Photogenic

Before Mac, we were PC lovers.  Now, we will never go back!  Everything Mac is awesome... especially some of the fun apps you can get on your phone.  Good times!

Me... I know I look HOT!

Baby Marissa.  HAHAAA!!! This baby is the cutest chunk ever! 

BAHAHAAAAA!!!!! Esteban looks like a cartoon... I LOVE IT !

Leah on her b-day.  We laughed a lot as we took pics of each other! 

GOOD TIMES!!!

Birthday Celebration

We told the kids we will have parties on even birthdays, however, on the even b-days they can choose if they want a party or a bigger present (Mylo choose a bigger present this year).  That being said, we celebrated Leah's 9th b-day by decorating her room with a string of balloons, she loved it! 

 She also got a 'feather' on her hair.  She has been wanting one for a long time and it was a perfect reason to do it.  You can see it on the picture below.  :)  She wanted Training Table for dinner and she also wanted to place the order.  Good times! 

Next time we will just go with her, by ourselves, the other kiddos where driving us nuts! :)

For her b-day cake she wanted a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting and some fun candles.  She said she made a wish, but the little stinker never told me what her wish was ;)

Oh look, there's Otis!!!!  

Mylo was also at the festivities, but not pictured.  The next day we went shopping with her b-day money.  She got lots of stuff and she felt spoiled.  It was a great day for her. We are so very pleased with her and her desire to please us.  I hope that this year brings Leah all that she wished for and them some! 

Happy Day to Leah! 9!!!!

I cannot believe how fast time is flying by! I say that almost for every birthday, but it really is crazy how fast time is flying by.  It seems like Leah was just baptized like a month ago.

This girl is a huge blessing in our home and family.  Its hard to express my feelings for this lovely child. She is full of life, spunk, love and a little bit of drama and sass sprinkled on top :)

Leah was a beautiful baby girl and, as the bias mother that I am, i think she is a gorgeous big girl.  Her eyes have always had a sparkle that just makes me smile (and scares me, for what those eyes might bring me in another seven years). 

Today is her birthday and all we want to do is make her feel special and loved.  Because, she is very special and very loved :)  Leah has been super fun lately.  I can see her grow by the minute.  Not only in height, but her maturity and personality.  She wants to know everything Dave and I are talking about and has an opinion AND an explanation for her point of view.  LOVE HER!

 She is happy and always willing to try something new that I have made (daring child ;)) She and I ate lots of caramel apples together and we loved it.  She is such a big helper and I can count on her to watch Otis while I make dinner, help Milli change in the mornings, makes beds (like a pro) and I can even count on her for an impromptu dance party in the kitchen.

As a side note on this year:  Leah has become some-what allergic to mosquito/spider bites.  The above picture was taken on day two of a really bad bug bite.  It was a tiny half inch bite, but in the morning it was hot and bigger.  During the day it got bigger and bigger and she was having a hard time moving her elbow comfortably.  She had to get an antibiotic shot to help her with the infection.  Poor girl! You could see her big bite through her sweater, as the sleeve was too tight on that area.  It took three days to get this thing to a "normal" size again.  I hope she doesn't get stung by a bee/wasp, makes me nervous for her, but don't tell her that :)

Today we celebrate her life and her wonderful part of our family.  Dave and I feel blessed to have her as one of our very own.  I am so looking forward to her continuing to grow.  All she wants to do is please us and be a big responsible girl.  She is well on her way there.

We love you, Leah!!!!!!  You are the best big sister we could have ever ask for for your siblings.  Thank you for being our perfect girl :) LOVE YOU!!!!

side note: these pics were taken with my iphone4.  I have been slacking on the picture taking lately :)

Patience

Patience is not something I was "given" when they were giving out all those great qualities.

I have always struggled with being patient.  I am not good at being patient for anything!  When I want to do something, I want it done now, not in five minutes or in the next few days.  When I want a haircut, I want to get it done no later than tomorrow.  I just don't like to wait.  When we were ready for another baby, I didn't want it to take longer than a month.  When I finally was pregnant, I could hardly wait to have that baby in my arms.  When that baby was finally in my arms, I couldn't wait for the next thing.  When I want to loose weight, I want to loose it overnight.  When we started the building process I wanted it started, RIGHT AWAY.  We have yet to dig a whole!  When I want the kids to do something, like brush their teeth, make their beds, get changed for school, I want to ask them one time, not twenty.  I know things take time.  We all have to learn to listen, and be patient.

Today, I have thought about my INpatience.  I truly dislike this about me.  Its a daily struggle to be patient with Dave or the kids or the random lady, who SUCKS AT DRIVING!  But, what was hardest for me today, was not being patient with the ones I love most.

Why do I hurt those I love most?  Why do I take out my bad attitude out on them?  Why must I have such little patience with them?

I ask myself these questions on a nightly basis.  I know they are trying to please me.  I know they know what they need to do, and they will do it.  But, they will do it on their time, not mine.  Then, I get upset and its unnecessary.

I feel bad about my actions. I feel bad about how I treated them for something as silly and trivial as pulling off their blankets from the bed to make a "fort."  Who cares, Lau?  At least they're playing, together.

I once heard someone say something like, God let us borrow these angles (children) until he is ready to have them back.  If I borrow a pan, a stroller, a paint brush or anything else, I take care of it as if it were made of a delicate material.  However, I don't always do that with the angels that have been entrusted to me.  Those that God has let me borrow.

I want my kids (and husband) to know that I love them.  Not because I tell them daily or show them with hugs and kisses.  I want them to know I love them because I show them with my actions and my soft, kind words.  I want to show them my love with words of encouragement and a smile of complete amazement of their achievements.

Patience = Love

I certainly don't feel like I deserve the angels that have been given to me.  I don't deserve the life that I have been given.  I must not take them for granted.  I, most certainly, need to work on my patience towards them, first, before others.  I love them!  I know that they love me.  How I am so blessed, I will never understand it.  But I know that I need them in order to be a better me.

Leah, Mylo, Milli and Otis, if you get anything from this, know that I love you, even when I am not always patient with you!

OOOO's and XXXX's

12 years!!!!

I never really gave much thought to the idea of being married 12 years.  I knew we would be together forever, but every year when our anniversary comes I look back and reflect on what a great time it has been!!!

We had a low-key anniversary today, and it was perfect!  We had take out, after the kids had eaten, of Indian food.  Then we watched home videos of the kids with the kids, and we laughed with each other over some of the fun memories those videos brought back :).

During dinner we talked about our 12 most favorite memories in the last twelve years.  Here is our list (in no particular order):

1. Our last dinner of just the two of us.  We ate at Training Table while I labored some.  Boy that day sure changed our lives!  At that time, I don't think we realized how blessed we would be a few hours later.  It was an exciting day, to say the least. 

2. Seeing our precious chubby baby, Leah, all hooked up to all sorts of monitors.  It wasn't what we had expected for our first day with our new baby, but the love we felt for that child was simply indescribable!  I can still remember Dave's face as he saw her for the first time.  I could see love and a sense of desperation not really knowing what to do for her.  All we did was pray!

3. Hawaii.  The best trip we had together, thus far.  We had so much fun together and loved it! We still look back on that trip and say, "remember when...." Good times!

4. Putting together our fence, in the old house.  Dave had just lost his job and Mylo was a tiny baby.  The fence had to get done and working together was super fun, even though we were saddened about our, then current, situation and finances were difficult.  

5. Milli's birth.  We had decided to do hypno birthing.  We had to work together to get that baby here.  We had had a couple of miscarriages before she came and the arrival of our white baby was simply awesome. But, having had to rely on Dave to feel relaxed and focused, and he being super encouraging was even awesome-r :) 

6. This year, 2011,  for sure goes on this list.  We have had some great "ups." From selling our house, to getting ready to build a new one.  But that wasn't the important part of this year.  We are both on the same page with everything.  We have grown closer in lots of ways. 

7. Living in the mortuary.  We lived there for three years.  Had our first child there.  We made lots and lots of memories there and great stories for our kids and grand kids someday. 

8. Hiking with he kids.  This was when Milli was just a brand new baby.  Nothing was fantastic about it. It was super fun to be out on the mountain with the kids, taking pictures and enjoying each others company.  Its the little things that matter most!

9.  A relaxing lunch.  A few years back we were celebrating a birthday or anniversary (as that happens once a year anyway ;)) Lunch was super mellow and we weren't in a hurry.  We went to Cheesecake Factory and just hung out.  Just taking it easy was something that doesn't happen all the time anymore.  But life is still fun.

10. When my parents divorced.  This was a very trying time in our lives.  It was difficult, to say the least.  I was pregnant with Milli, the which had not been an easy task.  I had suffered two miscarriages that made this pregnancy more "delicate" and more emotional.  Going through the divorce was not a favorite memory.  But, what came out of that sad time in our lives, was great.  Dave and I learned a lot from that experience.  We learned to be honest with each other, more than we already were.  We learned to not let the negativity of life creep into our own little family.  Dave was super supportive and understanding through all of it.

11 & 12.  Either on of us can remember the last two!  We have racked our brains and just cant!!!  So frustrating.   Lets just say 11 & 12 are Dave and Laura or Laura and Dave.  Cheesy, but true! 

Its been a wonderful 12 years.  I feel truly blessed to have him next to me for forever! 

L+D

FOR EVER!!!