Takin' the Puppy Plunge!

Shocking, I know...I'm blogging and it isn't someone's birthday! I can't believe how crazy this past year has been! I really need to catch up...but as every scrapbooker would tell you...gotta start with today!

So...Parker and Rylie got their tonsils and adenoids out last week.  They have been affectionately nicknamed, "the tonsil twins" for the past 10 days!  They did awesome...and hopefully I'll blog about that whole thing later...

Clearly, since I was up every 4 hours giving them meds and getting no sleep whatsoever, the perfect thing to do last week was to BUY A DOG!!!

I know that anyone who knows me is thinking surely that is a typo...I'm NOT an animal person...especially NOT a DOG person!  That is all very true!  However, for some reason, when my friend Susie told me her puppy, Cinder, had a brother available...it just finally seemed right!

So...here is the newest member of the family...ASH!  He is 9 weeks old!  (Parker named him Ash...since his sister is named Cinder!  Cinder, by the way, is Parker's best friend Brody's dog!)

We brought Ash home on Thursday afternoon.  Here he is after a very busy day playing with the kids!

 Parker loves it when he falls asleep on his lap!

 Friday Ash had his first puppy play date...with Cinder of course!  Don't let that petite little thing fool you...she is one tough cookie!!!

 One of the perks of living in So. Cal is the weather in the 70's in January!  Ash was outside most of the day yesterday!  He loves fetching the hula hoop!

 Rylie and her puppy!  She nicknamed him, Night Fury, since we can't see him in the dark!

 The boys hanging with Ash!

 Mason and Ash after their morning walk!  Since Mason is the early riser in the house, he gets early morning dog duty!

 Today we gave him his first bath...now that was an adventure!!

 Parker is so hands on with everything!  My kids absolutely love this dog...

 I kind of do too!

 (Did I mention that I am the one training him!  I know...it is very funny!)

 We all absolutely love Ash...but I think Shane loves him the most!!

 OH...and yes, Mason and I are allergic to dogs...but so far so good...I don't think my house has ever been more clean...we vacuum at least once a day!  This could be a good thing for more reasons than I thought!

Happy 9th Birthday Parker!!!

Today my baby boy is 9 years old!  It is so hard to believe...it seems like only yesterday when I held him in my arms for the very first time.  I still remember not having a name picked out for him...we kept going back and forth...until they let me hold him for one quick second before taking him away...I looked at his sweet little face and knew he was my Parker McKay!

Parker, I want you to know what an amazing little boy I think you are!  You have the hugest heart...and it is made of gold.  I don't know anyone who is more sensitive, more thoughtful, or a better friend than you are.  You are always thinking of others before yourself...and you are always there with that amazing smile of yours and those huge blue eyes to cheer me up when I'm having a bad day!  You are so good to your brother and sister...and you are always the first one to give up having things your way just to keep the peace!  I am so blessed to be your mom and I thank my Father in Heaven every single day for sending you to me!

Never lose your love of life or your compassion for others.  They are what define you...and you are AMAZING!  Happy Birthday Parker!  I love you!!!!

Happy 12th Birthday Mason!!!

Happy Birthday Mason!  It seems like only yesterday when I held you for the very first time!  I still remember looking into those big blue eyes of yours and being scared to death at the thought of being responsible for someone so tiny and helpless!  I also remember how much I loved you the instant I saw you!  I still feel the same way every time you look at me and smile!

These past 12 years have flown by!  I still don't think I know what I'm doing...and it still scares me to be responsible for someone who is almost taller than me now...but regardless...I have loved every second of being your mom...even on our worst days! 

I guess this officially makes you a "tween"!  If I could give you any advice today it would be this...slow down...enjoy the time you are in...take advantage of the time you have with Rylie and Parker...and with me and your dad...because before you know it, you will be all grown up...and have a life all of your own!  Don't be so anxious for "tomorrow"...because if you give it a chance, each and every "today" can be amazing!  Take the time to enjoy the little things...to remember who you are and the things that are important to you!  SMILE and be happy!  Laugh and be a little boy...I promise there will be plenty of time for all the big kid stuff!  Don't take everything so seriously...and remember...it's ok to laugh at yourself every once in a while!

I know life can be hard, and that it isn't always fun...but just remember what an amazing person you are Mason!  I hope you know how proud I am of you!  You have a thirst for knowledge like nobody I know...and you have one of the biggest hearts of anyone I know...you should show that side of you more often because that is when you truly shine!

I love you Mason!  Happy Birthday Buddy!  I hope you have an amazing year!

Happy 6th Birthday Rylie!!!

Today Rylie is 6 years old...I can't believe it!!!  She has grown up so much this year!  She can read, she can add and subtract, she can ride a bike, and she even has her first loose tooth!  She walks into Kindergarten all by herself...she won't even let Parker walk her in...she can even fix her own hair!  She is getting way too independent!  It is all going way too fast!

Rylie makes every day a special day!  She is very funny and very quick on her feet!  She is the girliest girl I know...but at the same time, she falls in the tadpole pond at the soccer field at almost every practice trying to catch one!  She has a heart of gold and she worships the ground her brothers walk on!  She is the biggest daddies girl I have EVER seen, but she loves doing the girl thing with her mom too!

I never imagined when I held her in my arms for the very first time that not only would I love her more than I ever imagined possible, but that I would have so much fun being her mom!

Happy Birthday Rylie Kate!  Thank you for all the joy you bring into all of our lives!!!  We love you!!!

Rylie's First Concert

Rylie had an early birthday present this week...she got to go see her favorite singer in concert...Taylor Swift!

Of course I liked this present because I got to go too!!!

Here we are at Red Robin...we had to stop at one of her favorite places for dinner!

Did I mention the bonus in this birthday present...Sammi got a Taylor Swift ticket for her birthday too!

Here the girls are walking to the Staples Center...they were so cute!

Did I mention how excited they were?

Here we are just before we went in...

Since this was for their birthdays...we didn't hold back!  Our first stop was for glow sticks and programs...then on to the t-shirts!

Yep...I got one too!

The girls were so cute...taking it all in!

We were pretty far up...and even though there were screens, they loved using their binoculars!

Rylie loved Kellie Pickler, but when Taylor Swift came on stage...well...let's just say that it was a moment I will never forget!  The look on Rylie's face was priceless!  She insisted that we "practiced" Taylor Swift songs for the week before the concert, every time we were in the car...and it paid off!  She and I love "Our Song" any way...but there was just something about singing it with Rylie at the concert...it was the best!

Rylie LOVED all of Taylor's sparkly dresses!!!

She even moved to a small stage just below us...the girls loved the view they had of her then!

Sammi took a cat nap in the middle of the concert...but she was up and at 'em by the time Katy Perry came on stage for a song with Taylor!

We all had a great time!  It was so much fun taking Rylie to her first concert...and I think she liked it too!  Happy Early Birthday Rylie Kate!!!

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter!  We hope you are having a wonderful holiday...and that you haven't been "rolling" around as much as we have!  (The 6.9 earthquake near Mexico had us feeling like we were rocking on a boat earlier!  Oh wait...now they are saying it was a 7.2!)

So it seems like the older the kids get...the faster they decorate the Easter Eggs!

We think it took us longer to set up than it did to decorate the eggs this year!

Rylie even did some art work on her eggs!

Parker wasn't too sure about that color!

Mason looks at egg decorating as a science...

Rylie LOVES Easter!  She has been on a count down for weeks!  All of the kids were up and had their baskets found before 7 a.m.!  Rylie found hers in her bed next to her Big Bear!  She couldn't believe that the Easter Bunny went in her room while she was sleeping!

Parks found his in the cereal cupboard...his favorite place in the kitchen!

Mason found his on the top shelf in the laundry room!

Parker even got Mason an extra little present for Easter since he hasn't been feeling good.

Rylie got matching dresses with Elizabeth and Felicity...so she and I got our "girls" in their Easter Dresses and we fixed their hair...one of our favorite things to do!

Aren't they cute!

Here we are with our "girls"

Rylie has a plan...today she and Elizabeth are twins, tomorrow she'll match Felicity!

After it got a little warmer, we went out back for an Easter Egg hunt.  To Shane and I, there was one egg that was more obvious than any of the others...aparently Parker didn't see it...

...neigher did Rylie...

...Parker and Mason couldn't see it...

...no matter how hard they looked!

Mason FINALLY saw it...believe it or not...it was the last egg to be found!!!

Me and my kiddos!

Did I mention how much they LOVE looking for Easter Eggs?

Shane and the kids

They found all the eggs in probably 5 minutes...the moral of the story...aparently we need a bigger house for the baskets to be hidden in...and a bigger yard for the egg hunt!

Yeah...Parker all the way!!!  Happy Easter!