Beach Baby

I love taking Bentley to the beach, we seem to go everyday! She loves looking for sand crabs and and splashing in the waves! If you even start to dig a hole she'll come sit in it and laugh! She eats a lot of sand since she can't keep it off her hands and won't let me feed her. She is a very big girl and can do anything that the older kids can do.....or so she thinks! I love my little beach baby!

This is Bentley's Buppy. She goes everywhere with us!

Jazz Recital

Makayla had 2 recitals this year! She did just as well the 2nd night! The girls danced to Ladies Night, and it was so stinkin cute!

Mak's movie star make up!

Those are Mike's really embarrassing jazz hands.

Good job Mak Attack! I can't wait for next years recital!

Ballet Recital

Makayla has worked so hard all year for her recitals, and the big night was finally here! She was so excited and loved getting into her costumes and having her hair and makeup done. She said she felt like "such a star!" She was definitely the star of the show. Dress rehearsal went well and she was ready for opening night! With this being her 4th recital she was not nervous at all! After rehearsal we went home to eat and get Perry ready to go too. We snuck some flowers into the car, and once Dad got home we loaded everyone in the car and headed to Mak's recital! Once we got there I delivered Mak backstage, she was as silly and her sweet spirit helped calm the nervous girls. The rest of us took our seats and waited to see the star of the show. When it was Makaylas turn to dance the girls came on stage and looked so beautiful, so grown up with all there makeup! Being the emotional wreck I am, I got all teary eyed and emotional watching all of Makayla's hard work pay off! She looked so graceful and remembered all of the choreography THEN all of a sudden smoke started filling the stage(it was just special effects)! Mak's eyes filled with fear, she continued dancing but only with half the effort as she looked around to see if anyone else was panicking. My tears quickly turned into laughter! Mike and I could not hold it together! Maybe next time they should practice with the smoke or at least warn the 5 & 6 year old girls before their big performance so they won't be alarmed next time!

Perry was so excite to give Makayla her flowers! He kept telling her "You did such a great job Makaywa." "You look so beatufuw Makaywa."

After her recital we went to Golden Spoon to celebrate! I asked Makayla to put a napkin in her leotard so she wouldn't spill and stain it. She was so hesitant and I could tell she was embarrassed so Mike and Perry and I all shoved napkins in our shirts so Mak wouldn't feel like the only dork, instead we are just a dorky family which is probably worse but we sure had some good giggles about it.
Encore Makayla!

My Favorite Things about Summer

The 4th of July.

Tan lines.

I love juicy watermelon in the summer and seed spitting contest with my kids. I love watching the juice run down their little arms while they eat it too.

I love watching my kids explore tiny critters, like sand crabs. These sand crabs kept them entertained for 1.5 hours today. 

I

I love the smell and having friends and family over for a BBQ.

The ice cream truck.

Sandy babies.

Today we went to the beach with a bunch of friends. As I was walking down to the beach with Bentley, Sam Ferguson, yelled "WOW MOM, SHE HAS A BIG TUMMY!" 3yr. olds are so honest aren't they. I just love being pregnant!

Father's Day

  This father's day we started out by getting breakfast at our favorite restaurant, The Loft at The Montage Resort. The kids love it there and they like to act fancy, sooo cute! While we were there the hostess' gave them little stuffed animals. That definitely made their day. They haven't stopped carrying them around since. After breakfast we headed to church. The primary sang for all the Dads. It was Perry's very first time sining with the primary in sacrament and he was so very excited! He had the biggest grin on his face!

  After church we headed to the Beverly Hills car show on Rodeo Dr. This is one of the first traditions we have started as a family. Mike & Perry love looking at all the cars and Makayla & I love window shopping. 

This is a Makayla size car and in her color too.

I love watching my boys bond over guy stuff. Perry loves it to since he is usually stuck with all of us girls doing girl stuff all day!

We had to take a few pictures of our little Bentley in front of a Bentley.

Like mother like daughter! This is a Dior window display I caught her drooling over! She is my little fashionista!

My little guy is soooo tough!

Mike,

  We hope you had the best fathers day ever! We love you so much and so appreciate you. Our family would not be complete without you. You are the most amazing man I have ever met in my life and I look up to you for so many reasons! I try to be more like you every day. You are such a good example to me and the kids, and teaching us what type of person we should be. Thanks for being the best father ever to our children. Thank you for teaching Perry to be such a gentleman, I give you all the credit for him opening my door and telling me how beautiful I look, and how well he treats his sisters and his "girlfriends." Thank you so much for being Makayla, Bentley, and my Prince Charming. Thank you for your unconditional love and support to all of us. You have such a big job in this family and you do it better than anybody else ever could! I can't believe that I am the lucky girl that is yours for eternity and that I get the privilege of being your wife, best friend, confidant, shoulder to cry on, partner in crime, and eternal companion. I am so glad we have a day to celebrate you as father. There is no way that we could ever show you enough how much we love and appreciate you.

All our love!

Joebin, Bug, Sissy, Monster, & Bean

My Little Fishies

The kids and I have been swimming everyday so far this summer, even in the rain! Bentley has proven to be quite a little fish. She loves to dunk, and blow bubbles. I'll have her blow bubbles and then we dunk and I'll pull her through the water.  She's going to be quite the swimmer. She also likes jumping in the pool. She loves wearing goggles. She wants to be just like Makayla and Perry. Anything that they do she wants to do too.

Madison taught Makayla how to dive! I am so proud of her! She keeps getting better and better at swimming, she also will go down the slide into the pool too. She is getting so comfortable around the water. 

Last Day of School

 

 My little girl is getting bigger and bigger and I am having such a hard time with it. I remember on her first day of school she was so nervous! I drove her to school and we waited outside with all the other students for their teachers to come get them and walk them to class. She just held on to my leg making it so hard for me to even take a picture of her! Her face as she walked away from me with her teacher read a thousand different expressions. I had her hold a new friends hand, Cossette's, so they could offer each other a bit of comfort. She was very excited but her fear showed more. This was the first year that she got to buy lunch, this was the first year that she'd get to walk in the hallways by herself to go to the office or bathroom. This was the first year that she would ride the school bus, and go on field trips. 

  On her second day of school I was so nervous! It was the first day she'd ride the school bus. As we walked to her bus stop she had tears in her eyes and I could feel her trembling. Another boy in her class, Scotty, rode the same bus and was at the same bus stop, so I told her to just keep up with him and follow him to your class, in the afternoon you just get off at the same stop as him and I will be waiting for you. Even still I was nervous she would get lost at school in a sea of unfamilar faces and be terrified. The bus was pulling up and it was time to say goodbye, she burst into tears! Trying to be the strong mother I am I gave her a big hug and kiss and sent her on the bus. I found her face in the window looking at me just sobbing as she rode away. I felt like the worst mother ever! I walked up the hill to get home crying so hard I couldn't breathe! I felt like the biggest boob!

  Today she finished first grade, and she is over all of those fears and is so impatient for summer to be over so she can go back to school! Am I that awful to hang out with? I am so proud of her and the wonderful little girl that she is. She has had wonderful grades and has honestly enjoyed learning! She came home every day and sat down and did her homework, she also finished a math challenge this year and won an award for it. She has made some good friends and has stood by her standards and been a great example to them. She also won a character counts award this year for being caring. I could not be any more proud of her!

Last day of school 

(It's no surprise to me she surrounded by boys.)

School BBQ

Perry loved sitting with all the 1st graders!

  I guess we are on to 2nd grade! I'm sure she will do just as well probably even better next year. We love you so much Makayla, you couldn't make us prouder!

Date Night

  We went on a double date with our friends Dan & Mia.  We rode the Tower of Terror and Soaring over California. My new favorite treat at Disneyland is the Candied Almonds. I'm craving them right now! We had a ton of fun! It was both Mike and Dan's first time at California Adventure and I think they had a good time. 

Fashion Show

  This weekend I was in a fashion show with Makayla and my besty, Patience(she's going to kill me when she sees her picture up on my blog, muahahaha!!!) . We were helpingout a friend from church, Heather Fish. We modeled for Japanese Weekend, and Pearl Swimwear.     

  This was Makayla's first fashion show ever and she rocked it! I was such a proud Momma! She had her hand on her hip and had the cutest bounce in her walk. Everyone was cheering for her as she walked down the runway and she absolutely loved it! I've always said that tall skinny girl of mine was meant for runway and she's proving it to be true. 

  I thought it was so cute that Mike came and brought Bentley and Perry. They were very excited to see Makayla and I. Perry would yell and Bentley would say "hi Mama" everytime I walked down the runway, it was so cute! Afterwards Perry gave Makayla and I the most beautiful sunflowers ever. He is such a cute little man. Thanks Mike for teaching Perry to be such a gentleman and bring our fans to cheer us on. It was nice to have such comforting faces in the crowd.