Happy Birthday Delaina and Kinsey

On May 22nd and 26th were birthdays of two amazing people my life and the life of our family.

They both happen to share some really neat qualities and attributes: generous, kind, helpful and amazingly intelligent as well as recent college graduates!! Since the best pictures I have of of them also come with their significant other I will take this time to extend my gratitude for each of them because I am thankful to them for taking good care of our precious sisters who are now also some pretty awesome aunts

Sister and Aunt Delaina who turned 40

and the another

Sister and Aunt Kinsey who turned 28

We love you and so do our little boys Brody and Ryan!!

Last Day of School!

Brody finished his Special Ed preschool on Thursday

Even though Brody has only been going to preschool since March he has done so good and made lots of improvements. Yesterday was his last day of school. As much as I miss the little guy three mornings a week I will miss seeing him get on the bus because I knew he was going to a place that was so good for him.

Jake and I took Donna (Jake's Mom who works for a junior high) and Brody out to Chili's to celebrate the last day of school. We of course took Evan and Ryan cause we had to and plus they are such good boys. Due to little money and rarely having room for everyone in a vehicle it is rare that we go out to eat so it was a nice treat for us.

Brody has made lots of small improvements with his speech. Brody still does not consistently talk but every once and a while he says eat, apple, dog, go, nana for banana, and he signs as well as trying to say more, fish ball, milk and please. More recently he has been saying a lot of letters cause he is obsessed with the alphabet and just this week the big news is Brody can say 1-10!!! As with most kids his speech isn't totally clear and understandable but you can tell that is what he is trying to say and for our little Brody it is huge!!

Luckily Brody is doing 2 summer special ed preschool sessions through Mesa Public Schools and we are really excited that with his little improvements just since March that he will have something to help keep those skills stay alive throughout the summer!!

Happy Summer!

3 month olds...already?

I can't believe my baby Ryan is already 3 months old. It goes by WAY to fast.

I feel this is a magic number with babies cause they move from being a newborn to a baby. Not a big deal but again, to me, it means that much cuter, more entertaining and a little more independent.

The big strides Ryan has made in his short life is that he is out of all his newborn clothing into 3-6 months clothes. He is sleeping through the night which means he has his last feeding around 8 or 9 pm and sleeps from 10 pm to around 6 am!!! Ryan has found his thumb!! He follows people with his eyes (sometimes) and he coos and makes babbling noises. Ryan started smiling at 2 months and by now smiling a lot. Other than just before he naps or sleeps and when he needs to eat he is rarely fussy. Ryan and Brody have yet to bond but I know there is plenty of time for that.

Needless to say we are enjoying our little Ry guy lots and lots!!

Lots of smiles


And more double chins!!

I used his favorite blanket as the backdrop!

I can't believe Jake and I together make such adorable babies!!

Yeah - he found his thumb

Ryan's thumb sucking always has to be coupled with him grabbing his hair for some reason

Unfortunately, he can't always find his thumb at this point so it makes him mad

Started sleeping in his crib a few weeks ago

Nothing sweeting than the face of a sleeping baby

Women who amaze me

I meant to do this Saturday or Sunday last week but with Mother's Day and all the prep for it I wasn't able to.

There are some women in my life who amaze me and are a constant example to me of what it means to be a mother. From their many sacrifices and unselfish ways to the nurturing and love that they give to their children. These are an array of women: young and...older as well as some related to me and some who are friends. The women are at different phases of being a mother: mothers to adult children, mothers who work, mothers who stay at home, mothers who have little children and such.

My ever amazing mother-in-law Donna. I live with this women and am lucky and blessed enough to see on a daily basis how wonderful she is and all the little and big things she does to care for her family...especially mine!

Then there is my mother, Adele. I can't say enough about her. My mom is the greatest example to me of a Christ-like person. She seems to give an unless supply of love and support to her adult children and yes she still has to deal with some of us more as a mother than as a friend and she does it with charity and love.
Jake's sister Melissa has three beautiful kids. While she works so hard at a job she hates Donna and I help watch her kids after they get out of school till Melissa picks them up. Melissa's kids are an amazing product of who she is and what she has done as a mother. Plus she sacrifices so much of herself to be at this job in order to help provide for her family.

Then there is Amber who is one of my best friends. Her husband Chad has a daughter from his first marriage so that meant Amber started her marriage out as a mother. I think that has got to be difficult regardless of who the child is. And boy has she done an great job at that. True I don't get to see her daily and I don't know all the details of her mothering but I have heard her talk about Brooklyn and I have been around Brooklyn - yeah Amber is pretty amazing. Then last year Chad and Amber welcomed a beautiful baby girl named Ivy Sunshine. She soaks her children in her love, kindness, peace, and amazing spirit.

This is the best picture I could get of Jada cause she hates being in pictures. To be honest she will be mad when she sees I took a picture of her. Jada is my oldest sister. Jada didn't plan on having the children she did but due to her super-human power of fertility she has had two wonderful kids who are hilarious and bring light and laughter to all around them.

Then there is Jake's sister Sarah who has a little boy Brody's age and a little girl on the way. Sarah is the funniest girl around and is passing on wonderful and funny qualities to her son and I am sure soon to her daughter. Sarah has been a working mom even though she hasn't really wanted to in order to provide for her family. Sarah has been able to work and then come home to be a marvelous mother who is adored by her son.

Natalie is my other best friend who was a mother before Amber and myself and she has been a great source of advice and fun to hear little stories about her kids. Natalie emanates the joy of motherhood. Not to say others I have talked about in post haven't but Natalie stands out in my mind. Natalie has three children two of whom are 10 months apart! As much of a challenge that has been for Natalie she hasn't let on that it has been. She of course like the other women I have mentioned amaze me!!

"Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come. She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness. She looketh well to th eways of her household, and eateth no the break of idleness. Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her." Psalms

Best Mother's Day!

I was filled with so much love on Mother's Day that I just had to share wonderful day.

Firstly, Jake let me sleep in. With a crazy toddler and a newborn who wakes in the night still this is the ideal present - if he did nothing else this would have been the best present. Second, Jake came in the bedroom with Brody in his arms. Jake played a video of him and Brody making me a Mother's Day card. Then they gave me the card. This was special for me because with Brody not even able to say Mommy or any words its nice see the experience of making the card.

Jake bought flowers and a sweet card. Since my kids are too little to do anything on their own for Mother's Day Jake did an amazing job pampering me and making me feel special because I am the mother of his children!!
Then Jake made me and his Mom a delicious Mother's Day breakfast. Eggs, bacon, sausage, strawberries, and to top everything off Jake made his famous and super hummy french toast (the secret he uses Texas Toast bread) also the cinnamon and sugar make it fabulous.

Normally Jake works Sunday (such is the unfortunate life of working retail) but he had an arrangement with his co-worker that, since he wanted to leave early, Jake could come in late. So after the filling breakfast Jake and I were able to cuddle on the couch while Ryan was relaxed in Jake's arms. Brody played and was in and out of the room. I sat there with my husband and my two little ones and was very grateful for my blessings (making Jake's crappy job and financial problems disappear from my mind).

Then once Jake left, Donna and I got the boys done up and went to church. Everything was great and very inspiring and uplifting. There was a hand out with quotes and words about women and motherhood and a part that spoke to me was:

"A Mother's Love is something that no one can explain,

It is made of deep devotion and of sacrifice and pain,

It is endless and unselfish and enduring come what may

For nothing can destroy it or take that love away.

It believes beyond believing when the world around condemns,

And it glows with all the beauty of the rarest, brightest gems."

To top the day off we had a wonderful dinner with Jake's family where we replicated Costa Vita's sweet pork salads and burritos. SOOO GOOD!

Time with family, ate delicious food and my soul was inspired - nothing better and exactly what I would even hope to want on a day honoring Mothers.

Ryan's blessing

So this past Sunday was when Ryan got his blessing at church. We had a family get-together after church with my family and Jake's. It was fun and we got some interesting pictures!

Baby Ryan in his little blessing outfit

This was suppose to be a family picture but Brody was not cooperative

My Mom and Dad and our little family

Ryan is asleep, Brody is covering his eyes, my mom is in the middle of talking and Jake, my mom and myself all have our eyes closed...not a very photogenic bunch as you can tell - except for my Dad

In just the past two weeks Brody has become obsessed with our camera so now - unless he is distracted - its pretty difficult to take a picture of him cause he wants to look at the camera and the picture above illustrates that

I wanted to take this cute picture with my little toddlers - the one I watch during the day and my own. The picture above is the best we could do. My eyes are practically closed and the two boys are looking somewhere else.

As much as I hate pictures of myself there is nothing like a mommy and her baby

Miller family - big family plus toddlers that can't hold still and a Jack and Melissa are trying to get Gavin to come take a picture

My family - the Lewis family (minus my sister's family cause he kids were sick)

Gage's birthday party

I used to nanny a wonderful little boy named Gage. Though I haven't been able to see him as much since I stopped taking care of him this boy has brought so much joy to my life. Gage not only is a handsome little boy but he is kind, thoughtful and the sweetest child you will ever meet. As my boys get older I can only hope my boys are as great as Gage.

This past weekend we went to Gage's party to celebrate his 4th birthday! As I was around him the other day I noticed that all the things I have observed about him are just as true today as they were just over 2 years ago when I first met him.

Here are a few pictures from the party

My little runner!

As some who have been to our house lately might now - Brody LOVES to run. It seems like he jogs or runs everywhere he goes. But specifically he loves to run from his old room through the little hallway into the living room on the couch. Brody runs this route at least 10 to 20 times a day (its like he is exercising). Sometimes his buddy Evan joins him. Also accompanying the ritual - for some reason - there has to be squealing or yelling. For those who think, "Oh and it must be great cause he getting all his energy out" NO since Brody has started doing this he is still taking 2 hours to fall asleep for his nap and at night!!

Of course when I pulled the camera out to get some footage of Brody's daily laps he seems to be running at a slower rate cause normally he is really fast - for a 2 year old (I guess the camera and me paying more attention to what he is doing was distracting).

We have hopes of a track & field star!!

Also to go along with this post I thought I would include some pictures of my new favorite shoes of Brody's - they don't match everything but I love them and they look all sporty!