Mom's Birthday Bash

I love, love, love having people over at our house. Don't know why but it makes me feel happy. LOL I know weird but whatever. So my wonderful mom just celebrated her birthday. How old is she you ask? Let's just say 21! HAHA inside joke but I will explain in a minute.

So, to make mom's birthday special this year, we decorated our house and threw her a mini party. There was only a whopping 7 people but hey doesn't matter how many show up just as long as someone does. It was great though. We put up a Happy Birthday banner and decorated with balloons and a fancy tablecloth. I also made her a super pretty cake (Harley and Shelby this one turned out perfect!) and her favorite meal which is french dip. My personal favorite was the french dip that I got from my grandma. It was to die for and I swear I could have kept eating if it wasn't for the deserts.

As tradition everyone sang Happy Birthday to the birthday girl and she blew out her candles. Now here is the funny part. I forgot to buy candles which is typical but I wanted her to blow something out. I rummaged through the drawers and I found a number 2 and 1 candle. So this year mom only turned 21! It was hilarious but it would have been mean to put the actual number up, not that you are old or anything mom. ☺

Afterward we sat around and just chit chatted. Nana and Alyvia were throwing socks at each other and so Brock got involved. He decided to put them on his hands in which I convinced him to have Nay-nay kiss them! LOL It was funny but gross and I swear each and everyone of us were cracking up so hard.

Mom, I hope you had a fabulous Birthday and I love you so much!

Ft. Huachuca Vacation part 3

So this is the last post about our mini vacation to Arizona. The third day we were visiting my brother we took all the kids to walmart to buy some toys from Grandma and Papa in Colorado. It was fun but the big kids (Arek and James) were having a little to much fun. They were picking out and playing with more toys then the little ones. It was great though because the kids got some neat toys and were all able to call them and say thank you. What was even cuter was how Grandma told me on the phone she could tell what each of the kids were saying. Props to grandma because half the time I have no clue what the two youngest say. LOL

Afterward we were off to the indoor swimming pool and park. The pool wasn't opening for about 30 minutes, so to kill time we all played at the park. And literally we all played. I got some great photos of everyone enjoying the spinning thing that made you beyond dizzy.

The pool was a blast except this time Aly did not want anything to do with the slides till the very end when it was time to go. Figures it would work out that way. James enjoyed himself as this was his first time there. He loved the wave pool and slides with Brock.

The next day was our departing day but we did manage to have a great time until it was time to go. There was this cute little park down the street from my brothers house that we all walked to. Well, everyone was on some type of scooter, bike, skate board, or jeep. I ended up having to sit with Aly in the jeep because she's terrible at steering. (Not that my track record is any better.) On the way back Kenzie drove Aly while Shelby rode her tiny little bike, but about half way Kenz ditched Aly for her bike again and Shelby and I had to help maneuver Lyv all the way back. That was a work out.

So we had a great time and can't wait to go back sometime in the summer if our schedules allow it. Thank you Brock Family for putting up with us and having us over!

Ft. Huachuca Vacation Part 2

I decided to make this vacation posts into 3 separate parts, that way no one gets bored reading and just exits. So, the same day we took all the kids to ride the horses my brother also drove us to Tucson, AZ so we could go to the zoo.

Now James and I have never taken the kids to any zoo before so this was also going to be a great trip that we couldn't wait to do. After finally getting the tickets and my brother and James parking in Timbuktu we made our way into the zoo and bee lined it to the giraffes. The weekend prior to our family visiting, my brother and his family actually went to the zoo then also. It was great because Shelby knew the best areas to go and one of the things was the giraffe. At a certain time of day for $2.00/person you can actually feed the giraffes so that was why we headed there first. Well, unfortunately there ended up being a small accident with my niece and a big ole tree and she needed medical attention. My niece Kenzie had tripped and fallen and my brother was trying to cheer her up, in the process of cheering her up he lifted her high to put her on his shoulders and out of no where this tree smashed her poor head. In the end Arek took her to the emergency room just to get it checked out while we all stayed behind. They did make it back just as we left the park and Kenzie ended up needing 1 staple in the noggin. She was brave and a real trooper!

So, while they where meeting the doctors and nurses in town Shelby and Titan were our tour guides through out the zoo. It was so neat to watch the kids see all the different animals. What amazed James and I was how Alyvia knew most of the animals. We knew Brock was familiar with all of the them but I had no clue Aly knew some of the ones she did. It was great and the kids had a blast. My personal favorite was of course the monkeys but that's an obvious one. Brock said his favorite was the alligator but it was still a baby and did absolutely nothing but he liked it, and Alyvia was in love with the giraffes, I think she could have stared at them all day long if we let her. Not sure about James but if I had to make a guess I would say the tiger. That tiger was really antsy and just couldn't stay still, he walked right next to the glass over and over.

That trip was amazing and now we can't wait till the kids are just a little bit older to do the San Diego Zoo. I just love watching the reactions through the kids eyes. They see things in such a different light and gets so excited over the littlest things.

Ft. Huachuca Vacation Part 1

Last weekend James and I took the kids on a mini vacation to see my brother and his family. Arek recently moved to a new base about an hour South of Tucson, Arizona called Ft. Huachuca. It's great having them so close by as before we never saw them because they lived across the nation, where now it's only an 8 hour drive. We ended up leaving about 4 am so everyone could sleep majority of the drive and the kids did great.

Our trip ended up being about 4 days long. The 1st day we just hung out and enjoyed each others company. Shelby taught Brock and James how to play Band Hero on their play station and it was hilarious watching everyone play. Brock loved the drums and James loved the guitar.

The second day we were there was the day Alyvia and Brock rode on their first horse. Alyvia has always loved horses and whenever we have errands to do we always pass this house by our area that has horses and she goes crazy. When we got to the horse stables the kids were elated to see a donkey just hanging out where we were supposed to wait. Brock and Alyvia wanted to just run up to it but I had to explain a few times how we had to use our inside voices or they could scare him away. Those two were in awe over that animal. Finally the horse came out ready and Kenzie rode first so the kids could see how it was done. My niece is the cutest thing ever and just like Aly she absolutely loves horses. When it was Alyvia's turn Arek helped her into the saddle and her smile was absolutely priceless. I think Aly was born to ride a horse. I walked the horse around a little ways all the while Alyvia is just hanging onto the horn and enjoying the ride. She was not to happy at having to get off so her brother could ride. Brock rode the horse for a few minutes also but he really wasn't all that into like Aly. Both the girls rode for a second time while the boys fed the donkey some hay.

It was such a great experience watching Brock and Alyvia ride a horse for the 1st time. I know this is something Aly will want to do again but Brock, who knows. LOL

Lets go METS!

So this maybe a little over due, but as my favorite saying goes, "Better late then never!" Brock's t-ball season finally started last week. His schedule is a little weird for me with having not only weekend games but also one game during the week. I guess this league does things a tad different but we are adjusting. The team name is obviously the Mets, and I love the orange shirts the kids wear, I can spot his team a mile away with how bright they are.

Any way his 1st game ended up being on a Tuesday but luckily James was able to go into work a few hours late so he could watch since he now works the swing shift. We were also so excited to see our fans come out aka Uncle Scott, Aunt Sarah, Kaylee, Nay-nay, Papa, Great Nana (Shar) and Nana (Laurie). Brock's face just lit up when he saw everyone cheering him on.

There were only 2 innings played and the 1st inning Brock played some where in the outfield and didn't get any ball time, but the 2nd inning he was catcher and was able to really get into the game. It's so funny to watch because a lot of these kids have a very short attention span so usually if the ball wasn't coming to them the other players were all fooling around. Now mind you Brock is the youngest player so once the other team would hit, he would usually start looking up towards the sky, and kicking up dirt, or something and wouldn't even realize the ball was being thrown towards home plate until the very last minute, but the few times he did actively pay attention he made some awesome plays! Now the batting is the best part of the game. For anyone who has watched Brock play before, you know how great he is. He really has a powerful swing for being so small. He hit the ball hard and made it to all his bases and the second time he hit the ball made it to the grass area. I do believe I am taking after my mother in being the loudest cheerer in the stands. LOL

It was great to watch and one of the cutest moments were both Alyvia and Kaylee cheering Brock on through the fence. Those two just absolutely idolize him. Thank you to everyone who came out to support Brock and we can't wait for the rest of the season!

Brock ready for his 1st game
Some of the fans!

Running for home plateCousin Kaylee cheering on Brock

On 3rd ready to run homeMe and AlyviaBatter up... The ball went soaring!Shaking the opponents hands

Open Ceremony

Baseball is finally here! Open Ceremony Day was last Saturday 3-13-10. All the teams from the Spring Valley Little League come out and starting with the youngest walk down to the baseball fields and lined up. Then the national anthem was sang and everyone cheered. The Tball kids threw their hats in the air which was so darn cute. Afterwards all the teams had to wait to get team pictures which took absolutely forever. I believe next year the league needs to make sure the tball teams take pictures first. I mean these kids have a very little attention span window and after 2 hours of waiting I believe most of us parents were ready to pack our kids up and be on our way.

Brock didn't have a game that day like most of the kids but my cousin Zarek did. He plays for the 7 & 8 olds which is a coach pitch. It was an exciting game in which he not only hit a home run but also was awarded player of the game and given the game ball! It was great to watch and I think Brock learned a lot from it. He now cannot wait till he turns 7!

Mommy's Bed

This has become a nightly routine 3 nights a week. James now works swing shift for anyone who didn't already know. It was most definitely a big change for the kids and I at first but I think we have all adjusted rather well. The only thing that I personally have a problem with is being home alone at night. I know I am an adult now and should have grown out of this along time ago but I still have a problem with being home alone at night. It's just something about the dark that completely freaks me out. So at first the kids and I would go about our nightly routines but once they were fast asleep in their own beds I would start to spook myself by hearing noises. It would usually be the dog or cat roaming around or normal house squeaks but every noise scared me. So instead of calling James every time I heard something I found my own solution! Now 3 nights a week the kids and I still go about the same nightly routine only we all end up in moms bed to read a story and go to sleep. I have found that with them in my bed all i hear are their snoring and tossing and turning that it completely takes my mind off of everything else! They both know that when daddy is at work they get to sleep with me for a few hours but once daddy's home from work or on his days off our bed is off limits. It works for us and I get to cuddle with my babies just a little bit more each day.

This is a picture I took the other night because I couldn't believe how they fell asleep so similar. Not sure how either one find it comfortable but each of them sleep or start off sleeping with their arms behind their heads. Weird but oh so cute!

Baseball Season is here!

So excited only more week and it will be Brock's first game of the season! He is playing on a new league this year and of course a new team. James and I signed him up for the Spring Valley little league. We have been going to t-ball practices for about 3 weeks now and only have one more practice left till the big game. His team name is the Mets which will be so neat because on our old league the kids were just given generic jerseys and the coaches made up the team names. On this league every team is a major league baseball team name and everyone gets a jersey, pants, socks, and ball cap!

This year Brock is the youngest on his team and I think one of the smallest too. At the first practice I was a little worried for him because he seemed intimidated by all the bigger kids. But like I know everyone expected he totally warmed up and now he is doing awesome! The coaches are absolutely wonderful and really know how to get these kids to listen and learn and have a blast.

Alyvia is Brock's biggest fan. She is almost always standing by the fence yelling "Good job Brock!" It's adorable and he always turns around and smiles big at her with a big thumbs up to me! He is doing great at batting and is one of the strongest batters. This year the coaches are really focusing on catching and I tell you Brock can already catch better then me.

We have not been given the schedule yet :( but as soon as I have it I will post it. I believe all games will be Tuesday and Saturday at the Desert Breeze Park, but I will know for sure some time next week!