Kim and Ken's visit

Ken had a work conference earlier this month at the RIO downtown and decided to bring Kim along for fun! We were so excited to have her here. Mom and Dad came down and Kandra came over for a few days with her family to join in the fun. Our most favorite day with them was when we went to the Venetian canal shops, had lunch, and went on a gondola ride together.
We discovered Peter Lik landscape photography. He has a gallery in the Venetian. I was so intrigued with his use of color and the outdoors. AMAZING!!

The fall decor in the Venetian that we all enjoyed taking pictures of



Roberto our gondolier was amazing! We heard a few others during our ride and decided he was really the best. He was singing Andrea Bocelli and many other italian solo numbers that sounded familiar....(I guess I need to brush up on my italian opera trivia or learn it at all). I started joking with him and singing to Turkey, stuffing, sweet potato pie, pancakes piled up till they reach the sky....to which he responded with an amazing rendition of the real song in the most beautiful italian tenor I had ever experienced first hand. What a ride. We were laughing about how we felt like we were really in Italy except for one minor thing: the bridges and water were way too clean!
Ken was nice enough to stay behind and take a million photos like the papparazzi. After our ride we had worked up quite an appetite and headed for a fancy Italian meal at Canalettos in the Market Square. It was yummy!
Other highlights of the trip here included all the girls sneaking away for pedicures, sharing Cole's first birthday together, cousins playing nonstop, and a trip to my favorite fabric store where Kim helped me decide what sewing machine to buy. I finally got a BERNINA (insert loud cheerleader style hoorays here). Kim helped me pick it out and Dad helped me pay for it. I'm a spoiled, lucky girl!

Birthday Boy

A year ago today this little man came into our family. And although we were all a little surprised to have a boy, he quickly became part of our family. It hardly seems like its been a year. You are such a joy to have around. Your sweet tempermant and smile. Your ability to captivate and be our everything. It has been especially rewarding to watch the other kids care for you, protect you, and LOVE you with every ounce of LOVE they have. You have become the center of our family's world. We would be lost without you. What a blessing to have this sweet little boy; healthy, happy, and perfect come into our lives. We love you baby Cole.


It was great watching you discover the bike we picked out for you. At first you just went backwards. By the end of the night, you had it all figured out! You were even dancing to the music! You started crying when we took you off to sit in your high chair for cake.

We were lucky to have grandparents in town and aunts, uncles, and cousins here to celebrate with even if it meant having your party a few days early.


I Always joke that the first birthday party is really for the parents: We made it through the first year yeah!!

Tuacahn

Jen and I took the girls to Annie on Friday night at Tuacahn. It was an amazing show. Not even 5 minutes into the show, Hanna was leaning over telling me thank you for bringing her and how much she liked it. By intermission she was already picking which character she would love to play! Tuacahn is such a fun atmosphere for an outdoor theatre. I love it!!

You Might Be a Mom of 5 Kids if.......

On monday I was running late getting Josh to his soccer class at the YMCA. I had planned to drop him off and then go work out while he did his class. As we were hurrying into the "Y", I looked down and realized I was dressed and ready to workout except for one minor thing....my shoes. I had forgotten to change them. I was still wearing my sandals from dropping the big kids off at school. I think some people would have had a good laugh at me on the tread mill had I chosen to work out. So while I sat during Joshy's class and contemplated my current life's status, I started writing this list. Afterall laughter is the best medicine when alas you find yourself with 5 kids, overworked, underpaid, sleep deprived and going on your 7th day of a sick baby!
Maybe there only funny to me.....

You Might Be a Mom of 5 Kids if.....
1. You take your kids places with uncombed hair and have stopped caring
2. A bath for your baby consists of a wipey rub down and applying more lotion
3. You arrive frantic and late just about everywhere you go
4. Your "to do" list has been the same for 2 months
5. You want to get sent to time-out in your bedroom all afternoon
6. You realize you have a middle child whom you completely forgot about
7. You swear the homework, shoes, and backpacks are multiplying overnight in the hall closet
8. You remember saying, "I'm never going to be one of those mom's who"_______ and laugh at the things you used to fill in the blank with
9. You are cleaning the breakfast dishes off the counter while making dinner
10. Your little one eats 4 bites of meat, 2 rolls, and 2 bites of salad smothered in ranch dressing and you feel accomplished
11. Your 3 year old often shows up wearing skeleton gloves, cowboy boots, and a cape everywhere you go
12. You go upstairs to do something get distracted; clean up some toys, move the laundry along, make a bed,and head down stairs to realize you never did what you went up to do(repeat the cycle 20 times a day)
13. You can't go to the bathroom without at least one visitor
14. You greet your kids at the door after school and have no idea what you did all day
15. Make-up is optional some days due to time constraints even though you've never needed it more!
16. You wear your 5 kid gut proud or at least that's what you tell yourself, right??
17. You arrive at the gym to work out and look down to see you are wearing your sandals

Now go hug your kids everyone and realize how blessed you are to be called "MOM".

Co-op

I love doing Co-op with some gals from our ward. It is this genius concept where we all take a shift throughout the weekdays either morning or afternoon and then anyone doing co-op can bring their kids to be watched and pay you tickets for doing so. It works wonderfully and has brought me lots of peace in my life so I'm not always bringing my kids places they don't want to be at. Its a win-win because then my kids are off at friends houses whom they love to play with. I have the tuesday afternoon shift. These are the kids who were here yesterday. Two had already gone home before I snatched a photo.
While Aliyah was here I used her as a model for my latest "pillow case" pattern creation. Marlina picked out these fabrics for Hailey while she was here so I wanted to make sure it would fit properly. Isn't Aliyah adorable? I can't wait to see Hailey girl in it too:]

I made this one a little longer so it can be worn with jeans or tights. Its almost dress length, but not quite.

Edmonds

We had such a great visit with Lance and Marlina this past weekend. Jared and the boys were gone so they didn't bring their kids this time. (Lance had a conference at the Venetian). Marlina and I shopped all day thursday. We had fun in spite of a sick baby. She got to love and hold Cole a lot since he wasn't feeling well. Usually he has stranger anxiety. We hung out a lot at nights with Lance. We all went out to dinner as a big group on Friday night....military friends and couples: Aikeles, Bodilys, Whites, Edmonds, Stuarts, and me. (Jared was in Utah for the BYU game). It was a great time. The boys all sat on one end and the girls on the other!! After we went back to see the Whites new casa! Saturday night Marlina and I went to the women's confernce together while Lance watched my kids. How nice is he???? We grabbed yogurts on the way back to say thanks to Lance. Jared got home Sunday which was his birthday, so the Edmonds came over for a quick dinner of filet mignon, salad, potatos, rolls, and apple pie before heading to the airport!
Thanks for coming Marlina and helping me through a difficult week of very sick baby and no husband. Cole ended up having a severe ear infection which caused his eardrum to burst on Sunday and leak disgusting fluid everywhere. Poor baby:( He's still not himself and still leaking fluid, so we are getting him an eardrop antibiotic today.

Not himself

No climbing the couch
No smiling
No climbing the stairs
No 'helping' with dishes
No appetite
No chewing on everything
No crazy face at dinner
No good morning sounds coming from his room
No sleeping through the night
No turning around halfway up the stairs to wave and clap
No chewing on toys
No cruising around furniture

No he is not himself right now. And although its nice to get some cuddle time and not have to chase him everywhere, its sad at the exact same time. Hope you feel better soon little Cole-Man. We miss your cute little personality.

Thankfully "silky" is your comfort right now, you LOVE that blankie!