Almost Easter

The kids had been looking forward to the egg drop this morning!  A helicopter flew by the park and dropped loads of eggs for everyone to pick up.  There were so many other kids there, I was just happy that both of mine managed to grab some.  Luke filled up his basket.  Cutie Ella was a little hesitant about picking them up with so much going on, so she ended up with two in hers.

Checking out each other's loot...  he wasn't too happy about sharing the wealth!

Shark Reef Acquarium: Check.

The list of attractions for kids in this city isn't super long, but the acquarium at Mandalay Bay seems to be on every tourist guide of things to do with the fam.  So, yesterday I took the kiddos to see what the fuss is all about.  Since we spent so much time at Sea World in San Antonio I was expecting a huge letdown, but I was pleasantly surprised.  They have some cool things that we never saw at Sea World.  Plus, 4 years and under get in free and I get the local discount.  Can't beat that!
The kids were really digging this crocodile.  He was swimming around and climbing all over stuff.

Ella is out of focus on this pic, but I think her expression is funny.  She didn't like me asking her to stand there for a picture. 

It's fun taking pictures of animals and fish.  Their colors and shapes are so interesting.  Here were some of our favorites.   They had a cool variety of Jellyfish.  Some were huge.  The kids liked running through the shark tunnel thing too.  There's a shallow pool with a bunch of rays swimming around in it.  I guess they used to let people pet them, but now the signs say you can't.  When Jake and I went to Sea World San Diego they let us pet them there.  I wonder if they still do?   

Piranhas!  I don't think I had seen a Piranha before.

Sat and watched the manta rays for quite a while...  Ella kept saying "Hi shish!  Hi shishees!."  Cutie.  When we left the acquarium, she kept saying "bye bye shishees" until we got to the car. 

Octopus! This guy was moving around everywhere too.

Some sort of huge fish that sicked me out..

 So, we give the acquarium two thumbs up.  It's small enough to get through without kids becoming tired and grumpy and big enough to have some cool stuff.  I had fun going with these two!  The world is so much more exciting when I see it through their eyes.  Love that.

"It's okay mom, I just gave her a tattoo."

  Luke decided to give Ella some sweet letter tats while I was distracted and on the phone a couple of weeks ago.   It was pretty funny.  She had some on her forehead, other arm, and belly too.  I wish I had thought to take a picture of Ella before most of them had washed off in the tub.  Oh well.  Here's one arm!  Thank heavens he used a washable Crayola marker.  Could have been worse! 

Luke's naughty faces crack me up.  It's hard to stay mad at him too long.  Little stinker.

Congrats to Mr. and Mrs. Smith!

Davey is a married man now!  We went up to Bountiful this past weekend for the wedding.  Despite Jake missing his flight up to SLC, me breaking my toe (and my foot being too swollen to wear my heels I took up for the occasion-had to wear the casual flats I wore up!... aaaAA!!), and getting locked out of our hotel room for an hour, we had a good time.  It was nice to see so much of the Smith family.  Weddings are fun that way.  When else does everyone get to dress up a little and hang out with family and friends?   All the nieces and nephews looked super cute in their matching outfits and had fun running around together.  We wish we could see them all more often!

Some pictures from Saturday!...     

  Stock photo I found of the Bountiful temple... (It was SOOOoo snowy when we came out!  And cold.). The last time I had been in the Bountiful temple was when my parents took all of us to the open house as kids. Dak was three years old at the time and pushed down the little rope fence thing they had set up-it was so funny.  That's all I remembered about  going so it was fun to go back and see what it's like inside.

They had a ring ceremony after the sealing...

Waiting so patiently...  Luke was wanting some cake from the time we got to the reception center.  Long wait for a kid!

The bridal party.  I'm glad my siblings are such good friends with Jake's.  It was fun having Todd there as one of David's groomsmen.  Good to see you too Ryan! 

Mom and Dad Smith and Smith kiddos...

 

More cuties...

 

I wasn't about to try dancing since my foot was humongo and throbbing.  I was happy to sit on the side and watch :)  Got some pictures of everyone else though!  It was very cute watching Jake and Ben dancing with the girls.  Also, Mila and Collin have got some great moves!

Aww... first dance.

Doesn't Coby look so comfy and cute in that couch? 

Welcome to the Smith fam Shawna!   

My mom came to Vegas a couple of days before the wedding and rode up to Utah with the kiddos and I.  She got to play with Aunt Carol in Lehi.  I got to see Carol for a little while too, and Luke had a good time playing with Lionel and Max's Legos.  Mom rode back home with us on Sunday and for the past few days  has played with the kids and helped with chores around the house.  All so that I could get some school work done. Thanks mom! You are a lifesaver :)  And Wonder Woman.  And, thanks to my dad for coming to hang out for a while too!  Luke showed them his stuff at swim lessons and finally got to show them how he rides his 'big kid' bike.  Grandpa spoiled him with donuts (his FAV) and we made some St. Patty's Day cupcakes. We miss you guys already.  It's their anniversary today and they just left to play and stay in a fun hotel to celebrate.  27 years!!!  Happy Anni mom and dad.  We love you guys! 

K Ab, here's the picture of the shoes.  Just for your viewing pleasure :)  I will let you borrow them next time you wear a black dress if you're lucky. 

18 Months

My baby girl is 18 months today!  The last year and a half have been so much fun. I don't know what we ever did without her.  We went to the park to get some 18 mo pics this afternoon and froze!  The wind was so chilly.  Needless to say, she wasn't in a picture mood.  Hopefully we'll get a happy picture or two though sometime during the month!   

Here's what she's up to these days... 
*She's still my little morning baby, and I can count on her little voice yelling "Befast peez!!!  or "a milk!!  by 5:30 every day.  We usually get in breakfast, lots of books and a show together before Luke gets up.  When she hears him coming down the stairs in the morning, she lights up.  Always so excited to see Luke.  She will run up and give him a hug with a big smile on her face... one of my favorite parts of the day.  He isn't always so happy to see everyone in the morning, so it's pretty entertaining to see their first interaction of the day.

*She usually takes two naps now.   One at around 9:30/10:00 and the other around 2:00.  She will fall asleep anywhere but her crib (just like her brother did), and will sleep while we run afternoon errands.

*She talks a lot and has a great little vocabulary. Some of my favorite things she'll say lately are "A picess" (princess) pointing to herself, "eeww.. si" (sick) whenever she sees or smells anything gross, and "Peez??" How can I say no to that cute little face when she is asking so nicely and saying please?  Her animal noises are pretty amusing too. She gets super into it and will yell her roar when she sees pictures of animals that roar, and makes the cutiest little meow sound ever. Her favorite song is The Wheels on The Bus and I often hear a random "roun a roun," "beep beep beep," or "sh sh sh" from her while she is playing. When she is upset I can almost always get her to calm down if we listen to music or sing.

*I often find her trying to put on shoes.  Whatever shoes she can find will do.  Lately she likes socks a lot too.
*She likes to rumage through her "pees" (pretties) and when she gets the chance, will dig into my hair things and jewelry too.  She isn't a fan of me doing her hair, but if she is the one putting pretties on, she loves it. 

*She likes brushing her teeth eating toothpaste.  Loves water and bathtime too!  She often gets mad when we go to Luke's swimming lessons because she can't get in the water with him.

*My girl likes her hands clean!  When they are messy from eating or doing whatever she will yell at me "a wash hans!!"  She insists on using a spoon or a fork now, so that's helping with the messiness.

*She's a great little eater, and will rarely turn her nose up at food.  Green salad?  Bocci (broccoli)?? Bring it on. She especially loves fruit. Blueberries (Bee bees), oranges (anges), and strawberries (also called bee bees) are her favorites. When I take her grocery shopping with me she makes a big "MMMMMMmmmm!!"sound as we pass things she likes.

*Likes to color and finger paint.

*She will sit on your lap and read books for as long as you will read to her.  Probably her most favorite thing to do.  Lately her favorites are Great Day for Up!  by Dr. Seuss and The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle.  She doesn't always want to finish the book you start, and when she gets tired of it, she'll grab it from you and chuck it.  Then clap and say "yay!  A done" and then grabs another.  She has clocked me in the forehead a couple of times while throwing books.  

*Loves her babies.  Loves pointing out other little kids her age and calls them babies.  She likes reminding me that she's my baby too.  When Luke is sitting on my lap, she will usually squirm her way onto my lap too, or tries to shove him off.  Definitely THE baby around here!          

*As of this morning, she's 26 lbs and 32 1/4 in tall.  (around 75th and 60th percentiles according to some website I just looked it up on?)

*Still waiting on a few teeth to show up

*Ella can't get enough of dogs and puppies.  Our neighbor has three dogs, and when they are at the park when we are, she spends the whole time chasing them around and petting them.  When they go back home she cries.

*I've said it before, but Ella is a crazy climber and a dare devil.  I find her in the weirdest places. On the bathroom counter top, the table, the ledge behind the couch.   She is always on the go, and usually trying to get someplace higher.  Aaaaa!  Like at the park when I'm talking to someone or doing something and look over to see her at the top of some big climby thing for big kids.  She climbs up that red bar thing all by herself.  Scary when I'm not right there by her!

*She likes to DANCE!  She twirls and bops to music so cute.  Can't wait until she is big enough for lessons!

*Enjoys being outside.  If the door is open, she's outta here! 

*She gets super excited when Jake gets home at the end of the day.  Runs out to the living room and screams "Dada!!"  pretty much every time. 





So, at 18 mo. there are 18 things about Ella! 
Little Elle, you make me happy and keep me entertained.  I love you.
  

First Trip to the Dentist

The American Academy of Pediatrics says kids should go for a dental checkup after they get their first tooth or their first birthday. We like to wait until they are 3 1/2 at our house though!  Jake got to see Luke and Ella at the clinic on Friday. Since Kristen posted pictures on her blog of Lily and Gunnar surviving the dentist (I'm glad you did that Kristen!), Luke was actually looking forward to going. Now he knows where dad is all day while he's away. He had fun pressing the buttons on the chair and squirting Jake's assistant with the water squirting thing. Ella's nap was interrupted since we had an afternoon appointment, so she cried the whole time they brushed her teeth and checked out her mouth.  No cavities and everyone survived, so I say the trip was a success!

Also, today is my sister's birthday!!!  Hope you're having a fun day Ab!!

I Looked out the window and what did I see...

Nope, no apricot trees around here!  (I miss apricot trees.  We had lots of them in our yard when I was a kid.)   I don't know the names of these, but there are lots of pink and white blossoms going on around here lately!  Just as pretty as apricot blossoms in my opinion.  These trees make me happy.  It feels like spring and I'm loving it!    
Cutie pink blossoms...

White ones too! 

Other cuties I found outside today...

Happy spring.  I'm hoping it's here to stay :)

Another weekend in Arizona

We made a trip down to Mesa for Grandma Taylor's funeral this past weekend.  It was nice finally meeting a lot of Jake's family that until now I had just heard of. Now I have faces to put with the names!
Being in Vegas has been great because weekend getaways to Mesa are really doable.  Luke was a mad hatter on the drive this time around though because his booster seat dosen't have a good place to rest his head on.  Makes for rough napping!  (By the way, is there a comfy booster out there that's good for traveling?  I haven't come across any.)  Anyhow, the funeral was very nice and a good tribute to 99 years well lived.  Each of the 25 grandkids and the great-grandchildren were able to pick a bell out of Grandma Taylor's bell collection.  Jake also came away from the weekend with a few other treasures from his grandparents house.  This was one of them:

Don't be jealous.  Jake thought the set was pretty funny.  For some reason the girl really bothers Luke.  From the second Jake brought it over to my parents house, Luke has been telling us things like, "that girl bothers me."  "We need to throw her in the trash." and  "I don't like her."  Last night we unloaded all of our stuff out of the car from the trip and left it in the living room since we were too pooped to put everything away then.  (by the way, we drove to Mesa in a rental car that I picked up for us! Yay for being old enough now to get a rental car in MY name since our red car is in the shop! haha. Every other time we've gotten a rental, Jake has been the only one able to do the driving since I wasn't old enough...) This morning I went to throw something away and opened the trash can to see this:

After asking Luke about it he told me that she needed to stay in the trash.  "She bothers me and I want bugs to eat her in the garbage."  Sheesh dude.  I guess Jake is going to have to keep the hand and girl duo hidden if they are staying at our house.  Or maybe we will send them to one of your houses so you can keep them safe??  Jenni?  Kristen??  Hailey?  anyone?  =)

We stayed at my parent's house while in Arizona.  Luke had a list of things he was going to do at their house in his mind, and I'm pretty sure he got them all crossed off.  Playing in the clubhouse and park time with grandma and grandpa on the batman bike were two of the things he talks about most often.  Dad took Jake, Todd, Jenny, and I to see Avatar on Saturday (awesome movie!) and we had fun hanging out with them.  Thanks mom for watching the kids!  I'm too lazy to find babysitters at home, so Jake and I don't do a lot of movies at the theater lately.  I want to get copies of the pictures of Jake and his cousins.  All 25 grandkids were there.  I didn't take many pictures this trip (mostly because I feel weird busting out the camera at funerals and funeral get-togethers) but here are a few we got!

Luke and Grandpa Rick on the motorcycle:

Mom and dad with Amy, Ella, and Luke...

I hope these two are best buddies as they get bigger.  I always wanted a cousin my age!

We found out what places were on "the list".  There are a lot of great places available, but I think our top three choices are going to be Hill AFB in Utah, Aviano AFB Italy, and Spang-Bitburg Germany.  I think I'm going to plan on going to Arkansas or Alabama though so I won't be disappointed if we end up at one of those.  :)

On my mind lately...

*Jake's sweet Grandma Taylor passed away this week.  She was always so cute and kind to me, and I'm glad we've been able to visit her a few times over the past year.  She celebrated her 99th birthday last month.  Amazing lady.   

I'm sure it's been a happy reunion with loved ones on the other side!   This week I've been thinking about how grateful I am that I know that families are forever.    
And, Kelly, I swiped this great picture from your blog.  Thanks!

*We find out what bases will have possible openings for Jake soon!!  I'm so curious to see what will be on the list.  And even more so, where they will assign us!  I would LOVE to stay close (well, comparatively speaking) to family, but maybe it would be a fun adventure to go somewhere we haven't thought of living before.  Dr. Zabrowski (one of Jake's fellow residents) just found out that her new station is in Turkey... followed up with a 3 year tour in Japan.  I'm not sure how I'd feel about somewhere like Turkey, but Japan would be pretty cool.

*I signed up for another marathon- The Utah Valley in June.  Crossing my fingers that annoying injuries keep their distance from me during this round of training!

*Jake's little brother David is getting married March 13.  It's coming up soon, and we're excited to see everyone!

*I've been spending a lot of time trying to finish my classes!  Had been hoping to graduate in April, but with so much going on right now, and so many big assignments left I'm starting to think I'll have to push it to August.  Ugh.  I guess once you've been at it so long though, what's another three months, right?  I was thinking I could get in a bunch of all-nighters and get soo much done quickly.   Apparently I'm turning into an old fart though because I crash by 11:30, and caffiene just puts me to sleep.

*My kids love to color, and we have been going through rediculous amounts of paper lately.  Markers, crayons, stickers and paint too.  Luke has always been careful with his markers... lids on perfectly tight after using them, crayons used until they are tiny.  He has never destroyed anything.  With Ella it's a different story!  She's great coloring for a little while but then likes to eat the crayons, bite the tips of markers off, and make huge messes.  She will yell out "mama!!" when she's finished a picture, and holds it up for me to see until I tell her how beautiful it is.  I love that girl!  Luke is proud of his work too, and puts his "masterpieces" on the fridge when he's done with them.

*Luke had been coming into our room just about every single night because he's scared of being alone (and the dark), but I think we finally figured out something to keep him in his own bed!  Every morning after staying in his own room, he gets to put a sticker on the calender.  We told him that after a few weeks of stickers on there, he'd be able to go see grandmas and grandpas in Arizona.  He's excited to go!  So, he's been doing great lately.  I'm hoping he keeps it up!   

*A big Hummer backed into the Highlander in a parking lot last week.  Of course the Hummer was totally fine, but our car is messed up for the moment.  So annoying.  At least the guy had good insurance.  He owns a few Mexican restraunts in town, and Jake wants to go try one out now.  haha.  Hopefully it will be fixed soon! 

Valentine Weekend 2010

We went to Macaroni Grill Friday night.  I got the Chicken Scaloppine.  Delicious!  Jake got the Penne Rustica which is his fav.  Luke and Ella came along with us and did awesome.  We found out that they LOVE calamari.     
*Browsed DSW.  I have been digging shoe stores lately!  Now if only I had a huge shoe budget...
*Vegged out and watched the Olympics and some movies.  (Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs and The Holiday.)  I had a textbook on my lap during all of it, and didn't get through nearly as much as I should have.  oops.
*Got in a long run Saturday.  It felt good!  This area has so many great places to run.  I'm going to miss that when we move. 
* Grocery shopping at the commisarry.
*Jake made all of us a big breakfast this morning.  It was complete with homemade hashbrowns and waffles.  Thanks Chef Jake :)
*Jake has been on call and had to go in right after breakfast for a few hours.  We had been thinking of going downtown to see a show this weekend, but didn't want to chance getting called in and missing it.  That would stink.  One of these days I want to see Le REVE. The Lion King too.  
*Ella had her first day of Nursery!  She's not quite legal yet.  18 mo. is still a few weeks away so Jake stayed with her while I taught our class.  Jake says she did great and loved the bubbles!  I really hope she will go all by herself next month!  Sitting in relief society for the first time in a long time without a baby crawling on me and getting into everything was so nice.  I had almost forgotten what that was like ;)
Before church...

*We had a lasagna dinner tonight and Jake requested banana pudding for dessert.  So, we're chowing down on pudding while we watch the All Star game.  The kids went to sleep much earlier then usual tonight (woo hoo!!) Maybe we can get another movie in to finish this lazy weekend!
I took a few pictures of our Valentines stuff...

 

Jake didn't exactly remember to buy a card, sooo...  My sweet hubby dug into my ribbon and paper and MADE me a card.  So cute of him.  Hallmark should watch its back :)  I think I want him to make me one every year now.  I'm pretty sure more thought goes into it this way!  haha.  It's much better then the one I got at the store for him!

Last but not least, my Valentine monkeys....  (An attempt to get them to sit still together)

Happy Valentines Day!