Dinner at the Rainforest Cafe

A couple weeks ago, we went to the Rainforest Cafe for dinner at the MGM after we watched the lions. Didnt get ay good pics of the animals . . . . well maybe a few.

"Mom, what are you smiling at?"

Making monkey noises. I have a love/hate relationship with restaurants that you can yell at the top of your lungs and make monkey noises and no one turns around.

Happy Birthday Dane!

We celebrated Dane's birthday 2 weekends ago, It was John Deere themed right down to the cake, balloons and party favors.

Meesy Bree after yummmy cupcakes

The Gang

Messy Cam

Isn't she lovely?  wonderful, precious . . . . reminds me of the Stevie Wonder song.

Another look through my window

Phone call

The view from my window

How to eat your Veggies

We call Cam the Garbage Disposal sometimes. 

He eats everything and plenty of it. AND he has fun doing it. 

I love this kid.

Kari's Wedding Shower

Kari will be married in 4 weeks, so we had a Wedding Shower for her. 

Thank you to Amanda for the use of her house for the day.

Nora was our youngest attendee. 

Our friends

Goodies

Dress the Bride 

3 rolls of toilet paper per team of 3 and 5 minutes to create the best dress.

Here you go Kyle, this is what Kari is wearing in 4 weeks. Stunning isn't she?

Just hope it doesn't rain.

All the blushing brides,

Denita, Crystal, Grandma Vi, Riana, Kari and Nancy (mother of the groom)

Cammie Pants at 17 Months!

I want to remember that you are getting silly. You roll on the ground and laugh at Carter. You think it's hilarious when I give you raspberries on your cheeks. You still LOVE to eat - ask Sandy, that's an understatement. I think you eat her out of house and home during the day and come home to try to finish our fridge off too. You are only 4 inches shorter than Carter now. You love to watch airplane sin the sky. You like the words BALL, DON'T, Stop!, Plane, Bus, Grape, Juice, Daddy, Momma and Apple. You have only said Carter once or twice but you'll get it before too long. You have to sleep with your 2 blankies and your teddy bear lovey. You love any ball. Football, baseball, golf, tennis, you name it and you've got to have it! You dance the best jig.
I am left with this thought of you today. . .

As I took a shower yesterday you stood in the full length mirror and made silly faces at yourself. When you found one that really tickled you, you laughed a full belly laugh and shook your little butt like a duck drying his feathers off. I laughed so hard that I startled you and you squinted your eyes at me and snorted a little embarrassed I caught you. You make me feel the purest of joy it's hard to contain. I love you Cam.

31 months

Just something to remember from the day you turned 31 months:

Carter: Hey Mom?
Me: Hey Carter?
Carter: Hey Mom?
Me: Yes Cubby.
Carter: I really miss Seattle.
Me: Oh, me too buddy. What do you miss?
Carter: I miss Pappa and his snow.
Me: Well, me too. We are going to go visit on a plane in July, there won't be any snow but we can see Grandpa.
Carter: How come snow?
Me: No snow because it melts when it gets warm outside. So it's all gone in July (hopefully)
Carter: Well, can we at least ride the tractor!
Me: Yes sir! That will be fun won't it?
Carter: Uuuhhhhuhhh.

All this conversation on the way to work left me wishing I could spend the whole day talking to you. You have such amazing memory and expression.

I like to Move it Move it!

Jhett's Birthday Party

Jhett turned ONE on 2/15/09. He had a party at the park last Saturday.

Rubber ducky theme, yummy food, bubbles, cupcakes and playing in the grass made for a perfect day.

The Birthday Boy!!!

MMmmmmmm

"Umm, do I have something on my face?"

I'm happy.

The cupcakes were soooo good I think I'll eat my arm.

Opening presents. Help from Dane.

Blowing bubbles.

Grandma and Ellie

Our future football star.

"Just wait till I can get down and play with everyone, just wait" - Ellie

Mike and sweet Nora

Frisbee, Nice catch Kevin. (Good throw Camden ;)

Bubble blowing

All the "Big" kids playing.

Dane, Carter, Nathan, Camden, Bree and Lincoln

Rock climbing

Happy Love Day

Valentine's Day was spent with the ones I love.

We had a great date on Friday with Mike and Amanda at Melting Pot to kick off the LOVE weekend.

Saturday our littlest Valentines woke up to new special cars from Daddy. 

They had such fun racing them together.

I was spoiled with flowers and a new Coach purse, cards from all my loves and the tickets to take Carter to Thomas the Train Live that afternoon. It was my first date with Carter and I will remember his glee forever.

We had a great Valentine's Day. My absolute favorite holiday by far and it's no wonder with the way I get spoiled. 

And with that I leave you with kisses from Cam

Favorite Find

Just some old pictures I love.

30 months or 2 and a 1/2!

• You still LOVE fruit snacks.
  
• You used the word "apologize" the other day.
  
• You love to go to watch basketball games with Daddy and Cam.
  
• You are not interested in the potty, but will go with the promise of a treat. You wake up dry everyday.
  
• You can put the appropriate little person in the right train. I.E Fireman goes in the firetruck, conductor goes in the train.
  
• You smile and dance when Daddy comes home. 
  
• You talk non-stop. Complete sentences, whole conversations.
  
• You have incredible hearing. You will be spelling too, if you continue to listen to our conversations.
  
• You think my heels mean Daddy and I are going out on a date. You are usually correct.
  
• You like to dance to the Wiggles. You love the movies, Kung Fu Panda (Kung Food) and Toy Story.
  
• You tell on Dane, "Dane crashed me!" even when Dane is hundreds of miles away in Tahoe.
  
• You still laugh at the word BROCCOLI!, and also love to eat it.
  
• You call Camden "Cammie"
  
• You have to have everything just so in order to go to sleep at night. Pillow on the right, doggie on the left. Water cup being held by Doggie. Ice pack next to water cup just in case you get an "owie" in the middle of the night. Lovely next to Doggie, water cup, ice pack. Turtle light on, and a binkie.
  
• You are not interested in coloring or anything artsy, unlike me.
  
• You line everything up, by color, or shape and get upset when it isn't just right, like me.
  
• You love music and can tap a beat perfectly, like Daddy.
  
• You'd rather have a time out than say sorry.
  
• When you discovered I had a cold, you said "sneeze and be all better."
• You like to eat cheeseburgers, steak, teriyaki chicken, corn and yogurt. 
• You want to go on an airplane EVERYDAY to see Grandpa in Seattle.
• You are fascinated by Band-Aids right now.
• The other day you called Auntie Erin all by yourself by hitting send on my phone, and had a 2 minute conversation before I discovered what you were doing.

Visiting the Lions

Feeling fortunate when the unfortunate happens.

Last week was enlightening to say the least, some I can share, other moments that affected me beyond what I thought was possible will have to stay secret. I will share this though, with hopes that it makes you value the here and now, and the people you count closest like I discovered this week.

Long story short, I'm back working at the insurance office, selling life, health etc etc . . . I have worked there for 5+yrs now, on and off, and have found that while I don't "know" all our clients, I do know of their lives, their children, there ups and downs, loss of jobs, health issues, new homes, new children, new cars, loss of a home, car accidents, fires, floods, and now and again the unfortunate death. Last week was one of those weeks. 

A 50 something woman, thought to be healthy, called her husband at lunch time to tell him she wasn't feeling well. She asked him if he would come home on his lunch hour. When he arrived, he found she had already called an ambulance and claimed she was feeling out of sorts. She walked into the ambulance, they drove to the hospital, no sirens, no speeding, relatively uneventful. . . and then she flat lined in the parking lot of the hospital and never regained consciousness. She leaves behind a devastated husband who depended on her for everything, and two sons that are my age. Gone, just - like - that. 

I found myself grieving for their loss. Knowing that had that happened to my own family I too would feel like so much was left unsaid. Often I think things during the day that go unrelayed to my loved ones, out of pure laziness or lack of "just the right way" to say something. I still don't have the words I would say to everyone I love if I only had till lunchtime. 

I do know this though, that I feel more fortunate for today than I did for last week, more fortunate for just another day with the ones I love. I will no longer waste minutes analyzing what could have, should have or would have.  I will stop fixing and start living in the moment and appreciating all that I have instead of fighting what just is. I owe that to myself and to the ones I love. 

I will value the here and now.