Fathers Day

I can't begin to explain how excited I was for Father's Day. First off James hasn't had a fathers day off I think ever, so to know that we had him the entire day was really special.

The kids and I woke up a little early so we could make him his special breakfast. He requested chocolate chip waffles. We all pitched in and made that while the coffee was brewing. Once everything was ready Brock and Alyvia ran upstairs to wake dad up and say Happy Father's day. Aly ran back down to grab the cards and present and met him on the stairs with Brock.

This part I was really excited for. A few weeks ago James' found a new tattoo artist to finish his leg. Since its a little pricey we agreed that getting this tattoo would be his present for both fathers day and his birthday. He also has a list of a few things he wants on his phone. So one day I snuck in and took a peek on his phone to get some ideas for a fathers day present. I ended up ordering him a new watch that he has mentioned wanting to buy for a while now. Needless to say he was not expecting anything more than cards. I completely surprised him with his new watch which does not happen often. We both usually have a hard time getting each other something because whatever we want we end up buying ourselves. He was so happy but of course feels bad since he is also still getting work done on his leg. I'm sure he is over the guilt by now because he really deserves it and much more!

After breakfast we headed out to the local 51's baseball game for a birthday party. The only pictures I took that day were of the kids with the baseball teams mascot Cosmo the the alien. Alyvia was beyond excited to see Cosmo and I'm sure everyone around us knew that too. It was fun to watch the game for a while but very hot. After the game we stopped by James' dads house for a quick visit then headed on home.

We didn't do a whole lot but it was really nice to just spend the whole day with James. He is such an amazing father and he deserves more than one day a year.

Pool season is here!

It's definitely pool season here with the weather getting above 100 now. With James new schedule he works days and has Friday, Saturday, and Sunday off. It works out great because when its really hot we can go swimming in the late afternoon early evening and also swim on the weekends. With Grants arrival just around the corner we are trying to get as much pool time as possible.

Brock was swimming last year without floaties so our goal is to get him back in the water with no floaties again. We know he can do it he's just needs to practice a little bit more. He is definitely our little fish and as long as he has floaties on he has no fear of the water. We usually have to drag him out to take a break and drink water. He could easily spend hours on end swimming.

Last year Alyvia was absolutely terrified of the water so we spent our time in the kiddie pools which isn't deeper then 2 ft. The first time we went in the pool was a couple weeks ago at my Aunt and Uncles house and again she was scared. Wouldn't even put on her floaties. The next time we went to our community pool she actually put her floaties on (thanks to the 3 other little girls wearing theirs!) and swam around. It was so exciting for all of us and she couldn't stop laughing. I really hope she continues to wear them.

Grandma and Papa visit

Over the past weekend my Grandma and Papa from Colorado came to visit. They were in California and on there way home stopped in Vegas for a few days. We had a family barbecue at my Uncles house where we also celebrated their anniversary (33 years in July). I love being able to visit with them which isn't often enough. My grandma is such a clown and makes us laugh literally the entire time we are around her. My papa is a little hard of hearing but some of it I think is intentional, he likes to be silly! They are such amazing grandparents and I really wish we were able to see them more then once every other year.

Before they left we did one more family dinner but this time we headed out to the M resort to try their buffet. Seriously, it's one of the best buffets in town, that's my personal opinion though. We had a blast exchanging more stories and eating way to much food.

We are hoping next year to make it out to Colorado for the 4th of july. I really want my kids to have the best possible relationship with them as I did. Their is nothing better then being spoiled by your grandparents!

More water park fun

This summer we are basically going to live at the outdoor water parks. It is already getting extremely hot with temperatures reaching 110 sometime this week. Since I'm getting ready to go into my 9 month of this pregnancy there is no way I can sit around while they play on the play grounds or ride bikes and I definitely can't take them swimming by my self. The water park is great because there are a lot of trees for shade and the overall water area is huge so the kids have a TON of room to run. I even venture out and get a little wet to cool off. We only go in the mornings though to beat the worst of the heat and then of course on weekends we hit up the swimming pool with dad. One thing I never miss are these hot Vegas summers.

Last day of Kindergarten

Well, kindergarten is finally over. This year has really flown by for all of us. I look back on where Brock was back in September and where he is now and it is amazing how much he has grown. When he first started kindergarten Brock could only recite his ABC's and count to 10. He knew how to write his first and last name but he did not recognize his numbers and letters if they were written on paper.

By the end of the year he can write his entire alphabet, count to 100, read at a level 1, and even write a short story. His imagination has really grown with all short stories he has written and he was also #2 reader in his class. I'm sure there are a million more things he has learned but needless to say we are beyond proud of him.

Since his school doesn't have an actual graduation ceremony Brock's teacher Mrs. Bedich invited all the parents to come to class on the last day of school while she handed out her own awards. She gave him the whopper award because he always came to class with a new story to tell every day. We can only imagine the kind of stories he told.

We took a few pictures with Mrs. Bedich and also her aide Ms. Dottie. I know Brock is really going to miss having them as his teacher as are we. They both made this year a memorable one. Now, our next adventure... First Grade!

33 weeks!

I am 33 weeks today and at my last doctor's visit he scheduled my c-section for July 19th. So far I've only gained 33 lbs but for the last 6-8 weeks I have been measuring small so next week we have another ultrasound scheduled to make sure Grant is growing ok. At my 32 week checkup I should have been measuring between 30 and 34 cm but I was only 27cm. I think he is just tucked up in my belly far back and doing just fine!

This pregnancy has definitely been the hardest of all three. I have been exhausted pretty much the entire time and if I dont get at least an hour nap sometime during the day I am dragging my feet by 5 pm. I am also beyond uncomfortable when I do sleep at night and wake up just about every hour to go to the bathroom.

Besides the downs of this pregnancy I am in love with this little boy so much already. I love feeling him kick and roll around in my tummy. He definitely gets the hiccups more often then not so it will be interesting to see if its the same once he is on the outside.

The kids are both very excited for him to be here soon. Alyvia is always sitting next to me with her hand on my belly. When Grant kicks she gets the giggles and puts her head on my belly to see if he will kick her head too. She is constantly reminding us that when Grant gets her she wants to help hold him, feed him, bathe him, and even change his diaper. I think she is going to be the best big sister! Brock likes to feel Grant move but not as often. He is more interested in when he will get here and how much longer it is going to take. He does love to talk about everything that he and his little brother will do once he can walk and talk. I don't think he has that motherly instinct like his sister but you tell he will be just as protective to Grant as he is with Aly.

I feel so blessed and thankful to be having another baby and I cannot wait to finally be able to hold him in my arms.

Kaylees 4th Birthday

Short and sweet.... My little cousin turned 4 a week ago and my Aunt and Uncle had a small family birthday party for her. Brock and Alyvia loved being able to attend and just hang out with Kaylee (birthday girl) and Keaton her brother.

During cupcake time Alyvia and Kaylee painted Uncle Scotts face with the icing from the cupcakes and after he washed his face off he came out to show us that the icing had burned his skin. Definitely not going to be doing that anymore!

Kaylee, hope you had a wonderful birthday little lady!

Explorer of the Month

Since the beginning of the year Brock has been working really hard to get the Explorer of the month award. Each month every teacher picks one student from their class to be student of the month. It's such an honor to be chosen and at the beginning of the month their is an assembly held and each explorer of the month is called forward and the principal gives them their certificate and medal, then at the end of the day they get to have a Slurpee with her.

We received a letter a few weeks ago letting us know that Brock was chosen for the month of May and that we were invited to the assembly. We went to the assembly first thing in the morning and his name was first to be called. His teacher picked him because of all the hard work he has been doing all year long. He is also very polite, comes to school on time, and always does his best. He has a positive attitude every day and is a great friend to everyone. It took a lot not to cry when the principal was reading his certificate to all of us. He has really made us proud!

No shoes on carpet

There's a rule in our house that no one wears shoes on the carpet. It can be a little inconvenient when you want to put your shoes on and then walk to our kitchen or walk from the kitchen to the downstairs bathroom and every time have to take off your shoes but it seems the kids have finally gotten used to it. Sometimes Alyvia will get frustrated and crawl on her knees when she is feeling lazy but usually every one abides by the rule.

One day Alyvia was in her defiant mood and decided she had the perfect solution to be able to walk on the carpet with her flip flops and not get in trouble. She came up with putting her socks on OVER her flip flops and that way the carpet stays clean and her shoes stay on her feet.

I swear she can be such a little pain but very clever! It only last about 10 minutes but still her mind is always working on ideas to make her life easier!

Cubs last game and trophy

T-ball season is FINALLY over! It has been an extremely long season which started way back in February and the last game was held on May 31st. This year Brock has grown so much as a ball player and has a great understanding of the game. There were several kids on his team that went to his school and also more friends of his on some of the other teams that he played against.

His favorite position is pitcher since the ball usually comes there more often then any other position and also first base. James spent a lot of time working on catching with him and Brock made some awesome plays this season. I may be just a little biased but I see a lot of potential in him if he keeps this sport up!

For the last game the only thing that mattered to him was his trophy. He played catcher the first inning and then pitcher the second so he ended the season on a good note but you could tell he was some what distracted once the trophies were in sight.

Finally the game was over and the coaches passed out trophies. He was so excited and all smiles! We gave him the option of playing again in the fall and he is all for it. So we all get a three month break and then its back to the ball field this fall but this time he is going to be on the rookie league which is coach pitch. Should be interesting!