Finally

We finally have our camera YEA!!!! I just cant believe how detrimental it was to not have it. I figured that I cant go back and blog about EVERYTHING so I will just touch on some fun things and start fresh from here.

Camping
We got to go camping in the beautiful pines of Prescott with some awesome friends. I think that it had to be one of the more relaxing vacations we had been on for a while. Let me clarify, I had to work until later on Friday night so when I got up there the set up had already been done (thanks guys) and our tent and stuff was already organized (thanks Justin) so I didn’t have to do much work. We watched the kids imaginations come to life as they had fun with sticks, dirt, and trees. They played for hours with just nature and each other. It was nice to catch up with some friends and always nice to EAT and we did that with lots of yummy food. The kids and I LOVED it, so now I am trying to convince Justin to make this a semi-annual event (we will see;)

Brin and Owen
I am in a huge dilemma…. How do you freeze time? I would like to know because I am living the days I always dreamed of and they keep on passing me by. I have realized that time just keeps slipping away from me and as hard as I try it’s just not listening. I have begged my children to “STOP growing” and they are just NOT listening to me either.

Owen
Owen has been fun to try to figure out and we are still in the stages of doing that he is confident and independent yet he is sensitive and clingy. I know I just totally contradicted myself but that is sort of what we are dealing with. One thing is for sure his is a bundle of energy and you can help but get sucked into his funny little world.

Vacuum’s are his game, don’t believe me sit with him for two minutes and guaranteed he will have asked you if you own a vacuum and what color it is, and don’t think he doesn’t remember how many and if you own your very own vacuum. Owen talks about his Grandpa King almost daily (he is a legend to Owen) because Grandpa King has multiple vacuums. And our favorite Chinese Restaurant has 4 vacuums that he gets to see before he eats and once after he is done because he asked our waitress (Mei, we just love her) if she has a vacuum. I would venture to say that he plays with “his” personal "Blue vacuum" (a real one that Grandma & Grandpa Sage got him) for about 3 hours a day. Every store we go in I am asked “ Do they got vacuums here?” with a twinkle in his eye. Oh my sweet vacuuming son how I love you!!!

Brin
Brin remains our rule following helpful sister. She is full of logic and reasoning, and is trying to figure out why and how things work. She LOVES her friends and can never get enough of them. Even after hour and hour of being with them she is never ready to leave them. She just had her first Primary program and I was a BEAMING momma!!! So proud of my little girl even if she was yawning through most of it:)

Preschool

My camera is STILL getting fixed so I thought that I couldn't blog until then, however I am getting so backed up because I have been waiting so long to post. So until I get my camera back I guess no pictures (picture are always the best part:(

My baby is growing up...

About a week ago I dropped Briny off for her very first day of Preschool. I can honestly remember driving around with, my then two year old, Brinley in the back seat peering through my rear view mirror at her with tears in my eyes thinking "I only have 3 more years with you until school will take you away." My fears are not for the 2 days a week that she will be gone for 3 hours, they are because she is that much closer to the dreaded "Kindergarten" when I will be forced to just see her on nights and weekends:( And how about all the time that I have spent teaching her how to share, not to tease, to love everyone, to be honest, and then I throw her out into the world were who knows what is awaiting. Oh, how I would love to keep her tucked safe under my wing where no outside influence would hurt her. What I wouldn't give to make sure she was safe that she didn't have to feel any pain, or loss, or hurt. Now, I understand that this is not realistic and that our growth is developed by our experiences however it doesn't make it easy.

With all that in mind I did drop my baby off to Preschool where she promptly took her place and I kissed that sweet angel on her face and I too promptly took my place (outside in the car sharing tears with my son:) We had a good 7 min cry on the way home, I guess we both missed her. Things are better now, no tears as we drop her off but man am I excited when the clock his 10:45 and it time to pick her up.

Just Take a Moment

Today Justin goes back to work after a nice 2.5 month vacation. I wanted to take a "moment of writing" to morn my loss;) But really he has had summers off well... forever and being a teacher just insured him summers of for a little longer and through all the ones we have spent together this may just have topped the charts. Well this one and the one we got married and moved to LA! Thank you Justin for making this summer one to remember...

Date Days with Brinley

Summer Movie Fun

Morning Breakfasts

Sleepover

Colorado

California

Redbox

Late night snacks

Swimming (yeah Finally Brinley can swim all by herself now)

Games Games and more Board Games

Splash Parks

Crafts ( thanks for the built in bookcase:)

and I have to mention all the cleaning my little "clean freak" did... stem vac the whole house, cleaning the garage x2 and his desire to keep the floors raked made us look into learning to hover.

Just for memory sake,

DaNell

Vacation Report

We have had the most wonderful July EVER!!!


Disneyland

We got word that we were going to have a family reunion at Disneyland a few months back and instantly my excitement was overwhelming. As kids we were privileged to have family reunions at Disney World in which many WONDERFUL memories were created. I have since recounted these awesome memories to my husband and children recalling Splash Mountain, Aerosmith, Tower of Terror, late nights running through Disney streets, wonderful meals accompanied by my cousins, and so so so much more. Once more we were able to have that great experience except for this time it wouldn’t just be me I would have 3 tag-alongsJ

This trip didn’t disappoint, other than it’s a little more difficult to run as hard with two little kiddos to take care of and get ready in the morning. We did however run as fast as our little legs would carry us. Brinley and Owen enjoyed the nostalgic Disney rides little Dumbo, Tea Cups, and Small World. But she ventured out of her little shell and really enjoyed the Grizzle Mountain Ride, so much so that she had to go to Grandma and Grandpas hotel room to show of just how soaking wet she got. Owen found affection for Goofy and screamed in joy when he caught a glimpse of him though the park. Justin loved The Tower of Terror & the Scremin ride as they were the most thrilling rides he found there. I was content to see the amazing Aladdin show and to eat soup in a bread bowl on the pier. We all shared in each other’s joys and had a very smooth trip.

It’s always nice to spend time with family at the “Happiest Place on Earth.” I recognize just how precious our family relationships are, that we are as close and share as many memorize as we do. I just love my cousins and also share in their joys & successes as we all have grown up with each other.

We were able to spend sometime in the BUEATIFUL Durango, CO with both sides of our family. Most of our time was devoted to swimming, eating, shopping, and sleeping but we did a few other things. Aunt Jennie and I also took a nature walk with the kids, my family took a drive to Ouray (very cute town), celebrated 4th of July with fireworks, we watched Toy Story 3 in 3-D, Brinley and her Grandparents took a train ride to Silverton, and we enjoyed a day down the Alpine Slides after a morning of fishing WHEW, that was a well packed in vacation, we had a lot of fun.

Justin, the kids, and I just LOVE Colorado and are grateful for the opportunity as we look forward to it each year.

KiKi

Well it is about time that I give credit where credit is due…

Thank you Owens Blankly, thank you for putting my little man to sleep EVERY night, thank you for diligently taking 2 naps a day with him, thank you for comforting him when hurt, or quieting him when upset, for traveling with us everywhere we go, & for taking a beating in the wash several times a week. You have made our job as parents MUCH easier.

From just a few weeks old I have been able to put Owen, wide-awake, in his crib with his “KIKI” and he could put himself to sleep. A couple of weeks back we converted Owens crib into a big boy bed, tear. I was terrified wondering what our active independent little guy could conjure up in the middle of the night, or worse wake us up;) I didn’t want to jinx us so I have waited to announce that it has been a very successful transition. We do our nightly routine and then he crawls up into bed, with his “KiKi” and we don’t see him again until we get him out in the morning. I do wonder what sort-a attachment problems we may have to face as he grows up. I really don’t want him dragging it college, on his mission, and then accompanying him and his wife to sleep each night, I guess we will have to cross that bridge when we get there. So far so good I am not complaining yet (only when we don’t have the kiki around)!

To Bed

Traveling in the car

At restaurants

With us to museums and movies

Hanging out watching TV

Cuddling Daddy

Really anytime!!!

My Dancing Ballerina

Brinley had her first dance recital yesterday afternoon, long anticipated dance recital. She has been dancing for over a year now from a friend and great instructor in a cute little dance studio that they added on to their house. However, their isn’t enough room for the parents to watch so I drop her off every Tuesday for a half an hour and wonder what and how she is doing. I couldn’t wait to see what she had learned and I was as nervous and excited as I will admit for a 4-year-old recital. She was fantastic my little rule following girl was right on task, and if she hadn’t been I would have been beaming just the same! Our families both came to support, which is always nice and made that day so special for our SWIRLING, TWIRLING, ballerina.

From a book we love to read to Brinley –

Once there was a dancing girl…
A stomping, bombing, prancing girl,
A two-step, three-step, dancing girl,
A “you and me step” dancing girl,
Who loved to skip and jump and twirl,
And though you’ll grow up in a whirl…

You’ll always be my CUDDLE girl!!!!

I'm Showing off

I started a crafting blog ( http://www.fabulousonateacherssalary.blogspot.com ) about a month ago with very little understanding of the BLOGGING world, and let me tell you its is its own little world.

I have been very happy learning and growing from so many people with talent clicking on to amazing blogs can be a rush. What new creation will I see today? It can really get addicting!

About a week after I started the blog I was trying to link one of my posts to Blue Cricket and I ended up actually applying to be FEATURED, whoops. I know that my talent is not what I have seen others and lived with my whole life, I would have never applied to be featured just because I don't feel I have anything really huge to share, but here I am being featured so check it out...

http://www.bluecricketdesign.net/2010/05/thrift-store-chair-revamp-by-fabulous.html

Briny Baby

With Owen Being so active and adventures Brinley gets a little less attention these days and she is quickly becoming the responsible one, always throwing away diapers, getting olds and ends, and picking up. Don’t get me wrong I LOVE this beautiful little girl and find her personality is so fun. She is a natural in font of a camera, EXAMPLE…

Check out this blog for Step by step on how to make those bows...
www.fabulousonateacherssalary.blogspot.com/

My LITTLE man gets into some BIG messes!!!

How does food coloring taste Bubbas???

Thank goodness he likes to clean floors, like his daddy, because he definitely will need to:)

The Case of the Missing Cheerios

Case #ABC

The date was April 24th, 2010 when a faint giggling sound was heard in the upstairs master bedroom. At that approximant time the two children of the house were to be having quite time so I, the detective, went to investigate and here is what I found...

A FULL family sized box of Cheerios had been dumped and spread over the entire bedroom. I question those at the scene and fingers were pointed in all directions. I had to crack this case. Who was the instigator, who got the box out, and who decided commit this heinous crime?

After much intense interrogation, I finally got a full confession from one of the culprits, Brinley got the box out from the upstairs food storage closet and Owen committed the crime. Because of her full confession I let her off easier and made her help clean the awful mess (which she promptly fell asleep doing.)

However the ringleader got a more severe punishment he was put behind bar for the next few hours (okay just so you know it was nap time, he did fall asleep he didn’t just have to serve out his sentence awake;)

I was able to salvage the remains of the bedroom (thanks to a good vacuume!!!)