Summer

This summer has gone by so fast, yet slow at the same time. We have had a lot of fun just being able to go and do. We love to stay busy!!! My summer job ended and we still had plenty of time to get out and have fun.

We loved getting out and going up into the mountains to go hiking. Which with little kids is not really hiking but slowly walking a whole 25yards. Camilla is at the age that she wants to be like big brother and walk every where. She is so independent that she wants to do everything by herself. She is so cute about it too. She is my little explorer when we hike she has to touch and feel everything that she sees. She will pick up leafs, twigs, dirt, rocks and really anything else she can fit in her hand, as we are trying to "hike". Brody also likes to hike and will ask us if we can go hiking. He starts out great for the first little bit until he gets distracted. This is really a constant occurrence for him. If you have ever seen the movie "UP" you will understand my wonderful Brody. He is that nice dog that is doing something and then yells squirrel and he is off chasing that squirrel. He always keeps us on our toes. He likes to look and see what there is around him while we walk, so he will stop and look at the different leafs, bugs, rocks, and animals but never really stops to explore. There is just to much he wants to see. He also jumps at any noise that he does not recognize and screams at anything that comes near him. Needless to say our hiking is fun! But I would not have it any other way. They love the outdoors just as much as Mike and I do. So it just makes me happy being with them "hiking"!!!

We also have found that we like being "Rock Groupys". My moms cousin Calvin is a major rock hound and he this summer has participated in a few gem, rock and jewelry shows out this way and we love to go see all the different booths. Brody loves collecting any of the free rocks that most of the booths have for the little ones that come around. And he loves anything that has to deal with dinosaurs at one of the rock shows there was a booth that was letting the children dig for dinosaur bones. He was in 7th heaven and did not want to leave. He talked about those for a long time after that. Being able to go and be groupys was just fun and we learned a lot about ROCKS!

We chased balloons with the Davis clan and we ran across fields that the weeds were almost up to my hips just so the kids could get close to the balloon. And that they did! They had fun helping to bring down a pig balloon. They were able to play under it as adults played with the balloon like those parachutes you played with in elementary school. They helped get the air out by rolling on it. This just made Brody happy until he realized that he was not going to get to go up in it. He still had fun! We also got to see the balloon glow with our friends Tara and Chris Rhoades. It was too windy that not too many balloons were able to get up. That was a bummer but it was fun going.

We were able to go out to Laramie WY to visit with one of my dear friends Trish and her family before they moved to New Hampshire. They were making the long trip to New Hampshire so we decided to meet them at one of their stops that they had along the way. It was great to see them especially knowing it will be a while before we get to see them again. We loved being able to see their new baby Caiden and hang out with them. It was not the best place to stop and met up with them, there was nothing to do and the hotel was pretty crappy. But really it was just about seeing friends! Love and miss you guys!!!

We visited the Temple with the kids and they loved walking around the Temple grounds and taking pictures for mommy.

Really I am not sure what else we did. We stayed busy being a family. I was not the best with taking pictures all the time but I will put the ones that I have on.

Well that is our happenings this summer. Now on to post about our Autumn time!!!

Brody turns 3!!!

Well it has been a crazy summer and I am just now getting around to posting about Brody getting so big and turning 3 he turned 3 in May! I know I suck!!!! I love that he can show me how old he is now and that he can count to 3 on his fingers. He is just growing so fast, it seems that he just keeps getting taller and taller. He is now in size 4-5 pants and sometimes even they seem short. He wants to be such a big boy, if I even say that he is my little boy he will firmly correct me and tell me "I'm not a baby, I a big boy". He wants to do as his older cousins and friends do, like play on the wii or play on the game boys all by himself. He knows how to play some of the phone games better than us adults do. We have to make a rule that he ask before he uses any of the cell phones to play with, because he will start playing and run the batteries dry! He now hums the music from the games. He is my little or "big boy" (as he would tell me) singer, I could come home from summer camp and teach him fun camp songs and he will be singing them to himself as he plays, he loves to sing Old MacDonald and Defiying Gravity! I know we must listen to that song way to much, but it is great to see him belt it out!

He is getting so big and is being so protective of Camilla, when other people are involved, but he can pick on her all he wants. He loves to play and tickle Camilla and make her laugh. He is such a good big brother.

Brody is starting to be a mommy's little helper! He loves to clean up the dishes when I am doing them. He loves to sweep and mop. He is always willing to pick up after him and Camilla. Most of the time it is cheerfully too! Which I love!!!!

He is having a little bit of a speech problem so we have been able to put him into a pre-school that he will be in speech therapy through our school district and he is getting so excited about it. We met his teacher today and he already feels comfortable around her. I really think he is bored and I am just mom and he does not want to do anything that I ask him to do, even if it is going to be fun. He is my little social butterfly and I think he will just thrive with new friends and a new setting. I really cannot wait to understand him better. So we don't have to play the guessing game of what he wants or needs. It is very odd to know that he will be starting school in a couple of days and I am finally realizing that he is really getting to be a big boy! Even if I don't want him to! I am excited to see him grow more!

Brody loving sticking his tongue out for the camera, and standing in front of the door! He was pretty excited to be going to pre-school. He really couldn't wait. We took him to school his first day, but he normally gets to ride the bus!

I think his face tells it all on how excited he is to be riding the bus to school.

Well here are some other pictures of his birthday cake and him getting so Big!!!

Brody at the Aquarium! He loved all the fish but especially "Nemo and Dori"

Playing with the canon at Old Bents Fort

Brody's cake and him loving the cake! He has so much fun swimming we thought it would be fun to make him a swimming pool cake! He even named the kids on the cake! So is so funny.

I love to mow the lawn. He wants to be just like daddy. And I can't wait until he can really mow the lawn.

He loves panning for gold and finding special rocks. Guess he is just like grandpa and is going to be a rock hound!!!!

We all love being together outside looking for animals. He decided because he did not have binaculars that he will make them himself, that is what he is doing with his hands on his eyes. He is so creative!

Catch up time!!!

Well we have lots that have been going on!!! So I have not been the best at keeping up the blog, if you have not noticed!

Mike is working on finding a new job, he just found out that the doctors he works for are getting out of the medical group they are in and cutting down how many patients they will see and in turn cutting down staff. They will also not be giving health insurance, so we have decided it be best that he find a better more stable job, one that will hopefully be less stress! He has had a few interviews so we hope one will work out. He is also really wanting to be done with school, he only has 4 more classes and has is often called senioritis. But he is finishing strong and will be finished in Dec. We are so excited!!!!

I am enjoying my life being a mom and finding little things to do! My new hobby this time is crocheting. I have found it very fun and sometimes relaxing. If anybody knows anything about my mother she is absolutely elated! She has always wanted one of her girls to pick up knitting or crocheting. I am glad I can help her dream come true!!! I also have a summer job, I feel like a college student that is so excited about getting a summer job for extra money! It was funny how I ended up getting the job, I was having problems understanding how I can get my CEU's to keep up my certificate so I can continue being a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist, so if I ever need or want to work I can. So I went to the city of Colo. Spgs. Therapeutic Rec department asking for help on this and we talked and then asked if I wanted to be interviewed for a job. I said sure. So I got a job as director for a summer camp for children with developmental disabilities. I have worked for a week and just love it! I have a new BFF, and she happened to tell me that I was "as cool as ICCCCCCCE"! Love it! So I think I will be using that saying often!

What can I say I just love being a mom and wife doing fun things with my family who also make me laugh and keep me on my toes. They make me happy when I walk in the door and they come running to me so happy to see me.

Brody is still growing like a weed and he just keeps getting taller and taller! He has finally hit his terrible twos, but the problem with that is he is three, so I call it the terrible threes! He has mood swings that really keep me on my toes. Most of the time they keep me rolling laughing about some of the smallest things he gets upset with. We are noticing that a lot of his atittude is that we are not understanding what he is saying. The doctor noticed that at his 3 year check up so she wanted us to get his hearing check, which is fine, and also get into speech therapy. We have started paperwork to get him into preschool through our school district. And we also have an amazing sister in our ward that is a speech therapist who has givin us some stuff to work on with him! I think his mind is just moving way to fast for his mouth and his words do not come out like he wants them too! But it is coming.

He loves to play and be outside! If he could live at a park I think he might. I love to watch him interact with his sister, and help her even if it is not needed. This does not always make her happy but it's the thought that counts, right? Can't help but love my cute boy.

Camilla is such a funny little girl! She is not nearly as friendly as Brody, it takes her awhile to get close to someone. But she will at her own time get to know you. She is my screamer, she loves to let people know that she is upset, happy, mad or laughing. She loves to scream especially if Brody is or is not doing something to bother her. She is a tiny little girl, she is only in the tenth percentile for her weight. She really does not like to eat anything healthy. But we are working on that. I don't think I could say one thing that I know she will eat, it changes from day to day. She is healthy that is all that I care about.

She is all girl she loves her dolls and stuffed animals. She is always hugging them and pushing them in her dolly stroller. She does not like to have things stuck to her hands or being dirty. So she is always coming to me with her hands held out wanting me to wipe them off. The only thing that is not so girly is she is a climber!!!! She loves to climb anything, she is getting so brave and is not afraid to climb! This scares me so much, not sure I like this, but guess I have to make due. I just love her.

ONE

Camilla is one!

Camilla is such an inquisitive thing! She wants to be apart of everything and gets into absolutely everything. And she is already testing the waters of how much she can get away with. You will tell her no and she will look at you with her big blue eyes and do it again. She will then look at you and smile with her big blue eyes and written all over her face is how can you be mad at me I'm so cute!

She was walking before she was one, enjoying being free. She loves to sing, she will sing in the morning when she wakes up, unless she is rudely woken up by her brother, then we get screams! She wants to be so grown-up, she only wants to eat grown-up food, and gets up set if we are eating something different than she is. She loves to hug and kiss on her brother, and tries so hard to have him love her back. Brody can make her laugh sometimes just by smiling at her. They are so cute together. It is also very funny to watch her try and take Brody down when she gets bothered by him, and sometimes she can!!!

We just love our Miss Camilla, Millie Moo Who, Peanut!

We had a little Birthday Party with the family, and in tradition I made her cake! It was my first time using fondant, and I have never had any classes. But mom has and she was there helping and teaching me along the way. I thought it turned out ok. Still learning, so there are plenty of mistakes. She loved taking all of the decorations off the cake. It was pretty funny, She made a huge mess!

The cake with candle was the cake just for Camilla, thought it would be easier without the fondant. She didn't want it! She wanted the other one.

We ended up having to strip her down so she could open her presents.

We are just so grateful she is in our family!

Cabin Fever

It has been crazy here this winter season. Not to snowy but at times down right freezing! So there are on off days of to be able to do things out and about, so really we hadn't been doing much so we all had Cabin Fever bad. So one nice warm Saturday we met mom and dad up in Manitou Springs and meandered through the shops and had lunch up there at the Stage Coach in. We got some fun pictures of the family, not easy to get us all together, mainly 'cause I am always behind the camera. This is usually on purpose, I'm not fond of being in pictures. But here are some cute ones.

We have been really grateful for the nice days that we have had.

Serena came to visit...

We were so excited when Serena took the time out of her oh so busy life to grace us with her presence!!!! When I went to pick her up from the airport Brody kept saying "Rena", "where Rena?". I would say she was flying in on an airplane, he then said "airplane, I go?" I guess he really just wanted to go on a plane. But he was so excited when he saw Serena.

We just had fun together and we just loved having her here! We were able to go to the Air Force Academy with her to see the Cadet Chapel it is gorgeous.

2 views of the outside

2 pics of the inside, they really don't do the beauty any justice.

a plane Brody wants to go in.

We also went to Old Colorado City and went through all the fun shops there. Really it was much to short of a visit, but we will take what we can.

WE LOVE and MISS YOU SERENA!!!!!!

Come back soon!!!

Christmas

Christmas is in the Air!

This year we did not set up Christmas until a week and a half before Christmas eve. We still had fun and enjoyed not having to keep Camilla out of the tree and ornaments. She loved to put them in her mouth.
Brody helping to put up the tree
Camilla not wanting to touch the tree.
Camilla touching and eating any ornament she can get her hands on
Brody being such a big help putting up ornaments.
It was fun to remember the days when my siblings and I were younger putting up the tree at Christmas time. Singing and playing as we listened to the old readers digest records full of Christmas music. I do enjoy this time of year!!!

The finished tree, and two adorable children!

Our Holiday!

This year was pretty calm and relaxing. We had Christmas Eve at Janette's and Eric's with simple easy snack items. It was fun and enjoyable, we just talked and played games.

Because we stayed up late at Janette and Eric's we were able to sleep in, because the kids were so tired that was very lovely. We just got up leisurely and opened presents. Brody was so much fun this year really animated in opening his gifts and helping Camilla with hers. He just loved everything and ooh'd and aah'd everything that he saw. Camilla was just fine opening one gift playing with that one gift until she was done with it. I finally had to start taking her toys away so she would finish opening her other gifts. Although it was nice to sit and enjoy the kids I wanted to be done with opening the presents.
Brody running to the tree and his presents

Camilla enjoying her stroller, now she had the freedom to walk without any ones help.

Brody was so excited to get his Woody, he just wanted to sit and say what he says in Toy Story 3

Camilla just was laughing and squealing at this toy that sings and spins.

I was just great to spend time together and enjoy our little ones, because the grow so fast.

I am truly grateful for the joy the season of Christmas brings to me. I know we are truly blessed!!!

I am not sure if I covered everything we did. I guess this is what happens when it takes forever to blog about something.