Officially a Teenager

Austin's birthday was the weekend after Lauren's birthday party. Jason helped set up the garage/playroom for the ultimate XBOX party! We already had one projector mounted to the ceiling that we use to watch movies, tv, etc. Jason pulled the other projector out of storage and set it up so they could connect two XBOXs and play side by side on the big screens. The boys LOVED it!

The next morning, Jason took the boys out to the ranch to play paintball and took some sweet pictures!

Taylor, Tyler, Austin, Michael, Caleb, Eric and WesEric and MichaelTaylor

Caleb and AustinWesAustin and CalebAustinWes, Caleb, and AustinTaylor, Tyler, Austin and CalebMichael showing off his battle woundsWes got nailed in the back!

Austin got hit in the face with his helmet on, but it still looks like he stuck his face in a bowl of mustard!

They all had a blast and named it "The Party of the Year!" I can't believe Austin is officially a teenager! It kind of makes me feel old. Jason and I have been talking a lot about the seasons in life and really trying to enjoy whatever phase we may be in. I'm looking forward to this next "season" and curious what it will be like to be a parent of a teenager.

Lauren's Early Birthday

Lauren's birthday is not until March 27th, but I'm due March 24th. Lauren got a new Karaoke machine for Christmas and really wanted to have a slumber party so she could sing all night with her friends. I knew that wouldn't be ideal with a newborn, so we decided to push her party up a few weeks. She had no objection to celebrating a little early!

About an hour before her party started, the baby must have shifted onto nerve because I literally could not walk. I was a little stressed and had a million things running through my mind, but knew we needed to get through the birthday party. Jessica and her friend, Megan, stepped in and helped run the show. Jason picked up pizzas for me and kept things running smoothly while I was stuck on the couch.

Kids can play with flashlights for hours, so I thought getting each girl her own flashlight would be a hit at a slumber party! I bought jewels and glitter glue and Jessica helped them decorate
their flashlights. They sang karaoke and did manicures and pedicures on each other.

Lauren loved being the center of attention and opening her presents surrounded by her friends.

They watched a movie as it got late and then we said goodnight.
I woke up in the middle of the night (as I often do being so big and pregnant) and found most of the girls still awake, giggling and playing Barbies. I wish I could freeze them in time, so young and innocent. I love the memories that they were creating, so I pretended not to see them and went back to bed.

After Lauren's last friend left in the morning, she crawled into her bed. I was on one of my nesting kicks and decided it would be a good day to help Jessica clean out her closet and then her room. (She is by far my most "creative" child. Cleaning out her room reminded me of my childhood and helping my best friend clean her room. Her mom would occasionally tell us that we had to clean her room before we could go somewhere, but I really didn't notice the mess. It was just her room. I loved it there. Who cares, if we couldn't always see the carpet?! I tried to keep that in mind as I pulled piles of things out of Jessica's closet and from under her bed.) When I came downstairs around 2 o' clock, I didn't see Lauren. I asked the other kids where she was and they said they hadn't seen her. I checked in her room and found her still sound asleep!!

I guess it was a good party!

Daddy Daughter Dance

A few weeks ago, Jessica and Lauren went to the Daddy Daughter Dance at the school with Travis. I can't believe it was Jessica's last chance to go! Next year she will be in Junior High! Where did the time go?

Lauren loves to be in front of the camera!

It was a special night for them to spend with their dad before he moved back to Washington DC.

Winter Fun

Ski season is in full swing! Jason has taken the kids up the hill a few times while I have stayed home with Ashlyn, keeping warm and getting ready for the baby. I traded in my season pass this year for a round tummy and swollen feet! I thought about headed up with them a few times and just watching from the lodge. I'm sure I would make a great snowman, but my nesting instincts have totally taken over and there always seems to be a closet that needs to be cleaned out or something else that I just can't wait to organize!

A couple of weeks ago, Jason took the kids up with my sister, Jen, and her boys. JasonLaurenMitch (A friend they ran into), Garrett, Austin, Wes, Drew and Tyler (another friend)

Jen took a bunch of sweet pictures and Jason followed the kids with a video camera. He got some amazing footage and made a video of the kids when he got home that night. I tried to upload it, but it's giving me error messages. I'll see if I can get Jason to figure it out when he gets home. If not, here is the link to UTube where it is uploaded http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2s6mHFucZE It's a pretty cool video!Lauren

Austin 7th grade

Drew 4th grade

Wes 8th grade

Garrett 6th grade

Tyler 5th grade Jason

I was blown away when I saw the pictures and video! I can't believe how awesome these kids are! It looks like they had a blast! I can't wait to get up there with them next year! They are already so much better than I am and I'm not sure how I will keep up. I guess that means I will need to sneak away a few days while they are at school and get some practice in! (And hurry to fit back into my ski clothes! :-O)

The Nursery

I've been terrible at keeping up with my once a week post! It's been more like once a month! The nursery has kind of taken over all my spare time, but it's finally done! It was such a fun process! I'm bummed I didn't take pictures of the construction when the room was being built. Jason even reminded me, but I was so busy moving back in to the house and then it was done!

So, here is the first picture. ( About half of these pictures were taken on my phone and not the best quality, but you get the idea.) It was taken shortly after the room was finished and painted to match the rest of the house. We weren't sure if it was a boy or a girl at the time.

After we found out we were having a girl, the search for a nursery theme began! I usually start with the bedding and let that set the tone for the room. I would browse almost every night online, but nothing jumped out at me. One weekend, we were up in Sacramento and went to breakfast with Danale and Justin. The bathroom of the little cafe had this fence on the wall and a cute built in bench to sit on! I took a picture with my phone to show Jason! I loved the idea!

A garden theme room would be so fun for the nursery! I had been drawn to pink and green, but had to change the type of bedding I was looking at to something more playful. Jason and I were at BabiesRUS one night and saw this Ladybug bedding with Pink and Green. It wasn't my favorite, but it would go with our theme and we liked the ladybug idea. (Ashlyn's room was all about butterflies.)

We got to work matching paint and then the "fun" began! I started with the ceiling and then the top half of the room.

My mom came to help me finish the pink and then the green a few days later.
Next, it was time for the fence. I wasn't quite sure how it was supposed to work, but I figured it couldn't be anything my hunky hubby couldn't figure out!
(Like the nail in his mouth? )
I painted while Jason measured and cut Austin documented our progress. ( I think he has found a new hobby)It was fun working together and thinking about the little one who would soon be occupying our little creative space.

We got the posts up and called it a night. A few days later, we were back in the nursery finishing the fence rails and chair rail around the room.

Phase 1 complete!Jason moved the furniture back into the room. Later that night, I came upstairs and found him sound asleep in the rocker! So cute!Haley and I made a little day trip to Visalia the next week, to see if the new Hobby Lobby had flowers to fill the flower boxes (that I still needed to buy!), and inspiration to finish the room. I'm not sure what I would have done without Haley there! There were so many rows of flowers and way too many choices! She is so creative and has impeccable taste in decorating!

Jason helped me install the flower boxes. We had to make sure a toddler couldn't pull them off the wall. I feel sorry for the person who moves in after us and wants a different theme in that room! We got the crib put together and the bedding in place. I shopped for curtains forever and had a hard time finding anything that I loved. I finally bought these after the fourth time of looking at them in the store (all on different days!)

Jason said they looked like clouds and wasn't sure if he liked them. The next few days, emails flooded my inbox with links from Jason of cute ladybug stuff he had found online! I LOVED that he was looking at all this stuff for the babies room! What a cute husband! He found some curtains that we thought would work and a changing pad cover that matched perfectly! He also came across a quote that would be perfect over her crib!

My mom just started a vinyl business, so I went to her house to help design the quote- really I was just the messenger between her and Jason. It was his idea and we wanted to make sure it was how he wanted it. I had to head home before we were finished, but the quote said: "With a butterfly kiss and a ladybug hug, sleep tight little one like a bug in a rug". Jason has been leaving for work before we wake up in the morning and I always call him when I get up. When I reached for my phone the next morning, I had a text from him saying, "Instead of "like a bug in a rug" I think it should say, "and know you are loved". I loved it! Perfect! I called my mom and she made the changes. She and Janey designed the bugs to match the ones in the bedding and helped me get the quote up on the wall. I love how it came out!

Jason's valences came and I think they are cute! I think I like it even more that my rough and tough husband found cute, pink and white and flowery valences to go in our little girls room!

It's hard to tell in this picture, but the red you see in the changing pad cover are three cute ladybugs!The only thing missing in this picture are the two other wall flowers that go on the other side of the window. I just picked them up a couple of days ago! Jason put some shelves in the closet for me and I have been busy filling them with all the little things we will need when she is born. The room took over a month to finish, but I am so happy with how it came out!

I can't believe she is almost here! We all find ourselves hanging out in her room. Ashlyn has been practicing taking care of a baby with her dolls. It is so sweet to watch! I think she will be a good big sister even if she still wants to be the baby. Jason took this picture of her last Sunday hanging out in Paige's room. She has grown up way too fast!!Now it's just the waiting game...

(I'm ready for her to be out of my tummy and in that crib!)