It's Great to be EIGHT!

We had a crazy few weeks in March! We raced home from Disneyland (we drove home Friday) so that we could be home to get everything ready for Kenz to be baptized on Saturday.  To say it was a busy and exhausting week was an understatement.  We are so thankful that Kenzi made the decision to be baptized.  She is an amazing daughter, sister and friend.  She is so responsible, caring, loving and thoughtful.  We are so blessed with her in our family.  I can't believe she is 8.  She is growing to fast and it kind of makes me sad. 

She was baptized on March 16th, by her dad.  Her dad also confirmed her a member of the church.  She was shy and nervous at first.  And she still wasn't big on all the attention.  She is 100% her mothers child.  Although she has grown so much in the last year, she is still my shy and quiet girl when there are lots of people around.

My wonderful sister in law took baptism pictures in front of the Gilbert temple and they turned out amazing.  We sure love this sweet sweet girl.

Our most recent Disneyland trip

For Spring Break this year we went to Disneyland to watch my daughter perform with her dance company.  We knew going into it the trip that it was spring break so it was going to be crowded.  We just hoped for the best, and luckily my parents went with us, which was a lot of help.

This time around we rented a condo that was within walking distance from the park.  It was nothing fancy but it was great for us.  It had 3 bedrooms and 1 and 1/2 bath.  It even had a crib for us to use, and a stroller available as well. It was about a 7-10 min walk to Disneyland and it was perfect, after a long day at Disneyland though it felt like the longest walk ever, of course :).  But I would definitely recommend renting a condo/house next time you go.  You pay about as much as you would for a hotel room and you get way more room.

We decided to leave a day early and visit my grandma and her husband in Yuma on the way to California.  I am so glad we did this.  It is so nice to visit with my grandma as much as we can.  We enjoy seeing her and my kids love her.  So after spending some time with her we were off to Disneyland!

We arrived in California on Sunday and had originally planned to go to Disneyland on Monday.  Unfortunately Kenz ended up being sick so we decided to give her Monday to completely rest up, we just did some exploring in Downtown Disney and we headed to the parks on Tuesday.  

Kenny and I had already discussed that this trip would be more about the kids, we had prepared ourselves to be disappointed if we did not get to ride most of the "big kid" rides.  And I am so glad we did, because truth told this trip was exhausting, in a different kind of way, but we still had so much fun!

 The twins did NOT want to ride in the stroller.   Which obviously made things difficult.  We let them then walk as much as we could, like while going through Downtown Disney and walking from the condo.  But once we got into the craziness of Disneyland it became much harder to keep track of them walking,  But when we put them in the stroller they would scream and cry and toss and turn.  So it was interesting to say the least.  We tried to do an equal amount if crying and walking, I'm sure we looked like quite the circus act.  In hindsight I should have prepared them more for being in the stroller.  We just don't use the stroller much at home, so I can't blame them for not really wanting to be in it.

My mom suggested last minute that we do a character dining this time around and thankfully we found an opening at Goofy's Kitchen, and I am so glad we did! My kids had so much fun! The characters are great and the food was pretty good.  They had so many options, literally something for everyone.  I can't wait to try the other character dining options next time we are there.

 Kenz really wanted to try to get as many characters to sign her autograph book as possible, and I think we did a pretty good job.  We met lots of princesses and characters, it was so fun to see the excitement in her eyes from meeting and talking to them all.  She was a lot braver than I thought she would be, I am so proud of how much she has grown in the past year.

On Thursday Kenz performed at California Adventure with her dance company.  It was so cool to see her up there performing, an experience I am sure she will never forget.  Her cousin is in her dance company as well, so she then got to ride a few rides with her.  I wish we could have coordinated more time together, but I am grateful for the time that they did have.

Tate was SOOOOOO excited to ride the Incredicoaster.  Last time we went, when it was still California Screaming, he was too short to ride it.  I remember him going up to be measured, and the cast member told him he was not tall enough, to which he replied "But mom I'll sit really still, I promise."  And it broke my heart.  He was so sad he couldn't ride it.  So you bet he jumped on it every chance he got! He rode it so many times and kept asking when he could go on it again.  He is my thrill seeker, he loved Guardians of the Galaxy as well.  He wanted to go on any roller coaster he could,  I love his fierce, brave soul. 

Overall it was an exhausting and great trip.  I love seeing Disneyland through my kids eyes.  I love to see what they are excited for.  We got to catch one of the parades which the twins loved, they got to go on quite a few rides, note so self Rem is NOT a fan of Pirates of the Caribbean.  Apparently the drop at the beginning is scary for some two year old, whoops, forgot about that.  I can't wait until the next trip when they are a little older.

Thoughts from a heartbroken mamma

Lately, when Rem gets up from her nap she wants me to sit on the couch and hold her.  At first, I saw it as an inconvenience, I have things I needed to be doing, sitting on the couch was not one of them.  Then one day my sis in law and I were talking about how house cleaning can always wait, that we need to make sure we snuggle our babies when we can.  This phase passes so fast, and we surely need to soak it up.  I don't know why I wasn't taking my own advice, but that day, when Rem woke up from her nap, I stopped what I was doing sat on the couch and cuddled her.  She immediately took my hand and held it as she snuggled up to me.  My heart melted.  I now cherish the moments she wakes up from her nap, in fact, I look forward to it.

Today as I held Rem on the couch, I squeezed her a little tighter, as tears filled my eyes.  I am sure, by now, most of you have heard about the most recent mass shooting in California.  Unfortunately, it is just one of too many that have happened this year.  As I held Rem I watched a video of a dad, heartbroken and crying as he talked about his son, who was senselessly shot.  And my heart just broke.  That could be any of us, at any time.

In today's world there are literally no more safe places.  Every place we would once consider a safe environment has now been tainted by a person who has senselessly killed so many.  I can't to the movies, church, send my kids to school, go to a restaurant, a concert the list goes on and on.  And it just keeps getting scarier.  I hate to say it, but yesterday as I dropped my big kids off at school, the though crossed my mind, what if they don't come home.  I can't even bear the thought.  I can't even comprehend sending my kids off to school or church, letting them attend and event, to have them never come home.

I hate that these are things we have to think about now a days.  I hate that my kids have to live in a world of fear.  I hate that they have lock down drills at school.  The other day Kenz came home from school and told me about her most recent lock down drill.  And I couldn't help but be sad.  She explained where they all would hide so that a bad guy wouldn't hurt them.  Don't get me wrong, I am thankful that schools have these in place, to help protect our kids, but I hate that this is even an issue in the first please.

I realize I am probably rambling now, but we have to do better.  We have to make this world a better place for our kids.  How many more innocent lives have to be lost? It is just not ok.

But I will not cower either.  As scary as it may be, we will continue to live our lives.  Because we have to.  We cannot let them win.  I will hug my kids a little tighter, pay more attention when my kids are trying to tell me things.  Memorize their smile and their laugh.  Pay extra attention to their tears.  Let them know there is still so much good in this world.  Teach them to be a little kinder, more inclusive. We have to do better.

Back to School Tips

My kids recently went back to school and although they were ready to go back, I was dreading everything that came with it.  The chaotic mornings, busy nights and everything in between.  I was determined this year to be more organized and hopefully make our lives a little easier.  I looked through pinterest, instagram and google and tried a few different things.  I think we are finally getting into a groove and wanted to share what has worked for us.

1. Prepare everything you can the night before.  Every night I get clothes picked out, make sure we know where everyone's shoes are (I can't be the only one who's kids loose their shoes constantly right?)  We fill up water bottles, make our lunches and put our snack in our backpack. Everything has a place, the backpacks hang on their designated hooks, clothes on a designated dresser and so forth.  This has made our lives tremendously easier.  The kids know where everything is, and can get their stuff together on their own.

2. Make a list.  I made lists, and will eventually laminate them 😀 of things to help keep the kids on track.  They have a morning checklist and an after school check list.  For my son who can't quite read yet I put pictures that correlate with each item so he knows what each item is.  So instead of telling them 20 times in the morning what they should be doing, they are now keeping track themselves and I have more time to focus on getting the twins and I ready.

3. Set up a homework table (or area).  This has helped my kids immensely.  I went to target and bought extra school supplies, anything I thought they might need to complete their homework and set it up on a table.  Now they both sit at the table, with all the supplies and they find it easier to get their homework done.  It gives them a place to sit and concentrate (as much as little kids can) and they can help each other as well.

Just these simple things have greatly improved our everyday routines and have helped to keep us organized.  I don't know what I didn't do it sooner.  What do you guys do to help lighten your load? Any more organization tips for me??

Happy Birthday Bubba!

Today my baby bubba turns 5 and I kind of can't believe it! I remember the doctor telling me I was going to have a boy and literally being scared.  I don't know how to raise a boy, or what to do with a boy. I don't enjoy sports, legos or cars.  What were we doing to have in common?  When Tate was born he definitely gave me a run for my money and still does to this day. He may be crazy busy, always moving, and keeping me on my toes, but he is also the sweetest boy you'll meet. He is constantly wanting to help with the twins and loves them so much!  He just recently started kindergarten and its almost like he doesn't need me at all.  He doesn't want me to walk in and drop him off and today I went to visit him for lunch and he refused to take a picture with me.  That is my strong, independent son.  I can't wait to see what he does with his life, I know he will go far!

We love you Tate!