Happy Birthday my sweet, sweet baby Girl! It's been a whirlwind of a day but don't' worry mommy didn't forget about you...better late then never right? My sweet darlilng, you are so very special to your daddy and me I hope and pray that you will always know that! You are so beautiful and you often remind me so much of your beautiful Grandma Lilly. I knew when I found out that I was pregnant with you that no test would have to confirm what I already knew in my heart...that I was finally getting my baby girl! I also knew that you would be a loving and strong-willed little girl if you in any way took after your mommy or your Grandma...so needless to say I knew early on I had my work cut out for me with you! :-)It's been a wild ride, and we do but heads now and again (because we are so alike), but you have always brought so much joy, so much love, so much innocence and loveliness to our lives. You came into this world in a slightly dramatic fashion and knowing you like I do now, it shouldn't have happened any other way. :-D. You brighten up my day with your beautifully dimpled smiles, and your funny stories. I love to watch how you manage to wrap every man in your life around your tiny, chubby, little finger! I love to see how your eyes light up when you see your daddy, or grandpa, your brothers or your uncle Carlo. I love how you've got a mind of your own. Your strong-willed, and opinionated but you have a joy for life! You are so loving and so sweet, so funny, so smart and so adorable. I love to watch you get down and wrestle with the boys one minute and then get all dressed up the next! I love how you tell me on a daily basis that Carson is your best friend! But most of all I love how much you love to shop and I love how you always tell me how pretty I look when I take you in the dressing room with me to try on clothes! You are my shopping mate. You are my lilli-vanilli-bean. My sweet baby girl, and today you are 3! I love that you woke me up this morning jumping up and down beside my bed with excitement that "today is my birthday and now I am BIG!" I love that on your own you've decided that with turning 3 came new responsibilities as well as new privileges. You always seem to make us smile and you know just how to brighten our days! I can not believe that 3 years have gone by since you came into our beautiful family! We wouldn't be complete without you, you hold such a special place in our lives and we love you so very much! So I hope you had a fantastic 3rd birthday my lovely, little, darling, girl!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY LANDON! My little man, my baby, the funniest, slyest (sp?), most loving, and mischievous 2 year old I have ever met! My baby is 2 and it's bittersweet for me, but mostly sweet! I love to see my little man growing up! Landon you are without a doubt a blessing in our lives! Though you came as a surprise to your daddy and me, and there may have been tears (tears of fear more than anything)in the beginning, since the moment you came into our lives you've done nothing but make us smile and laugh and bring us tons of joy each and every day! I love your your mischievous little smile that helps you get away with murder and your lovely little dimpled cheeks. I love your fun-loving personality and how you always lighten up the mood with your dancing and silliness! I love how much you love your big brother and sister and are always giving them hugs and being their shadow! I love how your are such a sweet little boy who cries out of concern when someone else is crying! I love to hear your sweet little laugh, it always brightens up my day! I look forward to your wonderful little kisses every morning! I love your spunk and your little attitude and how at the age of 2 you have already have mastered not only your "I'm heartbroken...give me whatever I want look," but also your "I've never been more upset with you, check out this glare I'm shooting your direction" look. I love the way your hair has that swirly cowlick right in the front that always makes your hair look neatly combed (even if it hasn't been). I love the energy you bring wherever you go and how you brighten everyday of our lives! I love how at 6 months old you earned the nickname "TROUBLE" and that it fits you perfectly to this day! I think you are the coolest two year old and we love you so very much! Happy birthday little man.
The first pics are Landon at 3 weeks old, and then last week. Funny little dude!
Ah my baby boys are growing up...despite my pleading that they won't. :'-( As we are creeping up on Landon's 2nd birthday Chris and I realized that it was time to get Landon into a "big boy bed." (Traditionally on our kids 2nd birthday is when we finally switch them over from a crib to a toddler bed). I thought however that this go around we might as well jump in all the way by looking into getting the boys bunk beds. Some friends of ours recently got bunk beds and told us a great place to go so I decided this past Labor day to start the hunt. I had looked a little online and kind of new the style I wanted, but the hard part was going to be matching the bed color to the boys existing bedroom furniture. My mom and I took full advantage of the Labor Day sales though and we went out and started our search. Of course we shopped around a bit but in the end the place we were referred to ended up being "the one." We found better than what we were looking for and were able to match the colors exactly. We even got the mattresses and drawers for underneath the beds (gotta love the storage wherever you can get it) for one great low price! I was super proud of myself for doing so good and Chris was feeling great because I bought the already put together floor model (so that meant less work for him...which was good because he HAD to be done by the start of the OU/BYU game.) I love the beds and the fact that they can be separated into two single twin beds if needed. I love that the headboards are bookcases which Carson loves because he can line up his cars there, or keep a stash of books and a night light for reading (when he's supposed to be sleeping.)
My mom even helped me out by getting the new bedding for the beds (don't know why but that part of the equation never crossed my mind...thanks mom!) Of course we went sports theme and gotta love Target they've always got the cutest stuff!
We got the beds all set up that day and I've gotta say I've never seen two little boys more excited to go to bed than mine where that night! Landon was so excited and so proud of himself. I worried about him in a twin with no rails, but he did great and to this day he's only fallen out like 2 times...low drop though so he's okay! Carson did great too, I was worried he'd get scared sleeping on the top bunk, but he's been great and he loves going up and down the ladder! He thinks he's just the biggest little boy now!
My only problem is that now Landon can climb in and out of his bed. He stays fine when we put him there at night the problem is that he comes running in my room almost every night at like 4 in the morning just because he can. He comes in so excited and proud of himself that he made it in there all on his own. I'll send him back and he goes just fine and will sleep until morning...unfortunately he didn't get that memo that once mommy's awake she's awake...needless to say getting up at 4 in the morning helps me get more done in my day but sure leaves me exhausted!
Oh and yes that's a step stool under the ladder...turns out Carson's not quite tall enough to reach but with the stool it's perfect.
Thanks a ton Grandma Suzi and Grandpa Gaylen! :-D
Another fun-filled Saturday in our great backyard! Have I mentioned how much we LOVE having a backyard? ;-) This was just last weekend! (Yep that's right I'm almost caught up!) It was such a great Labor Day weekend, we kicked it off by asking the kids before they went to bed on Friday to each tell us one thing that they wanted to do the next day...and 1. it had to be fun, and 2. it had to cost little to nothing, and we promised we'd do it! Of course they loved that idea! Carson said he wanted to play baseball outside, Lilli said she wanted to make cookies, and Landon just said, "bubbles" So Saturday morning we woke up ate breakfast and started our busy, fun Saturday! I managed to get some pictures of the days activities minus the cookies...forgot to take pics of that. The kids had fun though and they really liked that they got to pick what we were going to do.Landon loved the bubbles, he always eats more than he manages to blow out though. Carson was so excited to play baseball with Daddy...he's becoming a good little ball player, I'm thinking T-ball may be in our very near future! And Lilli definently has her mommy's love for baking! I had to duck out in the middle of the day because I was on a mission to find the boys some bunk beds and really thought I should take advantage of all the Labor Day Sales! I was successful and of course those pics will be coming up. Oh also there are a few pics of the new play set that we were blessed to receive! My dad called Chris one day and said that one of his clients called asking for them to come and remove it and get rid of it and told my dad if anyone wanted it they could have it...so lucky us for being in the right place at the right time! It's a great play set, in good condition a few of the pieces of wood were rotted out buy my handy hubby did a great job of changing the wood out and he and one of his friends put it all together. Though technically there is still an arm that attaches that has the swings and teeter totter, and it needs sand for the sandbox...still waiting for that before I call it job done! (hint hint Chris)I love that it has two slides (cuts down on the crying) and that it has a climbing wall on the other side. The kids also really love that the bottom is an enclosed little room or their "fort." It's great and I'm so happy we got it but more happy we had a great big backyard to put it in!
It's been so wonderful being in our new place and having this great big backyard to enjoy! The kids are really loving it and so is Raja! Since it's been so HOT out lately we thought it would be nice to fill up the pool and let the kids splash around for the afternoon...Besides they still had a new sprinkler water toy that made its way back from Utah that they hadn't had a chance to break out yet. (These pics are from about two weeks after we moved in, so a while ago keep that in mind). They had a blast splishing and splashing around in our great big backyard running and screaming and throwing Raja in the pool (which he did not like at all). Since this fun day in the pool we have actually taken up a good chunk of the backyard with a new play set...but those pics will be coming soon. It's been so nice having space to move around and especially to have a yard to send them out to play in so I can catch my breath or get some cleaning done. They actually spend a pretty good chunk of their day outside running around which I LOVE! The only thing is that Chris sprayed the yard for mosquito's and it's been better but we finally had to say any time after 5 is play inside time...they just get so eaten up by mosquito's despite the spray and despite spraying the kids...they're resilient little buggers! The kids don't seem to mind too much though they'd spend all day out there I think if we'd let them...especially when it involves playing with water!
Super Funny Kids Quotes!
New Quotes.:
I asked the kids if they wanted mommy to have another baby? They said yes so I asked Lilli if she would want a little brother, to which she replied, "We already have a little brother...it's over there."
Carson and I were playing Go Fish and as usual he beat me pretty bad ;), he quickly ran to tell daddy, "I cleaned the foor with mommy!"
I plan out the dinners for the month on a calander in the kitchen and Friday's are always pizza days. A few Friday's ago Carson was so excited ALL day for Pizza. He kept asking if it was time yet, I kept telling him it wasn't pizza time yet and finally when Chris got home from work Carson ran up to him and asked, "Daddy, NOW is it Pizza O'clock?" (translation, "is it Pizza time yet)
On the Fourth of July Chris and I took the kids to see the fireworks show and we were eager to see what Landon's reaction would be to them. As soon as they started, he got a little startled but it quickly turned to excitement and then he would point to them and say "POPCORN!"
We often drive by the new Cowboys stadium and Carson will ask about it we'll tell him it's where the Cowboys play football...the other day we went there to drop Chris and a few of my brothers off to watch a soccer game, and Carson asked about what they were going to watch, I said soccer this time not football. A week later at church when we were walking the halls Carson asks about the pictures of the Temples on the wall so we'll tell him they are Temples and explain about them and he turns to us and asks, "But what about the soccer Temple? Where's the picture of the soccer Temple?" (it's a BIG stadium and I guess to him it looked like it should be on the wall of Temples.)
We were going grocery shopping the other day, Carson asked where we were going and I told him to the food store. Right then we passed McDonalds and he asks me, "At McDonalds they sell food right?" I said yes and he asks, "If they sell food there, then it's a food store right?" I again say yes I suppose so, and he says, "Well if it's a food store, then maybe we should go there this time."
When we were in Utah Uncle Daniel would take the kids out on the trampoline every now and then. Once they were out there and Lilli was bothered that Carson was jummping and bouncing her all around so she tells him, Carson stop, you're making me bounce and Carson replied, "that's not my problem." (A little rude.)
We went to lunch one day to Paradise bakery and Chris and I got a bowl of creamy potato soup. We sat down started eating and the kids started inquiring about our soup. We said it was potato soup with cheese...Carson shoot up and said to Chris, "That sounds like my kind of soup!" (We were laughing hysterically!)
