Back To It

What a fun week. But MAN am I tired! We got home Friday night and were consumed by exhaustion. I loved and snuggled my puppies and got everything unpacked. Had some dinner, then we all fell into bed. There is nothing better than sleeping in your own bed after being away.

Saturday I did something I NEVER do. I slept until 10:30!!! I was seriously tired. We used this day to recuperate. :O) None of us got dressed or did anything but lounge around, watch TV, and play on the computer. It was a slow and relaxing day.

Sunday we had the privilege of supporting our dear friend, Tom Rasmussen, as he was ordained as a Lay Pastor at his church. It was great to be there for this important event in his life, as well as visiting with friends I haven't seen in a long time.

Today is back to reality. I was bummed to have to set my alarm clock when we went to bed last night, but I feel so blessed that we were able to enjoy our time away together.

Thanks to everyone who helped out while we were gone. Thanks mom, for the airport shuttling, and for helping with the dogs. I love you so much! Thanks Brittany, for staying at the house with the pups and making it so nice to come home to. Love you! And thanks to my friend, Lisa. She took my puppies to her house to play during the day. That helped so much. You rock!

Day 4

Today we went to the San Diego Zoo. That place is huge. Lots of walking up and down hill. It was pretty cool though. At the end of the day I asked Caleb what his favorite part of the zoo was and he said it was petting the goat! Of all the cool things we saw, he loved petting the goat. Silly kid. After leaving the zoo we went to Chick-Fil-A for dinner. It was another place we were told we had to go. I am a chicken lover, so it was the best! From there we stopped at Starbucks for coffee and hot chocolate, then went back to the hotel where we CrAsHeD!!!! This has been the best week. We have enjoyed it all so much. It has been so fun to watch the kids get excited about things. I love that we have had this family time together.

Day 3

Today we spent the day at Sea World. It was a gorgeous day and we enjoyed every minute of it. We saw the shows and touched slimy things. We rode rides and walked until we felt like our legs would fall off. We loved watching the Shamu show. It was our favorite by far. Those creatures are absolutely amazing. After leaving Sea World, we went to In N Out for a burger. We had never been there but had been told it was worth the visit. My brother has been known to fly to LA on a day off just to eat there. It was very good. From there it was back to the hotel to soak our weary bodies in the hot tub. I actually got the kids into bed early tonight (9pm). Now I'm getting ready to knock back a couple of Tylenol PM and hope for a good night sleep. (I woke up with a head cold yesterday. UGH!)

Tomorrow we will be at the San Diego Zoo...I already foresee the struggles of trying to decide which pictures to share.

Days 1 and 2

Here are a few of the MANY pictures we took today:

Sorry if you all think I am posting this to rub it in that I am basking in the sunshine, but it is really just so I can document it to look back on later.

Monday morning we set off for San Diego. We left cold, but sunny Boise and landed in a blizzard in Salt Lake City. It was SO cold. We had a short layover then left the snow for the warm San Diego sun. Everything went smooth...kids were awesome, flights smooth, no lost luggage. We took a shuttle to get our rental car and everything changed. Apparently earlier in the day the computer system had gone down and it was still down. The line was out the door. Scott stood in line and the kids and I sat on a bench outside...FOR AN HOUR AND A HALF!!! By the time we got our car they gave us a free upgrade for the inconvenience. We are now driving a Chrysler Aspen. It's nice, but way bigger than we need. After finally leaving the car place we went in search of our hotel. After only 1 wrong turn we found it pretty easily. Our room is great. We have 2 rooms separated by french doors. One has a queen bed and the other bunk beds. The kids are loving it. They have all of their clothes and toys put in the drawers. It's pretty cute. After getting settled we went in search of dinner. There is a mall about a mile down the road, so we decided to just run there for a quick dinner at the food court. It was so nice to be able to sit outside and eat. After eating we took the kids to Build a Bear and let them make a new furry friend. Then we walked across the street and had dessert at the Cheesecake Factory. After a quick dip in the hot tub, we all headed for bed.

Tuesday started with breakfast at the hotel, then off to Lego Land. We got there right as they opened (10am). It was so much fun. We saw so many cool things. I can't believe some of the things that can be made with legos. All day I had the urge to buy some legos and build stuff. We walked and played all day long and finally left at 4:30. From there we wanted to go to downtown San Diego to find dinner, but somehow ended up lost. After driving around for an hour we finally found where we were supposed to be. We enjoyed dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe, then headed back to the parking garage...where we couldn't find the car. Yeah...not kidding! The way they have that place set up is crazy! We found it sooner than later (whew) and back to the hotel we went. The boys went for a quick dip in the hot tub and Kenz and I jumped into our jammies. Now the kids are asleep and Scott and I are laying in bed watching the Biggest Loser. This has been an amazing day. My feet hurt, we are all sunburned and exhausted, and I wouldn't trade it for anything. I am so very blessed!

Tomorrow we are going to Sea World. Stay tuned....

Not Just For Babies

Olivia loves to be snuggled. She loves to be held close to you while she sleeps. This is not convenient when I'm trying to get stuff done. After a couple of days of trying to hold her and do everything with one hand, I wondered if a baby sling might work. I have a friend who makes them, so I got one from her. It works great! I just pop her right inside and she snuggles down and goes right to sleep. I know some...if not most of you are thinking I am crazy right about now, but I don't care. She is our little baby and we spoil her. She is just another member of the family.

Here are some pics of her in her sling:

If anyone is interested in buying a sling for their baby, dog, or maybe an expecting mother...just leave me a comment and I can get you the info. She can make them in any color.

My New Toy

This is my Dell Mini Inspiron 9. I love it. It is so small and compact. It fits in my purse. Now I just have to get used to the small keyboard. I'm getting very familiar with the backspace button. :O) I'm excited I got it before we leave for San Diego. It will be much easier to carry this on the plane instead of the full size.

Our New Baby

We have been wanting to get a playmate for Sophie, so for the past month or so we have been looking. Yesterday we brought home our new baby. Her name is Olivia. She is a 7 week old Chihuahua.


This is where she spent most of her first day.




Sophie loved her immediately.

She is very feisty. She will chase after Sophie and tackle her.

She is a little dog with a BIG attitude.

We already love her. She is so sweet.

Just Cuz

Just felt like posting some pics of our little princess, Sophie. She has been a great addition to our family. We are all in love with her...however...I think she has a greater affection for Scott. She loves us all, but she absolutely adores him.

Every morning Caleb and Sophie snuggle together in our bed while Caleb watches cartoons.

They eventually end up wrestling together on the floor.

Dachshunds love to burrow, so she can always be found sleeping in or under a blanket. After she fell asleep here, Caleb decided to get some of his "friends" to rest with her. Aren't her two little paws sticking out of the blanket just the cutest?

Here she is with her Man!

Trying to get a picture of her in one of her many sweaters, but she doesn't like to pose. When I get down to take the picture she wants to climb in my lap.

Have I mentioned how much I love this Baby?

Her first winter.

The snow covered her legs so she had to hop through it.

Pay it Forward

Thanks, Stephanie, for this great idea!

Pay It Forward …..So, here’s how it works: the first 3 people to leave a comment on this post will receive, at some point during the year, a special treat from me. What it will be and when it will arrive is a total surprise! The catch is that you must participate as well. Before you leave your comment, write up a pay it forward post on your blog to keep the fun going (or copy and paste like I did). Then come back, let me know you’re going to play and sit back and anticipate the arrival of your goodies! Please submit in an e-mail or on the comment, your address, if I don’t have it already. Remember that only the first 3 comments will receive a gift from me, so be quick! Have fun!

Bunny House

During the holiday season, Caleb kept asking me if he could make a gingerbread house. I had every intention of getting a kit so he could make it, but things got a little out of control for our family and it was forgotten. Last week I was shopping with my mom and I found a kit to make a bunny gingerbread house. He was SO excited. I think he may have eaten more than he put on the house, but he had a great time.