Not Quite the Look I was Going For

A little over a week ago, Emma, Colton, and I went to Brooke's school to help her celebrate at her Kindergarten Fall Festival; we were there for almost three hours (yes, I am a little nuts).  I of course, like usual, took a zillion pictures in an effort to capture every moment and memory.  I guess I should point out, that we also ate lunch with Brooke on this fun filled day; in between bites of our catfish nuggets (actually not as gross as they sound, but won't be adding to our menu at home), I snapped some pictures.  At one point, I turned the camera towards Emma and instructed her to smile, and this is what she gave me. 

First this,

then this,

and finally this

This was not quite the look I was going for, but hey, after looking at these pictures, you don't doubt that Emma is full of personality!  There is no one quite like our sweet, crazy Emma, and we like it that way!

Did you know...

...that you can not even go brush your teeth for two minutes as a mother?  That is, not if you have a soon to be two year old boy in your house, and that soon to be two year old is alllllllll boy!  I learned that lesson this past week, when I left the living room to go brush my teeth, keep in mind I was only gone for about two minutes, and came back to this scene. 

My first clue that something was up was when I came back, and Colton was not where I had left him; that my friends is never a good sign! By the way, if you can't tell, that is powdered sugar and butter that Colton is happily using in his covert operation to drive me crazy!  He just better be glad he is adorable!

If you don't know the words, make up your own!

As Rich will tell you, if I don't know the words to a song or simply can't remember the correct ones, I just make up my own.  It seems that I have passed along this habit to my children, as evidenced by the following story.  

Tonight this cute thing...

belted out this tune.

"...Rain makes corn, corn makes whiskey

Whiskey makes my baby full of frisky!" 

After I stopped laughing, two things came to mind,

 

1) I'm sure glad she has no idea what frisky is, or whiskey, and

2) I think I need to monitor better the songs she hears on the radio. 

 

For tonight though, I sure got a good laugh!

Colton's New Skill

A few days ago, I looked out the window to see that Colton had acquired a new skill, a skill that made my heart skip a beat.  I yelled for Rich to come look out the window; upon arrival, he calmly looked out the window and said, "Oh, he has been doing that for a while; don't worry, he can handle it."  It's a good thing he is around, because I wanted to rush out and rescue him. 

If I had rescued him though, I would have never gotten to see his sweet face beaming with pride, and Colton would have never learned that he can do hard things!

I could never take that away from him!



This is what you get...

when you raid your firetruck bank, and con your sisters into helping  you have a lemonade stand,

an imaginext batmobile!

Mini Vacation to Myrtle Beach

Here are the pictures from our mini vacation we took back at the beginning of July.  We went back to see the blessing of my new beautiful niece Olivia, and stayed for a week of surf and sun; yes, we spent most of our vacation on the beach, just where I wanted to be! There is nothing like going home, especially if your home is Myrtle Beach!

(feel free to close that bothersome superpoke pet, not sure why they are putting that on there now)

The Scriptures According to Emma

As we already know, this sweet little thing has her own unique way of doing everything, and Sunday night, we realized she also has her own unique perspective on the scriptures.  Before I continue, I should explain that it is a Maseda habit of ours to go on long drives as a family; often these drives take place on Sundays.  Between work and church, Rich is fairly busy these days, so our drives usually give us time to talk and catch up.  These drives typically also give us some quiet time; the cuties usually play and talk to each other, and Rich and I try to squeeze in as much reconnect time as we can before the van pulls back into the driveway.  This past Sunday however, was quite different; each child decided it was time to tell scripture stories, with Braden going first.  Braden honored us with a wonderful and accurate rendition of the Tower of Babel, following which Brooke made a selection from the Book of Mormon choosing to share with us the faith building story of Nephi and the Brass Plates.  Of course, considering Braden and Brooke have started a little competition lately amongst themselves trying to one up each other (yeah, not loving that, trying to nip it in the bud), Braden had to then share with us the story of Noah and the Ark.  By this point, this little bundle of vivaciousness could hold it in no longer!

Emma began to scream, 

"Be quiet! It's my turn to tell a story!!!!!!!!!!!!"

At this point, of course, Emma had our rapt attention; realizing that we were waiting with baited breath, she began.

"They built a big tower upon the sand, so the rains came and washed it away. So, they built a big boat instead."

Well, there you have it folks, the scriptures according to Emma; it's not very doctrinally sound, but it sure is entertaining!

First Talk

This past Sunday Brooke gave her first talk in Primary at church.  Her topic was the Holy Ghost and how it can help us know the truth of things.  Of course, being that Rich has been out of town, life has been crazy at home; yes, we waited to the last minute to get it ready!  Brooke and I sat down Sunday morning and talked about what she knew about the Holy Ghost and what she wanted to tell everyone about the Holy Ghost, and then we got started!  I did guide Brooke, but I wanted it to be her talk. 

Here is the talk she gave.

I love to get gifts!  I love gifts of all sizes!  In a few years, I am going to get a special gift.  It won't be wrapped in a box or covered with ribbons, but it will be a great gift!  When I am baptized in a few years, I will get the gift of the Holy Ghost.  The Holy Ghost will lead me to Heavenly Father and Jesus.  You may not be able to see him, but you can feel him inside your heart.  He can lead you and I out of the badness, and he tells me when things are true.  One day a stranger started to talk to me;  I got the feeling from the Holy Ghost that I should walk away, so I walked away.  You have to remember that the Holy Ghost leads all of you.  You just have to listen to your heart and keep the commandments, and the Holy Ghost will help you!  You have to remember that when you get that feeling inside, you listen!  The Holy Ghost will guide you, comfort you, and be a constant companion.  He can help you know what is true and comfort you when you are sad.  The Holy Ghost is going to be one of the best gifts I get!

*Don't worry Mama, I was within ten feet of Brooke when the stranger tried to talk to her.  I know how you worry about these things.

Quirky, Creative, Imaginative, Unique, or Just Plain Crazy??

This, as you know, is my sweet, adorable Emma.  To say she is an original would be an understatment!  Emma dances to the beat of her own drum, but boy can she dance!  Luckily, we also happen to love that little beat!

Sometimes I do wonder if she is a little crazy, okay, a lot crazy!

I often ask myself, quirky, creative, imaginative, unique,

or just plain crazy?

A few days ago, she demonstrated all of them; let me explain.

Again, here is Emma.

What could she be pinching or holding between her fingers? 

Hmmm, I see a little black. 

What could that possibly be? 

Upon further inspection, you would discover, that she is holding a fly, a dead fly in fact!

Anyone else wondering if she is imaginative or just crazy?!

Wait, it gets better! 

I thought I would write down the random things she said during her playtime with her new "pet". 

"This fly is cute."

"He's not big like me."

"I don't want the fly to grow up, because I'll be sad!"

"This fly has friends."

"It's tickling me."

"This fly is alive."

"This fly is sick."

"This fly is dead."

"I killed it last night."

"I got the fly swatter and killed it."

"Flies eat poop.  I can't eat poop, because that is gross!"

After a little persuading and bribing with lunch, I convinced Emma to put her little "pet" into the trash can and wash her hands.

I still don't have an answer to what is the perfect word to describe my little dancer, but I know she is one of a kind!

Now, if you will excuse me, I have some drum playing to do; Emma can't dance without a good beat!

Dance girl, dance!

The Buttefly Circus

I just had to share this short movie (20 minutes long) with everyone.  It is a movie about hope, and about seeing the beauty within yourself. 

(make sure to turn the music off at the bottom, may take a minute to load)

If you don't feel like waiting FOREVER for it to load, follow this link to watch it.

Party for Jesus

See this cute, dimpled thing? 

This would be my sweet as can be son, who announced last Sunday that we were going to have a Jesus party.  Braden explained that we needed to have a party for Jesus to thank him for everything he has done for us, and because he loves us so much! Considering that Sunday was almost over when he made this grand announcement, I told him we would have to postpone the Jesus party until next Sunday (which was this past Sunday).  So, last Monday we put Jesus party on our calendar for Sunday, but alas I forgot.  Luckily my husband and son both gently reminded me as I was leaving church, so I came home and baked a cake per Braden's instructions.  He said it should have a heart on it to show Jesus how much we love him.

Braden also planned the festivities for the party, with a little help from Rich.  To begin the party, we first ate supper (Chicken Parmesan deliciousness), and then we each went around the table saying something we loved about Jesus and/or some way we could be more like Jesus.  After listening to my children's sweet words, we each helped ourselves to a nice size piece of cake, but not before each one of us had to sing a song to Jesus.  Yes, it was as amusing as it sounds, especially since most of the songs were made up on the spot by the children; I bet Jesus loved it though! 

Considering that the whole reason for the party was Jesus,

it seemed only fitting that we do acts of service like Jesus did while he was on the Earth, so we all loaded up in the van (a.k.a. the swagger wagon) ready to make some special deliveries.  First on our list, a recent widowed sister from our church; we decided to bring her a big piece of our Jesus cake, and unbeknownst to me (until we were halfway there), Braden had also brought some money to give to her.  Once arriving at her house, I watched from the van (filled with two sleeping beauties and a rascal) as Rich and Braden walked up to the house.  I can't explain how proud I was of Braden and his tender heart; I know .40 may not be a lot to an adult, but for Braden that was a huge sacrifice!  You could tell as Braden climbed back into the van, his face beaming, that he also was proud of what he had done, and was ready to bring more happiness to the world!  Second on our list, was a sister at our church who had recently had a baby.  Knowing that she may need some help purchasing certain baby items, the cuties and I had gone earlier in the week and purchased some diapers and wipes for her; a Jesus party seemed a good time to deliver them. 

Well, with the goods delivered, and our hearts filled, we headed back home.  Rich placed the two sleeping beauties and the now sleeping rascal into their beds, and then Braden, Rich, and I finished out the night with a few card games.  As I sat across from Braden, I thought about what a special spirit he has, and I thought about how proud I was of him to have come up with such a great idea!  Not only was it a night to honor Jesus and all he has done for us, but it was a night of fun, a night I'm sure Braden will never forget; I know I won't! 

I admit it, I am one proud mama!

Captain Super Cute

Here he comes to save the day,

Captain Super Cute!
 

He melts hearts, wraps everyone around his little finger, captures your adoration and love like a bandit, and quickly charms his way into your heart with his quick smile and adorable giggle!

Captain Super Cute has learned his trade well, luckily, because along with his ability to win everyone over with his adorable ways, he also has a sense of adventure, some would call it a propensity for destruction!  Captain Super Cute can scale a dishwasher in five seconds flat,  dismantle said dishwasher in the blink of an eye,  and be ready to move on to his next conquest!  He has put paint on the carpet, chunks everything he gets his hands on, pulls hair, bites, squishes banana into the carpet, and giggles all along the way!  Just when you think you might have to squish him, he gets out his bag of tricks, and pulls out one of his signature smiles!

Your heart melts, and you forget all ill will; you just want to scoop him up, and shower his chubby little cheeks with kisses! 

Captain Super Cute strikes again! 

And how does Captain Super Cute react when you ask him about his superpowers; he is evasive of course, denying any trickery!

He simply puts on his shades, looks our way, and says,

"I'm out!"

 

I guess he is off to melt more hearts, and melt he will!

No one can withstand the power of

Captain Super Cute!

Good Things Come to Those That Wait

Did you know that good things come to those that wait?  They do.  Good things also come to those that wait, and hoard money in their jewelry box!  Yes, that would be me!  For the last several months, I have been saving money here and there, money from ebates, money from rebates, and a little money left over from a photography job I had done, waiting for the day I could go to Lowes and get this...

beautiful, satin finish paint! 

What color is it you wonder?

Well, let me show you!

Let's see that a little closer, shall we?!

Beautiful, gorgeous Marigold; I'm in love!!!!

It's going to be perfect, don't you think?

I chose to pull out one of the accent colors on the comforter, you know the comforter of my dreams.  You may remember it from a few months ago, the sad comforter sitting in the corner waiting to be on display; how could I possibly display the comforter of my dreams without the proper surroundings?!  The comforter of my dreams deserves nothing less than the best!

In case you don't remember, here is a picture (courtesy of jcpenney.com).

As you can tell, I am not going the subdued route like they have chosen on this picture (in fact if I can help it, no one will ever see the dull brown stripes on the underside); I want to wake up, look at the walls, and think,

'Yes! It is a bright new day filled with possibilites and wonder!' 

How could I not feel that waking up covered by the comforter of my dreams and looking around at walls bathed in...

 Marigold! 

Happy "Remorial" Day

I think this sweet little thing, may have her holdiays confused.  Why do I say that?  Why am I so sure?  I'm sure for a couple reasons, the first being that I was served breakfast in bed this morning (per Brooke's request), and two, when I was presented my tray of deliciousness, I was also serenaded with the following original song (penned by Brooke of course).

Happy Remorial Day

Happy Remorial Day

I love the great things you do!

(sung with lots of gusto)

Considering the fact that I have never once fought for our country or lost my life doing so, I wouldn't qualify for being immoralized today.  I did put in some time being a Naval Submarine Officer's wife, maybe that would at least get me a wink on Veteran's Day, a big maybe!  

Either way, for now we will let Brooke think it is Remorial Day, thank her profusely for her tender caring heart, her creativity, and her willingness to give to her family.

There will always be time for a history lesson later, but now is not that time.  Now is the time for a lesson in charity, a lesson I think Brooke has learned well!

Birthday Celebration

Here are pictures of our small family celebration for Braden today.  I guess it doesn't pay to have your birthday land on Sunday, especially since Sunday mornings are so crazy in our house; you know, with me being the one who has to get myself and four cuties ready all by myself.  Needless to say, I don't cook on Sunday mornings; you have to settle for cereal or toast, and Braden decided today he wanted neither.  What did he want?  An apple, so I did the only thing I could do; I took a knife, drilled out a little hole in the top and stuck in a candle.  Tonight we had a special dinner requested by Braden, lemon garlic shrimp over pasta with parsley (he told me not to forget the parsley), cupcakes, and the opening of a few presents; he will get the rest this weekend when we have a second celebration at Elizabeth's house.  He, Rich, Brooke, and Emma also played pin on the tail on the donkey; I must say it was an interesting donkey drawn by Rich, and kiss drawings added to the donkey's butt by Braden (it was definitely one of a kind). 

My Sweet Seven Year Old

See this baby,

this adorable, precious baby.

I know I wonder this every year, but how in the world did this baby go from this,

to this,

or this?

Rich and I waited years for this sweet boy; he was and is a true miracle in our lives and an answer to many prayers!  After having two miscarriages and losing Spencer, I began to wonder if I was going to be able to have children in this life.  I had sent off for adoption paperwork and was planning my next move, because I knew I desperately wanted to be a mother; I had dreamed about it since I was a child, and I couldn't imagine letting my dream die that easily!  For those that know me, you know that I have a very determined spirit, and I had my heart set on being a mother!  I had and still have a strong testimony that whether the baby grows beneath your heart or if the child is sent to you through adoption, that baby is meant to be yours! With paperwork in hand, I was all set; Heavenly Father and Rich however had other plans.  Rich asked me to pray about it, because he felt we should try one more time; as I was praying I felt a strong confirmation that we were indeed meant to try again, and I knew that Heavenly Father knew how much I could handle.  I knew and he knew, that if I lost another child, my heart would break; I told Rich I would try again, but that if I lost another child, I wanted to adopt.  Rich agreed, and a few months later I presented this Willow Tree figurine and a positive pregnancy test to my very elated husband.    

During my pregnancy, I had to use a lot of faith, patience, and trust; I had to have faith that Heavenly Father would give me the strength I needed, the patience to endure the pregnancy, and trust in Heavenly Father, that he wouldn't give me more than I could handle.  I can honestly say that I know that Heavenly Father knows and loves each one of us, and that sometimes he allows us to go through trials and hardships to make us stronger, to test our faith, and to help mold us into something that we can't become on our own; losing Spencer and my miscarriages were some of those  hardships.  Heavenly Father also blesses us after the trials of our faith, and seven years ago, he blessed Rich and I with this wonderful miracle.

After Braden was born, everything about life seemed sweeter; he has been both a blessing and a miracle in our lives, and today we celebrated not only his birth but what he means to us.  Our life wouldn't be complete without Braden in it!