Father's Day

I don't know what my family would be like without David.  He brings so much peace and happiness into our home.  He loves us so much.  The other day we walked to the park, and as I was fixing up these photos on instagram later that night it helped remind me that he is the reason our family is this happy.  He is never too tired to mess around with the kids.  You know how some people struggle to live in the present and just keep telling themselves "I'll be happy once I get this or get to this point."  Well he is actually someone who really enjoys all the little moments in life.  He is the reason why my little one's stop along our way to the park to notice "seashells" hanging from dry brush along the sidewalk. They were actual snail shells all clustered together.  We have never seen anything like it.  Just tons of beautiful snail shells of all different sizes and patterns. I think he just makes my life more beautiful.  I look around and all I see are beautiful things. Something as simple as watching little Micah watch his Dad and brother and sister play in the distance just makes me so happy. And I think it's because I am with someone who just makes life better.  He is never afraid to try something new.  And encourages us to do the same.  He keeps life exciting and new.  One day I hope to find a gift for you that could encompass all that we feel for you.  But I am afraid that will be an impossible task.  Because, you keep getting better every year.  We love you David.  I hope you enjoyed your breakfast and dinner on Father's Day. And I hope you know how much we all love you! You truly make life more beautiful.  ( And no it's not just because of your body lol )

Sorry for all the cheese, but I can't help it. It's all true.

Micah Four Months

Ariana's Kindergarten Promotion

Ariana's Kindergarten Promotion

( I love the instagram photo-collages that people have been using, so I messed around and tried to make my own.)

I am so behind in blogging our little families events, we have just been so busy lately.  But at least we have been busy doing fun things.  Ariana's promotion was on May 30, 2012 on a Wednesday.  It was the cutest thing ever! The kids preformed their little hearts out.  I had so much fun watching her sing, and dance, she looked like she was having the time of her life.  I filmed it all, but I still have to put the video together.  After her promotion we went back to her kinder class where they handed out their certificates. I think reality set in on her, because she went from bopping around with no care in the world to one where she was deep in thought.  She loved her kinder year so much.  She had the best teacher, and the best group of friends. Ariana is my first to enter the public school system, and it was such a good experience.  I can not say enough good things about her teacher Ms. Melendez.  She was just so wonderful, and my daughter adored her.  

Ariana watched the movie Matlida for the first time a couple of days before school went out for summer, and you should have seen her face when the teacher got to adopt Matilda.  Ariana quickly looked at me, and she just said "teacher's are the best!" ( I think what she wanted to say was, "my teacher can adopt me!")  I am just so glad that she has started out on the right foot.  She thinks school is fun, she is eager to learn, and loves socializing with all her friends.  I know as she grows we will have some speed bumps along the road, but I am just so happy that her little life's journey has started out on the right foot.  As sad as I was to have her little school year end, and having to face the reality that my little girl will be a first grader next year, I have come to realize that when a chapter in life ends a new one always opens.  And I have learned that although I long for certain chapters in my life to never end,  I am never disappointed with the new ones.  Had Ariana's school year not ended I wouldn't get to have my little girl 24/7 again.  We have gotten to lounge around in pajamas, go to the park, go swimming, and she has gotten to spend a whole weekend with her Aunt Sara and Uncle Kevin up in Manhattan Beach.  We are having a lot of fun not having a set schedule. Viggo I think is the one who is enjoying her the most! Yay for Summer Vacation!

Young Women's Camp 2012

In February I was called to work as the Mia Maid's teacher.  I was so nervous about taking the calling because I had amazing leaders growing up.  I have always worked in Primary, and I even was a Sunday School teacher once.  And all those callings had their challenges but this one is the one that  had me the most scared.  This is how I describe it, in Primary I felt like I was teaching my little one's teachings that one day they would have to put into practice.  So I said I would fill their little cups each Sunday, and they would take a sip here and there out of it.  But when they would return to me each Sunday their cups where still pretty much full, because the kind of trials and temptations they face each day aren't so crazy like when your a teenager.  Then with Yong Women's I feel like I try and fill their cups up, but they quickly get used because they are putting into practice EACH DAY what they are learning from their parents and leaders.  So I just feel like I needed to be extra prepared each Sunday to make sure each girl got their cup filled.  I feel like I have to prepare extra because each girl has such a different and unique personality.  And I want to connect with each, because if I don't I feel that hurts how much I can fill their little cups. 

Anyways with all these things in mind I thought this calling would be hard for me to really enjoy.  I mean responsibility is not something I am quick to correlate with fun lol.  But let me tell you I have enjoyed this calling so much!!! The girls are so wonderful. They are all so beautiful, and kind.  I just can't say enough about them.  It's a little bit crazy to be teaching the girls from my home ward.  I use to see some of these girls when they were little sunbeams.  Some I even babysat for. 

I got to spend some time with them at their yearly camp out.  I laughed so hard sometimes.  When they had gathered around the camp fire, it was so weird for me, because I was surrounded by some of my favorite leaders when I was growing up (who left lasting impressions on me) and then I could just see myself with my friends back in the day doing the same thing.  Time does fly by so fast.  Here are some shots I wanted to share of the fun.  

This is Sister Moulton.  I love her!! The girls are so lucky to have her as their leader.

 Probably my favorite picture

I know the girls are blurry looking back I know how to fix that, but I was so focused on trying to get the little glow lights to blur and make it spell out
"CTR that I forgot to make sure my shutter speed was still just fast enough to keep the girls sharp." Oh well....  I still love it.  And I kinda like that its not perfect :0)

Love Young Women's! I am just sad I don't have the much more time with left with these girls.  We are moving to Tuscon in July :0(

May Birthdays

So, I have been back living at my Dad's house for almost 9 months.  Moving back as an adult with kids has it challenges, but then it has its positives too.  My kids would list the quantity of ice cream birthday cakes we have gotten to eat this year probably as the number one best thing about living at Abuelitio's house.  We probably have two months in the entire year where we don't have a birthday.  But they land on the holiday months of November and December, so it's not like we get a break from the extra calorie intake.  I think that's why I don't bake as much as I use to.  

Anyways, we had two birthdays in the month of May.  We had my Dad's birthday and Josh's.  So we got to eat two birthday cakes this month.  No complaints where uttered by my munchkins.  It's been fun getting to celebrate everyone's birthday.  That was one thing I missed out on a lot when I lived in Arizona. So I am enjoying all the celebrations before David and I move out again.  ( May be soon )  For my Dad's birthday we took him and the family out to eat at  Slater's 50/50.  If you like a good hamburger like my dad, that is the place to go.  Then for Josh's birthday we went out to DiMilles.  They have such good pizza.  So there's been lots of eating this month.  Hence, why I have been working out 5-6 days a week.  I can't say no to good food so I exercise.  Then I get the best of both worlds. 

 That's Micah with my Dad.  He seems to glow in all his pictures.  I think it's because he has perfect creamy baby skin.  Dad I love you! Thank you for letting us stay at your house these months while David has been finishing up his bachelors.  I love that in your latter years you have allowed yourself to express your love more outwardly.  The kids are loving you so much.  And I am so thankful they have such a loving grandpa, who gets on the ground and pretend plays that he is Hook, an alligator, and ninja, or whatever else my kids dream up.  I love you tons!

 This is my brother Josh.  We have become really good friends since we have both matured a bit.  He seriously is like one of my best friends.  He is always there for me, and we talk about everything.  I am such a proud older sister.  He started his wild land fire season again.   And it has been really fun to see how much effort and work he puts in to getting ready for the season.  He is so dedicated to reaching his goals.  He makes David and I laugh all the time.  You and David have become really good friends.  You go to the gym all the time together, and love to gang up on me and tease me.  You can make David and I laugh so hard that sometimes we cry. David always says how much you remind him of his brother.  He is sure the reason why you two haven't met yet is because the world couldn't handle you both in a room.  You love my kids, which naturally just makes me sooo Happy.  Viggo thinks you are so strong and looks up to you a lot.   I know you have so much to look forward to in your life, and I am so excited to see where your life's journey takes you next.... maybe to jumping out of planes as a smoke jumper :0)

(Ariana is always ready to blow out candles....even when they are not her own.)

 

Mother's Day

I don't know why but this Mother's Day felt out of control.  Maybe it was that David wasn't home, or that I find myself living at my Dad's house with everyone, or simply that I am now a mother of three.  But nonetheless it felt chaotic at home.  Ariana and Viggo both were having emotional breakdowns that morning, and my little Micah was teething.  So it was not the relaxing morning I had imagined for myself.  But in the end I sat back and realized that this is what makes me happy.  It's the one thing in my life that is constantly challenging me and making me strive to become a better person, mother, sister and wife.  In between their tyrannical terr-aids on Sunday morning, I found a moment of quiet that allowed me to appreciate and really realize how special my kids are to me.  As I started getting ready for church I put a video on for them, and the room went silent.  I could hear their little giggles, and Ariana and Viggo trying to soothe their little brother when he would begin to whine every now and then.  They would tell him how much they loved him, and then would proceed to go back to their comfy positions to continue watching their movie.  Once I let myself just be in the moment, I was able to appreciate the fact that I love being a mother.  I have a family of my own, and I get to take care after these three little munchkins, that have the ability to just make my heart melt ( and at times make me want to pull out my hair ;0) ).  By the way I got my first official mother's day card from my little girl. I mean an OFFICIAL one, one where she wrote it all on her own.  It was the BEST gift ever.  Her words touched my heart so much.  She is such a good little writer. I have to take a picture of it and post it.  Because, I never want to loose it!

I was able to capture my quiet moment on Mother's Day.  All three watching a movie.

Isn't Micah getting so big? Excuse the bed it was Sunday, and we like to spend as much time as possible in bed together on Sundays.

This is my mom with my baby.  I appreciate her so much more now, that I have my own kids.  She had six, I only have three.  I sometimes ask myself how she did it?  But she did, and I love her for it.  Happy Mother's Day mom!

Sneak Peek Wedding Shoot

I am so excited I think I can see light at the end of the tunnel. I am getting pretty close to finishing up some photos I took recently at a wedding.  I knew Katelyn when she was little so it was so fun to get to shoot her wedding. (Also made me feel really old :0) ) This was probably one of the most challenging I have EVER had.  The San Diego temple is so beautiful, but because it is so beautiful I have personally found it hard to capture just how gorgeous it is. Plus it is really hard to get the whole temple in while shooting people.  Then I had to contend with shooting in the middle of the day. Yup having to deal with harsh shadows dun dun dun.  As challenging as it was I really enjoyed rising up to the challenge.  I felt like I learned a lot on this shoot.  So here it is a sneak peek. I like to give a sneak peek, because I am not a girl who likes surprises, nor do I like to wait.  So, I just assume everyone else is like me, and would love to get a little taste of what is to come.  I just hope they will like them as much as I enjoyed shooting them.  Enjoy!