Growing up

Today Austin tied his shoes! All by himself! It is so exciting. He is really growing up!

The demolition continues....

Jason has been spending every spare second in the closet lately, and hopefully he will not be coming out anytime soon. He has the washer and dryer are upstairs!!! YEAH!!! I have done laundry that I didn't have to cart up or down stairs! It is wonderful. There is still a lot of work to be done yet. Like put walls in...but hey, at least I am no longer carrying baskets up and down.

Slowly but surely

I have been trying to get back to the weight that I was when Jason and I got married...having three children did not help with that! I am very close now and decided the other day to see if I could get into my wedding dress. Well, here it is! I did it. It is pretty tight still, but it is zipped up.
When I had it on the kids were very excited and wanted to know why I was wearing a princess dress.

I never thought...

Today in the mail I received two subpoenas, yes I wrote subpoenas, and yes, TWO!!!

A couples weeks ago in the middle of the night Jason and I heard some kids outside. We got up, it was 2:20am, and looked out the window. There was a group of kids walking down the middle of the street, talking loudly, and carrying something. Jason said they must be delivering papers...then he said maybe they were collecting the papers (can you tell that he wasn't fully awake?). Anyway, we closed our windows and went to sleep.

The next morning at 6:30am the doorbell rang twice. Jason, who was just getting ready to leave for work, went down and answered the door. It was the police. They had caught one of the kids and were trying to find out everything that had happened during the night. Apparently they went around pulling out mailboxes (ours was thrown in the neighbors yard two doors down) and destroying random things.

Later that morning I was on the treadmill when Austin ran upstairs telling me that there was someone at the door. I jumped off the treadmill, dripping in sweat, and opened the door to another policeman. This time they were trying to get an estimate of how much damage was done by the delinquents. They took my name, my SSN, my DOB, and phone number.

When Jason came home he told me that the kids they caught was 20 years old. YES, 20!!! Most of us were married by that time, not walking through neighborhoods destroying things!

Anyway, so I am being subpoenaed to testify against two of the vandals...the sad part is we will still have to buy our own new mailbox!

Destruction to make life easier

A week or so ago Jason decided that he would like to move my laundry room upstairs. After many ideas were reviewed and discarded, we decided to tear out the wall that separates our master bedroom closet and our linen closet. This makes a nice big open room that Jason will run pipes, etc, into and then more the washer and dryer up. I am VERY excited about this. Right now he is cutting into the plumbing drain...I am a little nervous about this. He said he needed a towel that I wouldn't want back and also a cookie sheet....be nervous if I volunteer to bring you cookies anytime soon!
We will keep you updated and let you know how the demolition and remodeling is going!

Spun Glass Hair

We took Ryan to the Pediatric Dermatologist yesterday. After an hour on the road to get there, and an hour waiting, we finally got to see the doctor. Dr Cohen was a very nice man who flew into the room gave Ryan a high-5, pulled on his hair, looked at his teeth, and then flew out of the room again to get scissors and a camera. When he came back he brought two residents with him so they could check out Ryan's hair. He then took a bunch of pictures and clipped off a chunck of Ryan's hair off the top of his head, yes, the TOP OF HIS HEAD. Not that you can really tell, but still, what was he thinking. Dr Cohen said that he would be looking at the hairs under a microscope to determine if Ryan really has spun glass hair also know as uncombable hair syndrome. The doctor said that Ryan should outgrow it by the time he is 12 years old. If not, I guess he will always have a buzz cut!!

Elise and Layla

Layla has a little friend, Elise, in her nusery class.
Elise's birthday is nine days after Layla's birthday.
On Sundays Layla will refuse to go to nursery until
Elise gets there. Today, Jason was even in the
nursery as one of the teachers and Layla would not
go in, until Elise got there.



After church Elise and her family came to our house for dinner and a little birthday celebration. The girls played dress up with Layla's new dress-up clothes. They had presents and then cake.




Everything went pretty well until Elise (and her big brother Joseph) blew out Layla's three candles. Layla started crying. So Jason relit her candles. Then Elise was sad because Layla got to blow twice. All in all we had a fun third birthday celebration.

Grandma and Crapah

For Layla's Birthday Grandma and Grandpa (and Aunt Emily and Uncle David) picked Layla up and took her to the Rain Forest Cafe for lunch and then took her to Build a Bear. There she made a Doggy, Lovey. The Doggy is a mommy with a baby, also named Lovey.
Layla had a great time. When she got home she had a little party with her other grandparents as well. When asked if she had fun with grandma she said "yes, and I had fun with that girl too." pointing to her grandma...
Another amusing thing is that she can pronounce Grandma without any difficulty. But she pronounces Grandpa as Crap-ah. She will even correct herself if she starts to say in correctly...Silly girl!

Twins

For my birthday my mother-in-law paid my sister-in-law, Katie, to make Layla and me matching skirts. They are a pale blue with embroidered flowers with a white under layer. They are both wrap skirts, and they are both absolutely gorgeous. We got all kinds of compliments.
Thanks Patti-mom and Katie! WE LOVE THEM!

Our Yard Phase 2

These are the pictures after we put sod down on the bottom and have the first retaining wall finished. Jason is laying the final pieces of sod.

Our Yard, phase One

We have been doing a lot of work in the back yard...digging, and flattening, and building. Here are the phase one pictures! I am standing on the top deck taking these pictures.

A little ranting from Jessica

My friend has an amusing blog for those of you wasting time on the internet when you should be cleaning...http://www.jessicaloff.blogspot.com/
Also, I have been doing my diet/exercise program for 4 weeks now. Every four weeks I redo measurements and take pictures. Today was the day. I was a little disappointed that I didn't see huge results, but then I had to take some of my own advice (and my moms, and my sisters, and my friends) that it is coming off, slowly, but surely, and just be happy that it is coming off and not on. I have 15.4pounds until I get to my goal! If I ever get there I will post a picture of the scale...make that, when I get there!
And one more, quick thing...do men ever outgrow laughing when they pass gas? Some of you may be more fortunate than I am, and your husbands aren't highly amused by this...I am jealous!

Fat Chance Farm

Austin's preschool took a field trip to the Fat Chance Farm. The kids got to take a pony ride. They were able to feed a goat, a sheep, chickens, a rabbit, and horses. Layla and Austin both loved it!

Where do they learn these things?

One Sunday afternoon we were sitting at the table eating ice cream. I look over and there is Layla with her face covered by her bowl, trying to get every last drop of ice cream out. I know that I do this, so she must have seen me do it!

Smores

Jason, Austin, and Ryan went to the father and son campout last week. They roasted hotdogs and marshmellows. When Austin got home he wanted to roast marshmellows again. So we turned on our gas grill and mom bought chocolate and graham crackers.

Austin's First Talk

Austin gave his first talk in Primary week before last. He was GREAT!! He did so well. I was totally impressed. He looked really cute with his hair combed and a four piece Sunday outfit! My baby is growing up!


Austin’s talk 4/22/07

My faith in Jesus Christ grows when I know He is my Savior and Redeemer.

Faith is believing in something that you cannot see.

My parents and my teachers teach me things about Jesus.

I have faith in Heavenly Father and in Jesus Christ.

I know that Jesus is my older brother.

I know that Jesus lived on this earth.

I know that Jesus paid for when I do naughty things if I repent.

I know that Jesus died.

I know that Jesus lived again.

I know that Jesus is my Savior.

I know that Jesus is my Redeemer.

I know that I will one day live with Heavenly Father and Jesus if I do what is right.

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Easter

We drove home Easter morning. Jason had been driving all night. The Easter Bunny left some coloring books, sketch pads, and crayons for the kids in the car. We slept most of the afternoon. That evening we colored eggs.

Pretty Princess

Layla picked this flower while we were taking a walk one evening. I couldn't resist trying to get the perfect pretty princess shot....eight pictures later, I realized that I was not going to get the "perfect shot" but she is still a pretty princess.

Marmie and Pop-pop

Jason's paternal granparents live in Zephyrhills, a small town near Tampa. Wednesday we drove there to visit them. Jason's dad, brother, and sister went with us. When we got there we went into their house and visited a little then the men went to Lowes to buy supplies to help Pop-pop fix the front flower bed. The kids and I sat outside and played. Austin broke out in a weird rash and wouldn't stop rubbing his eyes. We aren't sure if it was from the cats or the smoke at their house.

The kids and I went to the neighborhood
pool and played there until the men were
done with the flower bed. Then we headed home.

Opa

Jason's maternal grandfather, Opa, lives part of the year in West Palm Beach. Tuesday we drove the 166miles to vist him. We had a nice, but short visit with Opa and Georgie, his friend.