Ellis Island

2010-03-13T09:18:00.000-08:00

I am really trying to work hard on my sewing. I love making these dolls!! I'm not as good as I could be if I were a little more patient and tried to slow down. Once I start, I don't take my time because I'm so anxious to finish. I'm like that in a lot of ways. Oh well. I am going to try and tackle making a purse in the next few weeks...if I can find the time. If I can get that down, I think I'll start buying patterns and making Ivy dresses.

Some proud & not-so-proud moments

2010-03-13T08:09:00.000-08:00

Mikey made Honor Roll again! He has really stepped it up this year. He tries really hard and feels quite accomplished. He is doing really well in Cub Scouts and has passed quite a few achievements. I am so proud of him!!

Speaking of school, I picked up Dylan's kindergarten registration packet the other day. Really?! Is it that time already? He looks WAY too small. I don't think I'm ready for this. He has been quite the scriptorian lately. He carries his scriptures around everywhere, and for some odd reason, always has to wear this sweatband while reading. This is why I love him so much.

I have been really busy with cakes lately. I made 250 cupcakes for the Scout's Blue and Gold banquet. I am so thankful to Rory for making the cupcake stand. Otherwise, I don't know where we would have put them all.

And the latest cake has been probably my favorite. My nephew, Steven, had his 3rd birthday party a few weeks back. He loves Toy Story. So, I made him a Toy Story cake. So fun!! I've got 2 cakes in the next two weeks. I'm super excited to make both! I enjoy making them so much.....just hate the mess.

Oh, and the not-so-proud moment....I backed into Rory's car. Damage to the car: minimal. Damage to my awesome driving skills ego: bad, very bad.

They're so talented....my children.

2010-02-16T19:47:00.000-08:00

The other night I was finishing up the dishes and heard my 3 children in hysterics upstairs. They were laughing so hard, I thought maybe I should go tell them to settle down, so nobody throws up! When I get up in the loft, this is what I see. I laughed so hard I almost peed my pants.

Just more pictures to update

2010-02-10T20:39:00.001-08:00

2010-02-10T20:21:00.000-08:00

I am so embarassed to even admit it's been a year since my last post. I could use the excuse of being busy, but it's a lie. So, I've decided to start fresh, and record the fun things that happen to our family, as I promised I would 2 years ago. Since my last post, the following has taken place: new house, new ward, new friends, new dog. It took us almost 6 months to get our house. Well worth it!!! We love it here, and our house suits our needs. Rory has been interested in real estate lately, and is taking the test to get his license. He says he's already itching to find another house. Little does he know, if he finds one, that he's moving alone.

Mikey is doing so well in school. He has been on honor roll and brought his grades up to almost all A's. I am quite proud of him. He started cub scouts this year and already has his bobcat patch. I am his den leader, so it's fun to watch him accomplish his goals in scouts.

Dylan is ready for kindergarten this year. He's super smart. He's also the happiest kid on the planet. It doesn't matter what the situation, he's always smiling. It's easy to forget the stress of the day when you see him always grinning. What a good example.....until he decides to beat up Ivy.

Ivy is.....well. She's a typical girl. Dramatic as ever. She will look in the mirror, say she's so sad, and make herself cry. Who needs acting lessons, just come to my house. She'd gladly teach you. She's feminine in every way, from wanting to put on makeup, to insisting on wearing prom dresses every day. I love it, and hate it at the same time. We argue quite a bit. I'm worried about the forseeable future.

Rory is still making the commute to Irvine. He doesn't mind it so much, but wouldn't mind a job closer to home. He is taking the test to become a real estate agent. Who knows what will come of that. I think it's just a backup for future use. He's really enjoying homeownership. Every weekend, he's either knocking out a wall, or building something. Although he's already complaining that a 2-car garage just isn't enough. Typical!!

I am doing the usual....trying to stay above water with my 3 kiddos and keep my sanity by doing things I love. I continue to make cakes and sew. I love decorating my house. I have a new friend (next door neighbor) that I absolutely adore. She is so sweet. I hope we stay friends for a long time.

As things happen, I hope I can keep this up. Good luck to me.

Huh??

2009-03-29T23:53:00.001-07:00

I am really bad about keeping up this blog. I'm sure the millions of people who have subscribed to it are thoroughly disappointed...and for that, I am sorry.

A few weeks ago we took the kids to see the grunion run. Bad idea for several reasons. #1: It doesn't start until 9:55pm. #2: It's very cold and wet at the beach at night. #3: We only saw 2 stinkin fish! And Rory swore he would catch one for the boys if he had to dive in the water and chase it. Needless to say, they were too fast for him. The boys just starred aimlessly at the water. We gave up after 30 minutes and went home.

Rory took the kids across the street to the park to play baseball. See the picture of Dylan?! Yes, the ball made contact. And then the next picture is of Dylan throwing the ball. See where it is? Right above his head. That one made contact too. Poor thing.

Last week we had the Relief Society Birthday Party. My Enrichment committee put on a really nice party! It was decorated so cute. My girlfriend made an adorable cake. It was a fun night.

Things are sort of calm now, which is good, 'cause I need a break!

2009-03-09T20:12:00.001-07:00

I bought all this tonight for $17.53. That's $0.73 an item. Plus I got $10 to spend next time I shop. It's official....I have an addiction.

Sweet bargains & sick babies

2009-03-07T18:23:00.000-08:00

I was bored today, since Rory had to go to work from 8am-10pm for inventory stuff. So, I headed over to the OC swap meet. The kids and I walked around for a little and then went over to the farm to see the animals and gardens. Surprisingly, they were more interested in me telling them what plant was what. After that, I decided to go to CVS just for kicks....since it's like a second home to me now. And this is what I got for $3.84. Sweet deal, since the Listerine alone was normally $6. Man, I love that store. Every Monday night, when Rory gets home, I head out with my list and coupons. I wait until about 9:30 so hardly anyone else is in the store. I'm telling you, people waiting in line DO NOT like coupon queens! I don't blame them, it takes forever. But, it's free money.

On another note, Ivy decided life was too boring around here and got an infection which caused her to have horrible hives. Her doctor gave us an antibiotic, and after the second dose of it, her face and mouth swelled up. We had to take her to emergency. They gave her epinephrine and prednisolone because she was allergic to her medication! We spent 6 hours there before we got to go home. She's doing better now, so we're grateful for that. (But not the $300 she's cost us in doctor visits). The pictures of her with the hives are when they were MILD. They got horribly worse right before we took her to the ER. Stuff like that is just downright scary.

Back to something positive, Rory has been working out at the gym and lost 20 lbs in 2 months. He is lookin' mighty good! I'm proud of him. As long as he doesn't start wearing muscle shirts and spandex shorts to the gym, I am all for it!

That's it for today!

I'm up to my ears in toothpaste!

2009-02-23T22:15:00.000-08:00

So, I'm kinda bummed this CVS trip. They didn't have 2 of the things I wanted, so I had to substitute. So I ended up spending $8. But I got $14 back in CVS money, so I guess I did okay. Definitely not as good as my last trip. Still, not too shabby. I bought 8 items & spent $8. That's like a dollar an item! Who says you can't get anything for a buck!!!! Oh, and by the way...Maybelline's Volume Seduction XL Lip gloss burns...really bad.

CVS.....I'll stop buying when they stop paying me!

2009-02-17T21:56:00.000-08:00

So, I've read up on CVS Pharmacy, and have (like many) cracked the code! Here's what I bought today and paid nothing out of pocket, and got $22 in CVS Extra Bucks back. So technically, I just made $22 to buy all this stuff! Here's how it worked out:
Total before coupons: $73.90
Less $37.11 coupons: $36.79
Less $40 CVS Extra Bucks (from previous purchase): -$3.21
Plus got $19 Extra bucks for tonight's buys: -$22.21
So now I have $22 to spend on the next purchase, and a whole lotta Tylenol (which normally is like $7-$8 a bottle, so what a steal)!

As long as I never spend more that the "Extra Bucks" in my hand, I'll never have to pay out of pocket for anything at CVS again, and I'll make money off of most purchases.
SWEET!!!!

Odds & Ends

2009-02-09T21:56:00.000-08:00

Things here have been very busy, yet I feel totally calm. I think I feel better when I'm busy. When I'm bored, I'm completely restless, and it's crappy. I need to start taking more pictures of the kids. They are so darn cute.....

Christmas Festivities

2009-01-02T11:52:00.000-08:00

Wow, it seems like we spend eternities preparing for Christmas, and POOF! It's gone. We had a great holiday. The kids are so fun to watch when the open presents. Mikey got a skateboard ramp and nearly passed out. I think Ivy was overwhelmed, and Buzzy just kept telling us to take pictures of him holding up clothes.

We have embraced this new tradition in our family on Christmas day. I have bought a few elves and Christmas fairies the past few years and put them on our tree. Somehow, every Christmas morning, those elves aren't on the tree anymore. They are floating around in different places. Almost like they come to life. My kids believe they come to life when Santa enters our home and help him distribute presents and fill stockings. They always search for the elves Christmas morning, even before opening presents. It's special for us to watch their eyes light up when they see the elves have moved. And as usual, Santa ate his cookies and the reindeer ate their carrots.

We then went up to Casey and Betty's for New Years. We really have a good time with them. Betty is always a ton of fun, and Casey really comes out of his shell when we're around. I won't go into detail, but let's just say he was wearing a scuba mask and was drinking sparkling cider from the bottle when New Years hit. If I described the rest of his outfit, he'd never speak to me again! He's nuts!

So, I have decided to make a New Year's resolution, which normally I don't do. But I have made a commitment to not be so sarcastic. I find negativity in everything. I think it's time to get better at that. So, we shall see. Hope everyone gets to rest after the craziness of the holidays!

From the mouths of babes......

2008-12-11T21:35:00.000-08:00

Every now and again one of my children will say something awesome. Case in point:
Conversation A:
Mikey: "Mom, can we ride a bus one day?"
Me: "Why, we have a car."
Mikey: "It would be fun."
Me: "Well, they are dirty and cost money. I am already paying for a car & gas, I'm not going to pay to ride a bus as well."
Mikey: "We don't have to pay to ride the bus. Only black people do."
Me: (Mouth drop)"Uh, where did you ever hear that?!"
Mikey: "My teacher."
At this point I'm thinking his teacher and I should have a chat.
Me: "Well, that's not the case."
Mikey: "Yes it is. Like Martin Luther King has to pay to ride it."
Me: "Mikey, he's dead. That was years ago."
Mikey: "Oh. Do I have to pay to ride the bus then, too?"
Me: "Yes."
Mikey: "Then forget it...unless we can use YOUR money."

Conversation B:
I show Dylan a penny and a dime.
Me: "Buzzy, do you know what this is?"
Dylan: "Yes, a penny."
Me: "Good. Do you know what this one is?"
Dylan: "Yup, that's a diamond with Joseph Smith on it."

Conversation C:
Me: "Mikey, if someone were to ask you your religion, what would you say?"
Mikey: "I'm half Mexican, half Mormon."

Good times.

The Wedding Cake

2008-12-06T23:10:00.000-08:00

The wedding cake. I swear I was having heart palpitations delivering it. I also posted a picture of the bridal shower cake. That one was fun to make. At the reception, Ivy was a dancing machine! We couldn't get her to stop! Mikey was playing DJ, and Dylan asked the owners of the house if he could spend the night because they had a foozeball table. I love watching my kids. It's so entertaining. I love those moments when you can't stop smiling at 'em.

Odds & Ends

2008-12-05T22:00:00.000-08:00

I love my Christmas tree this year! My mom, the decorating queen, came over for a 4-hour tree trimming session. I was actually sore after putting it up! Pathetic, I know. But it's a beauty! She sure is good at stuff like that. She has such a sense of style, it makes me green with envy! Any time we shop for decorations, clothes, etc., I'll see something I like and say, "That's cute." She will sort of say, "yeah.....". And I know that "yeah". It means, "no it's not". But then she'll spot something, and she says the same thing every time, " (gasp) Oh Kim, look at that! Isn't that cute?! Oh, it's $45. Oh well, I don't care, I'm getting it!" And then she'll take it home and return it the next day. That usually happens with clothes. But she'll call me and say, "I returned that sweater. It looked like crap on me. But I found this adorable (fill in the blank) instead.....". I swear, every shopping outing is like that. She's funny! We really have a good time together.

On another note, Rory's brother got married a few weeks ago. It was a very nice wedding. Brittany (the bride) looked adorable. And Jamie was beaming from ear to ear. Their reception is tomorrow. I'm not sure why it's 2 weeks after the wedding. Something to do with booking their cruise for their honeymoon or something. Any-hoo, I finished their wedding cake tonight. SUCCESS! Sort of. All went well until I got crazy with the water sprayer on the kitchen sink and sprayed half of the cake with water! I thought I was going to die!!! But I left it alone and it dried as if it was never touched. THIS is why I don't do this professionally.

Well, I've gotta make Mikey's Inn Keeper costume for the Nativity tomorrow for Primary. He's been practicing, "There's no more room at the Inn." But now he's freaking out because he missed his dress rehersal tonight. My fault. I'm sure he'll do fine.
Off to bed......

Perspective

2008-11-17T13:59:00.000-08:00

If I were to describe my lifestyle in one word, what would it be??? Average. My home is average, along with my wardrobe, sense of style, talents, patience, culinary capabilities, etc. Everything seems to fall on the "average" scale. As I was thinking of this the other day, I wondered if average is good enough. Why not?! I love that I don't have a huge mortgage staring at me daily. I love that I don't obsess over the latest trends, or go into debt over crafty kicks. I enjoy trying new recipes, but don't freak out if it tastes like dirt. (Although I'm sure Mikey and his gag reflexes would disagree). I don't care that my home has been furnished by outlet stores, or that most of my kids clothes belonged to someone else at one point.

If I were to describe my LIFE in one word, that's another story. In that sense, I am living a life of luxury. My husband is top-of-the-line. He makes sure I am taken care of and happy. He wouldn't think twice about going out a 11:30 p.m. to pick me up some M&M's. He would stop whatever he is doing to help me. And for someone as demanding as me, believe me, it's no easy task. He's awesome.
My kids are priceless. Their giggles, hugs, kisses and laughs are what brighten my day. I ignore the whines, cries, fights, and complaints. Those will go away soon......right??? (sigh)
My church is extraordinary! My RS sisters are so fun! Serving our Heavenly Father has brought us tremendous blessings.
We get to visit the temple whenever we want. We get the best feelings when we are there. Our family is forever....it doesn't get any better than that.

As I go through life, and all of my average things fade in the distance, I'll continue to hold tight to my luxurious things.

2008-10-28T11:57:00.000-07:00

We've had a busy October! I've been making a lot of birthday cakes lately. My girlfriend Anneice is a confectionery whiz, and has taught me a lot! She does it as a business....me, as a hobby. It makes me too nervous. Although I did agree to make my brother-in-law's wedding cake in December! So, either it will be great and I won't be embarrassed, or I will be ousted from the family. We'll have to see!
We've gone to the pumpkin patch this month, school carnivals, trunk-or-treats, etc. I'm exhausted. So is Ivy. She had the flu yesterday. Poor little lady! But she's doing great now, hopefully I've sanitized the boys enough that they can avoid it. I hate the flu. It makes me neurotic and anxious. After Ivy threw up the first time (during the night of course) I layed back in bed and was actually shaking. Strange, I know. A mother of three should be prepared for things like that. Not me. I can handle anything else you throw at me.....just not throw up.
On another note.....I was looking at the pictures I'd taken at the pumpkin patch. Mikey was at his dad's, so of course he missed it. It makes me sad that half of our family trip pictures are minus Mikey. Not that there's anything anyone can do about it. Rory only gets Saturdays off every so often, and it's usually when Mikey is gone. Kinda bums me out.
Well, here are some pictures of us this month. I'm glad it's almost over. Now for the holidays......(sigh). I'd better start shopping.

Miramar Air Show

2008-10-05T21:10:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we went to the Miramar Air Show in San Diego. It was so exciting, and extremely loud! We invited Caz & Betty & my parents to go along with us. All of the kids did really well with the noise. We gave them all earplugs, and Dylan some ear muffs as well. (He's very scared of loud noises.....always been that way). While we were in our car waiting to enter the parking lot, a jet flew over our car. The sound was deafening. Dylan freaked out and held his hand over his ears. He said, in a terrified voice, "I think I need to go home and go to sleep!" He was NOT happy about going in. But once he got his ear muffs, he did fine. Ivy didn't give a hoot what was going on. She enjoyed playing on the bleachers. My mom and dad took care of the girls (Ivy & Brittany) so we could enjoy the show. Mikey really enjoyed it. He kept trying to name the planes/jets that went by. Then they got to explore some military vehicles and planes. It was a fun day! But I realized after downloading the pictures, that at every event or trip, I always take the pictures and am non-existent. Am I the only mom that notices that? All of our pictures are of the kids, some with Rory holding a child, scenery, and then.......no mom. So I'm determined to get into some pictures with my family so I can prove I was there! Anyway, here are some pictures from our trip....one I highly recommend.

Puerto Rico

2008-10-02T21:44:00.000-07:00

Puerto Rico!

We decided this year to go to Puerto Rico. Boy was that an experience! It's so different from here....WAY different! We went with some friends of ours, the Barkers. We stayed a rural area called Aguadilla. It was a very pretty area. Everything is so green and lush there. But the humidity because of the rainforest was awful! While we were there it was between 90-100 degrees, with 100% humidity. And the people that live there don't have air conditioning! They don't even have windows. They have these loovered metal shutters that open up to the outside! I don't know how they live in that heat! But the beaches were spectacular. Crystal clear water and tons of tropical fish! We snorkeled every day for hours.

The city, however, was a different story. It was dirty and scary. We went to downtown Old San Juan and walked around on our last day. We saw this little town tucked down by the water on the outskirts of the city called La Perla. There was only one entrance in & out. There is a cop that sits at that entrance and will not allow anyone in that doesn't live there. Apparently it's the most dangerous town in all Puerto Rico. Well, we didn't know that and walked along the brick wall that surrounds it. We started taking pictures of the run down buildings and people. They got very hostile and started throwing beer bottles at us. We were thinking, "what the heck!" and some man came up to us and said, "Do not take pictures of them. They don't like it. They will hurt you." Come to find out, the town is overrun with drug dealers, prostitutes, fugitives, etc. If you go into the town, they will not let you out unless you know some secret password. And a sign at the entrance reads, "If you enter this town, you could be robbed, beaten, killed, or all three." So, we high-tailed it outta there!
At that point, I was so glad to be going home the next morning. But we got some great pictures of things you just don't see around here, like cemeteries where people are buried above ground.
Or the fact that they hate George W. Bush. Anyway, it was an experience I'll never forget, and will remind me how much I love California.

Play time

2008-10-01T21:37:00.000-07:00

I can't get Ivy to play outside. You'd think the ability to run around outside would be awesome. Instead, this is what we get......she's like a lizard sun bathing on the rocks.

We went to Sea World with Casey, Betty, and Brittany the other day. On the way there, we saw buses full of Marines on the freeway. Dylan rolled down his window and said, "Bye Nectarines!" I couldn't correct him. They were nectarines.

And Mikey...he is so special. He got a new scooter for his birthday to replace his old one. This one is an actual Razor, not a Lazer like his old one. Apparently that's a big deal. So, he was scootin' his way around the house and did his first 360. He quickly hopped off with a grin from ear to ear and whispered to himself in disbelief, "This scooter is magical!"
I am doing this blog because of my little ones. I don't want to forget all of the funny things they said when they were little. It's such a brief moment in time......