What Q tips are for...

According to Mazzi.

This little one is full of energy, spunk and sense of humor. She will put a q tip in her nose and wait for me to tell her to take it out and then will run away from me giggling. She is a funny girl.

Changes...

Two years ago, when Matt was laid off from his job with Windswept, Matt applied to California highway patrol. He took his physical test, written test, his physchological test, a lie detector test and had multiple interviews. He passed all the test and we waited... and waited and waited. In the meantime Matt went through training with AAA and began working for them November of 2008. Matt would occasionally call his background officer to see how the process was going. We found out over eight months ago that he had was accepted and was just awaiting a date for the academy, depending on how the hiring went. We waited some more. For a while I thought of the CHP everyday when I would get the mail and would wonder when we would hear from them. But after two years I stopped thinking about it as much. Especially as Matt became more successful at his job and actually enjoyed it. Then, Friday I went to get the mail and saw a manila envelope with CHP on it. I called Matt immediately and he gave me permission to open it (I've never been good at waiting to open mail) I read him the letter telling him that he was accepted and that the Academy began July 26th and that he needed to tell them within 24 hours if he accepted or declined to attend. So our weekend was spent writing pros and cons lists, praying, fasting, thinking, thinking, thinking. We are both grateful to be able to have Heavenly guidance when making these kind of decisions. And we are also grateful that we both came to the same conclusion via the inspiration we received. So as of this morning- 10 am, Matt accepted his offer to attend the California Highway Patrol Academy. In the middle of July I will move down to stay with my parents in Redding while Matt attend the rigorous six months academy in Sacramento. In Redding I will get to see Matt on the weekends, which would not be a possibility if we stayed here and I will have the help of both Matt and my parents while my hubby is gone. We still have several details to work out- like what to do with our home, where the kids will attend school in Redding, informing my work and Matt's work that we will be leaving, changing vacation plans for summer, figuring out what the heck you pack when you leave for six months... but we are excited. I have always enjoyed change for some reason. We are hoping that after the Academy (assuming Matt passes :) Matt will be able to be stationed somewhere close to Elsinore so we can return to our wonderful friends. I really do love it here and it would be ideal to return, but I don't think we will know until the last month of the academy where we will be stationed so we are just making one decision at a time and dealing with one transition at a time. So wish us luck (especially Matt as he will get grilled every day!) in this new adventure!

Celebrating

Kim planned a fun girls night out to celebrate my 27th b.day (dang I am old!)

We met at her place and then they gave me spending money to go shopping at all of my fave stores. We went to TJ Maxx and Kohls andthen enjoyed a meal at Olive Graden where we had too much fun. I think we laughted os much that everyoien assumed we were consuimign the wine. But we didnt need it. Next we hit up the mall, where we took some awesome antique pictures and had fun posing adn riding escalators. Then a few girls took off and the other four of us went to ross where we tried on tons of clothes, gave advice- for a lenght y amount of time to a gradma trying on clothes and got quite a bit of clothes (mins megan who was disgusted by ross). We ended the night with frostys...

I think total I ended up with 7 shirts and 2 skirts. So fun! Here we are at the end of a fun night. I just love these girls! Thanks for celebrating with me!

Triple Didgits are here!

It has finally happened (later than usual thank goodness!)
The triple digit weather has arrived and we are already finding ways to pass the hot summer.
Between using our friends different pool areas.
..
and this some-what ghetto above ground pool we purchased... (so far one of the best purchases we've ever made- though I might take that back after getting the water bill) I think we will survive!

Oh Ashton...

Ashton is a funny kid. He makes me laugh daily. Here's a few of his latest.

When playing in the backyard he sawa big black bumblebee. You know, the HUGE kind. He came in frantically telling me about this ginormous bee. I told him taht I had seen that kind of bee before and that I wasn't even sure if they stung. To which he said, "there's only one way to find out. (pause) Send Tera out there and see if she gets stung. (followed by a sinister laugh)

Then another day Ashton asked,"Mom, whats the most powerful thing?"
Mom: (being a bit cheese and knowing it) Love. Like my love for you.
Ashton: Really? So if a POWERFUL volcano erupted and lava was coming you would just stand there and love it?
Mom- Nothing - what do you say to that?

When we were driving in the car I accidentally cut someone off. I quickly said "I'm sorry... I'm sorry."
Ashton looked at me like I was a total dummy and said "You know they can't hear you right mom?"

In many ways having Ashton around is like having a mini-adult around (one that throws random tantrums when they don't get their way) but for the most part- he's quite fun!

Memorial Day Weekend

We had a fun filled memorial day weekend.
We started out the camping trip with our friends the McDowells and the Nelsons (minus Melissa who we missed) The kids had good time hanging out by the fire....

and eating junk food like chips


capri suns...


and doughnuts.
Because Ashton and Matt had gone on the father/son campout the weekend before Tera thought this campout should be a bit more "girly" so insisited it was a "ballernia campout" She brought tutus for her and Tatum to wear and they performed a beuatiufl dance for us.

Mazzi decided she did not love camping and insisted on being held most of the time- and then woke up at 4 in the morning to play in the tent. I love this picture of her because if you look closely she is rolling her eyes at me while I take the picture. Mazzzi mastered rolling her eyes when she was less than a year old (concerns me greatly)

Our next adventure was going to the beach on Memorial day, which also happened to be my b.day this year. If it hadn't been my b.day Matt would have never agreed to go because he knew it would be very busy for the holiday. The beach wasn't too bad, but the parking was horrific! I think he spent an hour finding a spot and Clint spent an hour and a half. Poor guys. Glad they dropped us off! Then leaving the beach it took about a 1/2 hour just to get off Balboa avenue. So I don't know if we will dare brave the beach on memorial day again. I am sure Matt will not allow it and will remind me of our experience this year!

But we had a good time and it was worth it! I love this picture of the boys playing football.

and being manly..Ash and Dad enjoying a game of paddle ball.
I loved spending time with some of my favorite girls- Niki and Melissa.
Tera always looks forward to playing with Tatum
and Mazzi enjoying getting sandy
There were adults at this activities... but the kids are cuter so they get more pictures. :)

Duck Pond

The duck pond is one of all our families favorite places to go. This night we enjoyed a pizza picnic, then running around on the grass area, followed by duck feeding.

We would hand Mazzi some bread to feed to the ducks. She gave some to the ducks...

But she had her fair share too.

It was a nice evening with family. Love spending time with them... and love being outdoors.

My Daughters

A daughter is a miracle that never ceases to be miraculous...
that grows more beautiful each day...

Kindergarten Graduate

Ashton and Mrs. Welch

Ashton has graduated Kindergarden. He has learned a lot this year and the fact that he can sit through a morning in a class room and pay attention says a lot for his teacher and education in general. I am so proud of my little boy and love that he is growing up so smart and "mature." He is quite good at math and good at sounding out words- as long as you can sound them out. He gets frustrated by the English language and how the rules change from word to word. I don't blame him! He had a good yer and when I asked him if he would miss school he said "No, but I will miss Mrs. Welch." We only hope he has more of a desire to learn by next year and are trying to focus on his sight words over the summer. He is quite different from me when I was in school. I had a strong desire to be the smartest and get the best grades and Ashton could really care less. His whole report card was filled with 'S's" for Satisfactory and if I had gotten anything other than "O" for outstanding I would have had a melt down. He's a fun one though this boy- he keeps us laughing and on our toes. Love you Ash and sorry I didn't have you wear a tux and get you baloons and flowers like some of the other parents. (Not really- I mean seriously, it's kindergarten people!)

Tera's preschool graduation

Tera graduated from preschool last week. They had a fun graduation party at "pump it up" a place filled with bounce houses. Tera has enjoyed preschool with Miss Melissa and all of her friends and is now anxiously counting down the minutes, days and months till her 5th b.day and kindergarten.

Every day she asks "how many days until my birthday?" but today she asked "how many minutes until my birthday?" It could be a long couple months considering her b.day is not until September! She knows the order of all events too. She says "first its mom's b.day, then it's dads b.day, then we go to Redding, then it's my b.day, then its Halloween, then Ashton's b.day and then Jesus's b.day" It is quite cute (she doesn't count Mazzis b.day yet for some reason)

We love our darling, sweet, sensitive, sassy Tera. She brightens our home with her smile and her contagious laugh. She won the "laffy taffy" award from Miss Melissa for laughing the most and making others laugh. She is fun to be around and is a good friend and daughter.