Busy Busy

We thought after our travels, the kids birthdays and the holidays that things would slow down but that just is not happening!  But that's okay!  Life is good!  Just busy :)  What's going on?  Well first off Mommy ordered a new bow for Ashley and clearly didn't look at the size.  It arrived and it was huge!!  Don't they say the bigger the bow the closer to God?  Or the better the Mommy?  ;-)

 Also that day Ashley discovered brother's goggles and insisted on wearing them all over the house.  Good reminder that she should start swimming lessons soon!

Toby is one lucky dog to have so many people who love on him all day.  Usually Ashley and Trevor are fighting over who gets to play fetch with them  (they haven't quite figured out they could all do it together!)  On this occasion Toby's foster Mommy asked for a new pic of him so this is what she got.  She loved it!

Gotta love week day get togethers too!  On this night one of the newer neighbors set up a dinner at Macaroni Grill for the ladies on the street!  We had a great time!!

We headed down to Nana and Papa Steve's for a Friday family fun day (after getting their annual Valentine pics done) when Uncle Don's girlfriend Nancy (aka Clancy) was visiting.  We brought with us the gingerbread train we were supposed to do when Sam was in town but it worked to do it now to. 

Ashley was into painting!  And doing such a good job!

Clancy!!!

One memorable moment from the day was when Uncle Don was outside doing the puzzle and he asked Ashley if she could read.  She said yes so he pointed to the puzzle box and said 'ok, what's that word?' And she responded with 'happy'!  Guess what?  She was right!!!!  He was blown away!  Our little over achiever! 

Big girl has been doing fine without her nuk/mimi but is definitely a little more attached to didi/pink cow.  It was funny though when she found one of her baby doll's nuks it went straight in her mouth.  She thought it was pretty funny because she knew she shouldn't have it!

One day Trevor and Mommy had to go get her oil changed.  It took forever because of a recall they had to do too but he did just fine.  We checked out the giant golf ball...

...played criminals in the kids waiting area, got treats, and played tag outside.  He is such a good boy!

We also found our neighbors and friends in the paper!  Mommy usually just throws the paper away except for the ads but on this particular Wednesday she sat down to read it and lo and behold there were our neighbors and friends Katie, Jack and Claire from the NFL Experience!

Ashley lookin' all cute in older cousin Leah's old outfit.  Mommy remembers exactly when Leah wore this during a trip to AZ.  So happy that Ashley gets to wear it now!!

And last but not least, our little princess is just so cute lately.  She wants to be right next to you no matter what you are doing and to ensure you don't go anywhere her precious little hand finds its way to your leg.  Nope, there is no place else we need to be peanut.  XOXO

Waste Management Open/Super Bowl Fun

In our almost three years of living here we had yet to attend the Waste Management Open.  But this was our year!  Papa John works it so he gets free tickets that he let us use while they watched the kids.  It was a cold and rainy day but we headed out.  It was really cool to see! 

We walked around for a bit but ended up in line to go into the famed 16th hole.  We stood in that line for hours and were probably 15 people back from getting in but we had to go because our good friends Chandra and Matt are in town for the Super Bowl and they were coming over.  So we gave up our spots in line and headed out.  But on the walk back we got to see Angel Cabrera, one of the few golfers Sara actually wanted to see.  It was SO SO cool to see him tee off.  You can get this close!  Crazy!!!

On the way home we picked up Chandra and Matt who were staying at the JW 2 miles from our house.  It was so good to see them and catch up.  We miss them terribly but feel fortunate that we got to see them again.  It feels like Chandra was just here!  We had some snacks and chatted and before you knew it three hours had past and they had to get back for an event.  How cool that one of her vendors brought her and her husband in for the weekend and filled it with fun events including going to the game with VIP tickets!  Fun!!  

After that we booked it to get ready to go out with Bobby and Julie and their friends who were in town from Seattle for the big game.  It was definitely a memorable night!  Their friends are so incredibly generous and covered the whole night (they were staying at Bobby and Julie's) including the $775 Uber ride for 2 cars to go from Bobby and Julie's house to the restaurant (!!), the most delicious meal at a Japanese restaurant in Old Town and a VIP private party at a bar...complete with own bartender and DJ in our private area.  Crazy!!  Needless to say we had a great time and were so appreciative of their generosity.

The group! Go Seahawks!!

Friends for life!  With our friendly orbs :-)

That day was one for the record books!  We really are blessed with wonderful family and friends that made it so memorable and enjoyable.  Except one 'acquaintance' but that's not one for the blog LOL (get it Julie??)

Jim, Annie and crew visit!!!

We've been counting the days for Uncle Jim, Aunt Annie, Sam and Elena to arrive and finally the day came!  Poor Sam came sick though...his tummy was hurting yesterday at school and then he got sick after getting off the plane.  So we let him rest and feel better the first afternoon he was here.  Poor guy even fell asleep on the couch around 5pm!

He perked up a little bit though to play with baby Ashley as he calls her!

The next day we went to Pump It Up! 

Everyone had a fun time!  Uncle Jim spoiled the boys and allowed them to do the wind tunnel thing.  Their faces were priceless!

When we got home we broke out the castle and everyone went to work on making in nice and colorful!

On Friday we went to the AZ Science Center.  The girls wore their matching outfits and looked too cute!

Helping win the tug of war!

Nana and Papa Steve came just in time to see all the kids enthralled with the gravity exhibit!

We tried to get a pic of Jim, Annie and the girls but Diva wasn't having it.  Stinker!

We watched a demonstration for a while...when they started dissecting a cow eye ball Sara had to leave.  Yuck!

We played outside for a bit!  Ashley was so proud that he ball popped right into the basket.

Coin races!

 And then instead of having our picnic lunch around downtown we headed back to Fireside and had our picnic at the park.

Came home for naps and then it was back to jumping!

And a mean game of Connect Four.  Or just cover the board, whatever!

That night Mom and Dad watched the kiddos and we headed out for a night of fun.  Or should we say early night of fun because our dinner reservations were at 5:30!  We were the youngest people there by 20 years!  After dinner we headed to our favorite gelato spot.  Jim and Annie agreed and thank goodness they have dairy free options for Sara!!

 

After that we went to a dive bar that our friends Bobby and Julie introduced us to a while back. 

Serious games of jenga ensued....

 

We had such a fun time together!  Made us miss living in the same state so that we could get together more often and do things like this! 

 

What were the kids up to while the parents were out?  Getting on their matching 'ho ho' jammies as Ashley calls them!

 

And the boys apparently decided they didn't need jammie tops.  LOL

 

As it turns out both Sara and Jim got sick overnight.  Sara felt fine after getting sick (probably there was something in her pasta dish she wasn't supposed to eat with her allergies) but Jim definitely got what Sam had.  And on Saturday morning when Nana Jeanne and Papa Steve came up they too were feeling under the weather so we sent them back home to rest and feel better.  So Annie and Sara took the kids over to a new park.  Sam didn't understand how Trevor got all the way up there!  Mommy didn't either really...especially in flip flops!

Cheese!  Ashley loved going down the slide and up the steps time after time!

Elena much preferred just sitting in her Mama's lap taking selfies :)

And then it was time to go home.  Sure glad that Ashley has an older brother and an older boy cousin to look after her!!  Aren't they so cute?

While the girls were napping Annie and Sara met Annie's cousins at another park.  It was so good to see Olivia, Chloe, Beckett and Romeo...the kids picked up like they were besties reunited!!!

At night we grilled a nice steak dinner and played cards (Sara is still on her losing streak...even after playing  every night Jim and Annie were here!!).  Sunday morning Brian took the boys to get donuts and they could not wait to get their hands on them!  

 Nana and Papa Steve were still under the weather, as was Jim and now Annie was getting it.  So we made Mom and Dad stay home again but Jim and Annie rallied enough to go up to Firetruck park for the kids to run around and play.

Uncle B was the champ, playing and running around like a crazy person so Uncle Jim could relax.

The girls with their bubble skirts and bars!

Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee..................

We picked up Subway for lunch, ate and put the girls down for naps.  Uncle B took the boys over to the clubhouse pool to jump and dive and swim as well as a quick stop at the park before coming back and swimming in the hot tub!

With people not feeling well we had a low key evening.  Ashley apparently wanted to party.  So glad Uncle Jim and Aunt Annie got to experience a full meltdown! 

Low key = lots of screen time.  Notice eveyone here is either on their phone, ipad or watching TV.  Except Toby...he's looking at his Mommy! LOL

And then on Monday morning Ashley went to school, Nana and Papa were feeling a bit better so they came up to say goodbye and off the crew went to the airport.  So sad :(  We had such a wonderful time together.  So many happy memories to fill our hearts until we get to spend time together again.  Love you all so much!  No worries though...you left a little something behind.  There truly is a curse of the cousins.  Now Trevor has what Sam brought.  Kind of.  No throwing up or #3 as Annie called it (debated to call it #2.5) but high fever and just doesn't feel good.  He ended up taking a 3 hour nap on the couch that afternoon.  Feel better soon pooks!