Gooden

Finally...

2010-09-24T21:53:00.002-07:00

The kids are :
So I decided to do a quick blog.
Maia's school pic:

The shots it took to get the perfect one!

The lean (by lean I mean 16lb hunkahunka), mean (only when you are slow with the food), eating machine... CC! The boy is amazing. He is a happy, smiling Hulk of a chatterbox. He loves books, ME (and the rest of his family) :), dancing, rapping, football, patty cake, cereal and snuggling (to name a few).

weeee

It football season! Chris, the most handsome, talented OC, is having a great year! Go GOPHERS!

Maia started Gaga preschool. (best education hugs and kisses could buy!) Maia is very bright! I know Gaga will have her reading!

Speaking of reading... Liah is and she got straight As (yes we grade kindergarten)!

I am busy and love it. Stress (and Chris says drama) fuel me! haha I am a freak. So many things in life have reminded me how lucky I am. Life is precious. My family (extended included) is amazing. I am blessed. Remind when I go to complain!

Happy Fall!

PS- spell check isn't working. Forgive me for mistakes, Chris is the English teacher! ;)

We have been BUSY!

2010-09-10T21:01:00.002-07:00

football:
fun:

school:

love:

Plus we moved and are living life! It is crazy, busy fun!

I will try posting more often!

picture post!

2010-07-10T13:09:00.003-07:00

A little this, a little that!

2010-07-01T17:01:00.004-07:00

Photoshoots and more...

2010-06-25T20:13:00.002-07:00

Too sunny for my planned outdoor pictures! (boo)

This would have been great, but CC looks crazy! The girls were swimming all day and have pool eyes. Oh well, they are so darn cute!

Think he is more Liah or more Maia?

A better look:

Post doc trip to Sonic. Don't worry he rode buckled in, I had to steal and smooch him while we waited!

Gapa!!!

First Days Home

2010-06-25T08:19:00.004-07:00

CC had a warm welcome from his big sisters and Gaga. They decorated the house and were beyond excited to have him home!
Big sister Stella was pretty pumped!

Family of FIVE!!!

Gaga and her babies!

We spent a good deal of time holding CC. We didn't get to hold him much in the NICU!

We have also been hoarding him. After 11 days of wanting him home, we are not being very good with sharing! Forgive us!

He is perfect cherry-on-top of this completed family! :)

June 15, 2010

2010-06-24T22:21:00.002-07:00

11 days after entering the world, CC entered the craziness which is our home! Yeah!
We were so relieved to have answers and be some of the lucky ones that spent a short time in the NICU. Being there really put things into perspective. At one point CC shared quarters with 4 babies, that combined, weighed less than he did! It is a place of sadness, hope and miracles.

CC has a gland issue. We do daily hormone replacement to counteract the negative effects. He will grow and thrive and thanks to modern medicine, have no issues. Fun fact- JFK had a similar issue (watch out White House!)

You may also notice extra accessories on the boy. He has some minor hip and foot injuries. This is what happens when you combine a 9lb+ baby, a 5'2" Mom and very strange placement. He will have a harness to correct his hips for another week or so and a few more weeks of foot casting. I feel so bad I had my guy cramped up under a rib too long. Good thing he came early.

Yet another fun fact- CC's hip issues are also times associated with athletes because it can lead to greater speed. Crazy huh?! (Liah has it too) So basically, pre- White House, watch out NFL! :)

I love the picture below. Chris is an amazing father. Through everything he was my rock, I tend to be the mess. I have a deeper respect and love for him.

Really, we are blessed to have such a beautiful and healthy baby to complete our family. I have a new outlook on things after our adventures here. The journey was not easy, and some details I care to forget. I appreciate the constant support from our families. Corneilius, you have proved to challenge both in womb and out, may your teenage years run much smoother!

While we waited for the boy....

2010-06-23T21:49:00.006-07:00

We celebrated Liah's 5th birthday. Oh my gosh, our baby is 5 and headed to Kindergarten (sniffsniff)!
She got LOTS of school clothes!

She wanted a FANCY Nancy party. We had to hold off on a big party. We just had grandparents and aunties! It was still GREAT!

She is getting to be such a young lady. She has a BIG personality. She is unbelievably smart! She can out-talk me! :)

She really is beautiful (and that is not just because I am MOM!)!

Gaga and Gapa STILL got a bounce house... for 2!

Part of her present was a shopping spree!

We spent lots of time at the hospital enjoying Corneilius!

We had to blow off a little steam. At times that place can make you CRAZY!!

The girls were so proud to be big sisters. They just wanted little brother home!

We ALL did!

There are our 3 loves!

lil bro CC, mid sis Mai and big sis LJ! ♥

June 4, 2010

2010-06-22T19:23:00.004-07:00

Corneilius Christopher joined the family at 5:50pm. He came in at 9lbs. 3.4 ounces and 20 inches long at 37 weeks!

He is beautiful.

Upon arrival he had some trouble breathing, which actually turned out to be nothing. He was sent to the special care nursery. Not how I planned it! :(

While correcting his own breathing they noticed he had low blood sugar.

This lead to a prolonged stay in the nursery for Mr. CC! It was rough to not have my new little nugget in my arms or bed-side!

He ended up having an IV of D10 (sugar basically) in order to maintain his glucose levels. They (inadequately- that's another story) ran many tests trying to figure what was going on?!

All the while we spent many hours in the nursery snuggling our newest bundle of perfect (thank you Gaga and Aunt Manda for watching all our girls!)

After being discharged myself, CC spent 2 more days in the special care nursery.....

and was finally transferred to Desert's NICU 3, at one week old, to get REAL answers!

To be continued!!

End of May!

2010-06-22T18:49:00.002-07:00

Well, as I grew larger and larger, doctors started to wonder if CC could wait til his due date to arrive! They sent me for an amnio on May 28th and scheduled the csection for that night. It was a huge surprise. We thought we had weeks to wait! We were all geared up for the hospital and once we got there we found out CC's lungs needed another week to cook! I was pretty upset! However, it gave us an extra week to enjoy life as a family of 4! The week seemed to drag by as we waited for CC's newest date of June 4!

April/May

2010-06-22T18:44:00.002-07:00

At this point things started getting crazy! It was the end of the school year. My awesome friends from school had a shower for me. Maia got her ears pierced. Aunt Mary Lou, Aunt Betty Jane and Uncle Tom visited. Stella turned 7. Liah tested for Kindergarten and Mom (CC too) got HUGE!

April

2010-06-22T18:39:00.001-07:00

April brought Easter, Gaga and Grampy's bday and nice weather!

March

2010-06-22T18:35:00.002-07:00

We celebrated Maia's 3rd birthday and enjoyed spring break!

Our little artist

2010-03-21T15:32:00.001-07:00

Maia loves drawing pictures of us! ♥

A visit with family...

2010-03-21T15:10:00.004-07:00

PERFECT!
It was great to see Uncle John, Uncle Bub, Auntie Rachel, Aunt Dee and Uncle Mike!

We can't wait for another visit! ♥

Family fun!

2010-03-21T15:03:00.001-07:00

A little late... ♥day

2010-03-21T14:53:00.001-07:00

I ♥ my family!

Lucky Little Man!

2010-02-06T14:45:00.002-07:00

Corneilius isn't due until June but he is already building his wardrobe!
Plus, Mom (here at 5 1/2 months) is such a good eater. She is making quite the home for him already!

Germs, how DARE you!

2010-02-06T14:40:00.002-07:00

You have ruined our weekend of fun. You can leave any second now! We are dramatic enough without you adding fevers, coughs and tummy troubles to our lives! I think you even got the dog! Your rudeness knows no limits!
Thanks Ga for dealing with us this week. Thanks Aunt Manda for helping during the storm (and checking thermometer validity!)! Mom and Dad are glad to have help. Now watch out germs we are gonna get you!

Getting ready for the season of love!

2010-01-31T15:35:00.001-07:00

It's a........

2010-01-23T17:05:00.002-07:00

The big sisters

waiting before the ultrasound.

Poms or a football?
It is our first.......

Yeah our first football player!

Corneilius Noah is due June 13!

We are beyond excited!

So are the Grandparents and Auntie!

Tutu anyone?

2010-01-17T11:45:00.002-07:00

Before^
After....

Their Vday tutus are done! Next I will make Maia's birthday tutus and St. Patty's Day ones!

We had a nice Saturday with Auntie!

2010-01-17T11:36:00.003-07:00

Posing

Shopping

Playing

Eating

Auntie Manda is the best!

This is what 50 degrees looks like....

2010-01-17T11:34:00.000-07:00

when you have AZ babies!! Thanks Gaga and Gapa!

18 weeks big!

2010-01-17T11:16:00.002-07:00

Maia came at 36 weeks, Liah 37. Could I be about half way there!?
If I double in size over the next 18weeks, we might have to roll me around! :)

Gooden Look-alike Meter

2010-01-10T15:50:00.001-07:00

MyHeritage: Family tree - Genealogy - Celeb - Collage - Morph

Gooden Look-alike Meter

2010-01-10T15:44:00.001-07:00

MyHeritage: Family trees - Genealogy - Celebrities - Collage - Morph

A trip to the mall

2010-01-10T12:35:00.002-07:00

4 Months

2010-01-10T12:31:00.001-07:00

2010

2010-01-02T13:45:00.002-07:00

We started off the new year with a wii tourney!
Gteam dressed alike to take on:

Team Gaga/Gapa

And team Auntie (Manda and Lauren).

It was so much fun!

New Year's Eve

2010-01-02T13:33:00.001-07:00

We spent New Year's at home! That's the best way to celebrate!

Snuggle!

2010-01-02T13:22:00.002-07:00

These just make me want to snuggle buggle! I love them so much!
They LOVE their new robes from Gaga and Grandpa!

Ane their cozy slippers from Santa!

Dory turns 1!

2010-01-02T13:15:00.002-07:00

Manda's wild pup turned 1 on Dec. 27th!
She threw a party! It was great fun!

Christmas Day

2009-12-29T08:35:00.002-07:00

Christmas morning.

2009-12-27T13:57:00.004-07:00

Liah's Santa gifts.

Maia's Santa gifts.

Santa left snow in our front yard!
Aunt Manda, Gaga and Gapa came over for Christmas morning.

Auntie got us great things!

So did Gaga and Gapa!

This is what happens when Aunt Manda gets hold of the camera!

Even BG3 got presents!

Then it was time to get ready for family dinner!

The girls got dressed in their Christmas best. We all had best friend necklaces. It was a great morning!

Christmas Eve

2009-12-27T13:15:00.005-07:00

Our stockings were hung! Santa got us Best Friend Necklaces!!
The family room tree was filled with goodies for our family.

Santa left all of our presents in the living room!

We must have been good!

He even left some North Pole snow in our front yard!

Mom and Dad were his elf helpers!

Mom still fit into their matching jammies! (Barely!)

We pretended to sleep! :)

We were just so excited!

We left cookies out for Santa!

After church we feasted on McDonalds! mmm

Aunt Amanda, Gaga and Gapa went to church with us!

Our family.

Merry Christmas Eve!

We made treats to leave out for Santa!

Lump o' coal!

2009-12-22T08:15:00.002-07:00

Dear Santa,
As Maia's parents we understand if she has found herself on the naughty list. We will not be surprised if all she gets is coal!
:) Mom & Dad

PS- In fact we suggest that be the move you make! We will still leave cookies for you!

Exciting News!

2009-12-21T15:26:00.003-07:00

I am FINALLY off bed rest, I was able to tell family, so now I can share.....
We are pregnant! I am June mid-June! The first trimester was VERY difficult. I am happy to now report I am up and around and we have one strong little baby!

These are all my 3- 3 1/2 month photos. Due to some of my complications, bed rest and weight gainers I have really POPPED! :)

I am so happy to be able to talk about it!

Here's to more updates!

Christmas Fun!

2009-12-18T17:04:00.000-07:00

Gingerbread houses

2009-12-18T17:02:00.000-07:00

Neglect!

2009-12-18T16:22:00.000-07:00

Sorry it has been a bit.... we have been busy being together!

Crazy Day!

2009-12-06T22:33:00.002-07:00

Grammy and Grampy came to visit today!
We took the Gooden Family Christmas pictures. Those who get our cards know we do a collage of pictures. I dare NOT share any of the chosen... I tease.....

Mom and Dad (and Aunt Manda the photographer) were exhausted after all the takes!!! Now watch for the mail!

St. Nick's Day!

2009-12-06T22:28:00.001-07:00

The girls left their shoes out last night. When they got up this morning they had gifts in and around their shoes! They were so excited. I love being able to continue traditions I had as a little girl!

Did you put your shoe out??

Golf Club Christmas

2009-12-06T22:14:00.002-07:00

One Church had a Christmas party at our Golf Club. The Santa pictures are not the best, but given everything going on right now, they will have to do!

It was a chilly, fun evening!

Thanks Gaga and Grandpa for dinner and the lights after! It was a great night!

2009-12-05T12:15:00.001-07:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Fun

2009-12-05T11:45:00.002-07:00

Maia spooning Stella!
Liah dressed-up as Fancy Nancy!

Maia is 2 1/2 and drew this picture. She called it her happy, little, gentle pony. She also wrote her own name. She is amazing!

Liah wrote this note for her Dad. She sounded it out and wrote it by herself! I am so proud!

My Mom rocks!

2009-12-05T11:35:00.002-07:00

I caught her on my table dusting vents. She did my entire house!
She ordered yummy Sonic for the first time!

She was mad at first cause they didn't appreciate her aggressive ordering style.

But, we made it out with the meal! Success!

Love you Mom! You are the BEST!

Family ROCKS!!!!

2009-12-03T19:19:00.003-07:00

Santa Claus is coming to town!

2009-12-02T08:40:00.000-07:00

The "signs" are everywhere! You better be good!

Gobble gobble

2009-11-28T08:05:00.001-07:00

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We have a lot to be thankful for!

Now on to Christmas!

Getting Fancy

2009-11-17T16:01:00.003-07:00

with Aunt Manda. Manda took Liah on a special date. They went to the Fancy Nancy Fest and shopped and had lunch at the mall. Aunt Manda is the best!

Not a natural blonde!

2009-11-17T15:55:00.002-07:00

Chris is the Offensive Coordinator at Florence High School. His team is doing awesome. We are headed to the semi-finals this Saturday! One more victory and we are on to states! Well, to show a unified team spirit, the group went blonde. It doesn't really work for Chris, but be honest, he is so hot no matter what! Such dedication!

Go GOPHERS!!!

Happy Halloween!

2009-11-07T12:03:00.002-07:00

Boy things have been crazy around here! I think I will have some time now to update more regularly!
The football player, cheerleader, McQueen and Cinderella!

2 Fairies!

A large retired couple with McQueen and Cinderella!

So fun!

It was a great night!!!

Costume recycling!

2009-10-05T16:51:00.003-07:00

(All costumes are 6month in size!) No words, just laughs!

Sorry 'bout sideways looking! :(

Funnel Cakes Please!

2009-10-05T16:47:00.001-07:00

Sorry it is sideways... my photoshop is mad!
We took the girls to the fair!

The girls enjoyed rides!

The adults enjoyed food!

Good times!

"Breaking" news

2009-10-04T16:28:00.004-07:00

This fall break has been fantastic!
We had a jammie bash! We ate LOTS of yummy food and made chocolate covered pretzels!

It was fun!

We re-did the loft!

It is a home and market!

We love break!

Girls' Night

2009-10-04T16:18:00.002-07:00

At the start of break we went to the mall with Mrs. Conrey, Amie, Aunt Manda, Aunt Tricia and the Gooden Girls! Maia and Amie got matching shirts.

We went on the Merry-go-round!

It was a great time!

Happy October

2009-10-01T09:14:00.002-07:00

I have tons to post and catch-up on!
But, we finally broke 100!
This morning was so brisk I could open the windows!

We even made a trip to the park!

And took the car out for a spin!

Happy fall!

Flagstaff

2009-09-13T14:31:00.002-07:00

Oops! We are going backwards! :) We went to Flagstaff for Chris' team's season opener! On the way home we blew a tire. Officer Shawn was nice enough to change the tire and stage a funny photo! :)
Chris called an awesome game!

We were his biggest cheerleaders!

We won! Woowoo

My Dad made the trip with us, thank goodness!

Here's to a successful start and an awesome season! Go Gophers!

Picture day

2009-08-26T17:26:00.002-07:00

Liah had pictures today.
We had to stage a photoshoot for Maia.
I think we are going with this one!
Liah's bow

The outfit

Here's to hoping she did a nice smile!

Aunt Shell visit!!

2009-08-23T17:53:00.011-07:00

The girls were so excited!

Maia passed out! ;(

Aunt Shell arrived and everyone was so happy!

We took her out that night. We danced BIG!

The next morning, in the McD's drive-through we saw my Dad leaving the gym.

We had a cookout.

Manda got a tatoo. Puzzle pieces for autism awareness!

We went to the mall.

The girls loved having fun with Auntie!

We went for a walk. Shell picked out her house!

We just enjoyed hanging out!

We all went to Chris' big scrimmage. We were true Gophers! (Well first we went to In N Out!)

Michelle got a new tat too!

We hung out at Gaga and Gapa's.

We took Shell to dinner on her last night!:(

We miss you Aunt Shell! Thanks for the great time!

While we waited...

2009-08-23T16:03:00.002-07:00

for Auntie Shell's visit we stayed busy!
Liah went to school.

Maia did art.

Gaga painted the kitchen.

Miss Liah's first day (finally the computer works!)!

2009-08-09T16:50:00.009-07:00

Liah was so excited about school!

The night before we went to a celebration dinner!

Liah picked the buffet!

We ate lots of yummy food!

Then we got ready for the big day!

She had a hard time falling asleep!

She woke up bright eyed and ready!

She looked beautiful!

So grown-up! :(

Maia was excited for her sister!

Grandpa came to see her off!

No part of her was nervous. She was READY!

Finding her name!

Grandma and Aunt Manda came too!

Maia wanted to stay!

She was so depressed all morning. She just wanted her sister!

She was more than ready to pick her up!

It was a great first day for her!

Meet the Preschooler

2009-08-01T16:09:00.004-07:00

Liah had Meet the Teacher
I couldn't go and was very upset about that (we met her later!)!

Gaga took the girls.

Liah met Mrs. Miller.

and Mrs. Carlino!

She officially starts on Monday! (sniff sniff)
Maia was so good at Meet the Teacher she got lots of treats!

I can't believe my Baby is off to school!

Manda's 23rd

2009-08-01T15:04:00.005-07:00

We decided to celebrate her birthday since we skipped it the last 3 years (bahahaha)!
We started at Outback...........

It wasn't open yet! Hahaha~

We decided to move on to Texas Roadhouse.

It had a fun atmosphere....

Yummy food....

Good music..............

A balloon guy......

and birthday antics for Manda!

We had so much fun!

The girls were great which is an added bonus!

Then we went to Manda's for cake and a dance party.

She got some sweet gifts.

She blew out her candles with help!

It was a super day!

Mayo, mustard....

2009-07-27T17:40:00.006-07:00

Time to "ketchup!"
Liah and Maia are working hard on their behavior and chore charts.
Liah is the best dish washer!
We celebrated Anthony's 6th birthday with the Cistolos.

It is always a good time!

We ate yummy food, swam, dodged a monsoon and snuggled up with popcorn.

It was tons of fun!

Then it was back to school time!
Chris is at the high school teaching English, coaching and loving life!

I had a hard time leaving these munchkins!

To head off to my energetic class of 31 Kindergartners. (At this time we have a new teacher and a few of my friends will be moving!)

It was rough leaving these sweet faces after 6 weeks of the BEST break!

However, after meet the teacher and having some time with my kiddos I am loving this new group. There parents are great and we are a little family.

Chris spent the last week of break away at FB camp. We were so excited to have him come home!

I fancied up for his homecoming.

The girls were his constant shadows when he got home!

They love themselves some Daddy!

So do I!! Happy school year!

Maia the fish!

LIFESAVER!

2009-07-10T22:33:00.002-07:00

My lovely sister is a lifesaver. For the second year she spent Chris' camp week babysitting me!
(The above picture shows how her eye reacted after she got apple in it~ it's a raw veggie thing!)

She even brought her family to stay. Nemo and Dory fit right in!

We played with Dory, her and Stella wrestled and snuggled and Nemo got a bath!

My sister in the best. I owe her big time.

PS~ We stayed away from all malls to prevent the MF3 disease that hit last year!

Mamee

2009-07-10T22:22:00.002-07:00

That's what Maia calls her friend Amie.
Amie spent 2 days at our house because her Mom had training.

Liah is such a ham, ruined a great picture!

This one is a bit better!

Amie, like all children, warmed right up to Gaga!

The girls had a great time together. Amie is a sweetheart. It was fun to have a friend over!

Laughs and projects:

2009-07-10T22:05:00.004-07:00

Maia in a Build a Bear outfit! hahaha

Cheese

We painted (Me and My sister) the wall in my family room and added maroon accents! Love it!

Painted the upstairs bathroom and added new towels and extras. It's so bright!

Hope Chris likes the surprises!

This is what it took to keep Manda's dog Dory from escaping and or eating a wall!

4th of July

2009-07-09T22:16:00.005-07:00

The girls got dressed-up in their red, white and blue!

Compliments of Grammy!

I love that she gets outfits for every holiday!

Plus bows to match!

We went Americana as a family. A nice navy, scarlet and white, versus out tye dye numbers!

We brought on the flare with accessories!

We spent the day with the Goodens up North!

We ate lots of yummy food!

Gotta love Chris for playing along!

Liah and I wore matching shoes!

It was a great day!

Then, we headed home for night festivities with the Hegedus'!

Matching cousins!

Matching Grandparents!

Mother and daughter

We drove to "steal" fireworks.

We were not the only ones with this idea. However, we were the most rowdy ones! We tried starting the wave!

It did not take off! Booooo!

Once the fireworks started we had to move lots cause Wells Fargo was blocking our view!

The girls loved them!

We finished out the night Gangsta style!

What a great "Wes-side" 4th!

Random acts of FUN-ness

2009-07-09T22:11:00.002-07:00

This past week the girls have mastered the fry in the mouth trick with Stella!
Would you try this with a 120lb. rotty!?

They also "practiced" wearing their 4th of July bows. They just couldn't wait!

Preschool Class of 2010

2009-07-09T22:05:00.002-07:00

This past week we officially registered Liah for preschool.
She is nervous and excited!

She will spend a year as a Copper Basin Dust Devil before she becomes an Anthem Eagle!

Some Summer Fun

2009-07-09T21:57:00.002-07:00

We have had a jam-packed summer.
The other night, while Chris was at FB, the girls put on makeup and played dress-up.

Maia got carried away!

Liah looks a bit like the Joker. Chris did NOT like the make-up. He is fears them growing up!

We also had a breakfast picnic outside.

It was so hot though we ended up in the pool!

Children's Museum

2009-06-29T16:15:00.006-07:00

The museum was great! We had a blast. EVERYTHING was kid friendly.
Maia loved this display!

Both girls enjoyed the day.

Actually we all had fun! We are considering transforming our loft into the kid's room and using some of the ideas~!

This is a fun idea if you have 100 or so pool noodles!

It was 3 floors of fun!

They loved the arts and crafts room!

Watching them have a good time is the best!

All 5 feet of my Mom rode the bikes too! It was hilarious until she almost backed into the group of visually impaired children!

But she quickly pulled forward and the laughs continued!

This garden will be in our new loft!

We are going to start saving our empty boxes for a market and kitchen!

We will let you know when the Gooden Museum is complete! :)

Zoo!

2009-06-29T16:05:00.002-07:00

We took the girls to the zoo this week 'cause it was a brisk 107! :)
We like going when it is hot because it is empty and a workout all in one!

We kept hydrated with the essentials.....
soda~

sno cones~

The animals were out. It was a great day!

A little of this a little of that!

2009-06-29T15:53:00.002-07:00

Liah posing in her new school dress.
In one word: Maia!

Liah basking in the sun!

Miss Maia has decided she will just use wings and will swim now.

My Mom and Liah in our wedding colors!

Chris' Birthday!

2009-06-25T15:24:00.003-07:00

Here he is at 34! I woke him up at midnight to wish him a happy birthday! He was so excited to see and hear me! He will be as equally as excited when he sees this picture!
In the morning the girls wore their Nike gear just for Dad!

We took the girls to Grandma's and had a date!

We were all excited. The girls loved Gaga time and we loved adult time!

We went to lunch and saw Transformers (AWESOME movie) and then shopped at the San Tan mall. Of course we got stuff for the girls.

When we picked up the girls they had planned a party! Liah did the decorations.

They made brownies and we sang!

Chris got his gifts from my parents: beef jerky, 4-6 packs, wings... right up his alley!

He got some clothes and the vacuum from us. He used his birthday money from his parents for his new shoes! He had a great day!

My Husband

2009-06-24T00:00:00.001-07:00

Happy birthday to my partner, my best friend, the best Dad, a smokin hottie! Chris turns 34 today. (I put his age out there because let's be honest, he looks way good! The man still gets carded!) Chris is totally modest and is not big into birthdays or any fanfare surrounding himself. I think that his day is absolutely important. I tell him it was the day God made him, knowing full well I would be made for him 4 years later. I am over-the-top cheesy about birthdays and any big event! Chris is an amazing man. Our girls adore him. I am thankful for him! I love you Chris!

Father's Day

2009-06-23T22:55:00.006-07:00

We had a great day!

The girls got dressed-up. They feel it is a necessity for any event!

Then they stand in front of the pantry doors and pose!

I have no idea where they get it from!

We made brunch for the Dads!

(Manda and I did not plan to dress alike!)

Awesome Dads!!!!

Grandpa!

My Mom could not be left out. Bare with us we are trying new, "less invasive" poses. This is not a hit!

The guys got gifts and a joint present, outdoor games!!

We will put them to good use!!

It was an awesome day. We are blessed to have such amazing Dads in our lives.

Just because!

2009-06-23T22:48:00.001-07:00

I love these hams!

Tank Tops!

2009-06-23T22:38:00.002-07:00

Manda and I love tank tops, evident by our outfits! So we headed to the Old Navy tank sale.
$2 a top = absolute madness.

It was great fun! We scored 10 all together! Woohoo

Then we went shopping at the outdoor mall. We had an impromptu photo session!

We always have great fun together!

Manda rocks!

Twinkies

2009-06-23T22:27:00.002-07:00

Last week one of our adventures was to Tempe Marketplace.
Dad was mad cause he didn't have a matching outfit.

We shopped and had lunch.

We really liked it there!

Liah's Super Sweet 4!

2009-06-15T22:26:00.011-07:00

She started her day with presents!

She got everything pn her wish list!

Then it was time for the big party! We did her hair and make-up and awaited her Fairy Godmother!

Maia was Little Mermaid!

So stinkin cute!

Finally, Fairy Godmother arrived!

She had magical surprises in store!

She was going to save the day!

With a bippity boppity boo...... Miss Liah became Cinderella!

She was beautiful!

Waving her magic wand the party started!

But, what is a Princess party without Cinderella's friends!?

Belle and Princess Jasmine

The Royal Court~ Jasmine, Sleeping Beauty, Belle, Fairy Godmother, Snow White, Cinderella and Little Mermaid! (Oh yes we did!)

Our Prince Charming

Cinderella

Jasmine

Belle

Sleeping Beauty

Little Mermaid

Fairy Godmother

Stella Sleeping Beauty

A kiss

Snow White Dory

Cake time!

Blowing out all the candles!

(Look at all the fingers directing her~ Lots of cooks in this kitchen! :) )

More presents!

Maia was all tuckered out!

More Prince Charmings!

Liah has been busy playing with all the new stuff!

BIG present time!!! The bike!

YEAH!!!!!

Such a big girl!

Everyone was out to watch!

Then swimming time!

And some games!

Today we ended the 3 day event with a trip to SunSplash!

What an awesome weekend!

LJ's Sweet 4th Prep!

2009-06-15T22:12:00.003-07:00

The day after my birthday was crazy busy! Chris had an all day passing camp. Manda stayed over to help get ready for Liah's Princess theme party! We cleaned, decorated, bathed 2 dogs and made the Castle cake!
We now call ourselves the Cake Queens.

We worked pretty hard on this creation and were happy with the outcome!

Most importantly, Liah approved of her cake!

Then, once Liah fell asleep Chris and I wrapped gifts.

It was so exciting!

The birthday girl was sure to be pleased!

I can't believe she is 4!

The big 3-0

2009-06-15T21:26:00.005-07:00

June 12th I turned 30.
Chris bought me this lovely bling to showoff my new decade!

They took me to breakfast!

Later in the day we had a special bday dinner- my pick~ McDonalds!!

No joke! I love it!

Then, we had game night at our house.

I scored some awesome gifts!

The theme was "clean floors!" I got these great floor cleaning slippers. But, much to my dismay the foot model had chipped polish! Gag me!

The girls loved helping!

I also received a carpet cleaning gift certificate and the Shark!

It is AWESOME!!!

I even shared!

My Mom (and Dad) always spoil me~rotten!

I had to have an ice cream cake!

It was so funny. I asked the girls to help me blow-out the candles. Liah gave one good whoosh and beat me to all of them!

My niece Dory wore her party dress!

We played ADULT games (can you tell by their faces!?)

Thank you family for a great day!

What a character!

2009-06-15T21:12:00.003-07:00

We have the "class clown" on our hands!

Preparations begin

2009-06-10T22:36:00.002-07:00

for Liah's big Princess themed 4th birthday!
We shopped for a few essentials.

Liah had photo shoot number 1 of the 5 day event! :) (Boy we need to work on the facials~ goofball!)

We are going to finish preparing tomorrow. Friday is my bday party.

Saturday is girls' day with Auntie. Sunday is the big party!

Monday we are off to SunSplash!

Yeah for Liah's Super Sweet 4!

Cousins, cousins

2009-06-07T22:28:00.002-07:00

Miss Stella and Miss Dory met today! The cousins got along great!

They ran and rough-housed and enjoyed a few bones.

It was great fun and will become a Sunday tradition!

Summer Loves....

2009-06-07T22:08:00.002-07:00

Sun-kissed noses

Silly times

Dance parties

Family fun

Movie nights and snuggles

A new 'do!

2009-06-06T22:51:00.002-07:00

My horrific 30th birthday (I know I am being silly) is around the corner.
I felt like I needed a change!

So I went to the salon......

What do you think?

I love it and so does Chris! Jackpot!

Some fun in the sun!

2009-06-06T22:34:00.003-07:00

We have had a busy few days! We took the girls to Sun Splash!
Liah was so jazzed to go! We have season passes (thank you Gaga and Gapa!!)!

Maia was taken down by a wave and got a few minor booboos. She is sure to show them off in dramatic fashion!

Liah had a blast. She took me down the tube slides 5 times in a row. (I almost lost my lunch!)

Another of Maia's wave induced injuries!

Dad got Maia a Hercules-like float suit. She looks so cute in it!

Today it was a brisk 92 degrees. My Arizona babies were freezing!

They cut swimming short to bundle up and get warm. 100 degrees come back! hahaha!

Introducing Dory!

2009-06-03T20:16:00.004-07:00

This is Dory, Manda's new baby!
We got her a coming home outfit!

Mom and daughter.

Bog brother Pig aka Nemo.

Gteam with their niece!

We got Grandpa Nikes for his Bday!

He had cheesecake.

Grandma and Grandpa

With their newest grandchild!

With their girls!

It was great fun! Thanks Manda!

Happy Birthday Dad!

2009-06-03T19:50:00.004-07:00

He chose the place!

It was tons of fun!

We all rode rides!

We played lots of games.

Some of us did some watching! :)

We earned lots of tickets.

We got a frisbee and several plastic tiaras with our points!

Happy Birthday Grandpa!

Really!? TP!

2009-06-03T19:45:00.002-07:00

I thought that for sure we have hit the TP free zone. Chris and I are too old and the girls are to young!
Silly me. We are both teachers and Chris is a HS football coach! We woke up to this!

I have to say, glad it's not eggs! Go Gophers~ I guess!

But if you read this.... beware! ;)

What we've been up to!

2009-06-03T19:28:00.003-07:00

Maia has been taking her aggression out on the pool noodle!
Liah's been splashing around!

We had a water balloon fight!

We hung out at the outdoor mall!

We really got soggy! :)

We did some art! (Maia says to me, "I ranned out of paper Mom. I colored on my arms and face!) Lovely!

Liah is getting ready for preschool! (Keeping up Gaga's work!)

Ahhh sweet summer!

Summer kickoff!

2009-05-30T22:36:00.007-07:00

We started break with a day of fun in the sun!

We had a picnic.

This marks day one of tanning!

We swam for hours!

It tuckered Maia out!

Then, we went to start Liah's 4th birthday (6/14) celebration! She wanted her ears pierced!

So brave!

A little nervous!

And horrified!

We were honest with her about the entire process, pain included. She understood, she was all in!

She recovered quickly!

Then was even smiling!

We took her to the Disney store for a bravery toy. Maia fell in love with these shades!

Then we went out for a yummy dinner. How stinking sweet is this picture!?

The trouble side! (It's funny how she doesn't resemble me in the least!)

Then we did our annual "kickoff" and bought our matchy~match Nikes!

We tested them out!

They rock!

Then we posed!

Day 1= AWESOME!!!

It's the final countdown!

2009-05-30T10:14:00.006-07:00

Yeesh what a last week of school! Busy~busy~busy! This is me after promotion. The kids were awesome!
This is a bad pic (through a window) of Chris at the 8th grade promotion. He was the closing speaker! He rocked!

Manda chaperoned the dance with us, as well as helped run my life all week. She is a saint!

Melissa, a Kindergarten teacher, helped chaperone the 7th and 8th grade dance!

Since we are parents, we took some extra dancers with us!

Manda sat out the slow songs cause she couldn't find an 8th grader to dance with!

I found a partner! (and no I am not preggers~ my Hannah Montana wanna be outfit was bad!)

We had a blast!

We danced the most!

We fed the kids Cheetos to help sustain their energy level! They danced til 9pm!

Manda with the girls (Aimee is Melissa's daughter, the girls adore her!).

Maia was the dancing QUEEN. Please notice her smitten expression and all the (brown) boys' hands around her~ she gets it from her Mama! :)

Liah also tore up the floor!

Maia up front for the Cupid Shuffle!

My Mom had to revisit bed rest so we took the girls to school with us. This is Liah with Belle. They could be sisters!

The last days were sad because my girl, my neighbor, my friend Enika is leaving! :(

Things will not be the same!
With the close of the school year I am going to miss my awesome class, I am already nervous for next year, but I am so ready for summer! Sunshine, swimming, tank tops, flip flops and birthdays here I come!

Did I mention quality time with my family! Oh Yeah!!