Whoa...one more

I just found this one too! It was only a year ago but it reminds me how far Jared has come in just one year! He was still signing a lot of words and now...oh boy! There's no stopping him. He's a talker and he only knows one volume: LOUD! hehe

Just found this little gem

I just found this little gem from last year at our old place with the big driveway. :) this is how we roll...

Should I Wait a Little Longer?!!

I see that if I wait a few more weeks then it will be exactly one year since I've updated this blog. It's good for me to put something on here...makes me feel at least a little connected to the outside world. So, I won't wait. Jared: Our littlest munchkin has been talking A TON! Mat and I crack up because in the morning when we're dropping everyone off he's kinda quiet and just pretty mellow. The afternoon comes and when we pick Daddy up he just can't stop talking. I love hearing the highlights of his day which are usually things that I don't expect. Example: we went for a hike today with his class and what does he remember? "I saw a cat!" It was a replica of a bobcat that we saw briefly in the exhibit room before the hike. At least it was more interesting than a regular cat! He's still in LOVE with cars. And trains. And planes/helicopters/boats every now and then. But, mostly cars. Lately he's been dumping out all his cars and toys and making a "city." He'll park his cars around it and it keeps him busy for a good amount of time. (mommy loves this). Every morning when before I officially get pulled out of bed by Jared he gives me a "hug and tiss." Every morning. I love it. And he's forever jumping off of things now. Rocks, stairs, couches...you name it. I'm proud of his big jumps. Picking up Lana is his afternoon request everyday and he can't wait to go get her. She's so cute and asks him what adventures he had today and asks if he missed her. His favorite color is blue and I've discovered that lollipops work as incentive for going to the potty. We're still in the beginning stages so...I'll keep you posted. Lana: She's LOVED kindergarten. Reading is her favorite thing to do. She always points out that reading, drawing and swimming are her favorite things to do and she always asks me what I liked to do when I was little and I told her that it was pretty much the exact same thing! There are so many cute friends that she's made in school and I can tell that they all really love her because she's such a sweet, caring and fun girl. I love that she can get ready all by herself now and on her own. Tying her shoes and making her own ponytail is a recent accomplishment. My usual frustration is when I have to do all the constant reminding and micro-managing with getting ready in the morning cause I know she can do it without me! My favorite way to start the day is to walk her to school: just me and her. It's a nice time to just spend together. I love that she loves to learn new things and explore and has such a funny sense of humor. She's very thoughtful and I need to be better at mailing out all the pictures and letters that she writes to family and friends. Mat is thrilled that she's starting soccer and it's really only a little clinic that she goes to but he stand on the side lines the ENTIRE time and watches and cheers her on. (mom is over with Jared at the playground but I don't feel bad because I always get a full report on her soccer skills status!) Dad: Currently he's out of commission from another basketball ankle injury. This happens so frequently that we have bags of peas that are specifically designated as "peas to ice his ankle." He's really gotten in to playing basketball here and loves it. Playing it, watching it, and buying all the Lakers "stuff" including Kobe shoes. We enjoy taking the kids swimming and hiking and are slowly exploring some fun places around here to hike. Mat is super-excited that we are expecting our THIRD baby. Due November 3rd. He's also the Elders Quorum Pres again in our new ward and that keeps him pretty busy. Mom: I'm a young women's leader in our ward and LOVE IT. I always ask myself, "was I like THAT when I was in YW?!" I've slowly become used to the schedule of having a kid in school full time. I love that too! Moving into our new place has kept me busy this past year and I'm happy to say that I've unpacked almost everything. Almost. No matter what anyone tells you, it is much more time consuming to unpack than it is to pack. I like our new area and the great people that I've met here. They've made our decision to move here worthwhile in my opinion. I've enjoyed walking lately. I'll blame it on the baby bump. My running has to take a back seat for now. I attempted to run to my friends house the other night (she lives a block away) and I was pretty pooped by the time I got there! While I'm very excited for our little one that's on the way, I have to admit that I'm a little bit worried about being able to meet everyone's needs. I just look at all the amazing moms around me and wonder how they do it. Hopefully it will rub off on me eventually! But for now...here's to new adventures!

Lana's Farewell to Preschool

APRIL 2011

Here is Sheena playing a little bit of catch-up. These are some pictures from April:

Lana's 5th Birthday Party which was all "Tangled" and so much fun

A visit to the Noah's Ark exhibit at the Skirball joined by some cute Koda and Alhadaff kiddos.

A trip to the park

Got to see my handsome Dad (unfortunately it was for my Grandpa's funeral service. Love you, Grandpa! I miss you.)

The picture of the kids at the table was April Fools Day. I made them cereal and served it in humongous bowls. The funny thing is that they didn't really think it was a big deal. Like, why shouldn't my mom give me this enormous bowl and spoon to eat with? Go figure.

My cute boys walking in the park...


April flew by. As did May. As is June. I didn't take as many pictures as I would have liked to but I'll try to post some more soon.

My Cute Kiddos

I love that they love each other and get along so well (for the most part). Lana's such an attentive and nurturing big sister. She shows Jared how to do everything she can do and makes him laugh every day. Jared really looks up to his sister and loves her company. He's starting to copy what she does and also watches out for her. He gives kisses to any ouchie we have and whenever Lana takes her shoes off at the park he picks them up and runs after her. They crack me up every day and even though I feel I'm at the end of my rope sometimes I love being a mom and wouldn't trade this for the world. (for the record...at this exact moment Jared is pulling on my sweater that I discovered had a hole today and is trying to get me to help him find his lost car.)

Mom's Visit & Mat's Birthday

We were spoiled by a visit from my mom. I hope she had as much fun with us as we did with her. It was such a treat for me to have company while doing the mundane every day things and seeing her enjoy it. Ahhh, gotta love grandmas. :) Lana and Jared miss her so much. She took them on walks, played trains/cars, read books, went to the movies (just Grandma and Lana), played at the park...and she was only here for a week! Mat and I were able to go to the temple, out to dinner and shopping. For us that was a big deal and he really had fun.

Mat turned 30!!! YIKES! It sounds old but I still feel like we're still in college sometimes. Don't be fooled by the picture- he loved his water gun present. We went on a hike as a family and if I remember correctly, it turned out to be great weather and we had a fun time together. Here's to many more!