Last b-ball game!!!

Drew-Drew had his last basketball game (really a practice) on Monday. It was so sweet and funny these last two months to watch him and the other boys (also, two girls) ATTEMPT to dribble, shoot, pass, play defense, and pick out their own names on a sheet of paper! Em, Lil and I have popcorn every practice, well, not Lil she has a bottle, and of course we spill the popcorn everywhere!! Drew has done so well and I have to say that I think he is a favorite with his coaches because of his smile and how he has sat on the same white line and then stood on another white line the entire time that basketball has happened. GOOOOOOOOO a GOAAALLLL in soccer...starts on the 5th of April!

Drew Turned 4!

Man oh man we have a 4 year old! To celebrate we incorporated Drew and Saige's birthday into our family day last Sunday. That day was a lot of fun. We had a ton of food and watched the US vs Canada hockey game. Drew got a bunch of new toys, thank goodness I organized and threw out some toys a few days before. He got a remote helicopter, more airplanes, a new pirate ship, a fishing pole and tackle box, a bunch of Toy Story stuff, tools and oh so much more!
To celebrate the actual big DAY, Drew went to the DOCTORS! He weighs 35pds and is 40.5 inches tall. He is perfectly average! The doctor said that he is in great health and it was just too cute to see him get his blood pressure taken....such a big boy now! With NO shots he was a happy little guy and was ready to go to Disneyland with Connor, Dodo, Auntie, and Hannah. We dropped Lilly off with Auntie Chow and off we went. We went on so many things, 16 rides and character thingies to be exact. Very impressive I think considering we were only there for like 5 1/2 hours. Afterwards we went to Chili's for dinner where he got a yummy brownie and ice cream treat that he shared with Connor and Emma. It was a very laid back and non stressful day...just the way the happiest place on earth and a four year old's birthday should be!

Last Thursday, Suzie, I and our kids, Auntie Cindy, big Connor,and Skylar all went to HB pier for some Ruby's and then the beach from some COLD fun. The kids had a great time and I have to say that on this cold beach day it was hilarious to see us 'Californians in sweaters and jeans' and the WA peeps in just SHORTS!!! I now understand why they want to move here....they have to buy less clothes!! Skylar was in the water having a great time and Connor was playing football with the little boys. No matter what the weather is down at the beach...it still is the beach:)

Grandpa was here!

Last week (yes, I am very behind on blogging) my dad's flight got canceled when coming to Lillian's baptism, so he showed up a week late! We meant to see and hang out for the week, but with everything that has gone on with Derek's side of the fam I did not get to see him as much as I should have. In fact, I only saw him once! Bad daughter, yes I guess I am! None the less, here are some pics from the afternoon we got to spend with my dad, aka grandpa.

Sounds at 12:39am! I hear the rain, Derek talking in his sleep (I can not make out what he is saying), the fan in our room, Em coughing in her sleep, and Lillian trying to reach the toys above her. I never thought that when our beautiful baby daughter turned 5 months...



That I would be up more at night with ALL of the kids! I just got done organizing all of Drew's toys and was so excited to go to sleep (really I was...super tired and not looking forward to everything I have to do in the next week..happy to do them but I know I will be beat!) when I had to give Lilly meds for her teeth, water for Drew and lay next to Emma as she makes the transition from crib to toddler bed. After about a half hour of watching Derek breathe...I am awake! I just hung up laundry and now I can not sleep! Maybe a glass of wine, maybe read a book, maybe unload the dishwasher? No, none of these. Why can't I sleep? Why do I go threw this EVERY NIGHT? I do not take naps, I do not drink caffeine past 5, and I have 3 KIDS! Well, at least I can tell everyone what infomercials I see on Oxygen at 3am. I think EVERY LADY should check it out. HILARIOUS!

Saigey Ann has a BLOG!

http://saigeylovesyou.blogspot.com/

Just going through stuff and saw this:) She is a great kid, so I am excited to see what my second eldest niece has to say about life!

Our lovely Valentines

Yesterday Lillian Patricia was baptized! Marlene and Samy are the Godparents and we could not be more thrilled. We were so happy Samy's flight did not get canceled from DC like my dad's did from MA due to weather.
It was held at our old family church (we have moved and the drive is way too far) because I really wanted Pastor Greg to continue the baptisms in our family. Lillian did a fantastic job being held by Auntie Mar and did not cry at all. When Greg pronounced her to the church she just smiled. Oh, and I have to mention that the bow LP was one from the many I got from Catilin when Lilly was born...so go check out Bows by Catilin (blog in my fav's). However, in all honesty I had one of the worst panic attacks from the time I handed her to Mar until around 5. The only thing that helped me from not walking out was looking at my mom! It was just horrible. I just could not shake it. So the lack of pics is due to that fact. I just hate getting those things! Suzie did take some during the actual even, but I need to get those from her.
Afterwards we had a luncheon for Mar, Sam and Lilly. We had the best Mexican food and yummy cupcakes from Cupcake Blake! However, does everyone remember how HOT it was on SUNDAY......ya pissed me off! Luckily we had tables and umbrellas in the back and it did not get too hot in the house. Regardlessof the heat, we had cold beer, the Olympics were on, Lilly got some lovely presents and a special necklace from Mar and Sam. People even played darts, looked at Derek's Jeep, and stuck around until about 5. Mom and Brian were the last leave, wow a record by them!
Now I will speak of Mar and Samy. I am always set aback when friends become godparents, only because I think 'where will the friends be in 20 years?' No offense to anyone, but a thought I have. But I have known Mar since 5th grade and has been my best friend forever! Yes, we live such different lives and she is my "Dr. Daut" travleing the world for the past 8 years or so, but we have always tried to stay close. I just laugh because yesterday I had to ask people if they knew Mar because everyone knows her sis, Tati, but rarely in the past 8 years has Mar been around because of work and school (yeah know that PhD thing she got, oh and Samy too). But now she is back and we try to see each other as much as possible....oh and she told me that she will get me back to my liberal thoughts and I said I blamed her for my slipping! Too funny though because I won't defer from my conservative thoughts, she is too late:) haha Marster! Yesterday, as sappy as this may sound, I looked at Mar and Sam and was happy! Happy for them in their own lives. Happy to have surrounded my self and my family with them. Happy that my daughter will have them to go to for her entire life. Happy that we have them, even though Samy is French! hahahahahahaha, so kidding:) I can never be too serious anymore:) Happy that Mar and I made it through our late teens and early twenties alive! Now we are married gals (along with preggo Max who could not be there yesterday) and are finding our way in our new 'adult lives.' We can still have fun, be honest with each other and still now that we are all a little crazy in the head! haha
Do I think wayyyyyy too much or what...no wonder I had a panic attack, I was thinking all of that crap at one time!! haha

Bingo Group

At the fav spot, Chili's'


At the host for the month, Stephine's house.

Once a month I get together with all the ladies from our old house for some drinks, treats, prizes and of course...BINGO! But sometimes we do have a gay guy come, but he carries a purse so he is cool to join us every once in awhile. Sometimes I win a gift or two, but this last month I did not win anything! However, a few of the ladies who never win anything won some stuff, so that was cool. Does that last sentence make me sound like a good sport? If it does that is great, but you should hear us ladies talk trash to those who continue to win. It is really funny!

It is really fun to sit there and talk about our husbands, children, say a few curse words, drink a little wine then head home. In all we are there for about 4 hours and sometimes Melissa and I will go to Chili's...this time we did. That is always fun because I get to see some old co-workers who still work there and some regulars that I use to serve at the bar. It was a fun thing to do and is always nice to get away for at least once a month from 'life' to hang out with some friends.

The Frog Prince

A few weekends ago I took Em and my mom to the Ebell Thearter in Santa Ana to see the play, The Frog Prince. We got dressed up and went for a night to the 'big place' as Emma referes to it. The play's cast was entirely composed of children and when I asw that I thought, 'oh great this is a waste of money!' But ya know what, it was great! My mom and I were laughing through a lot of the scenes and the kids did such a fanastic job! Em loved all of the music and of course the princesses. It even had a message...what I can not remember now, it was really very cute. So if anyone is interessed in taking their kids to see an exteremly well performed 'children's' play check out the site. The next play is the Little Mermaid.

http://www.broadwayontour.org/

Argh in my life yet again

I have been trying......
Not to stay up so late.......
Yeah right, what am I thinking???
Are Em's tights clean for ballet?
No, they are not.
Now I have to wait for tights to go through the wash.
So why not blog.
Then again, what time is EM's ballet and why am I worried about tights?
Oh yeah, it is at 9am and we do not wake up in this house (beside Derek) before 9am except on Wednesday mornings. TOMORROW! Life is so busy and I have to ask myself, 'she only wore them once do they really need to be washed?!?' Yes, they do!
Oh, and some may think, 'why does she only have one set of tights?' The studio makes you only wear what is provided for them. SO, EM only has one pair of tights that are on loan until they get some little sizes.

So, I am sitting here being told by the TV that footed PJ's are the best thing for women ever, really? I just laugh.

Then, I think about how I am not use to this three kid thing. I really am not! Reason? Lillian is our last child! I think I always knew that Em was not our last child, but since Nov I knew for sure that I will never have anymore children. Kind of strange! To have a child be 'for sure' your last is kind of strange. However, I also do not want anymore KIDS! The three that I have are hard enough! I love the babies...oh a buzzer went off!

Please Pray for Dwayne

Many people know either from speaking to us or reading our blog that Derek's dad, Dwayne (Pa), has been fighting stage 4 prostate cancer for the past two years. As with many cancers in that stage the main goal is to keep it contained and pain levels down. However, over the past few weeks we have learned that the cancer most likely spread to the liver. This was hard to deal with, but now things have changed even more. Pa is in the hospital and we are trying to see if he had a stroke or the cancer has spread to the brain. So please pray for him and the rest of the family to give us strength during this difficult time.

*in the pic from left to right; auntie margie, uncle gary, auntie sandi, and pa. This pic was taken while on a cruise to alaska last year*

Finally!!

Derek and I have not bought couches or a dinning set in 10 years!! We have always had hand me downs (thanks Linda), but now we have NEW STUFF! So the house is almost done and I have even added things since I took these pictures:) Oh, on a side note, I left my nice camera at the Kempers today, I just realized it and I am freaking out!!! Derek is so funny because I keep telling him that if he hangs up things or takes a box down I can get things done, haha. So now that he is doing it, things are now moving along:) Love ya honey!!
Now that I have said that, Derek picked out the couches and I love them and the fact that he wanted a chair too was great!! LOVE IT AND LOVE HIM! Not just for the things that he has given me, but the way that he wants to do 'good' by us, how he has chosen us before himself, how I can stay at home and still 'live' with our three kids. Thank you Derek, not just for the material things, but for the things we can teach our children.

Terry Conely Memorial Mile

Last weekend Lillian, Drew and I went to the Terry Conley Memorial Mile at my old high school. Unfortunately, Em was sick and Derek had to stay at home to take care of her. I never played in a sport that Coach Conley coached, but I thought, "why not go and give to a charity to help others, walk there, walk and mile then walk back home?" The kids and I had a great time and saw people there that we have not seen for a long time, so that was nice! However, I have to say that had I known it was going to take as long as it did for people to walk it (since I had Lilly I had to walk it) I would have shown up later:( But Drew got a icee thingy (I really do not know what those things are called) and was very well behaved! Not only did Drew behave, but it was the first time Lilly was in the jogger and she just LOVED IT!