Happy Mother's Day

Mother's Day.  I could not be a happier Mommy.  If I could freeze my kids at the age they are now for a few years, I totally would.  I am overwhelmed with happiness as I here Apollo and Annie carrying on cute little conversations and playing together.  I love my chubby baby.  He is so happy, so snuggly...it's fun to watch Apollo and Annie play and talk to him.  I feel so so blessed.  The other day I was refinishing furniture, Parks was playing with his toys above his chair, and Annie and Apollo were working outside with me on their own little painting projects.  The weather was perfect and Andrea Bocelli was on in the background.  Little moments like this are what makes me so grateful to be a full time mom.  I'm thankful that Carleton works so hard so I can hang out with my kiddos.  I got to sleep in on Mother's Day morning and woke up to the red velvet pancakes with a cream cheese glaze (so incredible), presents, drawings, and a flower.  I am so blessed.

I'm thankful for my mother.  We were like her little buddies and she took us with her everywhere, cool hikes, and other fun activities.  She is very creative and made everything fun.  We could be waiting for my dad to finish a meeting or finish fishing and she would make up some fun game for us to play.   She still gives me great advice and is still my friend.  I love her and love being with her.



 Field trip to SeaWorld.

 It doesn't get better that having good buddies over...and having them cook all the food!!!  So yummy.

 Dentist.  I didn't take pics of her first visit so I thought I would document the second.

 Annie fell asleep in the chair and Parks fell asleep in my arms.  Taking three kids to the dentist (including a newborn is a challenge).  I had no idea how challenging my day would be.  After this, I took all three to Costco.  Annie was being whiny so she got out of the cart.  From there, I ran over her foot...she screamed...groceries went everywhere...people came to help and try to help put back my jigsaw puzzle (groceries piled around Parks).

Happy Shower Suzana.

 Basketball.  It was so funny to watch little Annie play.  Apollo loved basketball.  His coach asked the kids what their fav. sport was and Apollo answered "basketball".  After we played Frisbee he said "I told him basketball, but I didn't know there was Frisbee".  So basketball is his second favorite sport.

This is what our family bike rides look like.  Carleton and I have started going at night time, riding up the mountain with our bike lights so I can train for my triathlon.

 Thank you Brandi and Christie for going on the vintage home tour.  So so fun.  Planning on next year.

 Father son camp out.

Apollo's graduation from preschool.  I had to make Annie a diploma too because she felt like she graduated too.  We did our own preschool when Apollo left to school and she joined us when preschool was at our house.

 Pump it Up.  Apollo and Annie's reward for doing their jobs everyday for a month.

 Parks dressed up for church.  Loving the bow ties Suzana made for him.


 

Fun to see him grabbing at toys.

 


He tries so hard to roll over.  That chubby tummy gets in the way. 
 


Annie painted her nails for the first time.

We're off to our Mexican cruise to celebrate our ten year anniversary.  I'm excited for uninterrupted Carleton.  We all want a piece of him when he comes home from work. If all we did was board the ship and got locked in our rooms, I would be happy just to sleep in and sleep through the night.

Garth. Me. BFFs.

We've been busy.  We went to Vegas for the weekend to see the Garth Brooks concert-so so hard to get into-never thought it would happen.  Josh and Carleton surprised Heidi and me with tickets at Christmas.  We visited with Eve's family while we were there (love them!).  The concert was amazing!!!  At the beginning of the concert, we were cheering and Garth Brooks, looked up, and waved at me...and I waved back.  Such an amazing concert...Thank you Carleton!!  

We did some rock climbing while in Vegas.  It's always an adventure nursing on our adventures.  We were in a canyon with a lot of people and I was trying to balance on a rock and cover up at the same time.  Carleton drove home and I drove to Heidi's house.  I got to visit my Grandma and Grandpa Skenandore.  They loooooved Parks.  Parks chilled right down in Grandpa's arms as they rocked together.  Grandma was so cute with him too.  I was so sad to leave them...I wished we lived closer.  I have always been very very close to them and it's hard to live so far away.  I miss them.

We spent the Easter weekend in Moab...same old absolutely incredible time.  I drove to Moab by myself and drove an extra 80 miles (got lost) and was done before I got there.  Was glad to make it there.  We rock climbed, watched jeeps go up the hill and watched the crazy people watching those jeeps, ate yummy smores, listened to guitar music by the fire, and hung out with the fam.

My sister ran a marathon 5 months pregnant!!  She's an amazing example to me.  She also graduated from college right before delivering her third child.  She is my example of continuing to live an adventurous amazing life, even with kids.  I read on a facebook post that mothers don't get out of their comfort zones (compared with working women).  That is true for some moms but it doesn't have to be true...we can continue to learn, grow, think, get outside our comfort zones...it's probably a good idea so we can model this for our children.


 Parks is one lucky guy. 

 We were Colton Dixon fans on American Idol this year.

 Rock climbing in Vegas.  The kids love playing cars together-they talk to each other, have babies, go to the doctor etc.  Their play mimics what's going on in our life-funny.

 

 Decorating Easter baskets at Heidi's.

 Heidi's kids loved Parks.  He was crying (he does that sometimes as he goes to sleep) and I walked in to find Grace rubbing his head with Marsh and Apollo reading to him (both holding the book together).  Parks was treated like a king. 

 Moab.

 Apollo climbed up the whole cliff...to the top!!  He loooooved it.

 Here's our smores this year-we put them in cones and wrapped them in tinfoil (check out my creative blog for more).

 We had a fun Hunger Games Party.  We went to the movie and came back to our house afterwards.  Everyone brought creative foods that followed the Hunger games theme.  We had food labels, posters, signs...so fun.

 Here's our Katniss (pregnant at the time).

 We had a fun preschool fieldtrip to SeaWorld.

Parks is the most amazing baby.  So happy.  Everyone always comments on how good he is and how they never hear him cry.  He's so smiley.  He's grabbing at his toys, laughing, and trying very hard to roll over.  That chubby tummy doesn't make it easy.  Our three month old is in six month old clothes.  He's in the 93% for weight and 81% for height.  With as big as he is, I can't believe Apollo was bigger?!  When we see other babies his age, he always looks like he could eat them up.  Parks and I had our first mommy and me singing/story class at the library together while Annie went to her first "big girl" (3 yr old) class with Apollo.  We are all enjoying this guy immensely.  Apollo and Annie are always talking to him and loving him.