Not much to report

The kids had some fun in the sprinklers this week as Rob was turning them on for the first time this season.


Not much to report here. Austin keeps getting bigger and more and more like a little boy every day. I really can't call him a baby anymore. He loves this little toy motorcycle and has to have it on almost every waking second of the day. Daddy saved the day today by putting in new batteries.

He is definitely resourceful. He came and stole the stool out of the bathroom the other day and I realized how there are always so many cars all over the playroom, from a place he couldn't reach before.

Robert has been complaining about his stomach lately. He has always had stomach probs. Unfortunately, he has never been good at eating fruits or vegetables. He has started to enjoy hitting a ball as I pitch to him. We have started to read Harry Potter with him and he absolutely loves it. He is reading a book called Geronimo Stilton, about a mouse spy. Very cute.

Isabelle is as fun and quirky as every she woke up yesterday and asked for salad for breakfast. Then she cried because it was only lettuce and chicken. She wanted a fancy salad with lots of toppings. What a silly.

Unfortunately at dance on Friday they handed out the recital costumes for all the girls. We are not going to be here for the recital and had worked out with another parent that we were going to sell the costume to them. But, the instructors brought out the costumes and handed them out to everyone there, including Bella! She was so excited to get it and so heartbroken when I told her that we were going to sell it to the other little girl since we would be gone. So, I let her wear it for the day and had Rob do the dirty work of selling her on the idea of selling the costume. She bought it-for now!
BTW she wanted to be serious for this picture, and on the chair. She is so funny.

Rob got the phone of his dreams this week- the palm pre.

I am geared up for camp this week since we are leaving for Utah on the 13th. Also, had a 9-12 mtg. As political as ever, to the chagrin of many I am sure. :)

Have a good week!

Temple, Rachel, etc.

So, last monday my friend invited us to do FHE at the temple with them. After I accepted, I realized that I had never taken my kids to the temple grounds (just pointed to it from the freeway). I asked the kids if they wanted to go and they were SO excited!
Isabelle asked me "Am I going to get married?"
I responded, "No Isabelle, you have to fall in love, and get a ring..."
Very emphatically, "MOM! I already have lots of rings!"I thought Austy looked cute nakey.

Rachel came up and we got to meet her new man Jake.
He even paid Rob for Rachel.
We went to Nona Emilia's.
Bob made us malts at the beach with his drill.

Rob and I went to the "Defending the American Dream" conference put on by Americans for Prosperity. We got to hear Joe the Plumber- so inspiring!
Robert had a carnival at school. Rob took advantage of the velcro.Sorry I didn't talk more, I am not feeling good today!

Mother's Day and bugs

So, lately there has been quite the fashion trend at our house. Isabelle's friend Clara has been tying her socks around her ankles. Isabelle simply HAS to do whatever Clara does, so now both of them wear their socks around their ankles all the time! It just makes me laugh. This is how fashion trends are started right?
Robert started playing with his stomp rocket for the first time this week. Unfortunately, it went up on the roof two times! Rob was enjoying his time up there though!This is a view from inside our kitchen and Rob is looking at me through the skylight.We went to Mima and Papa's for Mother's day. I must admit, that my favorite gifts were the ones the kids made for me this year. They were SOOO excited to give me their gifts. Robert wouldn't even let me see the paper bag he had wrapped mine in until we were opening presents.
Robert made me a calendar with all pictures he had drawn. This is a picture of me that I am holding up, and he was drawing me in my orange sweater! He also made me the necklace that I am wearing (the pink and yellow one).
Bella made me these two cards. Isn't that frame one a scream?
Mima got lots of loves as well.

We planted our garden on Saturday. We let our kids help. We planted lots of veggies, but bought a pear, apple and cherry tree as well.
While we were gardening, Robert found a catepillar. He wanted to keep it as a pet so bad! So, Rob let him for the day. Robert named him "Green" and took very good care of him. He gave him a little house, tried to give him drinks of water, and even let me babysit while he went on a bike ride.It was exciting that he was willing to touch a little creature. Here he is with his gloves, but he ended up touching it numerous times with his bare hands. Yea!
Isabelle found a little grub, but cried her eyes out when she lost it down the sink as she was trying to wash it. Poor thing.

Here is cute Austy. He has gotten so energetic. He will run more than his older two siblings sometimes. I love how he is always the first person up and will run into my room to snuggle me in the morning. He gives so many loves to every person in the family every day. How could anyone not love this kid?

Therapy graduation, teddy bear picnic, parent dates

So, on Monday Robert had his last day of therapy. He has come so far. When we first started, Robert had a really hard time writing or coloring. He would use his whole body to write instead of just his wrist. His fine motor and his large motor skills were very undeveloped. He would get tired very easily would never want to run, ride bikes, anything physical.
Now that he is graduating, he can write well without getting tired, he loves to color, he loves to run. He tells us over and over, "I am the fastest runner in the whole world!" We are so grateful. Thanks Elizabeth!(His therapist)He was so cute too. Elizabeth told him it was going to be a party, so he wanted balloons and the whole gammet. I gave him a superman balloon and we had twix's all around. He also got a certificate and the whole family watched his last day of therapy. It was so fun!

Bella had a Teddy Bear picnic at preschool this week. She brought a soft Belle doll for her bear. Even Daddy got to go!Rob brought home a slip and slide for the kids from a business trip. They have been chomping at the bit to get on it, so we finally let them this week. They had a hard time figuring out how to slide down, but had a fun time nonetheless.We have been doing some yardwork. Here Rob ended up transplanting 15 strawberry plants (we only bought two last year!)
On Saturday I had a Mother Daughter day with Isabelle and Rob hung out with the boys.
Isabelle and I attended a Mother Daughter tea party. We had lunch, danced, painted nails and did make up and played some games. Isabelle was in heaven.
Isabelle was really sad earlier this week when Robert got a balloon, so I promised her she would get one today, so she got this princess balloon. I had also promised her a special cupcake she wanted.
We also went on the carousel at the mall. By the end, we were all tired!
The boys went to see "Monsters vs. Aliens" and Robert got a bakugon (?). It was a hit.

My great kids

So, first of all, I wanted to talk about Austin. He is such a fun, funny kid. Lately he has totally been reminding me of that little guy on Star Wars that laughs at everything that Jabba the Hut says. The other night Austin was totally crying at dinner. Then all of us at the table started to copy him. In the middle of his crying he burst out laughing. He would start to cry again, but when we copied him, again he would just laugh. I love how full of love an happiness this kid is. He is a joy to our life!
When Robert was about 2, Rob bought Robert a shirt that said "Don't bother me, I'm crabby." It always made me feel better when he wore it. These shirts, that my boys are wearing are perfect too. They say, "Don't bug me." Robert was so excited when he saw his shirt. He said, "When___ and ___ bug me in class, I will just show them my shirt!"

Ok, but Robert is very sweet as well. He told me about his missionary experience this week.
"Mom, I told Conner that we all have spirits inside of us and that is how we are alive. I also told him that we have to decide to be on Jesus' side or Satan's side. I asked Conner what side he wanted to be on and he said 'Jesus' side'." When he was telling the story to Rob's parents, he said, "I used to be afraid to be a missionary. But, I am not anymore. When I am a missionary it makes me feel happy inside my whole body, and makes me feel clean."
-Whoa! I am lucky to have such a good kid.

On Saturday Isabelle had a dance concert at Esther Short Park in downtown Vancouver.
Wasn't it so beautiful there?! I also love to watch my Bella. She is so feminine and sweet! She loved dancing in the concert. Here are my handsome boys watching.
Also, later we heard a guy playing an accordion and she started dancing in front of a store window, Austin joined in as well. I love these kids! I am a lucky mom!

We had never been to the park, or the farmer's market that they have there. But, we had so much fun! We bought a cherry tree, got free ice cream, and I bought Bella these flowers. She was begging and I wanted some too, so why not!We also finally finished another project this week. I have had plans to do this for my boy's room since before we moved in, so I am so happy that it is finished, and I love it:)

Warning!! Politics!! and family too.

Ok, so many of you know that I have been really getting into politics lately. Which is completely out of the ordinary for me. I think that the only political thing I have done up until now is vote.

But, I have been so concerned about the state of our country and where it is heading, that I have started to do something about it! There was a visiting teaching message in March that said

Elder Robert S. Wood of the Seventy: “For too many, responsibility seems to end with hand-wringing and exclamations of dismay. Yet talk without action accomplishes little. We need to be vigorously engaged in the world. If our schools are inadequate or destructive of moral values, we must work with fellow members of the community to bring about change. If our neighborhoods are unsafe or unhealthy, we must join with the civic-minded to devise solutions. If our cities and towns are polluted, not only with noxious gases but soul-destroying addictions and smut, we must labor to find legitimate ways to eliminate such filth. … We have the responsibility to be a blessing to others, to our nation, to the world” (“On the Responsible Self,” Ensign, Mar. 2002, 30–31).

I have been wringing my hands until now. Glenn Beck inspired me to start a group where we study the constitution, the founding fathers, and start to bring about real change in our country with real principles and values!! See http://theglennbeck912project.com/
I had my first mtg on Tuesday. I was worried that no one would come, or if they did, that they would feel like it wasn't worth anything, and stop coming. But, I was happy with the turnout and the discussion that ensued. We discussed Thomas Paine's Common Sense, and everyone was up for reading the 5000 year leap- basically a breakdown of the founding father's formula for success. I have started reading it already and it is amazing!

I also made these yummy, patriotic treats.
The next day, Rob and I attended a Tax Day Tea Party. This was a move for those like me to say - no more taxes, no more socialism, and try to protect the constitution! From me talking to lots of people, it sounds like many people haven't heard about these, but they were held in EVERY MAJOR CITY IN AMERICA on April 15. Thousands of people attended across the country. The media just really didn't do it justice. For more pics of tea parties across the country, go to http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/198/24109/?ck=1

I heard a guy on the radio call up and say "Hey, I am on my way to a tea party, I've got my sign in the back, and I feel kind of like a wacko because I have never been to something like this before." I felt the same way! But, when I got there and started reading everyone's signs and what we were all fighting for, I really didn't feel that way anymore. The people there weren't wacko's. There were 80 year old veterans.There were families with young children.
I saw people who wanted to defend God, morality, work ethic, the constitution, careful spending, freedoms. This is the kind of crowd that I want to be around. The people there asked how many people had never gone to a protest before and it was almost the whole crowd!!
Strange thing, but right before the tea parties, the Dept of Homeland Security came out with a statement warning about "rightwing extremists". According to this report put out by DHS secretary, and open-borders stalwart Janet Napolitano, anyone who opposes big
government control or who opposes "single issues" such as
illegal immigration, abortion, gun control, homosexual marriage,
the current financial bailouts, and literally a host of other
issues could be considered a domestic rightwing extremist! Don't believe me? See http://api.ning.com/files/UNNlkOVukw8cXztJc4bDEq2ztrm9owekwvHofmLwYgxLlpwX8*h1av8amHehbYkmt3Qvxny16Gh1ob8gFYeRrw2HVq-joU7Y/hsarightwingextremism0904071.pdf

Wow! If that is the case, I am proud to call myself a Rightwing Extremist!!

It seems that if you oppose the current administration's agenda, that you are a threat to them, instead of just having a different opinion.

If that scared you off about me, I am sorry. If that encourages you to help with the fight, let me know and I will arm you with information and we can carry on with the fight to protect our constitution, and our freedoms.


On to family.

Isabelle had her first dance recital this week. She was so cute to watch.


At the end one of the other girls gave her some flowers and she just loved them! She has been jealous of me ever since Easter.
She wanted to carry them around everywhere. She even carried them around, trying to help daddy mow the lawn.
Also, Rob and I participated in a youth fundraiser in our ward and Rob was the MC. He did a great job!