Bye, Bye Blankie!!

When Mattison was 9 months old I was diagnosed with cancer and so literally one day I had to stop nursing her cold turkey. It was hard on me and Mattison but Mattie found a way to comfort herself. She started sucking on her soft pink blankie and that was that. She sucked it anytime she was sad, mad, happy, tired or sick! I couldn't get it away from her. We were finally able to start weening her from the blankie slowly. It couldn't leave the car, then couldn't leave the house then finally she could only have it in her room. Right before we left for San Diego Mattie and I sat down and had the bye, bye blankie talk. She said "Yeah I don't need blankie I'm a big girl." If I knew it would have been that easy I would have done it a long time ago. I explained to her that blankie would stay home while we were on vacation then when we came back she could wrap it up in a pretty box where it would stay FOREVER!!! Once again she was all on board. So here are the pictures of Mattie saying goodbye to her precious blankie. (Honestly though I think Billy will miss her blankie more than Mattie will. Whenever she would get so mad and he couldn't get her to calm down he would just tell her to go get blankie and calm down. hee, hee) I should have taken pictures of Billy saying bye, bye to blankie. :)

You will notice I put packing tape around the box so it couldn't be opened. ha, ha

I also loved how she signed it :)

Way to go big girl!! Mommy is so proud of you!! Yes Billy I am proud of you too!

Trip to San Diego!

This is how the girls traveled to San Diego. Thank goodness! We left for Cali at 4am right after Billy got home from work so that the girls would sleep most of the trip.


Fun times with the family!!




I missed this sweet thing so much!



Fun times at the beach!!!!





We couldn't get mom's nose out of this great book! :)
This is what happens to the children after such eventful days. You'll notice the youngest and smallest takes up the most part of the bed! :)


This is Krista on her 27th birthday at a yummy mexican restraunt we love to go to when we are in San Diego. It is in Old Town and it is yummy! The only down fall was the wait for our food was so long but oh well.

This was a very successful vacation! I'm already looking forward to next year's trip to San Diego. Plus by then our little man will be with us!! Yahoo!

Moving to San Diego!!

So I am moving to San Diego!! Ok not really but I would if I could. At least while I was pregnant. :) I am so hot with this pregnancy and so the AZ heat is killing me. I have now been in Cali for 8 days and wish I could stay until baby Brayden comes to join our family but that is just not going to happen. The weather is perfect here. It has been in the 70's with a light breeze. BEAUTIFUL!!! We are returning home tomorrow late. We plan on driving during the night so that the girls will sleep. We had a wonderful 4th of July. Mattison was in a little bike parade and she loved it. She said at the end "Mommy my knees hurt." She said that but she was still smiling. We have enjoyed our time together with family and look forward to next year. Pictures will be posted later. Sorry it is just not easy to post pictures when you are using someone else's computer. Happy trails!!

Shout out to my Honey!!!

So me and the girls are in Cali having a wonderful time enjoying the beautiful weather. I can actually function being pregnant in this weather! :) The bummer part of the deal here though is that my hubby had to leave after day 3 to return to work for 4 days. He has been gone 2 days now and I am REALLY missing him. My heart goes out to single parents I don't know how you do it. I just want to tell my husband that I love him sooooo much and I am counting down the days and hours until you are here with us again. My husband is a very involved daddy and a very loving husband. He rubs my back ever night before I go to bed. He actually called me today and said he misses rubbing my back at night. He is so sweet! I love you honey!!!! XOXO (the X's are for kisses and the O's are for hugs-what movie is that from Billy?) Miss you and love you!!!

Off to the beach!!

So at 4am this Sunday morning we are heading off to San Diego!! I can't even begin to tell you how EXCITED I am. My brain can't even comprehend the fact that I don't have to go to work for 1 1/2 weeks! My body and mind are VERY ready for a little R&R. I don't really know how much resting I will get because let's face it Kylee is still my daughter and she is going with me along with my other daughter of course Mattison. I'm bummed though because Billy has to come back AZ to go to work for 4 days then he gets to come back to CA. I'll miss him so much!!! I am way excited to see my best friend my mom and my sister Tara and brother-in-law Aaron and their 4 adorable kids!! Also for anyone interested we have decided to name our baby boy Brayden Neuel instead of Jarren. :) So I will miss you all but I am looking forward to going to cooler weather!!!!! Love you all!

Exhausted!!!

So on Monday Kylee woke up WAY too early.......5:45am! Yes you read the time right. So I had to be to work that day by 7 and Billy was playing basketball already at the church so I got up with her. I had to get ready with her "help" which is always interesting. At about 9:15am Billy called me at work and asked if I could talk for a second. Luckily I had about 60 seconds so Billy precedes to tell me about what was going on at home while I am at work. Billy said he was in our bedroom picking up some stuff and Kylee comes in the room ever couple minutes just to make sure Daddy is still in there. This is very common for Kylee. Then he said the last time he saw her check on him she did the "I love you" sign in sign language and closed our bedroom door behind her. He didn't think much of it. Then about 3 to 5 minutes later the home phone rang so he opened up our bedroom door to go down the tiled hallway to answer the phone. The only thing is that when he went to step out of our bedroom this is what he found.......

That is right, Kylee is passed out asleep on the tile floor. Kylee honey this is why we don't need to wake up at 5:45 am!!! Billy said she was snoring too! When he went to pick her up and put her in her crib she didn't even budge. Needless to say Mommy was very jealous she got a nap! :)

Then that night we were doing our evening ritual of helping the girls pick up their toys before bed. This is Kylee's way of contributing to the process. Sit in the box where all the toys are suppose to go then you just can't put the toys away! Problem solved in the mind of a 19 month old (or so she thought). Good thing she is cute because she is very mischievous also!


Also I wanted to congratulate Mattison me little miss smart girl!!! She has a November birthday so she is suppose to wait a whole another year before she started kindergarten but Billy and I prayed about it and felt we needed to have her tested early. Luckily we found a new charter school testing early kindergarten children. She went and did her screening and the advisor said she is VERY ready for school and that she would put her on the enrollment lists that day!! She was VERY excited to hear that (to say the least). She said do I get to go to class now? The advisor and I both laughed at her enthusiasm and explained that school didn't start until August 10th. Almost everyday since the test she has asked if it is time to start school. Billy and I are very proud of her and her excitement for learning. Good job baby girl!!! Then the advisor talked to me a few days later and asked me if I would be willing to help them interview for the 3rd kindergarten teacher they were looking to hire. I said yes and was very excited when they asked for my help on input in selecting a teacher. Should be an adventure! :)

Happy Father's Day!!!

These shoes are too big on me, as you can plainly see.
Even when I am grown though, they'll still be big on me.
The reason is quite simple; I'm sure you will agree.
No one can fill these shoes quite like my daddy.

Happy Father's Day!
We love you!!