Just for Derrick

I've been feeling guilty that Emma has been getting all the "blog time". She has just had an exciting month! So here are some pictures of Derrick. He is turning into such a little man. We are still potty training. It seems like some weeks are great and others...not so great. But, I am surprisingly being pretty patient about it. I don't really care to push it and if that means he's in pull-ups for several months, I am fine with that! His eating habits are about the same as potty training...good one week, bad the next! Sometimes I just get so tires of fighting with him over food! But then I get so happy when he eats something new! A couple weeks ago he ate 5 grapes and I was so excited! He also had 3 apple slices and has tried 4 new dinners in the last couple weeks! We are definitely making progress, but an outsider looking in would never know it! (But, they may not have known how bad he was to start with!) But, I still love my little man!

"Star Light, Star Bright"...Emma's Wish!

Last night Emma, Derrick and I were on our way home from my parent's house and Emma, looking out the window, said "Mom, I see a star!". So, I decided to teach her the Star Light song.
"Star Light, Star Bright. First star I see tonight. I wish I may, I wish I might, have the wish I wish tonight."
Then I told her to close her eyes and make a wish. We did this 3 times in the car on the way home (she thought it was great fun) and she had me in tears. It was just so sweet I asked her to do it for the camera when we got home. Each time it changed a little, but she always wanted to go to the star and see Jesus, Mila and President Hinkley and play with them. One of her wishes she said, "...and dance and be happy and always stay there"! I like how in the video she wants to "share nice, and do chores"! She is my little sweet heart and this definitely melted my heart!

Emma's Birthday Pictures!

Here are some of the latest pictures from Melissa Jackson Photography! We got these taken last week for Emma's 4th Birthday! They turned out wonderful as usual! There is a link to Melissa's website in my family and friends...if you ever want amazing pictures, check it out!

Happy Birthday Emma!

Emma had a great birthday on Tuesday! I can't believe she is 4! My friend said the other day that she thinks 4 is a sad year because they are not really toddlers anymore...they become big kids! And looking at Emma I can see that. She starts pre-school soon and I couldn't believe I had to go buy a backpack for my little girl! When she woke up on her birthday and I wished her happy birthday she asked when her friends were coming over! No friends, but she had a couple visitors and lots of birthday phone calls! Aunt Crystal and her cousins called to wish her a happy birthday and Grandma and Grandpa Brenay called and sang to her and Aunt Annie called and all I heard was Emma singing "Happy Birthday to me" on the phone to her! :) In the morning Grandma and Grandpa Clark came over and gave Emma her present...a new blanket and pillow that Grandma made. It is beautiful and Emma loves it! On Sunday Grandma and Grandpa Trafzer came over to bring Emma her present...a Snow White dress-up and crown and a Snow White doll! She felt just like a princess dancing around in it that night! She wore it all day on Monday!

Emma's new blanket!

Emma got to eat her favorite meal for dinner...Hawaiian Haystacks (rice, chicken, gravy, cheese and pineapple!)

Emma also helped me make cookies to take to her dance class. Here she is enjoying hers!

Present time from mom and dad!

Her favorite gift was a new piggy bank. She has been asking for one for months! Derrick broke her old one. We were able to fix it, but she didn't use it because I didn't want it to brake again!

Emma also got a Cinderella puzzle. She did pretty good putting it together.

Another favorite was a Strawberry Shortcake doll. Here are the kids trying to smell her hair! Emma asks everyone if they want to smell Strawberry Shortcakes hair! It actually smells pretty good and reminds me of being a kid! I loved Strawberry Shortcake!

Emma showing off that she is 4! She always finds the most "creative" way to show how old she is on her fingers. When she was 2 it was the "loser" sign!

Dad was being silly with the kids. They thought it was so funny when he would do this to them!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY EMMA!!!

Emma's Birthday Party!

Have you ever thrown a birthday party for a 4 year old? If you have, my hat's off to you! It's not as easy as it looks! But we had success! Emma enjoyed her first friend birthday party this morning. There were 7 silly girls running around my house and I think they all enjoyed themselves. Emma's actual birthday is on Tuesday, so she was able to celebrate a little early this year. We decided on a Barbie party after I saw a beautiful cake online that I wanted my mom to make. After pricing it out, we went with the less expensive version, that turned out prettier than I ever thought possible! My mom is amazing! It may sound silly, but I almost cried when I saw the cake because it was not what we had talked about doing...she glammed it up a bit knowing I wanted something ridiculously fancy for a 4 year old party! :) The cake was a big hit with the girls! Thanks again mom! Our house was decked out in pink everything...Emma asked why I was taking it down after the party. I think she thought that was our new decor! We played "Pin the Crown on Barbie", made necklaces, opened presents, ate pink cake and pink ice cream, colored pictures of Barbie and of course played Barbies! Emma received wonderful gifts...when I asked her what her favorite was, I think she named every present she got! She was busy playing with new Barbies and toys for the rest of the day. Derrick was excited to play with all the balloons! So, ask me right now if Emma gets a party next year and I would probably say no, but maybe by then I will have forgotten all the stress that goes a long with it! In the end it was worth it and I'm glad the girls had a fun time!

Odds & Ends

Our life really hasn't been that exciting lately! So I will try and make this blog interesting! :) Jon and I celebrated our 9th Anniversary last night. We went to Donovan's Steakhouse in Scottsdale. It was pretty good. Jon enjoyed his more than I did. I got a filet and it was good, but I'm a pretty plain steak person. Honestly, my favorite steak is a well done sirloin! You don't find that in nice steakhouses! The sugar snap peas were really good though. I could have made a meal out of those! Jon got a 24 oz rib eye!! He almost managed to finish it too! He found the most well done piece of his medium rare steak to have me try it...I had to choke it down! It was like eating pure fat...YUCK! The waiter brought us complimentary creme brulee because it was our anniversary! This was after Jon told me I could pick dessert since I didn't enjoy my steak as much. So that idea didn't work out so well because creme brulee is Jon's favorite dessert and I really don't care for it! But, I have to say, I ate some of this one and it was actually very delicious! I don't like the sugar on top, so I just scraped that off and ate the custard with strawberries. Overall, it was a fun night! 9 years seems like such a long time, but it has flown by! Next year for 10 we are going to New York! We can't wait for that! We have decided that the Olympics will be the end of us! We are staying up until midnight every night to watch them, even though we have DVR! We are crazy! Last night was the first night that I fell asleep at a decent hour, but it was on the couch while watching the Olympics with Jon! They are so exciting and the USA is doing pretty good. I have to say the best event was the men's swimming relay! Jon and I were almost screaming watching it! It was definitely a nail biter! Go USA! That was awesome!

The kids are doing good! Emma can hardly wait to start pre-school. She has been playing with her friends a lot lately and just seems to be growing up so fast. She asked me this morning, "Mom, why am I not 4 yet?" Soon! She has her party this Saturday so stayed tuned for pictures of that!

Ava and Emma playing dress-ups!

Derrick is plugging along with potty training. He went 4 days without an accident! We are getting there! He even stayed dry during nap time and at night for those 4 days! The kids have been into playing "Let's go to sleep". They make beds all over the house and just lay there! I guess I can't complain about that game! Some of their favorite bed making spots have been Emma's closet, under the piano, in the hall, and under the kitchen table! Jon came home the other day and was puzzled as to why there were blankets and pillow under the table!


So that is our update...like I said, not much!

What happened to my "baby"?!

My baby boy is now a "BIG BOY"! Last weekend we finally set up Derick's full bed in his room. He was so excited! The kids played on it constantly for the few days following. So far after a week he hasn't tried to get out once! It's still new and exciting though...I give it a month or 2 before he starts getting out! His crib converted into a full bed and he just looks so tiny in that big bed! He has also started wearing Lightning McQueen "pulls" (pull-ups). The first day I put them on him he kept trying to pull his pants down so he could see Lightning! He is doing great with potty training, but I'm not really pushing it. I was not even going to start him until he was 3 because I have always heard that boys are harder than girls to train, but he has the example of Emma and tells me more than she does now that he needs to go potty! It is a nice feeling to be diaper free, but I am a little sad that my baby is all grown up!

Happy Birthday to Me!

Today was my birthday and it was a great day! I "ruined" it a couple days ago when I had a message from a client that wanted their hair done today and Jon said, "You shouldn't work on your birthday!". I said, "Why? You're working right?!" Then Jon got all flustered and said I blew the surprise and he had to tell me that he took the day off and we were dropping the kids off at his moms and going to breakfast and a movie...something different! I was excited I thought it was a cute idea to change it up and not just go to dinner! This morning Jon got the kids ready and off we went to eat at Cracker Barrel and watch "Get Smart". Before we left he gave me a card with his credit card in it saying that the air miles were mine to use to go to Washington and see my brother and sister who live there! I was so happy...what a great present! I don't even have to take the kids! :) Just a weekend alone! I can't wait to book my trip! It has been almost a year since I have seen my sister and my brother moved there in December and I haven't seen him since then. I got money and a Visa card from my parents and in-laws, so I am going to buy a watch with it...I just can't decide which watch to buy! I felt very loved today and received many birthday wishes. I am grateful for wonderful family and friends! After dinner tonight I decided I wanted one more thing for my birthday...Bahama Bucks! So off went and here is me and the kiddos getting ready to eat some delicious shaved ice! And Jon is such a trooper because he hates Bahama Bucks, but it was MY birthday! :)

Memories

This was on Julia's blog and I thought it was fun so I posted it on mine!
This is how it works:
1. Leave one memory that you and I had together (Or of Jon, Emma or Derrick too), as a comment on my blog. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!
2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you. If you don't want to play on your blog, or if you don't have a blog, I'll leave my memory of you in my comments.

Tagged

I have been tagged twice recently and have not done it...I figured it was about time I did. I am combining the 2 tags that I got into one big "all about me" blog! So here goes!

Rules:Each player answers the questions themselves. At the end of the post the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment letting them know that they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answers.

The Five

Ten years ago…
1. I had recently graduated high school
2. (This will give away my age, but as a milestone...) I was getting ready to celebrate my 18th birthday! And honestly, I don't remember what I did!
3. I was living at home, care free!
4. I was preparing to go to Carsten Institute (Cosmetology school)
5. I swore I would not get married for at least 5 years! (Jon and I are coming up on our 9th Wedding Anniversary...you do the math!) :)

Five things on today’s “to do” list...
1. Well, since it is the evening, not a lot!
2. Finish putting Derrick's "big boy bed" together!
3. Get the kids to bed
4. Eat some ice cream!
5. RELAX! (It has been a very busy day!)

Five snacks I enjoy...
1. licorice
2. tootsie rolls
3. Harvest Cheddar Sun Chips
4. Pink Lady apples
5. grapes

Five things I would do if I was a millionaire…
1. Pay off debts
2. Buy my dream home
3. Furnish my dream home (shabby chic!)
4. Help family and friends with their needs
5. Shop, shop , shop!!

Five places I have lived…
1. Mesa, Az
2. Queen Creek, Az
3. That is all!

Next one...How To Play This Game of Tag:

Post these rules on your blog. Answer these 15 questions about yourself on your blog. List:
3 joys
3 fears
3 goals
3 current obsessions/collections
3 random/surprising facts
-Tag five people at the end of your post by leaving their names .-Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

3 Joys...
1. My husband and my kids
2. The Gospel
3. The beauty of nature...(as long as I don't have to camp in it!) :)

3 Fears...
1. Something happening to my husband or one of my children
2. Spiders crawling on me while I sleep
3. Sometimes I worry about what the future will hold...but you can only hope for the best right?!

3 Goals...
1. To raise children who make the right decisions
2. To find a hobby!
3. To always strive to be happier and more patient!

3 current obsessions/collections...
1. The Tori & Dean show (love it!)
2. The book I just read "Traitor" by Sandra Grey (it was so good and the sequel comes out sometime between August and January and I think I will go crazy before then!)
3. Blogging! :)

3 random/surprising facts...
1. I must wear socks when sweeping and mopping my floors! Stepping on all the little pieces is so gross! (Although I will walk around the house barefoot. I know it makes no sense!)
2. I have crazy dreams about spiders falling on my head while I am asleep (fear #2)! I have woken Jon up a few times to kill the spider and of course there never is one!
3. I absolutely refuse to read the Twilight books! I don't care how many people tell me I must read them...I never will!!

I will not be tagging people because I'm not sure who would actually do this! So if you read this and would like to do it on your own blog I would love to read it!

This is what you get...

Are there questions going through your mind? Well, this is what you get when dad plays polly pockets with Emma! I walked in a couple weeks ago and Jon was in Emma's room playing polly pockets with her and I thought, "Oh how sweet!", then I saw what he was doing to the polly pockets and just laughed! Dads play different from moms! The kids thought it was so funny to hang all the dolls out the window like dad did! (But aren't they cute!)

Happy 4th of July

This 4th of July we headed up to Young for the weekend! The kids had a blast playing with all of their cousins up there and it was very nice to cover up with a blanket to watch fireworks! (On a side note...I bought Derrick his first baseball cap for the trip and I just couldn't get over how grown up he looked in it! SO cute, I love it!) We drove to Heber for their show on the 5th. The Stake President invited the family to join them at the seminary building for a dinner and it was right across the street from where they let the fireworks off. We had awesome front row seats! So close in fact, that one of the last really big ones they shot off fell right behind us...it was a little scary! I was very impressed with the quality and length of the show! It was really good! Derrick was a little scared at first, but talks about seeing green fireworks all the time now! Emma loved it and each new one that went off was her favorite! She especially like the heart shaped ones! She said during the show, "Mom, Santa Clause must hear these!". A little random, but it made me laugh! When we got to Heber it was raining, but it only lasted about 15 minutes and then it was beautiful. It was a little frustrating trying to get out of there. We were set back on a road and just stood still on the road for about 40 minutes before the line of cars even started moving! It was a fun weekend though. Poor Derrick looked like he got beat up in a dark alley by the end of the weekend. He just played really hard and had a few bumps, bruises and scrapes! But, all survived and we had a great time! Happy 4th!

Hershey, PA

A couple weeks ago Jon and I were able to go to Hershey, PA for a nice little get away! Jon won the Laureate Award at work for all his hard work and dedication! They rewarded him (and his wife!) with a trip to Hershey. Jon left on Saturday the 21st of June and I left on Sunday. My mom stayed home with the kids (thanks again mom!). I was delayed by 3 hours getting in and did not arrive at the Hotel Hershey until 4am Monday morning! I felt bad for Jon because he had to be up at 6:30 for meetings! The hotel was beautiful! The rooms were small but the rest of the Hotel made up for it. That morning I went shopping at the outlet mall. I treated myself to a new Coach purse! It's a good thing there is not a Coach outlet anywhere near home, because I would be in trouble! They were having a sale and I got a really good deal on a cute purse! I bought the kids some presents and then went back to the hotel to have lunch. I sat outside on the patio and enjoyed the beautiful weather and the gorgeous view. It was also really nice when the check came to say, "Charge it to my room!" Jon's company paid for everything for us. It was really nice! That night was the Awards Banquet. It was a dressy occasion and was in a nice ballroom in the hotel. It was nice to finally meet all of the executives from Jon's company and put faces with names. I met everyone from the CEO to the Senior Vice President. They were all very nice and I'm glad I got the chance to meet them. I got a little nervous as we found our seats and the Senior VP was at our table. Then I got even more nervous when I saw the menu. Lobster Bisque with Sea Scallops, Filet Mignon and Crab Cakes! The filet part was ok, but I do not eat seafood of any kind! I wasn't sure what to do. Jon told me to just tell the waitress I didn't want any seafood. So, I did and everything was fine. Because I didn't get a crab cake, they served me 2 filets. One was perfectly cooked well done, just the way I like it! :) The other was medium...I didn't eat that one! (I know I'm crazy!) The awards ceremony was very nice and I was very happy for Jon. We had a great trip!

The Hotel Hershey

My view eating lunch on the patio

Crystal & Jon in front of the hotel

Before the Awards Banquet

Day 2

On the second day we had breakfast and then Jon was off to his conference while I was off to the Spa! I had a facial and it was wonderful! The Spa at the hotel was really nice! That afternoon I had lunch with Jon and the Senior Vice President came and sat at our table with us. As I said earlier, it was nice to get to meet the executives in a nonprofessional environment and just visit. After lunch we took the hotel shuttle over to the zoo inside Hershey Park. It was surprisingly a pretty neat zoo to just be tucked away in the back of an amusement park! We both agreed it was much better that the Phoenix Zoo! Jon was like a kid in a candy store! He knew what everything was and was making noises at the bear, the deer and elk! It was a little embarrassing actually! :) But, he enjoyed seeing all the animals there.

Crystal and Jon in front of an elk

Jon wanted to try and make it look like the alligator was about to eat my head! :) (Do I look scared?)

When we walked up to the bear and Jon started making grunting noises the bear actually walked over towards us, sat down and lifted it's hand up like it was waving to us! It was pretty funny!

The deer that Jon said he would shoot if it were in the wild! (Always thinking like a hunter!)

A buffalo

A porcupine eating it's dinner!

A lynx