Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Happy Birthday, Son!

My Jaxon is 8 today!!!  I can't believe it!  I feel like we just brought him home from the hospital in his little green and blue outfit with hippos on it.

Jaxon is the love of my life.  Every morning, as I am dragging him out of bed, his cute little freckles look up at me under his big blue eyes and smile.  He once had me count his freckles while we snuggled.  I counted 162.  He thought that was a great number. 

I love that he doesn't care much for the computer...the iPad is a MAJOR perk when he does something awesome.  I love that he gets so excited to see new movies, and that he LOVES playing Skylanders with his dad.  I love that when I am cleaning the living room, the playroom, and his room...when I lift up the pillows on the couch or bed, I find a pile of Transformers, Cars or dinosaurs.  I love that he adores Ella.  I love that he loves his cousins more then his friends.  I love that he is starting to understand sarcasm...and he uses it appropriately.  I love that when he has a bad dream, he comes into our bed and snuggles so close to me I can feel him breathe on me...and if it is a weekend...he still climbs on my chest and listens to my heartbeat. 

I love that he makes me want to be a better mother.  I love that he is pure 8 year old perfection. 

I love you, Jaxon.

Love,
Mommie

2 days old

8 Years old!!

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Camping!

It happened...Kellie went camping.  I haven't been camping in 9 YEARS!  I am not the biggest fan of camping.  I just happen to like my clean bed.  :)


We went with out friends The Giles and the Mylroies.  We went up to Big Bear.  To my surprise I had a great time.  The company was great and the kids had a great time!  Ella was FILTHY!  Jax was exhausted by the end of the trip...so it was a pretty great trip!

Sleepy head.
She LOVED sleeping in a tent!
Such great friends!
Ella had dirt on her face the WHOLE time.
Cute kids at the Discovery Center in Big Bear.
Ella playing music at the Discovery Center.
Jax getting brave.
Swimming at the Swim Beach in Big Bear.

First day of school!! First day of school!!

Jax started 3rd grade last week!!  (Remember...we are on year round school). I cannot believe he is already in third grade!  It is going to be a great year!

Welcome to Third Grade, Jax!!
Whoo hoo! 

4th of July fun

Our 4th was so fun and jammed packed!


We started our day with our ward's pancake breakfast. We had a great turn out so it was super fun!  The kids had a bike parade and the all decorated their bikes and rode around the neighborhood.   I was WAY busy helping with the breakfast, so I didn't get many pics.  :(

Then we headed to the parade. Every year our town has a little parade that goes down Main Street.  It is pretty cute.  

Then we went to our friends house for swimming and lunch.

After that, we headed to another friends house for dinner and then to our house to watch the fireworks.  I am sad that I didn't get more pics, but it was nice to sit with friends all day and enjoy each others company. 

My little firecracker!
Bike parade fun!
Ella and her new BFF Londyn.  She loved watching the parade with Londyn.
Ella said Daddy needed a "tar too."
We carved Watermelons like you would a pumpkin!
Ella loved the water balloons!
All tuckered out and it wasn't even dinner time yet!

Saturday, June 29, 2013

OK...What we have been up too...

We have been busy!!!  I am not sure with what exactly, but I know we have been busy!  So here are a few weeks of recap.

My sweet brother-in-law Steven got married to his sweetheart, Miranda.  It was a lovely wedding...we are so happy she is ours now. 


Then this cute little girl...got a BIG GIRL bed.  She adores it.  She saw and said..."I lub it!!".  She stayed in her bed all night.  She loves it, but she brings EVERY toy she owns into the bed with her every night.  She tucks in all of her dolls and then sleeps on the other end of the bed.  Crazy girl.
It was 4:00pm when she saw her bed...she played in it all night.
This is what her bed looks like...EVERY NIGHT!

Then came my annual "Girls Trip". This year, we headed to Newport Beach to have a fun filled long weekend by the beach. They came in from New Mexico, Utah, Arizona and Texas.  We rented a beach house and loved every minute of it.  I love these girls.  They are the type of girls that you cry when you see them because you just don't know how you live your day to day life without seeing them. Then you cry when they leave because you just don't know how to be yourself again without them.  They are my soul-sistas.  I love them so very much.  We ate everything in site, shopped till we dropped, laughed our buns off and cried a little too.  Oh I miss them.  
Left to Right: Me, Mendie, Jessica, Staci, Nikki, and Janette
Eating lunch in Balboa Island.

Then came Jaxon's Open House at school. Adorable.  Here are a couple of his Cute things...


The only Mormon kid in class and he wants to drink coffee every morning...he cracks me up.


He was so proud to show us around!

Ella got this dress from a friend of ours ( thank you Jamie!) and her life hasn't been the same since.  She wears it ALL the time.

She calls herself  "tink-a-bell pincess".

We had a little mommie/daughter double date with our friends Shannon and her daughter Kaylee. We took the girls to see the Children's Theater version of The Little Mermaid.  The girls were in HEAVEN. They sat perfectly still through the entire performance.  We got to meet Ariel afterward...but Prince Erik was all Ella was after.  ( I am in major trouble with this little one!). 
Ella and Kaylee...these girls are gonna be trouble.

She wanted Prince Erik to hold her...not Ariel.

Jaxon got glasses....oh my gosh.  He looks so cute.  Like Clark Kent.

Adorbs.

Jax had to dress up at George Washington for school last week.  He is FINALLY done with 2nd grade. Year round school is tough during the summer. He gets a week off...then he starts 3rd grade!!  

George Washington...So. Darn. Cute.

As the summer goes on, Ella turns into more of a little ham as the days go on.  Oh how I love my kiddos.  

She wears these everywhere we go.
She started doing her "monkey face" again.  :)

Thursday, June 6, 2013

Calico Ghost Town

We headed back in time on Memorial Day!  We spent the day in Calico Ghost Town which is about an hour away. The kids had a great time!  We rode the train- panned for gold- roped pretend cows- tour a mine-and walked through a magic house. It was hotter then heck...but we still managed to have fun!


Riding the train


Jail


In the Silver mine.

Melting...on the train.

Loved being in a "hole". 

Thursday, May 2, 2013

ALOHA!!!!!

We just got back from Oahu, Hawaii on Tuesday and let me tell you...We have been to paradise!!  It was our first time to Hawaii and I was a little bit nervous that I had built it up too much in my head. But let me tell you!!!!  It did not disappoint!!  We were in heaven! The kids did great on the 5.5 hour plane ride, and we were all SOOO sad to come home.  We had so much fun!!

We stayed in Ko Olina which on the west side of the island.  We stayed in a beautiful resort with our own private beach!! It was amazing.  We went to the Dole Pineapple plantation, Pearl Harbor, The Polynesian Cultural Center, The North Shore (where we ate yummy shaved ice), shopping in Waikiki, snorkeling with SEA TURTLES!!!!!!! and so much more. 

Ella learned the Hula (adorable) and she says "A-LO-HAAAA" and does the Shaka sign.  (the hang-ten sign).  Jax turned into a little fish from swimming all day and he dominated the slide at the resorts pool.  

Grandma Lavella went with us and it was so much fun seeing her have such a good time.  I am so glad she came along.  It was so great for the kids to get to spend so much time with her.  And for us too! 

But,now we are home...and back to reality. I have caught myself daydreaming of GREEN palm trees and blue oceans today.  I can't wait to go back! Here are a few pics...I took a zillion pics so I will just share a couple!  :)

Visiting Pearl Harbor

Jax with "the biggest missile EVER!"

Check out the tree's roots!!

Jax got the camera!

On our way out to the USS Arizona Memorial

Cutie pie

Everyone say "pineapple!!"

Crazy kids!

Yummy shaved ice at Matsumoto's!

The North Shore

The North Shore

Look what was hanging around our beach!!  I could have died!!!! I was so excited!

Jax on the Catamaran.  On our way to snorkeling.

Our hotel balcony

Polynesian Cultural Center.

Ella doing the HULA!!

Luau time!

The LiaeTemple.  So pretty at sunset.