Pre Halloween Party!

Our ward Halloween party was last night and it turned out great! We got to decorate a door and I am sooo glad Zach was off work and he was there to help, he actually did most of the decorating and it turned out pretty good! We had a chilli and hot dog dinner and managed to only spill two drinks! After dinner I got to take the girls around trick-or-treating while Zach passed candy out at our door. Zachary who was running around with friends most of the night got the most candy of course, I think he went around to each door more than once! Overall we had a really great night, it was so fun seeing and the little kids dressed up!!

Pumpkin Patch with Grandma!

So I know my last post was also pumpkin patch but we got to go again last night only this time with Grandma! The girls were just as excited as the other day and this time they were such big girls going on the slide all by themselvs! As usual they were spoiled rotten and Grandma got them lots and lots of tickets for rides! It was fun having all of my sisters in the same spot too, I am just sad we didn't get a picture! Sorry for the Pumpkin patch overload!

Pumpkin Patch

Friday was definatly a busy day for us, after the playgroup in the morning I was able to get the girls down for a nice long nap and they would need it for the night ahead. First we went to Steel Elementary school for their Fall Festival because Zachary was performing in a demo with his TKD school. As usual he did great! After the demo was over we said goodbye to Zachary ( he is now at an age where he gets to pick and choose the activities he wants to attend and he would rather stay with his friends than hang out with us!) Next we were off to dinner and the pumpkin patch. We met up with some friends and all the kids had a blast. I haven't seen them so excited about anything in a long time. They went down slides, rode in flying boats, jumped in jumpy houses and Maile even rode a pony! She kept saying "this is my pony for one day!" The night was topped off with free cotton candy which I think the dads enjoyed more than the kids. After this trip to the pumpkin patch I understand why parents have such a good time just watching their kids. It was so awesome that my kids were actually old enough now to participate in all the activities and even more awesome to see how happy they were!

McKee Ranch

Friday morning our playgroup met up at Mckee Ranch to feed some of the animals and play on their mini playground. I had never been but it was pretty awesome, they had it decked out with pumpkins and fall decorations. It almost didn't feel like we were in Vegas anymore! As usual my girls were little scardy cats and the goats and chickens that were running around made them cry but by the end of the morning they wanted to feed the ponies carrots and play with the other kids. Over all it was a good start to our fun filled day!

Going a little Crazy!

Looking at my event calender for the rest of the month, I don't know how we are possibly going to fit everything in and keep up with the day to day stuff or have any sanity left. I am having that overwhelmed feeling big time...I still have costumes to finish, backyard to sod, goodies to make for Halloween parties and so much more. Not that I don't love being crazy busy (makes the days go by faster)but now would be the time when I would seriously look into a third arm! (hypothetically speaking) So yes, it is Wednesday and I have still yet to recover from this weekends events. If you were to ask me to open my garage you would see the remnants of our garage sale and I mean exactly how we left it when we closed shop Sat. afternoon! My downstairs has been the only part of my house that has seen cleaning since last week so needless to say I better get busy. The task of getting every thing done and pay some sort of attention to my kids seems a bit unattainable but I am going to try very hard to get it all done, I know we will all have a better weekend and be in better moods if our surroundings are more comfortable! Thanks for reading my rant! Now I must go make a To Do list!

Project Runway Look Out!

Ever since I had the twins I have wanted them to be sticks of Double mint gum for Halloween but I didn't I couldn't find costumes and I don't know how to sew and finding time to learn seemed too difficult when the girls were younger. Well this year I finally got it together! My mom who is pretty awesome with the sewing machine is helping me out with some impromptu sewing lessons. We got started this weekend and they are coming together quite nicely and this makes me want to learn how to make more things....but I must focus on the task at hand!

Zachary's Latest Tournament

Saturday Zachary had a tournament at the Texas station. He did really well, he placed 1st in sparing and 2nd in forms. Zachary is such a good sport I am always impressed with his attitude in the ring! It is fun going to the tournaments, as the girls get older they know what is going on more and more. They cheer on their brother and even throw a few moves themselvs! We also got to see Zach's cousin Rena at the tournament and we also met her fiance. Overall it was a fun day that we got to spend as a family.

Happy Birthday Lezlie!

Today is my big sister Lezlie's birthday and I just want to take a moment to say how much I appreciate the relationship we have formed over the past few years. When we were younger we spent most of our time fighting and I didn't realize just how important she was to me! I am so excited that we are raising our kids at the same time and I am also so glad she is working a schedule now that will allow us to spend more time hanging out! So anyhow happy 27th, old lady!

Work in Progress

Over the past month or so we have been working on our backyard. So far we have a concrete slab and some trenches dug and thats about it. We are nowhere near finished but that does not stop the girls from making it their favorite hangout. First thing in the morning they want to go out and they literally play out there all day. I am really enjoying it because I can get a few things done without them in my way! I just can't wait for the grass so that they don't have all this dirt to play with, too much of it ends up in my kitchen! Here are some pics of my girls and their cousin Leila enjoying the backyard....

Bellagio Garden

Today was such a fun day, not only was it beautiful out this morning but we also ended up getting to go to lunch with Auntie Lezlie, Auntie Sam, Lelia and Jacob. After lunch we headed over to the Bellagio to check out what they did in the Garden for the fall season. It was beautiful! The girls all had fun, we only had a few toddler "moments," it was very close to everyone's naptime! Overall I was proud of all the kids but Jacob wins for being the most well behaved!I took a few pictures....

Perfect Weather

Could this time of year be any better? Something about this particular change of season is my favorite. No we don't get an abundance of leaves changing color, and we are still in the 90 degree weather range but that slight cool breeze, or that certain smell in the air just gets me all excited for the months ahead! I just don't like being home this time of year because I don't want to miss a minute of this "Autum Feeling"! Anyhow with that said here are some of our park pictures from last week. I will be clocking a serious amount of hours at the park this month if you care to join me!

Two thumbs up!!

Well I just got back from dining with a few friends at Cafe Rio for my first time and the review is a good one. It was delish! I only wish my kids would have sat still long enough for me to polish off the nice tortilla surprise at the end of my salad but it was probably for the better that I didn't stuff myself too much! Thanks to the girls who opened up my eyes to such a fun little place! Can't wait to return! Nothing like awesome food and good conversation!

Maile's Prayer

Daddy was in Zion all weekend and at dinner last night while awaiting his safe return home Maile offered up a beautiful dinnertime prayer

"Father, thank you for this day, thank you for food, please daddy come home, Jesus Christ, Amen."

We can list this moment under things that make mommies eyes well up!

Back to School for Mommy!

It is decided! I am going to go back to school starting in the spring! I made the decision about two weeks ago and even got myself down to the community college for the Nursing Orientation that is required for the nursing program. Thankfully I have most of my prerequisites out of the way from my two years at UNR and I only have 5 classes to take before I can apply for the nursing program! Right now the plan is to take it slow, one class per semester at night so I don't have to stress about what I am going to do with the kids while I am at school. The great thing is it will all be according to how fast I want to go! If I decide that I can handle more than one class then I will take more but the ultimate goal would be to be practicing nursing in just under 4 years!

Enough is Enough!

It just doesn't seem right that just a day or two after one starts to feel better one of the others starts up with something! Can't we just be well!????

Party for Two!

This past Sunday we celebrated the Alexis and Rebecca's birthday with a small family party at our house. They had lots of fun playing with their family and they especially loved their presents! Thank you to everyone who helped make their day so special!

Two Two Year Olds!

To say that the past two years have been exciting would be an understatement! Having two babies at once is probably the coolest thing I will ever do. From the moment that I heard the sweet sound of them crying in the OR I was in love with my tiny baby girls. We endured more NICU life and this time around it was even harder with a 1 year old at home. We handled two cleft palate surgeries and recovered. Even with such big ups and downs we have made the most of the past two years and Alexis and Rebecca are amazing, sweet, adorable, huggable little toddlers now! I can easily speak for Zach when I say that we truly were blessed to have this miracle enter our life. Two sets of feet kicking my ribs, two sets of hands reaching for Mommy, two hungry mouths to feed, 40 fingers and toes to count, two beautiful personalities to play with or contend with, really I could go on all day but double everything really is a bonus of the greatest kind!
Alexis Nalani or Lexi is so much fun to have around! She is somewhat of a mini comedian and always makes us laugh. It is also such a surprise to see how brave and adventurous she is. She is the leader and she has the take charge kind of spirit. She is also so polite! She never forgets to thank us for the things we do even the little things. Lexi is my good eater, my good sleeper and basically has been pretty easy going and just so lovable!
Rebecca Leahi or Becca is my little pet. She is a Mommies girl or Daddies girl but like to be close either way. Becca is shy, a follower and will wait for Lexi to test the water before she will go near. Becca is non negotable, things are the way she wants it or you better watch out! She loves to be tickled and can be so sweet! She has recently turned into a little chatter box with so much to say. Becca can make you smile by just thinking about her little spitfire ways. She really is the opposite of her sister but they make a great balance. I couldn't be a luckier Mommy!

Family Night Out

All last week Alexis and Rebecca were not feeling good so we were cooped up in the house pretty much non-stop so Zach suggested that on Friday night we take the girls out to eat and to the Shark Reef. It was a blast! We started out eating pizza at Joe's New York Pizza, a small little restaurant that wasn't very busy. Thankfully it was small so we didn't feel bad that the girls were running back and forth down the long booth. (It was obvious they were trapped all week!) After we were done eating the delicious pizza and cheese bread, (diet out the window) we headed to the Mandalay Bay. When we pulled into the parking lot Maile said "Look a Temple!" We had a good chuckle on that one but were happy that she is retaining the things she learns at church on Sunday! Now we just need to teach her the difference between a Hotel and an actual Temple! So we finally got to the Shark Reef after our long trek through the parking lot and convention center and it was pretty cool even if you have seen it before. The girls loved pointing out all the sharks and other sea creatures- it really was fun to see just how interested they were in what they were looking at. By the time were done they were worn out and ready to go to bed. All in all it was a really fun night hanging out as a family.

New Camera!

It is awesome can't wait to learn how to use it the right way but I have been trying!

Appreciated

If I am ever having that day where I feel like all I do is work, work, work and nobody cares I must return to this post and remember how cute they were when they were showing their appreciation for the work I do!

Maile: "Mommy, you cleaned my kitchen?" (her kitchen being my kitchen)
Me: "Yes baby"
Maile: "Oh, thank you!"

Zachary: "You are in charge of paying all the bills too?!?"
Me: "Yes"
Zachary: " Wow, you are in charge of a lot of things for our family!"

And to think I thought they didn't notice all I do!