celebration with 5 days of giveaways from her fav things list! The catch...there was no catch; all you had to do was comment and follow. AND of course I do both...who wouldn't?! So anywho, on Saturday Random.org did the rest and the winners were chosen, posted and notified!

Yesterday in the mail, this is what I found...

That's right...FLIP FLOPS! I heart flip flops!
I was fortunate enough to have won Monday's giveaway which was a pair of Old Navy Flip Flops! AND the best part about it was, I got to pick the color! How fun was that...I had such a hard time deciding! AND the second best part...is that when I opened my package, I found not 1, BUT 2 pair of flops!!!

HOW EXCITING!!!!

So thanks MiMi (and congratulations again on your 1 year!), you are AWESOME and I totally LOVE my flip flops! And since I live in AZ, you know I wear'em, like, EVERYDAY!!!

Have a great weekend...I know I will, I have new flip flops!!!

WW~Hey Catcher, Catch This...

Blue Monday!

Since Stellan is still in the hospital, I am not feeling right about posting a 'Not Me!' Monday, but I am keeping track of all of the things that I have not been doing, so that when he is healed and at home, I can get all of that free therapy that I am missing out on!

Instead, I am linking up with Smiling Sally. I have seen this cute meme over at Debra's blog, Clothed With Scarlet, and thought I would give it a try! I actually had a really great one, but I used it for last week's Wordless Wednesday (thanks Tarah for the thought!). I am sure I can find another great on though!

Here are my 3 boys dressed in blue! This was right after Brendan's 1st baseball game when he received the game ball! This was also the game where he was hit by a pitch, made 2 amazing outs and had a 3 run homer! Blue Monday is easy for us for 2 reasons, we love the color blue and Brendan's is playing for the Cubs right now, which happen to have a blue uniform!

Here is Brendan and some of the other guys on his team. This was after one of his games for their team meeting...so serious for 9 and 10 year olds!

For more fun with Blue Monday, stop by Smiling Sally!

Happy Monday!

All In...All The Time!!

So while I was busy blogging, my boys (all 3 of them) were playing quietly together in the family room. As I came out of the den to get something to drink, this is what I found...

...Ryan teaching the boys to play Texas Hold'em!! Lovely!
So what is your husband teaching your kids when you're not around?!?!

I'm Gonna Miss This...

This post originally started out about the victorious week both boys had on the diamond, but it turned into an Your Gonna Miss This post! I am gonna miss being their everything...their cook, their chauffeur, their maid (not really, but...) but I will always be their cheerleader!!!
We are in the full swing of baseball season. It is consuming my life, but I am loving every minute of it! Between the 2 boys and the 2 different teams that they play on, we have baseball almost every night of the week.

This past week, Brendan had practice on Monday and games on Wednesday and Friday; and Colin had games on Wednesday and Saturday. Notice that they both had games on Wednesday night, therefore Ryan and I were split between the games as they were not at the same fields!

They did awesome at all of their games and 3 out of the 4 games were victorious! One of Brendan's games even ending in a mercy ruling! I love being outside in the sun watching my boys play a game they love!

This coming week, they both have practice on Monday, and games on Wednesday and Friday.

I know that one day soon, well maybe not too soon, they will be taking themselves to practices and games, but I will always be in the stands cheering them on!

For for You're Gonna Miss This moments, visit Pam.

Where's Mom?! 7/52 Photos of Me!

Are you a mom? Are you missing from the pictures? Most moms I know are, and now there is a great meme that brings us moms out from behind the lens and puts us in front of the camera! I know it can be scary, but it really is, truly lots of fun! Carin over at Forever in Blue Jeans set up this wonderful year long meme that does just that~brings us out from behind the lens and puts us in the spotlight! And the best part is, you can jump in whenever you start! For me, this will be my 7th week!

This is an oldie, but a goodie! Here I am with Brendan on his first day of Kindergarten, 3 and a half years ago. I was browsing through my old picture files and saw this and thought, oh, my goodness, he was so little and now he is 9 and so big!! At the time I was teaching pre-kindergarten at KinderCare and I was also one of the van drivers, so I was able to drive Brendan to and from school every day! He was so excited to be a kindergartener!!

So join this fun meme...give the camera to someone else, say cheese and join the fun!

WW~What's Thatchya Say...My Tongue's Blue...WIERD!!

I know I said I wan't posting, but WW is just so darn easy!

I am NOT MIA....

...well sorta, but I am still here!! This past weekend and the start to this week has been, what's the word...AAAHHHGGG!!!! Between baseball, school and more baseball I have hardly had to time to breath and when I have had time to breath, I have been checking out MiMi's blog for all her cool giveaways because it is her 1 year Blogoverary, YaY MiMi or I have been praying for little Stellan. But please know that I am reading yours, just not posting on mine!!

So I am not sure when I will be back, BUT I promise you that I will be back and it will be soon! Take care friends!