Princess Leyla

Austin

2009-05-23T17:48:00.009-05:00

Xavi ran the Austin Marathon in February! We were so nervous, excited, and PROUD of him!

Xav (and Bobo) at the 26th mile!

We rode the Austin Duck the day after the marathon.

Hudson loved riding in the Duck... until it went from land to water.

Next time, me & Mel want to check out all the cool places we saw while riding around Austin in the Duck.

No Snow? No Problem!

2009-04-19T12:51:00.004-05:00

Sledding in Sandy in January 2009. We were flying down the hills on a sheet of ice and landing in puddles of melted snow. It had been a while since the last snow storm, but we didn't let that stop us from having a great time!

Happy New Year

2009-04-10T16:44:00.003-05:00

Holiday Parties

2009-04-10T16:22:00.001-05:00

GRIFFY'S PRESCHOOL CHRISTMAS PROGRAM

The cutest singer ever!

MADDOX'S KINDERGARTEN PARTY

Toilet Paper Snowman

A holiday wrestling match, instigated by Griffin, of course!

Story time with Ms. Weber

Happy Birthday Maddox x3

2009-04-05T16:56:00.000-05:00

Another year, another birthday celebration. Well, somehow it turned in to 3 celebrations. I can't believe how the time has flown and am so proud of the little boy Maddox has become! Happy 6th Birthday!

December 13th, first celebration with his friends at Peter Piper Pizza.

December 18th, second celebration with his friends in kindergarten.

December 27th, third celebration with the Leeds in St. George, UT.

Merry Christmas!

2009-03-24T18:35:00.000-05:00

We celebrated Christmas on December 14th. We were taking off for Utah the next week and Santa is so over hauling presents to Utah each year. Luckily, the boys didn't notice... I wonder how much longer we'll be able to get away with it!

It's a LiteBrite! So, it was more for me, and the boys have never even looked at since that day, but it reminded me of my childhood and I, er, I mean Santa, just had to get it!

The boys transforming - I love their sound effects!

Santa's Village

2008-12-14T13:14:00.007-06:00

The boys enjoying cookies from Mrs. Claus.

I guess Madd prefers Oreos.

The Pet Shop

The Barn

The Fire Station

The Gaylord

2008-12-14T12:12:00.007-06:00

Hand -carved from two million pounds of ice and kept at a frosty 9 degrees... I'm in! We went to ICE at the Gaylord Hotel last weekend - it is now on the list of Christmas traditions! Can't wait until next year!

Also at The Gaylord, a giant gingerbread house.

Thanksgiving

2008-12-13T14:07:00.004-06:00

We had a fun week in Sandy!

Raphael's with friends.

Backyard Adventures with the cousins.

Turkey Trot with Xav & Mel. This is the only picture of Thanksgiving Day. I came down with the flu and spent the rest of Thursday and all of Friday in bed!

By Saturday I was ready to go again! Shot (and actually hit a few) clay targets with Vinny.

Sunday morning cartoons with Bobo & Tita.

Pilgrim & Turkey

2008-12-11T12:59:00.003-06:00

Maddox the Pilgrim

Griffin the Turkey

Griffy's Preschool Feast (Yes, all he has on his plate is a roll and crackers, oh, and the cookie for dessert. The boy loves his carbs, just like his mom!)

Happy Halloween!

2008-12-06T12:56:00.006-06:00

Optimus Prime

Sponge Bob Square Pants

Oh October!

2008-12-06T12:32:00.003-06:00

Where did you go? October was filled with visitors (which I love)! First we had my parents, next the Wambolds, and then Papa & Yaya! Unfortunately, my camera was in the repair shop while my parents were in town (it's amazing what a 3 year old can do in less than 10 seconds)!

Punkin Chunkin

The Maze

Hayride

The Wambolds

2008-11-18T19:09:00.007-06:00

We were so excited to have Ian & Jeni visit!

State Fair of Texas

The boys posing with the star of "Dancing with the Dogs". Unfortunately, we missed the pig races - yes, pig races. I will post photos next year, because I have got to see it!

Big Tex

Walk with Ian

JFK

First Day of School

2008-11-13T15:47:00.003-06:00

Better late than never is the motto I live by! I'm also motivated by guilt, so Mel I admit I'm so addicted to Facebook that I've been neglecting my blog! This post (and more to follow) are for you!

Maddox looking less than thrilled to start Kindergarten.

Luckily, he was all smiles at the end of the day!

Oooh, the gingerbread boy! The week before Griff started preschool we attended the "Meet the Teacher" and were given a cardboard cutout to decorate. Griffy was so in love with his gingerbread boy that he even slept with him. He was so proud to see Ms. Jill hang his beloved gingerbread boy on the wall. At the end of the day, when Griffy realized that gingerbread boy would not be coming home, things got ugly. He cried for gingerbread boy for the entire first week of school!

Professional Stunt Boy. Do Not Attempt.

2008-09-22T12:43:00.003-05:00

Unfortunately, Thomas suffered a near fatal wound, losing the use of all 6 of his wheels. He is currently recovering in Maddox's room.

Next, stunt boy would like to attempt to land in the ball pit from the top bunk... stunt boy's manager STRONGLY advised him against this!

BUSTED!

2008-09-07T08:29:00.004-05:00

On Thursday I was cruising down a 2 lane road, sunroof open, windows down, music cranked, there may have been some singing. I was enjoying a couple hours of freedom, Madd was in school, Griffy at speech therapy. It was so nice to not hear fighting from the back seat, or requests for me to use my bionic arms to pick up whatever toy was dropped on the floor of the car. I was so happy that I was completely oblivious to the motorcycle cop who pulled up behind me with lights flashing. When I did notice, I thought "he must be chasing someone and want me to get out the way". Turns out I was the one he was chasing.

The officer approaches my window... "Ma'am, is there a medical emergency? I clocked you going 60 in a 45."

"Wow, can I really use that as an excuse?"

No comment.

"No, officer... no medical emergency, where do I sign?"

Drive In

2008-08-25T12:27:00.004-05:00

Maddox hosts a drive in movie for his trains and Transfomer.

DVD Burn

2008-08-19T08:26:00.006-05:00

Maddox gives DVD burning a whole new meaning. I had assumed the 2 scratches on Madd's nose were battle wounds from a fight with Griffy. I did think it was strange that they were perfectly straight. I thought I'd ask Madd what happened: he thought it was really cool to lift the lid on the portable player and watch the DVD spin. Next he wondered what it would feel like. So, he put his nose up to the spinning DVD, but of course once was not enough. Sorry I asked!

Mission Accomplished

2008-08-19T08:10:00.003-05:00

So, the mission was accomplished a few weeks ago - I'm still catching up! We love having a diaper free house!!!

Jump On It

2008-08-17T08:10:00.002-05:00

The title says it all! We took the kids to a room filled with trampolines and cut them loose! Yes, I'm still catching up from Utah, even though I've been back for a month.

The adults did a little jumping too. Although, after this Mike needed a little Advil, because he kinked his neck. I guess we have been out of high school for over 15 years!

Old School Fun

2008-08-15T10:53:00.006-05:00

While were in Utah this summer, I took the boys to a couple of the places I loved growing up. First we hit Classic Roller Rink, now known as the Classic Family Fun Center (it's changed a bit - for the better - since I was a kid). My most vivid memory of Classic Roller Rink was holding hands with some random boy during the couples skate, my mom walked in to pick me up and I was mortified!

Next, we hit Lagoon. I can still remember the day when I threw up all over my shoes after riding the roller coaster. Those middle school years were rough! Luckily, everyone was able to keep their lunch down on this day!

Happy Fourth

2008-08-04T20:06:00.000-05:00

of July! So, I'm a little late... I guess some things never change!

Maddox shares my fear of sparklers. Why does no one else think it hurts when the sparks hit your skin?

Don't let it get you!

Xav & I also lit some awe inspiring fireworks in the street. Evidently, no one thought they were cool enough to take pictures. I guess we'll have to try some illegal ones next year... maybe that will impress our audience!

Thank Goodness For...

2008-08-03T19:54:00.004-05:00

Long time friends! We have all been friends since high school, some of us even longer than that. I'm always guaranteed a great time when I hang out with these guys! We spent the night at TGI Fridays, if you haven't tried their fried green beans, you're missing out! Love you guys!

Party of 16

2008-07-24T10:14:00.013-05:00

The boys & I spent the first 6 weeks of summer in Utah! One of those weeks was spent on a Monge family vacation. It's not easy to move 10 adults and six kids ages 5 and under, but we had a great time trying!

An overnight stop and Papa and Yaya's house on the way to So Cal.

Sea World

San Diego Zoo

The Happiest Place on Earth!!!

The Little Gym

2008-07-21T20:32:00.005-05:00

The boys were enrolled at The Little Gym for the spring semester. Maddox loved the Little Choppers class (and now thinks he can kick anyone's butt). Griffy was a Superbeast, and mastered the forward roll!

Maddox was so proud of the board he broke with his bare hands!

Graduation

2008-06-06T09:51:00.000-05:00

Madd graduated from preschool last week. We are so proud of him!

Miss Monica & Miss Kathy

Memorial Day

2008-05-31T17:08:00.007-05:00

We spent Memorial Day at Hawaiian Falls. My favorite was the lazy river - which turned out to be packed with teenagers, and not so lazy, but still enjoyable! The boys had a great time riding the slides and playing in the water.

Grant receiving some well deserved pampering after a long, hot day!

Buzz

2008-05-29T09:57:00.007-05:00

Growing up I could always tell when summer was near because the Brande boys would be sporting a freshly shaved buzz. The Brande boys are the little brothers of one of my closest friends I've had since I was 12.

So when Griff started to have to tilt his head up to see through his hair, and I started to ask myself if maybe this was neglect on my part... I decided to honor the Brande boys and go for the BUZZ!

Western Day

2008-05-27T09:42:00.001-05:00

I'm a lucky girl... I get to live with the cutest cowboy in Texas! A couple of weeks ago Madd's school celebrated Western Day. According to Maddox, real cowboys have a rope. We made a trip to Lowe's and both the boys selected their own ropes, under the condition that they not tie each other up! I'm keeping my eye on them!

THREE!

2008-05-25T15:21:00.005-05:00

I can't believe Griffy is three! We celebrated Griffy's birthday on Monday the 19th. We had dinner at his favorite place - McDonalds. Then headed home to presents and the much requested "Thomas" cake. Ever since Griffin saw the Thomas cake while helping to select my Mother's Day cake, it has been a daily topic of conversation at our house. The only down side to the Thomas cake, the smallest size was a 1/4 sheet, a little big for a family of 4, so mommy had to take it out to the dumpster a couple of days later, to keep from eating the entire 1/4 sheet cake!

Happy Birthday Griff! We love you!

Mother's Day

2008-05-18T08:01:00.001-05:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful mother's day! I am so grateful for my mom! I always hope that I'll be even half the mother she is! I love you mom!

I was spoiled by my boys. After a surprise trip to the spa, I came home to flowers, balloons, and cake.

Griffy kept wishing me "Happy Birthday"

We finally convinced Griff it was Mother's Day.

Wyatt Wolves

2008-05-02T13:22:00.005-05:00

Maddox played his last soccer game of the season on Saturday. Madd can't wait until next Fall, so we can play again. As much fun as I had playing coach to the cutest group of 5 year olds, I am grateful that my coaching gig has come to an end. I'm hanging up my whistle, and keeping my fingers crossed that I never have to use it again!

The adorable Wyatt Wolves

She's Back...

2008-04-24T19:29:00.003-05:00

And I couldn't be happier!

I have missed my girl Betty! Now I just need to get the kiddos in bed so I can catch up with Ugly Betty.

TOFW

2008-04-22T13:29:00.002-05:00

I spent the weekend in Oklahoma City! I know what you're thinking, but it really is a cool place. I went to Time Out for Women with some girls from church and had the best time!

Dinner with the girls.

Posing under "Flaming Lips Alley" - I forgot to put the "night" setting on my camera.

We ditched the conference for a few hours on Saturday to visit the Oklahoma City Memorial. We happened to be there on the 13th anniversary of the bombing. It was emotional and amazing. Photography wasn't allowed inside the museum, click here for more info on the memorial. If you're ever in Oklahoma City, you must visit.

Field of Empty Chairs - the smaller chairs represent the children who died.

Survivor Tree

Reflecting Pool and 9:01 Gate of Time - the bombing occurred at 9:02 - the gate at the opposite side of the pool reads 9:03.

Bed Head

2008-04-11T17:04:00.003-05:00

Looks like Griffy had a rough night!

I love the way his hair feathers in this photo - lucky kid, he gets that from me!

Auto Show

2008-04-06T16:44:00.007-05:00

Grant's coworkers called us white trash, but we went (and had a great time) anyway!

Maddox experiencing a little road rage in a Hummer

The boys loved the SUV with the tent attached

We saw some cool vintage cars...

But, my favorite thing at the Auto Show was this:

They're 2, They're 4, They're 6, They're 8

2008-03-30T14:37:00.005-05:00

You know you know the song! We spent yesterday afternoon with Thomas the Tank Engine.

The boys were especially fond of Sir Topham Hatt

Nothing Says Easter Like...

2008-03-28T10:20:00.001-05:00

TRANSFORMERS...robots in disguise!

Happy Easter!

Six Flags

2008-03-23T15:34:00.010-05:00

I have a friend who believes that everyone is a snob about something. Some people are jean snobs, some restaurant snobs... she happens to be a water snob (she only drinks Fiji). I've discovered that I'm an amusement park snob. We took the boys to Six Flags yesterday - we had a great time, but it's definitely not Disneyland! We were spoiled living in So Cal. I miss walking out my front door and 2 freeways and 25 minutes later arriving at Disney's front gate.

I don't know if we'll be visiting Six Flags again, but it was great to ride a roller coaster with Maddox! I'm so excited that he is finally tall enough and I now have a roller coaster partner (Grant always gets motion sickness)!

Me & Madd waited 90 minutes to ride this coaster

Spring Break

2008-03-19T16:27:00.013-05:00

We returned from Utah this afternoon. I'm a little homesick and keep reviewing my photos! Me and the boys took off for Utah last Wednesday. Grant was scheduled to travel to New York and Europe for a shopping trip. Grant got sick and ended up catching a flight back to Dallas from New York on Sunday. Six days in Utah was not enough time, but we always have a great time visiting with family and friends!

Museum of Ancient Life

An Easter Egg Hunt in a snow storm - only in Utah!

Celebrating Tia Emily's Birthday

Papa and Yaya drove from St. George to join in the fun!

The Kids' Barn with Family & the Wambolds

Snow Day

2008-03-04T15:13:00.006-06:00

It snowed! Which I guess is not typical for where we live. It made me homesick! The boys were so excited! Griffy kept repeating "I want to go Bobo Tita's house" - that's the only place he's ever seen snow. It made for a super easy morning for me. I usually have to bring Maddox his warm pink milk and let him snooze for a while before he'll emerge from under the covers. When I mentioned the snow, Madd hopped right out of bed and tore past me to look out the window. Maddox scarfed down his scrambled eggs, threw on his clothes and headed out the door. The boys only had a few minutes to play before we had to take Madd to school.

This is what was left of the snow when Madd returned from school.

10 Items or Less

2008-03-03T12:40:00.005-06:00

Why is it every time we fall in love with a TV show, it gets canceled? Some of our canceled favorites include:

The Class

Sons & Daughters

Lovespring International

We've recently discovered 10 Items or Less on TBS. If you're looking for a good laugh on Tuesday nights you have to give it a try... please, before this one gets canceled too!

Paging Nurse Leyla

2008-02-27T09:05:00.008-06:00

My little guys are sick! It all started on Saturday when Griffy got a hold of a Qtip and jammed it so far in his ear it required a trip to the Urgent Care. Two hours and a bottle of antibiotic ear drops later we were home. My guilt led to a trip to Chuck E. Cheese for dinner. On Sunday Griffy had a fever of 103.5. I called the Urgent Care - a 3 hour wait - I headed to the emergency room instead. The Dr. mentions a puss pocket in Griffy's throat... another 2 hours and an oral antibiotic prescription and we're home again.

Tuesday, Maddox wakes up saying his head and throat feel funny. A healthy Monday had given me false hope! I really thought Maddox would somehow not get what Griff was carrying. We spent yesterday fighting Madd's fever, snuggling in bed, catching up with Bindi the Jungle Girl and Jimmy Neutron.

I'm receiving a page... Maddox's feet are not under the blanket! I better take care of this STAT!

100th Day

2008-02-22T09:11:00.004-06:00

Madd's preschool celebrates the 100th day of school. Each child was asked to create a project displaying a collection of 100 items. Maddox decided on one of his favorite cereals, Fruit Loops. I originally purchased a large poster board to display the Fruit Loops. I had envisioned all those brightly colored loops shaped into a huge "M" on the poster board, that Maddox would be in awe of. Then we counted out the 100 Fruit Loops. It didn't take long to figure out that an 8.5 x 11 piece of card stock would be more than enough room. Oh well, Maddox still thought the rainbow was pretty cool!

This is for you Natalie!

2008-02-19T13:21:00.008-06:00

MAN TAG

What is his full name? Grant Malachi

How long have you been married? 9 years

How long did you date? 2 years

Who eats more sweets? Grant - he's addicted to chocolate!

Who said I love you first? Grant - and I didn't say it back, but I did the second time he said it!

How old is he? 35, but don't tell him I told you!

Who's taller? He is (it's not hard to beat 5'2")

Who is smarter? I'll admit it, he is

Who can sing better? No contest - Grant

Who does the laundry? ME

Who pays the bills? ME

Who cooks dinner? ME (I'm quite a catch!)

Who mows the lawn? The gardner - we don't even own a lawnmower, but if we did, it would totally be me!

Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Depends on where we live - Grant always wants to sleep by the window

Who drives? Grant, but he is probably the worst driver I have ever met - he'll even admit it!

Who is more stubborn? ME

Who kissed who first? Grant kissed me on Halloween. I got out of the car and walked straight into a tree. He's still bragging about that kiss!

Who asked who out? He followed me home from church and asked me out

Who proposed? Grant

Who has more siblings? Grant - he's the oldest of 5 - I'm from a family of four

Who wears the pants? Grant - but I'm the fabulous pair of shoes that go with them!

I tag my sisters-in-law, Mel & Stacy!

Nat, that wasn't so bad - who knows maybe I'll do another tag someday!

Dallas Museum of Nature & Science

2008-02-17T15:47:00.008-06:00

We spent a rainy Saturday at the Dallas Museum of Nature & Science. The museum has a newly renovated children's section, which the boys loved!

Entrance to the dental exhibit

This one's for you Tita!

Griffy loved the ant hat!

Be Mine

2008-02-14T16:21:00.006-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day! Maddox spent yesterday afternoon preparing for the Valentine's Day party at his school. He made a bag complete with Power Ranger heart stickers and globs of glitter glue. He also assembled valentines for all his classmates, including his crush, Macy. Madd caught me off guard a couple of months ago, when he first starting talking about how pretty Macy looks and how cute her outfits are. I just keep thinking, "You're 5, are we really supposed to be having this conversation already"? Maddox took his time selecting just the right Power Ranger card for Macy. He even had to make a 2nd card for Macy because the first one wasn't perfect!

The Perfect Card for Macy

Dinosaurs Alive

2008-02-10T17:25:00.000-06:00

Sorry to all our family in friends in Utah, but we're enjoying great weather in Texas. Don't worry, you'll get us back this summer when it's 100 degrees here with humidity to match! We took the boys to see "Dinosaurs Alive" at the Heard Natural Science Museum & Wildlife Preserve. The Heard has 12 animatronic dinosaurs along the nature trail. The boys were a little freaked out. Madd would jump every time a dinosaur made a sound and Griffy just ran away.

The boys preferred the indoor exhibits.

Going Bonkers

2008-02-05T12:56:00.000-06:00

We didn't realize it was the grand opening weekend of "Going Bonkers" when we pulled into the jam packed parking lot. The sound inside was deafening. It has the largest play structure I have ever seen - you could get lost in there. We had a great time crawling, jumping and flying down the slides. Grant and I lasted 2 hours and then had to lure the boys out to the car with candy.

Finally!

2008-01-30T20:02:00.000-06:00

After 6 months of searching, we finally found a house we love! We're so excited to get a play room and I'm thrilled to have a pantry for the first time in our married lives! Most houses in Texas are massive and covered in brick and stone. When we saw our Craftsman style neighborhood we fell in love! I'm a sucker for a transom window, and they are above every doorway on the first floor. We signed the contract in November and ground breaking should begin next month.

Our Lot

Front Elevation

Floor Plan - we're adding the 5th bedroom and balcony

Our Neighborhood

Gone Baby Gone

2008-01-21T15:29:00.000-06:00

The boys got chopped today. We went in for a trim and Maddox opted to cut off all his locks! Griffy somehow ended up with "The Suri". I have always loved that haircut (I even tired it myself about a year ago), but on Griffy it just makes me giggle. When Grant walks in the door tonight, I guess we'll yell SURPRISE!

BEFORE

AFTER

GRIFFIN AS SURI CRUISE

Happy Birthday Poodle!

2008-01-17T13:59:00.000-06:00

We celebrated Grant's birthday on January 6th. It was a Sunday, and with our calling as nursery leaders, lets just say the birthday was not off to a great start. Luckily, waiting at home was a chocolate ice cream, chocolate cake, covered in chocolate frosting, from Baskin Robins. My chocaholic husband quickly forgot about the chorus of screaming children. Thanks to the wonder that is Ebay, I was able to get the number one item on Grant's wish list. The next time you see Grant he will be sporting his vintage "Member's Only" jacket. Happy birthday to the man who always makes me laugh. I LOVE YOU MORE!!!

Happy New Year!

2008-01-16T16:55:00.000-06:00

I had a great time at lunch with my girlfriends on New Year's Eve day. I have known these girls since middle school. We have lived through big bangs, pegged pants and we all survived our no make up, earthy granola girl phase together. I love to spend time with these these girls every time I'm in Utah!

Me, Amy, Julia, & Natalie

Later that day, we had dinner with the Freemans & the Wambolds at Buca di Beppo. We then partied like rock stars, well, like rock stars with 7 children. Jar & Deesha have the perfect house for entertaining. We loaded the kids with sugar and sent them up to the game room. Maybe we gave them a little too much sugar, considering they were all still awake at 2 a.m. We played the Wii until the wee hours of the morning. Even with our techtardation, Grant & I are considering buying a Wii. In just one night, we performed surgery (and only killed one person), created some fabulous meals in an intense cook off, and bowled. It was a great start to a new year!

It's a Boy!

2008-01-09T14:49:00.000-06:00

Five years ago (on December 27th), we welcomed Maddox into the world! Time really does fly when you're having fun. I can't believe my baby is 5! We celebrated at Sky High Pizza - one of Madd's favorite places. Thanks to everyone for making it such a special day for Maddox!

Here Comes Santa Claus

2008-01-04T11:28:00.000-06:00

We finally got a picture of our boys with Santa! Every year someone is sick, or refuses to approach Santa, or we just run out of time. So even if it's just a ward member, dressed in a red suit, in the middle of the cultural hall, at the annual party, I'll take it!

Santa visited our house a few days early this year. We were heading to Bobo & Tita's house on Monday morning (Christmas Eve) and as much as we have loved hauling presents back and forth to Utah each year, we decided that our Christmas Eve would be on Friday night. We wanted the boys to have a couple of days to enjoy their presents before we took off. Somehow, we still ended up with 3 extra suitcases on the way home from Utah.

Some of you may know that I am not the most tech savvy person. My friend has dubbed me "techtarded" and I would have to agree. I accidentally erased all of our Christmas morning photos, and the photos from the real Christmas morning with my entire family, and the kids having a great time sledding. I know, I already cried about it. Luckily, it was a new memory card and we did get a couple of shots of Santa's gifts the night before on the old memory card. So, you'll just have to picture my kids with excited expressions alongside their toys.

Santa was very busy this year and didn't realize that the fire truck battery had to be charged for a full 24 HOURS before the boys could ride. Thanks Santa for leaving a note, the boys completely understood.

The boys opening their Christmas Eve PJ's.

Santa's Gifts

Trains at NorthPark

2008-01-04T09:23:00.000-06:00

A few days before Christmas, we visited a train show at a local mall. Griffy is obsessed with trains and I knew he was going to love it! The only thing I didn't think of was getting Griffy to leave the exhibit. Maddox and I waited outside for about 20 minutes while Grant coaxed Griffy into leaving.

The hats cracked me up!

I loved to see Griffy's faced pressed against the glass for a better view!

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like...

2007-12-09T20:03:00.000-06:00

CHRISTMAS!

We put the tree up the day after we returned from Thanksgiving in St. George (you've got to love artificial trees). It took me a little longer (and a few more trips to the store) to get the trees up in the boys' rooms.

Maddox insisted on red lights. The first 3 boxes I bought were on a white cord - oops. The next time I headed to the store I made sure to get the green cord - although I am dying for a white tree!

Next I moved on to Griffy's tree. Poor little tree - it only has one strand of lights. I purchased 3 boxes for Griffy's tree as well, but only one (and a half) of the strands worked. I tried, but could not convince myself that it was worth another trip to the store with two little boys to buy more lights. So, in the words of Tim Gunn from one of my favorite shows I, "made it work"!

I thought it would be fun to buy advent calendars to help the boys count down to Santa. According to Griffy Santa should be here already! Griffy scratched, poked, and even stomped on his calendar to get to all the chocolate.

I LOVE CHRISTMAS!!!

Thanksgiving

2007-12-09T19:20:00.000-06:00

You know you're in St. George when your neighbor has a tractor parked in their driveway! We always have a great time visiting Papa & Yaya. Much to their daddy's dismay, the boys love to play in the red dirt. St. George is the perfect place for boys to be boys. We really missed uncle Courtney, but had a great time visiting with all the cousins and aunts and uncles.

Ahh, Griffy's favorite pastime. I'm just glad he's doing it to someone else for a few minutes!

The Monges in Dallas

2007-12-01T08:54:00.001-06:00

My family came for a visit the first week of November. We had a great time! One of our first stops was Peter Piper Pizza, we took a tour of the 2 houses we were deciding between, visited the Fort Worth Zoo, shopped and ate... A LOT! We also did a lot of driving. I'm still not that familiar with the area, so we did a lot of back tracking too. We only had one scary moment - as we were exiting from one freeway to another, I looked over and saw Mel waving from the passenger window of the rented minivan as they missed the exit, and were headed to who knows where! Thanks to cell phones we were quickly reunited. How did the world survive without cell phones?

The Primo Prims!

Trick or Treat

2007-11-14T14:40:00.000-06:00

The airline lost our luggage on the way home from Trick-or treating with Mickey, I had to work quickly to find new costumes. I was unable to find the original costumes with the adorable built in muscles. We had to convince Maddox it would be cooler to show off his own muscles.

Punkin Chunkin

2007-10-30T11:22:00.000-05:00

Maybe this is an "only in Texas" activity, but its a lot of fun! You load the mini "punkin" in the giant sling shot and fire. When the pumpkin hits the ground, it breaks into chunks - PUNKIN CHUNKIN!

Just a few more photos of the pumpkin patch.

GOAL!!!!!!!!!!!

2007-10-23T16:32:00.000-05:00

Mad scored his first goal last Saturday! We were so excited for him. In the heat of the moment I couldn't think to hit the record button on the camera. This is a shot of Maddox right after he scored the goal and finished his victory dance!

Thanks Tia Emily & family for sending the balloons!

Our Family Turns 9

2007-10-18T18:15:00.001-05:00

We celebrated our ninth anniversary on October 10th! Grant was scheduled to travel to LA for work, so rather than be apart on our anniversary we decided to make it a family celebration. The boys and I met Grant in Orange County on the last day of his trip. Papa and Yaya drove in from St. George. We also got to see Emma and Courtney who still live in So Cal. It was a short trip packed with tons of fun!

Trick-Or-Treating with Mickey

Toon Town

Autopia

Brother Bear's Slide

Tacky in Texas

2007-10-08T18:18:00.000-05:00

I had a friend in So Cal who was a native Texan, and was very fond of saying "It's hard to be tacky in Texas". I always thought it was so funny. Unfortunately, now I know exactly what she meant. Flashback to a couple of weeks ago. We were on day 4 of Grant's 9 day shopping trip in Europe - let's just say I don't play single mom very well. I decided to take the boys to the zoo to help pass the time until daddy returned.

We were at the zoo about 20 minutes before Griffin looked like this:

The boys had such a great time playing in this little stream, but every time Griffy squatted down to get a closer look his shorts would get wet.

In the past, I would have made my way to the nearest gift shop to find something for Griffy to wear. Instead, I used my stroller as a clothes line and threw the shorts on top. Maybe I was too hot and sweaty to notice, but I don't recall any evil looks directed towards me and my half naked child with a saggy diaper. Tacky or not, we enjoyed the rest of the day at the zoo.

Primary Program

2007-10-02T14:33:00.000-05:00

We had our Primary Program last Sunday. Maddox did a great job and was reverent just about the entire time. He was seated next to his buddy Jack, so there was some giggling and face making.

Mad's part: "The Lord is able to do all things for men"

After the first program practice, Maddox really got into conducting. For days I had follow his hand directions to stand up and sit down.

Superheroes

2007-09-23T16:12:00.000-05:00

I picked up these PJ's on a recent Target run. Grant & I had a good laugh!

The Bat Signal goes out - Griffy makes a mad dash for the Batmobile.

Maybe not so fast next time.

My New Title

2007-09-14T09:52:00.000-05:00

I'm known as a lot of things: mom, wife, sister, daughter, in-law, and friend. Recently I've added a new title to my list... COACH! No, it's not a typo! I'm coaching Mad's soccer team, the Wyatt Wolves. One week before the first soccer game, the original coach realized he wasn't going to be able do it. Without a coach there would be no team. I was dreading having to tell Maddox that he wouldn't be able to play soccer. What's a mother to do? According to the Plano Youth Soccer Association website, no soccer knowledge was required - sounds like I'm perfect for the job! I called the league director and I was in. Next, I panicked! I began speed dialing family members (somehow everyone in my family, but me, plays soccer). I got some great ideas and pointers from my family (thanks guys!) and was ready for our first practice. Luckily I have a great assistant coach, who has offered to handle the games - which is great for me, because half the time the referee blows the whistle I'm not really sure what it's for!

Preschool for Maddox

2007-09-13T16:21:00.000-05:00

Mad's first day of school was Tuesday, September 4th. This year Maddox attends school 5 days a weeks compared to last year's 2 days a week. Ever since Maddox started school last week, he has not been in the best mood. Finally, today he hopped in the car and told me he had a great day! Hooray! Maddox told me about his new friend Joey and how they played freeze tag. Mad's next comment: "Mom, what's a dork?" ... and so it begins!

Our First Cruise

2007-09-04T18:15:00.000-05:00

Armed with 3 packages of Dramamine we headed off for our first cruise! We met up with Stacy & Dan who are veteran cruisers (this is their third cruise, but first cruise with a baby). We had a great time. The best part was that we got to hang out with the Stacy, Dan & Mr. Carter for a week! Maddox is already asking when we get to go again.

First Port - Half Moon Cay

Fun Day at Sea

St. Thomas - Coral World Aquarium

San Juan, Puerto Rico

Grand Turk

Griffy's favorite activity while on the ship - sorry it's sideways - I can't figure out how to rotate it!

Pump it Up!

2007-08-19T15:59:00.000-05:00

We are on our second week of 100 degree temperatures with 96% humidity...we're spending a lot of time indoors. I took the boys to Pump it Up to burn up some energy. Pump it Up is full of bounce houses with slides and obstacle courses. This Pump it Up happened to be a Jr. version for kids 6 years old or younger. Most of the equipment was small, but there was one big slide that made Griff a little nervous.

Big brother going head first and on his back!

Little brother attempting to be cool like big brother.

It's a pretty big slide. SHOULD I???

MAYBE LATER!

When Griff gathered his courage he had a great time!

Cute Maddox!

Like Father, Like Sons

2007-08-12T13:29:00.000-05:00

Anyone who knows Grant, knows that the man loves to clean. Grant has feelings of euphoria while cleaning. I imagine it's similar to runners high. I can only imagine, because I assure you, I receive no such feelings while cleaning! I guess I shouldn't have been surprised when my boys started to take an interest in cleaning.

Maddox will vacuum one room for 30 minutes. He'll take a break, but assure me that he's not done yet so I won't put the vacuum away.

While scrubbing the toilet the other day, Griffy approached me and wanted the bowl brush. Griffy was thrilled to be scrubbing the toilet!

Maddox heard the excitement and came running to the bathroom. I could not believe my eyes - a fight broke out over the bowl brush!

...Griffy lost!

With boys like these, who needs a maid!

Photography by Maddox

2007-08-10T16:32:00.000-05:00

Maddox really wanted to take some pictures today. Never one to say no to my children, I posed with a smile. I would have preferred better lighting, but hey, it's my kid's first photo shoot!

The direction I got for this photo was to "LOOK SUPER RAD Mom!"

Next I was told, "Be angry mommy!"

Tired of my face, Maddox moved on to my feet. Mad wanted the world to know that we have matching toes.

When Maddox grew bored of me (which didn't take long), he moved on to our apartment. So if you've been dying to know what color our carpet is, the wait is over...

The hallway closet

The boy's bathtub

And here's the patio

There were many more photos by Maddox - light fixtures, ceiling fans, toys - but I think these photos are his best work. I love the world through the eyes of a 4 year old!

Beatin' the Heat

2007-08-06T19:45:00.000-05:00

Texas summers are way too hot to take your kids to the park for an afternoon of fun. I've found quite a few indoor activities to keep the boys occupied.

The boys commandeered an airplane! Luckily one of them was able to see out the window!

The boys played a vicious game of air hockey.

Maddox climbed a mountain. From the look on his face, I think it's pretty clear he's inherited my fear of heights!

After Mad's thrilling rock climb, he decided to relax with a little fishing.

Griffy did a little shopping. That's exactly how I feel after a trip to the grocery store with 2 little boys!

Just a Few Reasons

2007-07-31T10:48:00.000-05:00

Just a few reasons why I love being a mom:

1. Kids are always willing to help with meal preparation.
Breakfast anyone?

2. Eventually, your kids become less dependent on you. They start doing things like dressing themselves. No, it's not Halloween, Mad just thought this was the perfect outfit to impress the babysitter.

3. Although I don't get out as much as I used to, I'm still exposed to the Arts.

4. My boys do everything with a smile!

5. Never a dull moment! I LOVE it!

House Hunting - Texas Style

2007-07-29T20:12:00.000-05:00

The Texas housing market is a little different from California's. Our Realtor informed us that Texas is in it's 11th year of "buyers" market conditions. Grant & I had heard the term the "buyers" market, but didn't think it really existed. As we are only familiar with having to decide if you like a home based on one 30 minute visit, then joining a bidding war with 11 other buyers, and finally having to pay above asking price to buy our first home.

A couple of other pros for Texas:

We can actually afford a house in a school district we are willing to let our children attend

Our house will be less than 50 years old & bigger than 1400 square feet

After visiting 9 existing homes yesterday this one made our list.

We didn't love the view from the front:

But we LOVE the view from the back!

Next Saturday we visit builders. We're excited at the possibility of picking out every detail for a brand new home. We never thought we'd have the opportunity. We'll keep you posted!

Long Live Peter Piper!

2007-07-25T09:31:00.000-05:00

Peter Piper Pizza lives on... in Texas! If your last name is not currently or ever was Monge, you probably don't care, but for us, Peter Piper Pizza was a huge part of our childhood. We logged many hours at the 7th East location in the Sandy strip mall. The Peter Piper Pizza has since closed down. For a while there was one in Provo and my sister Emily and her hubby Troy - who is also a fan of PPP, would travel the 30 minutes to eat there. Emily has searched, but can no longer find a Peter Piper Pizza in Utah. I was so excited to see flags and a "Grand Opening" sign hanging from the Peter Piper Pizza in the shopping plaza across the street from our apartment. For a couple of weeks before it opened - I talked about PPP - ALOT , I think Grant thought I was a little obsessed. For all the teasing Grant sent my way, he's starting to get it - Peter Piper Pizza is quickly becoming a go-to spot for our family on the weekends.

Happy Birthday to Me!

2007-07-17T14:40:00.000-05:00

I turned 33 yesterday. Grant took the day off. First, we headed to the Dallas Aquarium. I have a fish phobia. Any time I visit an Aquarium, I am reminded of why I never get in the ocean and why snorkeling does not appeal to me. We all had a good time. I just kept a safe distance from all the exhibits. Next, we saw Surf's Up. Maddox has been dying to see Surf's Up ever since he got one of the characters as a Happy Meal prize. Mad laughed (really loud) non-stop. Luckily, it was just us and one other family in the theater. We ended the day with dinner at On the Border. I'm addicted to their cheese dip!

One-Oh-What?

2007-07-16T10:42:00.000-05:00

On Thursday, we had our second trip to the Acute Kids Urgent Care in less than 3 weeks. Maddox had a fever all day, but seemed okay. I checked his temperature at about 9:00 right before bed and was shocked to see the thermometer read 104.5. Always grace under pressure, I freaked out. Heart racing, I threw Maddox in the car and headed to the urgent care. Fevers always scare me. I feel like I never know what the right thing to do is. When do I do the warm bath, am I supposed to bundle them up if they're shivering, is it okay to give them more medicine even though it's not time yet, what will happen if I exceed the recommended dosage, and at what temperature should I really freak out?

By the time we checked in to the Urgent Care Mad's temperature was 106! Mad was stripped down to his undies and had wet washcloths placed all over his body. Three throat swabs later, it was determined that he did not have strep. The doctor is concerned, and decides to start antibiotics just in case. By the time we leave, Mad's temp is down to 102. Flash forward a couple of sleepless nights, to Saturday. Mad still has a fever and it's back to 104. I throw him in the tub, and get him ready to head to the ER (the Urgent Care closes at 8 p.m. on weekends). I'm pretty sure the people in the ER thought I was crazy - Mad's temp was 101 when we got there and he was happy coloring.

So, after talking to 3 doctors, waiting for hours, and spending $225 in copays, I finally felt like my kid was going to be okay. This morning Maddox woke up fever free! Finally!!!

A Boy and His Bike

2007-07-07T10:41:00.000-05:00

This bike is a bribe pay off. Any mother who has ever traveled alone with her children will sympathize with me. Flying home from Utah last month, things started off well. We made it through the security check with no major problems. Griffy only screamed for a minute when we had to take his Lighting McQueen car out of his hand to walk through the metal detector. Next, we stopped at the gift shop, Maddox picked out a toy airplane and Griffin selected a Clifford book. We even had time for a bathroom break (those airplane bathrooms are a little tight for 3 people). I'm now smiling, so proud of myself for making it this far, when Griffin decides he is tired of the Clifford book and wants his brother's plane. So, as I'm standing there with a diaper bag over one shoulder, a car seat over the other, and my hands tightly gripping the stroller carrying my screaming 2 year old, I knew I had to come up with something big. I knew that promises of another Power Ranger would not be enough to get Maddox to give up his toy plane. My mind quickly raced to a trip we had taken to Wal-Mart a couple of weeks ago. Maddox had spotted a super cool Spiderman bike. At the time, we talked about Santa bringing the bike if Maddox was a really good helper to mom and dad, blah, blah, blah. I leaned over to Maddox and offered up the Spiderman bike. Maddox quickly complied, and exchanged his $7 toy plane for a Spikerman bike - Maddox made out like a bandit!

Griffy Got Glued!

2007-07-05T13:39:00.000-05:00

On Saturday, June 23rd, Griffy fell onto the corner of a wooden box that Grant & I thought would be great for toy storage. We know, we're parents of the year! Luckily, the doctor was able to use Dermabond instead of stitches. Which made me feel a lot better, because I walked into the Acute Kids Urgent Care demanding a plastic surgeon. The Dermabond is supposed to have minimal scarring so we're keeping our fingers crossed. Grant & I prefer to keep the wound covered - it's a little hard for us to look at. We're sorry Griff!!!

Goodbye California

2007-07-02T09:29:00.001-05:00

May 5th & 6th 2007, was our last weekend living in California. We spent a great day at Disneyland with Papa, Yaya, Stacy, Dan & Mr. Cater. On Sunday we had breakfast at Ruby's on the Huntington Beach Pier. Then we took off for the airport and our new home in Texas. First impression of Texas: there's a lot of weeds. After being here for almost 2 months my opinion has changed. Texas really is a beautiful place with lots of trees and greenery. And someday when I figure out how to use our digital camera I'll add some pictures of Texas!