Those Crazy Lewis'

cute couple

2009-10-09T21:20:00.000-07:00

So I had to post some pictures of myself for an introduction for my online classes. So Richard and I took a few self-pictures that were so cute! So happy in love!

Long time coming!

2009-08-22T20:19:00.000-07:00

It has been over 7 months since I've blogged and am not even sure if we have any followers anymore! But we moved to Idaho where Richard and I are both attending BYU-Idaho and loving it! Life is crazy and tough and fun and stressful and everything else in between. The girls are all settled in and they love living close to our good family friends the Vander Stoeps and their Uncle Rob, Uncle Mark, Aunt Anita and of course baby Pax. I love BYU-I and am so thankful for the spirit of the campus. What a good experience for us here. (obviously the dates on the photos are wrong. they have all been taken within the last month and a half)

I've been tagged

2009-01-23T20:44:00.000-08:00

This is so fun to me! It's the first time I've been tagged and it was by my wonderful and beautiful friend Lindsey. So, part of being tagged I have to tag 4 other people. So I'm tagging:
1. The Luke and Andrea Smith Family
2. The Mark and Anita Warnick Family
3. The Jeremy and Christy Smith Family
4. The Scott and Jaime Olsen Family
The Rules:
1. Choose the 4th folder where you store your pictures on your computer
2. Select the 4th picture in the folder
3. Explain the picture
4. Tag 4 people to do the same. No cheating

As with many of the pictures in our pics files, this one was taken by Sadie Mae of me driving off to go to work. Boring...I know

mess with the bull....

2009-01-21T21:41:00.001-08:00

Okay so I don't think Richard fully knew what he was getting into when he married me. Yeah sure he knew that I was fiesty, and he knew that I spoke my mind but did he really understand the depth I would take it? Let me explain...

You all know that Richard is leaving his company. It has been great (for the most part) for him and for our family, and in some aspects they have really taken care of him. Every year they have a manager appreciation banquet in January. And yadda yadda yadda we went so he could say good-bye to everyone ( after 5 years and 6 different restaurants within the company he has many friends). It was nice to hear how he impacted SO many people's lives. He is admired, and loved by those who have worked for him and those he has worked for alike. So to make an already long story short...I feel he got totally jipped (and so do many others) and should have had a promotion. So when the owner of the company approached me I wanted to leave an impression. Here's our conversation,

Owner ~ "You're gonna keep your house here just in case Richard decides to come back right?"

Me ~ "Oh I don't think so but thanks."

Owner ~ "I'm really sad to see him leave."

Me ~ "If you would have promoted him he would probably not be leaving."

awkward pause

Owner ~ "Oh well he's next in line and he knows that."

Me ~ "Yeah and we both know how that goes."

awkward pause

Owner ~ "Well ..." and then he kinda trailed off and walked away.

I don't like it when my wonderful, amazing husband gets taken for granted. The moral of the story is "When you mess with the bull, you're gonna get the wife!" But we did have a good time and Richard has made some great friends. Richard will be sad to leave them.

BYU-Idaho or Bust

2009-01-10T14:01:00.001-08:00

So I guess it's time to finally post our huge news...we are moving to idaho to attend BYU-I full time. (I haven't been accepted yet since Henley High sucks!!! It's taken over 2 months for them to send my transcripts) Richard starts school in April and we are moving february 1st. It's exciting and we are so looking forward to it. We will be close to my brothers Robert and Mark, my sister-in-law Anita, my cousin Jessica (who is a maneater at BYU-I) and our close family friends the Vanderstoeps. Fun Fun. We can't wait.

Cooking with Daddie

2008-12-31T12:12:00.000-08:00

Many people know that my hobby at home is cooking and that I love to be in the kitchen. What makes it even more fun is to cook with the kids. Awhile back Adrienne and I started a dinner program at home where the kids will cook dinner on most nights. We do this about 4 nights per week and we rotate the nights between McKenzie, Halie and Sadie. They all love the 1 on 1 time with Mom or Dad (usually Mom because of my schedule) and you would be amazed at what they can do in the kitchen. They have learned many skills and cooking has built a lot of confidence within them selves.

Here is a picture of our 3 oldest after we made muffins and omellettes from scratch. They all had a hand in the process and truly did about 95% of the preparation and cooking. We used recipes out of the Ratatouille cookbok that Adrienne's mom sent them for Christmas. Bon Apetit!

Happy 10th Anniversary!!!!!

2008-12-18T19:55:00.000-08:00

Oh what an amazingly happy day! Today (actually it's tomorrow but we are celebrating today), 10 years ago, I made the best decision of my life. Richard and I got married and I became the luckiest, most blessed woman in the world. It's crazy to look back through this past decade and see what we've been through. Look at how far we've come. I am so thankful that Richard is in my life. I can't find the words that adequately describe my love for him. I wanted everyone to know how much I love and how much I love the life we have created together. I know that I can make it through any trial with him by my side. I know how corny this sounds, but he is my true soul mate. Everyone thought we were crazy when we got married but I knew the first moment I spoke to him that he was the one I would spend eternity with. Here are the top 10 reasons why I love him (in no particular order)...

10. He puts up with how emotional I am (I get teary eyed over EVERYTHING)

9. He has given me a beautiful family

8. He is very sensitive to my needs

7. He always puts me first

6. He lets me put my cold feet on his warm legs to warm them up (and he HATES cold feet)

5. He makes me feel beautiful

4. He loves me no matter my size

3. He makes up funny songs that make me laugh

2. He is a romantic at heart

1. He makes me happy

He watches chick flicks with me

He is an extraordinary father

He has a testimony and loves the Lord

He cooks for me (I hate to cook)

He ooohhh's and aaahhh's over all my scrapbook page ( and I show him pages all the time)

I couldn't stop at just 1o.... Happy Anniversary Baby! I am so in love with you!

For his gift I made him a 10x20 time line of our blissful 10 years and framed it.

6 Week Update

2008-12-14T20:28:00.000-08:00

6 Weeks ago I started the Slim in 6 diet and exercise program by beach body. I vowed to lose weight and was determined to stick by my goal. After 6 hard weeks I wanted to give an update...

I lost a total of 16 pounds and about 10 3/4 total inches.

4 3/4 in. from my waist
2 in. from my hips
2 1/4 in. from my bust
3/4 in. from my right bicep
1 in. from my thigh

I am so excited and this has given me enough motivation to continue on with my goal. My total weight loss goal is to lose 37 lbs. So I have 21 more pounds to go.

picture freak

2008-12-13T20:32:00.000-08:00

That is totally what I am...a camera constantly up in my kids faces. In fact here is the proof. I was taking self portraits of myself and Natalie last sunday and when I reviewed the pictures, to my surprise she was smiling in ALL of them. Without anyone behind the camera trying to make her smile. I laughed. She is so used to the camera already and she is only 8 months old.

smarty pants

2008-12-12T20:00:00.000-08:00

Today McKenzie was honored at her school for her excellent achievement in math. No surprise there. She is always at the top of her grade for everything. She was just nominated by her teacher to join the GATE (gifted and talented education) program. She scored in the 99% nationally in the standardized testing. She is so funny. We got her report card today and we were going over all her scores in each subject and we got to P.E. and she says

"Oh PE...that is my WORST subject."

It's so opposite of me in school. I always excelled at anything athletic and sucked in everything academic. Richard excelled in both (brat!) However McKenzie still got the highest score in PE since according to her "I still have to do good."

Halie's teacher chose to honor the kids who were at the bottom of the class and pulled themselves up higher. This is a good chance for those kids that are trying really hard, but sucky for Halie since she is always at the top of the class for every subject. Funny thing about Halie is that she got all 'O's for outstanding except in PE. She got an S for satisfactory. What is up with that? She is so athletic and always has been.

All in all they got amazing grades and are both having to get extra work all the time. I am so thankful that they excel in academics.

Brothers

2008-12-09T15:47:00.000-08:00

Many of you know that both of my sisters had babies at the begining of November. They are two days apart. How cute! (and my brother and sister (in-law) are having a boy in march) I love that about having a big family....siblings having babies at the same time so that cousins are the same age. Well Andrea has a blog so I can see pictures of Porter (when she posts :) ) anytime but Aubrey doesn't. She sent me pictures of little Micheal and big brother James and they are so stinkin' cute!! I couldn't resist posting them.

I have several boxes of nice baby girl clothes that I am saving for anyone who has a girl. I think it's so funny that every single person, and I am not exagerating, that is having a baby around me is having or had a boy.

I'm thankful for...

2008-11-27T22:54:00.000-08:00

Ahhhh thanksgiving week ~ I love it so much for several reasons!

1.) A time to reflect on all of my blessings

2.) Most years we spend time with family
3.) The girls are off of school for a week

Just to mention a few. But this week we are in Orange county visiting Richard's sister and brother-in-law, Jennifer and Omar, and his mom Marian. We are having a fabulous week so far and it's almost over. It's going to be so sad to leave. We have been to the Natural history museum in LA, the children's museum in Santa Ana, the USC campus, up to visit Uncle Omar at his job (he is a police officer for LA county), and to the beach.

Thanksgiving dinner was awesome today! Jennifer made everything so nice and wonderful. Tomorrow we are off to Knott's Berry Farm amusement park. We will be joined by Grandma Marian, GG (Grandma Gail or Great Grandma), Aunt Jennifer, Uncle Omar and possibly Crystal who is Omar's sister. Should be big fun.

The girls love being in big cities. Everytime we come here we want to move here! It's such an amazing area. We love it. But something tells me it wouldn't be the best thing for our family to pay $2000.00 a month to rent an apartment. Crazy!

So that sums up thanksgiving week so far!

oh how they grow

2008-11-20T15:15:00.000-08:00

It's hard to believe that Natalie is already almost 8 months old. She is such a little cutie! She has the best smile and it just melts our hearts. (she rarely smiles for anyone outside her family) I love how anytime she does anything all 3 of the other girls go "OHHHHHHH" in a high voice. She has recently started saying "DaDa." It'sabsolutely adorable.

We celebrated Halie's 7th birthday a couple of weeks ago. She is such a beautiful girl and brings so much joy and many laughs into our home. We took her to Applebee's (of course we did, the girls love it when they get sung to), and then Richard took the girls to see High School Musical 3.

What a different birthday from last year. Last year she had a round of chemo a few days before her birthday and was totally fatiqued on her big day. This year we ran, laughed, played, and just enjoyed each other! What difference a year makes.

Oh and FYI...Halie had an appointment with her oncologist yesterday and she is doing GREAT! She is getting better at getting her blood drawn, that is to say that she isn't freaking out anymore. She still cries at first but she's trying! What a champ. She is growing perfectly and her remaining kidney looks great. It's such a relief after each appointment to get the phone call saying that everything looks good. We kind of hold our breath until we get it!

A Rosalie????

2008-11-14T21:10:00.000-08:00

What's up with that? When I think of Rosalie I think of a spoiled brat who loves only herself. How is that me?

Oh girls, girls, girls

2008-11-14T20:09:00.000-08:00

Last sunday Richard and I were sitting on the couch when a little note was passed to us. It was a handwritten invitation to a "nail salon." It was adorable! We went and I got a manicure while Richard enjoyed a pedicure. They had a nail dryer set up (a fan), along with a nail station, a make-up station, and a hair station. When I was finished I tipped them all 2 quarters and the 'technicians' couldn't have been happier. This is why I LOVE having girls. They have such great imaginations and can play for hours with almost nothing.

change is in the air!

2008-11-13T20:06:00.001-08:00

Okay so I'm going to do something out of the ordinary for me. I am going to make myself very vulnerable. I'm putting myself out there and am going to tell everyone of my biggest struggle since Sadie's been born. (okay not my biggest, but it's pretty up there on the list) After Sadie was born I had 20 extra pounds that I could just not get rid of. I tried everything and seriously nothing worked. I battled with self-esteem issues everyday. Well then I had my sweet little Natalie and was stuck with another 20 extra pounds on top of the already 20. Those of you who know me, know that I have always been relatively small weighing around 115-120, and athletic. So an 40 pounds of flub is just disgusting to me! So to add to this trial, I also suffered from Postpartum depression after Natalie was born. So all the extra weight was making my postpartum worse. And I am not a depressive person. I hate being down!

Anyways I am not one of those lucky women who loses weight when they nurse (actually if you are one of those moms please don't ever talk to me again!). Well the past few months I have been feeling more like me and getting past the depression. And Natalie decided to ween herself off of nursing and so I have decided to make a change. I am getting serious about this weight loss and started the slim in 6 program by beach body. I started Nov. 3rd and as of yesterday (Nov. 12th) I have lost 9 pounds. I am ecstatic! It is about time and hope to have lost at least another 10 by the time I am done with my program in 4 1/2 weeks.

So when I am done with the slim in 6 I will start the power 90. I feel liberated and am glad that this is working for me. I have been eating SO healthy and about 1100 calories a day. I am only eating fresh food (almost only, I have been eating some brown rice and stone ground whole wheat bagels), and although I am not strictly vegetarian but have been eating tofu and surprisingly loving it! So if anyone has any recipe ideas for tofu...bring it on please!

So there it is...it's all out there and you all know the embarrassing truth about me. I will keep you posted on my weight loss. And no way am I posting my awful 'before' photos.

Cutie Cousins

2008-11-05T11:15:00.000-08:00

Oh my gosh we are so lucky to have my niece and nephew stay with us for a few days. Andrea had her baby on Monday morning (2:34 am) and since Luke is in school and they don't have any family around, we went and picked them up yesterday and brought them to Oroville. It is so funny to see how much Taylor and Sadie love each other. They play SO well and just giggle all the time. It's also fun to have a boy around. Andrew cracks me up! He is an excellent artist. Iam used to getting drawings of castles, ponies, hearts, and rainbows. Well Andrew drew a picture of iron man along with a detailed picture of his hand and glove. It was so cute. I have the best memories of my cousins Kathleen and Christy when I was young and now I get to watch my kids make memories with their cousins.

Sad day for America

2008-11-04T23:13:00.000-08:00

It's a sad day in America. Americans have fallen for the smoke and mirrors and are expecting The Chosen One to make "change." How disappointed we will be when the only change he makes is to his stance on nearly every major issue facing our times. America will not be any better in four years. Only deeper in debt with increased spending on social programs, looser borders and higher taxes.

Mark my words!!

Should have elected Ron Paul.

on with the sugar high

2008-11-02T14:11:00.000-08:00

So halloween marks our one year blogging anniversary! Yeah happy day to us. Halloween gets more and more fun as the girls get older. It was fun to see Sadie's excitement this year since she knew what was coming. When we were in disney world, we bought the girls really nice princess outfits. So McKenzie went as Princess Jasmine and Halie went as Princess Ariel. Sadie went as Strawberry Shortcake and Natalie was a lion cub. Richard dressed up as a vampire because he's awesome like that. He always tries to dress up with the girls. I dressed up as a devil for work but didn't think it was a wise choice for the ward halloween party so I changed it up and painted my face as a hillbilly. Anyways it was such a fun night and halloween is so great because it kicks off the holiday season.

old school

2008-10-30T14:38:00.000-07:00

I found this picture of Richard and myself from almost 5 years ago. We are getting ready to celebrate our 10th anniversary and this picture is from right after our 5th! It's so fun to look at picture from earlier on in our marriage. I love it!

With a snip snip here!

2008-10-27T19:59:00.000-07:00

Before

After

Sadie has wanted to get her haircut since the girls got theirs cut. It has taken months to convince Richard to let me do it. Then right after I cut it Sadie started crying saying that she wanted her long hair back. But she loves it now and so do we!

Totally Oblivious

2008-10-20T12:24:00.001-07:00

Our sweet little McKenzie is totally oblivious thank goodness. She is such a good kid and she has it all. She is so super smart. (Just on a side note, she was chosen to be in a little study on reading at her school. She is in thrid grade and was reading 7th and 8th grade literature) She is beautiful sweet, funny, compassionate and developed for her age. All the boys like her. I went to pick her up from school a couple of weeks ago and she was out on the playground. She was in between two boys who were each pulling on an arm and shouting at each other,

"She's MY McKenzie"

"No she's MY McKenzie"

and so on. She of course was just laughing away! She's always coming home with little trinkets, or erasers, or paper airplanes that different boys in her class have given her. When I ask her why they have given her these things she just shrugs and says "I don't know." So thank goodness she is still sweet and innocent and clueless. This is going to be scary when she gets a little older. Oh by the wAy...she now wears the same size shoe as me (size 7 women) and is less than a head shorter than me! She's so funny and such a joy to us. I have enjoyed sharing stories with her from my childhood. We are very different and she thinks I was a funny kid!

Robinson Crusoe

2008-10-13T20:48:00.000-07:00

Yeah the girls tried out for their first play last monday. We had a big talk about maybe not making it and all that good stuff. There were 70 kids that tried out and about half made it. McKenzie and Halie both got small parts. It was for k-12 grades. Little did I know what I was getting myself into. The girls had rehearsals last week from 3:30-8:00 with a dinner break from 5:30-6:00. To finish off the week they had 2 shows on saturday. It made for an EXTREMELY long week for all of us. Natalie was the token crying kid which is always fun (no naps, out of routine etc...). But the girls, especially McKenzie, had so much fun. Richard went to the first show, had dinner with the girls in between shows and then went to work. I attended the second show with Sadie and Natalie. Kenzie was so dramatic and exciting to watch. Halie was also great but she was very tired from the long week and was not very happy to have to do a second show. It was very fun experience for the girls and next time I will be more prepared for hell week! FYI...McKenzie was part of the frownie face tribe (the one in the back row with the bright blue wig) and Halie was a dancing chameleon.

Oh the joys of a 3 year old

2008-10-11T13:11:00.000-07:00

Terrible twos....yeah right! Three is so much harder and when you have a child who is extremely strong~willed, it's that much harder. If you know our little Sadie than you know what I'm talking about. She is such an amazing girl. But for all the highs come the lows. Sadie is going to make my hair turn grey prematurely. So the other day she stole something from the store. AHHHHHHHH! Luckily Richard was with me so I didn't have to drag everyone back into the store. So as I'm dragging her back, she yells at me through the screams,

"Oh yeah, do you know what I'm gonna do? Tomorrow I'm gonna spank you!"

This is interesting since neither Richard nor I believe in spanking and have never spanked her!

Anyways Sadie and I went and found the manager and I made her tell him what she had done. Now keep in mind the store is full (of course it would be), and she is screaming, not crying, at the top of her lungs. It sucked. But she is so stinkin' cute most of the time and so much fun to be with. You gotta love her!

Porky Puppy

2008-10-08T21:54:00.000-07:00

Well we (I) named Belle's puppy. I told Richard he could name her but he took too long so I went ahead and named her Esme (sounds like Ezmay). Those of you who have read the twilight books know it's not such a weird name. Anyways she is SO cute and super fat! We just love having her around. (Sadie especially) She still sleeps all the time and if you pick her up she molds her body into your hands to get comfy and she's out again. It's so fun.

Pictures...what else?

2008-10-06T20:02:00.000-07:00

We went and got our pictures done in sacramento a couple of weeks ago. We haven't gotten back to pick them up yet but here is a small preview of the photos. The girls loved it so much and even Sadie was quite the little poser (McKenzie was a HUGE poser and loves getting pictures done!) We had fun.

Find Joy in the Journey

2008-10-05T15:10:00.000-07:00

While I was listening to President Monson today during conference, one quote just struck me to my core. He said "Find joy in the journey." He was referring to the journey of life. I feel overwhelmed with the daily grind of motherhood sometimes. While I absolutely love being a mother, it often comes with hardships. At times I feel bogged down with simple things like laundry, dishes, bills, chores, etc. President Monson seemed to speak directly to me and I am so thankful that Heavenly Father inspires our Prophets and Apostles. I do love being a mother, and I don't want to get too caught up in cleaning and stressing out to wake up one day and have my kids grown. How thankful I am for this simple, yet vital, reminder of my priorities.

Girls just want to have fun!

2008-10-01T22:15:00.000-07:00

The girls have always loved dressing up in fancy dresses and putting make-up on. I used to do it all the time with Kenzie and Halie and poor Sadie has gotten the shaft. This is the first time Sadie has gotten to do this. They put on a very fun show for Daddy! He was uncomfortable with how old they looked. I think he was seeing the scary future with 4 heartbreakers!

It's not what you know...

2008-09-26T15:55:00.000-07:00

I've learned a thing or two at my part-time gig at the apple. It's not what you know, it's who you know. That is so true for me right now. Since I started at applebees Richard and I have wanted me to work wed-fri lunch shifts. I have only gotten 2 days a week though (with the occasional 3 days). Seniority rules. So Richard decides to mention this casually to Blake (the company V.P.) who loves Richard. Later that night I was checking email when I noticed an email from Blake. The subject said 'Your Wife'. Interesting...Of course I read it and it stated that my new schedule would be just that, wed-fri lunches. Sure enough when I checked my schedule that's what it was. I think my managers were a little miffed. If I was awful I would feel bad. But I don't.

PUPPIES

2008-09-25T20:30:00.000-07:00

Belle had puppies today. This is good and bad news. Let me condense a whole afternoon into a paragraph. I went to work at 10:30 right before Belle had her first pup. Richard called me at 1:00 saying that the second pup was breach and was stuck halfway out for about 30 minutes and he was pretty sure it was dead. He had been trying to help her deliver it, but it was stuck and whenever he tried, Belle would scream. So I rushed home and during a contraction pulled the pup out. It was almost twice as big as the first one and it was dead. A while later she started to have the third one and it was also breach and though I tried to help her deliver this one also, it was not budging. It ended up coming out a lot quicker than the first one but it died as well. The first little pup was definately the runt and Belle is such a good little mom to her. Both Belle and puppy seem to be doing well.

'Just a little frosting'

2008-09-15T20:46:00.000-07:00

I love my girls having their ears pierced. I just think it looks so beautiful with their little faces. I have learned a thing or two about doing it though since my first baby. McKenzie was 2 1/2 when I got her ears pierced and Halie was 1 1/2. They were so hard when it came time to clean them or change them. Although it didn't hurt, it really scared them. Well Sadie got hers done when she was 6 months old and it was night and day!! She was so easy. Never cared if I cleaned, wiped, turned, or changed them. I couldn't wait to get Nattie's done. We had them done on Friday

(9-12-08). The girls were SO freaked out and worked up that she would be in pain. She cried for maybe 30 seconds. She looks so stinkin' cute. It was hard to get a good picture of them but here's the best I could do.

sitting up (mostly)

2008-09-15T20:32:00.000-07:00

Natalie is finally sitting up on her own. She is still wobbly so the girls are just super protective of her. So while I was taking photos, all 3 of the girls are sitting behind her with their hands ready in case she falls. They are so funny!

Songs of Love

2008-09-10T15:18:00.000-07:00

We have been so blessed through our experiences while battling Halie's cancer. We have been hooked up to numerous charitable volunteer organizations. We learned of a group called, Songs of Love, The Medicine of Music. They take information about the wish child and compose a song just for them. Halie received her song two days ago and we have loved listening to it since. It is amazing that someone would devote so much time and talent for someone they don't know. I'm trying to figure out how to post it only to this blog so if you want to hear it you can push play. Does anyone know how to do that? If so please help.

play date

2008-09-05T17:01:00.000-07:00

Halie had a play date on saturday with her little girlfriend Brooklyn. They were in the same kindergarten class and now first grade. They had so much fun swimming, playing school, watching movies and dressing up as princesses.

not gonna jinx it

2008-09-05T16:54:00.000-07:00

OMG (osh).....Natalie has slept through the night for the past 4 nights. Can you believe it? I am planning on moving her bed and dresser into the back room on monday if she sleeps all weekend. (Wow, Richard and I might actually have our room back) Keep your fingers crossed.

How long can this possibly go on?????

2008-08-28T17:25:00.000-07:00

Okay so Natalie started sleeping through the night (8-10 hrs) when she was about 2 1/2 months old. (Sadie was 13 months old and that was after she cried herself to sleep for about a month, 5 hours a night) We were stoked! So in mid july the girls and I went to Monterey to see my sister Andrea and family. Natalie is very routine-oriented and got upset with me for taking her out of her routine. She has not slept through the night since. And the nights are awful. She wakes up sometimes every 30 minutes to eat. Needless to say I have been getting NO sleep. So Richard and I started sleeping in the other room on 2 twin beds next to each other on the floor. That way we can't hear her cry. It's awful I know but necessary. It's been a week and she is still crying all night. I feel so terrible and hope this doesn't last much longer. She is however, extremely strong- willed! On a side note ~ the doctor said she is probably hungry and we should try some food. We have tried peaches, nectarines, sweet potatoes, and green beans. She loves food! (We don't really do the rice cereal first for very long)

Holy Cow

2008-08-26T20:51:00.000-07:00

It seems like a few weeks ago that little Nattie came into our family. But today she turned 5 months old already. She is getting super big. She is a very serious baby and extremely observant. She doesn't give away smiles to just anyone anytime. She is definately the baby of the family. Since I know she is our last, I tend to baby her...alot! She cries if I put her down for even a few minutes. So it doesn't happen a whole lot. But she is a doll! Looks just like the other three.

another year...

2008-08-26T20:07:00.000-07:00

And here we go again! School started yesterday and we are back into the swing of things....at least we will be shortly! It's hard to believe that McKenzie is already in 3rd grade and Halie in 1st. Sadie begged and begged us to go to school. She is only 3 but we decided to let her try it out. If she doesn't like it, we will pull her out. But she absolutely loves it. McKenzie and Halie both love their teachers and classes as well. I take them all to school at 8:00 (Sadie's preschool is at the elementary where the girls go), and then pick up Sadie at 11:00. The girls are riding the bus home this year for the first time. They were so excited to do this since they have never taken the bus. It wore off after 1 minute of no air conditioning. They are the first drop off though and it's like a 2 minute bus ride so I don't feel too bad. They are super cute! All 3 of them with their back packs. Wow life is good!

say good~bye to summer

2008-08-24T21:29:00.000-07:00

In May we had a nasty heat streak where it got up to 110 degrees for a few weeks. Our house usually stays cool from our huge swamp cooler (which works surprisingly well). Unfortunately it was broken and we were roasting so I went out and bought one of those 18 ft x 48 inch pop-up pools. We have loved that thing throughout this hot summer. We had our end of summer swim today after church and boy did we have fun. Of course it is still hot and we still have at least another month of swimming.

Father's Blessings

2008-08-24T21:16:00.000-07:00

When I was growing up, the day before school started my dad would gather us all up and give us Father's blessings. The blessings are just to start the school year off right. We have continued that tradition with our kids. They love this tradition and this year Sadie got her very first one! It was so cute. She has been begging me to go to school since last year. I found out there is a little preschool at the girls' elementary school so I enrolled Sadie. She is so excited she can hardly wait! So the girls all got their Father's blessings tonight and it just bonds them all together. Here are some sweet pictures!

gotta love 3 year olds

2008-08-21T18:24:00.000-07:00

Sadie has been experimenting with what she can and can't say. We've had lots of chats like "Sadie it's not appropriate to say that." So Halie tells me that Sadie called her 'poop and a boys private part.' So I say
"Sadie did you call Halie a boys private part?"
and she says "no mommy, I called her a penis."
I know it's not supposed to be funny but... where does she come up with this stuff?

Bouncy Baby

2008-08-21T17:46:00.000-07:00

Natalie is just one of those babies that you can't put down no matter what. We have tried everything, the swing, the bouncer, a play mat. We moved on to the johnny jump-up. To my surprise she absolutely loved it!!!! That lasted for about 10 minutes and now just like everything else she hates it. Next is the exersaucer.

Jr Giants

2008-08-15T21:40:00.000-07:00

The girls love playing baseball with Richard so we put them in the JR Giants league. They have been having fun. They are divided into leagues by age. 4-6 and 7-9. Halie will be 7 in november but they let her be on the team with McKenzie (thank goodness). she is so tiny on the feild and when she has her batting helmet on, she looks like a bobble head doll. They are really good at hitting and getting better at catching.

full circle

2008-08-15T21:04:00.000-07:00

It has been three months since Richard was transferred out of Applebees. We just miss it. So much in fact that I got a job there serving 3 days a week. Actually Richard got me a job there of course. One night we talked about it and the next day I had a job starting in 3 days. Crazy how life comes full circle. Everybody of course tells me how much they love him and talk about him ALL the time. Everyone keeps tell me how things aren't running smoothly since Richard left. He is so awesome. I swear that I have gotten more training from him than from Applebees. I like it though. I get out of the house a little and get to interact with adults. But I know that my kids are safe and loved since they are at home with their daddy. The girls love it and even Natalie has bonded more with daddy since he gets to give her breastmilk in a bottle.

High fives

2008-08-11T15:20:00.000-07:00

I just love my nieces and nephews. They are always making me laugh. I wanted to share a cute story of my niece Taylor (Andrea's daughter) who is Sadie's age. Every now and then this story pops into my head and just makes me laugh.......So when she started potty training she was getting the typical 'potty treats' for going in the toilet. Like M&M's or whatever. I think that it was either the second or third day, after a successful trip to the potty, her dad went to hand her some M&M's and she looked at him and said, "Daddy I don't want anymore M&M's. Let's do just high fives instead." And that became her potty treats. High fives! What a little cutie!

Good-bye to good friends

2008-07-30T21:40:00.000-07:00

Once in a lifetime a family comes along that you just instantly bond with. When we moved to Ukiah we met the VanderStoep family and our lives were changed. All of our kids get along well with all of their kids. All of the adults also get along so well. I have never met someone like Julie. She is an amazing woman and I just adore her. We moved away from Ukiah a year and a half ago and it seems that we have still seen each other every other month or so. We don't live too far from them. Well they are moving to Las Vegas next week so the girls and I drove to see them and say good-bye. It was an emotional farewell. I know that we will always be close to their family no matter the distance between us. I have learned alot from Julie and will miss her dearly! I am thankful that Heavenly Father crossed our paths. She is truley one of a kind.

smokey shmokey!!

2008-07-30T21:26:00.000-07:00

So the past few months it has been super smokey due to all the wildfires. So bad that the AQI (air quality index) has been hazardous a few days. Meaning that we can't even be outside. So one morning I walked outside and couldn't even see 1/2 mile away. It's crazy! These pics were taken from our front porch.

I don't even know...

2008-07-27T20:15:00.000-07:00

Within the past year and a half our family has been plaqued with cancer diagnosis'. Last March my mother-in-law Marian was diagnosed with breast cancer. In July it was Halie with a wilms tumor, followed by Richard's Aunt Dolores in August with ovarian cancer. Richard's grandfather (Pap) is the most recent victim. He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer a few months ago. We are happy to say that Marian is cancer free as is Halie. Aunt Dolores is still fighting her battle and Pap just began his fight. Richard is close with Pap and Grandma and 2 weeks ago Richard and his sister Jennifer went to Phoenix to visit them. They had a wonderful visit and says that they are both in high spirits.

four fabulous females

2008-07-24T20:11:00.000-07:00

We hear so often when we tell people we have four girls, "Oh I'm so sorry!" It really bothers me that is how people see it. We love having four daughters! Yes we know that it will be crazy when they are all teenagers! Yes we know that they are going to be expensive! Yes we know that we have four weddings to pay for! But give me a break. We are so thankful that we have four healthy children. They are all beautiful. They are all fun. They are all vital to our family and I wouldn't trade any of them for a boy!

Typical

2008-07-24T17:51:00.000-07:00

So we were going to the library to play bug bingo and I told the girls to go get dressed. Halie ~ our sweet little Halie has always been very independent in the way she dresses. She comes out in the funniest outfit. I know that some people would have a cow but I have never cared (as long as it is clean). My feeling is that my kids are going to eventually conform to the fashion that the world thinks is cool. So why not let them be carefree for a time! Who knows, maybe she'll be a trendsetter.

Twilight

2008-07-16T16:03:00.000-07:00

Okay so how many of you are obsessed with the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer? I know it's probably a little bit unhealthy but I love it! I am on her website all the time making sure that I don't miss anything. I can't wait until the last book comes out, Breaking Dawn. There is going to be a party just before the release at midnight at the Barnes and Noble in Chico and I am trying to get Richard to go with me. But regardless I will be there. Andrea got me into it and when I went to visit her this past weekend we spent time talking about it and exploring articles on the internet about the movie. 16 days and counting....

Our little girl is all grown up...

2008-07-15T22:09:00.000-07:00

Okay not really grown up but McKenzie was baptized 2 weeks ago. It's crazy that she is already at that age! We had a great weekend and got support from our families. Mom and Dad Warnick came, along with Andrea, Luke and their kids Taylor and Andrew. We also were lucky enough that Richard's mom Marian came to support McKenzie. She is not a member of our church but knew how important it was. Aubrey and James came the day after the baptism also. We all had a great time playing games, talking, laughing, and eating. We are so proud of McKenzie and what a wonderful daughter she is. She was so excited to get baptized. It was great to see her enthusiasm and know that we are teaching her correct principles. She strives to learn in the gospel and has enjoyed being able to attend achievement night. ( Achievement night is a church activity night held once a month with other girls ages 8-11.)

Choice and Accountability

2008-07-10T18:35:00.000-07:00

Growing up my dad had about a hundred lectures that he would give to us kids. We had most of them numbered by frequency of the lecture. Lecture #1...Choice and Accountability. This one we heard the most. Whenever he would start this lecture I would roll my eyes or chuckle under my breath. But as I have grown I have learned to greatly appreciate that lecture. Right now a person very close to us is really struggling. It seems like he continues to make so many painful decisions that lead him down an extremely dangerous path. We keep thinking his choices couldn't get worse, but they do. It is the point of no return now and there are devastating consequences to his many bad choices. The problem is that now his choices aren't just affecting him, they are affecting everyone who loves him (including his kids). As I sit back and look at the wreckage he is leaving behind him my heart breaks. I could have just as easily been on the same destructive path. I chose a different way (after many of my own trial). Somewhere in the back of my mind was dad's old lecture # 1. I am so thankful to my dad for teaching me such an important lesson.

Identical???

2008-06-25T21:13:00.000-07:00

Okay I am totally posting this for everybody who has ever said that Sadie looks identical to me. I came across this really cute photo of Andrea and Aubrey and myself. I was Sadie's exact age. As you can see we really don't look anything alike. Luckily for her she's so much cuter!

Silly Sadie

2008-06-21T22:30:00.000-07:00

Sadie comes up with the funniest things...most of the time I forget them and I wish that I didn't. So I wanted to note a couple of recent things that made me laugh.

Last week at church one of my girlfriends was holding Natalie so I could teach Relief Society. Natalie was sleeping so Marcy was going to hold her during sacrament meeting. Sadie looked up at me with huge tears in her eyes and said "Mommy is she buying our baby?"

Again last sunday there was a little girl getting confirmed and receiving the Holy Ghost. I told Sadie this fact and that we needed to be reverent. She started asking me during the blessing "where's the Holy Ghost mom? I don't see him!" She was trying to be quiet but wasn't. It was so funny.

Today we had some huge lightning bolts and very loud thunder. It really scared Sadie. She started crying and asked me, "is Cruella gonna come through the door?" She had watched 101 dalmations and whenever Cruella comes to the door it's thundering and lightning outside. She was truly scared.

one more thing....

2008-06-21T22:21:00.000-07:00

I forgot to add one of the best part of our disney trip. That is the fact the Natalie cried so much. It was always the worst at the end of the night of course. One night we were leaving magic kingdom and we had to take a ferry boat to get to the tram to get to our car (which was actually parked 5 miles from the park). On the ferry boat Natalie was screaming so hard while Richard was holding her, and a little girl (about 12 or so) was asking Richard questions about her. Then she says, "Natalie...Natalie...do you call her noisy Natalie? That sums up her on the trip.

All smiles :)

2008-06-19T14:08:00.000-07:00

Here are the first pictures that I have taken of Natalie smiling. Aren't they so stinkin' cute? The girls were behind the camera making her smile.

Disney done right!

2008-06-13T12:08:00.000-07:00

What an amazing trip to Disneyworld! I don't have enough space or time to give all the details but I wish I could. We had a blast. It was fun, exciting, tiring, new, adventurous, thrilling and so many more things.

So all the theme parks were one aspect of our trip. We went to magic kingdom, animal kingdom, epcot center, disney MGM, and sea world. We learned that McKenzie really likes roller coasters (just like her mama), Halie really likes the rides that have a really big drop (like splash mountain), and the characters were pure magic to Sadie. It was fun to be able to go on a ride with the older girls and share that experience with them. They are so fun. Sadie was super good. We were a little worried but it turned out to be for no reason.

The other part of our trip was where we stayed. It was a resort called 'Give Kids the World.' I have never seen anything so heartwarming in my life. This resort is strictly for kids who are getting wishes granted to them. The resort has 60 full time staff and 5,000 volunteers; 5,000 angels. They had a ton of activities at the resort, like parties, karaoke, life size candy land game, dance and limbo contests and so many more. It was so touching to see kids who were in wheel chairs, or deformed or bald who were dancing or singing the same as everyone else. They were able to let loose and have a great time and not feel different. Every child there understood them. We met families who understood exactly what we went through the past year, and form a bond with them through only a smile.

While the parks were absolutey fabulous (and I wouldn't have traded our time there) the 'Give Kids the World' resort gave us so much to be thankful for. What a blessing it was for our family to see the selfless service of so many people in our behalf.

It's G rated....I promise

2008-05-26T10:30:00.000-07:00

The other night I took a shower before bed (which I don't normally do). A few minutes later Richard crawled into bed and started kissing my neck.

"Ohhhh" I hear him say.

"What?" I responded.

"You smell like woman!"

"What do you mean I smell like woman?"

"Well you normally smell more like mommy."

"What do you mean?"

"Well you know Nattie spits up alot!"

Oh the joys of mother hood!! I laughed and laughed and was so thankful that we are in this parenting thing together and that Richard loves me no matter what I smell like!

wish-granting

2008-05-26T10:01:00.000-07:00

Halie had her wish granting party on thursday at Applebees. Our good friends the VanderStoeps came over from Ukiah and Halie also invited her teacher, Mrs Rich, and her principal, Mrs. Crumb. Our make-a-wish volunteers brought gifts for all of us including Natalie. Wehad fun and it made our trip a reality.

OUT WITH THE OLD....

2008-05-20T20:57:00.000-07:00

And finally in with the new. McKenzie decided that she wanted to cut her hair super short like Halie's. So two nights ago I cut about 7 inches off of McKenzie's hair and Halie couldn't hide her excitement.She hasn't smiled that big and been that giddy since - I don't know when. So Richard and I told her that she should ditch her wig the next day at school and tell her classmates that it was too hot so her and McKenzie decided to cut their hair (it has been 105 degrees), and she went for it. Yesterday was the first time that she hasn't worn her wig to school since september. Her hair is so cute, super curly and it has come in dark. She just looks adorable. She said that this boy in her class kept saying to her "Hellooooo beautiful!" all day. And she said that she was much cooler all day. Normally she comes home and her hair is just dripping in sweat. What a huge step for her. It seems like normality is returning to her life. We also got her latest test results and all is still clear. She looks great. Her remaining kidney is functioning great. Life is superb!

My Mommy

2008-05-13T22:17:00.000-07:00

My mom is the best! She has been so helpful and I am so glad she is my mom. She has taught me so many things and I love her so much.

Ten things I love about Mom

10. She is extremely selfless

9. She loves to laugh and her laugh is infectious

8. She always has good advice

7. She is always willing to listen no matter how many times she's heard it

6. She is very thoughtful

5. She loves movies as much as I do

4. She is always putting others first

3. She always has the answers to gospel questions

2. She is the best grandmother

1. She is an awesome example

thank you mom for being so wonderul

These times they are-a-changin'...

2008-05-13T21:59:00.000-07:00

After five years of being part of the Applebee's family, we finally say good-bye. Yes it's true Richard can no longer be referred to as 'Brother Applebee' (and he actually was, it was so annoying). Richard got a great opportunity within his company to move to another concept called Logan's Roadhouse. He is Mr. Fix-it. He is to the restaurant business what Mr. Wolf (Harvey Keitel's character) is in Pulp Fiction. He was asked to go to a struggling store and turn it around and if he is successful he will be able to move up quickly. It is a great opportunity for him and for our family. The girls were very upset by this move and could not understand how Daddy could leave Applebee's. I'm sure they will come to terms with it eventually. It is hard to believe that we can't eat there for free whenever we want. Bummer!! I am proud of Richard and he has worked so hard to get here. His company really loves him...who doesn't? GO RICHARD!

Our First Milestone

2008-05-01T22:05:00.000-07:00

Nattie has reached her first milestone....She has finally grown out of her newborn diapers. It's about time, she is already 5 weeks old. I think she is about 8 and a half pounds or so. She is starting to get chucky. Well kinda. Here are a couple of cute pics.

Life is good

2008-04-25T15:46:00.000-07:00

As much as I love Natalie, I'm starting to wonder how I ever thought I could handle 4 kids!!!! I could handle 3 kids with my eyes closed but having 4.......that's a whole different story. My laundry is piled to the ceiling and we have resorted to using plastic utensils out of necessity. I have a lways been the type to fix my hair and make sure my makeup is done. But now I'm lucky if I've had a shower by the time Richard gets home. It is just choas. But I have always been good at dealing with choas and so I will adapt I'm sure....right??? Thank goodness for McKenzie and Halie. McKenzie is so helpful to me with Natalie and Halie will help me with house work and such. Ya know it's really not bad just hard. I'm so thankful that I have such a wonderful husband who never complains and is so helpful. The other day had been an extremely hard day with Sadie and Natalie. It was bedtime and I had just had it with Sadie's attitude so I had put her in her room. She was screaming at the top of her lungs while she was hitting and kicking her door. Natalie was in the other room screaming at the top of her lungs and I was just crying. And then Richard came in the front door with a look of terror on his face (apparently he could hear everything from outside). I looked at him and yelled "welcome to hell"! He immediately calmed Sadie down and took Natalie. Then he kissed me and said, "I missed you today. Is everything alright?" And since he was home it was. He has such a calming demeanor. Thank goodness!!!

Sweet Natalie

2008-04-02T21:05:00.000-07:00

I've always said that babies have their personalities inside the womb. Natalie has been true to that. She was just so mellow in my belly. She is such a sweet little baby. She loves to sleep. She actually sleeps so much that I try to wake her up because I miss her. She sleeps very well at night also which is so nice. She looks just like Halie did except not as chubby. She weighed 5 lbs 14 oz when we left the hospital. She is tiny. She just fits right into our family. The girls all adore her. We love how our family has grown and can't imagine our lives without her.

We have a new baby!!!!!!

2008-03-31T09:09:00.001-07:00

Just thought that I would let everyone know that we have had our new baby! She is beautiful and healthy and perfect. Her name is Natalie Jaa Lewis, 6 lbs. 9 oz. and 20 inches long. She is very sweet and barely makes a peep. She is so quiet that it's easy to forget that she is even with us.

We will post some pics of her as soon as we can. Our computer crashed so life isn't as techno-easy as it normally is. Be patient! She's worth the wait!!!

Oh, by the way, Mom is doing great as well.

2008-03-16T15:11:00.000-07:00

Here is the fun part about having girls...doing girlie stuff. Yesterday I gave the girls facials and manicures. It was so fun.Their favorite part was getting the mud masks. Aren't they cute.

This is why

2008-03-07T10:07:00.000-08:00

Poor Richard, surrounded by girls. I'm sure he has wondered why he won't have a son. The reason is so clear to me...He is an amazing Daddy to his girls. He surprises me sometimes at how tender he is with them. We have a lot of emotions flying around our house all the time and he is so patient. It annoys me so bad when the girls start fighting or pouting but he always handles the 'situations' like a champ. Our girls are so lucky! A couple of nights ago after the girls had gone to bed, Sadie came out with Skywishes. Skywishes is a pink baby my little pony. She announced that Skywishes wanted to sleep with Daddy. She tucked the little pony into Daddy's arms, gave him a kiss, made him give Skywishes a kiss and went back to bed. Richard was so sweet about it. It melted my heart. I couldn't have asked for a better Daddy for my kids.

Praise Pregnancy

2008-02-29T12:19:00.000-08:00

I have never been one of those women who just love being pregnant. As a matter of fact I actually have a difficult time coping with the fatness, hormones, stretch marks, and comments from others. But this pregnancy I have decided to embrace it. I think that one main reason is because I know it is my last pregnancy ever! I have always wanted to have a professional photographer take those really nice 'belly' pictures of me when I was pregnant but was always too em brassed of my big belly, and stretch marks, not to mention too grumpy. Well for valentine's day this year, that is just what Richard bought me. Last night we had our pictures done and it was a great experience for all of us. I love the photos and wish I could post them all but here are a few of my favorites. (Isn't my husband the greatest?) Halie was insistent that we take one of just her and my belly.

CANCER FREE!!

2008-02-21T09:54:00.000-08:00

We got the official word that Halie is cancer free! It is what we have been waiting for since she was diagnosed. When I told Halie that she was cancer free, she burst into tears. This is the most emotion she has shown about any of this. I just held her and told her how proud her Daddy and I were of her. She is an inspiration. This morning there was a radio-athon for St. Jude Children's Hospital, and people were telling stories of their children's battle with cancer. Many of the stories ended in death and I was moved to tears. I am so thankful that healing was a part of Heavenly Father's plan for Halie. I am thankful for the faith that all of you had and the many prayers that were offered in her behalf. I know that Heavenly Father has a plan for us all. When Halie was first diagnosed I couldn't figure out why it had to be Halie. Going through this ordeal has taught our family, and especially me, so many things about love, faith and compassion. It has changed me forever. Thank you all.

Family Time

2008-02-20T22:43:00.000-08:00

We finally got some time to hang out as a family. It was really nice. We were also celebrating Halie's good news at the Pizza Parlor, and then went to get some ice cream. It was a really nice day and long overdue!

What's up with that?

2008-02-17T19:00:00.001-08:00

So...at church today, I walked into a conversation between Richard and the Bishop. Bishop Nelson was telling Richard about how his wife had twisted her ankle and it was just massively swollen. Then he says, and I quote, "It was so big,it made your wife's legs look small." What's up with that? Richard and I just looked at him blankly not knowing what to say. When he realized his huge foot was in his huge mouth he quickly said, "That's a compliment." Hmmmm...... Probably not something an 8 1/2 month pregnant woman wants to hear.

Preliminary results

2008-02-15T15:13:00.000-08:00

As most of you know Halie had a CAT scan on wednesday to make sure that she is cancer free. Her oncologist, Dr. Zwerdling, called me today and told me that the preliminary report looked great and that there was no sign of any cancer left. The final results will be in on wednesday and we will let everyone know. But for now we are so hopeful and encouraged! I'm attaching a picture of Halie showing off her new hair growth. She is so happy about it.

AND IT'S A.......

2008-02-15T08:49:00.000-08:00

Those of you who know me, know that I have no patience at all. Richard was really wanting the sex of the baby to be a surprise since it's our last. I was all good with that until I realized that I really wasn't! So I had an ultrasound yesterday. The ultrasound was so cool. It was displayed on a 60 inch flat screen TV right in front of me. I was amazed by the 4D images. I saw the baby sucking on it's hand, and smiling. The baby was sleeping and the ultrasound tech kept pressing on my belly to get the baby to move. Finally after about 30 minutes the baby stirred a little and made some really cute faces. It was a great experience. I went in knowing that we were having a boy. I was proven wrong when I saw without a doubt that we are having another girl! I wasn't as sad as I thought I would be and I think it's because of the 4D images. I suddenly feel like my Aunt Kim and Uncle Lee (who also have 4 daughters). We like the name Natalie, but are not positive yet. I took a few pics off of the DVD so they are not the best, but it's fun to see. By the way, this baby is following in her sisters footsteps...literally. She has huge feet like the other 3!

Single mom?

2008-02-10T16:14:00.000-08:00

It was amazing how many people approached me at church today to tell me that they had seen my husband last week (at applebees of course). My response each time was "Oh how nice that someone saw him!" He has been working so much lately and I have taken for granted how much he really does help me. It's so nice to have a break from "mom - she hit me!" and "mom can you do this for me!" and "mom, mom, mom, mom!" I salute all the single parents. I have never thought that would be an easy job and since having a taste of it I understand a little more. I can't wait normality to return to our house (just in time for it to be turned upside down again with a new baby). Here are some cute pictures from the park day yesterday. They are from Bidwell park in Chico which is one of the largest parks in the country, next to central park.

Halie's wish!!

2008-02-06T12:12:00.000-08:00

So Halie is getting a wish granted by the make a wish foundation. We learned several months ago about this but it has been kind of a slow process. Her wish is to go to Disney World in Orlando and stay in the princess castle. Finally yesterday I got a phone call from her wish coordinator Maria. I learned that the princess castle (for whatever reason) is out of the question until 2009, so Halie could wait until next year or choose to stay at a resort called 'Give Kids The World.' When a Disney World wish is granted the kids normally stay at this resort. She sent me a link so Halie could see it and instantly forgot about the princess castle. It is an amazing place. We would stay in a 2 bed/2 bath villa. There is a movie theater, an ice cream palace, a restaurant where you can dine with any of the Disney characters, pools, arcades, and so much more. And it's all free. As many movies as you want, all the ice cream etc... So that is the tip of the iceberg. Maria told me what the wish en tales and it's unbelievable. It's a 6 night, 7 day vacation. Someone will pick us up at our house and drive us to the airport. When we arrive in Orlando, there will be a greeter there at the gate with a huge sign for Halie! The greeter will have a rental car for us. We will have passes for magic kingdom, epcot center, animal kingdom, sea world, universal studios, and Disney MGM. There are shuttles that run every 15 minutes to and from the resort to all the park which is really convenient with kids. They also will give a check for food and souvenirs for everyone in the family. $60/per day per person (including the baby) for food. And $60 per person for souvenirs. They will also develop all of our film, and have a scrapbook made for Halie! I was moved to tears that there are organizations like this for kids. Halie deserves this. There will be a wish granting party 3-5 days before we leave. If Halie's scans come back clean next week we would like to go at the end of May. So keep your calenders open for the party! by the way...these pictures obviously have nothing to do with Halie's wish but wanted to add some. And the picture of Richard was hilarious. He went through a mustache phase just to annoy me. It only lasted one night!

Applebee's in the House!!

2008-01-31T22:12:00.000-08:00

Well it has been awhile since I last posted but I have a really good excuse. Work has been kicking my butt, but I'm not crying because we are soooooo close to opening! Our official open date is Feb. 5th and we have 2 days of training left this week. It has been a great challenge and I have missed my family dearly for the last 2 weeks but I have learned a lot and am very excited to open this store. It will totally rock this town! I will post some pics of opening day, and as usual if anyone comes and visits us I usually hook up some Apple time for everyone. Hope to see you soon!

Storm of the Century

2008-01-08T21:01:00.000-08:00

If we have seemed distant lately it is because we suffered some damages from the last storm that swept through NorCal last Friday. Last Thursday we were warned that there was a series of 3 storms coming through but we didn't think much of it because nothing major ever really happens, right? WRONG!!!!!!

Adrienne and I woke up at 3a.m. to the sound of a freight train running by our house. It wasn't a freight train, but it was 70+ m.p.h. winds. We sustained quite a bit of damage to the property. Most notable was a loss of power. The roof was also ripped off of the barn, rain gutters ripped off and crumpled up into a heap, and we lost our big pine tree. It snapped at the base. We are pretty bummed about the tree because it was probably 30 years old and it was a nice shade tree in the summer. It almost landed on Adrienne's car but we were lucky. We were out of power for 5 days, and because we run water off of a well we were also out of water.

Needless to say, it has been a trying couple of days. We were totally unprepared so we were definitely taught a lesson. Our bishop was nice enough to loan us a vacant house that he owns for a couple of days so we could shower, do laundry and prepare meals. We are really fortunate that we were restored power after 5 days because we were originally told that it would be 2 weeks. I'll take some pics and post them. The downed tree is pretty impressive.

Family pictures

2007-12-20T23:27:00.000-08:00

Enjoy some of our fall family pictures.

Announcing .....'Belle!

2007-12-16T20:36:00.000-08:00

Well the ladies just keep piling on. I am now even more outnumbered than before since Adrienne wore me down enough to give the go-ahead on getting the girls a lap dog. This thing is so tiny. at 7 weeks old, we are guessing she weighs about 1 1/2 lbs. So small she can fit in my hand. Everyone adores her, and naturally Sadie is obsessed. Adrienne will try to spin some tale that I actually like having a tiny dog and she'll try to convince you that I cuddle with the little pixie but, you know better than to believe her. I am way too much man for that!

Christmas Spirit

2007-12-02T18:39:00.000-08:00

Well Christmas has officially started in our house. Adrienne is Crazy for Christmas and she actually started putting lights up a week ago, but we made it even more festive tonight. After church we made cookies and then we turned on the Christmas Devotional while we decorated our tree. There was a nice spirit in the home and I think that the girls really enjoyed the feeling. McKenzie and Halie both commented on how much they love this time of year and I think that they can feel the difference when we are constantly thinking about the Savior. We can only hope that they realize that the real difference is how much we focus on the Christ this time of year, and that if we can continue to do the same throughout the year we can always carry that special Spirit. We hope that the Christmas bug bites all of you and that you have a wonderful holiday season. Merry Christmas to all of you!

Living the Apple Dream!

2007-11-30T08:54:00.000-08:00

In case anyone was wondering about my new store, here are some pictures. Things are moving along nicely and we are projecting an open date around Feb. 7th. I have been working in Chico training my managers and working out some of the fine details of the store. It will certainly be exciting when we open up! My goal is too have the largest volume of sales in the opening week that my company has ever seen. I really believe that we can do it. If you are in the area, come on by!!

Thanksgiving

2007-11-14T12:37:00.000-08:00

During the month of November our thoughts are always on being thankful. I have so many things to be thankful for in my life. I am so thankful for my family. Our lives were turned upside down this past summer and I am so thankful that we are all healthy and an eternal family. I am also thankful for the gospel and the knowledge I have that Heavenly Father hears our prayers and communicates with us.

Halie's 6th Birthday

2007-11-11T19:05:00.001-08:00

Buttcrack

2007-11-03T09:01:00.000-07:00

So the other day, Richard and the girls were all wrestling on the floor having a good time. In the middle of this laugh fest Halie yells out, "Dad your buttcrack is showing." Now McKenzie is a very academic oriented little girl and immediately after this comment she shouts with great excitement at her discovery, "Buttcrack, that's a compound word!!!" It was so funny. We loved it.

Halie's 6th Birthday

2007-11-01T22:06:00.000-07:00

So last weekend we went to six flags discovery kingdom for Halie's birthday. We had so much fun. There were so many rides for kids and Richard and I enjoyed them as well. That was her big birthday gift but we also had a party for her today. Richard's mom is in town so we celebrated early. She bought a bingo set and some prizes which the girls loved. Halie is just such a sweet little girl. She was so fun to watch.

Halloween Pictures

2007-10-31T20:30:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween to everyone! I hope your day was Spooktacular!!!! Check out these pictures of the kids.

As usual, they're adorable. This is the first year that Sadie understood what Halloween was all about so she had a really good time. McKenzie and Halie definitely wore themselves out running from house to house.