Claire's 4th Birthday

Dear Claire,

     Today, you are four. But you still seem like my baby. I love that you are still so small to fit in my arms, but your mind is wise beyond your years. You are smart, you are friendly, you smile at everyone you meet. I don't know of a single person you have met that doesn't love you. Your natural charm, obedience and loving persona draws people in. They want to be around you, holding you, talking to you. Even at the park, you make friends easily. When we go, you always tell me, " I'm going to make new friends today." And you do! I am amazed by your lighthearted confidence and your ability to do things on your own. You aren't afraid to ask when you need something or want to do something.

You are brave. You are strong. You are fearless.

     One of the things I admire most about you is your spiritual intuition. You seem to know everything about God and life. You say things that are Heaven inspired. It makes me sure that you are one of God's choicest children. And I feel honored to be your mother. 

     Last fall, when you were just three and a half, you told me that for Christmas you wanted a jacket for your baby brother. I had laughed it off because just two days before I took a pregnancy test and it was negative. I was sick that whole week, thinking I had the flu. But just one week after you told me, I found out I WAS pregnant. You were right. And you were adamant that it was your brother coming. Fifteen weeks later, we found out it was a boy. You were right again. And you never stop being right about little things. It's like you can see into Heaven, a place where no one else can see. 

     I hope that you never lose that piece of yourself. I always want you to be sure of who you are and what you believe. I want you to see the world, not for what it is, but for what it can be. There is still good here on earth. I believe that you will be a great leader some day. It may not be the same kind of leader that everyone looks to, but you have that quiet inner strength about you and that pure wholesome love that will hold people up. They will look to you for strength and guidance and wisdom. 

     I can't wait for you to be a big sister. You have so much to offer this new baby when he comes. He is so lucky to have you for a sister. I hope all your hopes and dreams come true. I hope that I can be half the mother you deserve. I hope that I can teach you all you need to know to get through this life. It won't be easy, but it will be worth it. And you have made it look so effortless thus far.

     My darling girl, please remember that I love you. I helped to make you. I wanted you before you were even created. You are so special to me, and to the Lord. Stay close to him, stay close to his teachings. Follow him with faith and you will never go wrong.

All my love to you, my beautiful girl.

Mom

My mommy moment

One thing I really dislike is that as a photographer I am always behind the camera. Which means I don't get to be in any pictures with my girls that often. I decided to fix that problem. For mother's day, I wanted to have new pictures with me and my girls. So I set up a back drop, a tripod, and pulled out the wireless remote and made my own version of a photo booth. Not only did we get pictures together, but we had fun doing it. And these pictures are my most prized possessions now.

Letter to Azure

Dear Azure,

What an adventure you are. 

You keep me on my toes. You keep me guessing your next move. You keep running faster and faster to prevent me from catching you. 

You are growing too big.

Whenever I try to pick you up I forget how heavy you are. And that you barely fit in my lap. You have grown so much. I know that in no time you will pass me up.

How beautiful you are. Your eyes, your hair, you sweet smile. 

Your cute little poses when you dance. Your "up to no good" grins.

Your knock knock jokes.

Knock knock. Who's there? Justin.

Justin who? Justin Bieber.

You made that one up all on your own.

How smart you are. Reading words. Writing words. Dressing yourself. Brushing your own hair and teeth.

It makes me want to cry.

My baby is not a baby anymore.

You are ready for school. You ask every day if today is the day that you will get to go to school. You want to learn and play with your friends. You want to pack a lunch and wear a backpack. You want to start soccer and dance lessons. You want to have a life that separate from home and me.

And you know what? That's okay.

We have had some fun times together, you and me. We've had many adventures, going to play dates, the beach, the circus, ice skating, picnics, museums. We've cooked and baked and scrap booked. We've tickled, we've laughed, we've cried, we've yelled and argued and disagreed.

And now we are ready for more. 

Only this time, we get to do the big girl activities.

So while I cherish every moment I've had in the last five years, I also cherish what we will have in the next five years. Because it will be amazing. And fun. And the best years of my life, just because I know you will be in it.

You are beautiful. Don't ever think you aren't. You have what it takes inside. Make it count.

I know you will.

I love you.

Claire

Dear Claire,

Time flies. For me, it feels like the speed of light. In the blink of an eye you grew. Every moment seems like a blur. Every hug, kiss, smile etched into my heart.

I am amazed at the things you've already accomplished in your life.

I am amazed at the wisdom and light in your eyes.

I am amazed by  your selflessness.

I am amazed at how you love, wholeheartedly, freely, without expectations.

I am amazed by your pure innocence.

I am amazed at your ability to make people smile and laugh.

I am amazed at how fast you learn and with enthusiasm.

I am amazed at how well you listen and understand.

I am amazed at how spiritually in tune you are.

I am amazed by your independence, always wanting to do things on your own.

I am amazed by how you light up a room by just being in it.

You are radiant.

You are amazing.

You are you.

Never change.

I cherish every hug, every kiss, every smile, every moment of every day.

I am privileged to be your mother. 

I am honored to call you my daughter.

I couldn't be more proud.

What I learned from 2010

It's 2011.
Seriously. Time has once again flown by me and I didn't even notice. It's now eleven days into the new year and I'm just now getting to update the blog. I meant to write this before the new year, but what can I say? Procrastinator is my middle name. Or at least it should be.

I can honestly say that I didn't enjoy 2010 as much as I wanted to. In fact, without going through my hordes of pictures, I can hardly remember anything about it. But here were a few of my highlights:

I improved a lot on my photography.

It was one of my goals for the year, to improve on what I did know and to learn what I didn't know. And though I can't say I'm perfect and can get a great picture every time, I have improved. I'm quite proud of myself for that.

I learned new recipes and in doing so have found a lot of easy shortcuts to good dinners.
Google is my best friend. Any time I want to make something, but in dummy language( without the overwhelming list of ingredients or 60 minute prep times,) I google for an easier version and I can usually find a good one 98% of the time. Google and I are best friends.

We had an awesome trip to Mesa.

We did a lot of activities with the girls while we were there and had a blast. Museums, swimming, the zoo. Spending time with family and friends wasn't bad either.

Azure and Claire both had swim lessons.

It was Azure's first time alone in her lessons. Thank goodness, one of our former babysitters, Missy was her swim teacher. She freaked out the first day when they wanted her to go under water. But she was a trooper and did great. Claire freaked out when the teachers took her swimming around the pool without me. My kids have a lot of learning to do in swim still, but I'm glad that they made an effort.

Claire was potty trained and sleeps in a big girl bed.
No more diapers! No more crib!

So, there are some memories that didn't fly by without touching me, and I'm excited for the new year and what memories I can make this year.




Here is what I learned during 2010:

Babies grow up. I don't have one anymore. That's kind of sad to me.

Whoever said four year olds were better than three year olds and were nicer and had less attitude, LIED.

Having a puppy is like having a baby, only twice as stressful. You can take a baby to the grocery store, but you can't take a dog. We do miss Molly, but I don't miss the stress of having to rush through errands to get home to be with her. I know she is happy in her new home.

Some things are just better homemade.

I have very awesome family and friends who step up to help and support without even asking.

I am stronger than I think.

When I rely on the Lord, all things are possible.

Asking to learn patience is a stupid thing because life just gets harder. But the blessings are worth it.

Miracles happen. Even to me.

After twenty nine years of life, I still have a lot more left to learn.


So here's to 2010, a year of lessons taken to heart.

One of my goals for 2011- to be a better blogger. I suck at blogging. I'm not sure why because I love to write. I love to jot down what I'm feeling or thinking. Perhaps that is why I love facebook so much. It is constantly asking "what is on your mind?" I love to say what is on my mind.

In order for me to keep up with my blog, I have to schedule my posts on my calendar. Stupid I know. But I will forget otherwise. I also think it will be easier if I share a new recipe I tried and liked every week or a craft I want to learn. At least people will benefit from my posts that way. It will also help me to kep track of my many other goals for 2011.
So stay tuned. I'm not going to just survive 2011. I'm gonna own it!

25 Things I Am Thankful For

Every year, in the month of November, I try to think of at least one thing I am thankful for every day. It gets harder toward the end and I have to get creative about my blessings. It also helps me to remember how much I truly have in this life, even if it's small. Sometimes the small things are really the greatest blessings.

1.    I am thankful for the family I was born into, the family I married into, and the family I have created. They all bring me joy and happiness...most of the time.

2.     I am thankful for a husband that works so hard so I can stay home with our kids.

3.     I am thankful for the strong and loving supportive friends that take such good care of me. Friends like that are rare and I'm glad to have them.

4.     I am thankful for the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the peace it gives me to know I will be with my family forever.

5.     I am thankful for facebook because my friends make me feel so special and loved on my birthday.

6.     I am thankful for blankets that keep me warm on cold nights.

7.     I am thankful that I have a Granny that loves to babysit. I don't know what I'd do without her!

8.     I am thankful my husband has a job so that we can pay our bills.

9.     I am thankful for my mom that still takes such good care of me. My mom is the best! 

10. I am thankful for men and women brave enough to defend my country so my family and I can live fearless lives and be free to choose without punishment.

11. I am thankful for a mostly health body. I could have so many more things wrong with me, but I am blessed that it's all minor stuff that won't affect my life.

12. I am thankful my dad got me into photography. It's so nice to see the world's beauty through different eyes.

13. I am thankful that I live in a country where I can freely worship God however I want to without consequence.

14. I am thankful that I have a car that can take me places. It would be hard to get around without one, especially with two little kids.

15. I am thankful for the little things that bring such great blessings.

16. I am thankful for the sunlight that warms the earth. I wouldn't know what to do if I lived some where without sun and warmth.

17. I am thankful for prayer. It's nice to know that someone cares about me and is listening.

18. I am thankful for rain. It means I don't have to water my lawn and I can spend the afternoon cuddled up with a book and blanket and take a little time out for me.

19. I am thankful for friends who take us to Disneyland for a day of fun.

20. I am thankful for a helpful four year old who decided to pour a bowl of cereal and milk for her and her sister so I could lay in bed a few more minutes.

21. I am thankful for laughter. It brings happiness and smiles, it lightens your load, and is truly the best medicine for any type of ailment.

22. I am thankful for the gift of hearing and sound. Because tonight I've enjoyed hearing two little girls laughing with their daddy and it's a wonderful sound.

23. I am thankful for the gift of sight. Without it, I wouldn’t be able to see my husbands loving eyes, my kids beautiful smiles, and a world full of fascinating colors and wonders.

24. I am thankful for the gift of touch. Without it, I wouldn't be able to feel hugs and kisses, soft blankets, warm fires, or the rain on my face.

25. I am thankful to live another day to be thankful.

 

Here are the latest pictures of the girls. Pictures of the whole family will come soon.

The Summer of Change

This Summer has brought big changes for our family. I can't say that I was ready for them, although most were on my list of goals to accomplish. I feel good that I was able to get so many things done in one summer. And really, it was all the kids doing. They changed a ton. And I wasn't expecting that either.

This summer, Azure moved from a toddler bed to a twin bed. It makes me sad to see how big she's gotten just in a few weeks. She's grown two to three inches this summer, which sent her out of the baby toddler section and into the big girls section. She also grew a whole shoe size! One of my favorite changes about her is that she is learning to read words, tell time, and is really good at telling me directions and the places we are going to and the things that are next to it.
Azure has also taken it upon herself to remind me to clean her ears. She had her ears pierced just after mother's day and she has been pretty responsible about making sure I remember to clean them and she leaves them alone. She has gotten really independent about getting her own snacks out of the fridge for her and Claire and she is sleeping in her room more often than not now. I am really excited for that. She learned to do some back floats in swim lessons and is less afraid of the water now. She is looking forward to school in the fall.

Claire has had some major changes this summer. She is now potty trained and has no more diapers or pull ups! I think this was my favorite one. We are now living in a diaper free home! Because she was potty training, we also took down the crib and put it away and she inherited Azure's toddler bed. That was a sad moment because I realized I had no baby anymore and it broke my heart. To top that off, we decided to sell the toddler bed since we had gotten bunk beds from my parents and got the bottom bunk ready for her. Claire is thrilled though and she adjusted really well to her new bed. She loves that she can get in and out by herself and that her bed is now like sisters big bed. She also enjoyed her swim lessons and learned to not be afraid of the water and swimming with other people. She was a bit scared at first, but soon was used to the teachers. She loved singing songs in the water.

One of the biggest changes is our new puppy Molly! Molly is a 3 month old Chihuahua terrier mix. She is really sweet and playful. She still has a lot of training to do, because she listens just about as well as the girls( which is almost never...)and she is a puppy. But as a dog owner starting out, I can definitely say that I am relieved that it has been as easy as bringing a new toy home for the kids.
Azure loves her and loves to take her out and play with her and always wants to put the leash on her to walk her. She will scold Molly if she sees her doing something she shouldn't. She has also gotten better at picking up her toys so the dog doesn't chew on them and that is a big difference because my house has stayed cleaner longer.
Claire is still adjusting. She is a bit jealous of the dog at times because Molly likes to sit in my lap. She is still a baby and Claire still thinks she is one too. But she is gradually warming up to the idea of having a little dog in the house.
I think the biggest surprise for me is Fernando. He was very opposed to the idea of having a dog for a long time until this summer. He started warming up to the idea and then just decided it was okay for us to get one. Of course, I had to find one right away because I was afraid he would change his mind. I found Molly on craigslist and was able to get her right away. It's been a challenge to have a new baby in the house, but there are times when she is just so cute it makes me smile.

One of our new favorite excursions is hiking to the lake. Both girls are big enough to walk without the stroller. We park the car at Brackett airport and walk the path to the lake and let the girls feed the ducks. The girls get excited when we take them and we love taking them because it wears them out. It's a great family activity for us.

I can now say that I have accomplished my summer goal of getting Claire potty trained and organizing the house a bit more. I've been making it a goal to throw out a box of junk once a month. Watching the TV show Hoarders is really helping me with that because I don't want to be like those people who have tons of junk and can't walk anywhere. I'm a very claustrophobic person and I can't stand tight spaces. I've also been trying to continue working on my New Years resolutions of learning to cook better, working on starting a photography business, and learn to play guitar. I've done well on the first two, not so good on the last one.

Fernando and I are really excited that we are getting a new sister in law, Tricia. Fernando's brother Danny recently became engaged and the wedding is set for the end of October. We are looking forward to the many fun events that will be happening in the fall and I've already decided that losing ten pounds before the wedding is my fall goal.

So goodbye summer! It's be a very eventful ride!