Green Tomatoes

What you get when you plant seeds in May.

Even being GREEN, they are very pretty to look at,

and they smell wonderful.

I'm going to enjoy them,

even if I never get to eat them. 

Its the first time I've grown anything.

Uh-licious

Anisten is "Fee" (three)!

Today she asked me for chocolate milk, and said it was "uh-licious".  Made me smile, she is acting older already.

Here are some pics from her party.

Afraid of candles, needed encouragement to blow em out.

She licked all the frosting off the cupcake and moved on to the brownie.

Pin the nose on the clown game, Anisten's nose was the purple one, halfway off the poster.  She was blindfolded, and tickled pink about the game

Had to include this one of Reed teething on some corn.

First Day of Pre-School ... again

This is Lilly's second year of pre-school.  She was so ready for it to start.  If you look closely at her right hand, she is holding her pink scooby-doo lunch box.  Let me tell you, taking a lunch box to school is one of the coolest things Lilly can think of.  We walked home (it is so close to us!) and Lilly told us all about her day.  She was on top of the world!

Anisten cried all the way home, sobbing "Lilly stay wif us".  I counted on her having a hard time of it.  Anisten and I enjoyed some one on one time at hoome, so nice.  Miraya, like the outfit?  Fits perfectly.

What did you do today?

Bet you didn't play with slime!

I made this stuff using the recipe on the website ourbestbites

Anisten likes to be clean, naturally she was very distraught about the whole thing...

Not Diego, he loved his "Goop"

Coming around a little, "Is ucky moma"

Stretch                                                

Lilly played for about an hour.

All the while Reed was under the table chewing on a butterfly bath toy...

Documentary- The Business of Being Born

To the women in my life: YOU have got to watch this documentary! Information is power. We need to be informed. All women need to see this, whether you are birthing age or not. My friend watched it and recommended that I see it. I found it on our NetFlix instant queue, under the documentary tab. Careful, you strong women may change your opinions....

"Birth is a miracle, a rite of passage, a natural part of life. But birth is also big business.
Compelled to explore the subject after the delivery of her first child, actress Ricki Lake recruits filmmaker Abby Epstein to question the way American women have babies.
The film interlaces intimate birth stories with surprising historical, political and scientific insights and shocking statistics about the current maternity care system. When director Epstein discovers she is pregnant during the making of the film, the journey becomes even more personal.
Should most births be viewed as a natural life process, or should every delivery be treated as a potentially catastrophic medical emergency?"

Look Who's 5!

Horah for Lilly. What a big girl.

Carousel Cake

Lilly just had to have this coloring castle.

Sampler Quilt

I did it! I finished my first quilt last night. I started it in July in a class with some friends, worked on it a ton along the way, and finally I'm done! It is called a "sampler" because each block is different, learning new skills as you go. I have a new reverence for our mothers of past times, who hand pieced scraps of fabric together to make useful warm quilts. I also now know that quilting is a labour of love. Its so much work, you better love it or you will quit. So I think I love it, because the finished product is so great. Thanks to Sara, for sharing her love of quilting with beginners who don't have a clue what they are doing.

My quilt has already been indoctrinated into the Evans family. Last night I was hand sewing the binding on, when Anisten ran up to me holding her tummy and puked everywhere (yes it got all over the quilt!, carpet, me and Rylan). I stayed up really late finishing the binding so I could wash it. That's the way things roll over here.

Bad BAD Moma

Waterproof SPF 50 Sunscreen applied twice.

Ate her lunch in the shade.

Still got a sunburn :(
Bad Moma

Long Beach International Kite Festival

We returned to the kite festival for the third time. It is seriously my favorite vacation. Rylan and I chanced upon the festival when Lilly was a baby. We have returned every other year since. This time we brought Nana, and she said it was her favorite vacation too... We also brought our bikes. We spent our time flying kites, eating, shopping, eating, watching kite events, eating, riding bikes, eating, splashing in the ocean, eating, and playing in the sand. Did I mention sand, Sand, SAND!

Here are some photos

The girls have their own kites to fly.

They also love these "spinners"

We stayed in the condo in the blue building behind the girls. It was right in the middle of town, within walking distance to everything. A perfect spot to stay.

Anisten didn't give any signs that the water was cold!

Fully clothed and "wading" in the ocean, Anisten was knocked off her feet by a big wave, and had to be saved by Rylan. She spent the rest of the afternoon wearing nothing but Nana's sweatshirt.

Did I mention Sand? We scrubbed sand out of the kids hair every night.

We also found Quick-Sand!

Look how tall I am!

We ate doughnuts and other delicious delicacies from the Cottage Bakery every day.

Ever eat a Texas Doughnut? Maple, my personal favorite.

Reed is 6 Months Today!

Horay for Reed, our beautiful little blessing.

There was a time when I thought he would not make it.

6 months later he is strong, healthy, and thriving.

Reed is a miracle baby. I thank my Heavenly Father every day

for the blessing it is to be his mother.