HALLOWEEN 2010....

I am so far behind with blogging...YIKES!! Anyhow, we had a fabulous Halloween weekend!! It started on Friday night with the school carnival(had fun watching the boys playing all the games), then later that night, I loaded Eli & buddies in the van, and headed to the Chambers of Fear Haunted House! We all had a blast...and it was really pretty spooky!Then on Sat., we had a morning full of carving pumpkins...I bought the books w/ the templates to trace...I think it's easier for the kiddos to draw a free hand pic., and cut it out, but nonetheless, we still had a lot of fun. I attemted to bake the pumpkin seeds, but they were in the oven too long, so they were not too edible. That evening, we went to Grandma & Grandpa's house for a spaghetti dinner (yummy), then we went to a party at a friends house. Had a great time at the party...lot's of great costumes!! On Sunday...Halloween, we went to church, had nachos & goodies/football in the afternoon, then had a pizza dinner w/ G-ma & G-pa before transforming into our costumes. Eli went as a Crazy Doctor, Gregory was Bumblebee the Transformer, Nathan was Dracula, & Jacob was our little Skeleton...Dave was Daddy Dracula, and I was a witch (a good witch:) Everybody looked awesome!! This was Eli's first year to go Trick or treating w/ his buddies, he had a great time!! The young kiddos trick or treated till they couldn't walk any more, and their pumpkins were almost overflowing!

Since then, the boys had school conferences, and are all doing a great job...way to go boys! Last week, Dave & my parents watched the kiddos, so I could go to Vegas w/ my sister, and have a girls weekend...we had so much fun!! Did a ton of shopping, wining & dining, a little playing of the machines...it was great to get to spend time together!! AND, this brings us to this week, the weather is beautiful, so we've been spending a lot of time at the park. Gregory & Nathan are starting practices at church for the Christmas Pageant...can't wait to see them in it...fun times!!

TEEN IN THE HOUSE...HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELI!!

Yes, we now officially have a teen in the house!! This past weekend Eli celebrated his 13th Birthday!! We are so proud of him...he is such a good big brother and friend to all, he enjoys going to church, he's very smart, and athletic too...he's growing up to be such a nice young man! We're looking forward to this new chapter of our lives:) His party was a blast! He had it at the roller rink. It was his first boy/girl party (oh my goodness)! They skated for 2 hours, had pizza & cupcakes, and gifts, and his group even got to be guest DJ's for 1 song. After the party the kids came back to our house for kareoke fun & snacks....girls left at 9pm, and then the slumber party continued. They played video games, and watched a movie, but they were all pretty tired by midnight.
We did have a very heartbreaking situation arrise. To make a long story short, we had put all of the gifts & cards Eli recieved, our camera, diaper bag, cupcakes etc. in a rubbermaid box. Well, in the process of leaving the roller rink, the box was stollen!! We searched the whole roller rink inside and out, and to no avail! My # was even in the diaper bag on a permission slip, and no call! We were so upset, but at the same time didn't want to make a huge deal, as the party was still going on, and we wanted him to enjoy every minute of it! Anyhow, we are so thankful for such wonderful Grandparents & friends, as they surprised Eli with duplicit gifts later on Sunday...very thoughtful!!
When I said good night to Eli on Sunday, he hugged me, thanked me for the best party ever, and said it didn't matter about the gifts, he was just happy to be with his family and friends:)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAVE & GREGORY!!

This past weekend, was a very fun weekend full of Birthday celebrations. On Friday, Dave turned ....well, that doesn't matter:), anyhow, for his celebration, I took him on a date night to a new Irish restaraunt, we had the BEST fish-n-chips! Then we were off to see "The Other Guys"....so funny, great movie!! It was nice to get out, just the 2 of us:) Sat., was Gregory's 9th Birthday! I can't believe he's already 9....he's such a loving, caring, happy, & fun boy...such a special part of our family! For his party, he decided to invite family, and a couple school friends to celebrate at Lake Pleasant. So we got up early, packed up, and headed to the lake. We started with bar-b-qued hot dogs, water balloons & guns, a fish pinata(his theme was sea life), presents, & cake. Then we headed down to the shore for swimming, playing on tubes, inflatable boats, kayaking, and some of the kiddos spent some time fishing. We all had a BLAST, and he's already said he wants to do it there again next year.....FUN TIMES!!

BACK TO THE SWING OF THINGS.....

The kids may have gone back to school, but summer is deffinitely not over, as it's 110 today....I'm about ready for Fall:) The last weekend of summer break(the 7th), was also our 11th Anniversary!! So, we packed up, and took the kids to the Arizona Grand Resort, for a staycation. We chose this resort, because it has an AWESOME water park too. We all had a blast, on the lazy river, wave pool, and the slides were so much fun!! That evening, we had a great dinner at the Rustler's Roost...great live band, and this restaraunt has a huge slide in it, so as you can imagine, the kids went down multiple times. It was a really nice weekend for the whole family!

Then, on the 9th, it was back to school! Eli's now in 7th, Gregory 3rd, and Nathan started kindergarten! It was an emotional start to school, but they all adjusted great, and are very happy with their teachers, and happy to see their friends again. Jacob misses his big brothers, but I am watching another little boy, he's one year older than Jacob, so they have become very good friends, and have a lot of fun together. Tonight, we have our parent meeting for Religious Ed classes for the kids at church, and I've become very involved with the MOM's group at church, so it's getting pretty busy around here....

ALREADY AUGUST!!

Since it's already August, I thought it would be a good time to get caught up on the rest of July. After the 4th, we met up with my parents at Lake Pleasant for a week of camping. Dave & I, and all of the boys(except Jacob of course),got up on water skiis. Gregory was too cute, he couldn't get up all the way, but he squated, and did it for a long time! My Dad pulled us on the tube...Nathan's the true dare devil of the family...faster, faster!!! Eli drove the boat for the first time, and loved it! We all went out fishing, and caught about 3 fish each...the boys were thrilled!! We spent one day exploring the shore, and kayaking. Jacob loves the kayak, as he even fell asleep in it, while Dave was giving him a ride:) Thank goodness my parents have the trailer...one day it reached 118, so the AC was wonderful! It was also nice to come off of the lake, and watch a movie(roughin it). We all had so much fun...it was a great week with the family!

We made it to the movies to see Despicable Me , and Toy Story 3. We've been going to the aquatic center to stay cool, and been enjoying the inflatable pool too. We've been spending time with friends, and family. Dave and I went on an early Anniversary date night last Friday...dinner at Johnny Rockets&we saw Salt....great action movie!! Now, as we're approaching BACK TO SCHOOL, on Monday, we're just about done with our shopping, and we're getting all of the supplies organized and ready to go. To celebrate our Anniversary, and wrap up the summer, this upcoming weekend, we're taking the family on a staycation to a nearby resort...details to come after the weekend:)

THE WAVE RUNNER EXPERIENCE @ LAKE POWELL.....

...MORE LAKE POWELL PICS....

HAVING FUN....

....AND STAYING BUSY!! Thus far, we've had a very fun summer!! After much discussion, for our family vacation, we decided to go on a week's camping trip to Lake Powell! So before hand, we ventured out, and bought a kayak to use on vacation, and at the nearby lakes too. We headed on our trip on Father's Day--it was about a 5 hour drive, with a lunch break in the middle. We got there, and it is so very beautiful(we'd been there about 3 years ago, and it is such a great place)! Anyhow, we were pleased to find we had got the campsite we had requested, and so we set up camp...that's a project...a fun one, but a project!! Being that it was Father's Day, we splurged that night and had dinner at the Lake's restaraunt:) We called it a night early that night, as we all were pretty tired from the long day. So, throughout the week, we enjoyed kayaking....it's 12 feet, so the older kids all fit on it, and Jacob enjoyed riding with Dave&I. We could even fish off of it,,,it's the Anglers model. We did a ton of swimming in the lake, and at the pool at the resort....gotta love that!! We went on a cruise of half the lake......the scenery is just breath taking!! The boys all enjoyed that, and Eli & Gregory took a ton of pics(as did I)! Nathan had fun exploring the cruise boat, and Jacob passed out and took a much needed nap. Later in the week, we rented a wave runner, and had a BLAST!! The boys want us to buy one now. We took a lot of walks, and did a lot of bike riding, played a lot of games at the campsite, and the boys created a fort in the tree next to our tent. Of course all the bar-b-qued food was so yummy, and the s'mores to die for!! It was such a great time for our family, and we can't wait to go back!!

On a side note, when we came home, Eli played in the Allstar tournament!! He pitched the first 3 innings of the first game, and did a great job!! His team played very well together, however, they did not make it to the next round. He had such a great season, and gave it his all, we are so proud of him!! It was really a great experience for him!!

On another side note, we had a great 4th of July....spent it with friends & family, did some swimming, ate delicious food, and watched a great firework show at the nearby baseball fields....it was a very fun day!!

OUR BASEBALL SEASON CONTINUES ON.....

Last week, we recieved a call from the sports and rec. dept. They told us that Eli had been selected to play on the Allstar baseball team for his league for the upcoming summer tournament ( very exciting)! They told us the dates, and we were bummed to find out that we'd be out of town during the tournament:( Well, on Sat., the phone rings, and it was Jason from the rec. dept., and as it turns out, they had given us the wrong dates, and he WILL be able to play!! He had his first practice last night, and he did a very good job, he said after having a few weeks off, it was good to play again. As well, 3 boys he's played with in the past are on his team, so he was very happy about that! So, we're back to practices, pictures, and upcoming games:)

FINALLY.....

Finally, I had luck uploading a few pics from Nathan's B-Day party:) I have many more, but I'll be happy with 3!! I'll try posting baseball pics tonight, and hopefully I'll have some luck then too!

NATHAN'S BIRTHDAY W/ CHUCK-E-CHEESE!!

PROBLEMS POSTING PICTURES.....

I am trying to post some recent pics, and everytime I try, my computer freezes up!! If you have any tips, I'd greatly appreciate it:)
Tracy-- If you read this, how do you like the slide show you use....is it pretty user friendly??

THE MONTH OF MAY...

Started May out with a wonderful Mother's Day! Dave & the boys made it so special for me. We started with a yummy breakfast, that we all made together. Then we headed to church, and after, back home for some down time. In the late afternoon, we went to meet our neighbors new baby boy...he's sooo precious!! We then went to my parents house for a nice family dinner. It was such a nice day! Since then, we've been wrapping things up before the summer. The boys just finished Religious Ed. classes. We're now down to the last 3 days of school. I'm so proud of them. Both Eli & Gregory had such a good year of school, and are ending with excellent grades...way to go boys!! Baseball season is also winding down. Gregory's last game is Wed. Eli has 2 more regular season games, then post season tournament starts next week. Kuddos to Nathan & Jacob for being troopers, and coming to all of the games and cheering on there big brothers!! Still trying to figure out our summer vacation plans....either a big camping trip, or to Disneyland??? Spent today running errands, making sure I have plenty of supplies to keep the boys having fun, and staying busy this summer...I think I'm just about all ready!

On a side note, I'm way behind on posting pics; hopefully next week, I'll post Nathan's B-Day & baseball pics:)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NATHAN!!

Nathan celebrated his 6th Birthday on Tuesday! I can't believe he's already 6...time sure does fly by quickly!! He enjoyed a couple of parties. We had a family bar-b-que at our house to also celebrate G-Ma's & G-Pa's Birthdays...it was great to visit with the family! Then this last weekend, Nathan spent Sat., night with G-Ma & G-Pa, and on Sunday, we had a surprise party for him at Chuck-E-Cheeses with his friends. He was sooo surprised when he saw everyone:) Some of the kids were a bit frightened of Chuck-E-Cheese, but they all had a great time playing games, and going on the little rides. Nathan recieved a Birthday crown, lot's of tokens, a piggy bank, and a huge balloon from Chuck-E, so he was thrilled! It was a great celebration! Then on his real Birthday, we were going to spend the day at the park, but poor Gregory came down with the stomach flu, and was home sick, so we changed our plans, and had a water play day in the backyard, then he chose Chinese for dinner...yummy!
Nathan as a 6 year old....he's a fisherman,baseball player, a great helper, enjoys playing with his brothers(most of the time), and loves going to church. He's such a special part of our family, and we are so blessed!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY NATHAN!!

HAPPY EASTER HAPPY SPRING...

Spring has sprung, and we've been very blessed to have a mild spring. Since I have blogged last, we have enjoyed our spring break. It's a very busy time for Dave at work, so we enjoyed doing activites around town. We spent a lot of time at the park, flying kites and having picnics. We went roller skating, and to the batting cages....And enjoyed spending a lot of time with Grandma & Grandpa, and having play days with friends. Baseball season is in full swing. Between practices and games, we have baseball 4-5 nights a week! Eli is playing major league little league, and is pitching. While Gregory is playing coach pitch, and still rotates positions. In the meantime, Nathan decided he wants to wait to do a sport until Fall, but he loves to play T-Ball with Jacob in the backyard:) So that brings us to Easter weekend. WE started the weekend with a day of decorating eggs, Eli went paint balling for his friends Birthday, and I had to go treat myself to a pair of new sandals...they're really cute!! Then on Easter, we were woken up at 5am by Gregory ready to go see what the Easter Bunny had brought him. I got him to go back to bed till 6:30, then they all began to file out. We went to early church, and it was a beautiful Easter Mass! Then, we came home for a delicous brunch, and an egg hunt. We had some down time in the afternoon, so we watched Horton Hears a Who, and some of us snoozed for a bit. Then we were off to my Grandma & Grandpa's for a huge dinner, and another egg hunt for the boys. We ended the day with watching Where the Wild Things Are...great movie! A beautiful Easter was had by all!!

JACOB'S BIRTHDAY PICS

Sorry it took so long.....

HAPPY 3RD BIRTHDAY JACOB!!

On Sunday, not only was it the USA VS Canada Olympic hockey game, but our baby celebrated his birthday....Jacob turned 3!! I can not believe he is already 3 years old,it seems like just yesterday he was a newborn! We celebreated with a "Firetruck" themed party. We had 25 friends and family come, it was great to see everyone! We enjoyed Dominos pizza, a pinata, pin the fire hat on the fire dog, cake & ice cream, and I had arranged for the crew at the fire dept. to stop by so the kids could go in the truck, and see the equipment....that was a huge hit!! They didn't get any calls, so they were able to stay for about 1/2 an hour. The kids were so excited, they even let them try on some gear! Jacob wasn't able to get a nap in before the party, so he was a bit tired all day, but in the evening, he got his second wind, and enjoyed his new toys...he even tried on his new clothes:) It was a wonderful day! HAPPY BIRTHDAY JACOB!!

......And from Birthday party Sunday to stomach flu Monday....yep that's right, Monday, we had set out to go out to breakfast & shopping with Grandma&Grandpa, and about 5 mins. into breakfast, my phone rings, and it's the school nurse....Gregory is throwing up!! He's still home sick today, but is doing much better, and has been able to eat today. Thank God, it seems to be passing quickly, and hopefully, it won't go through the whole family.

DOUBLE THE VALENTINES....

Other than continuing to fight off colds, we've had fun the past 2 weekends, celebrating Valentines Day. On Valentines, I woke up to a beautiful gift basket that Dave had put together for me. That day, we enjoyed a nice breakfast, did some Valentine arts&crafts with the boys, went to the park, took the boys out for a yummy pizza dinner, and went to church in the evening....it was a great day! Since it didn't work out to go on a date night on Valentines Day, Dave & I went on a belated date night this past Sat. We had such a nice time. We had a delicious dinner at the Outback, then went to see Valentines Day....it was the best movie....a must see!! It was nice to have some alone time with Dave....it's always nice to talk, hold hands, and be romantic:)

WATCH OUT KINDERGARTEN...HERE COMES NATHAN!!

Well, today was a special day for Nathan. I took him to kidergarten roundup, and he's now all registered, and ready to start school in Aug. I am happy we did decide to wait a year later, as he's now so excited about starting! He was thrilled to get to have a tour of the school, and meet all the teachers. Of course, I had to sign our life away, and sign a gazillion papers, but he's all set now! Way to go Nathan!!

FEBRUARY 1ST....

Good news to report....I am feeling a bit better, and nobody else got sick over the weekend, so hopefully, this cold has finished making it's way through the family! On another note, I can not believe it is already February!! I'm looking forward to some fun upcoming events in Feb. Of course Valentines is just a couple of weeks away, which means date night(yeah)! The winter Olympics begin the same weekend...that's always exciting to watch! We just registered the boys for baseball, so we're looking forward to a fun season, and Jacob turns 3 at the end of the month...time to start planning his party!!

OUR FAMILY IN THE SNOW

STAYING CLOSE TO HOME.....

We started January out with a fun New Years camping trip. We had a little New Years party to usher in 2010. We got out and did some hiking, bike riding, watched a ton of movies(in the trailer), and even had some R&R. It was a great start to the new year....although since then, we have had cold after cold pass through the family, so we've been staying pretty close to the house the past few weeks. Imbetween the creeping cruddy colds, we had a huge storm pass through, we got a ton of rain, and cold temps. It was great to get the rain, as we are deffinitely in need of rain. It has been nice to take it somewhat easy....we've been reading a lot of books, and catching up on movies, but I am ready for us ALL to be healthy again!!

OUR CHRISTMAS SEASON

I just wanted to share some of the highlights from our Christmas season:

We started our Christmas season on Thanksgiving weekend, when we all worked together decorating the house, the tree, and putting a ton of lights outside.
The first Saturday of Dec, Gregory made his First Reconciliation at church, it was a very special time for him, and the whole family. Later that day, we went on a horse drawn carriage ride with Santa Claus.
The 3 older boys were in a Christmas play at church....they did great!
The first Sat. of Christmas vacation, we headed up North for Christmas with Dave's family, and fun in the snow. However, the next day, Eli went sledding down the hill, and fell off of the sled, hitting his head on the snow/ice(ouch)!! After about 4 hours in the ER and a C-scan, we found out he had a concussion, and thank God, he would be fine! Needless to say, the next week or so, he took it pretty easy!
The week before Christmas, we had fun play days with friends, did various Christmas art projects, and had a day of making cut out cookies, and decorating them.
On Christmas Eve, we went to the early mass at 4pm. We came home, and had a fajita dinner, and our annual Christmas Eve slumber party with my family. ...And of course, we all opened 1 present, which was PJ's.
On Christmas Day, we got up pretty early, and enjoyed a morning around the tree....Santa was good to all of us:) We had a play day, and the kids had a blast trying out the new toys, and trying on the new clothes. We had a delicous turkey dinner that evening. It was a great celebration of the Birth of Christ!
The Sat. after Christmas, Dave was so sweet, and watched the boys, so I could go shop the after Christmas sales:)
Then on the 27th, the relatives from CA. came, and we had our family get together. It was great to see all of the Aunts, Uncles, and cousins!
The next couple of days, we had fun visiting, playing, and going to the movies with cousins...the boys had a blast!
Poor little Jacob did come down with an ear infection, and stomach flu,and was very sick, but thank God, he is feeling much better, and is up and running again!
On New Years Eve, we headed out camping with my parents(in there trailer). We took turns staying in the trailer with Jacob, and hiking, exploring, and bike riding with the boys. We had a little party early in the evening, but the boys did make it till midnight. We stayed for 3 days, and had a very nice, and relaxing time...watched 6 movies!!
It's been a very fun & blessed season, and it's been so nice to spend time with family and friends!!
We wish you all a very Happy & Healthy 2010!!