BABY MILLIE IS FINALLY HERE

We are so happy to announce the arrival of the newest member of our family. Camilla Sue Sanders came into this world on October 8 at 5:33AM. As you can see in these pictures, she is beautiful and she's doing great. She weighed in at 9.8 lbs and 22 1/4 inches long.

I'm so amazed by Paula and am proud of the way she worked to bring Millie to us. Paula is doing great and enjoying her time with Millie. We have more pics, but for now this is what I'll be posting do to severe lack of sleep :)

Olympics The Sanders Way

Check out our little Olympic Champions. Toccoa won the Gold for Synchronized Vacumming. Savannah took Silver after a controvorsial score from the French judge.

Sweet Johnny Boy

I just wanted to take a minute this Father's Day to say how grateful I am for my sweet husband. After my divorce, when Coa and I were living in Utah, she often wondered about the lack of a daddy in our home. She'd ask me about it, and I'd tell her that we had to pray for a 'nice boy' to come along who would love us both and want to be part of our family. We'd go to Temple Square regularly, and we'd bring our pennies to make wishes in the reflecting pool there. I figured a wish made there had an extra good chance of coming true, so we'd always wish for our 'nice boy' to come to us.

After three years of wishing and growing and praying really hard, our 'nice boy' showed up. He was all that we had hoped for, and though the transition was a little bumpy at times (as most are), we have all learned and grown in such amazing ways. I am so impressed with the love and fairness John shows our girls. I feel so blessed that he loves Coa just like he loves Vannah. It doesn't always work that way in blended families, so it's that much sweeter.

I'm grateful that our girls have John to look to as their model of what a man should be and do. He strives everyday to infuse our lives with something spiritual, even if it's reading and discussing our nightly scripture while Vannah's laughing and jumping on our bed. I love him for not yelling at the girls for doing all the things kids do. I didn't grow up like that, so it's an extra special blessing to me for our girls to have a dad they can be themselves around.

He's so proud of their accomplishments, no matter how small. (He bragged forever about Vannah taking first place in her division at the ward Halloween party two years ago. It was so funny. What a proud papa!) He pushes them in ways that I usually wouldn't, but that need to happen. (That's why Coa learned to ride her bike in two days.) He happily sings along to the soundtracks from High School Musical, High School Musical 2, and Hairspray, and let's not forget the theme songs for Dora and the Backyardagains. He plays basketball with them on our back patio with the Little Tikes goal we have. It's pretty funny to see him and Coa out there shooting hoops on that thing.

I could go on and on about the little ways that he shows his love for our girls. It makes me feel safe and happy to know that anything less than him will feel uncomfortable to our girls. I'd say their odds of finding their own 'nice boys' are pretty good.

JohnnyBoy, I want you to know how very much we all love and appreciate you. Thank you for your sweet leadership in our home. Thank you for all the many ways in which you bless our lives. We're so glad that you are the man in our home.

I love you, baby. Tons.

Happy Father's Day!

Looks like I'm it...

I was tagged a while ago (a long while ago) by Amanda. I think it's high time that I get to it. So, Amanda, here are your answers :) :
Rules:
A. Post the Rules
B. Answer all the questions about yourself
C. After you are done posting, tag 5 people.
1) What I was doing ten years ago: This is one of the reasons (the main reason) I avoided doing this post. Ten years ago, I was 'doing time' in a bad marriage and working at Blockbuster.
2) 5 Things on my 'To Do' list today: try to stay awake (thank you, Dr. Pepper-Robyn, please don't let Logan read that!), do laundry, try to find a maternity bra and a Dora dress (the dress was for Savannah, and I didn't find either one.), surf the internet for ideas for school, and pick up a few things from Wal-Mart.
3) Snacks I enjoy: Man, these days the shorter list is things I don't enjoy. I don't go too long without eating when I'm pregnant. I've mostly wanted fruit, noodles, meat, and sugar. I'm completely disturbed by the last one. I try very hard to minimize my sugar intake and that of my family, so making a stop at a store JUST for candy feels very naughty to me. I've crossed over to the dark side, y'all. Yikes!
4) What would I do if I were suddenly a billionaire: Do you mean after I recovered from the shock? I would do all of the responsible things like pay tithing, pay off debt, set some aside for the kids and retirement, and help family out. Then I would build my dream home(complete with a wrap-around porch, land, and a fabulously huge tub), buy a totally sweet truck like the ones I saw last year at the car show at the state fair, and have a day at a spa. Like a whole day. I want to know what it feels like to have a pedicure.(finally get my toes good a did, Alicia!) A ridiculously long one. I'd have a massage (also ridiculously long-we're talking shifts here) and buy the totally luxurious robe that I imagine I'd get to wear. Oh yeah, I'd buy a sleep number bed too. And get music lessons for me and the kids (I suspect John plays the guitar, but he keeps that to himself. I don't know that he'd be game for music lessons). I'd definitely take cooking courses (love to cook, love to eat). Man, this list could get long in a hurry!
5) 3 Bad Habits: I apparently talk constantly about my weight, which is a terrible thing when you birth girls. Gotta quit that. Another is that I worry too much. And last, I let fear keep my from sharing my talents sometimes...too many times. Not good.
6) 5 Places I've Lived: Alabama(born), Georgia (raised), Montana, Utah, and Texas
7) 5 Jobs I've Had: mechanic's assisstant (yes, really. It was pretty much slave labor), teacher's assistant at a daycare for special needs kids(loved those babies!), cashier at Long John Silver's(did that so I could get out early everyday the last semester of my senior year), Administrative assistant at an environmental company(where I learned why they put those big orange balls on telephone or electrical wires), and Elder Care (where I met and cared for angel who, along with her family, took me and Coa in like we were their own).
8) 5 Things People Don't Know About Me: 1)I would secretly LOVE to be involved in some kind of major production, Singing, dancing, the whole bit. It gets me choked up to go to anything like that because I want to do it so much. (I guess the secret's out now!) 2)I wanted to be in the circus for a really long time. What else? Hmmmm...3)I wanted terribly to be an olympic gymnast when I was little. What girl didn't though? 4)I had a relative who carried the torch in the 96 Olympics in Atlanta. I got to hold it after he was done. That was pretty neat. 5) Everytime I lose an eyelash, I make wish (I guess it's a teeny prayer, really)and blow it away.
:)I Tag: Ku'ulei(Hellur!), Alicia(uh-huh), Robyn(Aunt Vovo), Mom(Oi!), Jill (Hey, Miss Jill!!) :)

Gettin' Down at Gatti Town

This week I was gone all week for work in Stowe, Vermont. It's a beautiful ski town in the mountains of Vermont. Lots of liberals and hairy armpits too. Once I got back to the mother land, we decided to go to Gatti Town on Friday night to have a fun night out with the girls. Here are some pics of our adventures. By the way, doesn't Gatti Town sound like it could be the name of the mobs' headquarters in Jersey? I wonder who the marketing genius was who came up with the name Gatti Town for a Chucky Cheese on steroids.

It's a Girl!!!!

We are so excited to announce that last week we found out that we will be having another little girl. This is the first time we've found out before having the baby, and I must say it was a very cool experience. It was amazing to see all her little features. Coa had been praying so hard for a baby brother, so she was a little disappointed when the sonographer told us it was a girl. She cried, but after awhile she was also really excited about having another little sister. She will be a welcomed addition to our estrogen filled home. Oh, her name will be Camilla Sue. We'll call her Millie, which means Honey Bee.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

First of all, I'd like to wish all the wonderful Mother's out there a very Happy Mother's Day. At the risk of embarrasing Paula, I wanted to let everyone know how much I love and appreciate Paula for the wonderful mother and wife she is.

She is the kindest, most patient, loving mother I've ever seeing (Did that kind of sound like Bill Walton?). I'm so grateful for her ability to love our girls so deeply and to be so in tune with their needs. I'm in constant awe of the tender way she nurtures our children.

I'm so thankful for Paula's sweet influence in our home. I love you so much sweetie.

Happy Mother's Day