The Rubalcava Family

11 months!

2012-01-30T11:01:00.000-08:00

Mila is 11 months! Where has the time gone? She is growing up so fast. She likes to get into everything and makes big messes for mom to clean up. She pulls all of the wipies out of the container, she takes out all of the tissues out of the Kleenex box, she empties out any cabinet that she can open, and she like to unroll the toilet paper and tear it into a million pieces. She also pulls the table cloth off the table so that she can reach the things she wants. (See below). She has been taking steps and every day she get a little better. She can slowly walk across the living room now without falling. She is starting to be a handful at church though, but I don't have to ask T.J. twice to take her out. :) But the thing that melts my heart is that when I pick her up she pats my back. She is so sweet! We love our little Mila!

Pine Wood Derby

2012-01-30T10:51:00.001-08:00

Earlier this month was Timmy's first Pine Wood Derby. Timmy and T.J. had been preparing for weeks, and finally they had the car ready to race. But that night after the weigh-in, they found out it was underweight, so they had to do some last-minute weight adding.

He was so excited to see it go. During the first heat his car did really well, but we had to watch the second heat of cars to see if his would finalize. He ended up making it to the final 4. Boy he was so proud every time his car went down that track (and so was T.J. even though he was trying to hide it). His car ended up coming in 2nd and he got a trophy! It was a great night for Timmy. It was so great to see him so excited and happy.

Happy New Year!T

2012-01-02T08:50:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year!!

We are so excited to start another new year and can't wait to see what fun things will happen!

This little boy started Sunbeams yesterday! I can't believe he is old enough already.

Me and my kids

Christmas cookies

2011-12-30T12:11:00.000-08:00

**Disclaimer--The quality of these pictures are terrible because I had to use my old camera.**

Christmas Eve Camille made cookies for the kids to decorate for Santa. She was one brave lady to let all those kids have free reign with all of the frosting, candy, sprinkles, etc. The kids totally loved it. While the kids were decorating, T.J. and Anthony played Family Feud on the phone and Mila and Tate crawled under the table and hung on to their prison gate. We had an amazing time and were so grateful to spend the evening with our good friends.

December/Christmas 2011

2011-12-30T07:53:00.001-08:00

We had so much going on this month. First we started out by taking our lists to Santa to Macy's and mailing them in their big red mail box.

It also snowed a little bit so the kids went out to play,

T.J. got me this beautiful nativity this year. I have been wanting a nice one for a long time. I love it!

Topher had a Christmas party at school. He was so excited to wear his Santa hat. When he got inside the classroom they had a big blow-up Santa and Snowman. He also got to sit on Santa's lap. He was one happy boy!

On Christmas Eve we went to the Muglestons house for dinner. It was a great dinner, but the company was even better. Camille made Christmas cookies for the kids to decorate for Santa (pics in the next post). They had such a good time. When we got home, we opened our Christmas Eve gift. Jammies!! Then we did all of our fun traditions before bed.

When we woke up the next morning we found out that Santa had come to our house! The kids hadn't been too bad after all....I was a little worried. ;) The kids got what they wanted and more. It was a good morning. We enjoyed the rest of the day spending time together and relaxing. It was so nice.

Mila 10 months

2011-12-30T07:47:00.000-08:00

This little girl is 10 months already!! I wish she would stop growing already! She is so fun and her personality is so cute. She is pulling herself up onto everything now and has started to let go and stand on her own. She hasn't gotten brave enough to take steps yet, but that's ok with me! She gets into everything now too. She opens cupboards, pulls books off the book case, tries to open the toilets and the fridge, and eats anything on the ground. I am pulling stuff out of her mouth all day. Her favorite things to do right now are take a bath and wait by the door for the kids after school. She has developed quite a temper now too. If something doesn't go her way, she throws herself backwards, or cries in the stink bug position. I think it is so funny. She makes things interesting everyday. We love our sweet Mila!

Trying to open the fridge,

Getting into my pots and pans.

Waiting for the kids to get home from school.

Getting a book read to her by Timmy.

Timmy's 3rd grade concert

2011-12-30T07:12:00.001-08:00

Timmy had another concert. He sang a song about veterans in a small group . It turned out very nice.

Mila 9 months

2011-12-30T07:06:00.000-08:00

Life has been so crazy lately and my blogging has taken a back seat. I missed posting about Mila at 9 months. She started pulling herself up on furniture, crawling really well and getting in to everything. She is still as cute as ever and so fun to have in our home.

Disney World Day 5 Epcot Center

2011-11-19T09:56:00.001-08:00

Our last park to visit was Epcot. There wasn't a huge amount of rides that all of the kids could ride, so we rode all of the ones that didn't have a huge wait and then headed off to the countries portion of the park.

The kids at breakfast.

A cranberry pond

T.J. and Timmy in "England" in front of the telephone booths and a post boxes. We also had the most delicious fish and chips there.

They had the most beautiful gardens in "England" too.

Topher taking his daily nap.

Next we headed over to Japan or China. I can't remember which. We ate sushi there.

Next was Italy. We had a chocolate canoli there.

Then there was Mexico. We had to stop and have tacos.

We also stopped in Germany and had the most delicious chocolate fudge. It was so fun to see all the different countries and foods. We had a great trip. The kids enjoyed spending time with their Papa and Grandma too. It was the most exhausting vacation I have ever been on, but it was worth it!

Disney World Day 4 Animal Kingdom

2011-11-19T09:46:00.000-08:00

Animal Kingdom was awesome! We really felt like we were in a different country. We went on a safari ride and saw to many cool African animals.

There was a mini showing of the Lion King that plays on Braodway. It was amazing! So entertaining and awesome! At the very end they pulled Timmy and Maura out of the audience to play an instrument and march around the stage. It was so cool! I'm just bummed none of pictures turned out very well. I am going to have to see that show the next time it comes to our area.

Another fun playground for the kids to play on.

Pounding on the drums.

Disney World Day 3 Down Town Disney

2011-11-19T08:14:00.001-08:00

On our lazy day we decided to swim and visit Down Town Disney. The kids were just as happy ro be at the pool than being at the parks. Our hotel, Port Orleans French Quarter had a fun pool and the kids had a blast swimming.

Down Town was fun too. We rode a boat over there and walked around a bunch of stores. The kids favorite was the Lego store. They had so many displays of Lego creations, they were amazed.

Disney World Day 2 and 6 Magic Kingdom

2011-11-19T07:59:00.001-08:00

We were so excited to go to Magic Kingdom because we heard it was most like Disneyland. We also chose to stay there the last day as well. The kids had the most fun there. This was the hardest day though. The kids all had meltdowns, they were totally exhausted and Mila was getting sick. I'm glad that we were able to go a second day because it was rough. We did as many rides as we could though and even stayed until the fireworks that night. They were amazing and the castle was gorgeous!

Mila went dressed as Minnie. We had to ditch the dress after about 2 hours because the circulation in her chubby little arms was getting cut off. Poor baby.

Topher also started getting sick, and breathing problems always follow. He was so exahausted he fell asleep doing his treatment that night.

We happened to catch a breakfast with the Pooh and Friends just by accident, but the kids didn't complain. Topher wasn't convinced that these characters were nice either. He asked me at least three times to protect him from all the characters.

Locked up with Zurg.

Pretty Christmas Decorations

The Castle

Disney World Day 1 Hollywood Studios

2011-11-17T11:46:00.000-08:00

We started off with a 2 1/2 hour plane ride to Florida. It was so much nicer than the 6 hour one we are used to taking. Once we got there we met up with Papa and Grandma Rubalcava and boarded the Disney Magical Express. We got to bypass baggage claim and Disney guaranteed our luggage would be there within 2-3 hours. Well we didn't go to bed until about 10 and still no luggage, so we put the kids to bed in their clothes. The luggage didn't show up until about 3 am, I'm just glad it didn't get lost. I was a little worried.

We started the first day off at Disney Hollywood Studios. The kids loved the Tower of Terror, Toy Story Mania, and the really fast Rockin Roller coaster. The rest of the day was mostly shows. There was a little Mermaid show, Muppet show, a super cool stunt car show that Lightening McQueen made an appearance in. We saw a cool parade and ate lots of yummy snacks.

Mila was excited to be in her little crib.

we had a really fun time trying to get a picture with Mike and Sully. They were being so silly, it took about 5 minutes of goofing around before we got a good picture. The kids were giggling so much, except for Topher who just wasn't convinced they were nice.

Had to get a picture with Lightening and Mater.

The line was WAY too long to get a picture with Phineas and Ferb, but it was fun to see them from a distance.

The kids got to play on a playground based on the movie "Honey I Shrunk the Kids". They thought it was awesome!

I loved all of the little statues made of greenery. So cool.

It was a fun park. We had an awesome day!

Halloween

2011-11-17T11:24:00.001-08:00

Starting out Halloween with a big kiss for dad.

Ward Trunk or Treat

Harry Potter

A pretty witch and Rapunzel

Buzz and Woody

Our Trick or Treating gang

Special Sunday

2011-10-24T20:22:00.000-07:00

This Sunday was our ward's primary program. It is my favorite Sunday of the whole year. As usual, it was just beautiful. Timmy and Maura both had speaking parts, which were so good and Timmy sand the 1st verse of I Lived in Heaven all by himself. He did so great. Singing in sacrament meeting is scary for a grown up and he did it beautifully. I was one proud mom.

Another thing that made it special was that the general Primary President Sis. Wixom was visiting in our ward that day. She visited the primary kids and made her way to each nursery to see the kids and visit with the teachers. My sister Cassie is Topher's primary leader and when Sis. Wixom came in to see the nursery, Cassie grabbed Toph to have him tell her what he learned that day. Cassie asked him about the things Heavenly Father made to put on the earth and he told them that he made all different kinds of animals, naming them by name. Then she asked him why Heavenly Father made the earth and he simply said, "Dus (just) because Him wuv (love) us. Cassie said it was a really sweet moment. Those little ones really are listening and absorbing more than we think. They are such special spirits.

8 months

2011-10-24T20:02:00.001-07:00

Don't worry...she doesn't pull herself up yet. Dad just thought it would be fun to let her stand for a minute. She thought she was hot stuff. :)

This little girl is getting so big. She is now army crawling everywhere. She goes wherever she wants to and is into everything. She is able to pick up cheerios and loves having her snacks. This means I have to keep the floors clean because she picks up and eats everything. She loves to make her way to the bookcase and pull out and chew on all the kids books. Her sleeping habits have gone down hill though. We are working on her soothing herself to sleep in the middle of the night, I'm crossing my fingers that she gets it soon. The kids are still enamored by her. In fact, they fight everyday after school about who is going to hold her first. They tell me every day that they love having a baby around. She entertains us all and she the center of our world.

Cub Scouter

2011-10-17T14:31:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe I have a kid in scouts already. Timmy has been loving cub scouts. He looks forward to going every week. He earned his Bobcat and got his badge at the last pack meeting. They made T.J. hold him up-side-down while he pinned the little pin on me. I'm glad he is enjoying it so much. I hope we can keep up with it until he gets his eagle!

"P" School

2011-10-02T13:42:00.000-07:00

I was able to get Topher into a little preschool at the community center 2 days a week for 2 hours. We have to laugh because he calls it P-school. The first day was a little hard, he didn't want to stay at all. I had to practically rip him off my leg and run out. He eventually settled down and did fine and each day has been better and better. He tells me what he does each day, it includes things like running in the gym, singing songs, having snack, and sitting on the rug. He has a lot of friends in his class. Almost half of the kids are in our ward! Starting preschool has helped him "grow up" a little bit. He has learned quickly to take himself to the bathroom with out mom, buckling his seat belt, and putting his shoes on. He likes to have mom help him so pretty much everything, so he is getting more and more independent. It is fun to see him experience and learn new things. He is such a strong willed, sweet boy. I love him tons!

7 months

2011-09-07T13:41:00.001-07:00

Mila will be 7 months this week. The older she gets, the more entertaining she is. She never stops wiggling and I feel like I am juggling all day long. She is sitting up now, but would rather be rolling around instead. She can put her passy in her mouth but she always puts it in upside-down. She is starting to scoot herself forward, but is super slow at it. She is eating all kinds of baby food now and loves every one...even the veggies. She grabs everything and it always goes straight to her mouth. It's so fun to see her develop new skills. We love this little girl to death.

First Day of School

2011-09-07T13:26:00.000-07:00

We were all excited for the the first day of school. Summer was fun, but we were ready for school to start. Its always fun to get in new school clothes, wear your new backpack and shoes, ride the bus and see your new teacher and old friends. They had a great day and we are hoping for a great year!

Timmy's Green Lantern backpack

Maura and her sparkling backpack

Timmy is going into 3rd and Maura is going into 1st

We had to get a picture of our new shoes (and Topher's old ones)!

Every year before school starts we read the Kissing Hand and before my kids leave for school I draw a little heart on their hand so they can remember during the day that mommy loves them.

Waiting for the bus.

Off they go!

And then there was one....well 2 if you count Mila. :)

Turkeys!!

2011-09-07T13:18:00.000-07:00

This was the second time we've had turkeys in our backyard. A mommy turkey and two baby wander in from the little wooded area behind our house and eat whatever it is they eat in our backyard. They even fly into the trees behind our house. I seriously had no idea that turkeys flew. I always thought that they were a kind of bird that didn't fly (I know, that sounds dumb). It just never occured to me that they did for some reason. Anyway...it's fun to see all the wildlife that comes to visit us.

T.J.'s 33rd Birthday

2011-09-07T13:10:00.000-07:00

T.J.'s 33rd birthday was on Aug. 24th. The poor guy had to work, but afterwards we had dinner at Drew's and Cassie's with the Muglestons. There was tons of good food and the kids were able to play outside. It was so windy that he couldn't blow out his candles so he had to pretend. When the party was over we went home and opened his presents. We sure love him and glad he is part of our family. He works so hard to take care of us all and we appreciate him so much.

Olcott park

2011-08-17T07:36:00.001-07:00

For play group in our ward we went out to a little town on the river that has a little amusement park with rides for little kids that only cost a quarter. The kids were so excited you would think it was Disneyland! After the rides we ate ice cream and rocked in wooden rocking chairs. It was a fun morning and it only cost $10 plus the drive out there was gorgeous! I hope we can go again soon!

6 months old

2011-08-17T07:33:00.001-07:00

I can't believe its been another month. This little girl rolls everywhere now. The other day she even rolled underneath the crib! She hasn't quite mastered sitting up yet but it will be soon. She started eating rice cereal last week and loved it! She cried when it was all gone. The other kids think its so interesting to watch her eat from a spoon and every time I feed her everybody wants a turn to give her a spoonful. She has definitely found her voice and she is constantly screaming. If the rest of the kids are loud, she chimes right in just as loud. We took her swimming the other day and she loved it! She was all kicks and smiles. Her hair just keeps getting longer and longer except for the bald spot in the back. It even fits in little piggy tails now. She has dad wrapped around her little finger and loves to give him kisses, but I have to say that I am still her favorite person around. Maura comes in a close second though cause she is so good with her and loves to help me out. We love this little girl, but we wish we could freeze her this size. The kids always joke that they want to throw her in the dryer to shrink her so she will stay little!

Timmy is getting rich!

2011-08-17T07:16:00.000-07:00

Timmy has been losing teeth like crazy! He lost his front two teeth in the same week. I pulled one and he pulled the other. I love his smile with his missing teeth. Its so cute!

24th of July Ward Party

2011-07-29T11:47:00.001-07:00

Our ward had a 24th celebration with a dinner and games outside. The favorite game of the kids was the 3 legged race. They all wanted to try. I laughed so hard. We had a great time.

Ranan and Topher almost made it.

Miles and Timmy getting ready.

On their way!

Maura and Jada

...and down they go!

After the games was a bike parade. It was a hit. The kids went around and around the parking lot. I think we were the last ones to leave. It was great!

Timmy's Baptism

2011-07-29T11:39:00.001-07:00

On July 16th we had Timmy's baptism. We were so excited that we had Tim and Karen there and my dad that flew in the night before and my mom there via Skype. Timmy has impressed me so much. He is such a good boy and seems to just soak up things about the gospel. He knew all about baptism and the promises he was making to Heavenly Father and vice versa. He was definitely ready. We had a small crowd and a nice little program. Cassie played the piano, Grandma and Dallyn said prayers, his papa Rubalcava gave the talk on baptism and papa Webb gave the talk on the Holy Ghost. Timmy sang When I am Baptized which he sang beautifully and all the Rubalcava kids sang I am a Child of God.It was a sweet program and the Spirit was strong. I am so proud of my little guy and hope that he continues to be such a good kid.

Timmy and Papa looking at his new scriptures, journal, and other gifts that he got.

Thanks to those special ladies who provided the yummy refreshments and all of the rest of you who came to share this special day with us.

Happy 8th Birthday!

2011-07-29T11:34:00.000-07:00

Timmy turned 8 on the 13th. Papa and Grandma took him and the kids to Chuck E Cheese. The kids ran and ran, ate a little pizza, and Timmy opened presents. They had a blast. After that we came home and had cake and hit the pinata. We partied hard.

Timmy and his pinata...Optimus Prime.

We had cake for Timmy and Papa since Papa's birthday was a couple of days later.

They wrote Happy Birthday Kimmy and Papa so I had to improvise and fix it....not too bad.

End of baseball

2011-07-29T11:31:00.000-07:00

Well baseball finally ended. Timmy's team played two play off games and lost the last one. Timmy finally got his little trophy he waited for all season. The boys gave each of their coaches a baseball signed by each one of them, pictures of the boys, and a gift card. It was a good experience for Timmy and he really like having his dad for a coach.

Timmy, his dad, and Coach Randy

The team

Timmy's cheering section

The Rubalcavas visit

2011-07-29T11:25:00.000-07:00

Papa, Grandma, and Dallyn came out to visit us the week of Timmy's birthday. We played non stop. We went to the Hill Cumorah Pageant the first night, we BBQ'd and swam the whole week, we went to Niagara Falls, ate yummy food at this cool little restaurant called the Silo, went to a baseball game, and shopped. We stayed up late every night and slept in every morning. We had such a good time. It was so good to see them.

The kids loved the icecream at the Silo.

This was such a cool little place. It was very family friendly with a great view.

Our yummy food.

The View

I loved this picture of Toph on Papa's head.

4th of July

2011-07-29T11:20:00.000-07:00

We went to UB for the fireworks again this year with our friends and had a good time. The kids played, the adults chatted and we the fireworks were awesome. We even dressed a little patriotic too. Happy 4th of July!

5 months

2011-07-29T11:10:00.000-07:00

This little girl is 5 months already! So far she has definately been my easiest baby. She is rarely fussy, sleeps well, takes a bottle when I need her to, and sleeps through the night. She has been rolling from her back to her stomach but can't do the opposite so she cries when she gets tired of being on her tummy. I have had to trim her hair 3 times already cause it grows like a weed and is crazy. She still loves to be swaddled at night and I'm not going to change that for now because she sleeps so well. She is laughing and giggling and squealing all of the time now and the kids love it because they feel like she can interact now. She is also grabbing her toys too. She keeps life interesting for us. We love her!

Maura piled all of her toys on her.

Her first piggy tail.

Going to sleep.

Playing on the floor

What a cutie!

Happy Father's Day!

2011-06-21T18:37:00.000-07:00

Father's Day was super fun this year. The kids were so excited to give dad their presents that they made from school. Timmy gave him a tiny picture frame with a picture of the T.J. and the kids in it and a little book about his favorite things about his dad. He said his favorite thing to do with his dad was go fishing. Maura gave him a paper crown that said "king for the day" on it and made him wear it around. She also gave him a book. In the book she said that her dad was 69 years old, 50 feet tall, had black hair and brown eyes, his favorite food is green beans, and she wouldn't trade him or all her money--8 cents! We laughed and laughed over that. Topher colored him a picture in nursery and gave him a candy bar and Mila and I gave him a BBQ apron, a tie, and candy. We grilled steaks and had a yummy salad. I think he really enjoyed the day.

Camping at Home

2011-06-21T18:34:00.000-07:00

The other day T.J., Drew, and Anthony decided to take the kids "camping." They decided to go camping in the back yard. The kids were ecstatic. They ran and played and sat around the fire and got just about as dirty as they would have if they had been in the woods. Drew and Anthony set up tents but T.J. and the kids slept on the trampoline. I wasn't sure if they would make it all night, but they did. They thought it was great even though their pillows and blankets were totally soaked in the morning from the dew. They want to do it again soon.

Student of the Month

2011-06-21T18:32:00.000-07:00

Timmy was awarded the Student of the Month award in his class at school. Each teacher got to pick one student and his teacher picked him.He got this award for being respectful, kind, obedient of rules, and academic excellence. I was a proud mom. I asked him if he knew that he was getting it and he told me, "no, but I was crossing my fingers really hard that it would be me and it worked!" He is so funny! Timmy really is a great kid not only at school, but at home too. He is willing to help almost all the time. He is a special kid.

4 months old

2011-06-21T18:21:00.000-07:00

Mila turned four moths old last week. She is getting so big. She keeps us smiling all of the time. We are constantly laughing at her crazy hair, her loud squeals, and her cute giggles. She is holding her head up well and just started rolling over. She is starting to want to grab things but hasn't quite figured it out yet. She is such a sweet girl, sleeps sleeps through the night and loves to have anybody talk to her. We love our little Mila!

we are trying to clip back her crazy hair since headbands don't stay on and its a little too short for a piggy tail so we are going with a clip for now.

I can't get enough of these cute hands and feet!

More Az pics

2011-06-15T10:03:00.001-07:00

Maura at Tball

2011-06-15T10:02:00.001-07:00

I snapped a picture of Maura on her last day of tball. She had a good time but the jury is still out on whether she bats right or left handed. Maybe she'll do both!

Happy Flag Day!!

2011-06-14T18:11:00.000-07:00

Happy Flag Day! We got all dressed up in our red, white and blue today and watched the kids march around the school to show their patriotism. It was a blast!

Bike Rodeo 2011

2011-06-14T17:57:00.000-07:00

Maura's and Jada's Kindergarten Graduation/Picnic

2011-06-09T11:26:00.001-07:00

Maura and Jada had their Kindergarten Graduation/Picnic yesterday. They sang lots of cute songs and got a little certificate. On the back it told what she wanted to be when she grew up. It said, "I want to be a teacher when I grow up. I like to pass out work to the kids." After the

Maura getting her certificate from the principal.

Showing me her work

Mila sitting in the sun. She wouldn't open her eyes because it was so bright.

Eating their picnic lunch.

At the playground with her friends.

Mrs. Potkalitsky, Maura and her friend Leah

18 mile creek

2011-06-09T11:21:00.000-07:00

Trying to stay out of the sun

The kids took turns jumping off the little wall. Please disregard the background graffiti. We didn't want that in there but didn't have a choice.

T.J. trying to help all of the kids across.

T.J. had been dying to show us this fishing spot that he and Anthony found a few years ago so we let kids get in their suits and took off. They had a blast splashing in the water and throwing rocks. We ate our picnic lunch and just relaxed. It was super fun.

Our trip to Snowflake

2011-06-09T11:14:00.000-07:00

My dad came to pick us up from the Rubalcava's house and we headed to Snowflake. When we got there we had fun catching up with everybody. Mila and Taya got passed around to everyone. It was fun for me to introduce her to them. She got to meet most of her cousins and aunts and uncles. That night we went to Kody and Tyson's graduation. On Saturday we just sat around and chatted, Joele came over with her kiddos, and then we went out to eat more Mexican food. Yum! We got up early Sunday morning and all piled into Klint's new van (with room to spare) and heading back to Phoenix to get on the plane. Mila was as good back as she was on the way. It was such an enjoyable trip. It was so relaxing for me to get a little break, but I missed T.J. and the kids very much and was so glad to see them when I got home.

Mila Smiling in Grandma's lap. She was so happy the whole trip.

Joele, Kristina, and Riley

Incle bud and Alex holding Mila

Me and Grandpa Webb and Grandma Cheryl. I tried to get them to look at the camera but they couldn't hear me so Lyss just snapped the picture anyway. :)

Aunt Alyssa

Grandma and Mila

Papa, Bentley, and Mila. Bentley wasn't super excited to share her papa, but she let Mila have a knee. :)

Papa and Mila

I can't believe I didn't get any pictures of Kam and Sarah or Kody, but hopefully I steal some from those of you who did and post them here soon.

Our visit to Globe 2011

2011-06-09T11:12:00.000-07:00

Cassie and I decided to take a trip to AZ to go to graduation and to introduce Mila to our family. The night we flew in Tim and Karen came to pick us up from the airport. We had a good visit on the way back to Globe and had Burger House waiting for us when we got there...mmm! It was nice to have real Mexican food again. Then sat around and visited and passed Mila and Taya around until way late. It was so fun to see them again.

Mila and Tia Dallyn

Mila sucking on her arm while hugging grandma.

Papa and Grandma eating Burger House

Tio Alecc, Tia Dallyn, and Grandma

Giving grandma smiles

Taya and Mila and Grandma

More Baseball

2011-06-09T10:44:00.000-07:00

Getting ready to play catcher

Timmy playing 2nd

T.J. coaching 1st

Since baseball has pretty much been our life for the last 2 months, I had to post about it one more time. Timmy has a really good team this year. They have only lost one game so far which ranks them in the top 5. Timmy has gotten better and better as time has gone on and can hit the ball pretty far. He really enjoys having T.J. as one of his coaches too. Its been a fun couple of months.

My Free Babysitter

2011-06-09T10:43:00.000-07:00

When T.J. babysits this how I find him most of the time when I come home. I can't complain when its free. You don't see Mila complaining do you? He takes good care of her. :)

The Tooth Fairy is coming tonight!

2011-06-01T12:33:00.001-07:00

Timmy lost his first tooth today! I yanked it out and it flew out of his mouth. I took us a while to find it but TJ spotted it on the carpet. There were lots of tears but he survived. My baby is growing up!

Silly girl

2011-05-30T20:30:00.001-07:00

I just wanted to jot down a couple of funny things Maura has said.

About six months ago TJ asked Maura what she wanted to be when she grew up. She pondered that question for a while and matter of factly answered, "six."

The other day I told the kids that the cafeteria was serving nacho grande that day. Maura said, "I love nacho grande". TJ asked what the best part of it was and she answered, "I love the nachos and the grande."

3 months old

2011-05-19T09:46:00.001-07:00

This little dolly is 3 months old! I wish I could freeze time and keep her this small forever. She is full of smiles, does lots of cooing, and will even giggle now if something is just funny enough. She is such a good baby. She sleeps well, loves to lay on a floor, and LOVES to have her older brothers and sister hold her. We have enjoyed every second since she's been here. We love our little sissy!

Happy 11th Anniversary

2011-05-12T11:33:00.000-07:00

I can't believe its been 11 years! I am so lucky to be married to this hunky guy (he's going to kill me for posting this...haha). I'm looking forward to an eternity with him! Love you T.J.!

Game Day

2011-05-12T11:32:00.001-07:00

Here is Timmy all decked out for his first game. He looked so handsome! I had to miss it to go and take Maura to her T-ball practice but I got there just in time to see them win. Go White Sox!!

Pretty Presidency

2011-05-12T11:32:00.000-07:00

I had to post this picture of our Relief Society presidecy. I love serving with them and love and admire each one of them.

Mother's Day

2011-05-12T11:31:00.000-07:00

I am so lucky to have 4 beautiful healthy children. I hope that each day I can strive to be a better mother to them like my mom was to me.

I love my matching beauties!

The whole gang! I love them!

Maura's 6th Birthday

2011-05-12T11:29:00.000-07:00

I can't believe Maura is 6 already! Time is moving too fast for me. She made a specific request for T.J. and I: that we both come in together on her birthday and wake her up by singing Happy Birthday. We thought that was too cute to refuse. We started out the day by opening presents. Then we went to see the movie Rio with friends. After that we went to the park. We played, had pizza and cake, and opened more presents. I think she really enjoyed the day.

Mila's Blessing

2011-05-12T11:25:00.000-07:00

Isn't she an angel? We blessed Mila on May 1st. We were a little sad not to have the entire Webb/Rubalcava family with us to bless her, but we did have Drew and Cass here and our ward family so it was still a special day. Her dad gave her a very sweet blessing. It was a special day for us.

My friend Laura took these pictures of her. They are so precious.

Spring Break

2011-05-05T10:02:00.001-07:00

This is proof tha we did at least one fun thing during spring break. Most of the time we just played around the house, but one day we went to a little kid's museum and spent the morning there. The kids had tons of fun as always.

Happy Easter

2011-04-29T11:20:00.000-07:00

The Easter Bunny came to our house Saturday morning this year....it was super exciting. Then we went our ward breakfast/building clean up activity and hunted eggs there.

Then we colored eggs. The kids had a blast. And while they were doing that....Mila was doing this:

She missed the whole thing.

Here are my kiddos all spiffed up for church. Aren't they cute?

Then we had our family egg hunt.

And while the kids were eating their candy....Mila was doing this. Are you starting to see a trend here? ;)

Isn't she adorable?

New Ride

2011-04-29T11:12:00.000-07:00

Ok everyone...brace yourselves. I am driving a minivan now. Yes, I am one of those people who said they would never drive one, but after having my fourth child, it got to be very frustrating to get everyone in and out of the other car. I have to admit that I totally love it. It rides smooth, the kids can get in and out easily, and the automatic doors protect the cars that are parked next to us from my kids swinging the doors open and denting their doors. We got a few extras in it which make it even more enjoyable. Timmy named her Ellie because our licence plate number starts with ELE. I think it fits.

Kindergarten Concert

2011-04-29T10:56:00.001-07:00

Maura and Jada had a little concert at school. They were so excited, but right before the concert Maura told me, "mom, I'm just a little state fright." I thought that was so sweet. She said the adults in the audience were making her nervous. Once she got up there and got started she had a ball. She was so expressive and did every action to best of her ability. I couldn't help but giggle at her exuberance. Both girls did a great job.

The boys waiting for the concert to start. And while they were doing this.....Mila was doing this:

she missed the whole thing.

These two are best buds

Black Eye

2011-04-29T10:46:00.000-07:00

Timmy started playing baseball this month. While he was at practice one day, he took a ball to the eye and it gave him quite the shiner. I had to document the stages of it...

Stage 1: a swollen eye
Stage 2: a little purple on the eye lid

Stage 3: more purple underneath the eye

Stage 4: yellow all over

Poor kid.

8 weeks

2011-04-29T10:40:00.000-07:00

This little angel was eight weeks on April 21st. I can't believe how fast time is flying already. I have been enjoying every second of this little girl. I love to smell her neck, run my hands through her thick hair, watch her bright eyes, hold her tiny hands, and snuggle her in my arms as much as possible. I am so grateful to be her mom and I'm thankful to Heavenly Father for sending her and my other three kids to me. I am so blessed to be their mom and I love them so much. Sometimes they are not easy to take care of, but I have to remind myself that they will only be little for a short time and I should cherish every moment. I sure am a lucky mom.

taking a bath

T.J. was putting gel in her hair and giving her some groovy hair do's. She doesn't seem to be enjoying herself though.

She has started to smile and coo at us when we talk or sing to her. It melts my heart. She has also started to drool and get tears when she cries...I love it!

Another Puzzle

2011-03-31T09:38:00.001-07:00

We finished another Disney puzzle for Family Home Evening the other night. This is getting to be a favorite family activity. We 7 more Disney Puzzles to finish and we are going to frame them and put them on the kids walls. They are so excited.

And while we were working on the puzzle, Mila was doing this:

what a life!

1 month

2011-03-31T09:34:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that Mila (pronounced Mee-luh for those who were still wondering) is already 1 month old already. At her appointment she weighed 8 lbs 14 oz. She is growing so fast already. She is absolutely adored at our house. She gets tons of attention and is often smothered but it doesn't seem to bother her yet. She is pretty content and sleeps pretty good at night too. We love her so much and we are so glad she came to our family.

Getting loved on by the kids.

Sleeping soundly on a blanket Cassie made.

Ready to go to the Dr.

In her hat that Aunt Sarah made her and laying on the blanket from Grandma Webb.

Soccer

2011-03-31T09:31:00.001-07:00

We signed Timmy and Maura up for soccer this year. They really really enjoyed it. They got a shirt and a ball for playing. Topher felt really bad that he didn't have his own ball that we got him one for his birthday. He kicked his ball up and down the sidelines the whole time. T.J. and I really enjoyed going each week to watch them play. They were really sad when it ended but now we're moving on to baseball!

St. Patrick's Day

2011-03-31T09:28:00.000-07:00

The leprechauns came to our house again this year. The kids were super excited. They even left the leprechauns a note thanking them for the goodies. What sweet kids, huh?

He's Finished!!

2011-03-31T09:22:00.000-07:00

Well, its official...T.J. is finally finished with his Master's degree!! He just passed his national board exam and his diploma just came in the mail. I couldn't more proud of him. It was a long road with lots of stress and worry but this little part of our journey is over. It feels good for me and I know it has to feel even better for him. Now he has a good job and is working at a hospital here. It is so awesome to get pay checks again (although we tons of loans to pay off). We aren't quit sure where we will end up settling down for good but for now we are enjoying life here in Buffalo with our little family.

This is T.J.'s graduation present. He has always wanted a salt water fish tank so he treated himself to one about a month ago. It has been an adventure learning about how it works and which fish do well with other fish, but it is pretty and the kids absolutely love it.

Wacky Wednesday

2011-03-11T06:18:00.000-08:00

Maura's class had Wacky Wednesday in honor of Dr. Seuss. She was excited to have silly hair and mismatched clothes. We even tried to get her to wear two different pairs of shoes but she wasn't too keen on that. I thought she looked great though. I sure love my Maura.

She's Here!

2011-03-10T17:35:00.001-08:00

Mila Reese Rubalcava came on February 24th, 2011 at 11:45 a.m. She weighed 7 lbs 8 oz and was 19 3/4 inches long. I went in for a scheduled c-section and everything went just about according to the plan. The Dr. discovered some adhesions during the procedure and had to fix those which made the surgery quite a big longer and not to mention more brutal. I could feel them pushing, pulling and manipulating my insides and when all the pain meds started to wear off, I felt like I'd been in a fight and had been punched in my side. It was all worth it though when I finally got to hold my little girl.

My mom flew in from AZ that night and was able to help T.J. with the kids while I was in the hospital. While she was here she did everything for me. She cleaned my house, did my laundry, cooked dinner, woke up with me in the middle of the night with me to help me with the baby, and even helped me get dressed. I couldn't have made it without her. She went home Sunday and we were so sad to see her go. Maura sobbed when she left. She kept saying that we just live too far away.

Thankfully on the day my mom left, T.J. started his vacation. He helped me so much I bet it didn't feel like a vacation to him. I am so grateful to my family (thanks Drew and Cass) and friends who helped us out that week. We appreciate all the help and are so grateful for our new little member of our family. She is a little angel and is adored by all of us (especially her brothers and sister). We are truly blessed.

Timmy's concert

2011-02-20T09:13:00.001-08:00

Timmy had a little singing concert at school this week. It super short and swee,t but so cute. Topher and Maura were captivated the whole time. Timmy even had a little solo. He did such a great job. I was very proud of him.

What a handsome boy!

Timmy and his good friend Jessi

38 weeks

2011-02-20T08:59:00.000-08:00

There is nothing I hate more than posting pregnancy pictures for everyone to see how much weight I've gained and how big I've gotten, but I needed to post at least one picture to show proof that I was indeed pregnant for the fourth time. So this is for all the girls who actually gain weight and look pregnant during pregnancy! :)

Topher's 3rd Birthday

2011-02-11T08:01:00.000-08:00

Topher had his 3rd birthday last week. He was so excited that we had been counting down for a long time. We opened presents in the morning. He got some play instruments, a big spiderman, a Woody car, and a cape made by me. He was really excited about everything and had a good day playing with Timmy and Maura. That evening we got together with Drew and Cass to have pizza and cupcakes.

Topher is such a funny little guy. He is super snuggly and loves everyone. He says some funny thing sometimes. A couple of things I can remember are "Mom, I yuv you wealwee (really) wealwee wealwee much! You the best mom in whole world!" "Dad is the wealwee best joker." "I just can't see good...i need gwasses (glasses) on my face." He keeps me laughing every day. We are so glad Topher is in our family. We love him very much!

Family Home Evening Fun

2011-02-11T07:54:00.001-08:00

My kiddos love doing puzzles. We saw this Disney one at the store and had to get it. So, for Family Home Evening we all worked together to finish it. It was super fun.

Christmas

2011-01-07T12:58:00.001-08:00

Since we had just been home to AZ we decided to stay here for Christmas this year. We definitely missed family but we had such a sweet Christmas here with just our little family. A couple of days before we had a big CRNA student party with a bunch of friends. There was tons of food lots of running around and Santa even stopped by for a visit.

The huge kid's table

The adult table

All of the food

Timmy on Santa's lap

Maura and Santa

Topher and Santa

We decided to incorporate Christmas traditions from both sides of the family this year. It was so much fun. On Christmas Eve we had a big taco dinner with Drew and Cass, we opened our jammies, and then loaded into one car to look at Christmas lights. Once we got home we read Twas the Night Before Christmas and Dad read the Christmas Story out of the scriptures. On Christmas morning we made the kids line up at the top of the stairs and came down one at a time, youngest to oldest. We slowly opened all of our presents and took the time to see what everybody got. Once we opened presents the kids ate their tiny boxes of cereal while T.J. and I cleaned up some of the mess. Then T.J. made biscuits and gravy for lunch, we opened exchange presents via skype with both sides of the family, and after naps we ate dinner at Drew's and Cassie's We had a great holiday and really felt the spirit of Christmas.

The kids just put on their new jammies.

Timmy and his pillow pet (These turned out to be the favorite of all the gifts)

Maura and her pillow pet

Topher and his monkey

Santa came!

Dressed up in our new church clothes

Aren't I lucky to have such cuties?

Winter Time

2011-01-07T12:44:00.001-08:00

Winter is here again! The kids love the snow. It means sledding and shoveling and snowmen. Well the kids are still enthusiastic about sledding but the novelty of shoveling has worn off and the kids haven't had much success with a snowman yet. At least they have quite a few months to figure it out! Here's to at least 2-3 more months of snow!

Topher after sledding

Maura and Jada playing

Timmy braving the slopes

Topher shoveling snow

All three kiddos shoveling all the way down the sidewalk.

Topher helping dad push the snow blower.

Our Thanksgiving Trip

2010-12-04T16:32:00.000-08:00

We took a trip to Arizona and California for Thanksgiving. It was a super adventure to say the least. Cassie and I flew out with all of the kids first because Drew and TJ still had school. The kids did so great in the airport and the plane. We stayed a couple of days with Papa and Grandma Rubalcava before we picked up the boys and headed out to California.

We stayed 4 days in California doing Disneyland and Knottsberry Farm. It was super crazy but super fun. Both places were packed but we still tried to fit in as many rides as we could. Disneyland was beautiful because it was decorated for Christmas. We also got to see the World of Color show in the pouring rain. We were totally soaked to the bone by the time it was over but it was fantastic. The kids got to see all kinds of characters and ride most of the rides cause they were tall enough this year. I sat out with the babies most of the time but I still had a great time.

When we came back to AZ we stayed a couple of days with Klint and Corinne. The kids had so much fun playing with cousins and the dog. Papa and Grandma Webb came to see us and so did Rich and Liesl and Joele. It was great to catch up and visit. We are glad they put up with all of us. The adventure back through the airport was not quite as smooth. 2 moms going through the airport with with 6 kids, 5 car seats, 4 suitcases, and 2 strollers is something I would definitely not recommend, but we survived it and were glad to be home. It was a wonderful Thanksgiving and we were so Thankful we got to go.

Ranan and Topher being friends.

Ranan and Topher not being friends

Mickey Mouse pancakes from Papa.

Silly boys

Glad Uncle Alecc was home from his mission

All ready to go to Disneyland

The first ride of the trip

Maura driving her own car...she giggled the whole entire time.

Thehighlight of the trip for the boys

The whole family

So pretty

The one ride Topher and Ranan got to ride at Knotts.

Getting soaked

Rock climbing

Timmy finding out what his totem was

Brother Bear

Papa and Grandma Webb with the kids

Maura decided to play Avatar in the back yard and covered herself in blue chalk....silly girl.

2nd grade project

2010-12-04T16:22:00.000-08:00

Timmy had to do a project on Native Americans for his class and we decided that we would make tools that they used so we made a mortar and pestle, an arrow head and a tomahawk. They turned out pretty good for a mom and a second grader with a little paper mache and paint. Timmy was involved with every step and did most of the work. He was very proud of the finished product.

Maura's New Specs

2010-11-14T16:41:00.000-08:00

Well our little Maura had to get glasses. She failed eye exams at the pediatrician's office and at school so we took her in to see an eye doctor. He told us that she has an astigmatism in both of her eyes and that she needs wear glasses all of the time. On the way home from picking up her glasses she asked me "what are those lines coming out of the poles?" I couldn't believe that she was just noticing power lines after all of these years. I feel bad that I didn't notice that she needed glasses earlier.

So far she has been very responsible about putting them in her case at night and being a little more careful when she plays so they don't break. She is very excited to have them and her teacher made a big deal about how great she looked in them so she would continue be excited about wearing them. I thinks she looks great too and I'm glad that she will be able to see everything better too. Love you Maura!

Happy Halloween

2010-11-06T19:02:00.001-07:00

Happy Halloween! We hope you had as good of a Halloween as we did. Here are pictures of all the festivites.

Timmy as Luigi

Maura as Supergirl

Topher as "Doody" I mean Woody. (That's what Topher calls him)

Carving pumpkins

Maura's Halloween parade at school

Timmy and Topher at Timmy class party.

Getting ready to go get some candy.

Grandma and Grandpa with the Jeep's package came!

All of my little vampires.

A visit from the Webbs

2010-11-06T18:42:00.005-07:00

We had a visit from Klint, Corinne, Jameson, and Alex a few weeks ago and we had a really good time. The first few days we just about killed ourselves with all of the touring we did, but it was fun showing them around. We went to Palmyra and the Falls and relaxed and played the rest of the time. It was great to catch up. The kids were so sad when their cousins had to leave. They are still telling me how much they miss them. Thanks for coming guys!

Getting ready to go into the visitor's center

It doesn't get much prettier than this view.

All of the kids except for Taya.

Timmy and Topher really wanted to have a picture in front of the Temple.

All of us in the Smith home. We sang I Am a Child of God and even the two year olds joined in.

I loved these two pics of the boys watching the stream.

The kiddos watching the Falls.

It's a................

2010-10-18T07:53:00.000-07:00

GIRL!!!!!

I am 20 weeks pregnant with a little girl. All of us are very excited, especially the kids. They really wanted a sister. She is due March 3rd...we can't wait!

Primary Talent Show

2010-09-23T06:08:00.001-07:00

Our ward had a little talent show for all of the primary kids. They could get up on stage to do a talent or they could display artwork etc. on tables around the room. Timmy decided he wanted to build a really cool lego airplane. He worked really hard on it for about 2.5 days. It was a hit when we got there. All of the little boys thought it was awesome. I was proud of him.

Maura and Jada decided they wanted to sing a song for their talent. I was worried they might get stage fright and not want to do it, but they did great and they were so cute. They weren't very close to the microphone so it might be a little hard to hear, but they did great!

First Day of School!

2010-09-23T05:49:00.000-07:00

The first day of school finally came on Sept. 8th! I was so excited for it to start but so were they. Timmy started 2nd grade and Maura started all day Kindergarten. Maura was so excited about riding the bus with Timmy and Jada and about taking her lunch to school to eat in the cafeteria. It was a big day for her. Timmy wasn't quite as excited to started 2nd grade because he thought there wouldn't be anymore fun in school anymore. When he got off the bus though, he said "2nd grade wasn't as bad as he thought it was going to be!" I had to laugh. Maura said her day was "perfect!" Then the next day she said that "it was more perfect than the day before!" Needless to say, she loves it.

Topher was just as excited to get ready for school as they were. Too bad he had to stay home with mom.

Timmy

Maura

The three amigos

Happily waiting for the bus.

On their way!

Topher was heart broken that he didn't get to go. He told me (with big tears rolling down his face), "they yeeve (leave) me!" He was one sad boy.

All about T.J.

2010-09-23T05:40:00.000-07:00

T.J. celebrated his 32nd birthday this year. We were able to go out for dinner and a movie and then per T.J.'s request, I tried to make my first three tiered carrot cake. Surprisingly it turned out pretty good. I hope it was a good day for T.J. We love him very much.

This fabulous picture is of T.J. on his last first day of school! Doesn't he look so happy? Well at least I was excited that this was the last semester of school. He finishes in December and I am so proud of him and all the hard work he has done to finish his degree in Nurse Anesthesia.

Summer Time

2010-09-23T05:20:00.000-07:00

I am WAY behind on blogging. I'm blaming it on feeling terrible all summer long. We kept busy though. The kids took tennis (I didn't take a pic) and swimming lessons. They really loved both and were sad when they were over. Timmy was also very proud that he moved up from level 2 to level 3. We also took a few bike rides with the whole crew. I'm sure we got some interesting looks from people passing by, but we had fun.

Timmy jumping in and Maura (right corner) swimming

The kids getting ready to to their pre-swimming stretch.

2010-07-29T12:03:00.000-07:00

We were able to go see the Hill Cumorah Pageant in Palmyra again this year. It was fun to take Drew and Cass with us. We sat on a hill in the grass and the kids were able to run and play. Since they were in such bright colors we were able to spot them a mile away. The pageant was great and we really enjoyed it. After the pageant we drove to Rochester and checked into our hotel. The next morning we took the kids to the Strong National Museum of Play. It was unbelievable! The kids could have played there 8 hours straight if we would have let them. It was really a cool place. It was a great and super busy weekend.

Timmy posing

Topher and Ranan crawling in the grass

Jada and Maura mothering Taya

Eating breakfast in our hotel room

In the play kitchen cooking and cleaning

Topher yelling at the fridge door becuase it kept slamming on him.

On stage giving a performance.

The Fruits of Our Labors

2010-07-29T11:57:00.000-07:00

Well our garden started producing. If you remember from an earlier post, we planted a very small garden with the hopes that we would get some veggies from it and we did! We have cucumbers and jalapenos coming out of our ears. The yellow squash is just about ready to pick and the strawberries are almost there too. The kids have been so excited to go look everyday and have become quite fond of cucumber salad. Hopefully someday we'll have the space to have a bigger garden.

Who's has brown eyes, brown hair, and red spots all over?

2010-07-14T18:42:00.001-07:00

Its Topher!! He started out looking like this Saturday afternoon....

Then he looked like this by the next day. Red blisters all over his body. (sorry about the sideways pics...my computer won't turn them)

Somehow my kids contracted hand, foot, mouth disease and we had a terrible weekend.

All three kids ran fevers for 2 days. The older kids got blisters in the back of their throats and Topher got them everywhere. Normally the blisters show up in the mouth, on the palms of the hands, and soles of the feet, but Topher had a severe case and blisters covered all of his arms, legs, and around his mouth. The poor little guy was miserable. He still looks really bad but is recovering quickly. I just hope all those spots don't scar my cute little guy. (don't you just love that cheesy grin?)

Happy 7th Birthday Timmy

2010-07-14T18:31:00.000-07:00

We did a little birthday party for Timmy on Saturday. He wanted to see Despicable Me so we met some of our friends and family at the movie theatre and watched it in 3-D. The kids were so cute in their glasses.

Then we went to the park to eat sandwiches, have cake, open presents, and play.

On his real birthday we made cupcakes and decorated them.

Timmy is a such a good boy. He is so responsible, loving, caring, and very helpful. We are so lucky to have him in our family and we enjoy him so much. Love you buddy!

Fourth of July Fun

2010-07-09T08:48:00.000-07:00

We had a fun 4th of July. We got to go with family and friends to UB's campus to watch the fireworks over the water. They were awesome! Probably the best I've seen. The kids had a blast running and playing before hand and the older "boys" had fun playing too. The next morning T.J. did a breakfast for us. It was a great weekend.

T.J. and Jason playing frisbee
Candice, Camille, and Cass

All the kids waiting for the fireworks to start

T.J. and I

Timmy enjoying the fireworks

Maura and Jada watching from the wagon

Topher watching from my lap. He wasn't a fan of the fireworks.

T.J. and Drew cooking breakfast

Big Boy Bed

2010-07-09T08:42:00.001-07:00

Well, its official! Topher is a big boy (with the exception of being potty trained) in a big boy bed! He made the transition easily which I'm sure is because Timmy is in the bed right next to him. He loves it and thinks he is one cool dude! I think so too!

Maura's Preschool Graduation

2010-06-22T11:04:00.000-07:00

Maura graduated from Preschool this last week. They sang a lot of their songs that they learned this year. It was so cute! She even had a speaking part. She made her dad and mom proud. We are so happy she learned so much this year from such great teachers. We are excited for her to continue on to Kindergarten!

Jada was in the audience and had to get a picture with her "Best Fwend."

Race for the Cure

2010-06-15T14:27:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday I had the privilege to run in the Susan G. Komen race for breast cancer. One of my friends in my ward who is a breast cancer survivor ask if I would run on her team. What made it even more fun was running it with my sister. It was a neat atmosphere and it was even more neat to see all of the ladies wearing survivor shirts. I thought it was a good cause to be a part of and I am grateful for the experience (even though it was sooo hot and humid and I almost threw up after it :) )

Go Team Hulse!

The family enjoying a fruit tray from McDonalds.

Me and Cass in our cute Team Hulse headbands.

Team Hulse

Bike Rodeo

2010-06-11T10:20:00.000-07:00

Timmy and Maura's school has a bike rodeo every year. The kids have a score sheet and they move to different stations to practice biking skills. They learn hand signals, control, speed, and turning skills. They were so excited and they really enjoyed themselves.

Waiting his turn

Turning corners

Figure eights

Cool Dude

Maura's class

Showing the principal thier bikes

Maura's turn

Speed demon!

Buffalo Half Marathon 2010

2010-06-08T18:51:00.001-07:00

After running a 5 mile race in November last year, my friend Camille talked me into training for a half marathon. She had already run 2 prior and was convinced we could do it, so I agreed. We started training in March and stuck to a pretty strict schedule. We ran 3 times a week...two short runs and 1 long one on Saturday. I'm not going to lie...it was really hard. We had lots of aching knees, backs, sides, and hips. There were so many times I didn't think I would make it. It was so nice to have a running buddy to keep me motivated and keep me going. I couldn't have done it without her. T.J. was really supportive as well. He was so good to watch the kids for me every time I ran. I couldn't have done it without him either.

The night before the race Cassie made us a delicious spaghetti and meatball dinner to load us up on carbs. The next morning I was so nervous that I was shaking all the way up until the gun went off. We positioned ourselves in the back with the slow runners and we kept a steady pace. T.J., Drew, Cass, and the kids didn't make it to the starting line, but caught us at mile 5. It was so exciting to see them and they were all dressed in red and gray "I Heart NY" tee shirts (coordinated by Cass and Dal). I saw them a few more times during the race, which really picked up my spirits, especially after mile 11. By that time I felt like I could barely pick up my feet but we never stopped.

As the finish line came into view, I couldn't help but get a little emotional because all my hard work had pain off. Just as we were about to cross the finish line Cass lifted Maura over the fence and she grabbed my hand and crossed the finish line with us. It was a cool moment. I had to hug my running buddy cause I couldn't have done it without her. I would have never thought in a million years that I would be able to run 13 miles. It felt so good to accomplish a goal that I worked so hard for.

Camille and I in our awesome marathon shirts the night before the race.

Getting to the race

Topher waiting to see mom

The kiddos

Our cheering section

13 miles baby!

Pre K Picnic and Garden Party

2010-06-08T18:39:00.000-07:00

The school year is winding down and both Timmy and Maura had activities on the same day. In Timmy's class they did a little program about plants/trees. They sang songs and read their reports. At the end was a little slide show with baby pictures of his classmates. It was really sweet.

He still loves his mom!

Timmy and Mrs. Christensen

Maura had a Pre K picnic with all the classes in the district. There were a lot of kids there. We didn't get to stay long because I needed to get to Timmy's program, but we had just enough time to do a little swinging and eating.

Dad, Mom, Lyss, and Kody

2010-06-08T16:11:00.000-07:00

Our last visitors were my parents and brother and sister. We had a really good time with them too. My dad took the kids to a movie, we went to a kid's run, the zoo, went ice skating, played outside, and had some good visits. We kept busy and really enjoyed each other (even though our house ended up getting broken into on Sunday afternoon after our walk). We are so thankful for all of our family who love us and took the time out to come and see us. We love visitors from home.Grandpa and the kids

Timmy reading his report to Grandma

Getting ready for the run

Sorry...my computer is not letting me rotate

Brothers

The winners!

Timmy and Maura ran pretty much the whole 2 miles. They tried so hard and were so proud of themselves. So was I.

Little Cutie

X Drew, Cass, and Jada

Lyssa

Me and Maura

Sisters

Dallyn

2010-06-08T15:40:00.000-07:00

Our next visitor was T.J. sister Dallyn. She had just graduated high school two days before so when she got here we threw her a little graduation party. It was really fun to have her here. She split her time evenly between both our house and Drew's and Cassie's house. Dallyn, Cass, and I got together a few times after the kids went to bed to watch chick flicks, we baked, and shopped more than I have shopped since I've been here. The kids loved having her around and so did we!

Dallyn and her Congrats sign

Siblings messing around with fireworks (sshhhh!)

Me and Dal

Being silly (sorry Dal...I had to!)

Dal and the kids

Kam, Sarah, and Bentley

2010-06-08T15:28:00.000-07:00

In the last three weeks we have had 3 sets of visitors. Our first visitors were my brother Kam, his wife Sarah, and their daughter Bentley. They did most of their sight seeing with Drew and Cassie since my kids were still in school, but we still had a blast. We just seemed to be able to pick up where we left off seeing them last. It almost seems like time hadn't passed since we saw them last. On one of the nights they stayed with us we had fondue (a family favorite). Not only did we cook chicken, beef, and veggies, we also dipped fruit, pretzels, and marshmallows in chocolate. It was fabulous! Everyone enjoyed it...especially the kids (notice their messy faces). We are so glad they came to see us. We hope they had a good time!

Fondue Faces

Maura and Bentley playing (they loved each other)

Cassie, Kam, Sarah, Timmy, and Drew

Gardening

2010-06-01T10:51:00.000-07:00

I had a lot of help planting our little garden this year. Each of the kids got to pick one flower plant they wanted to plant and help grow. We also decided to try strawberries, jalapenos, cucumbers and squash. The kids have been really excited to water it so far, let's hope that zeal continues.

Fishin'

2010-06-01T10:39:00.000-07:00

T.J. invited the kids and I to go fishing with him last week. T.J. is a pretty serious fisherman so he must have been feeling nice to invite us all to come. Within the first 5 minutes Maura had caught a little Blue Gill and within about 10 minutes, Timmy had one too. Topher and I just sat on the rock and had a snack. We only stayed for an hour cause it got a little chaotic, but it was nice to see the kids go fishin'.