Blue Lightening

The soccer season is half way through & Parker is loving it!

He refused to play in the first game but after a small bribery for icecream to play in game #2, he has been chasing that ball ever since.

I have no shame in bribing my kids and find that it almost always works when chocolate is involved.

His self-proclaimed trademark thus far is apparently his speed. He likes to show us how he is so "super fast".

And super fast this 4-year-old is.

To my surprise he got a bit aggressive last game (note left pic above)...yikes. It was all friendly aggression - he was trying to hold his own against a couple of pushy opposing teammates. The "no arms" in soccer rule hasn't quite sunk in yet I guess.

Note his "keep your arms straight out" tactic below.

Well, whatever. It was working successfully for him anyways. :)

Some of P-Man's favorite things to do are run around and play with friends, so so far soccer is suiting him great!

I am just happy for any extracurricular activity that involves my kids having fun and good old- fashioned excercise.

I would call this little cutie the team cheerleader but honestly she is just more interested in having fun, swinging (of course), looking cute and giggling with her darling friend Brynn.

A typical girl at a sporting event, right?

Well, typical for some of us anyways. :)

GGGGoooooooooooooooooo SOCCER!!!

Older and wiser

Last Wednesday...I turned... are you ready? Hold onto your seats!

The Big 31!

Nah, I'm not afraid to admit my age. My 30th year was a great one and truthfully I wasn't sad to leave my 20's behind last year. At all. But then, 30's are the new 20's, right? Er so I've heard anyways. On Oprah maybe...?

I used to think thirties were so old. But in my world perpetually looking 18 seems to be my reality, so I guess I embrace the whole aging process thing (minus the post child bearing belly pooch and wrinkles of course). The fact that I am 5'2 (okay 5'1 & 1/2)and weigh what I did when I was 13 doesn't exactly help my cause for looking like a legal adult with 2 kids. But hey - for the record, I like being short. Okay, except for maybe when I have to climb on the counters like my four-year-old to reach things ...oh and when all the pants I try on are 6 inches too long...& maybe when when we get a new Beehive in our class at church and they think that I am their classmate rather than their teacher...yeah that's an awesome one...but that's a whole other blog post.

Well, on with my birthday extravaganza...I wanted to do something fun as a fam of four that day and Chris didn't go into work until that afternoon, so off we went to the Farm at Thanksgiving Point. I love that place & so do the kiddos - as you can see:

Emmie got such a kick out of the animals! She did a lot of giggling. Parker loved riding the horses like a cowboy. He must get that from his Dad, who won't admit it but I'm pretty sure his secret dream is to be a cowboy. For real. (& a cute cowbay he'd make in them cowboy boots and tight jeans if I do say so myself!;)

From the pic below can you guess what Chris gave me for my birthday?

No, not a bunch of stinky animals. Although I do think it'd be fun to live on a farm. Minus the stinky animals. Hey maybe that would fulfill Mr. Cowboy's fantasy...

ANYWAYS, Cowboy Chris gave me a new lens for the sweet camera he gave me last Christmas. It makes a huuuge difference in the pics. Can you tell? Or is it just me? I still haven't read my 500 page manual for this camera. But no worries, it's on that running list of things to do that I never have time to do but when I do, I'm sure I'll knock your socks off with my fantabulous images! LOVE that gift and I'm so excited for it!

After the farm we went over to the cafe at the Emporium for some lunch. This little girl made my day watching her eat her first ice cream cone. What a mess! Oh how I love her.

Fun times!

Just so you know...

These cookies.are.AMAZING!

It's highly unfortunate that they magically find their way into my cart at the grocery store almost every visit.

Because I will eat them.

All of them.

I usually have great self control when it comes to food.

NOT with cookies.

Especially these cookies.

Parker loves them too.

It's a problem.

I'm just sayin'.

A Good Friday

My sweet Dad treated us to a day at the zoo last Friday!

The crowds were nonexistent, the weather was perfect, the animals entertaining....what a great outing!

The elephants, beautiful giraffes, and the silly monkeys (who kept the kids giggling) were the top favorites. As well as the carousel and train rides of course!

On the way home, we stopped by my cute Grandma's house whose birthday present for Miss Em had come late in the mail, but was now ready and waiting. Isn't it a darling suitcase? It was well worth the wait! :) It was even filled will all kinds of cute knick knacks for a future vacation. My Grandma is TALENTED at giving unique, thoughtful, & FUN presents!

Thanks Mimi! Emmie loves pulling around her new stylin' suitcase-on-wheels!

& thanks Grandpa T for such a fun, relaxing morning at the zoo!

An act of kindness that won't be forgotten

Dear Cute & Thoughtful Arizona Friend:

I was intrigued last week when a package showed up on my doorstep brought by the UPS man. I wasn't expecting anything & wondered what in the world it could be.

My curiousity had the best of me and I immediately ripped open the box.

Inside unveiled another big box from Bath & Body Works that said, "Happy Birthday" with an attached heart-touching, anonymous card.

A huge smile enveloped my face & a few flattered tears welled up in my eyes.

WHAT?! How could someone be that nice? To ME? Really?!

Inside I found a box full of my favorite Bath & Body Works foamy handsoaps. This sweet friend went above and beyond by taking my wishful sarcasm seriously from the bottom of this post a few weeks back. The truth is, my birthday isn't until next week, but what a wonderful early birthday present! Your kindness really boosted my spirits on a day that I really needed it! ...& oh how I love to be stocked up on my Island Nectar and Caribbean Escape handsoaps! It might be an illness but the thought makes me giddy inside... :)

I am so undeserving but so very grateful. Thank you for making my day. And for making me feel so special. You have reminded me to actually act upon acts of kindness, and not just think about them.

What a gift! I promise I will pay this forward!

The world is undoubtedly a better place with people like YOU in it!

Thank you for your genuine friendship & example!!!

I am definitely a lucky girl.

Thank you again!!! I sure miss my Arizona friends! (In fact, I have been richly blessed with great friends in all stages of my life & I wish I could see all of you much more often!!)

xoxo

~Michelle

More on Miss Emmie

Our cute little grown-up two year old!

24 ThInGs I wAnT tO rEmEmBeR aBoUt EmMiE at 24 MoNtHs:

1. This cute girl loves to sing. In the mornings I often hear her singing in her bed when she wakes up. She loves to sing the ABC's, Twinkle Twinkle & Jesus Wants me for a Sunbeam. I hope you have your Dad's singing genes Em, and not mine so that you can continue this love in the future without offending anyone. :)

2. Your high-pitched giggle always brings a smile to my face.

3. That crazy swirl calic planted right in the front of your head continues to dominate but we think you're adorable regardless!

4. You still loooove to suck your right thumb!! I'm just glad it's attached and not something else that I have to worry about keeping track of.

5. Your purple blankie is the love of your life & we never leave home without it in fear of catastrophic outcomes. .

6. You LOVE to read stories and your favorites are the Critter books by Mercer Mayer. You love to find the mouse, grasshopper or spider hidden on each page.

7. You have recently turned into a chatter box and are saying lots of little sentences.

8. You are a total climber and much to my dismay you enjoy maneuvering chairs around the kitchen so that you can climb on the countertops.

9. Swinging outside on our swingset has been one of your top favorite activities this summer. You are even tricky enough to stand while you swing like your big brother.

10. Your H20 obsession...You are constantly finding ways to play with water and therefore I am constantly fishing you out of bathroom sinks...

11. You seem to have a poor little immune system thus far as you have been sick in your little lifetime probably 4 times that of your brother in his four years. We are hoping that you are just getting it out of your system early and have many healthy years ahead!

12. You have recently decided that you are potty training and you take the initiative to take off your diaper and go sit on the toilet all by yourself. Just for the record - we're not going there. Yet. As determined as you are, I am holding my ground on this one! Maybe after Christmas we can think about it...

13. You love to eat! Just not your fruit and vegetables. The only veggies you eat are corn on the cob and you love carrots and potatoes. The only fruit you'll have are peaches, mandarin oranges and apple sauce so P wins in the fruit and veggie eating department - but you win with eating everything else well! You often times steal food off his plate. He is a SLOW eater and you are lightning fast in the eating department. Some of your faves are homemade mac, chicken taquitos, tacos, chicken & rice, refried beans, eggs, waffles, peanut butter and honey, CHEESE, yogurt... the list goes on! & lets not forget that sweet tooth. You and your brother can't concentrate on anything else if there is unveiled sugar in the room...

14. You love Roxy. & you're nice to her. So she loves you back.

In fact, you love animals in general and give out a high pitched shriek of delight when you catch sight of them... especially dogs or cats.

15. You have a head start in anatomy as you can point out 19 different body parts with 100% accuracy .

16. You love Abby Cadabby! I don't know how in the world Sesame Street made it's way into our home, but a few months back it did and you've been hooked ever since! It is hands down your favorite show.

17. You love your baby dolls! You take such good care of them and are such a cute mommy!

18. You are a great sleeper! You will sleep from 7 p.m. to 7 or 8 a.m. THANK YOU!

19. You like to be held but at that same time you are very self sufficient.

20. You have had two haircuts thus far in your two years. We did our best to get rid of your mullet this summer.

21. You love your grandmas and grandpas and aunts and uncles and go to them willingly.

22. You have given your brother some pretty colorful battle wounds with your hitting and scratching. We are working on finding better defense mechanisms for you & are still baffled at where this originated from.

Despite your occasional lashing out however, you adore your brother! You follow after him and want to be doing what he is doing.

23. You are so cute when a prayer is being said. You are good to bow your head and fold your arms and say "Amen". I have caught you many times sitting up to the table all by yourself mumbling your own little impromtu prayer to "Heeey Faaar"...

24. You are such a sweet and loving little girl! I love to rock you at night and look into your big bright eyes and have little conversations about our day.

We are tremendously blessed by the joy you have brought into our lives, Emmie!

We love you!!!