Welcome Summer

A whole lotta nothing happening over here.

We (I) like it that way.

Lane asks on a daily basis, what day is tomorrow?

I'll say Tuesday (or whatever day it is going to be).

No, WHAT DAY??

Meaning, what the heck are we going TO DO tomorrow.

He misses preschool. So do I.

I feel like a good mom when I can report that I actually have a fun activity planned.

But that doesn't happen much.

Tomorrow I am happy to report that we will hit up the splash pad.

But I will only tell when asked .

Or else my all ears are doomed to hear about it until then.

Rusty woke up freakishly early Sunday morning.

I let him play while I layed on the floor with a blanket.

I opened my eyes to check on him.

 And long enough to register that he was playing with my wallet.

I could've cared less at the moment.

2 days later I go to get my insurance card.

Temple recommend only to be found.

I went hunting through the house.

 Found rest of wallet contents under the couch except...

credit card.

New one will be here in 7-10 business days.

I killed a big fat scorpion in the entry today.

I sent a phone pix to Casey.

His reply: Kill it.

My reply: I just did. I deserve something now.

His reply:  Tell me what you want.

My reply: I was kidding

His reply: I wasn't

My reply: I wont say it on the blog but use your imagination.

His reply: I knew it!

But remember, I was just kidding:)

Casey painted the outside of the house. All by himself. He rocks.

He said he is the best painter ever. He has total bragging rights.

I was a good tape peeler-offer. No bragging rights.

I scored big in the husband department.

Especially when painting in 100 degree heat he says, this is fun.

And being DEAD serious.

Holy best money spent of our lives.

 It really needed a makeover. It looks fab.

I ♥ our house.

If only it were 1,000 sq ft bigger...

 and on 1/4 an ancre...

 We' b set 4 life.

(pics to come)

We have already had 3 swim /pizza parties this summer season.

Jenni, Jake and gang will make it 4 tomorrow night.

This will be a common trend for us.

And we are totally fine with it.

Oh, and Craig found a turtle swimming in the pool yesterday.

We all went running to check it out. Yeppers.

There was a turtle swimming in the pool!

Other summer trends:

*fruit smoothies with coconut milk for breakfast

 *$5 dollar Walmart movies

*50 cent corn dogs during happy hour (only @ participation locals. For sure Higley and Brown)

*washing my hair once a week

*swimming lessons

*Trying out new recipes for dinner and dessert.

*Roaming Target while eating popcorn/ Icee combo-

for your info Lane chooses red. Mom, Rusty share a blue. 

And lastly a few pictures.

These are the only new ones that were on my camera since my last post.

Oddly I did not take these.

I wonder who the culprit is?

.

Water Water Everywhere We're Going To Get Wet!

I had my first day of swimming lessons.

I cried (and a little bit screamed).
And swallowed watered and barfed in the pool.

Marcie bought me a popsicle.

For the report, the next day I swam like a happy fishy.
Like I hadn't just been traumatized the day before.

Oh ya,

and next Sunday I can legally go to 

NURSERY!!!!

.

Berry Berry Nice

Sometimes I wonder why I deserve such a wonderful husband. I had a rather extra special week and was spoiled and I mean spoiled by my boys for mothers day. Along with it came some major guilt. You see, April 30th was our wedding anniversary. You could say I was kind of a debbie downer that day...well more like a childish brat.

I wont go into detail but let me just say Casey needs a special award for putting up with me and my crazy antics! It was not as bad as I am making it sound. Well, it probably was to Casey. I can be pretty whinny (wonder were Lane gets it from?). However, we did enjoy a nice dinner at Cheesecake Factory to celebrate our LUCKY 7th year of marriage! Talking and snuggling in bed clear up until 2:30am wasn't so bad either:) Actually that was my favorite part. We could even start to hear our stomachs rumble so we busted out  left over breakfast burritos and had ourselves a little early morning snack . I love nights like that with my stud muffin.

So moving on, you will see why I was starting to feel guilty. Monday morning I woke up to this on the kitchen counter with a note that said:

Happy Mothers week!
We wanted to try and make this week a

little extra special. Hopefully you can do a little less

cooking and a little more relaxing.

We wanted to start it off right and "butter" you up

by telling you that we have "berry" big "crush" on you.
We love you and couldn't ask for a better mommy

Love,
your boys



So each morning that week I had something special to wake up to. I didn't take a picture of them all but some things were: a new shirt and jewelry. Casey made enchiladas and hid them in the freezer for a future meal I wouldn't have to make. Flowers. A slice of cheesecake from Cheesecake Factory along with my their RANCH! I love their ranch!! Whenever we eat their I order something that goes along with ranch (or sometimes not, I  don't care) and smother it with the stuff. I could probably straight up drink it! Needless to say I about peed my pants when I saw it in the fridge.

It was all seriously so thoughtful!

On Thursday Lane was acting funny getting off the bus from school. He was crouching over trying to hide this pink poster paper behind his back. I asked him what was up and he said his teacher told him to go hide it at home until mothers day...so that was what he was doing! The funny thing was, I couldn't wait to see it! He was so excited to give it to me on Sunday. I love it and it is hanging on the fridge. The flower petals are his hand prints. Later Casey was trying to track him down for breakfast and found him in his room making his bed (which he never does). He said his teacher told him to make his bed for mothers day...so that is what he did! I love his teacher, she is awesome. If only he would obey me as well as his teacher. I need to take notes from her!

And if everybody could give me a gentle reminder: no part-y the hair-y in the middle. It makes me look 10 times older!

We enjoyed dinner at my parents and then opening gifts. You can see Stephanie in the background on Skype.

I gave my mom and mother-in-law a basket full of items that went along with the primary song Mother Dear that I tweaked.

It was not as good as the gift Stephanie made. She had all of us siblings and the spouses write our testimonies then she put it together in a book. Try it next year for your moms. It guarantees tears!

 I made a berry yummy trifle for dessert. Stephs RECIPE (towards bottom of the post). I made it with her alterations plus I added fresh strawberries and it was berry good!

It is weird how being a mom can be so fun, exhausting, challenging but yet SO rewarding all at the same time. I think every night I go to bed feeling like a failure. Begging Heavenly Father for forgiveness and promising that I will do better the next day. I think what helps pull me through is looking at my mom and mother in-law and how they survived 7 kids each and doing it so well.. Not saying they never had hard moments, but they were able to push through and see the light at the end of the tunnel.  I sit and marvel at both of them, such great examples.

I also know I could never do it without Casey. How hard he works for our family and also at keeping me stream lined. I almost wish we celebrated Fathers Day twice a year. Maybe next year I will omit my mothers day to him...he has earned 1,000 in our 7 years as a family!

.

Pageants, Bunnies, Hunt's & Bye Bye's

.

I took Lane to the Easter Pageant last Thursday. It was his first time going. My mom is always so good to go down to the temple at 4pm to save seats for all of us. Second row, middle section isn't too shabby.

The whole time after it started Lane only cared about and kept asking when the bad guys were going to come. Nice. I felt a little better about how mesmerized he was at the end when they lifted Jesus high in the air above all the angels. He also really liked being able to pet a lamb they used in the pageant that Dana brought over for him to see.

 (don't judge his face, my camera was taking forever to take the picture and caught him in a weird pose)

Steph and I took the kids to Chandler mall to see the EASTER BUNNY! Sorry that the "no personal cameras please" sign is in the way. Seriously, who in their right minds actually buys a mall package. R-I-P O-F-F!

Saturday was the big Easter egg hunt at grammy and papas for the kids AND the adults!

Steph and Bryant got the big bucks this year.

Easter morning. I am mad I didn't get a picture of their baskets. Not like it was anything exciting. Lane got The Cat In The Hat movie, water color paints and coloring book and eggs filled with candy. Rusty got Tangled, mini baseball/basketballs and candy. They each also got these animals that made noises and pooped candy!

It was an extra special Easter Sunday because we went to my parents ward for David's missionary farewell.  He leaves on Wednesday to the MTC. I can't believe it is almost time for him to go! He will be a great missionary.

In his talk David mentioned how grateful he was to have the example of having an older brother, Christopher serve a mission and how much that strengthened him to desire to go on a mission himself.  I too am thankful for my brothers and their examples they have on my boys and for the importance it is to serve a mission.

David requested taco salad for dinner, YUM (remember, that's my fav!) and then we got everything ready for his open house later that night. My mom went above and beyond for the refreshments. A little (or a lot) of everything, just how I like it! I took a picture for Steph because I know she would appreciate the details:)

10pm after a loooong day and wishing it were me.

It was a happy Easter!
.

Taking After Their Daddy...

.

Another Beauty(s)

We have had a few porch swing orders come in since the original was born.

It has been exciting for us to make (of course with love) more beauties for some fabulous gals with the same desires to swing in style.

I have decided to name the swings by the order-er's name. It's only appropriate.

Jenny

Heather

How lucky their porches are to have these lovelies hanging in their mists. I for one are jealous.

Remember how I said I would never sell mine? Well after a few weeks of Shelley (remember, I name them after the owner:) sitting out on the floor, no beam to hang from, I came to my senses. Or Casey's pleads.

It sold on Craigslist. Thankfully to a good home. Craigslist is a small world, we knew the people. We did a drive by a few weeks later to make sure all was well with Shelley.  She was hanging strong. No laughing please.

We went over tonight to hang Heather in her new home. Casey and I took a test swing to make sure she was nice in place and not going anywhere...the floor. As we sat there I was starting to think he might have to pry me off of the darn thing. I was slightly coveting people with beams on their porches . You better believe that is the first thing I check before purchasing another home!

oo-da-lolli

Spring break was a bust. Nothing went on. However, the following week was fab-tastic!

The mother had a birthday! I got a sitter and was able to spend the day with my mom and Marcie. It was a blast. My dad decorated her car and filled it with 49 balloons. Apparently she now needs a new horn because she busted it from honking too much while driving the kids to school.

I am used to having a mom who honks the horn often while driving... or screeching over speed bumps... or screaming out the car window phrases such as "don't burp your bottom" to you, your friends and pretty much the entire Mesa High student body on her week of car pool. I guess during her birthday honking episode she was tooting to the tune of happy birthday then had an encore of ♫and many mooooore on channel fouuuur and scooby doooooo on channel twooooo♫. I guess one little reserved girl in the car quietly said, this is kinda freakin me out. Haha, oh girl you have no idea!

We took her to Pita Jungle, one of her favorites. I jumped all over that idea because I have always wanted to try it out but I don't have a pita lovin husband willing to eat there. My dad was able to join us for lunch in between work.

After lunch we headed off to go shopping! My mom wanted to show us an entertainment center she has been eyeing for a few months to see how we felt about it. Well instead of showing, she ended up purchasing! So proud of her! She also got a cute red hall table. We stopped into Poppy's for treats and more home decor and of course...Hobby Lobby.

For dinner we went to Matta's. I think I had more fun on her birthday than my own!

.
The father had his birthday a few days later. He turned 50.

 I kind of freaked out when I realized he was turning 50. Not like that is old but I always have felt that I have very active, adventurous younger than most of my friends parents, parents. And I still do. I am blessed to have parents who are very much involved in not only their own lives, but mine and my kids too. Also with very little health issues along the way. That is not a common story and I am very grateful for them.  I think it just weirded me out because I am going to be in their spot in not that much time!

I always have a difficult time trying to figure out a gift for him. There is hardly anything I could buy for him that he doesn't already have or need. Plus he is one who doesn't want us to spend our money on him. So what do you do? Get him a pinata! Since Priesthood session was on his birthday we did the pinata after conference on Sunday.

I made some loot bags to go along with it.

Rusty caught onto the fun and had to try it out.

We made sure to Pandora a few Spanish tunes on a cell phone to fully grasp the pinata spirit.

.

I think everybody got a turn at whacking. We only had to re-tie it back on the rope twice and scotch taped it up once to get more turns. I love the long grass. If looks so fluffy in the pictures and made finding the candy a little harder.

I think I was in an extra good mood because it was conference Sunday and I didn't have to spend 3 hrs in the halls wrangling a child 2 months shy of nursery age.
.

So lastly, I must share about my April Fools trick. hehe.

I completely forgot about April 1st until my sister asked if I was doing anything to fool Casey. She told me her ideas which were pretty hilarious so that got me wanting to do something as well. I quickly brain stormed some ideas like having Casey think I was pregnant with a pregnancy test. But I couldn't think of anybody that I knew that was pregnant, non the less knowing them well enough to ask them to pee on a stick for me.

Some how I thought about doing a fake DQ coupon because Casey's middle name is pretty much ice cream and he gets so excited when we get coupons in the mail for it.

I googled DQ coupon images and copy and pasted the pictures on my Memory Mixer softwear. I was trying to think of what to say on it to make it sound legit so I totally made up the blizzard flavor and "spring in" to make it sound Easter-ish. I printed it out and put it in our mail box. What do you think, believable?



I had to print it out over at my parents because our color ink was out. I showed it to my mom and she couldn't resist and put one in their mail box too.

So long story short Casey didn't buy it. However, somebody else did! How it went down was my mom and dad were sitting at the kitchen table and the pile of mail was on it. My mom nonchalantly picked up the coupon and was like wow look at this.

Long story short again they hop in the car and  headed over to Dairy Queen to get their 6 free blizzards! They pull up and it was crowded and my dad said it was probably because everybody wanted their free blizzards. haha! Usually they do the drive thru but since it was crowded my mom "talked him into" going inside because it would be easier.

My dad handed the coupon over to the boy taking their order. I guess they boy was looking at it point blank, reading it for 2 minutes without saying a word then all of a sudden turned around and walked toward the back of the restaurant to talk to his manager! My mom couldn't keep it in any longer and told my dad is was and April Fools prank. I guess he didn't think it was that funny until they sat down with their frozen hot chocolates and not a chocolate bunny covered strawberry blizzard and then he could laugh and say he thought some of it sounded fishy.

Oh father, thanks for making me feel successful. I vow to get Casey somehow next year!


.