Cousin Playtime

{Saturday} January 7, 2012

We haven't been lucky enough to spend much time with Ian and Jayna because they've lived far enough away that we just haven't gotten together for things other than "events";  {like birthday's or holidays. Recently Ian moved just down the freeway from us so when he has Jayna {every other weekend or so} they come to play so she and Charly can have some cousin playtime. They're so cute together and get so silly. I love watching them play and getting to know each other more. Today they came around lunch time and the girls played while Wade took Hannah and Reha "to the store" {our "code" for going ice skating at UTC}. Ian and I just sat at the table the rest of the day doing a puzzle . . . kind of the norm lately whenever we get together. It's been really nice spending more time with him. Love him so much and hope we continue to get together often.

SUNBEAM!!

{Thursday } January 5, 2012

Why is it that when your house is the messiest it gets you get a surprise visitor?? Never. fails! I do love visitors though and tonight was a special visitor {Karen Akagi} who came over just for Charlise. So sweet to make a special trip just to meet her. She will be a new Sunbeam on Sunday and Sister Akagi is her teacher. She. is. SO. excited!!

 Sister Akagi and our newest BIG GIRL Sunbeam, Charly. ;)

 Such a cute little card to welcome her to Sunbeams . . . 

. . . and can you tell she LOVES it?! Haha . . . goofy girl!

For Charish . . .

{Thursday} January 5, 2012

I can NOT believe that it's been two years since we let Charish go. {I wrote about it HERE} It is still just as numbing as the day it happened. I feel like it's only been about five minutes. 

The way I've felt for the past couple of weeks has totally shocked me. I fully . . . and probably unrealistically . . . expected to have an easier time over the holidays than I did last year. This year was by far harder for me than last year. The only thing I can think is that last year I "geared up" for the holidays. I knew they would be hard; building new traditions and moving past the old ones. For 10 years before Charish died we spent Christmas day with her family, so to go from having "set" plans every Christmas to nothing was strange. This year I put it in the back of my mind and tried to forget about it so that I could get excited about Christmas morning. Doing that seemed to work for days leading up to Christmas but once the day came it was impossible to think of how fun Christmas day used to be. I literally left her house with sore cheeks from laughing so much. I really miss that girl! I can't WAIT to see her again . . . just wish I didn't have to live my {as far as my plans go} long life. I crave to grow old with her and be gray old ladies still leaving each other with sore cheeks. BUT since that plan so quickly changed for me I am currently in the midst of finding my new "normal" . . . whatever that is. If I ever figure it out I'll share. Hoping that comes sooner rather than later.

This morning after I dropped Hannah and Reha off at school, Charly, Porter and I headed out to Fallbrook to visit her grave. I've only been back to bring her a flower once {and one other time when her father in-law, John passed away} so it was time to go back. And I felt it was also important to bring Charly back. She was so little that she's forgotten Charish {or rather how she was when she was alive. She "knows" Charish through pictures and stories.} When we first got to Fallbrook we met Jason and Chloe at La Caseta for lunch. I haven't seen Chloe in way too long. It was the first time EVER that she didn't run up to me in excitement . . . so sad. I really wish we got together more. Hopefully things will change and we can get together more often. After lunch we went and got a balloon and a flower and went over to the cemetery. Charly was excited to "give Charish" her gifts and after a few minutes driving over there I realized that she thought she would actually see her. It was a good learning experience for her but I could see the sadness in her eyes and it broke my heart. She's such a sweet girl. I so wish that she and Charish could have grown close like the other two were able to.

Sending a balloon to heaven.

 On our drive home Charly kept asking, "How will she get her flower?" It was kind of sad for her to realize that Charish will only get to see her flower, but it was a good lesson that she can see it and that she's around us all the time. She just came up to the computer while I'm posting this and said, "I love that Charish is my angel." So cute. 

Happy New Year!

{Sunday} January 1, 2012

We stayed up pretty late last night partying it up for New Years with the Wallins, so 9:00 church came way. too. fast. I still woke up early enough to make omelets for breakfast and got everyone ready on time! Amazing what having to get ready early will do. Ha. Wade, however, wasn't ready on time . . . being the Gospel Doctrine teacher will do that to you, especially when you're a really good one and like to have a great lesson prepared for everyone. Needless to say we waited downstairs for a little while for him to come down and played with my iPhone camera . . .

 Isn't he so. dang. cute!?

Me and my little man . . . 

 . . . LOVE him!

He's FINALLY walking a bit more. {Don't mind the "taking down Christmas decorations" mess all over the place. 

I do have some resolutions, and this year I decided to make them small. I always. always. go overboard making resolutions. I think that I can change overnight and so far . . . that hasn't happened. So this year I'm being way more realistic. No more, "run a half marathon" type resolutions. While I want to do that someday, I'm not going to make it a goal right now. My life needs a little more fine tuning before I can focus on something as daunting as that. So, here goes . . .

I really want to be better; a better mom, a better wife, and a better person all around. I know that the first step to all of those things is to be closer to God . . . through prayer and scripture reading/studying. I stink at it and always wish I wasn't such a dud when it comes to the "basics". So this year, that's my main goal . . . CONSISTENTLY read my scriptures and say my prayers {alone and as a family}.

Family Home Evening is also something that we stink at. I got a book to help prepare some lessons and I plan on actually preparing something instead of just flying by the seat of my pants {"OH shoot! It's Monday. Let's go to Del Taco" is more like our FHE's lately. Pah. Thetic!}

Also, I certainly don't spend enough quality time with my kids, and oh my goodness it's showing in their behavior. They don't feel loved enough and they're definitely letting me know it by sassing the heck out of my days. Stinkers! I want to spend less time cleaning and more time just spending time with them. 

Alrighty, that's that. We'll see how well I do!

The Year is OVER?!

{Saturday} December 25, 2011

Hannah's best friend, Brianna's birthday was yesterday but we were too busy to run by with a birthday surprise, so this morning we went to get her some balloons {we got her 5 of these cute happy faces and a red heart} then took them over to her house along with a little gift of her favorite candy bar, Kit Kat, and an iTunes gift card. They are such cute girls together. I'm so glad they get along so well.

Hannah's happy! Silly girl.

When we came home I started to get the Christmas decorations put away. I'm in complete shock that Christmas is over let alone the year! So so so weird that it passed by so quickly. 

Tonight we went over to the Wallins to celebrate New Years Eve with them. We played games while the girls ran wild and played all night. They are such a fun family to get together with. It's always so nice when both the husbands and wives get along so well, and the kids have so much fun together. Hannah is a little old for this group of kids, so she always plays games with the adults. 

 Some of our timed photos {so that all of us are in the same one for once}. Porter looks like he sees a ghost. haha

 Trying to get us all jumping when we think the camera is going to go off is a challenge . . . but since we're dorky and had to get one this was our best shot. 

 {Don't mind the fuzzy cell phone pics. Better than nothing!} Celebrating New Years east coast time so the kids could go to sleep if they wanted. Reha and Brinna with sparklers.

 Hannah, Wade, Reha and Brinna.

When 12:00am came around we woke up the sleeping kids and celebrated again. Why not, right? We had such a great time and will be SO sad when they move away this summer. :(