Forever Sims

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELIZA!!

2011-07-02T18:53:00.000-07:00

Today my youngest turned 4. My little blonde haired, blue eyed, California girl. All she wanted for her birthday was an Ariel dress, to eat pizza, and go swimming. My amazing friend Bridget offered the use of her pool and we had a little family swim party. It was nice and hot and she had the best time. I love my family. Eliza's birth was one of the most spiritual moments of my life and I thank my Heavenly Father for the blessing she is to all of us. She has a heart of gold and a special spirit that melts even the most snarly teenager. She is the epitome of daddy's little girl and we can't wait to see what she does with this big, wild world. Happy Birthday beautiful daughter, WE LOVE YOU!!

I WILL SURVIVE!

2011-06-17T08:09:00.000-07:00

My girlfriends and I have signed up for a mud run here in So Cal. It is "3.87 hellish miles" of mud and obstacles. I am very intimidated and nervous, but I have 3 months to train. I can totally do this! I don't want to do it fast, just be able to finish :). Who knows, this may introduce me to something I really enjoy. You never know until you try!

8th Grade Graduate :)

2011-06-03T18:12:00.000-07:00

Shelby is officially out of middle school! The 8th grade graduation ceremony was last night and she chose not to attend so we went to dinner and a movie to celebrate. She donned her new dress for the occasion. I am so proud of the young lady she has become. She knows exactly who she is and who she wants to be. She is excited fora fresh start in high school and I am so immensely blessed to have her in my life each and every day.

Preschool Graduate :)

2011-06-03T18:09:00.001-07:00

So Eliza is a first year preschool graduate. Yes, she has another year of preschool ahead before embarking upon her journey into kindergarten. She loved every minute of her first year at preschool and adored her teacher, Miss Sandy. She is still asking for school every day and I hope it wears off the further we get into summer. I am looking forward to another great preschool experience with Mrs Edwards next year.

Happy Memorial Day

2011-05-30T08:46:00.000-07:00

Mike and I decided that every Memorial Day we would educate our children on the meaning of the day. Having been in the military during his early adult years it is important to instill pride for our country and gratitude for those who helped make it the place it is today. I cannot express enough, my gratitude for those who gave their lives to preserve and protect our freedom as well as try to secure it for others throughout the world.

Ridin' the bull!

2011-05-28T19:21:00.000-07:00

Last night I went with my ladies to a western dance hall here in Temecula called the Stampede. We learned a line dance and danced and had a great time. Yes I wore a cowboy hat and yes, I rode the mechanical bull! One more thing crossed off my bucket list. I am sore and bruised this morning, but one thing I have always wanted to try has been accomplished. Please ignore the vibrant, neon, Budweiser sign in the background :)

My quilt

2011-05-24T17:08:00.000-07:00

I have only made one other quilt in my life, with the assistance of the master quilter, my grandmother. I got this crazy idea of doing a class hand print quilt. Not using paint, but all fabric applique. I totally bit off more than I could chew. I was very pleased with the end result, and crazy woman that I am, purchased it myself at the school auction dinner I made it for. Yes, I bid, and purchased it to bring home because the thought of it going home with someone else made me sad. Yup I am that crazy :) Here is a beautiful picture of the end result.

Yes................it's been 6 months!

2011-05-24T08:30:00.000-07:00

Wow, 6 months since I blogged about my beautiful family, sorry mom :). I will try and play catch up but there is just too much to be said. Here is the short version. George turned 16, YIKES! He was ordained a priest and now has the privilege of blessing the sacrament, I love hearing his voice every week! Christmas came and went, as did New Years. Thomas is 7 and Dylan turned 12, ordained a deacon and loves to pass the sacrament. Two of my boys practicing the priesthood of God every week is a tremendous blessing. Dylan was called into the Deacon's Quorum presidency shortly after his birthday, he was so thrilled! Mike hit the open seas again after being home for a year. The year went by way too fast. Shelby turned 14 and is all signed up to go to High School, I'm wondering where my little baby in the NICU went. 8th grade graduation is next week. Michael received his mission call to the Washington Kennewick mission. He reports to the MTC August 17, 2011. I am excited to have one of my children serve the Lord and preach the gospel full time! Thomas will attend the same school as George next year and Dylan has the opportunity to be a part of a new charter school, Context Charter. George officially obtained his drivers license and feels the freedom of the automobile. George was also asked to perform his first baptism. What a humbling and very spiritual experience for my boy. I never thought I would see my sons perform their first baptisms, they are usually done on the mission. It was an amazing feeling and experience to witness it. Martha is on the brink of her senior year and turning 18.............wow. Eliza is finishing up her first year of preschool and is a thriving, intelligent 3 year old. She blesses my life with her antics. I plan on starting school August 11 at MSJC. Going to get all my general ed requirements done and transfer to Cal State San Marcos to receive my bachelors in business administration. A lot of changes and wonderful things happening in the house of Sims. Above all we are tremendously blessed each and every day by our Heavenly Father in so many ways that can never be expressed in writing. Here are a few pictures, in no particular order, to highlight the last few months :)

Silhouette Giveaway!!

2011-01-20T09:12:00.000-08:00

If you haven't heard of the Silhouette you should check it out! This fabulous giveaway post describes it well and compares it to the Cricut. I used to have a Cricut but the vinyl was too hard to get right so I sold it. I would love to try one of these cool machines!! Click here for a chance to win one yourself!!

One of the joys of having teenagers

2010-11-27T14:49:00.000-08:00

One of the many perks of teenage children is waking up to this! Ah brings back fond memories :)

My students of the month!

2010-11-23T20:56:00.000-08:00

Every month at my childrens' school the teachers choose two children in their classes as students of the month. One for the character trait of the month and one for academics.

The month of September Shelby received the award for citizenship. Here is what her teacher had to say: "This month the Citizenship Award in Science goes to Shelby Robison. A good citizen helps others and is kind to all. Good citizens also have a delightful attitude and it is very evident to everybody in the class. Shelby is just that person. She works well with others and is a super person to be around. Her smile is infectios and her gentle spirit makes her a good friend. Shelby, you are a beautiful young lady with a bright future ahead. Keep up the good job Shelby!"

Tommy received the academic award for his reading achievements, here is what his teacher said about him: "Thomas Sims is a born student! His growth in 1st grade has been so incredible and I hope he realizes how super smart he is. Thomas has moved up six reading levels (yes six) since he left Kindergarten and can read any chapter book, fiction or non-fiction with excellent fluency and perfect comprehension. Great work Thomas! You are an inspiration to 1st graders everywhere!"

I am so proud of my children and am anxious to see what they decide to do with their talents that Heavenly Father has blessed them with!

Halloween

2010-11-23T20:49:00.000-08:00

This Halloween was Eliza's first realization as to what the holiday means for her...........................a princess dress and candy. She could not have been happier! Dylan was a baseball player (again) and Tommy donned the recycled werewolf costume. The kids had a great time at the annual Trunk or Treat and mom was glad there was no door to door Trick or Treating this year. I know I'm a Halloween scrooge!

Boys Weekend

2010-11-23T20:32:00.000-08:00

Mike decided he needed a boys weekend and whisked the boys off to a place called Mecca. They have trails in slot canyons with ladders to go up and down and sandstone everywhere. Dylan was a little nervous about the ladders but Thomas wasn't the least bit frightened and went up and down like a pro. The tallest ladder was about 20 ft. and he didn't even hesitate. They had a great time hiking and camping and carving their names all over the canyon walls. Thomas was definitely in his element, no mom, no showers and dirt as far as the eye could see! It was a weekend the boys will never forget.

My Martha.......................

2010-11-23T20:16:00.001-08:00

I just realized I did not take the time to commemorate Martha's 17th birthday! I decided to take Martha to Hearst Castle up the California coast for her birthday. It was a fun one on one girls weekend for us. To think about Martha I will always remember the first time I met this bubbly, talkative, friendly, smiling little 9 year old girl. She has been full of surprises and love since we became a family and I cannot believe she is on the cusp of becoming an adult! She has a mind of her own and I am anxious to see how she tackles this world :). I love you Martha and I hope you will always remember that.

School Days

2010-08-18T09:57:00.000-07:00

Summer has to come to an end sometime. Today the younger kids started and of course the hottest day we have had yet this year happens to be today! Martha and George went back this past Monday. Martha is a Junior (WOW) and George is a Sophomore. Shelby is the big 8th grader on campus. Dylan has hit the middle school in mighty 6th. Thomas is the new kid in 1st. I can't say enough about my children and how much I love and appreciate their efforts and their beautiful personalities. I love my house of diversity and there is never a dull moment. The older kids will not pose for first day pictures anymore, but the little ones are still in my control MWWAAAHAHAHA.

I do have this one of Martha I snapped a couple of weeks ago :]

St. George

2010-08-18T09:52:00.000-07:00

The drive from Idaho to California can be quite long, so we stopped in St George at Heather's house for a couple of days before heading home. We love the Fonger family! What a great group of little men my sister has raised. It is Thomas' favorite place to go. We had a great time at the reservoir and the movie in the park. Of course beach day is not complete without a GIANT hole!

Conference Center

2010-08-18T09:43:00.000-07:00

On our way home from Idaho we stopped in SLC to see some sights. A couple of the kids had never been on temple square before and none of us had toured the conference center. We started with a tour of the conference center. Our tour guide was fantastic and she was so patient with the little ones that had just been in the car for four hours. What an amazing, inspired building it is! Everything was done so beautifully and the hall where the portraits of the prophets are was one of our favorite places. The pinnacle of the tour was the rooftop. For those that have been there know what I'm talking about and for those who haven't, YOU HAVE TO GO!! Words cannot describe the beauty of the view and the gardens. You can feel the spirit in that building and it is a testimony builder that God lives and has given us so many wonderful resources to spread his true gospel!

IDAHO

2010-08-18T09:30:00.000-07:00

This summer we were able to spend two weeks up in Rexburg with my family. It was beautiful weather and great to spend time with my parents and siblings. While we were there a large fire was burning west of Rexburg and it brought in clouds and a crazy tinted sky. The effects of the sky behind the Rexburg temple were beautiful!

Grandpa took the kids for rides on his "Hog"

Did some canoeing in Island park

Spent some time with new baby Lily

And played in the mud!

It was a great way to spend part of the summer.

Happy Birthday Eliza!!

2010-08-18T09:22:00.000-07:00

Better late than never! Eliza turned 3 on July 2, 2010. What a beautiful little spirit our Heavenly Father sent to us. She has been the light of our family since she got here. For her birthday she went to the swimming pool and to see Toy Story 3. We had a Toy Story 3 theme party and cake for her. She is so excited to go to "Sandy's preschool" now that she is three. She is so smart and beautiful inside and out and she had made our Sims family complete.

Catalina Island

2010-07-04T17:32:00.000-07:00

The first week of June I went with the 7th and 8th grades classes from Shelby's school on a field trip to Catalina Island. It was really cold, but we had a great time. The kids learned about marine life and were able to scuba dive and kayak. We had a little hike to an overlook of the bay and our camp. I did some kayaking too but skipped the scuba diving, that wet suit looked scary to get into! Here are some pics of my baby girl.

Finally finished!

2010-06-19T18:06:00.001-07:00

After a few delays and a little frustration my beautiful backyard is finally finished! Here are some before and after pictures to WOW you :)!

Sweet Concrete!

2010-05-28T11:58:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of our beautiful newly poured concrete. The last one is where the fire pit is going in. This was poured a week ago and hopefully by next Friday I will post pictures of my completed backyard!

My new trees!

2010-05-19T09:06:00.000-07:00

I love, love, love my new queen palm trees! They were planted yesterday and I LOVE them! We are having the concrete poured tomorrow or Friday and next week is all sprinklers, plants and sod. The process has gone so smooth and quick. I can't wait to have my first backyard BBQ party!

Dylan as Ponce de Leon

2010-05-19T09:02:00.000-07:00

Dylan's 5th grade class learned all about colonization and early explorers this semester. They put on a musical play yesterday and Dylan played Ponce de Leon the famous explorer known for spending his life looking for the fountain of youth. He was really nervous but did a fantastic job! Here is a picture of Dylan and a couple of his buddies. Of course Thomas can never be left out......

Shelby's First Middle School Dance

2010-05-15T08:09:00.000-07:00

The Charter School has one middle school dance a year. It is more of a party than a dance. The kids are not allowed to wear jeans and they are encouraged to dress up a bit. Some girls go almost prom style! There is a huge back story about allowing Shelby to go and I will spare the details. In the end I did let her go. We went dress shopping and fixed her hair so cute! The dress was perfect for her and I talked her into hot pink shoes to go with it and it was beautiful! She was picked up by a couple of friends and they all looked beautiful! She has made some fabulous girl friends at this school and she had a great time!

Backyard Makeover

2010-05-15T08:01:00.000-07:00

We are getting a backyard makeover! Our backyard has been a sore site for quite a while. We finally decided NOT to get the pool and to go ahead with a complete overhaul of the yard. We have been under construction for a week now and it is looking good. By the end of next week we will have all the concrete poured and then it will be time for grass and plants. I am so excited to see what the end result is going to look like! The fire pit is what we are most anticipating, especially Mike. What is is with guys and fire? We are going with wood burning not gas so he can teach the kids how to build a fire. He is looking forward to a huge bonfire when it is complete! Here are some before pictures, it is pretty sad.

Mormon Helping Hands

2010-05-15T07:52:00.000-07:00

Every year our stake organizes community service projects so we can serve in our community and get them to know us as members of the church better. We volunteer every year for the Race for Humanity at the local community college. I took the older kids down to contribute our time. Dylan was not happy I was making him go. It was Friday, which at our house means video game day. He complained the whole way there and was not a happy camper. There was not a whole lot for us to do when we arrived to we started looking for vendors who need help setting up their booths. Dylan and I helped a man hang up the banners for his booth. After we had finished Dylan was beaming. He loved the way he felt serving this man and was ready for more! He even took off on his own and helped a few people without me with him. On the way home he had a smile on his face and couldn't stop talking about what he had done that afternoon. The other children had a good experience too, but for Dylan it was amazing to see his change of heart. We have decided as a family to do one service project a month in our community for FHE. What a good teaching experience to show my children how service can effect you. They wanted to create the AT&T bar for this picture.............silly kids!

Thomas' Trip to the Dentist!

2010-05-15T07:50:00.000-07:00

Thomas had been complaining about a sore tooth for a little while. He called me from school literally writhing in pain. I knew it was real so we took him straight down to the dentist. He had to have his tooth pulled it was so bad! He was such a brave little man I was so proud of him. He said his favorite part was the happy gas.

Lego Land

2010-05-15T07:41:00.000-07:00

Last year Thomas and Dylan went to Lego Land with Mike's mom. Thomas entered some scavenger hunt contest and won! He was awarded four free tickets to Lego Land and we decided to end the kids spring break with a trip there. It was Eliza's first time to a theme park and she loved it. She was still too little to really ride anything and that was frustrating to her, but she had a good time. It was nice to spend the day with the little ones. The older kids were at Youth Conference where they always have a blast. Our stake does an amazing job with the youth and I am so glad we get to participate in the amazing activities they plan to strengthen our youth.

Shelby is 13!!!

2010-05-15T07:34:00.000-07:00

It's official...............my baby is a teenager. She turned 13 on April 2, 2010. For her birthday she wanted to go to Knotts Berry Farm and spend the day with her mother, LOVE IT!! We had a great time. The first ride we went on a rider on the train car in front of us got hurt. Not badly but hurt. We had to sit on the ride for a while before they let us exit and we had to exit while still on the tracks away from the loading area. Interesting start to our birthday adventure. We spent the day riding roller coasters and had lunch at TGIFridays. I was not allowed to tell them it was her birthday. That evening we met Mike for Dinner at Red Robin (yes she was spoiled!) and he told them it was her birthday. After much embarrassment from the restaurant serenade and a huge ice cream sundae it was time to end the day. This picture is during the time we were chilling on the roller coaster waiting for them to let us off. There are not enough words to explain my joy and love for this beautiful young woman. She is the angel in my life and I feel so blessed every day that she was given to me!!

Home Improvement........

2010-05-15T07:24:00.000-07:00

When we moved into our home there was carpet in the master bathroom. For some cray reason there are many California builders looking to cut costs and they put nasty carpet in the bathroom. Mike decided one day out of the blue the carpet has to go! He starts tearing it out and informs me we are putting in tile DIY style. It actually wasn't too bad. I also decided I'd like some nicer vanities and sinks to go along with it so we demoed those too. It has been over a month, the tile is in but still no vanities and sinks. I have been informed I am too picky because I can't seem to find exactly what I'm looking for. The floor looks great for our first time and we are quite proud of the accomplishment. Our marriage survived our first large home improvement project!

High School Baseball

2010-05-15T07:16:00.000-07:00

George joined the high school baseball team this year. The Temecula Preparatory Patriots! He used to play little league but gave it up for a bit, but he is back and loves it. He has been pitching and playing right field. The school he attends is very small so it is not like any regular division ball around here, but he has a good time. The coach is fantastic and is amazing with these boys. It is the first year the Prep has had a baseball team, and they have done much better than anticipated. There are a couple of boys on the team who are playing baseball for the first time in their lives. We are hoping the team progresses well over the years and George can keep enjoying it. I need a picture of him playing! As soon as I get one it will go here......

Kindergarten Field Trips

2010-05-15T07:09:00.000-07:00

Our wonderful charter school does a ton of fund raising so our kids can take many field trips. I love going with the kindergarten class. They are the most fun. The first one we took at the beginning of this year was to a hands on museum. The kids were learning about their community and this museum had it all. Full size ambulance, police car and police motorcycles. A makeshift Wal-Mart store and bank, a Dr's office and a TV studio just to mention a few of the things they could touch and explore. Of course Thomas was enamored with the police motorcycle and I couldn't tear him away. We also took a trip to a working dairy here in our area. The kids were able to see how the dairy works, feed the cows and pet some baby cows. They all had chocolate milk fresh from the dairy and cookies to round off the tour. After the kids got used to the smell they had a pretty good time.

Catch Up Time!

2010-05-15T06:56:00.001-07:00

I am a total slacker and it has been months since I updated my family saga. I'll try and cram it all in. Mike came home off the ship February 11th or 12th, it's been so long I can't remember! We had a great weekend without the kids thanks to my fabulous sister Megan. One unexpected event, we were in a car accident and totaled Mike's commuter car! My husbands first full day back in the USA and he totals the car! Thank goodness we were both ok other than a few bruises on my face. He did get to go car shopping and get a new car though. We were blessed when Mike was able to snag a shore job for a year and he will not be going anywhere anytime soon. Heavenly Father loves my family and knows we have needed him home.

Tagged by Leanne!

2010-02-08T14:13:00.000-08:00

Leanne tagged me so I thought I'd better comply!

4 shows I like to watch:
1. Lost
2. AMAZING RACE (season premier February 14th baby!! And I get to watch with Mike!)
3. The Middle
4. Parks and Recreation

4 things I am passionate about:
1. My fantastic Hubby!
2. My children
3. The Gospel of Jesus Christ!
4. Sewing

4 phrases I say a lot:
1. Do your chores
2. Not so much
3. Are you serious?!
4. Not now I'm busy
(Man I'm a mean mom!)

4 things I have learned, or am learning:
1. Sewing
2. Patience
3. Forgiveness
4. Not everything needs to be under my control!

4 places I would like to go:
1. Italy
2. French Polynesia
3. Mt. Rushmore
4. Anywhere my family is

4 things I did yesterday:
1. Church
2. Reading
3. Made dinner
4. Cleaned kitchen

4 things I am looking forward to:
1. Mike coming home
2. Mike coming home
3. Mike coming home
4. Having Mike home!!!

4 things on my wish list:
1. Mike home
2. New floors in my house
3. New furniture
4. New counter tops in my kitchen (whoever thought up white, tile counter tops did not have children!)

4 people I tag:
1. Ashley
2. Page
3. Katy
4. Anyone else who thinks it is fun!

Fun on the ship!

2010-01-30T20:33:00.000-08:00

Dylan and Thomas had a birthday on the 12th. I am a little late in blogging about it, but better late than never! Dylan turned 11 and Thomas is now 6. Crazy that Dylan in now in Boy Scouts and not Cubs anymore. Mike happened to be in port on their birthday so we made a visit to the ship. We took Eliza too and played Wii in Dad's room, ordered pizza and had cake. It was a good birthday and a great memory for them to have. The elevator was broken so we had to take the stairs. Thomas kept running ahead so I had to snap this picture. It was a great birthday.

Sewing Therapy

2010-01-30T20:18:00.000-08:00

Today I needed some much deserved "Me time". I have learned to love sewing and decided to tackle a project Shelby has been begging for since I showed it to her months ago. It is a hanging book holder. It took hardly any time at all and it turned out so cute. I love the fabric I found for it. There are books inside in the first pic, just small paperbacks, but I put a binder in the second just to show the purpose. Here is the link if you want to give it a try. Both little boys want one and I am painting their room next so why not? Sewing is fantastic therapy, I just focus on my task and let my mind empty of all the junk swarming around in there. LOVE IT!

Disney Day

2010-01-30T20:17:00.000-08:00

Our school had a spirit day where you dressed up as a Disney character. No one could tell who Dylan was supposed to be, so please tell me there is someone out there who recognizes it! I thought it was pretty good. Thomas was Mickey of course and Shelby was a punked, teen version of Minnie (all her idea!) It was a fun day and the kids always love to dress up.
*Please ignore the red eye in the pics, I am that lazy tonight*

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GEORGE!!!!!

2009-12-20T08:11:00.000-08:00

Wow, my little George turned 15 yesterday. One year until he dates.......ahhhhhhhh! George is such an amazing young man. His testimony and knowledge of the gospel amazes me at times and I love to watch him grow and learn from it. His personality is very similar to his fathers and I love that they are so alike. He makes friends so easily and everyone loves George. He is quite the ladies man and of course loves every minute of it. He has thrived at his new school socially and academically and I knew the first week that is where he belonged. He has been helping out with the middle school baseball team and has decided to pick up his glove and play again. He is practicing his pitching and is excited for the high school season to start. George is such an easy going, calm presence in our home. I am so blessed to be his mother and have loved watching him develop into the wonderful young man he has become. I am so proud of him! Love you George Happy Birthday!!!

Shelby's Party

2009-12-20T08:04:00.000-08:00

Shelby wanted to throw a Christmas a party this year so I complied. She invited girls from church and girls from school. We did a get to know you game, played Apples to Apples, made bead bracelets (which did not work so well), ate a spaghetti and meatball dinner, made graham cracker candy houses and did a fun gift exchange. Shelby has such wonderful friends. They had a great time and it was fun to see Shelby with all her friends.

Christmas Program at TVCS

2009-12-20T07:52:00.000-08:00

Every year our charter school has the kids put on a Christmas program. This is Tommy's first year and he was so excited to participate. The kinders sang a few Christmas songs wearing Santa hats and Thomas was very animated throughout the whole thing. He was making everyone laugh. He sang so hard his face turned bright red. When he came to sit with us after he was finished he said "I am so thirsty!" It was fun to watch him perform in his first school program. Dylan's class did a La Posada performance. La Posada is a Mexican Christmas tradition. The girls wore big bright skirts and danced and the boys wore drums around their necks and played them and clapped while the girls danced. Dylan was so nervous. The program was held in a High School auditorium that held 741 people. I told him there would not be near that many people there, I was wrong! The place was filled to capacity. He did awesome and was so glad when it was over. Shelby's 7th grade class lucked out this year. They created some art work for the lobby and did not have to perform. She got to sit with us in the audience. Megan came from San Diego to watch the kids and it was nice to have another adult there with me. Afterward we hit McDonalds for a treat. It was a fun family night and helped me find a little of my Christmas spirit that seems to be absent this year.

Sweet Dylan

2009-12-06T11:29:00.000-08:00

There is just something so sweet and special about my Dylan. He has a soft spot for little children and babies and they all love him. My sister Katy and her baby Stellar came to visit for a week. I snapped this "precious" (Dylan's word) picture of Dylan and Stellar. We were sad to see them go but had such a nice time while they were here!! Thanks for coming Rileys we love you!!

Belated Halloween

2009-11-17T08:26:00.000-08:00

This Halloween was a lot of fun. I decided we are no longer going to Trick or Treat as a family and the Ward Party will be our Halloween celebration from now on. We always have an awesome party with a trunk or treat and that is enough for anyone! This year Dylan was a vampire, Shelby an Egyptian princess, Thomas an army man (of course), and Eliza hates costumes so I just put her in a Halloween theme outfit with skulls on it. She was comfortable and happy. Dylan made it to the top 5 finalists in the costume contest again but did not take home the big win. Next year we will think of something great so he can finally win! Martha had a costume/birthday party on Halloween night and George stuck close to home. The only thing missing was Mike, but we had a great Halloween! I took the 4 little kids to the drive in on the 31st with some good girl friends of mine. They hate trick or treating too!! We saw Where The Wild Things Are and Astro Boy. The kids had a great time with their friends. I am so blessed with great kids, great friends and a wonderful place to call home. I couldn't ask for anything more.

One down NINE to go!!

2009-10-10T10:05:00.000-07:00

Since I discovered sewing/quilting I decided I wanted to make my family some Christmas stockings. I found a way cute tutorial online for what is called a "Scrappy Stocking". To see the tutorial click here. This is my first real quilting project. It is basically a bunch of fabric strips cut kind of scrappy looking, sewn, quilted and turned into a way cute stocking. I did mine a little different, used different fabric and different size strips. I wanted more strips on mine which of course made it more difficult! I had no idea how time consuming it would be but I finished one last night. I love the way it turned out and now I only have nine more to make. The finished ones will also have their names embroidered across the top. I just need to talk Mike into buying me an embroidery machine. Times like this I wonder why I have so many kids!!

FABRIC!!!!!

2009-10-07T09:44:00.000-07:00

So I am a beginner at sewing and becoming a TOTAL fabric junkie!! I enter fabric contests online constantly, but have yet to win one. Cross your fingers for me and if you want to enter too click the link to the right. Wish me luck!!!

Birthdays Galore!!!!!

2009-09-21T13:33:00.000-07:00

Martha turned the magic 16 on the 11th. She has grown up so beautifully and has the sass to go with it. She was only 9 when we first met and I could carry her around on my back. Dating terrifies me, but I hope she remembers all her mother has taught her, just like we all did right??? The older she gets the more beautiful she gets.

My dear sweet loving husband had his birthday the 15th. 37 years young and still as handsome as ever. He is dreading the downhill to 40 but I love him more year after year. What a blessing to have my best friend, eternal companion, and father to my children be such a wonderful man!! He was actually home for his birthday this year and that has not happened for the last 3 years I think. He wanted to spend it with the family so it was nice to be at home all together for his birthday.

Today Little Mike turns the whopping 18! I was 18 a very short time ago and it is surreal to have an 18 year old in my home. He was 11 when we first met and has grown into quite the young man. He is preparing to serve a mission and finally landed a full time job at Sonic. He is meeting new people and getting out into the real world. I hope he remembers who he is and what he is working towards and not let the the world get in the way of what he wants in life.
I love my family so much and am blessed to have them in my life. And quickly as time in this life passes us by I am grateful for my knowledge of a FOREVER family!!

First Day!

2009-08-19T10:33:00.000-07:00

Finally...............the first day of school has arrived! Actually, my summer went by way too fast and I could have used a couple of more beach days. The kids were more than ready to get back into a routine and see their friends. Tommy started kindergarten. Our charter school has an all day program for them and that is going to be awesome for him. Dylan is a big 5th grader and was the most nervous of the bunch. Shelby started 7th grade and with her I paused the most and was nostalgic. My first baby girl in 7th grade, sigh time sure flies! George began a new adventure at a charter high school here called Temecula Preparatory School, wearing uniforms he of course hates. It has a very intense college prep academic program and so far he is loving his French class. Martha is no longer the tiny Freshman and, as always, was less then thrilled to go back to school. Early morning seminary started today and George said it was good, the parts he heard while not asleep. I wake up and take kids to seminary and exercise while they are there so I can get George out to his school. I really liked waking up early today and getting out into the quiet morning. It was a great start for me. Ask me in a month if I still enjoy it! Mike has decided to leave his job early and will be home on September 4th. He will have to turn right back around and jump on another ship, but it will be nice to see him for a few days. As for me, having only one child home will be different. For the good I hope. I have started sewing and I love it and hope to do it a little more during school. All in all everything is well at the house of Sims. Blessed beyond measure and feeling the love of my Heavenly Father every day! Here are some first day of schools pics. Martha has not held still long enough for a picture, we will see if I can get one out of her.

Mike is gone again.........sniff, sniff

2009-07-09T10:18:00.000-07:00

Ok, so same story different time. Mike was unable to secure a home port job due to the wonderful economy we are having and had to ship out again. This will be the longest time away from us with no home visit. 168 days! Yikes. The ship he is getting on is the APL Japan and it is an east coast ship. That means no visits in between routes because they port in New Jersey. I may be able to fly out and see him once depending on his schedule and how long they are in port, also the schedule of our many children, so we will have to see. I really hope so. School starts August 19th so I will be busy getting ready for that and acclimating during the month of September. I will keep busy and stay positive and be grateful Heavenly Father has blessed us with a job to sustain our family. Wish me luck!!!!

Happy Birthday Eliza!!!

2009-07-04T19:20:00.000-07:00

Ok, so today is not her birthday, but the absent minded Mom I am forgot to blog on her actual birthday.

My sweet baby girl turned 2 on July 2nd. For her birthday we went camping for the first time as a family, with all 8 kids! Then we spent the day swimming at the Glen Helen water park. (That story is for another blog post)

It amazes me how fast 2 years can fly by. We thought we were through having kids with Thomas, but I just knew there was a little girl waiting for us. It took a lot of convincing, but Mike finally relented and said ok, but this is it!

Eliza came flying in to the world with the fastest labor possible, to me anyway. She arrived at 12:07 am July 2nd, 2007. She has turned into a very independent little lady. With 6 older brothers and sisters to compete with it did not take her long to find her voice and use it in our house of chaos. She worships Thomas and does everything he does. She is so sweet and smart and devilish all at the same time. Just like all the other children, our family would not be the same without her. I can't wait to watch her grow. She loves her family so much and is the epitome of being "Daddy's Little Girl". We are so blessed to have her and feel privileged to be trusted to raise her here on Earth.

Washington DC

2009-06-16T17:13:00.000-07:00

For Little Michael's graduation gift we took him to DC for 5 days. It was a secret until grad day and he was very surprised. We gave him a card and tickets to Fords Theater and a DC guide book at his BBQ before the ceremony. Here is how our trip went with some of my favorite pictures.

Day 1: We flew out of LAX Sunday morning. I misread our flight time and we almost missed our flight. I swear it said 9:55 am when in fact is was 9:05 am. We arrived at the airport around 8:10 and I thought we had plenty of time. I forgot to write down the confirmation number to go through self check in so I called the airline. To my horror she gave me the correct departure time. Our flight was boarding in 20 minutes. For those of you who have ever flown out of LAX, 20 minutes is not enough time to check bags and get through security to be to the gate on time. Thanks to some very nice people who let us cut the line and equally nice airport personnel, we boarded the flight just minutes before they closed the doors. Whew, that was close! We arrived at Dulles around 5:00 pm EST and just hit the hotel, had dinner and rested to go to DC in the morning.

Day 2: We decided against a car rental and took public transportation the whole time we were there. To save $$ we stayed in Virginia close to Dulles. Every morning we rode the hotel shuttle back to the airport to catch a bus into DC. It took a little over an hour each way to get back and forth. Nice and cheap but sure took a lot of time. We started at the Washington Monument, hit the War Memorials, then the Lincoln Memorial, walked by the White House (our tour request was denied!), visited the American History Museum and the Natural History Museum. A very full day with TONS of walking but to see these places in person was awesome. Back to the bus to get back to the hotel.

Day 3: Fords Theater was the first stop of the day. We had tickets for a 9:00 am ranger tour. It was a little disappointing because all you did was sit in the theater, hear a recount of what happened the night Lincoln was shot, then leave. You could see the box he was in, which was cool, but I am a close up kind of gal and would have liked to see it closer. The line across the street to get into the house Lincoln died in was too long so we passed on that. We hit the National Archives after that to see all the cool documents and stuff they have there. It was amazing to see the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution in person. After that was our tour of the Capitol building. We did not get to sit in on a session but were able to tour the rotunda and a few other cool places inside. There is a room that has a statue of one or two people from every state to represent them in some way. The Legislature for that state chooses the statue for the room and for Utah it is Brigham Young. That was when we discovered some fellow LDS brothers and sisters. After the Capitol building we peeked in to the Library of Congress and it looks just like it does in the movie National Treasure! The last stop of the day was the Air and Space Museum. It was late in the day and we were tired, we probably should not have gone into the planetarium to watch a movie about black holes. That was a nice $26 nap! On the way out of the museum a thunderstorm hit, and hit hard. We ducked into another museum only to be kicked out because it was closing. We stood under the eaves of the building during the down pour before we ran for the bus stop. Back on the bus to hit the hotel and get some sleep.

Day 4: We decided to sleep in and not get up early. It was much needed! We went to Arlington Cemetery and this was my favorite place on the trip. There was such a respected reverence there, especially at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The Cemetery has on average 27 funerals a day. It amazes me the number of people who have served our country and those who died in battle is astounding. There was a memorial for the Space Shuttles Columbia and Challenger. We saw JFK's grave with the Eternal Flame and the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. We had planned on going to the Holocaust Museum after the Cemetery, but those plans did not work out. I thank Heaven we were not there that morning. We rode the subway to Pentagon City and hit the mall, went back into DC and wandered a bit then headed back to the hotel.............on the bus. I must say every evening the bus was standing room only and some people were turned away it was so full!

Day 5: We went to the Postal Museum and then Union Station. The Postal Museum was pretty cool. The history of the mail is actually interesting and how it has grown and evolved. Union Station, I have heard how big this place is but had no idea. It is basically a huge shopping mall with a train station inside. We had lunch in the largest food court ever! It was crawling with people and you couldn't even hear yourself think. We decided to see a movie in the theater in the basement. It was the weirdest theater I have ever been in. We saw Land of the Lost. It was funny but typical Will Ferrel comedy. There is A LOT of beggars outside Union Station. I have seen beggars before but not like this. Makes me feel very glad and blessed to have the life that I do. After the movie we hit a souvenir shop to pick up some things for the other kiddies and then hit the last bus ride (YAY!) to hour hotel.

Day 6: Our plane was delayed almost 2 hours from DC then lasted about 5 hrs. Longest flight of my life. I am not sure I could fly international. Finally we made it home!

A HUGE thank you to my parents for watching the other kids while we were away. It is not an easy job and they did fabulously. THANK YOU!!! I enjoyed my time with Mike and Michael but I was glad to be back with the others at the end. I have my complaints about my big family but in the end I would not trade a single one of them. Heavenly Father has blessed us immensely and I take it for granted every day.

June 6, 2009 .........Graduation

2009-06-13T10:52:00.001-07:00

It is official, Michael is now a High School Graduate. With about 600 names to be read it took a while, but the ceremony was great. The speeches were short and sweet and well executed. The weather was overcast and not hot at all. The one problem was we sat right in front of the loud speaker and we were all deaf with ringing in our ears when we left. We had a BBQ before the ceremony and it was pretty cold for June in California so we stayed indoors for the most part. We had great food and family and friends and it was a great day. I am proud of Little Michael and the accomplishments and changes he has made to make it where he is today. Here are some of my favorite pictures from that day.

May Madness

2009-05-29T07:50:00.000-07:00

May has been a whirlwind of activity. Mike got home on the 3rd and we were so glad to see him! Still no home shore job yet but we are not giving up hope. Since he has been home we have been painting and painting and painting. We are almost done! We did have a little accident. Mike had a small can of white paint he decided to shake without checking the lid. It exploded all over me and the computer room floor. I laughed so hard! Maybe I will get my new carpet sooner than I thought.

We of course have been having fun too. Between Geocaching, the pool, the beach, friends and church activities we have had a great month. Mike and I stole away to the beach while the big kids were in school one day and had a great time with the little ones. I forget how much Tommy loves that place. It was not the nicest day but it was not crowded at all and we loved it.

Geocaching is one of our favorite family activities and with Mike home there has been plenty of it. Mike, George, Dylan, Thomas, Eliza and I were out one day and Dylan came face to face with a nice rattle snake. He was standing inches away from it and did not even see it! We decided no more dessert ones while it is snake season. Here is a pic of the kids on a night out caching.

The pool here has a program every Friday morning where you can bring little kids and swim in the shallow area with no big kids to push them down and rule the waters. It is one of our favorite summer activities. Thomas and Eliza like to chill in the loungers.

I went on a 6th grade field trip to the Getty Villa in Santa Monica. It is a museum of Greek and Roman art and artifacts. Some of the vases and statues are dated back to BC. It was really cool. The 4 hrs it took to get home with six boys and 2 girls in my car were not so cool. That was one of the longest drives of my life! And Shelby ditched me to ride with her friends in another car. What I do to have my kids attend the charter...... This is a coin bank. It depicts a slave girl begging for money and the coin slot is where she is pulling the top of her dress out. It dated back to about 200 AD. It was really small and the detail in it is amazing considering everything was done by hand.

Every year at the Storm Stadium our Stake gets a bunch of tickets and we dub it "Mormon Night". The Lake Elsinore Storm is a local minor league base ball team. We decided to take the kids out to the game. We did not tailgate with the Ward, Thomas had his baseball pizza party for his team that night too so we did that instead. It was a really fun night. There were freebies handed out by the Marines and lots of friends to be with. Michael's friend from ROTC was up in the box seats so of course he ditched us for the better seats. There was one point in the game Mike and I had been abandoned by all the kids for either a friend or some running around, of course Eliza wanted to go too so they were kind enough to take her. That has never happened so we enjoyed it while it lasted. They had some amazing fireworks at the end of the game. I didn't get a shot of those but the kids watching them was very cute.

Memorial Day we were invited to a pool party. The pool in this back yard is amazing! A HUGE jumping rock, an awesome rock slide and an enormous hot tub. Great food, smoothies and some fun with friends made it a wonderful holiday with the family. The jump rock is probably 8-10 feet high. Thomas marched right up there and jumped right off. That kid has more guts than I even thought! It took Dylan a good 30 min to make up his mind but finally took the plunge. I decided to give it a try and it was a little scary and took some coaxing, but I jumped and once was enough for me. Everyone but Eliza and George had the burn to go with the day in the pool, but it was well worth it. These pictures are not the greatest, but you get the idea.

Every time I sit and blog about the things we have done I feel such a feeling of love and am so grateful to be this blessed. I have an amazing family and wonderful friends and could not ask for anything more.

Time Flies.....

2009-05-17T15:53:00.000-07:00

May 2nd was my 6th Anniversary!! Since he couldn't be here, my sweet husband sent me a beautiful Lei from Hawaii and one for each of the girls too. 6 years has flown by. Here is a pic of our wedding day. For those of you who don't know we kind of got married on the fly. Mike proposed to me in April and we planned on getting married in August after he could get himself and the kids moved to Utah. I said why wait and we were married a week later in the beautiful Provo Mountains with my family in attendance. Pretty crazy I know but when it is right why waste time. (Man we look young!!)

Here is another photo of Michael and Brin at the Military Ball.

Then another formal dance to go to. The Young Single Adults of the church here threw a Prom type dance for Seniors and older. Michael took Connie and they had a good time. The boys always look so dashing in their suits!

With graduation around the corner I have been thinking about my little Michael a lot. He has changed so much in 6 years! He has grown up so much and has had many surprises for me along the way. I am so proud of him and who he has become and the changes he has made in his life to be who he is today. He is a great example to his friends and a born leader. He is going to hang out at home and work for a year before putting in his papers to serve a Mission. I hope we still love each other by the time that happens!

Catch Up Time!

2009-04-27T09:45:00.000-07:00

I haven't blogged much this month so I will do a catch up post. Most of the month has been filled with baseball and more baseball. Dylan is on the Yankees and Thomas was put on the Pirates. Dylan's team is not so great and it seems my poor kids are always put on what I call the misfit team. Thomas is bored unless he plays first base where all the action is in T-Ball. The first game he was break dancing at the pitchers position and the crowd was loving it! He is my little entertainer who loves attention. Shelby of course had her birthday and Elgin and Veronica made the trip to California and took the kids to Disneyland. They had a great time.

Michael, Martha and George attended the annual Menifee Stake Youth Conference. They were challenged to bring a friend and Michael invited an ROTC friend. They had a great time and Bobby definitely had a life changing experience. Bobby is now going to seminary and taking the missionary discussions and attending church with us. He is a great kid. They had what they call a Family Values dinner and awarded a family in the community with an award. The family they awarded had a daughter that contracted West Nile and after a long battle eventually died from it. They had an amazing story and an amazing family experience out of it. They also did a service project at a youth detention type school painting and doing maintenance and then of course the dance. George had one of his first real testimony building experiences and he loved every minute! I love watching my children grow in the gospel.

I was able to go spend 4 days in Idaho taking care of my little sister and her beautiful new baby. It was so odd to travel alone and be alone with none of my own children for that long, but it was great too. Thanks to Grandpa Sims for being the sub parent for me, I owe him BIG!! I miss my family so much and it was great to see all my siblings but one. (Heather come see me at the beach!)

I went on a field trip with Shelby's 6th grade class and saw the new Earth movie put out by Disney. It was go good! If your kids like animals this is worth seeing. I would love to see a documentary put out on how they made it. The shots they got were amazing!

Michael had his military ball this month. Being his senior year it was a big deal for him. He took a very cute girl from another ward, Brin, and doubled with Bobby and another very cute girl from our ward, Kelsey. They had a great time.

I went with a couple of girlfriends to an 80's dinner dance put on by the charter school and it was so much fun. We dressed in our 80's wear and had some way yummy food and even danced to the tunes of the 80's. Yes I danced, you can stop laughing now!

Mike will be home this Sunday and I cannot wait. This week will be cleaning house and making everything nice for him to come home to. I still have a long list of home improvement items, but now we will be able to do them together. All in all I am so blessed and amazed at the wonderful life and family I have been given!

I LOVE CONFERENCE!

2009-04-05T11:43:00.000-07:00

The closing song of this mornings session with the montage of Pres Monson brought me to tears! I know we have a true and living prophet and I am so thankful for his words and guidance!

Happy 12th Birthday Shelby!

2009-04-02T14:23:00.001-07:00

My baby girl turns 12 today. I can't believe 12 years has gone by, it amazes me. Your parents always tell you how fast your life flies by when you are an adult, you just don't believe them! Shelby had a bumpy start but was a fighter from the beginning. A week in the NICU at Primary Children's Hospital was one of the worst of my life, but she has grown up to be a beautiful and special girl. Who would have known she would go from this............

To this.................

Here are the top 12 things I love about my Shelby Catherine.

12. She will always be my baby girl no matter what!
11. Her kindness toward others
10. Her helpful hand with the little ones whenever I need it
9. Her desire to spend time with me
8. Her ability to turn my mood from bad to good with just a smile
7. Her talent for being creative and artistic, I know she didn't get that from me
6. Her intelligence, she is so smart!
5. Her organization
4. The fact that I never have to worry about her doing her homework
3. Her neatness she inherited from Grandma Veronica.....thank you!
2. Her beautiful smile
1. Her special spirit that I know was given to me at a time when I needed it most

Happy Birthday Shelby. I love you more than you will ever understand!

Mike Visit!!

2009-03-29T20:13:00.001-07:00

I get to see my wonderful fabulous amazing other half in approximately 11 hrs!!! I hope I can sleep.

What was I thinking?!

2009-03-25T20:26:00.000-07:00

I must be on over achiever mode or something. Beside the shower fixing I began to paint. I hate painting by the way and have just done a very small area so far. I decided to take a painting break, since I hate it so much, and moved to the weeds out front. Pulling them was not quite cutting it so here is what happened!

After 3 hrs of tilling the planter bed out front and spending three hours at baseball, my toes to the tip of my head hurt. I have blisters on my palms because I was not smart enough to put on the gloves I bought. I must be crazy!!

DIY VICTORY!!!!!

2009-03-23T21:57:00.000-07:00

Since the day we moved in we have had trouble with the upstairs showers. Martha and I's showers did not produce hot water at all with no hot water pressure. The boys shower produces very little hot water and little pressure, but still usable. With extensive internet research and a lot of frustration I fixed the problem all by myself!! There is a valve inside the fixture that had gone bad since the house sat empty for so long. After I took it all apart and pulled and pulled and finally got the old one out, I installed a new valve and voila! Victory! I now have a functioning shower of my own with hot water and everything. I am quite proud. I am the kind of person that when I start something I have to finish or I go berserk. After my 9:30 pm trip to Lowe's I now am a plumbing expert. Ok, maybe not an expert but I can change a valve. One down for tonight and two to go for tomorrow. My husband would be so proud. And I can sleep nice and easy knowing that I figured it out and fixed it. What can I accomplish next??

For Ashley........TAG

2009-03-20T20:00:00.000-07:00

I will do your tag Ash, I have an easy letter!

Rules: It's harder than it looks! Copy to your own note, erase my answers, and enter yours. Use the first letter of your name to answer each of the following questions. They have to be real, nothing made up! If the person before you had the same first initial, you must use different answers. You must put the first answer that comes to mind! You cannot use any word twice and you can't use your name for the boy/girl name

1. What is your name: Bridget
2. A four Letter Word: Brat
3. A boy's Name: Bobby
4. A girl's Name: Brenda
5. An occupation: Beautician
6. A color: Blue
7. Something you wear: Bra
8. A food: Bananas
9. Something found in the bathroom: Bubbles
10. A place: Bermuda
11. A reason for being late: Bad day
12. Something you shout: Boo!
13. A movie title: Beauty and the Beast
14. Something you drink: Bourbon (not me of course!)
15. A musical group: Backstreet Boys
16. An animal: Bear

Ok people JUST DO IT! It is fun.

Moved!

2009-03-16T11:38:00.000-07:00

We finally moved into our home. I am almost unpacked and everyone is doing well. We had our first baseball game the same day as moving day and I am recovering from a kidney infection. Yes, it all happened at the same time! Fortunately I have an amazing Ward Family that was there to help me through it all. Lots of muscle to help with the move and lots of yummy food that was very appreciated by the kids. I am hoping now my stress level will decrease and everyone will level off and get back to what we call normal. Not quiet be any means, but normal. These are the only moving pictures I happened to take. They are not good at all, but it is all I have. Mike wanted lots of pictures but I just did not have the time!

Finally our own home!

2009-03-06T07:19:00.000-08:00

After what seems like a very long time (over a year of looking and disappointment) we finally have our own home! I signed the loan docs last night and next week it should be all ours. It is bitter sweet not having Mike here right now. The kids cannot wait to move in. It has been a long time coming and we couldn't be happier!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Love these moments

2009-03-01T18:21:00.000-08:00

It is times like these I love being a mother. We had some time to kill before church (we start at 1:30! ugh) so I decided to take the restless little ones for a walk. They just instinctively held hands while walking down the street. I am glad I had my camera to capture this rare moment. They do love each other, but most of their time spent together is wrestling or jumping off the furniture or fighting. It makes me realize each child is such a blessing and I love my family so much!

Gone Again

2009-02-23T14:33:00.000-08:00

It is official. I took Mike to the ship early this morning. I haven't cried dropping him off in a long time and I promised myself I would be tough for him. Not so much! I was good until we got out of the car and he put his arms around me then I totally lost it. I was so not ready to say goodbye. 70 days.............I can do 70 days right? On a much happier note, we received a call today that our loan for our new house has been fully approved!!!! Very exciting stuff, we should have a close date in the next couple of days. Although I have to move alone some of you know getting this house has been a very long and bumpy road. I can occupy my time making it nice for my hubby to come home to. Oh yeah and two boys in baseball, school and church activities should take up some time too.

Knock Off Hooter Hider

2009-02-20T19:52:00.000-08:00

I found a free tutorial to sew your own nursing cover. I am a very novice seamstress but this turned out pretty well. I found this awesome fabric at The Quilter's Coop in Temecula. Not your cheapest fabric but I love it! It looks great, but don't look at the seams too close!

FREE TUTORIAL

Life's Challenges

2009-02-17T14:51:00.000-08:00

So here we are, two months after Mike gets home from being gone for 140 days. Last Friday he was laid off from his job shore side. He is now having to go out to sea again, way too soon. I was browsing the internet Sunday looking for something and came across the clip above. This pretty much sums it up. It is my light at the end of the tunnel and the assurance that the lives of my family are in good hands. I am not ready for him to leave so soon, but I know I won't have to do it alone.

Digital Scrapbooking

2009-02-11T11:00:00.000-08:00

I have been playing around with some digital scrapbooking the last couple of days. I am trying to find what I like best so I can get my thousands of pictures together into something we can enjoy in an actual album. I am working on Project 365 for my current stuff but need something for the last 6 years of pictures. I am definitely a beginner, what do you think?

Sir Francis Drake

2009-02-06T08:26:00.000-08:00

Dylan did a biography report on Sir Francis Drake for school. They had to read all about a person of their choice, write a report and do an oral presentation as their person. Sir Francis Drake was a very famous English pirate. Why Dylan chose him I am not sure. I guess every little boy would love to become a pirate! It seems like we have had a lot of costume days, but I have had lots of fun creating the costumes. He turned out so cool. He was not fond of the ear ring, but I talked him into it. I hope the oral presentation goes well, he is so nervous!

I hate the politics of coaching!!

2009-01-29T07:30:00.001-08:00

Ok, this is going to be my little vent session. First off I would like to apologize to every coach my kids have had that I have judged too harshly or thought was not that great. The physical act of coaching the kids has been fun and rewarding............then the other side of it. Dealing with parents, other coaches, staff at he gym, trying to make sure everyone gets equal playing time without hurt feelings, UGH!! Then there is always 1 or 2 kids on your team you just have a hard time with but you have to deal with it, nicely. I have learned a lot about patience and keeping my cool and trying to represent myself how I want people to see me. At times I want to just scream and quit..........then when your kids play an amazing game that gets you so excited, makes it all worth it in the end!

Family Night of Caching

2009-01-21T11:08:00.000-08:00

For family night this past Monday we went to find a geocache. Yes, we have become obsessed! This is one activity we all love and it gets us out of the house! Martha did volunteer to sit in the car with 2 sleeping little ones, she is not much for the hiking ones anyway. This is on a hill that was a quick hike in Murrieta. It was recommended to do it at night so we complied. It was a beautiful night and it was so much fun.

Water fun..................in January!

2009-01-18T10:40:00.000-08:00

Here we are on a beautiful day in January. Yesterday was in the mid to high 70's and we decided to spend it outdoors. We pulled weeds and trimmed trees and of course there had to be water involved! Anytime the temp is above 70 Tommy thinks that is an invitation to get wet. Here he is playing in the hose. I love California weather!

WE WON!

2009-01-13T07:00:00.000-08:00

Last night the Trojans had their first volleyball victory! The kids had so much fun and it was a great game. Shelby is at 6th grade camp and missed the whole thing! She will be bummed she missed it but happy for her team mates. I was really hoping last night would be a win for us. Now that they have felt a victory I hope we will have more in the near future. GO TROJANS!!

Happy Birthday Dylan and Thomas!

2009-01-12T10:12:00.000-08:00

Today Dylan is 10 and Tommy is 5. It is crazy to think that Dylan was the same age as Tommy is today when Tommy was born! Did you follow that?

My little Dylan. He has such a gentle and sweet heart. He is always helping kids at school and wants to be friends with everyone. He is an amazing big brother and a great example to Tommy. He loves his baby sister and has been a huge help to me with her from the day I brought her home. She loves him very much! He was not always the easiest baby, but he has grown into a very sweet young man. He has been blessed with an athletic talent that he loves to use. We are doing baseball again this year and he wants to be a pitcher. He was introduced to snowboarding over Christmas break and he loved it! Dylan is always the one to hug me and help me whenever I need it. His new passion is geocaching and it has brought him and Mike closer. They both love the activity and every free moment is spent doing it together. Happy Birthday my little man I LOVE YOU!

Thomas..................oh my little Thomas. Tommy has always acted older than his age. He is so smart and so independent. He cannot wait to do what all the other kids are doing. He woke up this morning and asked if he can go to Kindergarten now. He always surprises me with the things that he says. His vocabulary astounds me, especially when he uses the words in context! I was so worried when he was born on the same day as Dylan, but they have been nothing but best friends. Tommy wants to be exactly like Dylan and hates to be away from him. I have always believed Thomas was the best thing that ever happened to our "blended family" and he brought us all closer together. He is my little gift from heaven when needed the most. Happy Birthday T I LOVE YOU!

Volleyball

2009-01-09T07:23:00.000-08:00

I have taken on a new activity as of late. Shelby signed up for community rec volleyball. They were in need of some coaches, so I signed up! I have not coached a team since her t-ball team when she was 6. I was a little nervous about it, especially after meeting a couple of other coaches who are very serious about the game. I enlisted a friend of mine to be my assistant coach and she has been a life saver! I am so glad she offered to help. We have lost all three games but I am seeing an improvement in the kids. We have 10 girls and one boy on the team. The age range is 6th to 8th grade, but it is mostly 6th graders. I was not really sure what I was getting into with this but I have to say I am enjoying it very much. I love that I am involved with something Shelby enjoys and I am able to be with her. She does get a little frustrated when I try and "coach" her but she is very patient with me. For those of you who know me I like to be in charge! I love the much needed exercise it is giving me and I have always enjoyed volleyball. It feels good to be doing something different and get to know new people. My anxiety in the beginning has been dissipated and I am really glad I did this!

Geo caching!

2009-01-02T08:50:00.000-08:00

What is geo caching? Definition: A type of scavenger hunt for waterproof containers bearing treasure using the containers' exact geographic coordinates and Global Positioning System devices

We have recently discovered the joys of this activity. We have always loved to go on rides and new adventures and discover new places and this makes it even more enjoyable. Especially for the kids! What kid doesn't like to find boxes filled with little treasures you can trade for? Here are the latest pics of our geo caching adventures. Check out the link at the top right of the blog to see what caches we have found!

This is a cache Mike made for the boys as a Christmas gift to hide for others to find.

We found three cool caches on this mountain yesterday.

Eliza likes the ones stashed in public parks the best!

Another year gone.........

2008-12-31T10:45:00.000-08:00

Is 2008 already (or finally whichever suits you best) over? As I think back on the year I have to admit life in the Sims family is anything but boring! Only one trip to the ER this year is something to be said. I have three teenagers and a senior in High School amongst my brood and my baby turned 1. Shelby and Dylan embarked upon a new school and have made many new friends. Tommy is still biding his time to attend kindergarten, soon son very soon! I was released from the RS pres. and I was very sad. I will miss those ladies so much! I have been thrown into nursery which is not a surprise with Eliza hitting 18 months this Friday. The upside is Mike will be serving with me. Mike was out to sea for a total of 175 days this year which is WAY too much. We are hoping for zero days in 2009, keep your fingers crossed. We had our 5th wedding anniversary and our 4th sealing anniversary. I know I get 2 anniversaries, SWEET! I hit the 30 mile marker yesterday and I like to think I am prepared for the next 30. I love where I am at in my life. I love my family and my husband. I love my friends and all they do for me, especially with my family so far away. I am very blessed and happy and thankful for all I have. I know our Savior lives and the gospel is true. I know we have a true and living prophet on the earth today and I am so glad he is here to guide us. I know my Heavenly Father loves me and my family and has a hand in all that happens to us. I can't think of another place I would want to be right now or anyone else I would want to be with!

Christmas Came Early

2008-12-23T07:56:00.000-08:00

Shelby and Dylan went to Elgin's house for Christmas this year so we celebrated a little early. Our Christmas Day was the 20th. We have never done the early celebration before but Mike wanted to make sure we had Christmas as a family before Shelby and Dylan left. The kids did not wake up until 7:00! But, it was Mike that woke them otherwise they would have slept later. He was obviously more excited than they were! We had a great time opening presents and we had a big Christmas breakfast. Dylan got a GPS for geocaching so Mike and the kids headed out to find some. I, of course, was on day 2 of a nasty cold so I stayed home with Eliza while she napped. Mike's Mom and Dad and Uncle Jim came out for dinner and it turned out to be a wonderful Christmas. I am so thankful for the birth of our Savior. He is the reason I try to be the best of who I am. He is the reason I am the Mom and Wife that I am. I am so blessed and thankful to have the Gospel and Priesthood in my home. I love it with all my heart. I have lived without it in the past and cannot imagine my life without it now. May the Savior be the center of your Christmas this season. Merry Christmas!!

Eliza even sat with Grandpa!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GEORGE!

2008-12-23T07:55:00.001-08:00

George turned 14 last Friday. He is getting so tall and so old to me. He was just a little 8 year old boy when Mike and I got married. He is still as sweet as he was then and I am so blessed he is a part of my family and one of my children. George loves to make jokes and be the center of attention. Most adults immediately love him! He has just begun to babysit for some members of the ward and we have heard nothing but praise about it. The kids have adored him. He has talked about being an air force pilot as long as I have known him. For his birthday gift Mike took him to the local airport and he had his first flying lesson. Mike and Thomas got to go up with him too and it put T right to sleep. George loved it and said it was the best present ever! He had not eaten anything that morning and the flight became very bumpy in the end and he did get a little sick. But other than that it was an enjoyable event!

Chicken Parmesan for dinner and a tower of maple doughnuts for his cake. He is certainly original.

Happy Birthday George! WE LOVE YOU

Finally!!!!

2008-12-13T23:24:00.001-08:00

It is such a good feeling to remove the Mike Counter. He is not officially home yet but will be in the next 17 hrs. or so! The kids are so excited and of course I am too. He will have been out to sea for 140 days. Way too long! Cross your fingers for us that he will get a shore job and be able to stay and work close to home for at least the next year.

I Am Thankful For...................

2008-11-27T19:06:00.000-08:00

With another huge Thanksgiving dinner sitting heavy in my belly I reflect on the things in my life I am most thankful for. I am thankful for my hard working, devoted husband. He is the number one reason in my life for doing what I do. I am so thankful to have him to take care of me and be the head of my family. I am thankful for my good friends. They are always there to be my stand in family when I need them. I am thankful for the gospel in my life, the restored Church of Jesus Christ. I am thankful for my Savior and his sacrifice and atonement for me. I am thankful for my parents and my brothers and sisters and the examples and support they are in my life. I am thankful for my children and the joy and love they bring to me every day. I am thankful to live in a time and place where I have the freedom to live and worship and teach my children as I choose. But most of all I am thankful to be Me and to have the life experiences I have. I wouldn't change any of it for anything!!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!!

Egyptian Shelby

2008-11-19T08:05:00.000-08:00

We are having so much fun doing projects for school this year. Shelby's 6th grade class is learning all about ancient Egypt. Today is their Egypt Fair at school and they were encouraged to dress up. This is the end result of the costume I made for her. Isn't she pretty!

Growing up way too fast...........

2008-11-17T20:31:00.000-08:00

My baby girl is growing up so fast. I know, what did I expect?? She is learning a new word every day and developing her own wonderful personality. She is definitely going to give Thomas a good run. I am just trying to figure out where the last 16 months have gone. Two more months and she is already off to nursery. It seems as though her baby days have gone much quicker than my other three. Maybe because there are a lot more events going on in my life with 3 teenagers and 6 kids in 4 different schools! I need to stop and appreciate all my children a little bit more before it is too late.

Husband Tag!

2008-11-11T07:24:00.000-08:00

So now is a most appropriate time to have the Husband Tag up for me (thanks Katy). I just came off another weekend visit from Mike. He got home around noon on Sunday and left early this morning. Very quick, as usual, but well worth the time we did have. Sunday we just enjoyed each other and the kids. Monday was filled with trying to get some Christmas shopping done (I know it is early but when he is only home one day and we are having an early Christmas on the 20th, there is a very little window!) and we took the kids to play at the park in the afternoon. We had a girls vs. boy volleyball game and it was a beautiful day! Then we took the kids to Super Target to spend their allowance money. Pizza and games last night rounded out our family fun weekend. Only a very short 35 days left until he is home for a very long time!

1.Where did you meet your husband? No mocking.........Online, and through a mutual friend who talked me into meeting him!

2.How long did you date before you got married? We started dating in February of 2003 and Married that May. Very quick but at our age there was no time to waste!

3. How long have you been married? 5 1/2 years!!!!!!!

4. What does he do that surprises you? When he gives up something to give me what I want

5. What is your favorite feature of his? I love his eyes and his heart is amazing.

6. What is his best quality? He is a great Dad!

7. Does he have a nickname for you? Not really, just the normal honey, babe or whatever comes out of his mouth

8. What is his favorite food? Spaghetti Carbonara

9. What is his favorite sport? Baseball

10. When and where did you first kiss? His apt. in Long Beach

11. What is your favorite thing to do as a couple? Go out to eat and just be together

12. Do you have any children? 2 "ours", 2 "mine", 4 "yours"

13.Does he have any hidden talents? He can fix just about anything!

14. How old is he? 36 (Wow! 10 yrs. older than Steve!)

15. Who said 'I love you' first? Of course HE did!

16. What is his favorite music? He is an 80's rocker fan

17. What do you admire most about him? I admire his drive to take care of his family. He is such a hard worker and dedicated to do whatever it takes to make us happy. And there is a lot of "us" to make happy!

18. What is his favorite color? Green

19. Will he read this? If I email it to him

20. TAG YOU ARE IT!!!! Post about your husband and show him you love him!

Latter Day Persecution

2008-11-06T20:55:00.000-08:00

I have spent the better part of the last hour reading article upon article and blog after blog on the hate people are feeling for the "Mormons". Despite the other 50% of the population that has voted Yes (church members make up 2% of California's population), we have been the target of everyone's hate. Now is the time to pray for our Prophet. Now is the time to learn forgiveness and tolerance and love for our fellow man. Now is the time to strengthen our faith and testimony in this, the one true gospel on earth. It is frightening and saddening to read what is out there. There is even a website set up that lists the names, amounts and addresses of the church members who contributed to the campaign so they can be singled out and "humiliated" because of their efforts. No matter what, after all is said and done, this is the true church upon the earth and no one and nothing can change that. I hope and pray that the faith in our Prophet will prevail and the members will continue to be united in the awful face of adversity.

Success on 8!

2008-11-05T09:51:00.000-08:00

I know the presidential election did not turn out the way a lot of us had hoped, but one thing has made me happy! It looks like the California Proposition 8 is going to pass!! I must say I was more concerned about this ballot measure than anything else since it would immediately effect my family and children. This whole experience has strengthened my faith in our Prophet and to follow his counsel and do as he instructs us to do. This quote was emailed to our ward and the ring of truth in it is amazing!

Neal A Maxwell said this in an address given in 1979.
"Make no mistake about it, brothers and sisters, in the months and years ahead, events are likely to require each member to decide whether or not he will follow the First Presidency. Members will find it more difficult to halt longer between two opinions. President Marion G. Romney said, many years ago, that he had 'never hesitated to follow the counsel of the Authorities of the Church even though it crossed my social, professional or political life.'

"This is hard doctrine, but it is particularly vital doctrine in a society which is becoming more wicked. In short, brothers and sisters, not being ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ includes not being ashamed of the prophets of Jesus Christ. . . . Your discipleship may see the time when such religious convictions are discounted. . . . This new irreligious imperialism seeks to disallow certain opinions simply because those opinions grow out of religious convictions.

"Resistance to abortion will be seen as primitive. Concern over the institution of the family will be viewed as untrendy and unenlightened.... Before the ultimate victory of the forces of righteousness, some skirmishes will be lost. Even in these, however, let us leave a record so that the choices are clear, letting others do as they will in the face of prophetic counsel. There will also be times, happily, when a minor defeat seems probable, but others will step forward, having been rallied to rightness by what we do. We will know the joy, on occasion, of having awakened a slumbering majority of the decent people of all races and creeds which was, till then, unconscious of itself. Jesus said that when the fig trees put forth their leaves, 'summer is nigh.' Thus warned that summer is upon us, let us not then complain of the heat."

I know we have a living and true Prophet on this earth and I will continue to follow his teachings and stand by whatever action he calls upon me to take.

VOTE TODAY!!

2008-11-04T09:16:00.000-08:00

Exercise your American right to vote. Remember the blessings and freedoms we have to live in this amazing place in this time! Everyone's' vote counts. Get out and vote today!!

CALIFORNIANS........VOTE YES ON PROP 8!!!

Thing 1 and Thing 2

2008-11-03T20:11:00.000-08:00

Shelby and her friend Madisyn were Thing1 and Thing 2 for their Spanish class. They are learning the names of clothing so the teacher held a fashion show. They could dress up to be whatever they wanted and these girls came up with Cosa #1 and Cosa #2. I thought it was pretty clever and it turned out well. They had a lot of fun with it. Maybe one of the reasons I am so over Halloween is it seemed the whole month of October had to do with a costume of one sort or the other. Either that or I am just a holiday Humbug, probably the latter of the two.

WARNING

2008-11-01T18:50:00.001-07:00

WARNING!
I am beginning to allow the kids to post to the family blog. The first to give it a try is George.

Halloween is Great For Parties!!!

2008-11-01T18:17:00.000-07:00

Halloween was really fun. I went to a fun party. It was fun because all my friends I met in the dance festival were there, and it was really fun talking to them. The cops showed up 12 minutes before ten because the music was too loud, and it was really fun to see Sister Clark (hostess) talking to the police. It was fun to meet some new people at the Halloween party. I had a really good time. Thanks Sister Clark!!!!

Glad Halloween is over!

2008-11-01T18:06:00.000-07:00

So I am not a huge fan of Halloween. It seems like it is dragged out over a period of weeks rather than only be one day as intended. There are school parties, church parties, friends' parties, then finally the actual night of trick or treating. Not to mention the requests to have candy for breakfast, lunch and dinner! Thomas finally decided to be a skeleton the evening before his pre-school party. Of course one day before Halloween and there is not one skeleton costume to be found at Target. So I grabbed a black shirt, black sweat pants, black gloves and some medical tape. This was the end result. Not too bad I must say and he really loved it. That is all that mattered to me!

Ward Trunk or Treat

2008-10-26T19:33:00.000-07:00

Last night was the ward trunk or treat party. There were tons of people there. I had never seen such a gathering of people until I moved here. Hundreds come for the annual trunk or treat. There was chili and kids games and karaoke. Then for the event of the evening, CANDY! With hundreds of people come masses of trunks for the treating! Eliza was a flower, Tommy was an army super hero, Dylan was a werewolf, Shelby a black cat, Michael and his friend were 2 of the Jonas brothers (no third) and Martha was a princess. George opted out of dressing up. Tommy was supposed to be batman but changed at the last minute and put on an army shirt, a cape and his cars baseball cap. One of the youth that was running the apple bobbing allowed T to submerse himself in the bucket and he came to me dripping wet head to toe. Bishop found him a granny sweater to wear from the library lost an found. Never a dull moment when it comes to Thomas. All in all it was a busy crazy night. The only thing it lacked was my other half.

Only Dylan, Shel and Eliza would allow me to take pictures.

My werewolf. He received an honorable mention in the costume contest. I made this costume!

Shelby made her own tutu.

Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-26T19:26:00.000-07:00

Tommy's preschool went to the Peltzer Farm pumpkin patch a week or so ago and Eliza and I tagged along. They had a petting zoo and a corn maze too. Eliza marched right into the petting zoo and was not afraid of anything. She grabbed a little bunny and scared it away. She put her arms around a very pregnant goat and hugged it. She fed some other very hungry goats and kissed them through the bars. Other kids that were her age cried and cringed at the animals, but not my little one. She is too old for her britches and wants to grow up so fast! Tommy had fun feeding the animals too, but bored of it much faster than Eliza. It was a fun October trip in sunny California and it was about 93 degrees outside. It would have been a lot more fun if it wasn't so hot!

More Love Mush

2008-10-22T18:30:00.000-07:00

Last night I got to web chat with my awesome husband. He was in Guam at the Seaman's club with his trusty laptop and free wireless internet. It was so nice to see his face. Eliza sat on the computer desk and said Dada over and over. She blew kisses and kissed the screen, he LOVED it! I love modern technology that allows me to see my husband virtually face to face when he is thousands of miles away! Of course it is not nearly as good as the real thing, but I will take what I can get. He gets back into Long Beach November 9th for another visit then one more short trip and he is home December 15th! He is such an amazing husband and father to work so hard, and sacrifice, to provide for us and enable me to be a stay at home Mom. I am so blessed to have him in my life. He truly is my better half.

Photo tag............you're IT!

2008-10-17T13:59:00.000-07:00

Here is how it works. You go to your picture files, open the 4th folder and the 4th picture file. That is what you post. If you are looking at mine you are IT! This is Dylan's pinewood derby car from last year.

Shelby's team WON!!

2008-10-17T13:51:00.000-07:00

It was a very exciting game yesterday for Shelby and her team. The first game was pretty much point for point back and forth. In volleyball you have to win by two points and usually the game ends at 25. Yesterday the final score of the first game was 29-31! It was so exciting and the girls were so stoked they finally won. The second game started out pretty badly for us, but we caught up and won with a score of 23-25. For those of you with kids in sports you will know what I mean when I say I about had a heart attack when it was Shelby's turn to serve with game point on the line. No pressure! I am so proud of my baby girl and all her athletic talents. I love to watch her play and I give thanks in my prayers every night for the blessing of being a Mom!

My Girl Plays Volleyball

2008-10-11T11:59:00.000-07:00

Shelby joined the volleyball team at school. They have been practicing for a few weeks now and had their first game this past week. Most of the girls are first time players and you could tell they were all very nervous. They did well but ultimately lost. I think it was first game jitters and next time they will do much better. Shelby did awesome and one of her serves was so close! Just hit the top of the net. This picture is not great but she looked so cute (and old!) in her uniform.

Life's experiences

2008-10-08T21:46:00.000-07:00

I borrowed this from someones blog. 99 things that you may or may not have done. The ones in bold are the ones I can claim as experiences. Some I know I will never do, and there are some things not on this list I am most proud of. Maybe I need to do a list of 99 things I have done that make me proud.......

PS VOTE YES ON CALIFORNIA PROP 8!!!!!!!!!!!!

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4.Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee Jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

Mike.....gone again

2008-10-08T13:35:00.000-07:00

So my other half was here over the weekend. We took some much needed alone time and spent Sunday night in Long Beach sans kids. It was nice to have the time together, although the kids were not so happy about it. Eliza knew who Mike was right away this time which made his day. Last visit she was very unsure of him. We did family night on Monday then he was off again Tuesday morning. These visits are but a blink in time and I wish they could last much longer! I had to restart my "Mike Counter" and it was quite depressing to see the numbers back in the high double digits. With Mike being away from home so much we have definitely learned to spend our time wisely and remember what this life is about and appreciate our family more. We just need to remember all that when he works shore side and is home every day!

Happy Birthday Mom!

2008-10-02T08:53:00.001-07:00

Today is my sweet mother's birthday. She is such an amazing and dedicated person. She taught me everything I know about being a mom. She is the one I go to for advice and comfort when things are not really going the way I want (which is a lot!) Growing up I knew I could count on her to be there for me. Countless hours spent at softball games, basketball games, piano recitals. She was indeed a dedicated mother and supported whatever it was we happened to be doing at the moment. With 6 kids she made sure she was there for each and every one of us when she knew we needed it. Even in times when she was not happy with my life choices she was there to guide and comfort me. I love and admire my mom with all my heart and I am so glad she has helped shape me to become who I am today! Happy Birthday Mom, I LOVE YOU!

My Pretty Princess

2008-10-01T17:11:00.000-07:00

I took Eliza over to see Leanne today and get a few shots of her in the tutu. Leanne does such an amazing job with her talents. This is what she came up with. LOVE IT!

PS Yes, I made the tutu, don't be too shocked.