Eureka!

Bella's at that adorable age where it's hard not to just put some whipped cream on her head & eat her up for dessert! I think God made them soooooooo cute at this age because they are so wiggly, squirmy, into everything, hurt themselves 100 times a day & basically wear out their mother. It's the age where you'd ship them off for a few months to a baby boot camp if they weren't so cute. Luckily, I remembered a good trick today that I used with the boys. An all baby-friendly kitchen drawer. It's like heaven for an 11 month old! She can pull ziploc bags out of the box at lightning speed, chew on a celery brush & bang the floor to her heart's content with a rubber spatula. It gives me a few minutes to get dishes done without a baby hanging on my leg looking up at me with eyes like the kitty in Shrek pleading for attention. Eureka!

Be true to your school

It was our local school's carnival & fundraiser last night. We all had so much fun!

Bella enjoyed munching on the ends of the boys' straws :) Also, she is starting to stand up on her own, and she practiced alot at the park because the grass provided a nice bum cushion when she fell!

Sam got his face painted by a 3rd grader! When she yelled "next" I looked at her like, "really- you're the face painter?" I guess it's all for charity! She was so cute!

Sam loved his 3rd grade version of Batman!

Mack chose a tiger! Grrrrrr!

Noah waited for over an hour to be able to climb the wall & they almost closed it up right in front of him. I noticed he was getting teary eyed, so I was very happy when they stayed open longer. Phewww! He was so into it! He also was the first 2nd grader to finish their "jog-a-thon" earlier that day. He has Mommy's running genes :) Yeah! I just hope he keeps it up better than I have. Overall it was a fun night of snow cones, processed meat, bouncing your brains, & spending money for a good cause.

My darling I Love You, but let's wait until after 6 am to love each other. PLEASE!

basic update

Sam & Mack are so excited to have started soccer this past Saturday. They have been watching Noah play on teams for the past few years & were psyhed out of their minds when we went to buy them their own "real uniform" & soccer cleats! They have been wearing them around the house for a week, so of course, I couldn't find their socks on the day they needed them!

Mack was really aggressive, but not in a mean way. He was like a mad hornet out to attack the ball! He'd push everyone out of his way to get to that ball!

Sam, on the other hand, was into the game only after he'd talked to the coaches, referees, other players & everyone on the sidelines! He's Mr. Social.

Noah was really happy to be playing soccer again. He missed all last year due to his broken arm & me having a baby! He got on a team with an old friend, which was so fun. He also got put in as goalie for part of the game. He was so nervous, but did very well. He kept asking me on the way home if I noticed how great his drop kick was?! It was pretty awesome!

Our friend & beloved pet (for 4 days), "Hampy" the hampster went on to greener pastures last week. It actually broke my heart, because Noah saved up his tooth fairy money to buy a hampster & was devestated when it died so quickly. He has not yet wanted to adopt another hampster, but we (his parents, who spent money on a cage, food, etc...) are hoping he changes his mind soon. We had a lovely funeral service & buried "Hampy" in our backyard.

Bella is finally crawling, although we're not signing her up for the baby olympics. It's not the traditional form! However, she can make it from one side of the room to the other, so we're counting it! Her favorite thing in the world is nursing, but kitties are a close second. She hears our cats meowing & she immediatley perks up & "meow's" back. It's really cute! This video isn't the best, so you'll have to trust me...it's really cute when a 10 month old baby meows!

Last, but not least...we are partnering our wedding business with a friend, who is also a neighbor. It feels like I can finally put down the very large & heavy peice of furniture that I have been carrying around. Our business is so fun, but alot of work. It's too much for 1 person (Len's in school & working full time), especially when I have 4 kids that I would like to spend time with occasionally! It will be great to grow the business, and still have time to be a Mommy. Yeah!

Family ties

The 3 musketeers! We hung out with Len's two brothers- Steve & Joe, and their families this week. It was awesome because Joe & Trina live in San Diego, so we don't get to see them too often. We went to Peggy's families cabin up Parley's canyon & had a summer BBQ. It was delicious, and it tasted even better in the mountains!

Cousin fun! This is not all the cousins, but all the one's that wear the "Ayers" name! I think we've done pretty well. Cuties!

Noah proudly displaying the main course of his meal.....cheese.

Trina & 2 of her cuties- Camilla & Abigail

Aunt Peggy & Isabella :)

I already miss hanging out with these guys- it just feels so comfortable & relaxed.

Wish we could do it more often!

A whole new world!

Well, not really new to me. I THINK Bella is gaining weight from her new "fat-plenty" diet! She is loving every drip of olive oil! I did also decide to occasionally give her a bottle with hypo-allergenic formula. She's not a huge fan, but I have to admit I am kind of becoming one! I have really enjoyed nursing her, but I forgot how handy it is at this age to say "here is your bottle sweetie", and go on doing things. Sometimes this is really convenient! I still cherish the moments of quiet nursing, but she has actually stayed with 2 babysitters lately due to the golden bottle. I saw "Julie & Julia" with my mom today & there was no baby on my boobie the whole show! Whoo hoo! (by the way- very cute show)

A good thing

"Good things come in small packages"

"Brothers & sisters are as close as hands & feet"

"Someday I will find my prince, but my Father

will always be my king"

"A daughter is one of the most beautiful gifts

this world has to give"

"Cousins are friends that will love you forever"