Barton Stuff

Big Toys

2011-02-01T19:51:00.001-08:00

So now we're the proud owners of a four-wheeler, a Honda 400 something. We've had 3 beautiful weekends in a row, so we gotten to play with our new toy. Blaine bought it 3 weeks ago and we took it to the Canadian river on Saturday the day after we bought it. Oops! We weren't really prepared and Blaine got pulled over by the game warden for not having a off-roading sticker, riding without a helmet, and riding with a passenger on a single four wheeler. He was is luck though because he went to school with the guy and he let him leave with a warning. So we bought a helmet and a sticker and have checked out the rules and haven't had anymore run ins with the law. We had a great time down at Lake McClellan last Friday. We even saw a porcupine high up in a tree when we were leaving.

Cooped Up in the House?

2011-02-01T19:15:00.000-08:00

Eat lots of Popsicles

wear pajamas all day

paint your fingernails

make paper dragons

suck on fingers, while watching movies, reading books, and twirling your hair

(I blame Ava for getting us sick because she sucks on her fingers. Blaine blames me for letting her suck her fingers? Or maybe she's helping us build up our immune systems and I should thank her? Whatever, I could still squeeze her to death, she's so sweet!)

"Mama, watch!" swinging a rubber mouse around by its tail

try dipping chips in hot sauce that's perched on your ladybug costume your mom put on backwards

We've spent most of this winter in the house. WHY? Because one or all of us have been sick since the week before Halloween. I think back, and I don't believe I'm lying when I say we haven't had a solid week with everyone well since the week before Halloween. Strep Throat, colds, coughs and more coughs (that's me), two different stomach viruses, fevers, and finally last week we all had influenza B. So what do you do? You watch lots of movies, play lots of dress up, and you cancel lots of plans, but most of the time we still had fun! Also, it's a great time to potty train.

Mad Scientists

2011-02-01T19:07:00.000-08:00

We received some steaks packed in dry ice, so we experimented with it. Alyssa and Ava enjoyed pouring hot water on it and making volcanoes for a couple of hours. Ashlyn had fun too, but she didn't keep at it as long.

"The Best Christmas Ever" according to Alyssa

2011-01-16T19:14:00.000-08:00

Trying out their new skates on Christmas afternoon

Alyssa was so worried she wouldn't get skates. She kept asking everyone to go look for skates and buy some before they ran out. I kept telling her there weren't any at the store and there weren't. I had to order them.

Ashlyn with her new big baby doll from Grandma and Grandpa.

Grammy and Ava enjoying Ava's new biggest pet, a stuffed caterpillar from Berne's family. She gave Blaine her pillow pet and said, "I don't want!" as soon as she found her caterpillar.

Alyssa and Ashlyn got fancy skirts from grandma. They would wear them every day if they had enough clean shirts to match.

Caterpillar or pillow pet?

Ashlyn with her jewelry box. We ordered each girl a jewelry box. Alyssa's Barbie jewelry box ended up not having a ballerina. It just played the music. She was sad, and Ashlyn offered to trade. Then they were both happy.

Alyssa opening the long anticipated roller skates. She couldn't stop squealing. Ashlyn couldn't stop squealing about her pillow pet. Blaine and I had so much fun watching our girls this Christmas. We were excited because they were so excited about their presents.

It's the small things that matter. I think the girls were most excited about getting 2 packs of bubble gum (you know the huge bubble blowing pieces) in their stockings. This is Ava's version of blowing bubbles, sticking her gum out of her mouth and hitting herself in the face to pop it. I think this picture is hilarious because the gum looks like a tongue.

My girls don't get up early on Christmas, yet. It was almost 9 before they rolled out of bed. Then we had to wake Ava up. She was happy when she saw her horse though. For the past month if you asked her what she wanted from Santa, she would say, "horse". After a couple of weeks her answer became kind of forlorn sounding like she had given up hope. This is Ava riding her "horse" with her unicorn pillow pet stuffed underneath probably chewing her 3rd piece of bubble gum in under 30 minutes completely happy!!!

Birthdays and Presents in Pampa

2010-12-30T14:21:00.000-08:00

Enlarged portions of my mom's painting

My girls love their little cousin, Morgan.

Alyssa watching her nano bugs. Ashlyn, Alyssa, and Blaine got nano bugs and their "habitat" from my parents.

Ava playing with her remote control car.

We opened presents from my parents on Christmas Eve before we headed back to Amarillo for Christmas Eve at my Mema's. The girls loved their toys.

Ava kicking back

My Dad got a full head of hair for his birthday from Helen and Sam. He also got a new grand baby. And I got a new namesake. Adam and Robin had their first baby girl on the 23rd and named her Emily Noel.

This is a photo of the painting the girls and I did for my mom for Christmas. We call it a fairy tale story picture. I thought it turned out pretty cool.

Thanksgiving Visits

2010-12-30T14:10:00.000-08:00

Blaine's brother and family came to visit the week of Thanksgiving. This is us at the Discovery Center playing cowboy and painting faces. We never got to see my family because we ended up getting sick. We sure missed visiting with them.

First Snow

2010-11-16T19:14:00.000-08:00

My little tough girl

Ashlyn grabbed a hand full of snow to eat on the way back up.

Snow down the pants, burr.

Friday morning we woke up to this beautiful seen. Clumps of snow looked like feathers falling. We planned ahead this year so we already had sleds. This really was the first good sledding we got to do as a family. Blaine was off work and school wasn't cancelled so we were the first ones out at medi park. Ashlyn had fun but was a little whiny. Alyssa is a trooper. She loved sledding. She giggled each time down and ran back to the top as fast as she could. Ava doesn't like the cold, or sledding, or coats yet, so she rode down once with me then I held her and took pictures.

Halloween Goodies

2010-11-16T18:57:00.000-08:00

My girls really enjoyed their Halloween treats. My cousin gave them fake nails which they wore for a whole 5 minutes. They couldn't do anything in them. It was pretty funny to watch.

Happy Halloween!

2010-11-01T20:34:00.001-07:00

Ashlyn and Alyssa both wanted to Barbie Island Princesses which made it easy for me. Ava didn't want to dress up at all until we told her she couldn't trick-or-treat. She ended up being a "doctor" with stitches. She had stitches because she drew on herself with my eyeliner right before we left. Saturday was a perfect night for the trunk-or-treat at church we didn't even need jackets.

Sunday we had the Primary program at church. Ashlyn and Alyssa both did great. Ashlyn had her part and Alyssa's memorized. And Alyssa just needed a little prompting. I don't know why it's so heart warming to hear little children talk and sing, but it is. My parents, Mema, and Great Grandma came with us to church today to see them in their first primary program. Blaine's parents were there, too, but they're in our ward every Sunday. They get to help me every week with the girls. This Sunday they got to sit back and enjoy.

Sunday evening we met up with Coralynn and Adelie (our cousins). We treat-or-tricked at their neighbors. The first person we saw at the trunk-or-treat Saturday was our neighbor, Darla. Ava loves Darla, but not when she's dressed up like a witch with full makeup on. Ava screamed when she saw her and shook all over. Then Sunday at the first house (on of two) she treat-or-treated at, a man opened the door with a mask and cape on. She screamed again. The man took off the mask as fast as he could. She decided it was worth going up to get the treat after that. Her doctor bag got full.

It's Autumn Time

2010-11-01T20:16:00.001-07:00

I don't think we have had a freeze yet, but it's starting to feel like autumn at least. This is about my favorite time of year. Perfect for playing outside, going for walks, and enjoying the parks.

Ashlyn posing with her jack-o-lantern. Alyssa and she scraped out their pumpkins without much help at all. Then they drew faces with washable markers for us to cut out. I had to edit the faces a little because they were pretty "intricate".

Autumn sticker art that Grandmama dropped off for them to do, since they all had strep throat.

Last Tuesday, we had our first blustery day in quite some time. We had winds averaging 30 mph with gust upwards of 50 mph. No need to rake. Just wait for the wind to do it for you.

My, How I've Grown!

2010-11-01T19:57:00.000-07:00

Ava had her 2 year check up on October 18th. I knew she'd had a growth spurt, but I couldn't believe how much she'd grown. At 18 months she was 32 1/2 inches, now she is 35 3/4 inches. Double her height and she's supposed to be about 6 feet tall. I can't really believe that, but I do anticipate being the shortest one in my family in the not too distant future. Ava also weighs 29.4 pounds. Her height is in the 95 percentile and her weight is in the 75%. She's such a sweet "baby" girl.

My Baby's Two

2010-10-17T15:29:00.000-07:00

Ava wanted to blow out the candles three times, so we did.

Excited about her new Disney Princess "CD" Player.

She wanted a kitty painted on her face even though her sisters got rainbows.

Daddy keeping his baby safe. She loved bouncing with him.

Ashlyn and Alyssa ran through the obstacle course like it was a race track. I couldn't even get a picture of them. Ava tried her best to do it by herself. She thinks she's so big. She was able to go through the ropes by herself.

Granddaddy helped her with the obstacles she couldn't do on her own.

Ava's favorite activity was riding the "wagon train" and the "cow train".

For Ava's second birthday we went to Maxwell's Pumpkin Farm. We never even made it to the maze or pumpkin patch. We had too much fun at the kid's activities. Ava loved feeding the goats and rabbits. She was quite the trooper.

Palo Duro Canyon Camping 10/6-10/8

2010-10-17T14:52:00.000-07:00

The canyon flooded earlier this summer, and there's still a lot of sand in the creek bed. It was nice to walk on, but every now and then it was kind of creepy for Blaine and I because we would sink pretty deep in the mud underneath. At each of the water crossings there are culverts under the road for the water. They used to be mostly above the water, but now they are "deep" whirlpools surrounded by sand and mud. I dreamed that night that Ava walked into one of the whirlpools and was sucked under the road. I have bad dreams all the time, but even I considered that a nightmare. Blaine told me he dreamed Ava was eaten by a mountain lion the same night. We would hate for anything to happen to our "Little Munch".

Here are my three mountain goats. They are really good climbers, but you know the hardest thing is coming back down.

We're trying to get the most use we can out of our travel trailer! We spent a couple of nights down at Palo Duro Canyon last week. I "thought" we would get to enjoy Fall weather, but it was still Summer. We didn't even wear our jackets.

Cheerio Kabobs

2010-10-17T14:44:00.000-07:00

This has to be the most tedious way to eat Cheerios.

Our Lastest Camping Adventure

2010-10-01T19:49:00.000-07:00

Our last good bye to baby.

Ava thought hiking was great!

Blaine got a little scared, so Jonathan had to catch him.

Morgan's first hiking trip!!

That's my little mountain goat.

I've always loved hiking and climbing at the Garden of the Gods. This was our "reaching our destination" picture. I think I have one daughter who is part mountain goat.

Helen's family at the baby blessing

Sam and Helen with 3 week old Morgan. I got to hold her all during sacrament meeting, and she was perfect.

Saturday night we went to "Mr. Biggs". We played miniature golf (sort of), rode bumper cars and go carts, and played laser tag three times. I tell you Alyssa is an aggressive player. She came in 10th out of 24 people one time. Ashlyn and Alyssa crack me up running around with their laser tag gear that is almost as big as they are. Ava was a determined little miniature golf player. She kept putting her ball right next to the hole and trying to putt it in, but she kept hitting it away from the hole on accident. She kept on trying though until she finally was able to get it in the hole.

Ashlyn and Alyssa love it when they can do it by themselves. Especially driving!

I think hippos are pretty cool especially when you get to see them up close, out of the water.

Ashlyn and Alyssa befriended this peacock. We let it through a double gate, and it kept walking with us for a couple of exhibits.

We went to Cheyenne Mountain Zoo on Saturday. It was a beautiful day, and a really cool zoo. First exhibit is the giraffes. We bought to feed and pet them. Ashlyn and Alyssa were a little timid about feeding them, but Ava wasn't. She let the giraffe get the cracker from her hand, and she almost got licked in the face.

Ashlyn wanted her picture taken on every piece of playground equipment. This is her in the blue slide.

September 24th we loaded down our camper and headed to Colorado Springs to visit Helen, Sam and baby Morgan. They blessed Morgan on Sunday before Sam had to head back to Afghanistan. We had a wonderful time. Alyssa loved the playground giraffe, and we all loved using our camper and visiting with family.

Waiting To Go To Grandma's

2010-10-01T19:43:00.000-07:00

It was Ashlyn's turn to spend the night at Grandma's. She was so anxious to go that she waited outside with her bag on her shoulder, while it sprinkled, for almost an hour and a half. What a sweetie.

Our Big Purchase

2010-09-12T20:29:00.000-07:00

We took breaks to play in the sand. This is just one of Alyssa's monuments.

We saw hundreds(?) of turkeys roosting in the trees Friday night. The girls had fun hunting for the feathers they dropped.

This is how Ava started out the hike and Ashlyn and Alyssa were complaining, too. I didn't think we'd make it very far, but then they got warmed up. We ended up hiking for about an hour-and-a-half but a few stops to play in the sand.

Granddaddy came to visit Friday evening. Ava made his night by wanting him all evening. She kept pointing out things to him on our night hike and saying "ook" (Look).

Ashlyn and Alyssa are getting better all the time at riding their bikes. Lyssa in particular loves to ride. This was a great campsite for riding with open places for me to see them and only small hills.

I took the girls swimming suits, but I didn't really plan right because I didn't bring floaties of any kind and I didn't pack Blaine or I a swimsuit. So I'll plan better next time. Ashlyn and Alyssa pretty much just waded in the water and gathered shells. Ava on the other hand, we had to keep a tight grip on because she was willing to drink some lake water and go out into the deep.

Daddy's girl

We bought a camper two weeks ago. I didn't take any pictures our first trip out on Labor Day weekend. I was having too much fun enjoying Palo Duro Canyon. It was 80 degrees and perfect. This Friday we decided to head to Lake McClellan (about 50 miles east of Amarillo). I think I enjoyed this trip even more because we were a little more relaxed. Now all we need are some 4 wheelers to ride at the lake!!

Colton Cousins

2010-08-22T21:06:00.000-07:00

Ashlyn and Alyssa helping build lego houses.

Ava warmed up to her cousins as the day went on. They were so good with my little girls. My girls didn't want to leave.

This is Ava returning the favor.

It looks like Zach is trying to pick Ava's nose in the picture, but it's just the weird angle.

We had lots of fun getting to play and talk with Angela and her children when they came for a visit the second week of August. We don't get the opportunity to spend much time with them, so this was wonderful. They're such fun, good people to be around. My girl's absolutely loved them playing with them. You can tell they have a niece the same age as Ava.

What Do You Do in the Summertime?

2010-08-22T20:32:00.000-07:00

When we aren't swimming, the girls play so good together. Most of the time, Ashlyn and Alyssa are really good at including Ava when they play. Ava built this tower by herself while Ashlyn and Alyssa were also building. Then they let Ava knock down their houses after they were done.

One of our favorite book series are the "Fancy Nancy" books. This is our version of Fancy Nancy hair. Then of course we have to take pictures.

Ava colored her hands, arms, legs, and feet with dry erase marker. What was funny about it was that she thought they were "ouchies". She got all teary eyed until I started washing them off, then she laughed.

I decided to get us a membership at the Amarillo Town Club this July, so I could get some exercises and the girls could go swimming. It's been great. My neighbor and I go workout 3 or 4 times a week at 11 AM and then we take the kids swimming afterwards. We've all gotten pretty good tans, even Ava (I didn't think she would tan). This picture is Ava showing off her tan and the fact that she's at the "I like to be nude stage". She won't wear a swimming suit, so she just has a swim diaper tan line. Also, Ashlyn and Alyssa have learned how to swim under water pretty good. Then Ashlyn just yesterday started pushing off the side and floating on her back. She floated all over the pool. We couldn't believe how good she could float. She looked like she could just lay on top of the water. Alyssa and Ashlyn both went down the big water slides by themselves yesterday. They had to be able to swim by themselves to do it. We were so proud of them. Ava also likes to "swim" under the water. She goes under and floats around then stands back up and poses, hoping someone is watching her. And someone always is!

Knots and Haircuts

2010-08-22T20:14:00.000-07:00

Ava's hair has gotten long enough that now she makes huge knots in it. She sucks on her left hand middle fingers and twisted her hair with her right hand. This is a knot she woke up with after her nap on July 19th. Yesterday, she twisted her hair into a knot and I didn't try to brush it out until after her bath this morning. My mistake, I couldn't get it out, so she got her first haircut before church this morning. I really just trimmed up her uneven lengths.

Helen and Sam's Family Baby Shower

2010-08-22T19:42:00.000-07:00

Ava provided the entertainment.

Cute Cousins

I wonder what the weight limit is for those chairs?

Ava testing out the new swing.

Helen and Sam are expecting a baby girl anytime now. I had a family baby shower for them on July 6th (I'm just behind). All of our close family members came. We had fun looking at the baby girl clothes, eating, and watching the bigger girls play. We were just giving them a taste of what they are in for.

Our First Camping Trip

2010-08-02T20:03:00.000-07:00

We decided at the spur of the moment to go camping at Palo Duro Canyon. We talked the Vests into going too. I knew it was going to be hot, so I didn't check the weather because I would have backed out. It was about 100 down in the canyon, but the creek was really full and we brought lots of drinks. The kids loved camping. They hiked and climbed the "mountain" behind our campsite. We all played in the water/mud. They loved making s'mores and eating marshmallows and chocolate bars. They didn't seem to notice how hot they were. Kids!! Ashlyn and Alyssa road bikes. I held a tarantula for a couple of seconds. Ava thought she could do what ever the big kids did. The girls slept really well (considering we slept 11 people in a pop up camper). We lined up the little kids like sardines after they were asleep. We all slept in the camper since it was way too hot to sleep in a tent. We had fun, but now we know we want a camper. Hopefully soon.

Nothing Like a Little Excitement!

2010-07-11T17:56:00.000-07:00

This is Ava after a firework whizzed right past her landing in the back of our car and exploding. My cousin, Boe, through out the big burning piece before it could do more damage. I'm just glad it didn't hit Ava and my mom.

Sam's birthday is on the 4th of July, so we help him celebrate. This year we did it on Saturday. We shot off fireworks for 2 1/2 hours solid with between 6 and 10 people lighting at the same time. All I can say is watch your back. And keep the kids "safe" in the car.

Small fireworks in the backyard with the kid's safe inside.

What's wrong with those tongues? Helen bought a birthday cake for Sam a Walmart. It was decorated for the holiday with red, white and blue icing. Sam took the first bite and made an awful face. He said something was wrong with the cake, but it wasn't the cake. It was the red icing. It had WAY too much dye in it. It tasted like eating straight baking soda, and everything it touched instantly stained red. We took it back, but the damage was already done. Everyone had red tongues and teeth.

Yum! Watermelon.

Dad grilling out.

Even Mema popped some firecrackers if you consider Snaps.

This is right after Blaine had a gigantic smoke bomb explode backwards into his side. That's not supposed to happen. It burned through his shirt and left a big whelp and bruise. Glad it wasn't pointed some place different.

Surprise!

2010-07-11T15:52:00.001-07:00

Blaine turned 40 years old in June. We had a surprise birthday party for him at the Saucedos. He got to use a walker and received other "age" appropriate gifts. We ate steaks and birthday cake then went to the movies. We had a wonderful time. And he really was surprised.

Summer Fun!

2010-07-11T15:40:00.000-07:00

Sidewalk chalk makeup!

Ava loves playing in the pool. She enjoys it most when she is naked.

How Ava goes down the slip-n-slide, someone else pushes her.

We're having so much fun this summer. Everyone loves being outside playing with friends and neighbors. Ashlyn and Alyssa are getting brown as peanuts. Even Ava has a little tan.

Oh, How We Love to Dress Up!!

2010-07-11T15:31:00.000-07:00

Our newest additions to our dress up collection are getting the twirling test. My newest craft is turning skirts into princess dresses for my girls.

Another Fun Family Day

2010-06-27T20:49:00.000-07:00

Ashlyn a geared up to play laser tag. I didn't think they would like it because it was dark, but they proved me wrong. They loved shooting their dad.

Ava kicked back and enjoying her skittles. I enjoyed a few of them too.

Ashlyn and Alyssa thought the bumper cars were the best because they got to ride by themselves and really drive.

Everyone got cooled off riding bumper boats.

Ashlyn squealed and screamed the entire ride. She also loved it.

Alyssa waved and blow kisses every time she passed Ava and I. She loved it!!!

Ava is independent... and messy!!!

We had a healthy lunch of movie popcorn followed by Cold Stone Ice Cream, yum.

We all took a hot air balloon ride. Just kidding, but I hope to someday.

Ava got pretty adventurous in the pool. She climbed the steps by herself and liked jumping to me from the side (it's really more like falling because she can't jump yet).

Our Favorite Things

2010-06-27T19:32:00.000-07:00

Ava loved the zoo. I knew she would because she loves animals. I think her favorite was seeing the seals swimming by. She squealed and pointed at them for probably 15 minutes.

Ashlyn's favorite thing to do at the zoo was to climb into niches and say "don't I look cute."

Alyssa's favorite thing at the zoo was the "park". If I was smaller, this would be my favorite thing, too.

Blaine had his tonsils taken out and his nasal passages operated on in May, so he got to be off work for two weeks on medical leave. He was in a lot of pain the whole time, but we did enjoy him being home. Then we got to go on travel with him to Albuquerque on his first day back to work. We hung out with the family of his coworker during the day. They have three girls and we brought our niece, Celeste, along with us to help and have fun. Needless to say the boys were out numbered. The first day we went to the zoo, and I think it's my favorite zoo. It has lots of shade, beautiful exhibits, and isn't too big for little children. We stayed for about 5 hours until it got to be about 100 degrees and we had seen everything we wanted to see. Then we cooled off in the hotel pool. The next day we went to the hot air balloon museum and the movies. Wednesday evening we all went to the Hinkley Family Fun center. Everyone had a wonderful time riding go carts, bumper boats, bumper cars and playing laser tag. Ava and I enjoyed watching them and taking pictures. Ava also enjoyed eating skittles. We had a great time. And then Blaine had to reenter the real world.

We're Back Again

2010-06-11T20:15:00.000-07:00

My sweet drama queen.

Do I have a booger? I take pictures of Ashlyn and she keeps sticking her nose in the air, so Alyssa wanted a "do I have a booger picture", too.

Adam and Robin came down for a visit. We had a wonderful time visiting and getting to spend time with their boys.

Corby Joe cleaning up

Jace is such a cute boy. Ava and he liked playing near each other.

Sorry, I haven't blogged for a while, but I gave away my camera on accident, so we had to get a new one. I am not sad about the new camera, but I am sad that I don't have the old one still to let Ashlyn and Alyssa use.

Finished Master Bath

2010-05-18T18:59:00.000-07:00

This was my first attempt at making window treatments. They aren't perfect, but I'm pleased with how they turned out.

Spring Circus Themed Dance Program

2010-05-18T18:34:00.000-07:00

Favorite thing about dance recital: getting to wear lots of makeup

Grandma, Grandpa, Grandmama, and Granddaddy came to watch our 1 1/2 minutes of fame.

They're supposed to follow their teacher, but they couldn't see her very good, so most of the time they spent trying to figure out what she was doing.

The only person they wanted to play with in their class was Christian. He was the trainer and the girls were the ponies. I think they make pretty cute ponies.

Headed for Home

2010-05-14T06:55:00.001-07:00

We had such a wonderful time and the girls were so good that we didn't want to go home. I guess it's best to leave while you're still having fun though.

Ashlyn, Adam, and Jace having a goodbye romp.

The girls helped Blaine load up the car in Albuquerque.

Discovering at Discovery Gateway

2010-05-14T06:35:00.000-07:00

It's a joy to watch Alyssa busily taking care of things. She set up house, working hard, and by herself for over an hour.
Giving cousin Kennedy goodbye hugs and kisses

Ashlyn's been shopping.

Ava played and played until she finally conked out in Helen's arms.

Here are our busy bees in the beehive

Wedding Day!

2010-05-14T06:07:00.000-07:00

The girls loved swimming at the hotel. We tried to teach them to jump in and go under and keep their mouths closed. Alyssa not very good at keeping hers shut. They got better each time we swam. Before this vacation, they've never really enjoyed swimming.
Queen Ava hasn't grown into her crown quite yet.

Blaine and my brothers, except for the one getting married. I didn't get any pictures of Micah, but I didn't want to mess up all the wedding photos. But he did marry a beautiful women with two beautiful daughters. I felt so happy for him and her. I know he'll be a great dad.

Grandma Brooks, Robin, Helen, Mom, and I at the wedding. We missed Holly. She wasn't able to come at the last minute.

These are Granddaddy's girls.

Blaine's cousin Candie watched our girls while we where at the wedding. I knew I didn't need to worry about them having fun at her house. They made cookies, crowns, and wands and watched Enchanted. They played until they where exhausted, but loved every minute of it.

At the Aquarium On a Rainy Day

2010-05-12T07:47:00.000-07:00

Ava would rather push than be pushed.

Isn't Corby Joe cute with his cousins

The Penguins: The children loved watching the penguins. They could get right up close to the glass to see them swim, eat, and jump back on the rocks. So Cool! This aquarium was really nice because most of the exhibits had rocks or ledges the children could climb up to see from, so you didn't have to hold them up the whole time. There were also lots of hands on exhibits.

This is Ava and Corban crawling through the "coral reef". All the children loved this part.

Visiting Friends and Family

2010-05-11T19:28:00.000-07:00

We met my new sister-in-law and her daughters for the first time Tuesday evening. Ashlyn and Alyssa took up with Kensey right away. They were all dressed up and holding hands within 5 minutes of meeting each other. We also got to meet my nephew, Jace, for the first time; even though he's a year old. Ava and he played close to each other, but I wouldn't say with each other. I guess children at that age don't really play together yet.

Peeking in the back door of the temple.

Ashlyn, Alyssa, Kash, Ruby, and Ava feeling the water of the fountain.

We spent the night visiting and playing with our good friends who moved last August from Amarillo. It was great catching up with them. We went to the park and visited the temple grounds of the Quirrah Mountain Temple while Blaine and Brain went to play some golf.

Garden of the Gods

2010-05-10T18:55:00.001-07:00

This is Ava after our big day. I think she was playing like she was a puppy. She went and found this towel a worked really hard to arrange it under the table. She loves dogs!!!

Ava "jumping" to Daddy

Action jumping shots!!!

Ava caught on to the climbing right way. I'm glad we had as many adults as children because it took all of us to keep them from scrambling over drop off at the tops of the rocks. It was a lot of fun seeing them love being outdoors and enjoying simple things like climbing on rocks.

Ashlyn posed for all her pictures today. Silly Girl!

The Cave of the Winds

2010-05-09T20:54:00.000-07:00

Ava pointed to this rock ledge and wanted her picture taken. As you can see from the picture below, she didn't want to sit on the bear.

That's us in the cave. My girls love caves. Ava even liked the cave when they turned all the lights out. My sister Helen went with us. She was glad to take it slow with the girls since she's about 5 months pregnant. We stayed at Helen's house and had a wonderful time together. Batman (her dog) probably needed a break by the time we left.

We had to wait about 30 minutes for our tour to start. I think it's a ploy to get everyone to spend more money in the gift shop. We stepped out of the gift shop and opted for the cheaper entertainment-quarter pony rides.

Went to "Cave of the Winds" after church on Sunday. Above was children's maze. It was a big wooden box that had a winding path through it where you went down slides and up stairs and the parents couldn't see their children most of the time but you could hear them. The first time through I heard a lot of fearful noises, after that it was all fun. Ashlyn helped one little boy through whose parents where trying to talk him through but it wasn't working, and I crawled in to help a 2 year old get back out. It was pretty tricking getting myself out. I'm glad she wasn't further in it.

First Day of Vacation

2010-05-09T19:54:00.000-07:00

Ashlyn and Alyssa with the hero

Ashlyn loved the girl with the sparkly blue dress and the boy with the hair that curled up (that's the hero).

Ashlyn watched very intently, standing up the entire play.

Ava laughed every time the villain came on stage. He was a huge "Captain Hook" type pirate.

Aunt Helen attended the melodrama in Manitou Springs with us. I had gone to the melodrama when I was in High School and really enjoyed it, so we went as a family. I was kind of worried about of the girls would do, but they loved it. In fact, Alyssa keeps saying she wants to go back. After the play, the same characters come out and do short skits or songs. The "hero" sang a funny "love" song to different women in the audience, and I asked Alyssa if she wanted him to sing to her. She didn't reply, but then he came down the aisle by us, so I said, "Alyssa, he's going to sing to you." She hopped down underneath the table as quick as a wink and laid face down on the floor. Well, he saw her and came and sang to her while the spot light shined on her and everyone laughed. I thought she might get really upset when everyone laughed, but she got up as soon as the song ended and he left. We still got her to take a picture with him after the show. It was really funny.

Look how excited Ava was to be on top of Mount Capulin. or maybe just to be out of the car.

It was a cold, cloudy day to visit the Mount Capulin volcano, but it was a nice break to get out of the car. You can see the clouds behind Ashlyn and Alyssa (who were freezing). When I explained to Alyssa what a volcano, she said she wanted to go back to the highway. Then I had to convince her that this volcano was safe.

Dressing Up

2010-05-09T19:34:00.000-07:00

I made a couple of dress up dresses that "twirl" for the girls. They really enjoy them.

Ashlyn and Alyssa Practicing Photography

2010-04-28T20:58:00.000-07:00

Ashlyn took this cute picture of Ava just waking up.

Ashlyn took this picture of the bear swimming at the zoo. We had never seen the bears swim before.

Momma and Ava checking out the tortoise.

Whose feet are these? Alyssa took this picture of Ashlyn's feet. Question: How can my girls almost always put their shoes on the wrong feet?

Lyssa bird in the morning. Taken by Ashlyn

You're Never too Old to Hunt Easter Eggs

2010-04-28T20:43:00.000-07:00

Granddaddy's smooth head didn't break the egg.

Jonathan getting hit with his fourth confetti egg. "Why is everybody always pickin' on me?"

Grandmama on the hunt

Ashlyn and Alyssa on the hunt

We have a family tradition that if you want to eat Easter candy, you must hunt the Easter candy. Also, you can 't just take any candy, you have to find the candy labeled for you. This year we had to hunt fast because it was actually a warm day. The first nice Easter Sunday in I don't know how many years.

The Girls' First Trip to Palo Duro Canyon

2010-04-28T20:23:00.000-07:00

Cooling our feet in the creek. I don't really know why we used to like "swimming" is this. I guess we had to be pretty hot or maybe just little kids who didn't care.

Independent Ava had to have her own big chair and feed herself which she's pretty good at. Blaine grilled hamburgers and hot dogs, and everyone else brought the sides. The food turned out really good. Plus, there weren't any flies out yet.

Our cousins, Coralynn and Adelie, met us at the canyon, along with mema, Uncle Billy, Aunt Debbie, Brad and Ambra and Melissa. Brad has to come along just to tease Ashlyn.

On April 3rd, Good Friday, we took a big family day trip to Palo Duro Canyon. Jonathan, Helen and Sam were in town for Easter weekend, so it was a great way to spend time together. My girls favorite thing to do was make mud pies. I guess we could do that at home, but it just isn't the same.

Easter Dresses A Little Early

2010-03-28T18:50:00.000-07:00

Ava loves being outside now. I love watching her explore.

We grilled out steaks at Grandma's house after church. All three girls wanted to bring their strollers, babies, and feather boa's. I felt like we were moving, but they were so cute and busy it made up for it.

Ava running as fast as she can.

Ashlyn and Alyssa have been dieing to wear their new Easter dresses. I decided to let them a week early because it's general conference next week and we usually watch it at home. They were beautiful, happy girls today.

Nutella

2010-03-28T18:41:00.000-07:00

We all love nutella. I hear it's nutritious, but maybe that's just an excuse to eat too much of it. This is Ava getting every last bit out of the jar. Good Baby!

Princess Party

2010-03-17T18:37:00.000-07:00

Alyssa favorite part of the ice cream was the glitter icing.

Enjoying their princess ice cream cones.

Ava swallowed a balloon.

Ashlyn and Alyssa received lots of girly presents. Their new supply of princess shoes (4 pairs a piece) was one of their favorites.

Doesn't Ashlyn look beautiful? (Ashlyn often asks me if she looks "B-U-tiful")

6 fancy little girls (1 is missing from the picture)

Ava wanted to get fancy, too.

All princesses getting ready for the treasure hunt.

Alyssa and Ava with their great uncle.

For Ashlyn and Alyssa's forth birthday party we had a princess party. We had 7 little girls decked out as princesses. They were so cute. Ashlyn and Alyssa wore dresses I made for them, and we curled their hair. At the party, they hunted for a treasure chest full of tiaras, rings, earrings, and jewels. We made bracelets out of the jewels and got everyone fancy. After opening presents, they decorated and ate their own icecream cone princess. Everyone had a wonderful time, and thank goodness for all our family's help at the party.

I Can't Believe They're Four

2010-03-15T20:18:00.000-07:00

My not so little girls turned four. We went to the doctor for their check up the day after their birthday. I tried to prepare them all morning for the fact they were going to get shots at the doctor. I told them they could cry but they couldn't throw fits, and we would go to Target afterwards to get a small toy. They did so good. Ashlyn didn't even cry. Alyssa tried not to, but by the third one her face was bright red and the sobs escaped, but she didn't throw a fit. I was so proud of them. Ashlyn weighed 36.2 pounds (50%) and was 41 1/2 inches tall (90%). Alyssa weighed 36 pounds which surprised me because she feels a lot lighter then Ashlyn, and she was 42 1/4 inches tall (97%). Alyssa is now officially tall enough to ride the bumper cars at Wonderland Park.

"Crandpa's" Birthday

2010-03-15T19:20:00.000-07:00

This was the point when they wanted to do it again, but it cost 8 tokens, ridiculous.

Ashlyn and Alyssa loved riding the "virtual" roller coaster. They rode the "Haunted Mine". This was one of the tense moments.

Ava taking it all in with Grandma.

Lyssa and Ava grinning ear to ear on the little train.

My Pretty Lyssa Bird riding in the rocket.

For Grandpa's birthday, we all went to Mr. Gattis and Grandma paid. We had fun eating pizza, playing games, and riding the rides but best of all no one had to cook or cleanup afterwards.

Playing Doctor

2010-02-28T12:51:00.000-08:00

Ashlyn got hurt playing the other day so we decided to doctor her. She got better real fast. Then they wanted to doctor Momma. I must say, I'm a little afraid of my doctors. Ashlyn and Alyssa worked on my arms and legs while Ava worked on my head. They are so funny because of how serious they were. I love when my children use so much imagination in their play.

Bathroom Update

2010-02-28T12:42:00.000-08:00

You can't see the color in these pictures that well, but it's Wedgewood Grey (looks a little blue) with a brown glaze.

I haven't been happy with our master bathroom wallpaper since we bought the house (only 9 years old). So we finally took the leap and tore down the paper, textured the walls, painted and glazed. I still have a few accessories I want, but other wise we finished it over a four day weekend. I should say Blaine finished it over a four day weekend because Ava was sick and wouldn't let me put her down.

Finally, We Have a Winter!!!

2010-02-21T19:16:00.000-08:00

February 13th, two and a half weeks after our big snow and our front yard is still covered in about 4 inches of snow. They said we broke a local record for the length of time snow stayed on the ground or something like that.
February 13th, our snow princess has lost her head. Ashlyn and I also cleared the snow off the trampoline.

February 4th: More snow, so we broke out the ski tube and tried some real sledding. Note to self: buy sleds before the chance of snow or there won't be any.

February 1st: The snow is now sticky enough to build a snowman or in our case a snow princess shoveling food in her mouth.

Ava enjoyed eating the snow, but didn't like to stay outside very long.

My snow angels.

January 28th: Blaine and the twins tried sledding down our front yard in plastic totes and laundry baskets. It was still snowing a ton. We got a total of about 12 inches at our house. We couldn't got out of our garage for 3 days. We enjoyed Blaine being off work and just staying home.

Valentine Gingerbread Houses

2010-01-24T19:38:00.000-08:00

Ava helped make gingerbread houses by ... sleeping. Now doesn't she look happy.

Ashlyn, Kate, and Alyssa dressed in my old t-shirts to eat icing and candies and yes, decorate gingerbread houses. I've never used a gingerbread house kit before, but now I highly recommend it. Also, I applied the icing and they applied the candies. I guess I'm a little controlling?

Kate doing some serious work.

Ashlyn spent most of her energy on decorating the yard.

Alyssa worked on making her half of the roof beautiful. After that, she pretty much just downed sugar.

Everyday Life

2010-01-24T19:14:00.000-08:00

Ava is cute as can be, busy as can be, and many times stubborn as can be. Saturday night every time I tried to put her to bed she threw a huge fit. I finally got her to sleep at 11:00 PM. That makes me want to throw a fit, so I worked on a little scrap booking and she "painted" with water. She loves to do this and it kept her occupied for about 45 minutes. I think that's a pretty good attention span for 15 months old.
The other day Ashlyn dressed as a ladybug (Ava's Halloween costume) and Alyssa dressed as a princess. Ashlyn pretended to be Alyssa pet ladybug for almost 2 hours. They play dress up almost everyday. I think it's cute and creative, but sometimes the mess drives me a little crazy!

Ava weighed 23.4 pounds and has 31 1/2 inches tall at her 15 month appointment. That's just a little above average. We still call her our "fat" baby though because she has the cutest little belly and leg rolls. Here she is busy pushing her baby in the stroller just like her big sisters. Ava doesn't talk much yet, but she's communicates want she wants quite well. She says Dada and Mama but only when she's mad, and she says "heyo" when she pretends to talk on the phone. She did manage to dial 911 on Friday, so we got a friendly policeman visit. Mostly she looks at what she wants, holds her hands out palms up, and says "uh". Lately she's added hitting herself on the chest after the "uh" and says "me".

The Day After Christmas

2010-01-24T19:04:00.000-08:00

We went to the church to try out Blaine's and Jonathan's new flying machines and Ashlyn and Alyssa's hopper balls.
Everyone hopping around Grandmama's

Ava wanted a hopper ball too.

We spent the day after Christmas at grandmama's. We had a wonderful time playing with new toys and Uncles and Aunts.

A Wonderful Christmas Day

2009-12-30T19:36:00.000-08:00

Building with Ashlyn's new blocks

Santa brought a furnished dollhouse complete with twin baby's. Ava loves playing with it too.

Yes. It was a white Christmas. And yes, that is Alyssa and Ashlyn in their new dress up shoes with skirts on out in the snow. They didn't stay out long.

Ava's helping Grammy with her presents.

Take a look at Grandma's new braces. I think they make her look young!

Do you think Beau likes basketball? And maybe the Lakers?

Berne's family got Ava a dog for Christmas. I think it's the perfect breed, stuffed.

Here's Ashlyn and Alyssa opening their new Polly Pocket's and pajamas.

Ava with all her new goods in her grocery cart.

Working together. Ashlyn supervised the whole unwrapping of presents.

Children make Christmas so much more fun!

That's my munchkin.

This is serious business for Alyssa.

Ava is trying to say, "Hey, back off, I can do it myself." But Ashlyn and Alyssa didn't understand.

Ava's sleepy face.

Opening stockings was always my favorite thing to do on Christmas.

Ava with one of her new puppies.

Christmas Eve at Mema's

2009-12-30T18:56:00.000-08:00

I think Ava has the wrong coat on, but she likes flapping the sleeves around. She screamed when we took it off.
Jonathan's third manly gift of the gift exchange, Betty Boop nightgown and slippers.

Some of Mema's great granddaughters.

This is a first. Ashlyn hugging Brad. She usually asks if Brad is going to be there before she decides if she wants to go. Alyssa and she made plans about what to do if Brad tickled them before we went to Mema's.

There's that cute smile again.

Adelie the photographer. Alyssa also was a photographer most of the night. She took some pretty good pictures. She would get real close to you and say smile. So sweet.

Adelie Ann, my cousin Ambra's little girl.

My brother Micah. We all enjoyed getting to spend time with him.

Dad (taken by Alyssa Maye)

My sister Holly and my cousin Melissa (again taken by Alyssa)

Ava loves animals. She couldn't stay away from Danny Boy, Mema's bird.

My Funny Girls

2009-12-30T18:08:00.000-08:00

Alyssa and Ashlyn dressed up and pretended to go trick or treating. I love Ashlyn's smile.

Ava started walking the Monday after Thanksgiving. We went to the Discovery Center a couple of weeks later, and it was like a totally new experience for her. She could hardly breathe she was so excited to "run" around for the first time by herself. I couldn't stop smiling. She was such a joy to watch.

Ashlyn and Alyssa play dress-up most of the day, everyday. This is Alyssa doing her favorite dance move.

Ava acted so funny with these two teddy bear Christmas ornaments. She would get down on the floor, growl at them, and scoot backwards over and over again. I can't figure out why, but it sure was funny.

It's Been A While, So What's Been Going On...

2009-12-07T19:40:00.000-08:00

Ashlyn and Alyssa had their first dance show last week. They did a "Hawaiian Dolls" tap dance, and they were snow drops for their ballet. They did much better than I anticipated. They had rehearsals Monday night for 3 hours, Wednesday night dress rehearsal for 4 1/2 hours, and the show Thursday night. I was a backstage mom on Wednesday. We had the largest 3-5 year old class and they remembered their dance better than most of the classes. They wanted to do it all again, so I guess we will.
Ava finally started walking on her own Dec. 1st. She's known how to walk for a while, but she waited until she was really good at it before she put it in use. She's so proud of herself, walking all over the house and around the table, following after me and her sisters. She also can undecorate the tree in record time. She's happy to have a new mode of transportation.

Snow jumping. I didn't think it sounded fun, but Ashlyn and Alyssa sure loved it. This was Sunday afternoon after Thanksgiving. It snowed huge flake most of the day, but it was only about 33 degrees with no wind, so it wasn't too bitter outside.

Blaine surprised us on Nov. 21st by coming home from Walmart with this, a new trampoline. So of course we had to set it up that day. Is it a early Christmas present? I don't know.

Ava loves playing with baby dolls. It must be because she sees her sisters playing with them all the time. But she hasn't quite figured out where to feed the baby. Hopefully she doesn't try this on a real baby.

We Love Family Portaits

2009-11-04T19:11:00.001-08:00

I had to put in these pictures of Ashlyn and Alyssa when they were two. Alyssa kept crying whenever we started trying to take her picture. They've grown up so much since then.

What a sweet little girl

Alyssa was being a pill, but what a cute pill she is.

Ava Climbing Again

My One year old

I thought our family picture turned out pretty good considering we were all coming down with cold and ... well, we're just not very photogenic.

Carving Pumpkins

2009-11-04T19:03:00.000-08:00

Ashlyn and Alyssa helped carve pumpkins this year. I was impressed with how well they did getting the seeds out. Then they helped decide what kind of faces they wanted me to carve. I used washable markers to draw on the faces. It worked really good because the lines wiped right off after I finished.

The Wicked Witch, The Good Witch and The Ladybug

2009-11-04T18:39:00.000-08:00

Ashlyn and Alyssa with Adelie and Coralynn their cousins

Ava doing her thing.

Isn't she a cute ladybug. So soft and squishy.

The Good Witch

Ashlyn was so excited about Halloween. She told everyone she talked to that she was going to be the wicked witch and Alyssa was the beautiful good witch (sometimes princess) and Ava was a ladybug. We had a wonderful time trick-or-treating with their cousins and going to the trunk or treat at church. Ashlyn and Alyssa both were scared to death of "crandpa" who was dressed up as a scary skeleton monster. He stood out in the front yard scaring "parents". The only thing Ava was scared of was a man dressed as Winnie-the-Pooh.

My Climber

2009-11-04T18:18:00.000-08:00

I love to climb our front steps over and over again.

My newest toy box.

Ava's thoughts: I climb anything and anywhere. I search for new places to climb. When I spy a new climb, I crawl as fast as I can to get there. I'm always looking for higher more dangerous places to climb up on. Then I sit back (even if there isn't enough room to sit) and enjoy the view. Yes, I sat on the riding toy with my feet on the seat. Mom would have taken a picture, but she was keeping me from falling.

Our Ballet Moves

2009-11-04T18:07:00.000-08:00

Ashlyn practicing her very serious ballet pose.

Ashlyn wanted to dance to her princess music while wearing a princess dress plus a tutu plus her new wings. She also wanted Ava dressed up to dance with her. Alyssa was spending the night at Grandmas, so Ava had to take her place. Ava didn't mind after we got rid of the wings.

It's a Party

2009-10-19T11:58:00.000-07:00

Ava laughing at Ashlyn and Alyssa playing volleyball with the balloons.

Lyssa thought Ava really blew out her candle. The look on her face was hilarious.

Ava giving kisses to her new doll.

Ava was done unwrapping presents after she got her little purple doll. Ashlyn and Alyssa finished up for her. She got two dolls, two cool books, and lots of beautiful clothes. Thanks everyone!!!

Ava helped decorate with the crape paper. We had Ava's party on Saturday with just family invited. We missed all their cousins who couldn't come because they were sick or had prior commitments. Ava really enjoyed herself though. She loved her presents and making a mess of her cake. She showed off for everyone. She knew something special was going on.

I took Ava to the doctor on Monday morning. She weighed 22.2 pounds and was 29 1/2 inches tall. She was in the 75% for height, weight, and head. Not as big as we thought.

Ava's One!!!

2009-10-18T18:53:00.000-07:00

Ava only likes to eat and drink if she gets to do it for herself.

The easiest way to eat rice: hold the bowl over your entire face and open your mouth, at least some is sure to make it in.

I look a little funny because I have a whole donut hole in my cheek.

I can't believe Ava is one. It seems like only yesterday she was a baby. Then at the same time it feels like she has been one of the family forever. We went to the Donut Stop for breakfast and to Chop Chop for dinner then the park for her birthday. Mostly because I haven't been in the mood to cook this week. Saturday we'll have her real party. She still isn't walking but she's getting very close. In fact, the morning of her birthday she stood up across the living room from me, took a couple of steps, then crawled the rest of the way. It won't be long. She still has seven teeth but is cutting all 4 one-year molars right now (one has already broken through). She's still a happy baby through it all.

Hiking at Lake Marvin

2009-10-11T21:16:00.000-07:00

Lyssa Bird with a pail of rocks and new pink puffer coat.

Granddaddy and Ashlyn preparing to throw rocks in the pond below.

Daddy and his girls by the big cottonwood tree. I was so proud of Ashlyn and Alyssa. They walked most of the way by themselves and didn't complain about the cold.

Ava was cold and tired, so I zipped her up in my outer jacket and she fell asleep for most of the hike.

Turkeys!

Canadian, TX

2009-10-11T20:33:00.000-07:00

We ate at the Fillin' Station after hiking at Lake Marvin. It is an old Filling Station converted to a restaurant with a pud in the back. We sat at a table made from the old car lift. The glass top is just mounted to the lift.

Enjoying an ice cream at the old fashioned soda fountain.

Blaine and Ava checking out some of the wonderful antiques in the store connected to the soda fountain. I love the restored tin ceiling tiles.

I love taking the hour drive from Pampa north east to Canadian. Canadian is a beautiful little Panhandle town. It's off the caprock, so there are more trees. It's about the best place in the Panhandle to enjoy some fall foliage. That's what we planned on doing so come rain or shine we went. It ended up being cloudy and misting with a high of 34 degrees, but that didn't stop us. We first stopped at the soda fountain to warm up with some ice cream. Ava has her spoon ready to help daddy dig in to his brownie bottom sundae. Then we looked around at the antiques next door. Then it was time to go out to Lake Marvin to enjoy the fall foliage. We saw lots of turkeys and deer along the road out to the lake. When we got there, we all put on at least 2 jackets and coats. Then we were off. We hiked to the pond to throw rocks and to the 100 foot tall cottonwood tree. Total, we were outside about an hour and a half. It felt great to get back in the car. The car said the temperature was 32 degrees but that doesn't count the wind chill and mist. Brr! We headed back to town to eat dinner at the Fillin' Station. They have good home cooked food. I had chicken noodle soup with homemade egg noodles. Perfect after a cold hike. We didn't go this time, but the Cattle Exchange is a really good steakhouse there. It's pretty pricey though. So that was our adventure in Canadian, TX.

More Fun Farm

2009-10-05T12:56:00.000-07:00

Alyssa and Ashlyn lead the way in the maize maze. It was fun because they had a maze designed for preschoolers. Perfect for us.

The girls other favorite thing: the pumpkin jumper. Ava loved the jumper, too. She thinks she is as big as her sisters.

Ava on the inside track.

Celebrating Fall at Maxwell's Fun Farm

2009-10-04T20:26:00.000-07:00

Playing in the corn box (and trying to eat it)

That's Ashlyn, Alyssa, and I on top of the dirt hill with slides built into it. The slides went pretty fast. Alyssa and I really liked it, the landing was a little hard on me though.

Ashlyn and Alyssa coming out of the "scary" hay bale tunnel.

Playing king of the hill

The girls most favorite: the cow train

Does This Looks Like Fun?

2009-10-04T20:06:00.000-07:00

11 Months, Time Sure Flies By

2009-09-27T18:43:00.000-07:00

Ava holds her own with the big girls.

We broke down and got Ashlyn and Alyssa a set of Polly Pockets. Of course, Ava had to play with them too, but she only gets to play with the "big" pieces. She crawled around for an hour with a Polly Pocket pet cat's head in her mouth. She throws loud but short fits when she doesn't get what she wants like when we tried to take the cat.

How Ava helps load the dishwasher: she adds a little liquid to the soap dispenser.

Ava just figured out she could pull herself up in her bed.

Looks like Ava's in a precarious situation. She's already slammed or mashed her fingers in several drawers and cabinets. She was a very girly, pitiful pain cry. Plus she looks at the closest person like they hurt her. So sad!

Ava figured out how to use this chair as a walker to get all over the kitchen, today. She has a pretty long attention span for an 11 month old. She worked at "walking" around the kitchen and getting her toys for about 30 minutes.

Perfect Weather

2009-09-13T12:09:00.000-07:00

Our new use for the swimming pool, a roof for our fort.

Great Mema with Ava Ria out enjoying the 68 degree weather. That's what I call perfect.

Ava likes both hands full all the time. She carried this baby doll around all evening.

The "Grill Master"

Grandmama, Granddaddy, and Mema came over Saturday night. We grilled out 7-up chicken with vegetables and the kids played outside. We loving having our family so close to us. We're truly blessed.

My Girls

2009-09-13T11:50:00.000-07:00

Ashlyn and Alyssa are getting so big. They are a joy to be around (most of the time).

Ava loves being near and play with her big sisters. Sometimes her sisters don't like her kind of play, but most of the time they're pretty good sports. Ava also lets Ashlyn know when she doesn't like her taking her toys. She just bites her.

Alyssa and Ashlyn made clay creations with the Owens one morning. I thought they were all very creative. This is Lyssa's worm.

Sweet Ava sleeping with her Daddy. She's a Daddy's girl. She gets so excited when he gets home from work. I think it makes Daddy's day.

My eyes are still big and blue.

Missing the Owens!!!

2009-09-13T11:41:00.000-07:00

We're missing the the Owen's family, but we're glad we got to spend some time with them before they moved. Hope you are doing great!

10 Months Old

2009-08-18T18:53:00.000-07:00

I can't believe she's 10 months old. Ava's such a sweetie and curious as can be. She already gets a hold of things the twins never managed to get. She "crawls" around pretty good, but not in the traditional sort of way. GO Ava GO.

A Peaceful Passing

2009-08-18T18:39:00.000-07:00

Great Uncle Wayne Brooks (Granddad's last surviving brother)
Sunday night before the funeral there were 40 something people over at my parents.

My Grandma with Evie (one of her great grandchildren)

My Granddad passed away peacefully on July 29th. His funeral services were held on August 3rd in Pampa. It was like a family reunion with a really good turn out. We got to visit with people I've never met and with others we haven't seen in years. We'll miss Granddad!!!

Meeting New People

2009-08-17T06:18:00.000-07:00

Alyssa, Ashlyn, and Bella playing hide and seek outside.

Grammy with Louanna

Louanna playing doctor with Ashlyn.

Annalou with grandson, Taylor.

Grammy's niece, her two daughters and grandchildren came to visit for the first time on July 28th. Grammy was thrilled to have some of her relatives from Mexico come. They brought lots of family history stories and information, made from scratch enchiladas and visited and played with everyone. Annalou is Grammy's niece. Jasmine and Louanna are Annalou's daughters, and Isabella (Bella) and Taylor are Jasmine's children.

It's Been A Long Time Coming!!!

2009-07-22T19:38:00.000-07:00

My Granddad, Reid Brooks, was baptised and confirmed a member of the church last Sunday, July 19, 2009. To put it mildly, he suprised us with his request Thursday night (just 3 days before). My Grandmother and her children have waited for this miracle for about 50 years. He supported four children on missions, but never attended a church meeting or baptism. Just last week Blaine had commented that he needed to get baptised. There was a wonderful spirit felt at the baptismal service with members from the Pampa ward present and also nonmember family attending. My Dad carried his Dad down into the water and preformed the baptism. Then carried him out again. It was such a sweet experience. I know the rest of our family wanted to be there. Granddad knows you wanted to be there too.

9 Months Old And...

2009-07-21T20:58:00.000-07:00

1. Got my first pair of boy pajama's from Dad. Dad said, "Walmart didn't have any girl pajamas in size 18 month." He said the same thing when he came home with Thomas the train pajamas for the twins.

2. I am VERY busy. Mom thinks I am more curious than the twins. Maybe it's because I don't have a twin to entertain me.

3. I only like to eat food if I can feed it to myself. So what if I'm a little messy.

4. I am trying my best to get my belly off the floor and get moving.

Discovering

2009-07-17T07:09:00.000-07:00

We love going to the Discovery Center. I get a little bit of a Mommy break and the girls get out of the house. We had a great time this week because my mom and my cousins who are close in age to my girls came with us. Ashlyn and Alyssa especially enjoyed playing with their "friend", Adria, who is 4 1/2. They had a great time getting to know their cousins again. Wish we could be around them more.

Getting So Big

2009-07-08T19:04:00.000-07:00

Lyssa Maye sitting on her big girl bed with her hair fixed like a big girl's reading a book to herself like a big girl. Boy do I love that little girl.

Celebrating!

2009-07-08T18:25:00.000-07:00

We had a nice 4th of July. Blaine got to enjoy a round of golf, while the rest of us took it pretty easy. Ava and I were recovering from being sick all week. I just had a deluxe summer cold, and Ava's cold turned into a deluxe double ear infection. So she got her first antibiotic, FUN. Ava is trying so hard to crawl and sometimes manages to do a kind of army crawl. I'm afraid she's going to be into everything when she starts moving. She is so curious. Now back to the 4th. Roberta's birthday is on the 4th, so we had a birthday dinner for her and everyone else's birthdays that we had missed lately. Yum! Home cooked ribs, potato salad, salad, corn-on-the-cob, and yes, homemade ice cream and from scratch chocolate cupcakes. Ashlyn and Alyssa ran around the backyard with their cousins and had a ball. After dinner, we took off to see the fireworks from my cousin Ambra's house (she conveniently lives two houses from the park right by where they shoot off the fireworks). Again the girls played with their cousins, and loved the fireworks. Ashlyn could be heard above the fireworks exclaiming, "Whoa", "That's so cool", "I love it", and "Coralynn come sit by me". She was so excited. Ava also watched the entire show. Every time she would hear the boom. She would kick her legs. After fireworks, we ate more ice cream and cake, got the girls dressed for bed, and headed home. All was quiet by the time we got home at 11:30.

Oh! The Little Things

2009-07-01T19:50:00.000-07:00

My mom got pinwheels for the girls. Ava loved everything about it. She tried to mimic her sisters and got so excited she could hardly breath. Such a little thing to bring so much joy. And I'm not just talking about the pinwheels.

How to cool off on a hot day!

2009-07-01T19:39:00.000-07:00

The fire engine came to the library for a visit. They said be prepared to get wet, but they didn't say be prepared to get drenched. It did feel pretty good on this very hot day. My girls just don't like cold or even cool water very much.

June 19th: French Braids and Indian Face Paint

2009-07-01T19:28:00.000-07:00

Ava slept in and Ashlyn and Alyssa were willing to let me practice french braiding. They have to be pretty patient because I'm not very fast. I think they look so cute though. Later. I was feeding Ava when Ashlyn comes in to inform me that Lyssa's being naughty. I found her under the kitchen table coloring-on her face. She tried to hide it under the upside down sunglasses. It didn't work. Today (July 1st) they both colored under the table and it wasn't on paper. Thank goodness for washable markers.

8 Months Old

2009-06-15T11:19:00.000-07:00

Ava turned 8 months old today. She has just started eating some solid food. This is her second day to feed herself cheerios. I think she does pretty good.

Bathing Beauties?

2009-06-13T18:39:00.001-07:00

Friday was the first really warm nice day we have had since getting our pool. By late afternoon the water was nice a warm, so Ava got to swim for the first time. She liked it but was unsure about the over excited Ashlyn at the other end of the pool.

I Finally Got IT!!!!

2009-06-13T18:33:00.000-07:00

Ava finally got to hold the TV remote. And she wasn't letting go. She dives for the remote everytime she sees it. And she knows which one really works. No substitutes for her.

Sunday Afternoon at Grandma and Grandpa's

2009-06-09T13:30:00.000-07:00

A beautiful day with beautiful little girls. Ava's showing a couple of her teeth. She has five total with three more just about to break through.

Sponge Rollers

2009-06-09T13:26:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd try curling the girl's hair with sponge rollers. They thought they were fun to put in. I thought they looked so cute with them in. I forgot to take a picture of the curls. Oops. Maybe next time.

Our New Park

2009-06-07T20:22:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago we got the best kind of "park", the free kind. Unfortunately we had to loose our favorite neighbors to get it. Blaine and I took down a section of our neighbors fence and ours, took off all the swings, slides, and ladders, and rolled the fort end over end from their yard to ours. We created quite a stir for the other curious neighbors. But we had the whole thing moved and put back together again (with everything tightened and fixed up) in four hours. We have had hours and hours of enjoyment already. Now our backward is a kid haven with a kiddy pool, picnic table, sand box, and the "park". So I say, "go play outside."

New "Aprils" and My 1st Shiner

2009-06-07T20:09:00.000-07:00

We decorated aprons with the girls hand and thumbprints on May 22nd. Ashlyn calls it her "april". They were running around all excited after we finished and had a "head-on-collision" coming from opposite directions around the corner of the couch at full speed. All I heard was screaming and then I saw the accident. Two girls laying out on the floor. I told both of them to get on the couch and I would bring ice and cold rags. By the time I got the ice and rags Ashlyn already had a "mouse" under her eye. Look close at the above picture and you'll see it. Today, on June 7th, it still has a little bruise and knott in it. Ouch! When you asked Ashlyn what happened, she said, "I had a hed on bollision."

Our Party Day at Gymnastics

2009-06-02T08:17:00.000-07:00

Ashlyn and Alyssa aren't afraid to try much of anything. But they are shy around new people. Ashlyn was doing back flips and wanted to go all the way to the ceiling. This was their first time to try the harness/pulley thing.
Alyssa didn't do flips because we didn't tell her how. She wanted another turn so she could do flips too, but there wasn't time.

Ashlyn and Alyssa took gymnastics for the first time this spring from Amarillo College. They both loved it. Ashlyn looks like a little gymnist but I think Alyssa's a little more coordinated right now. Alyssa wouldn't go in the first day of class. She said, "Maybe next week." She went in the next week to comfort Ashlyn because she was crying. After that both of them did great.

Snap Shots in Time

2009-05-21T09:52:00.000-07:00

The girls "helped" make mother's day cards.

Fascinated by the big green frog. He's the closest thing we have to a pet.

Alyssa took this great picture of me. She and Ashlyn have been calling me "Emily" lately. I think it's just a phase they go through.

A cold day in May. I think February was warmer than May.

Spending Time with Holly and Oscar

2009-05-10T12:35:00.000-07:00

Sunday after church we went to Kilker Park in downtown Austin. We had a picnic, played, and road a train. It was another beautiful day outside. After the park we went to Amy's icecream. Alyssa and I shared a large dark chocolate icecream with reeses peanut butter cups crushed in. Alyssa got really upset and said I eat it all and she wanted her own. So Blaine got her another large dark chocolate with peanut butter cups crushed in. She ate it slowly enjoying every bite.

Saturday, My Birthday

2009-05-10T12:06:00.000-07:00

We spent Saturday and Sunday night with Holly and Oscar in Manor, TX. The girls dressed up in Holly's left over St. Patrick's Day apparel.
We went to the San Antonio Zoo Saturday afternoon, but we were really too tired to enjoy it much. Ashlyn and Alyssa did love the butterfly exhibit. They were so good and patient waiting for butterflies to land on them that the zookeeper helped a little so they both got to "hold" a butterfly.

No one wanted to walk so Ashlyn rode on top of the stroller. That didn't work too well, so I ended up carrying Ava most of the time.

Alyssa holding Ava on the riverwalk boat tour.

It was a perfect day for the riverwalk. Not many people were there yet Saturday morning because there was a parade that afternoon.

Visiting Family

2009-05-10T11:51:00.001-07:00

All the little girls (with Aunt Kimmy and I) played hide-n-seek outside the restauraut.

Uncle Grant "getting" Ashlyn and Kayleigh.

Mike (Blaine's 1st Cousin) with Blaine and sleepy Ava

Ashlyn, Kayleigh, Paige, and Alyssa playing like they had been best friends for years.

We met Uncle Grant, Aunt Donna, cousins Mike and Kim, along with Mike's family at "The Almo" a mexican restaurant. We followed the Garmin's instructions and took an hour detour. The restaurant was only 5 minutes from our hotel, but the Garmin thought it was south of San Antonio 45 minutes from our hotel. Oops! Dinner was lots of fun though, and it was great to see everyone again.

More Vacation

2009-05-10T11:31:00.000-07:00

At the 4D Pirate Show Ashlyn wouldn't wear the glasses, but Alyssa liked it until the bees came after her. She was swatting at the bees flying around her.
Leaving Sea World. It was fun but it was time to go.

Alyssa was very proficient at climbing the ropes. Ashlyn needed a little reassurance.

Riding the kiddy rides

Ava was such a good traveler. She cut her first tooth on the first day of vacation.

Our Favorite Thing to Do

2009-05-09T09:38:00.000-07:00

The Shamu Roller Coaster was Ashlyn and Alyssa's favorite activity at Sea World. They each road it about 8 times. Blaine and I taking turns riding with Ashlyn or Alyssa and watching Ava. On Friday we couldn't ride as much because there was a long line.

2009-05-09T09:20:00.000-07:00

Feeding the dolphins

Bye killer whales

I feel a sense of awe even as an adult watching these amazing creations.

We went on vacation for the first time with all three girls. On Thursday, April 23rd, we went to Sea World in San Antonio. Ashlyn and Alyssa wanted to see killer whales and dolphins. Ava just wanted to be outside and get held. Alyssa's favorite show was the killer whales and Ashlyn's was the dolphins. We had a wonderful time there for 2 days at Sea World. The weather was perfect in the low 80's, mostly cloudy, and a little breezy (just like I like it). The dolphin show was even more exciting than usual when the power went off to the entire park.