Rupley Family

Isaac and the goat

2011-11-29T11:04:00.000-08:00

in the middle of the city, my kids go to this tiny charter school that has a farm and gardens which they tend to everyday... so blessed to be a part of this school!

anyway, many of the goats are having babies and isaac has been thrilled everyday a new goat comes into this world. Last week, Isaac was on the playground and heard an aweful sound comming from one of the mommy goats. he ran and got help from the teacher only to find out the goat was in great distress with plecenta previa and was bleeding to death. both her and her twin baby goats passed away that day, but it was because of Isaacs fast thinking to get help that the mom passed away peacefully. I am so proud of him!

That night we had the circle of life discussion, isaac had been quite upset until it hit him, and he shared this with me..."mom, ive seen a lot of dead animals, I go hunting with dad all the time!"

I love that moment when life came into perspective for him, and I was so glad to be a part of that moment with him... man, I love that kid!

Tony's new career

2011-11-23T19:52:00.000-08:00

As many of you know, we had a parkinson's scare last march... with us selling the buisness and getting into a paid off house, there has been so much less stress... tony's symptoms have nearly gone with help of a neuro chiropractor.

That being said, it was time for tony to start thinking of a career that made him happy and fullfilled without stress... he chose Cosmotology.

he had been cutting the boys hair for years, and really enjoyed it... I joked to him one day, "why don't you cut hair?" the next morning he said " mindy, I think I want to cut hair!"

It has been such a blessing that he has found a passion in this industry- and he is really talented at it too! People love having him cut their hair and it has brought a new confidence in him that I remember back when life wasn't so complicated.

Today, on his station, he found a christmas jar filled with change and a twenty dollar bill with a note that said "thank you for making me feel so special".... we think it was from this elderly woman Tony did a perm on the other day, but we are not sure... but we know that TOny is making impressions that are life lasting and I am so proud of him. He really is great, and i'm not just saying that because i'm his wife, but he is creative and brillant at cutting and coloring hair!

Halloween 2011

2011-11-14T14:50:00.000-08:00

We had a great halloween...pumpkin patch with a hail storm, fun costumes, cookie making and of course tons of candy from trick-or-treating!!!

zig zag turns 8

2011-08-11T21:56:00.000-07:00

what an amazing moment in my little boys life, and mine, he turned 8 today. the age of 8 meant so many things so many years ago, and now I feel lost and humbled at the moment. my little zig zag is my whole life, along with my other rowdies, but seeing him grow is something I truly treasure. I took a moment today to rekindle the last 8 years of my life and every day they included him. I must say, I am the luckiest woman alive, I get to raise a little boy named isaac who truly has changed my world.

As I looked back at pictures of him, I remember the moment I found out he was growing inside me, elated is the best term to describe that moment. I had suffered from pcod, and new my chance of conception was minimal, but then, after a tragic moment, god blessed me with my baby. he is my blessing, and I cherish him. God gave me a boy who has adhd, is wacky, silly, full of energy, happiness, love and then even more love. he often has picked me up when I was down, and I see that cycle happening forever.

I often ask, zig, do you have a girlfriend, and without hesitation, he says "yes, its you"... I love him!

happy birthday my zig zag.... I love you!!!!

skydiver

2011-06-06T15:22:00.001-07:00

Tony.... our skydiving daddy!

birthday girl

2011-02-14T08:26:00.000-08:00

nothing is better then a hug from ur big brother

2011-02-12T08:58:00.000-08:00

isnt this sweet!
isnt this sweet!

my kids

2011-02-11T17:03:00.000-08:00

I love taking pics of my babies!!!

new site for my pics

2011-02-07T15:05:00.000-08:00

So tony got me a camera and my sis gt me photoshop all for christmas...check out my pics...slowly improving...and im having tons of fun! www.mindyspics.blogspot.com!!!!

My blog, Ill write what I want...this time, a song was written about me

2011-01-28T13:37:00.000-08:00

Have you heard this song by jose gonzalez? Heartbeat... I swear, he peaked in on my life and wrote this song...

One night to be confused
One night to speed up truth
We had a promise made
Four hands and then away
Both under influence
We had divine sense
To know what to say
Mind is a razor blade

To call for hands of above
To lean on
Wouldn't be good enough
For me, no

One night of magic rush
The start, a simple touch
One night to push and scream
And then relief
Ten days of perfect tunes
The colors red and blue
We had a promise made
We were in love

To call for hands of above
To lean on
Wouldn't be good enough
For me, no

To call for hands of above
To lean on
Wouldn't be good enough

And you
You knew the hand of the devil
And you
Kept us awake with wolves' teeth
Sharing different heartbeats
In one night

To call for hands of above
To lean on
Wouldn't be good enough
For me, no

To call for hands of above
To lean on
Wouldn't be good enough

Ive been confused about god, im bi-polar and I hear voices... sometimes i didn't even know if I could lean on god, was he even real, did I really even hear him speak to me? Then a bomb dropped in on me and tonys relationship, Some how, I knew just what to say that awful night. I went to bed and woke up in a full blown panick attack, I begged tony to take me to the hospital, I was sure I was dying... I pushed and screamed like i never had before...then I had some relief...tony took out a piece of paper and wrote: We made it, We caught enough fish (this goes along with a story we are both passionate about), we did it...lets celebrate... Im taking my family on vacation RIGHT NOW....signed tony at 6:10am...

we went to sandiego, he proposed to me, we WERE IN LOVE...still, my position on a higher power is shakey, but something happened that night, someone helped us that night our words to eachother cut into our souls.

This song defines the most significant event that has ever happened to me... its amazing.

Addicted

2011-01-17T22:13:00.000-08:00

Im addicted to my new camera, photo editing and pics of Auri...Im not great but I still am having fun!!!!!

GOOD BYE 2010

2010-12-31T21:21:00.000-08:00

This has been a terrible year for me!!! So I'm giving the middle finger to 2010! Let me list the bad things that happened to me this year, or at least give my readers a taste of how bad 2010 was for me...
1. tony cut his finger off
2. tony got into a terrible crash
3. i am bi-polar...yup, i said it, I have it pretty bad (but am getting better)
4. switched isaac to yet another school
5. almost got divorced, but some how managed to save my marriage
6. stopped talking to some of my best friends (it was because of the bi-polar, sorry)
7. picked up a few bad habbits i have to quit this year
8. questioned wheather or not I believed there even was a god
9. slept too many days away because of depression, lost many great days with my kids
10. had a friend pass away with along with her son and left another son in ICU and now he has no mom... awful and sooo haunting

So I say to 2010, middle finger to you! Good riddens 2010. I want to never remember all the pain you caused me and my fam!

To 2011 HELLO!!!! I am sooo glad to see you! I am planning on making huge changes and her they are 1-10!!!!
1. stopping my bad habbits (sionara)
2. I am going to love every day starting at 6... hello beautiful morning
3. love my kids even more... I don't want to miss a thing
4. love my husband and be sooooo greatful that he is there when I wake up and go to bed!
5. love myself- Heck, I'm awsome!
6. call those friends of mine I left behind... I miss you sooo much!
7. enjoy my hobbies again (Im back to scrapping and great memories)
8. forgiving those who made me feel like crap (if it will make wounds heal, Im doing it!
9. getting my house back together (I deserve it, and my home is AMAZING- sorry to brag)
10. Getting my whole life back- bipolar under control= my life back!

so that is it in a nut shell, I love my friends who read my blog- sorry I have been so flacky... its not who I am, and in 2011 I pray to be back to myself again, and yes, I found god! Ohhhhh... me and tony are renuing our vows this year and making new promises to eachother... he proposed to me over winter vacation, bought me the most beautiful engagement ring, and a brand new wedding band. We fell in love with each other all over again, and it was that weekend that we both found god... Thank you god for always watching over me and my family and making me realize how much you really do love us!

Thanksgiving

2010-11-19T09:28:00.000-08:00

Top Ten Reasons I love Thanksgiving in AZ

1. we can plan the meal while laying on the grass watching the kids play
2. my sister is here and so is my niece
3. Thanksgiving is at her house this year not mine!
4. we all get to take a day off
5. the weather is perfect!
6. No coats or boots needed!
7. soda always makes a good drink on a warm day!
8. The kids will be swimming while we cook! Outside!
9. the weather is so nice we can eat outside
10. Lets face it, Phoenix is perfect for everything!!!!

Shifty

2010-11-19T09:22:00.000-08:00

Tony is really trying hard to be emotionally connected with everything instead of his instinct...to detatch! I thought what better thing to attatch to then a doggy that will go everywhere with Tony...our new Sonoran Desert Pools Mascott! Tony fell in love right away and we love our doggy Shifty!!!!!

schools out for summer

2010-06-03T14:11:00.000-07:00

When school let out on that last day, Brody says to me " is it summer?" I said yes, and then I quickly decided to make a summer impact by taking them to the beach! While we were there, my sweet Brody says "will it be summer every weekend?" Takes your breath away doen't it! I love those sweet remarks that my Rowdies make! PS. Isaac is on his medication vacation, and he is so crazy and goofy, I can't help but take a deep breath... the running I have to do to keep up with him, and the laughing I do watching him... all i have to say is that I am making some amazing memories!!!!

Aspergers TOO

2010-05-10T10:27:00.000-07:00

This last month or two have really opened up a can of worms for us... We started therapy for Isaac and Tony's ADHD only to have to have testing done on Brody for Aspergers.... Seriously, how much more can I really handle?! But, lets face it, if you really know me, you know the struggles I have with Brody, so it really isn't that surprising....just a lot to take in!

Our New Kitty "Ski-ven"

2010-04-19T22:40:00.000-07:00

Me and the Rowdies decided that we really wanted to have a pet, and I LOVE Cats, so we went and got one! the kids are soooo cute with him! In the car, we were deciding on names..."Sky", "Zazoo", etc...Brody shouted out "how about Skiing" and Isaac shouts "how about Ski-ven" Brody Shouts "I LOVE Ski-ven" and Isaac shouts "ME TOO!" It was a rowdie time in the car...Auri just yells "Cat!" Anyway, we love our new friend!

Isaac

2010-04-15T09:44:00.000-07:00

For months, Isaac has been struggling in school; we would study and study spelling words only for him to miss half the answers on the test. His handwriting was terrible and everyone had trouble reading it. He would come home with is normal homework and then a packet that was supposed to have been completed in class (Isaac would have only completed the 1st page of 10)...this is not to mention that his regular homework would take him over 2 hours to complete because he was so distracted from everything that he could not focus on his work (his homework should take no more than 15 minutes, so imagine the challenge it was to then do the work he didn't do in class!). Tony was having difficulty even being around Isaac, he would tell me that he is soooo frustrated with Isaac he can barley stand to be around him, and he felt guilty for even saying that. After several times of moving him in the class room, his teacher came to me and said "I think Isaac is having trouble seeing and that is why we are having so many issues." I took him right to the eye doctor. The doctor checked out his eyes and looked at me, he said "Has anyone suggested that he is inattentive; his eyes are perfect."

I googled the word inattentive....it pulled up ADHD. I thought, no way is he ADHD, his behavior is sooooo good in class; the quitest, most passive child. Then I looked up the symptoms of ADHD; Isaac had all of them! A trip to the pedatrition with my parent evaluation and teacher evaluation the docter said I needed ended up with startling results.... "Mrs Rupley, based on these evaluations, Isaac needed to have scored a minumum of a 3 out of 9 to have the diagnosis of ADHD, he scored an average of an 8. Your child is suffering from ADHD."

I know have a son, and a husband who suffer with this condition; torn about medication, I went ahead and decided to try it, along with family therapy. What a difference!

Isaac is quickly gaining confidence as his work is done on time and with few errors, friends are wanting to play with him again, Tony is rebuilding his relationship with him and they are loving eachother again...I am soooo excited for the whole family.

ADHD comes with a price. I can't tell you how many people have told me they can't believe I am medicating him; that it is wrong, that I should be able to control it through diet. I have even heard that it is just his age. One friend of mine even told me I was wrong and that she thinks these medications border on abuse.

Then I got this book "Super Parenting for ADD". Chapter after chapter, it has addressed every issue I had; especially worry. It said that parents with children of ADHD take worring to the extreme...they worry their kids will grow up to be delinquents, they will have a weak social like and struggle having relationships, we worry about giving the medication we never wanted to give our children, but without it, we see our children suffer to extremes, and then we worry and worry some more. And then the book said this line and I cryed, "Remember to love and love your children, because out in the world, they are loved the least." I cryed because I know Isaac is difficult and it is frustrating to continually be on him to stay on track. It is hard for kids to like Isaac becuase he is soooo quarky and does strange things; I know that people aren't compassionate towards him...heck, when he first exhibited signs of ADHD, he was in at recess every day, got a detintion, and we finally had to switch schools.

So, at the end of the day, I LOVE HIM....even when the world and situations don't. I medicate him, it works for him, I take him to therapy so when the meds wear off, he can still function to some degree and at least recognize his behavior and gain some control of it (it is some control, he can't get total control).

This is my biggest challenge,and now I know it is my biggest gift. I love my Isaac and all of his quarkyness!

long time no update

2010-02-26T14:36:00.001-08:00

Well, its been a long time since i last updated... so here are my bullets!

- we moved at the end of December to a larger home... we love it!
- I started the nursing program at Gateway Community college
- Auri turned one (thats the reason for the new pics)
- She walks!
- Brody is still my favorite little funny boy
- Isaac still loves to make me feel loved
- We hired a nanny for Saturdays
- I got a new Van (the old one BROKE)
- Tony is still crazy busy

Thats our life in a nut shell!

Why I LOVE Brody!!!

2009-12-03T11:53:00.000-08:00

We had a great trip to florida over thanksgiving... we went to the zoo. While we were there, Auri's bow kept falling off (not enough hair), so I jokingly said "who wants to wear the bow?" Both boys were shouting "NO WAY, NOT ME!!!" I said to Brody, "If you wear the bow, and some one says... Oh, what a cute little girl.... I will get you a pokemon." Quickly Brody grabs the bow, sticks it in his hair, and started walking up to people with a silly little smile.

Most people just smiled and laughed a little at how silly he looked, but he kept on smiling and making eyecontact with people... hopeing they would say he looked like a girl.

After 45min of this, a little girl walked up to him and said "little boy, why do you have a pink bow in your hair, you look like a girl!"

Estatic, Brody runs up to me and says, "that little girl said it, I look like a girl... I get a pokemon!"

I just love that Brody!

We Love the Park

2009-11-12T11:12:00.000-08:00

Crazy October

2009-11-11T15:22:00.000-08:00

I will sum up my Top 10 events in October ....

1. Tony still works at least 6 days out of the week
2. Aurora stands on her own
3. Aurora Waves
4. Aurora cuts 2 bottom teeth
5. Brody is a Prince at the Prince and Princess Ball
6. Isaac has a Halloween movie party with 2 of his Friends
7. My Sister Ashley and her baby Olivia move in with us
8. Boo at the Zoo
9. Pumpkin patch
10. Trick or treating Halloween night

Brody Started Preschool and other big news!!!!

2009-10-14T12:15:00.000-07:00

Yipee... brody started preschool today at Adams traditional academy (this is where he will be going to k-8). he did super! I would post pics, but my camera is still in the shop....

Another great thing...Aurora cut her first tooth, and she stood by herself for 10 seconds today... she will be walking in no time... YIKES!!!

And for the biggie news (no, I am not prego), I start nursing school in January! After a nice two year break from school, I will be starting the night program at gateway community college! In a way, i get my cake and eat it too. I am still with my kiddos most of the time, and I don't have to find a sitter. It is two nights a week 5 to 9 and a fri or sat for clinicals. I can't beleive I am really doing this! Thanks Kylee for always beleiving in me (she told me I could finish college a long time ago, and here I am... I'm doing it!) Oh, lets face it, I have had tons of support... I am soooo lucky to have such wonderful friends and family!

I will post pics later, when I get a camera!

New School

2009-09-17T06:44:00.000-07:00

Well, a sudden change has happened, I put Isaac in a different school. Its a long story, but I made the change to a more positive enviornment where he will be able to grow as a student and be respected as a little person. I know this school should be more caring then the one before.

His Teacher is Mrs Telep, and there are 12 boys and 6 girls. Isaac is in heaven.

Brody still struggles with his little fears, but we are working on those. Swim is still going ok, not huge improvements, but little ones, and his teacher is always working on a plan to help him love the water...

Aurora pulls her self up on everything, eats everything, crawls everywhere, and I am often having to be right there with her otherwise she would do something crazy, like put her finger in a light soccet!

my camera broke, so it is being repaired.

thats all for now!

Brody and swim

2009-08-26T07:20:00.000-07:00

As most of you know, Brody is scared of the water! So we have decided to enroll him in the Hubbard Swim School. It has been really positive. When he achieves something great, like go under water (bobs) 3 times, or goes into the pool without crying, he gets a ribbon. Well last week he did so great they moved him up to gold fish level (so he can have one other kid with him). So here we are this week, first week of gold fish, and he had a hard time with the transition. he floated on his back all by himself for 30 sec, and then he realized what he was doing and got scared. so he is by himself again, regaining confidence with his teacher (who is great)... I just can't wait for this little struggle in his life to be over. anyway, he does look cute winning ribbons!

First Day of School

2009-08-26T07:17:00.000-07:00

Isaac is now in First grade!!!!! I love how excited everyone is for the first day of school!

Dada

2009-08-10T16:37:00.001-07:00

Yep, she said it... about a week ago... she looked right at Tony, at the dinner table, and said DAAAAAD.... DAAAAAD, in a super bossy voice. immediatly tony grabbed her out of her high chair and held her.... that was exactly what she wanted.

Already Auri has daddy wrapped around her finger.

Our New Pet

2009-08-06T15:53:00.001-07:00

Yep, we got one... well, it kind of invited itself into our family.... we have a new Pet OWL!!! we saw him out front in our tree at first, and the boys loved it... i was amazed too! Then he flew off. We thought he was gone forever until we went out back and I saw him in our huge shade tree. He remains there, so i guess it is now his home. I love our little pet!

cousins

2009-08-01T17:09:00.000-07:00

Today we hung out with our sweet little cousin Olivia... we had a great time haning out, sunbathing a little, in our back yard. we couldn't resist taking some super cute pics of them together!

Star Gazing

2009-07-31T13:05:00.001-07:00

Well, a few fun things have been happening while I have been a single mom.... (tony is still working all the time, and now he is working on the old house to get it sold... so I have been on my own)

I took Isaac to the BMX track and he got third place... very exciting! Brody, who is terrified of swimming, is now enrolled in the Hubbard swim school, where he is getting one on one time with an instructor to help him get over his fear. It is going ok, he had a little panick attack before we went to the swim school, and struggled getting into the water at the beginning. by the end of the class, he let the teacher hold him while they walked in the pool... so that is a huge accomplishment for him, he usually stays on the steps or he won't be in the water.

Auri is officially crawling!!!!

so anyway, star gazing.... last night we took a blanket outside and layed in on the grass and watched the stars pop into the night sky.... we had a great time!

I hate our old house!

2009-07-24T14:18:00.001-07:00

The whole reason we had to leave our house was because we could not afford a 15% adjustable rate mortagage (that they would not fix) and fix all of its issues!

so we are selling it, only to find out the whole roof needs to be replaced (not just a portion) a brand new ac needs to go on, a new window (where one was broken out by some dumb vandal, new RV gates which were stollen 2 weekes ago and needs the dumb app style washer and dryer closet (which was converted into a clothing closet before we bought the place) re done!

I HATE THAT HOUSE!!!

Here is the irony in it all... probably in this whole stupid economy.

the man that is buying our old stupid house is paying 75% less, thats right, 75% less then we did, he gets, the house, new ace, new windows (double pained), new roof, perfect interior, new RV gates and partally started landscaping... he only needs to put in a sprinkler system because we already did the curbing and brick laying when we thought we would be able to refi.

Still, after all of this, all of our money continues to go into medical bills and that old dumb house!

Little Auri

2009-07-21T19:14:00.000-07:00

yes, as you can tell, we have lots of nick names for little Aurora, mainly I call her Aurora, but a new name has come up and it is Auri. I love Rory, but everyone thinks I am saying Lori, so that is why I call her Aurora.... the boys came up with Auri, and I do think it is cute!

So what is she doing.... everything! She stands with support and is starting to pull herself up... rolling to get everywhere and of course scooting.... I have been trying to feed her rice and other foods, but little princess gags it up immediately (and I hate cleaning up throw up), so we really haven't plunged into foods.

What is up with us.... well, we are on our last 10 days before our house sells, but it has had its own complications... we are now in the process of replacing the roof and potentially the AC unit.... I can't wait to be done with that place (at least it should be sold in less then 2 weeks!)

the boys, as much as I love them.... I can't wait for school to start! I am quickly running out of steam, and they are board too! We are continuing with the BMX and Brody should start racing by next month too.... it is one of those sports that isn't too expensive and all my boys can do it... I just cheer them on!

well, that is all that is happening at my house... enjoy the pics!

San Diego Pics

2009-07-13T18:00:00.001-07:00

San Diego

2009-07-13T08:06:00.001-07:00

I love my husband.... he took us on a wonderful vacation to San Diego. We spent 3 days relaxing on the beach, boogie boarding, eating out, walking on the boardwalk, swimming and having a wonderful time. We road bikes and Isaac even did a BMX race there. Isaac did great and got third place (That means a trophie- his first one). I don't think we could have had a better vacation.

Another tooth!

2009-07-08T13:41:00.000-07:00

Yep, another tooth fell out of Isaacs mouth... two baby teeth are gone and new ones are comming in fast.... a little sad, I remember when those first two little teeth came in. I was so excited and thought he looked sooo cute. Now those teeth are gone and I think he looks sooo cute again. lets face it, this is one of the few times that you actually look cute missing teeth.

oh, I am also posting a few pics of isaac tony and brody at the bmx track... I thought they were cute.

tony and isaac

brody

Dog Days Of Summer

2009-07-01T17:28:00.000-07:00

I tried to capture the lazy doggy days of summer at my house. Our yard is beautiful and greeen with large shade trees.... you don't even think it is Arizona back there... it is our own little sanctuary where we can explore creatures and creepy crawlies, and gaze at the clouds to see what shapes they are. this is a glimpse of our "dog days of Summer".

update pics

2009-06-30T17:14:00.001-07:00

my new hair-do

(I had to cut bangs to hide my thinning hair line)
Brody swimming (He did it!)

Our new bedroom set

Aurora sitting up on her own!

Isaac and his bike video

Quick update

2009-06-29T07:06:00.000-07:00

So, I still haven't gotten batteries for my camera... I am doing that today. This month, Isaac and tony have been racing out at the BMX track. Tony is loving the bonding time they get as they race. They both look so cute out there.

Aurora had her 4 month check up at 4 months 3 weeks and she weighed 12lbs and was 23 inches long, she is sooo tiny. she fell a little below the 25th percentile, but Dr Golner could not beleive how great she was... he thought she was just perfect with the best temperment- she smiled and laughed the whole time!

Isaac is doing swim and little Brody is scared to death of swim lessons. Today we will see if he will get into the water (he can be quite a challenge).

Tony is working like crazy.... he sold his boat and bought me a new bedroom set:) I am sooo lucky to have him as my hubby.

well, I will post pics next time. just wanted to keep this updated since it is also my journal.

Isaac Lost A Tooth!

2009-06-06T14:50:00.001-07:00

Isaac lost his first tooth last night. He was soooo excited, but the most excited one was Brody. He can't wait to grow up and be like Isaac. Brody swears he has 3 loose teeth right now. So sill and so cute!

Because this was his first lost tooth, the toothfairy gave him 5 dollars... I Guess she ran out of 1 dollar bills last night or was too lazy to go and get change. In any case, Isaac was super excited to see his little present left from the tooth fairy. OH... did I mention, after the tooth fell out at 8 last night, Isaac made tony do some research on the toothfairy on the internet- he had to have an idea of what she looked like and what to expect. got to love technology!

Cute little Aurora Lailee bug

2009-06-06T14:44:00.000-07:00

Zoo Nights

2009-06-06T14:34:00.000-07:00

Well, as most of you know, I am on single mom status this summer! Poor Tony, he is working 6 to 7 days a week, and at least 10 to 12 hours each day. I can't complain, he loves us soooo much that he is willing to work like this so I can stay home, have a nice house, and do fun stuff with the kids... plus he does have a job when so many don't. So, it is just me and the kidos this summer. We kicked to summer vacation off with a bang.... we went to zoo nights.

Getting Silly

riding the train

finishing dinner (we ate sandwiches)

My Birthday

2009-05-29T08:48:00.000-07:00

It was my birthday yesterday and it was great! we swam at a friends pool till noon, the boys took me to lunch, and later that night isaac and brody planned a great party.

some special gifts I recieved were:

my sister gave me bath stuff which I love!
tony bought me a treadmill
isaac and brody made me a treasure box
my friend Jamie gave me a frame
my parents bought me new pots and pans :)
my friend Shawn gave me a week of diet coke, a frame, candles, chocolates (my favorite!)
my friend maryanne is taking me to dinner :)

for the final and unexpected gift (but it had been going out for a while now so I new it was about to happen) a new cell phone! I lost all of my numbers, so If you don't hear from me that is why.

all in all a great day for me! thanks everyone

Rolie, Rolie Polie

2009-05-28T07:03:00.000-07:00

What does Aurora think she is doing? She can now roll over front to back and back to front! I guess she is just not happy with her baby life of relaxing and being held.... she wants to RUN!

(this is her cute swim suit)

family night

2009-05-27T12:21:00.000-07:00

We love family night!

Schools out for Summer

2009-05-23T14:09:00.000-07:00

Isaac had his last day of kindergarten on Friday. All of the parents were invited to hear their children read a story that they wrote "when I grow up". Isaac did amazing. He said he wanted to be a Vet and to help animals when they get a cold or are sick. It was very cute. they received awards and Isaac received one for reading the most books for the last quarter of school- 75 total!

Isaac and miss campeau

after the awards, we took pics and the kids had a "post graduation party". It was filled with dancing, games and food.

Isaac and his best friend Rebecca

The Start of the Post Party

I can't believe my little Isaac is now a 1st grader!

My Little "Hot Wheel"

2009-05-20T14:22:00.000-07:00

Rollie Pollie

2009-05-13T08:39:00.000-07:00

Miss Aurora rolled over yesterday for the first time from back to tummy... not only was I there to see it, but Tony had just walked in the door so he saw it too! She is getting so big!

Brody turned 4!

2009-05-07T07:49:00.000-07:00

My little baby boy just turned 4! It is an exciting day for him, so I thought I would list his 4 biggest accomplishments:

1. Learned how to walk
my one year old angel baby

2. Learned how to talk clearly
My two year old silly goose

3. Learned how to go potty and poop on the toilet

Three year old Karate star

4. Learned how to ride a bike without training wheels

Four year old cutie

Wow, in four years Brody has accomplished a lot. I wonder what will come this year?

Teachers day and Mr. Sweetheart

2009-05-06T13:51:00.000-07:00

The Dialogue

Mom: Isaac what should we get Miss Campeau for teachers day?

Isaac: I think she would like flowers.

Mom: Flowers, that is a great idea.

Isaac: Ya, all pretty girls like flowers.... and balloons!

Isaac proudly walked onto the playground with a bouquet of roses and three balloons.... all of the 6 year old girls swarmed around him as he made his way to class. Blushing, he gave his beautiful 23 year old teacher, Miss Campeau, the present he had chosen. Miss Campeau looked at him and said, " Isaac you are such a sweet heart."

My Best Friend Diana Is Moving!

2009-05-01T12:05:00.000-07:00

I have been blessed to have several women in my life that I would consider my best friend and Diana is one of them! she has been my visiting teacher since we moved to north phoenix and we have shared so much together.... we both have two rowdie boys and we had our little girls 5 months apart. We have shared all major holidays together, thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, and Halloween. She really is like a sister to me, I can call her if I need a sitter, call her when I am feeling blue, come over to her house just to hang out, discuss issues about family life, and most important, she loves me because I am me and I love her because she is she. I will miss her support, friendship and sharing holidays together (who will I do this with now Diana?). I love this girl!

So now, after many tears late at night, I just hope she knows that I will miss her something awful, but am so grateful to have a sister in Wyoming.

Her boys at our easter egg hunt

me, my friend cheryl and diana at easter (thanks for making my big family get togethers come true)

Diana and princess sofie hanging out

Diana, Maryanne, me and Wendy (more of my best friends in the world)- they threw me the best baby shower ever!

2 month and 3 weeks

2009-04-25T06:10:00.000-07:00

Aurora is 2 months and 3 weeks old... I took her to the doctor today and she weighs 9 lbs and is 21 3/4 inches long. she is still tiny, but she is healthy and strong!

here is a pic of her at 2 weeks

here is a pic of her now

she has changed sooo much!

Chapter Books

2009-04-23T06:59:00.000-07:00

Isaac just finished his first chapter book...."Nate the Great and the Big Sniff". If anything makes me realize how much my kids are growing up it is this!

Brody is totally into pretending... he loves dress up (especially when he is the Blue Power Ranger), and his life revolves around Hot Wheels! I love this kid!

aurora, well, she scooted yesterday. I had to do some paperwork, so I laid her down on her mat, on her tummy. I turned around to check on her and she was off the mat and screaming! I think she was able to move herself because she was so mad that I put her down.

So needless to say, my kids are all growing up, and I am enjoying every minute of them!

Earth Day

2009-04-22T19:30:00.000-07:00

Ok, we love earth day, especially at the Phoenix zoo! We went to the zoo and took tony's dad John and his Girlfriend Sally to enjoy our favorite local "HOT" spot. We arrived just in time to build birdhouses, dance to radio disney, make balls to plant in the garden (the balls had seeds in them), learn about all things to reduce, reuse, and recycle! we each ended up with 3 tee shirts, and of course we had fun playing at the new splash pad!

all in all, we love our earth and had a great day celebrating our home!

I Did It!

2009-04-19T06:45:00.000-07:00

OK, so I did it, and i love it.... I pierced Auroras Ears!

Legacy

2009-04-18T17:43:00.001-07:00

So General conference happened a few week ago, and usually at some point in time, someone talks about their parents... usually their mom.... and talks about their great memories of them serving, or how much their mom loved Relief Society and being apart of so many wonderful women's lives.

so, i have decided that I want that for my kids too, I want them to know that we love being part of such a wonderful organization, so I am now taking pics of enrichment I go to, or Tony with the YM. I just want to leave my kids with a great legacy and hopefully they will want to stay apart of that too!

Thanks Nana And Papa

2009-04-09T17:57:00.000-07:00

Thanks Nana and Papa!!!!

Today the boys got a box from nana and papa. they each got a basket filled with their favorite things.... video game, hot wheel cars, play dough, bubbles, eggs with money in them, and even little cookies. they made a mess with the Easter grass, which made that moment that much more fun!

Aurora also got a special box... it had a cradle that used to be mine filled with an adorable baby. Even though she is not able to play with it now, Brody is having a blast pretending he is a dad and doing everything I do.... even nursing (he is soooo cute).

Also, i just got the mail and they gave us a coupon for sees ( it always reminds me of my grandparents).

Thanks for making this Easter full of memories! Love ya and enjoy the pics!

Thank You Aunt Vicki

2009-04-09T17:49:00.000-07:00

A super special thank you to Aunt Vicki.... the boys were so excited to get those candies... before I could even put the camera down Brody had scissors cutting into the big egg!

Love you

Easter Party

2009-04-09T09:13:00.001-07:00

Well, I decided to have an Easter party, and I am so glad that I did.

There were about 20 kids total that came and of course their wonderful mommas.

They hunted for all of the 250 Easter eggs in their super cute Easter/springtime clothes. they all looked soooo cute!

Then we ate cupcakes!

Once the cupcakes were gone, it turned into a bubble party. All of the kids had bubbles and were blowing them and trying to catch them on their bubble wand. It was soooo super fun! Easter in Arizona is my favorite time, the weather is great and everything is beautiful!

thanks everyone for coming and making Easter so fun and full of memories!

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle????

2009-04-07T12:45:00.001-07:00

Ok, did you know that tony is a recycling maniac?... he is, we fill up two recycle bins every week (crazy how much that is), and usually only have one bag of garbage to go to the landfill.

So, money has been tight because we are finally starting to get all of Rory's medical bills from her week stay in the NICU, so we have been trying to find ways to cut costs, everywhere.

Long story short, I filled up a gigantic bag full of about 50+ diapers in less then a week and put two and two together.... What if I did cloth diapers, I would save money and the environment. So on craigslist a young women had bought enough cloth diapers to last the length of time her daughter would be in dipes and her daughter was allergic to the fabric. She sold the lot to me for 200 dollars, and so now I am a cloth diaper mom!

I know it seems crazy, but they are really so easy. I do two diaper loads of laundry a week and that is it- oh, and they are pretty cute.

So between me and Tony, we are a GREEN family:)

boy, are we KOZY

2009-04-01T07:30:00.000-07:00

Ok, so those that have known me when my boys were little know that I am addicted to finding the perfect baby carrier- I love them! with isaac I had the normal packy that you find at Target, with Brody I used a ring sling and also a hiking packy, and now with Aurora, I have found the KOZY!

This packy is amazing.... I have done dishes, laundry, made dinner, washed my car, and I have even taken all three kids to the zoo and nursed at the same time- no one ever knew that I was nursing.... It is amazing! So I am now posting pics of this amazing packy....

Enjoy!

Aurora's new born pics

2009-03-24T20:28:00.000-07:00

So my girlfriend takes these amazing pics, and I want to show off the pics she took of us. this is just a few, but I love them

rory's blessing

2009-03-22T18:49:00.001-07:00

Aurora's blessing

2009-03-22T18:08:00.000-07:00

Today Tony gave Rory her baby blessing at church... what a wonderful thing we do! She looked so cute in her white dress and bow (I love having a girl), and nothing was sweeter then the way Tony held her and looked at her. she really is a blessing in our lives.

Many of our friends came out... tony's mom, my aunt vicki, my best friends the welkers and smiths, and my sister and her boyfriend. after church we celebrated the arrival of rory with taco salad and cake. it has been a very spiritual and lovely day!