easter 09

Easter morning the kids were up bright and early at 6:30.  They found that the Easter Bunny had left them easter baskets full of delicious, mouth staining candy.  

I don't know if you remember this, but Gwen has a funny obsession with eggs.  Often she opens the  refridgerator and looks at the eggs in the carton and asks to hold one.  For hours she can just hold an egg, and carry it around, and talk to it, and love it without breaking it.  But she can break them too.  :(  So being the egg lover that she is, I would guess that Easter is her favorite holiday.  She's asking how many days til easter before Christmas even comes.  

Just look at her during the egg hunt.  She's sprinting!

Drake and Katie checking out their loot.

Eli and Katie taking a slower approach to the egg hunting.

Our family in our sweet Easter shirts.  They have an egg poking out from behind a tree with the funny googly eyes on in, and underneath it says, "the egg you could be eating", playing on Geico's money with the eyes and the line "the money you could be saving".

I had to post this picture just so everyone can see the sweet face Kolby's making!!

The ladies in our Easter shirts.  We're missing Tara and Aubrey.  :(

Drake in a box.

'nuf said.

We've started an Eater tradition that instead of ham for easter dinner, we have a Jerusalem dinner and eat the way Jesus would have, and traditional Jewish dishes symbolic of Christ and the crucifixion.  I personally love it because I LOVE lamb, so I don't miss the ham too much.  

 


So we eat on the floor and talk about each dish and what it represents.  It's a fun way to remind us, and teach the kids about, what Easter is truly about.

I hope you all had a blessed Easter, and appreciate the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made so we can all live again.

mutton chops anyone?

(IMAGE COURTESY OF GWEN - gwen took this picture of herself)

Gwen stuck up for me yesterday. Drake was absolutely beside himself because I wouldn't let him have another pack of fruit snacks. So Gwen goes and puts her arm around him and says sweetly, "it's okay, that's just what moms are supposed to do." Aww, thanks Gwen. Today we were doing some grocery shopping, and Gwen's in the cart, and I'm talking to myself asking if we got everything we need. Well Gwen holds her hand out and pretends it's her list and says "cow, check! (that's cow, not hamburger) Sheep, check! (sheep, not lamb or mutton) apples, check...." and so on. Good thing we got all our animals! 

(ANOTHER IMAGE COURTESY OF GWEN)
This is a picture of Drake wearing an easter shirt from an easter before he was even born.  But he loves his bunny shirt.  Here's the sad news.  It's going to be snowing up at the cabin this weekend.  So we will be postponing our cabin trip a week because who wants to look for eggs, hike, or play horse shoes in the snow?  Not me!  I'm so bummed but you get what you get and you don't throw a fit!  I say that to the kids all the time, but this time it's for me.  :(

  
And here's cute Ryan serenading me at a coffee shop open mic. night.  (He may or may not be singing Britney Spears' Hit Me Baby One More Time)

April's fool

I'll be going private in one week, but I figured I could at least sneak in one last post.

First, last weekend there was a carnival at the Superstition Springs mall parking lot. Gwen had been begging to go for a week and a half, so we caved.

It was fun, but expensive.  For all four of us to ride the ferris wheel it would be $20-for a two minute ride!  Luckily Drake was deemed too short to ride the ferris wheel so Ryan and Gwen rode it alone.  

Then earlier this week, was April fool's day.  This year Gwen got it.  It was awesome!  First the kids thought it was pretty funny that the milk in the fridge was mysteriously blue and pink.  Then all day Gwen would say things like 'mom!  there's an ant on your back! APRIL FOOLS!!' and the thing is is she'd be laughing hysterically from the start.  It was pretty funny and I'd entertain her by acting surprised and trying to get the ant off my back or duck out of my hair.  (yes. she told me i had a duck in my hair)   

Then for my joke on Ryan, I told him I was prego.  He just said funny, you've already tried that one on me before and didn't even entertain me a bit!  I was offended.  So the next day I went to the market and got a couple of pregnancy tests for my pregnant friend Jasmyn to pee on!  I then left the positive tests on the bathroom counter with a note that read, "So you thought it was an April fools joke huh?"  Well the day after April 1 Ryan was at school all day and all night (literally) writing a big paper he had due the next day.  But then the next day after school he was so tired from not sleeping the previous night that he just came home and slept.  So when he finally woke up and saw my surprise it was Friday night.  Boy was he shocked!  It was awesome!  I let him believe it for a few hours, but he was trying to figure things out like when the baby would come, how we'd work things out, too bad we gave away ALL our baby stuff, etc.  I realized if I let it go on much longer he'd be upset so I finally told him it was payback for not entertaining me on April fool's day.  He had to admit I got him good.  

This weekend we are going to the cabin for probably our last easter there.  Stay tuned to see the awesome shirts I made up for us...they're pretty sweet.

going private

That's right.  Despite me calling him out on my blog, he (my cyber stalker) still has been getting on to check back at the comments that people have been leaving.  So unfortunately I need to take this step to protect my family.  So if you read this blog, even if it's every now and then, email me so I can send you an invitation to keep reading this blog, even if you don't know me but you know Ryan (which I love by the way-meeting you and you say 'I love reading your blog'-that's such a compliment and I promise I want you to keep reading it)  hit me up kmcphie (at) gmail (dot) com.

dilemma

I have a cyber stalker.  Seriously.  One of my ex-boyfriends has hacked into my email several times, and even had the nerve to set up mail forwarding to him-so that all of the emails sent to me would also be forwarded to him.  Psycho I know.  But despite my asking him to leave me alone, and to stop checking my blog, he still checks my blog all the time!  So here's the question, I'd like to just block the computers he uses from accessing my blog.  Is that possible?  I don't want to go totally private, because I love the convenience of things like google reader, and really only remember to check my friends private blogs every now and then.  I assume there are other people like me who understand why people go private, but love ease of checking non-private blogs.  Do I let one person ruin it for everybody else?  Oh....what to do?

our week

Poor Gwenny has been sick for a lot of the week. Bummer for her is that this is her spring break. At least her school gives two weeks of spring break instead of just one. So when her stummy is hurting her, she likes to make a bed on the coffee table and watch a movie on the little DVD player.

Tuesday was St. Patricks day. The kids loved getting to pinch those not wearing green, we talked about leprechauns, and I make corned beef and cabbage and had some people over for dinner and Rockband. This boy knows how to ROCK!

Friday Ryan and I got to go to a banquet where Ryan was presented his prize ($!) for the essay contest he got second place in.

It was at Orange Tree Golf Resort, one of Ryan's favorite places to golf. He was hoping that he'd also get a free round but no such luck.

We also did some grocery shopping, and it was one of the better grocery store trips to date. Usually I'm dealing with fighting kids who and constantly in and out of the cart, all while throwing individual tantrums. This time, I just let them each have their own cart, and help me. This worked much better. Until Drake had to turn his cart in. Then he presented the lovely shoppers of Trader Joe's with a ginomous tantrum, laying on the floor kicking his legs and screaming all at the check out area!

wedding weekend

Ethan married Lauren Sandberg this weekend, so we had family in town. That means PAR-TAY! We started Thursday night with a joint birthday party for Kit and Aubrey. Then Friday we had an awesome desert cook out. Saturday we had the grooms luncheon and then of course the wedding. It was so much fun getting to spend time with family and getting to see friends I haven't seen in so long!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

jean-yus!

Okay, that might be a picture of when I tried waxing Ryan's chest while we were dating.  But I just needed to quickly say everybody congratulate my smart hubby!!!  He entered a writing competion open to ASU, UofA and Phoenix Law School law students, and he got second place!!!!  He works so hard, so we hardly get to see him, but we're really proud of our Ry-man!!!

chicky chase

Jack and Drake looking for a chick.
Ryan and Gwen getting ready to run.


Saturday we all cowboy'd up and headed down to the Lehi Days Rodeo.  Besides all the fun of the pony rides, the petting farm, and the tractors to climb on, there was the chicky chase.  Now Gwen wasn't too excited about it until she found out that if she caught a baby chick, she'd get to keep it.  Then it was game on.  She got soo close, but the boy next to her dove onto the baby bird capturing (and probably killing) it.  Gwen was so sad!!  But now she's just upped her catching kitty attempts at home.  She's made a larger door on the kitty house she has in our back yard so now even bigger kittys can fit in it.  (I'll have to post a picture of her little kitty house, it's so cute)

getting cheeky

Is this what you do with your cousins too?

barrack and buzz

This is the story of a girl named Gwen. Gwen is so cool. She has a unique sense of style. Gwen isn't shy, in fact today when we were in the store she starts yelling at the top of her lungs for no reason "BARRAK OBAMA!!!". Like this Barrak Obama was her lost dog she was urgently looking for. She kept it up for a while despite my shh's. Then she and Drake got in a war calling each other Barrack Obama's. I asked her if she even knew who Barac Obama is (yes I don't know how to spell his name). She replied "yes, he's the prophet of the United States". Close, but no cigar. Everyone thought it was funny.  The other day when I announced a special trip to Costco for shopping and PIZZA, Gwen said "oh let me go get dressed", and then quickly put on this outfit.  I commented on her cute outfit, and she told me that she picked the shirt and sweater, but let Drake pick the pants.  (She coached him on which pants to pick for her)

This is the story of a boy named Drake.  Drake is a ball of fire!  Drake loves Buzz Lightyear.  Drake is so excited to wear his Buzz Lightyear underwear.  (And is it so wrong if I call them his big boy panties?)  Drake loves wearing them so much that he often takes off his diaper, puts on his underwear and walks around in just the underwear.  Problem is, Drake's not yet potty trained.  I also often find Drake's wet Buzz Lightyear underwear laying around.  

I love that I get to play with these two funny kids each day.  One of the things we like to do is bake together. 
These are some of the best cookies I've ever made.  Too bad I didn't write down the recipe as I was making them.  I often do that.  I'll experiment, it'll turn out pretty darn good, and then I realized I don't know what all I put in it.  Bummer.

we loves cookies

sisters

We had a bridal shower for Lauren Sandberg (Ethan's fiance) this weekend, and I'm so lame that I get a picture of me with my sisters, but not her!  But I just wanted to give a shout out to my sisters.  They're awesome. We have fun together.  I'm glad Tara's in town for two more weeks!

just in time for spring cleaning

Because spring is already full blown here in the AZ.  In fact most trees have already blossomed and the blossoms are gone now.  So if you're enjoying the 78 degree days with the windows open, cleaning everything out, here's a recipe for an all purpose cleaner that's easy on the budget.  

(this is what we use in the temple, and if it's good enough for the temple, it's good enough for my house!)

Miracle Mix:

13 1/2 C water

2 C Rubbing alcohol

1/3 C Dawn (just the regular dish soap)

1/3 C Ammonia

Stir to combine, and you'll have about a gallon of cleaner.  Pour in a spray bottle and get to work!

blissful monday

Seriously, today was so much fun just hanging out with my babies. We had so much fun running errands, eating breadsticks at Target, washing the car...ourselves!!, making cookies and dinner, and laughing our guts out.

Among the things I learned from Gwen today, was that she has a new friend at school who has the same valentine shoes that Gwen has. So they planned to both wear their valentine shoes and pink shirts and blue pants on Wednesday so they can match. Do you remember doing that!? So funny. I remember I would frequently call my best friend ,Julie Kenney, before school and plan what we could wear to match that day. So I asked Gwen who her friend was, and Gwen said she doesn't know. Apparently just wearing matching clothes is more important than remembering her friend's name.

This evening Gwen was watching Extra with me, and when Mario Lopez came on, Gwen excitedly asked me, "is that Shane?!?!"

Maybe, if Mario lost the dimples, muscles and std's. ;)

one more day

until this boy comes home from his mission!!!

Shane has been serving the people of Costa Rica for the last two years and will be home tomorrow evening, and we can't wait to see him!  

We also are going to have Tara and the kids in town until Ethan's wedding.  Fun times to come!

goonie valentine

Today I had an appointment at the MAC counter to get some make up.  I picked up my own valentine's day gift.  Ryan's finding out with you.  Thanks Ryan!  (oh it's too late?  you already got me a gift?  oh how sweet!)  I also had Drake as my play buddy while Gwen was in preschool.  Well let me tell you that Drake won the hearts of all the ladies working there!  While I was getting my make up put on Drake was dancing around singing, "goody stuff, goody stuff, for me.  I yI yI yI YI".  We were all laughing at Drake's singing and dancing.  He even took off his shirt!  (he knows how to get the ladies)  Well it wasn't until the ride home and he was still singing that I realized that he was singing this:

Drake's a Cyndi Lauper fan!  He's just so silly I love it!!!!

Love to you all this Valentine's day!!

I guess we're d-backs fans

They were having their annual fan day, so we took the kids down to Chase Park (I still think of it as BOB) and let the kids play, or more like wait in line to play on all the fun bouncing things there. 

Ryan just has this funny love for ball park stadiums, so he was excited just being down on the field.  It reminded me of in FeverPitch (funny movie) where Drew Barrymore jumps down on the field and runs across during a game and is getting chased and runs to Jimmy Fallon, and the first thing he says is "how's the grass in the outfield, soft and spongy?" or something like that.  Okay, I did a bad job recreating it, so just go rent the movie.

I tell the kids to say cheese, so Gwen throws up the jazz hands, and Drake pulls up his shirt.  I guess if you got it flaunt it huh?

And this was just too funny not to be posted.  I came down stairs and heard Drake making motorcycle sounds like vroooommmmm, so I walk over to see that he's wedged the motorcycles between cushions so that he could get on and straddle these little motorcycles like he's really riding them.  Has his hands on the handle bars and everything!  And who doesn't love riding a motorcycle with out pants on?

soap box

Last month's first presidency message hasn't left my mind since I read it.  Especially this part where President Eyring says, "at some moment in the world to come, everyone you met in this life will know what you know now. They will know that the only way to live forever in association with our families and in the presence of our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, is to choose to enter into the gate by baptism at the hands of those with authority from God. They will know that the only way families can be together forever is to accept and keep sacred covenants offered in the temples of God on this earth. They will know that you knew. And they will remember whether you offered them what someone had offered you."  

To anyone reading this who hasn't already heard, if I have not told you about this, it's because I've been scared to be pushy, or annoying, or offensive.  But I do know, and I would love to share.  I'd love to have you come to church with my family.  I'd love to share with you what brings me the most joy in my life.   Please ask, and I'll share.

most joyous joyfulness!!!!

Seriously, if you could see how big my smile is right now....my cheeks are aching!  

I just won a label maker from this super cute blog I've been reading.  Honestly, I don't win anything, and to be honest, I've always wanted a label maker, but when I'm in the store holding one, I just can't bring myself to spend the money.  Well happy happy joy joy I won!  My house is so excited to finally get organized.

six things about me!

My gorgeous friend Catherine just tagged me, and at first I thought, oh, I just did one of these.  But I checked and it was over a year ago!  Too bad I already put the most interesting stuff on the other one.  But here we go:

1. --- there is no rule one. 2. Post the rules on your blog 3. List 6 random things about yourself. 4. Tag 6 people at the end of your post. 5. Let each person know they have been tagged and leave a comment on their blog. 6. Let the tagger know when your entry is up.

I think this is just going to be a list of embarrassing confessions.

1.  I could live off of carbs!  Candy and bread mostly.  And when I say candy, I don't mean chocolate, because I DON'T LIKE CHOCOLATE!  But I'm so pathetic that last week I bought a loaf of French bread and ate the WHOLE thing before dinner.  Keep me away from the bakery.

2.  

This is my natural hair color!  You may not be impressed, but it's been about 13 years since the hair on my head was all my natural color!  And I'm proud to say that I have yet to find a grey hair.  Knock on wood.  But I've had the itch reallly bad lately to add some color to it.  I can't decide if I want to go back to high maintenance color again.

3.  I made lingerie for a sewing project at BYU! 

4.  I peed my pants running the 1/2 marathon last week.  At mile two!  And it wasn't intentional, but I'm sure as most of you mothers know jumping, running, laughing, they all require a little more concentration after babies.  But in my defense, the lines for the porta pottys at the start were really long, and I knew there'd be more along the way.  I just thought I could make it more than two miles.  But I was running with Jasmyn and we laughed a lot.  Whatever, I'm a real runner now.

5.   When I get really excited or nervous, my fingertips and toes itch.  I have to curl my toes tight and scratch or bite my fingertips.  And when I'm super nervous/excited, my nose tingles too.  Imagine giving a talk in Sacrament meeting while it feels like your nose is going to wiggle right off your face.

This one I have to put up a PG-13 lable.  You've been warned: 

6.  This is what I always use as my most embarrassing moment story.  Ryan and I were caught being "newlyweds" by our BISHOPRIC!!!!  Right after we got married we lived in a basement apartment.  The only way to get to the door is going through a gate, into the backyard and down a stairwell.  Nobody knew we lived there (so we thought).  We forgot that we had our records transfered and the bishopric came to welcome the new couple to the ward.  We just happened to have the door open because it was a nice autumn day.  

Now that I have made a sufficient fool out of myself, I have to tag six more, and the least you can do after I spilled the beans is do it too.  :)  

Katie, Nicole, Rushele, Nikki, Allison, and Monica. 

"MOMMY MOMMY guess what?!?!"

Seriously, Gwen could hardly contain her excitement today as she told me that she met "Jolly Fingers"!  The excitement was learned from watching her dad's reaction to meeting Rollie Fingers.  Growing up Ryan was an A's fan, so today one of his childhood dreams came true!  

Also today, Drake learned that

+= MAD MOMMY!!

New house rule:  KIDS ARE NOT ALLOWED IN THE OFFICE!!!!!

  

some 3 day weekend highlights

• Dinner with our good friends the Andersons. CPK BBQ Chicken pizza? Yes please!

Joel, Kaden, Gavin, Jasmyn, Kristin, Gwen, Ryan and smiley Drake

• We had our friends the LaPortes over for a super duper fun game night.
• An afternoon at the park.  
•  Attending Dave's  baptism.

• Running my first 1/2 marathon!  Thanks for your support Jas!

Before the run.

After the run.

• Completed a goal.  10 min miles.

My darling husband has brainwashed my kids into thinking I'm a good runner, so they were so proud of their mommy.  How cute!

• Our super rad friends Laura and Aaron Elder had us over for yummy dinner and the Cardinals game.  Onto the super bowl!!!  Go Cards!
• Civil Rights day BBQ with family.
• Late nights of Rock Band with Ryan.  Living it up before he starts school again tomorrow.

day six

This little boy is a jabber box!  He's constantly talking and copying people too.  One thing about him that he does really well, is saying prayers.  He LOVES to pray, and usually has to pray at every meal even if somebody else has already said the prayer.  And his before bed prayers are so sweet because he prays for mommy, daddy, and sissy.  Drake, you're doing fantastic!  Keep up the good work.

day five

If you know my Gwenny, you know that generally she's not too shy.  I love it! 

 Well she's really using it in a good way.  This year, Gwen is no longer a Sunbeam, but is in CTR, and she has the ring to prove it.  She wears it all the time and loves telling people what it means.  Including all the boys that she plays with at the gym.  When I pick her and Drake up from the kids club, Gwen shows me all the boys she has told to "choose the right" that day.  What a good little missionary!

day four

I will sing praises to the world for my fantastic hubs!  And this praise might surprise some of you.  I'm proud of Ryan having the courage to go to ASU.  I know he was scared to tell me that I had quit my job and we moved our family to Sacramento for nothing.  But rather than stick with a decision that he felt was not so good, he got it right despite what wrath I might have brought upon him. 

day three

Buster Brown. From when he was a little baby to now, he has always been such a tender hearted cuddler. As I mentioned earlier, he always is coming up to me with his arms up saying "want you". When we're watching tv he loves to be laying down with someone or sitting on their lap. He just loves being cuddled, and I love him even more for that. Good boy Drakey Boy!

day two

My sweet little Gwenny bum! I can pour out the praise! But today I am going to tell you about how helpful my Gwenny Gwenny gumdrop is. After meals she always brings her dishes from the table and puts them in the sink-with out being told to! She is a master of please, thank you, may I be excused, excuse me, etc. She recently has learned how to help mommy clean the bathroom, and is so excited when she gets to brush the toilet. When we're around others who have babies, she goes gaga entertaining them and making sure the babies needs are met. And when we ask her what she wants to be when she grows up, she says a babysitter!

a week of praise, day one

As a resolution this year, one of the things that I am going to become superb at is praising my family.  

Today is an easy one to do since it just happened.  

One of the things that is so sweet and thoughtful that Ryan does is he always calls to let me know when he's on his way home.  As a mother of two crazy kids, any kind of heads up is appreciated, but the really great thing that makes this call sweet, is that Ryan always asks if I want him to stop and pick anything up.  Ahhh, thank you Ryan.

behold

Ryan in all his glory!

Like I said, our camera was outta juice, but Devon to the rescue, had hers and got these great pictures of Ryan.

 Gwen and Drake's pants are pants we picked up form DI and water-proofed.  And you can't really see, but I found some way hot purple Aladin style snow pants.  What a motley crew!  But we had so much fun.  And Ryan and I had this great idea that the next time we're in the snow, we should bring our snow clothes!

VAYCAY!!

We just got back from our NorCal vacation, and whew, was it busy and fun!  The day after Christmas we packed up, left the kids presents and drove up to Sacramento to spend time with Ryan's mom and Molly, Darren and their three girls.  After staying a few nights there, we stayed a couple more nights at my sweet Desi and Josiah's house.  Thanks guys, we love you!

From there we went with our awesome friends Jesse and Devon up to their condo in Tahoe.  It was awesome because our kids have NEVER seen the snow and they loved it!  But they were so shocked at how cold it was.  One of the best parts of Tahoe was that Ryan borrowed this teal and purple, one piece snow suit from Des to wear up there.  He loved it so much he wore it the whole time, including to dinner!!  Everyone would see him and then whisper to their friends to look at Ryan because he looked like he was straight out of Dumb and Dumber.  Unfortunately my camera battery died, so I didn't get any pictures of Ryan in it.  :(  But trust me, it was so funny!!

After Tahoe, we drove to the Bay area to spend New Year's with Tara and Andrew. We went to a fun New Year's party, then spent a couple of days hanging out, letting the kids play, and going to San Francisco. 

Now we are so excited to start 2009!!  We hope this new year finds you all happy and healthy. 

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