What A Trip It Was!

We got to see some really cute shows. Disney playhouse with My Friends Tigger and Pooh, Handy Manny, and Mickey, Minnie, and Donald, and Little Einstein's. The Little girls loved it. Also High School Musical- it was so cute also!

I can't remember if I posted the pics of meeting Mickey and Minnie but I am tired and off to bed so I will look for them tomorrow. Anyway here is a few more pics. All week I told the girls they could pick out 1 thing the last day. It was rather smart on my part I must say because this way they couldn't change their mind and it was motivating to leave Disney. You need some motivation to willingly leave the happiest place on earth. But as soon as we left we went to Downtown Disney which has the biggest Disney store ever and they got to pick something out. Actually Faithe and I went to Target, Walmart, and the Disney outlet the day before trying to find some more reasonably priced princess costumes. We found a Tinker Bell one for Avery so she was thrilled. Hailey picked out a cute shirt and Karis spent so much time trying on every costume there and finally deciding on Belle. She has worn it non-stop ever since except for to bed which I actually forbid.

Guns in LA and other Southern CA Adventures

So we stayed at a hotel for 5 nights and then my 2nd cousin (I think) Dennis and his wife Faithe graciously allowed us to disrupt their peaceful surroundings and bring the drama to them for 3 nights. It was so fun for us to see them and spend time with them. Scott had never met them so it was great for him to get to know them and he loved them as much as I do. Their boys are GREAT. Karstyn and Mitchell. They were so good with the girls. In fact the girls had their 1st gun experience as the boys taught them how to hold a gun (pretend).

Of course we couldn't go to LA without going to the American Girl Doll store. Hailey has basically waited for this day since we left in June! The 1st pic she is on the cell phone with Grandma telling her about all the new stuff there. She was thrilled to walk around and even had some Birthday and Christmas money to spend so she had a great time. Faithe did too I'm sure as she got to carry all the extra stuff around and help us corral the girls in 2 stories of doll heaven.

We also got to see Uncle Joe! He hasn't changed a bit. We had a great time chatting with him until almost midnight one night after we all went out to dinner. Aren't the kids so cute holding hands? Seriously these boys are some of the nicest ones I have ever met! Thanks Dennis and Faithe for the wonderful time. We can't wait to see you again!

Meeting Cinderella And Other Fun Times

OK here we are in Fantasy Land where we spent much of our time. The girls loved Alice in Wonderland, Dumbo, Teacups, etc. And here is the moment I was waiting for. After standing in line for almost 2 hours! Karis got to meet Cinderella. She told me weeks ago that she just knew Cinderella would say, "You look just like me." I was a bit concerned that Cinderella would see the dark hair and eyes and maybe not notice the resemblance. But what do you know...magic came through...and that is exactly what Cinderella told her. It had nothing to do with me sneaking up to her while Karis was talking to Belle and asking her to! I was crying through this. Karis was so thrilled and it was so neat to see her dream come true! It really was magical. And Karis hasn't stopped telling anyone who will listen!

This is meeting Belle and Aurora. I really appreciated how the princesses took the time to really chat with the girls. Of course that may be why the wait was always between 2 and 2 1/2 hours!! We think next time we will splurge and just do a character meal so we don't have to spend so much time waiting in lines!!

This is the girls loving Disneyland and Karis driving me in autopia. I loved those little cars as a little girl so it was so fun to watch our daughters drive them!

Meeting Some Characters

Part of the fun of taking little ones to Disneyland is the magic of seeing the characters. It was so thrilling for them to see one, get their autograph, and picture taken. Here is when we saw Aladdin and Jasmine. Boy was Karis thrilled because she called her "my little twin" since they both have dark hair. We also got to see the Aladdin show- it was amazing. 45 minutes long with actors from Broadway. I wish we would have been able to see it twice. Scott had to leave with Avery because she was terrified.

This is Pixie Hollow. We waited over an hour to see Tinker Bell. Over an hour. As you can see Avery was thrilled.

Disneyland! Some More Details....

Because I have what some call a sporadic bit to my personality I am going to follow suit with the way I blog about our trip. I was going to go through each day but frankly too much of it blurs together and then I will waste my blogging time talking about details that aren't important so instead I will just describe pictures as if you were sitting right here and we were having a conversation. So here we go... This was at California Adventure- a great place. We loved it but only spent about 2 1/2 days there of our 6 day pass. It was fun but Disney is just so much more magical. However this "camping" place was the girl's favorite. They went on the slides, climbed the ropes, and played in caves. They could have spent hours there. It was a little scary at times with so many people and them running around but we all made it!

The top pictures are from CA Adventure "A Bugs Life". A really cute place for little kids with 5 I think bug rides that are totally not scary and fun. This is Andrea and I with the girls on the bumper cars. It was so GREAT having Andrea and Ben along. They hung out with me at the park one afternoon while Aves was napping. Also Ben would go on some big rides with us while Andrea watched the girls! It was so great because Scott and I love roller coasters but hadn't been on one since we were married! So it was fun to experience the "scary" rides with him and not have to switch off with the girls. So thanks again guys- it was so fun to experience it with you!! Also Ben took lots of photos for us which was great!

The bottom picture is Scott and Hailey after coming off the Grizzly river run. I was so impressed with Hailey. She wasn't scared at all and loved it. In fact she went on Matterhorn 4 times, and she and Karis both went on Thunder Mountain Railroad...although only once- that scared them. Karis also did Matterhorn and Pirates of the Caribbean. So did Avery but Hailey was too scared. Whenever one of them got scared one of us just stayed back and then switched and did it the 2nd time so it worked out great. Also we loved Soaring Over California- Hailey did it the most because Karis was too scared so she would go with me , then Scott. The fast passes are a great way to do the big rides.

OK the top photo in the right is Karis on Peter Pan. I loved the expressions she would make on the rides. Everything was so real to her and so magical. It was great. The rest are us on rides or waiting. And of course the girls with their ice-cream Mickey ears. They loved these so we got them few times even though you could buy a whole box of ice-cream bars for the price of one. I just kept telling myself, "It's Disneyland....when will we ever do this again...not for a long time!" Also the strollers were so great. Each day we rented two (they were free with our Disney visa) so the girls could all switch off or ride on laps. It was so nice because we could quickly move through the park without dragging tired girls. Although sometimes Avery refused so ride with someone so we had to hold her or Scott would put a girl on his shoulders and push! Amazing man that he is!

Oh and we had 2 versions of the California Screamer. The amazing ride and Avery! Several times she stomped her little feet and through a fit over something. Much to the amusement of those watching. I would then say- "She's our own little California Screamer." Actually considering she napped way less than normal and had less sleep and a ton of stimulation she did quite well. Definitely had her moments but it wasn't bad at all.

Disneyland!

(This is the 1st of several posts.)

We just got back from being gone for 8 days to California!! This was the first time we had ever flown with the girls and really our first big family trip besides going to the beach for a couple of days. So I was quite nervous about all the details. Lots of details to think about with 3 little ones on a plane. My biggest worry was losing Karis in LAX or the Seattle airport. I knew Hailey would stay with us, Avery is terrified of anyone but us, but Karis.....well she is such a free spirit and little miss social. So I borrowed my friend Kelly's leash! It was great. Actually I think the PC term is harness. Anyway we put it on Karis in the airport, I wore Avery on my back in the ergo, and all was well. The only tricky parts were getting all the suitcases and carry ons checked in but I can not tell you how smoothly it all went. We had plenty of time, the girls were thrilled, and it was lots of fun. As we took off and went above the clouds I heard Hailey say, "Karis-We're in heaven now!" To which Karis replied in an awestruck tone, "Where's God?"I explained that we weren't in heaven and if we were we would know it!

Halfway through the plane ride Karis starts walking the aisle. I let her and then looked back and she was gone. Visions of that terrifying movie flashed through my mind (the one where the little girl disappears and people say she was never on the plane). Well not to be alarmed- she had scooted her way in and was sitting between 2 twin girls who were 4. I was a little mortified but the mom thought it was great. Then Hailey joined so there were 4 little girls and the mom all coloring squished together. After that we landed and got all of our stuff and headed to find our place. As soon as we left the airport I spotted In and Out Burgers and we stopped and ate. Yummy!! I have waited years to have another one of those burgers. Then we got to our place and Matt and Kristi and Ben and Andrea came to visit!! How cool it was to be in LA with some of our best friends from Portland! So we put the girls to bed to prepare for our big day in Disneyland.

February 16- Hailey's Birthday!! This was the day we have been anticipating for months. Taking our girls to Disneyland. We woke up to pouring rain! I was so disappointed thinking it would be awful. And it was quite wet. The first thing we did was buy some hideous looking parkas but they kept us dry. Then we went on Peter Pan's flight. It was amazing. The girls were in awe and it was so cute. Ben and Andrea were our tour guides since they have been there so many times. We went to the Fantasy Faire and met the princesses who were there. Well Karis did. Avery and Hailey were a little shy. We met Belle, Pocahontas, and Ariel. (Don't worry we saw Cinderella later.) Then we went on some more rides and had a magical time. At one point I said, "We're in the happiest place on earth Girls" to which Hailey said, "I thought Ellensburg was the happiest place on earth." That day turned out great because there were hardly any lines so we got to do lots of rides. It brought back so many memories from my childhood to me...Its a Small World is still so cute- we did that one a couple times. OK...that was day 1!

Hailey's 6th Birthday

Well not quite yet- we are actually celebrating her real Birthday in Disneyland and we can hardly wait. Well I admit I am a bit nervous about the logistics but it should all turn out well I hope! Anyway we (I) decided to do a Valentine theme for her friend party this year. There is so much cute Valentine stuff out anyway. I also realized having a 6 year old party is by far the easiest so far. The girls all do the activities, they don't run wild through the house, they don't fight over the gifts because they realize they brought the gift for the girl not them self. (Gotta love the 2 year old party's!)

Anyway we spent a long time making Valentines. I just put tons of stuff out on the tables and the girls had fun. Then I gave each girl their own plate of plain heart shaped cookies and #6 cookies to decorate and then take home. It was really fun. Then we played a little game, opened presents, and had cupcakes. Scott was working but my good friend Christy stayed and helped which was so nice!! Hailey got lots of craft and scrapbooking supplies...she is set now after this party and her family party. People know she is a crafter. In fact I may have to start borrowing from her stash! Anyway we love you Sweet Girl so much. I know you are only 6 but you seem so grown up to us- much more a girl than a little girl now!! (I will do a post later about her stats and such.)

Alex

We got our February update early this month and I also never posted January's pictures so here is one of each. Cute as can be of course and he is still doing well. He and Avery are almost the exact same size at the same age! We love you little guy. Please keep praying for this long process. Just today we went and had to have our fingerprints done again because they had expired. We also had to meet with our social worker and have our home study updated as well as see a Doctor (Thankfully that part wasn't too hard considering we have a Dr. who makes house calls ;). We are still in our first step of courts and I am choosing to believe in a miracle that we could move quickly through!! However I know Alex is right where God wants him right now and God is working this out for good for all of us. I am thankful that He is close to our little guy and that the Bible promises that He takes care of orphans. Thanks to everyone who is supporting us on this hard journey!

What's In Your Fridge?!

So I thought of a little tag game that might be fun if you all participate. You are officially tagged if your blog is on my list. And if you don't blog but are a frequent reader you are still tagged. And if you are a blogger not on my list but read this you are still tagged too! Leave a comment with a link to a photo of the inside of your fridge. NO fair rearranging, cleaning, or hiding all the alcohol! I thought this would be fun since we are bloggers and like to peak into other's lives and I think your fridge says a lot about you. I plan to start this as a little series. Next will be your lingerie drawer. ;)

So this is my fridge today about 30 minutes ago. As you can see Lunchables, Gogurts, and Smoothies have all recently been on sale. Also I have tried to be healthy by purchasing some hummus and flat bread with flax. Several half-drank sippy cups align the shelves- no wasting juice around here. We are out of milk but have plenty of flavored milk that was also on sale. Salad dressing abounds- but no salad. Some produce and lots of cheese. Homemade canned peaches and lots of large Costco size condiments- syrup, soy sauce, marinade, etc. I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spray that I douse on the popcorn- I mean its still calorie free if you use half a bottle right?! Oh and I see some expired antibiotic ear drops. Never know when I will need to medicate a child in the middle of the night. So there you have it- a peek into my life- or at least my fridge. Oh there will be a random winner. The first to post gets 2 chances! What's the prize you ask? Is it worth it? It's some Jiffy mix!!! And a bottle of Kens Dressing. I am serious people. Now go take a picture of your fridge!

Jon and Kate Plus 8

So I had a little poll to see what you all thought. I didn't add the choice: I know who they are but I don't watch it. I obviously didn't take poll writing in college. Anyway the reason I asked was because at first I wasn't too into it- frankly there was so much whining and crying that I didn't want to watch it but gradually grew to love it. It gave me hope (my life looks so easy compared to having 8 kids) and it made me laugh.
But as I watch it I am growing a little less enthused by them. It seems Kate talks so awful to Jon and he just accepts it like a little boy in trouble. And she does this in front of their kids. Also some of the ways they talk to and about their kids bother me. But then if someone had a camera on me I am sure there are millions of things I say and do that aren't right and especially with editing could look really bad!
I found this interesting blog about it and after reading it and watching the shows found myself even less into Jon and especially Kate. (Look on the side and it details many of the shows.) I am not saying this blog is all true or that these people aren't a little extreme- but it does provide some interesting insight. I don't know...I'm not going to quit watching it but it did open my eyes to the fact that those kids are being filmed a lot and no one ever asked them if they are OK with that. I think about Madi and her fits and wonder- does she really want the whole world to see her in her worst moments? Anyway....just my deep ramblings for the day. I am curious what you all think though.

Birthday Celebrations

I made Hailey's party invite for her friends. She is still looking a little pale from not feeling well.

Last night we went to Yakima for a big Birthday Celebration. Josh and Katie hosted all of us and made some delicious food and we celebrated Sadie, Hannah, Grandma, and Hailey's Birthdays. Hailey and Grandma share a Birthday so I got a picture of them together. Also tried to get some of all the kids and it turned out pretty cute but once again the person behind the camera was mixed up with the settings. Oh well...And isn't Audrey so cute. Oh and the naked one of Karis and Sadie is because we discovered them in the bathroom naked and sudsing up their little bodies and hair. I'm sure it was all Sadie's idea because Karis never gets into the water here.

Eyes Of Innocence

Things we hear about Avery:
She is so sweet and cuddly. She is a little angel.
What an easy little girl she is!
She must get along so well with her sisters.
We love having Avery in the nursery- she just wants to be held and cuddle.

Things we hear from Avery:
I. DO. IT. MYSEEEELLLLLFFFF!
I AM NOT CRYNING!!!
I AM A LITTLE FRUSTRATED!
AHHHHH! I. DO. ITTTTT!

Things the girls say about Avery:
Hailey: Why did God make her so feisty?
Mommy: Because He knew I needed some major character building.
Girls: Mom- Avery is hitting us again. Mom she is pulling our hair.
Avery: I go in time-out now.

All this to say we do have our moments but I am always amazed at the shy little angel she is around others!! Someone told me she only acts up around me because she feels safe with me. That's good I guess......
And Scott and I have noticed her tantrums are decreasing. An observation a lot of people make about her is that she is really independent but when you are 2 that leads to a lot of frustration. I hope this post didn't come off as complaining about her. All who know me and see me with her know I love her more than life itself but my goodness sometimes I think she has split personality!!

Oh and one more thing....she is such the little helper. In fact I think she truly has a gift for wanting to help. If I ask for anything she is running to get it. If the girls make a mess- she cleans it up- and cleans really well! She is definitely not lazy!!