Fun times

With summer coming to a close and school right around the corner, we have had a couple of really fun weeks to wrap up the summer. Lots of friends have come over to visit us in our new home and it has meant so much to us. The week started off with The Jorgenson's coming out to visit and we forgot to bust out the camera! But the girls had so much fun with their friends from the old hood. I just love seeing how kids interact with one another and they all had such a great time! We love them and were very grateful for their trek down here :)

The very next day we had the pleasure of the Lauritzen clan come visit us for some sweet's and lots of laughs! I made cup cakes for us to enjoy and I think they all liked licking the frosting more than the actual cup cake, especially Michelle!!!
We had a dance off. Leah was doing the worm, Damon was break dancing, Hannah was shaking her groove thang, Valerie was doing the booty hop, and Kyle was doing all kinds of new moves! We had the best time. I have no moves or rhythm what so every so I am not caught on camera! Your welcome.
Um yeah, Damon was dropping like it's hot!!! hahahahaha
Then the next day we had my sister in law and my nieces come over to visit. And I love seeing cousins play! My brothers family and mine get together often hopefully to ensure the girls are all close forever! They swam and ran around like little crazies and we all enjoyed every minute!
Our ward had it's annual ward party at someone's house in our stake and I just have to say.... The most amazing house I have ever seen!!! We were having so much fun that I didn't snag as many pictures as I would have liked. But this hows just a small portion of the lake like pool with it's two water slides. Leah was on them all day! She is so brave, Hannah opted out.
We also went on a paddle boat ride around the whole pool, which was very large, and when we were done, so was Leah. Here is my little Irish Borrrito all wrapped up looking so cute.
And that's me on the zip line! Oh my gosh, so much fun! I only wished that I would have done it more. We all had such a great time and are already looking forward to the next year.
Our dear friends the Thomas' came down to check out the new digs and to hang out for a bit before they head out to Oklahoma for a job. I had to post this of my crazy daughter. We had a great visit and can't wait to see them in Oregon!
Hannah and one of her very first besties. Elle and Hannah play so well together and we just love Ellie-belly! Well we love all of them and were so happy to see them!
Then we headed down to my parents time share, actually my brother's family was down there on vacation so we headed down for the best day ever!
We started the day off with ceramic painting. They girls and I had so much fun. We love to paint so this was a great way to start our day off.
After lunch we swam for hours in an awesome pool. Leah had decided that she has no fear and can swim on her own! She was going under water and getting back up on her own. She also had her floaties off for a while and was doing pretty good. Too soon for me but I think it's time for swim lessons!
The cousins came back over for some more playing and dinner.
Then we went to a water park out here with some friends. We had a great time and a great couple of weeks! I know we live further South now but we were very grateful for the friends and family who came to visit us! We love you all!!!

Take it or Suck it!

So lately I have been doing some deep thinking, I know it's a scary thought and no smoke alarms went off or anything! Well being where I am in my life at this moment I am very happy. We have gone through some crap over the past few years and everyone handles stress differently so I'm not even going to try and compare to anyone else. But that's just it, I was comparing. I was not happy with my body/weight. I feel like no matter how much I work out I look like a blob! I was told once by someone that I was not a good mother because I chose to put my child on time out for not sharing, so naturally I took a look at my mothering skills and wondered if what I was doing was really screwing up my kids!? I would look at other husbands and wonder why they were so "perfect" and wonderful. I would do all these things that drove me up a wall and made me crazy as well as my husband! I know we are ALL different but so many people have this "keeping up with the Jones" mentality and I think I got caught up in all that. So I have been taking a long hard look at ME.

I am not looking for any kind of pat on the back or "atta girl" from anyone, except myself. But I do workout hard and I may not be as petite as I used to be, but I'M NOT FAT! I have literally had to beat myself stupid to finally understand that. I have always had a spare tire, even when I weighed 98 pounds, it's my family curse. So after two kids did I really think that it was going to magically go away? Because if I did then I could get rich off this crack I'm smoking! Moving on...

I have had to consider what that mean person told me about my parenting and I have come to find out that if we are all being put under a microscope then we all suck! Sometimes we do things not by the book because that's what works for us and our child's personality. No matter how many classes you take on Childhood development or any kind of class your not an expert so keep your nose out of my business and let me do what works for me! So I'm not a bad mother, in fact I'm a pretty darn good mother!

And most importantly when people are in the public eye they always put on their best face. Of course people look perfect on the outside because that's what they want you to see. No matter what you see on the outside, you have NO idea what is going on behind closed doors. After careful evaluation I have looked at my husband, and he is a great guy! He has his faults but he does things for me that not many other husbands do for their wives or families. He is sweet in his own way like hiding notes for me regularly that say the sweetest things. I could not have asked for a harder worker and he dotes over me. It's kinda hard to see those things when your always looking at other's and not what's right in front of you. I am a very lucky woman, my girls are very lucky!

I know who I am now. I have always looked for who I wanted to be and change the inevitable. Why would I want to be a cookie cutter anyway? That's boring and not at all who I am. I have never really done things "by the book" so why start now? This is who I am, take it or suck it! I am a great friend who would do almost anything in my power for my friends. I have a pooch. I have a fantastic husband who I love more than anything. I am a great mother bear who loves my little cubs and would do anything to protect them from vicious people who mean them harm. This is me.

Summer O fun...

This post is long over due. I guess I have had a pretty good excuse as to why I have not blogged in days, but now I'm playing catch up. Scott's birthday was in June and we had his fun filled birthday week. One night we had some friends over and it meant the world to him to have good friends to share his day with. Good friends are so hard to come by and having them there for him meant a lot.

This was his birthday cake, made by our realtor, and it was fabulously sweet!
The threesome...
On his birthday Scott and I headed over to Glen Ivy and pampered ourselves. I love him and I am so grateful for him. We had a lot of fun together that day.
We went to dinner with family and friends to celebrate this wonderful man. We had so much fun except that he had to do the hymlic on Leah and then she threw up all over me! I'm just happy she was ok and he has the training that helped our baby girl breath again. It was pretty scary.
Our ward had an Independence Day activity and we had so much fun! They had a parade with all the kids, games and lots of great people to get to know.
Leah and Hannah had more fun pushing each other around than anything. I love those moments when they are actually getting along and enjoying the built in best friend!
On the 4th we headed over to my parents house and enjoyed the company and fireworks. The girls love their GG and papa so much and I love to see their faces light up when they see them.

We headed down to the beach and it's so great to have it close by! And we were lucky enough to have a bunch of friends come and it was so fun watching the kids all play with each other! I had more fun watching them then enjoying the beach! Hannah and Damon are inseparable and if they can keep it PG for 20 more years I'll be one happy mamma! They already are planning their wedding and we are trying to talk them out of it and convince them that they are just friends, but it's so stinking cute! And I would not mind her in laws if things worked out that way. hahahaha
We brought the B-man with us and he had so much fun. He loves the girls and we absolutely love having him around!
These are some girls I grew up with. We had so much fun chit-chatting the whole day. I love them all and I'm so lucky to have people who really know the real Vikki and still hang out with me :)
Leah had so much fun playing and eating that I hardly saw her the whole time. She is such a social butterfly like her mom. I seriously can't get enough of her sweet little face.
This is just a small handful of the million kids that were there. They all played so nicely together.
This past week we took Hannah on a date night to the Circus. We had so much fun!
Watching her face fill with excitement was the most incredible feeling! We all agreed that our favorite part were the 7 dirt bike riders in a metal ball, simply amazing. But to get that one on one time with her was great. She has so much intelligence and is so bright, and freaking cute! She really is a sweet special little girl and we are sooooooooooooo lucky to be her parents!
I love my family and it has been so nice to have Scott home for a few weeks to get us settled in our home. We have amazing children and I love every minute with them, even when they make me feel like I need to scratch my ear drums out to get rid of the annoying obnoxious whining. So far we have had a great summer and I look forward to every moment with my family.

Me and my girls

Sometimes being a mother can be very challenging and so rewarding all at once. The tantrums can flip just like a switch from bad to good. That's what this day was like. A mom always has the camera ready to try and capture all of the fun, new and exciting things in their children's lives. You get some and miss some. But I was lucky enough to have a talented friend take pictures of me and my angels for mother's day and Leah turning two.

I can't ever remember my life without my little girls. They have challenged me so much with the everyday things. I have been less than perfect and yet they still think I'm the cat's meow. Hannah often tells me that I'm the bestest mom ever and she could never ever ask for a better mommy! Although I know that I am far from perfect, she thinks I am and that's all that matters!
Hannah was having a "difficult" day when we first arrived and she had been crying quite a bit. Even through tear stained eyes, she is the most beautiful lil lady I have ever met.
She knows how to get out of trouble and knows just what to say to skip out on punishments.
She knows that a simple kiss and hug cure everything, whether it is giving or receiving them.
She knows how to work the camera and "strike" a pose.
And I love every freckle on her little nose.
Cuddling with her is the thing I look forward to the most everyday. Every night we lay in bed together, talk about our days both likes and dislikes. And when asked what her favorite part of the day was she always replies, "Cuddling with my mommy!" Even though I know it's coming, it still melts my heart.
She is so silly and has the largest heart out of all of us.
She is so stubborn in a lot of ways and I love that about her. She won't give in if it's something she really wants.
I admire her compassion. She has a spirit about her and she can literally change my moods from bad to good with her jokes or her kisses. I really am a lucky mamma!
My little Leah, is always ready to play!
I can't get enough of her lovin. And lovin is what she always gives.
She just turned two last week and she has been the best addition to our home. Making everyone smile with her outrageous personality.
These are the best pictures because as a mom we see our children in a certain way, a certain light and we can't always catch those moments on film.
Well through my friends lens and motherly eye, she caught some of my most favorite Leah moments. The millions of faces she makes are all my favorite. She is so curious and always up to something.
Her beauty is priceless and angelic. I love her lips so much and they are always ready for kissin!
"Look over there!" She is adventurous and gets into everything. But I love that nothing, no boundaries, not even a tall locked cabinet can stop her from getting what she wants and figuring things out.
I love her pouty face. She can change looks so fast, but everyone makes her who she is.
She enjoys enjoys life and all it's little wonders.
I love the saying, "We may not have it all together, but together, we have it all." It's so true for us particularly. We make choices both good and bad. We yell, we fight, we argue and we cry. But we also love endlessly. Through all the things that come and go in this life, through all the crappy parts, all the happy times, the learning experiences, and the simple joys I know that I have two little human beings that look up to me and love me no matter what. I feel so extremely blessed to have my sweet girls and they came to me so easily. I wonder what I did to deserve such an amazing set of daughters, and pray that I can continue to wonder that the rest of their very full lives. I am so in love with my babies and love every moment with them, the good, the bad, and the sacred little moments that I share with them daily. I am so grateful for a husband who works so hard for all his ladies so I can stay at home with our two greatest accomplishments. And I am so thankful for my friend Ashley, who captured on film exactly how I see my girls.