Family Pictures

We recently had our family pictures taken.  Our local FSA is putting together books on adoption as part of the goal to promote awareness of the option of adoption.  A wonderful local photographer Marissa of Marissa D Photography volunteered her services and we now have some fabulous pictures.

So what do you think?  Pretty great, right!?

Happy Adoption Day Seth!

Today was family court day and now when my kids call Seth their brother, legally its true. The eternal part will be done on Saturday. That is what my older kids have been looking forward to for the past 13 months. Incidentally, we had the same judge as last time (with Kenna).

We celebrated Seth's Happy Adoption Day by enjoying a buffet...

And topped it off with bowling. Unfortunately, the guest of honor slept through the first game, and when he woke up in the second game he had to stay in the stroller. Dirty bowling floors + crawling boy = GROSS! (He can walk, he just won't. He only likes to do it with a cheering audience).

On another note, I finished the blanket I was making for Seth for Christmas. It turned out so cute that I had to post it. With leftover fabric I made him a neck pillow for the car. Sewing minky and satin is NOT FUN!

Lemonade Mouth, New Orleans and Other Things

I had the best couple of days ever! I had a spa day and it was fabulous. I have had massages and I've had pedicures but never have I had a massage/pedicure/facial all at once. Oh, and I went with Steve to New Orleans on a business trip. Just kidding, New Orleans was better than the spa trip at the hotel. I've never been to New Orleans before so I had a blast. Steve and I went to the aquarium, took a riverboat tour, ghost tour, city tour and swamp tour. Since we had a limited amount of time and no transportation, that seemed like the best way to see the city. I also went on a tour of the World of Mardi Gras Warehouse where 80% of mardi gras floats are made. It is a very interesting process and I learned that eevery year during a 2 week period around Easter there are 54 parades, each consisiting of 14-32 floats. On the ghost tour I learned a bad tour guide makes it cheesy not spooky. On the city tour I learned that they bury their dead above ground so they don't pop out of the ground and body surf during floods. And on the swamp tour I learned that alligators like marshmellow and weenie roasts just as much as we do.

I also realized on the way to the airport that I had Texas cousins close enough to possibly visit. So if they feel like shunning me for not calling...sorry.

On the way home from New Orleans we had a short layover in L.A. In the airport we ran into 3 of the actors from the Disney Channel movie, "Lemonade Mouth." (They also happen to be on Zeke & Luther, Good Luck Charlie and Wizards of Waverly Place sitcoms). If you don't have kids old enough to be into the sitcom/movies on Disney or just don't have that channel then I say...lucky you! However, Katie, our 6-yr old is obessed with these shows. She knows all the episodes, characters, actor's real names and all shows they have been on. I am surprised at what she knows. She was so excited she wanted to get on the plane and go to L.A. and find them as if these kids actually live in the airport.

I know...I know

It's been way too long since my last post. I have decided I am waaay too old to be having another baby. Seth has really kicked my butt. So some things have had to go by the wayside. Mostly I am too tired to think up blog posts. Seth is getting older now so I hope to post more often. I make no promises though. So here is the year so far in pictures.

More Pictures of Seth & My Daughter the B-Boy

I wanted to post some new pictures of Seth and also a few video clips of Isabelle. Isabelle has some mad skillz as a b-boy. (For all you un-hip peeples b-boys are break dancers). Enjoy.

Now Kenna joins in...

And now the big finish, in which Kenna is bored and wanders away...

Happy Birthday Rhyan!

If Rhyan had 3 wishes she would wish for:
1) The opportunity to meet Hannah Montana
2) An older sister
3) A baby brother

Rhyan's Birthday interview :
My favorite color ... green and pink and blue
I feel happy when ... I’m with my family
I like to eat ... Tortellini Alfredo
My Favorite Movie ... Marmaduke
I feel sad when ... my family members get hurt
I like to play with ... my brother
My favorite song ... Rock Star by Hannah Montanna
My dad is ... amazing
My mom is ... fantastic

My favorite holiday ... Christmas
I love to ... go to school
My favorite food is ... baked potatoes
My favorite thing to do as a family ... jump on the trampoline
My favorite toy is ... Littlest Pet Shop

It makes me happy when ... when I get to play with my friends
My favorite thing to do in my free time ... play in the toy room
My favorite number ... 8
I feel frustrated when ... I can’t learn a new trick in gymnastics
I really like it when ... I get to ride my bike outside
My favorite subject in school ... reading
My favorite game ... hide and seek
What I like about me ... is I’m talented
What do you want to do when you grow up... a teacher
What is the best thing about your birthday ... getting presents
Who is your hero, the person you look up to, or want to be like when you grow up ... my mom.

Happy Birthday sweetheart! I am so grateful to such a kind and thoughtful child. She genuinely loves those around her. Her teachers in school constantly compliment her on befriending those around her. One of her best friends in school was an autistic boy. He had never had friends in school before. When I told her how proud I was that she was his friend, she gave me a “duh” and said that she liked him, that he was funny, not realizing that most kids wouldn’t bother to get to know him. Her sisters adore her. Kenna screams Rhyan whenever she sees her. Sometimes in the morning I hear Isabelle go in her room and ask her to make her cereal. Steve and I adore her too. She is a blessing and a gift to our family.

Wild & Crazy

And may the Force be with you!

Recently Steve and I took Levi and Rhyan to see "Star Wars in concert." It was so much fun and I did not see as many weirdos as I thought I would. Before the concert they had all kinds of movie props and things to look at that were pretty cool. The concert itself was narrated by Anthony Daniels, who for all you non-Star Wars nerds is the guy who plays C-3PO in the movies. While the orchestra played the famous pieces of music from the Star Wars movie they played clips from the movies on the screen behind them. I was tons of fun and as close to culture as this town gets. Here's a small sample of what the concert looked like.





PS I don't know what Levi's problem was pre-show but he is smiling in all the pics post-show.

Happy Birthday Levi!

I know we are a little late for this, Levi's birthday was last week so sorry. Levi got money from Grandma Jean and will get a ceiling fan from Nana & Papa. From Mom and Dad he got more money, some Lego guys and the new Rick Riordan book (author of the Lightning Thief books). I think his favorite part was having money to spend the way he wanted to.

If Levi had 3 wishes he would wish for:
1) A million dollars
2) A a jet
3) 2 more wishes

Levi's Birthday interview

My favorite color ... green, blue and red

I feel happy when ... I am with friends

I like to eat ... tacos, nachos and enchiladas

My Favorite Movie ... Avatar

I feel sad when ... I get hurt

I like to play with ... Lego's

My favorite song ... Tik Tok by Ke$ha

My dad is ... fun

My mom is ... fun to be with by ourselves
My favorite holiday ... Christmas

I love to ... play baseball

My favorite food is ... Chinese food

My favorite thing to do as a family ... play together

My favorite toy is ... my kickball and Lego's
It makes me happy when ... nobody fights

My favorite thing to do in my free time ... run around and be crazy

My favorite number ... 12

I feel frustrated when ... I don't always get to do what I want

I really like it when ... I have fun

My favorite subject in school ... P.E.

My favorite game ... four square

What I like about me ... is that I'm special

What is a funny/interesting thing that has happened to you ... I love fake mustaches and I wore pigtails and a mustache to school on my birthday.

What do you want to do when you grow up... be a rockstar

What is the best thing about your birthday ... getting presents

Who is your hero, the person you look up to, or want to be like when you grow up ... Zack my cousin

So happy birthday to my almost teenager. I can't believe it has been 11 years. It has been a privilege and a joy to be his mother, and I know his father feels the same way. I am so incredibly grateful to his birth mother who chose to place our beautiful baby boy with us. Levi is such a responsible, mature, little man. He is thoughtful of others. He is kind and protective of his sisters. He is concerned about finding his place in the world. I think he will leave this world a better place. Recently I was looking through a box with loose pictures in it and I came across a stack of pictures of him as a toddler. He was giving the camera his stubborn one-eyed death glare. I am so grateful for his stubbornness, (even as I curse it). He never deviates from the path he chooses. Whether its locking himself in the bathroom at church before his baptism or making right choices at school he is not swayed by those around him. So happy birthday Levi. Please continue to make right choices and grow straight and proud before the Lord. Always remember we love you and are so grateful for you.

Our new digs

Moving has been a big example of good news/bad news. For instance good news/bad news scenario #1. Good news: the unpacking is coming along. Bad news: I spend more time picking up the messes my children cause than actually unpacking. Good news/bad news scenario #2. Good news: we almost moved out AND we have renters all lined up. The bad news: It took us 3 times longer to get out than we thought and about a 100% more crap than we thought we had. Of course as someone pointed out we've had almost 13 years to squirrel said crap away. Good news/bad news scenario #3. Please see scenario #1. I could go on for a while but the point of this is to post pics of the new house. That's all you care about anyway. So for all you bad friends and family members who won't come visit us...this is for you.



PS. Please, please, please disregard the disarray!

It's a cookie not dirt, I promise

Every year we go to the Beach for Nevada Day weekend. Our statehood holiday falls on Halloween. Somehow that seems fitting for Sin City. This year Steve's brother Bill & his family joined us in addition to my parents and my brothers James, Joseph & Eric and their respective families. We started our traditional trek to the beach several years ago with friends and every year we seem to add more family members to the group to replace the friends who haven't returned. The only ones that still camp with us are the Kleinpeter's, (who we consider family anyway so I don't know if they count as friends anymore). This year we faithfully brought our camera, which we never took out of the car and so I have had to rely on pictures from family. (Thanks Mom and Tina!) So without further ado here is our 2009 Beach Slideshow.

*