The Ville

Fun Denver Fun

2012-02-05T19:55:00.000-08:00

Sunday Afternoons in Grandma and Grandpas back yard.

Here is where we found Hudson one day.
He really took the initiative to get himself a snack.
The end of Kindergarten for Madison...Spirit week!!Wacky Hair Day

Hawaiian Day...but all our stuff was packed up in Spokane except her wrap we got her in Maui.
Nerd Day
Madison's little friend, Aspen. It was nice to have a good buddy for her :)

Still in the past...

2012-02-05T17:51:00.000-08:00

This post is still about my birthday/Mother's day weekend. Even being sick we had a lot of fun :)
Jeff made me a homemade ice cream cake and the girls had fun decorating it.
Then we took off to the our fun play ground at a local elementary school. The small playground was a castle theme with a dragon.

The large playground reminds me of something in a Dr. Seuss book. It is seriously so tall and the tallest slides leave you air borne once or twice. The kids absolutely loved it!
I usually wait at the bottom, but it was my birthday, so I went down for my first time :)

Backward Time Machine...My Birthday Water Fight

2011-12-30T16:30:00.000-08:00

For my birthday this past May, I got a not so great present...a cold. But regardless of feeling awful my kids still needed some fun, so we set up the sprinklers in the Hoffmann's back yard. It wasn't long until a water fight began.

I wasn't planning on getting involved AT ALL! I was still in my pajamas, sitting in a chair watching the fun with a book in one hand and the camera in the other. But of course, Jeff had other plans and attacked his poor sick wife on her birthday!!
I have to admit it was really fun!

Kenna didn't want to play at first, but finally warmed up to the idea and joined the fun.

Kid Photo Shoot Nov. 2011

2011-11-13T19:58:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was a beautiful day. It was a day for a photo shoot. The kids did amazingly well and we were done in fifteen minutes! It is nice to finally have some updated pics of my kiddos! Enjoy :)

Pictures Coming Soon!

2011-11-06T19:22:00.001-08:00

I'd really like to post some pictures but I can't find the blasted cord!!!!

Alive in NM

2011-10-02T20:55:00.000-07:00

Hey friends! I wasn't planning on blogging tonight. I've simply enjoyed catching up on all you out there and reading your wonderful blogs. But I thought I should say "Hey" and that we are alive and well in New Mexico.
Jeff has started law school and it's going well. Madison started the 1st grade and she says it's not as fun a Kindergarten :(. Kenna is loving Pre-K (we chopped her hair off to a cute bob) and Hudson is talking up a storm and they both are crazy as ever.
I'm still adjusting to our new schedule and life here. I been volunteering TOO much at Madison's school. I did 28 hours in September,(seriously, I've neglected some important other roles), but I'm cutting back a ton and prioritizing better! General Conference had some great talks about it being "Okay" not doing "IT" all, which I needed to hear :)
I was recently called as the 1st counselor in our Primary Presidency and I'm learning so much. This calling is also helping me divide my time more equally to worthy causes :)

So, blogging has been the last thing on my mind, but it HAS been on my mind none the less. I really need to start taking more pictures of the kids and of our new surroundings. Hopefully, I'll get to it sooner than later :)

The Opera

2011-07-05T20:40:00.001-07:00

I try to be a good and loyal friend. When my friend's husband hurt his back and couldn't attend the opera with her, I was there for her! We've seen many the normal plays, but we both had never attended an actual Opera, where they sing in Italian and you need the little translation screen. We got dressed up and rode the Light Rail downtown, where we grabbed a yummy dinner at a local restaurant that was featured three times on Food Network (it's been so long since we actually went that I can't remember the name!) Then we headed to the Theatre. We didn't have a clue where our seats would be, because they had been given to Kristi by her In-laws who had moved the weekend before to Seattle. We were totally surprised to find out that they were box seats almost above the left side of the stage.
This was our view. We could see right into the orchestra pit.
Here is the view of the rest of the Theatre behind us.

The Opera was Cinderella. It was so much fun and such a great cultural experience for a couple of boring Moms. The music was wonderful and the dialogue was actually hilarious! We had such a great time!

Hudson's Hair Cut

2011-07-05T20:29:00.000-07:00

I went for the mo-hawk first, but thought it was a little too trendy :)
Side view

So, Hudson's hair is very thick and coarse like mine, so I just buzzed it. But when Jeff did his last cut, he left more on top and spiked it a little and it was way cuter. I think I'm just going to leave it to Jeff from now on :)

Easter

2011-06-05T20:29:00.000-07:00

This year I completely forgot to promote the whole "Easter Bunny" and basket thing. The kids were clueless, when our home teachers asked them if they were excited to have the Easter Bunny come. I have to say that plopping a bunch of fun stuff on a table (some things that we actually needed..aka new flip flops and Popsicles), was a lot easier than doing the normal basket stuff. Kenna was the first to wake up and discover the loot! Look at her lusty eyes!
In the morning, we went to a neighboring Methodist church where my friend Kristi works. They had some super fun activities: a cake walk, games, egg dying, & jelly bean count. Kristi has five boys ages 7 to 14- so she is absolutely in love with Kenna. They are bestest friends!!

Face painting is always a must!The boys getting ready for the egg hunt!
The egg hunt was divided into aged groups with two special eggs hidden really well with the prizes being giant Easter baskets full of goodies. Sadly, our children didn't find any of them. But we came home with tons of little toys and little messages from the scriptures.
I must say that in the past, the sign of the cross kind of disturbed me , because we always have focused on the atonement rather than the crucifixion of Christ. But when the kids came home with all these little toys with crosses on them, it was a great teaching experience and I think I just simply appreciated all these wonderful religions that believe Jesus is the Christ.
In the afternoon, we travel up to Jeff's sister's house and had a little egg hunt with CANDY (Whoot, whoot!) with our little cousins. Sadly, we didn't take many pictures.

Easter Sunday! I love these goof balls!!

Kenna turns 4 !!!!

2011-05-30T09:26:00.000-07:00

I posted these pictures backwards- so sorry :) In March, McKenna officially turned four years old. We had a small family party, full of the regular thrills. Grandma Hoffmann took Kenna out and let her pick out her first store bought cake, which we forgot to take a picture of (of course).Above is a before picture of her waiting to open her gifts and the below, is a picture of her warding off Hudson from touching her recently opened wonders. Notice her lovely unkempt hair?... I would have to re due her hair three times a day to keep her looking good- I'm not that type of mom, sorry :)

Right after Christmas was done, McKenna starting planning her birthday party. She spoke about it everyday and named all her friends she wanted to attend. Then the first week of January, we got an offer on our house and started preparing to move. I knew that she would be so sad to leave all her friends and I couldn't abandoned her dreams of her first friend birthday party. So I quickly put together a Kitty themed pre-birthday party for Kenna and AFTER party for Madison's and my friends. I'm so glad I did.
Here is the Pre-Birthday Girl!! My awesome friend Carrie made over thirty "brownie pops" and had ice cream cones too.
We had about seven little girls for the official party. Yeah, for presents!!
We played stick the party hat on the Kitty and made Kitty masks.
She was so thrilled with her party and then after all the parents and other friends came over for our AFTER PARTY. We had a total of nineteen kids running around while us adults visited and ate the birthday treats. It was a crazy but wonderful day!!

Awesome Friends

2011-05-24T06:41:00.000-07:00

Before we moved, some of my friends threw a girls night for me, where we just chatted and ate good food. Thought I should say how wonderful they all are! Carrie,I missed our morning walks and conversations in the freezing snow. Maleesa and Andrea, I loved our movie nights & late chats. Stacy, I just love your hilarious self. I'm thankful that I was your VT. Hope those cub scouts are treating you well. Lisa, Mao and Sheree, my Zumba lovin' women! I miss all your energy & smiles.

Sullivan book club gals- none of you blog... but I love you anyway and will always remember the truest sense of sisterhood that a group of woman could have.

I really miss you all...I miss all the many friends everywhere I have. I've been so pathetic here in our new ward and circumstance. I haven't been sociable or even really cared. I am SO OVER being in "limbo"!!!! I want to feel like myself again!

Our last days in Spokane!

2011-05-22T18:54:00.000-07:00

The kids kept on begging us to have a family sleepover. On New Year's Eve we finally got around to it and built our sleepover tent. We watched a movie thinking the kids would fall asleep, but of course they didn't. It was seriously uncomfortable, but we had a fun time together.

Here is cute Hud in his old room. I just loved the vest.
We started a new tradition this last year of having a family movie night every Friday night. The kids make sure we do not forget. It's become as popular as Monday night's FHE.
Just another picture of Hudson looking studly :)
We had plenty of snow to go sledding one last time.
Hudson and I went down a couple times, but he was more aware of how cold it was than the girls.
Madison just wanted to trek through the snow. She lead us on a nice snow adventure.

We sure do miss our backyard, but not the spokane winter snow so much:)

New Mexico it is!

2011-04-13T09:22:00.000-07:00

Time for an update :) About two weeks ago, we received notice that we were being put on BYU's "Wait List" and hadn't been accepted. My first reaction was, "Well finally we at least KNOW something!", then the reality that we wouldn't be moving close to my family hit and I was totally heart broken. I seriously hadn't prayed so hard for something in such a long time. I now realize that I didn't have the spirit of "Thy will be done" at all.
Being in a house with other people, I tried to put up a strong face, but Jeff could tell how upset I was and he took me out for pie. Gotta love that man! We chatted forever and I think I went through all the stages of grief over BYU in that single day. Well maybe not the acceptance part. That happened over our weekend trip down to Albuquerque to visit UNM. I finally came to grips that my desire to go to BYU was simply selfish and maybe not God's plan for us.
On Conference Sunday, Jeff and I were on our way down to New Mexico for the accepted applicant's Open house. It was such a wonderful get-away for us. After checking in at the amazing Sheraton for only $40 bucks a night(Thanks Priceline!), we drove all over viewing the campus, downtown and up north to the beautiful Albuquerque Temple. On Monday we went straight to UNM's family housing and got on their waiting list for a three bedroom apartment. Viewing the small apartment, Jeff got freaked out how we were going to fit all our stuff, but I just saw our very own space, our home. I think living with the in-laws has been an excellent transition spot. I love Jeff's family and living with them has been easier than I ever thought it would be, but it's not the same of having your own space and your own stuff. We are going to have to down-size our belongings and get really creative with all our food storage, but we are determined to fit EVERYTHING and not have to pay for a storage unit :)
Later we found Madison's Elementary school (I'm going to have a 1st grader, weird!!) and than we found a FREE preschool for McKenna. It's on the campus and is grant funded. Wahoo!
From 12:45 to 7:00PM we were at the law school, where they had a financial aide seminar, an actual civil law class that the applicant's sat in on, a tour of the school and of the Court of Appeals that is right next door, a meet and greet with faculty and current students and then a dinner with a program.
It was a nice informational visit. Jeff is eager to start learning and I'm eager to organize our new home and begin our life there. But for now, we'll we stay here saving more money until we move mid-July. That's the plan for now anyway.
We are excited to start this new adventure. The feeling I have are reminiscent of moving to Spokane. At first I didn't want to move way up North away from my family, but it ended up to be the best decision, the best place, and the best people for us at that time.
Now we get to start all over again. I know to some of you that sounds terrifying, but I feel excited for all the wonderful memories we will make and all the wonderful people we will meet. I'm just glad that I've found the faith to know that God knows what he is doing :)

Love these guys!

2011-03-07T09:50:00.000-08:00

It was weird leaving so many wonderful people in WA. I took lots of pictures but haven't downloaded them onto a computer to post yet. These lovely pics were emailed to me from my friend and former fellow Valiant 8 co-teacher. Here are the awesome kids I left behind. I also was the boy's Wolf Den leader for only three months, but I had so much fun and learned so much too!

I miss you guys!

Sunny CO

2011-02-17T17:12:00.000-08:00

Hey friends. We made it to the In-Law's after a very long and cold (but luckily sunny) road trip. We ended up storing all our belongings & Jeff's truck in WA and then we packed the Van up to the brim. I'm just glad it's over. :)
Denver has been happily beautiful for us. I can't tell you how nice it has been, to have the warm sun out when life is so out of sorts. Don't get me wrong, Jeff's parents are wonderful and they have tried to make this transition as easy as possible. Cooking has been the most interesting, since they became vegans this last year.
Madison started back in school this week, which has brought some normalcy. She seems to be adjusting well and will start riding the bus home next week. Jeff and her have been reading the BFG together. She loves it! It probably helps that Jeff does an excellent gruff southern voice for the giant.
The kids and I are trying to find a balance still. The last week of the move and our first days here, were full of movies and kid shows. We went cold turkey on Monday back to minimal TV and WE ALL have had a hard time with it. Hopefully, we will all be better productive individuals soon.
We've gotten a couple acceptance letters, but we are still waiting on a few more. Hopefully in this next month we will know where we will be moving for school.
All and all we needed to sale our home and I'm glad we were able; even though our life now will take some adjusting to.

Time is running crazy short...

2011-01-27T09:46:00.000-08:00

Life is changing fast. We are in the process of selling our house. We have been praying for this for six months and it's a bit of a shock that we now have to do it and move. It's been very bitter sweet, but we are excited for this new adventure. We still don't know where Jeff will go to Law School, hopefully in the next couple months we will- so we are off to Colorado in the mean time to live with the in-laws.

As we box up our home, we are busy wrapping up our lives here too. This week has been crazy with: a quick trip to see friends in Yakima, FHE, RS Meeting doing Zumba, Lunch bunch of Healthy Foods, a Temple visit, Book club with some AMAZING women, Madison's school music concert(So cute!), Pack Meeting & Mutual, Girls Night with Ward Sisters tomorrow and then on Saturday with are throwing Kenna a early birthday party with all her little girl-friends before we leave. It's been a crazy, yet fun week. Next week will be mostly packing, packing, and some more packing. Oh, and cleaning, ya I'll probably want to clean some stuff.

Good times.

A Very Merry Christmas

2011-01-05T08:38:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful Christmas this year. We attended our Ward's Christmas party where the kids got to sit on Santa's lap. Madison was too shy to go, but Hudson went back for seconds.

We started a new tradition this year with our family "Elf on the Shelf". I never got a picture of our house elf, the girls named him Frankie, but he was here everyday to watch the kids and then report their doings to Santa. It was really fun- check out more details on "The Elf on the Shelf" for your family next year :).
We also continued our family tradition of "Hoffmann Holi-Days". The seven days before Christmas, we open a special family gift to do together. It is usually a movie or game or an activity. I was terrible at taking pictures!! But one day's activity, was all the fixin's to build gingerbread houses. I constructed Madison's and she decorated it beautifully, (I did do the lights though)!! We didn't even eat anything off that house and it's still on display in the kitchen. The other little one is hers from school.
This is Kenna and Jeff's house. You can tell that he was a little over zealous in it's construction but Kenna loved it and plastered candy anywhere and everywhere. The girls made sure to eat all the candy off Kenna's house in a couple days.

Yeah! Christmas Morning!!!!Where to begin?
The Madness!
The Fun! Yeah- Mermaids!!
Hudson in his new jammies and The After Opening Mess behind him!

We truly have been so blessed this year. I can't express the love I have for my family and the love I feel from my Father in Heaven. I've loved this Christmas' simplicity, but we hope to increase our service opportunities in future years. I truly cherish and appreciate the abounding support and love that we've felt as a family this year. Thank you.
I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year!!

I love you too!

2010-12-26T22:23:00.000-08:00

Hudson said "I love you" to me for the first time today.

Where did Fall go?

2010-12-07T18:45:00.000-08:00

Sadly, our summer started late and our Fall ended early. Hudson saw his first snow fall mid-November this year. He sure did enjoy himself, even if it was just a light skiff. Since that first snow fall, we've had PLENTY of snow. Jeff and the kids have built a sledding ramp that they like to ride down. I'm so bothered, because I deleted those pics by mistake. Luckily, I'm not too worried about getting another chance to take snow pictures. The kids sure do love their snow gear..indoors or out.With our lack of out door outings, we've had to come up with indoor fun things to do...like taking a Daddy horsey ride.
My favorite indoor winter activities are usually connected to cooking or baking. This year we actually got around in juicing our grapes and making applesauce and any dessert that called for apples. The girls and I found juicing the grapes very interesting and fun.
This picture doesn't do the juice color justice. It was the most beautiful magenta color. And it tasted awesome!
Here are my goofy cooking helpers. They took these lovely shots all by themselves.

My gals can be helpful sometimes, but mostly they love to make a mess of the flour. Our favorite family meal has been dubbed by Kenna...Chicken Pot Pie.
Cooking and baking are so much easier to do in the Winter. See! I said something positive about the most awful season ever. Hopefully, I can find other silver linings until the spring!

Dancing

2010-12-01T16:02:00.000-08:00

It's strange, but I've had the strongest desire to take ballroom dance classes as of late. I've thought about doing in the past, you know, something fun Jeff and I could do together,(and yes, he did say he would be up for it). But I really want to do it these days. I blame my new passion on watching too much of Dancing with the Stars.

It won't fit into our current budget right now, but I'm serious about taking some classes and challenging myself. I've always loved to dance, but I never took the advantage in my youth to try it. So, I'm doing it now! Well maybe not exactly NOW, but in the distant future. I wish I would have gotten this desire before my husband decided to go back to law school, since all other life's speed-bumps have occurred since then.
Not complaining though, life is truly great and we have been so blessed. Dancing can wait...but not for long :)

Farewell

2010-11-28T19:33:00.000-08:00

Our last day in Maui was bitter sweet. After our last buffet breakfast, we attended our farewell ceremony where we were presented with these wonderful leis! Then on our way to the beach we got a nice picture with the resorts hand made... I will say boat because the real word escapes me.

Soaking up last minute sun was a MUST, so we headed for the beach!
We also snorkeled one last time, which happened to be the best! We spotted six turtles. They were so close to shore, I snorkeled confidently by myself. It was amazing to be swimming so close to those amazing creatures! I really need to post those pics! This was my favorite tiki statue. I later found out that is was the tiki of MONEY... sadly, it fit me all too well :) We then had plans to check out some of the Central Maui attractions before we headed to the airport, but they all FAILED miserably, and we were sad that we ended our last day with a sour note. I would advise in avoiding Central Maui, there is really nothing to see(the tropical plantation was decent, but not worth paying for). As we were wasting time before returning our rental car, we found a local beach where we watched the sunset and some guys doing a little para-surfing(?)- that's what we think it's called anyway. That final sunset was beautiful though. Here is our less-pasty selves waiting for our red-eyed flight back to reality. Ahhhh... we sure do miss it there!

The kids were sure happy to see us! And they were excited for the little gifts we brought back. The girls loved their tacky lei's, cute wraps. Hudson got a little ukulele, which he adores. Hudson was quite taken aback when they picked us up at the airport. He didn't talk to us in the car, he just kept shyly smiling and staring at us. I think he was in shock or something. He had had a rough time while we were away. The first full day we were gone, we was walking past our fire place and tripped. When we called that evening my neighbor answered the phone. After I asked "Hi, why are you at my house?" she said "Oh, you didn't get the message? You mother-in-law took Hudson to the insta-care because he hit his head and was bleeding all over." It was awful! I already felt like a terrible mommy because I had left my kids and then Hudson ends up injured! It was a terrible helpless feeling. Luckily, he only needed three stitches(you can see them in the above pic, in the middle of his forehead) and there were no more accidents or injuries while we were away. My Mother-in-law was such a TROOPER! Thanks again Mom, you're the BEST!!

Lahina

2010-11-23T21:10:00.000-08:00

Lahina is a cute old fishing village located 10 minutes from our hotel. This town has been influenced by many cultures and it has an amazing history as a former naval hub. Here's a couple pictures of some of the culture sights we visited.

Here's a sign of a local church. It made me smile for some reason.
THE BANYAN TREE
This was my favorite part of Lahina. An entire city block is covered by this one tree. Some of the tree's branches root into the ground causing the tree to grow and grow. Every night at dusk, the tree fills with birds and they sing as they settle in for the night. It's amazingly loud, but kind of peaceful. Let's just say it was cool.

Here's a shot of the tree covering the entire block.
Ah, the port... and my handsome husband.
What a view!
We had to make sure to get a picture of Lahina's little lighthouse. Madison became fascinated with lighthouses after she watched Disney's "Pete's Dragon". She was thrilled to see that I got to stand next to a real one.
Sunset...man, I miss MAUI!

Snorkeling Everywhere

2010-11-18T08:30:00.000-08:00

I've never been very comfortable in the water. I've rarely participated in water sports and activities. Once while a teen, I had to be rescued by a couple of my friends at Quail Lake. I'm not a confident swimmer... actually I'm simply terrible. Now, imagine me marrying someone completely opposite in the swimming department. Yep, that's Jeff. Snorkeling for Jeff was a daily event, sometimes going out three times a day. The first time we went out, let's just say I had a bit of a panic attack. Holding Jeff's hand was always mandatory, until the last day when I had come full circle and had become confident. It was a great (kind of pathetic) journey for me. I'm glad that Jeff pushes me to be more adventurous, but knows when to stop & listen too.
Here I am in my lovely snorkeling gear.
Us snorkeling off the highway in West Maui.
I loved the little crabs peaking out of their holes. I grab a little video of a crab for the kids. They loved it- see I'm just a kid at heart, right?
Here's the coast along the south shore, where we found this cute little bay with the best fish. We left the camera in the car, so I had to grab a picture while driving. The Molokini Crater was just out to our left, but I didn't get a good picture.
While exploring North Maui we passed through this little town where they had a small park along the beach. This tree was right along the water. The tides had washed out the sand underneath.
At this park, they also had a reef that came almost right on to the beach. When Jeff saw others snorkeling past it, he quickly got his gear and headed out. I love this picture for some reason.
This picture was taken on the pathway outside our hotel. Behind Jeff, you'll see the best snorkel spot on Maui, called the Black Rock. Here is where saw multiple sea turtles and Jeff saw a manta ray. We took some good under water pics, but I still need to download them. We were so lucky to be so close to an amazing snorkeling area.
We sure had a great time having fun in the sun.

The Heck of a long Road to Hana

2010-11-14T22:27:00.000-08:00

It's been said that the Road to Hana is about enjoying the journey not the destination, and they are right. It was the most adventurous day, hiking through the rain forest and driving along the east coast of Maui. We began at the first mile marker at Twin Falls. We stayed here the longest and were told you could get the whole Road to Hana experience right there. Also, if you bring kids for this journey I would just suggest hiking Twin Falls for half the day and then return to civilization.
Jeff didn't get enough with the first couple falls, so we began to climb up the mountain on a small path.
We eventually would pass two private tours (ones you had to pay for with guides) to find these next beautiful falls. I think we irritated one of the guides, because we were prime examples that you didn't need to pay a guide to have this adventure.

After Twin Falls we drove along to another marker with a nature walk. It had a nice little hike through another jungle. I loved these stepping vines that went up the trunks of trees.

Jeff thought these tree roots were cool. We found this tree whose roots were taller than Jeff.

2010-11-14T22:08:00.000-08:00

I only get more sweaty. Trust me!Here's a shot of the infamous narrow road. We really didn't get how scary people said it was. We didn't have any problems :)
Hang loose baby!
What a view!

At another mile marker we stop at Ke'anae Arboretum. I thought it was going to be in a building like other arboretum's I've visited, but there was no need to create the humid perfect atmosphere. There were some amazing plants there. We loved walking through the jungle to see what we could find!

2010-11-14T21:38:00.000-08:00

These trees were my favorite! .
The picture below, is a distant shot of the best waterfall on the road to Hana- can you see it? Yeah, it was way back there and you could only hear it and see it faintly through the trees. Jeff decided we needed to explore and try to get closer.
Problem was there was no trail and this shacked block the way beside the river that flowed down from the water fall. So Jeff decided we would go over it. And we did...
After a good trek through a rocky river bed and jungle we can to this. Too beautiful!
I had been a pretty good sport all day in exploring more than I usually would, but I was glad that I didn't chicken out about climbing that stupid shack. Now back over...

We truly had a fun adventurous day, but we were excited to go home(to our hotel) and relax on the beach. What a day!

Luau Anyone?

2010-11-12T08:29:00.001-08:00

The funnest evening in Maui was spent at our Luau. It began with different teaching interaction groups like spear throwing, lava-lava dress making, corded ball twirling (sorry, I can't remember what they are called) and a coconut husking. We went first to the coconut husking which was really cool. After cracking the coconut he invited Jeff up to taste it. Jeff's not a fan of coconut and was going to say no thank you when our instructor said "In my country, when someone offers you a drink, you accept or we must fight." So Jeff took a drink and he actually liked it :) Our awesome instructor then shaved the coconut meat out and we could all try fresh coconut. It was really yummy! Side note before I forget: Pineapple taste different in Hawaii. It is 10 times better than fresh pineapple on the main land. I love pineapple, it truly has always been a favorite of mine. I miss you Maui pineapples. YUM! Here's our luau pig! It was SO GOOD :) We ate so much, seriously too much- but it was awesome! Now to the dancing! All newly weds and anniversary couples we asked to stand up and then he told the wives to sit and watch their men dance for them. You'll see Jeff behind the guy in red. It was hilarious and Jeff has some serious moves. He was shakin' it like none other! More Dancing! Fire Dancer! Then Jeff got chosen again to dance and he didn't hold back either. Man, he's got some mad hips! I'm having trouble getting the video to upload, so I'll have to try later. Also, I might need to seek approval from my husband to do so :) We had such a fun time and it actually happened to be the day of our Anniversary too. Jeff, I love you so much. You are my perfect companion & partner in parenting and an amazing father. I'm so blessed that we can face life and eternity together. I love you honey and I can't wait for the all the future adventures that await us!

Pure Joy

2010-11-11T08:14:00.000-08:00

I just quickly wanted to document and share what a wonderful time I'm having as a mom these days. Usually, I'm always beating myself up about something, feeling inadequate or overwhelmed, but I have been in such a good frame of mind and have truly enjoyed my children and my role as a mother and homemaker. I simply feel WELL-BALANCED.

Is it sad that I feel a little guilty for admitting this?

My life hasn't been perfect, but I truly love my life and all those who are a part of it. My kids haven't been perfect or obeying every word, but I feel so refreshed and capable to keep my cool and raise them with a smile on my face! It just feels great and I hope I can keep it up as long as possible :)

Ahhhh... the Ocean

2010-11-09T09:15:00.001-08:00

We choose to stay at a older resort called the Kaanapali Beach Hotel. Out of all the resorts along West Maui, it truly had the most Hawaiian atmosphere. Here is our view right off our hotel.
Here's us catching some rays. Relaxing and sub bathing on the beach was a favorite of mine. Also, I made it a priority that I always had a flower in my hair. Jeff thought I was a bit abscessed, but it made the whole Hawaiian experience that much better! All kinds of flowers fall from the trees like leaves. I think I would rather have a Fall like that :)
Let's Explore!! We found this beautiful rocky bay and small peninsula right off the Ritz-Carlton in Kapalua.

It was breath taking and we knew we had to hike out onto the peninsula. Below is a far away shot of the rocky peninsula that juts out into the ocean. We had to climb back up and around to get out onto it.
Here I am about half way out on the north side of the peninsula. I loved looking back at the green island- too beautiful!
Here is Jeff getting ready to jump in and see if it was a good snorkel spot. He was extremely adventurous about snorkeling and made me nervous here. It was way steep and the waves continued to break onto the rocks.He only stayed in for a couple minutes because he knew I was worried and it happened not to be a good snorkeling spot anyway. He had to time his climb out by getting lifted with a wave breaking. The first time he got up but when the wave receded it sucked him back into the water. He scratched up his leg pretty good, but then finally got out the next try.

Maui

2010-11-07T13:29:00.001-08:00

For the first time in our married lives, we found ourselves vacationing in Maui for our seventh wedding anniversary this October. We were so blessed to be able to take this vacation, which we booked in November of 2009. We booked it early to utilize our flyer miles and to also force us to just GO & not be our usual practical selves. I'm so glad that we went and that we could have this amazing experience together as a couple.
The first day was the hardest. I hated leaving our kids, the traveling was tiresome and we had telephone troubles (Total panic for an emotional mom). Luckily, we used Skype on Jeff's IPOD touch and got to tell the kids that we got there safe. After that, it was just US. It was weird at first, not having to break up fights or hold little hands as we walked. I actually had to say to Jeff..."You can hold my hand you know." It's funny, but I didn't even realize that we had forgotten how to be just US. But luckily, it only took a second to remember. I sure do love my husband! He is everything to me and I'm so glad that we have all these new memories together :)

HERE'S OUR "PASTY" SELVES ON OUR AIRPLANE OUT

These next photos are of our first adventure on Maui. We woke up at 3 AM to travel up to the Haleakala Crater. In 38 miles you climb from sea level to 10,023 feet to the summit of the volcanoes moon-like crater. The Sunrise's here are suppose to be AMAZING! This is what we saw...

It was the most COLDEST and WINDIEST places I have ever been... and I've lived in Rexburg Idaho!! That's saying something! But we LOVED this morning, even with that blasted cloud blocking our sunrise! It was so fun and such a wonderful experience. It was a great way to kick off our stay on MAUI!!

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T19:02:00.000-07:00

A Fairy Princess, a Princess and Charlie Brown walk into a bar...
Ten minutes before the trunk or treat, Kenna was in her witch costume, then she decided on being a fairy princess. This was her costume creation after church today.
What a handsome Charlie Brown! The costume was Jeff's idea, and we only had to buy electrical tape for $1.50.
The girls excited to get some CANDY!
My Handsome Men!
After the trunk or treat, my friend said to have the kids come over so they could actually knock on a door. Thankfully, I don't think the kids missed the whole going door to door thing. Thanks Carrie:)

Happy Halloween from the Hoffmann Family!!

Back to Normal

2010-10-25T06:59:00.000-07:00

Hey, I know it's been forever sinced I posted anything, but we've only been home from our wonderful Anniversary trip to MAUI for a week. We've been going through the grandma detox and trying to gain some regularity back into all our lives.

It was wonderful, but it's nice to be back with my kiddos again :)

Us in September

2010-10-01T09:26:00.000-07:00

Madison started riding the bus home from school. Way cool, but "too long".
Grandpa Hoffmann was in town for a business conference. Loooved it!
While the girls and I were listening to story time at the library, Jeff and Hudson were doing this.
Biggest new thrill...watching clips on Jeff's MP3 player.
Here is Hudson snacking on a pear that he found out on the deck, luckily it wasn't rancid. Jeff was the parent on duty, need I say more?
We had our first jumping in the leaf pile fun last weekend. Hudson then continued to go out whenever he could to help rake.

Goals for Roles

2010-09-20T10:46:00.000-07:00

I recently came across a list of goals I had made a couple months ago. They were great things, but had been forgotten since I hadn't taped them up anyway. So I've decided to type up a new list and ACTUALLY put them up this time. I've entitled them "My Goals for My Roles". I've decided to break up my goals into categories, making them seem less intimidating.
I'm starting simply with my roles as A Woman ("Read Scriptures Daily"), A Wife & Homemaker ("Always Expect Guests"), and A Mother ("Be more sensitive & have a loving tone.").

So let's share. What are some of your goals these days?

Not much...

2010-09-17T22:19:00.000-07:00

Just some cute pics of Hudson and Madison's newly cut hair. She really wanted it shorter, but the poor gal got my thickness and it would just poof extremely outward. Maybe someday though. That's all I have to share :)

McKenna's Date

2010-09-13T10:44:00.000-07:00

When Jeff and Madison went fishing over her birthday, McKenna kept on asking Jeff when it was her turn for her daddy-daughter date. She was pretty consistent about asking everyday. So finally they were able to go on their date and she was thrilled! I think one of the biggest perks for the girls, is to be able to drive in Dad's truck. It doesn't have an airbag so don't worry :) Anyway, they had a wonderful time bowling and got a "Caco" = Taco. I don't know why she pronounces it that way, we correct her, but truthfully, it's dang cute. I'm glad that the girls can have that fun individual time with their father. He is pretty amazing.

Summer's gone!

2010-09-08T21:56:00.001-07:00

School time!
It has been so fun watching Madison start Kindergarten. I love the smiles and wave good-bye. What a big girl!
We didn't make it to the woods to camp this year, bu the backyard did just fine! When dung a fire-pit int he garden and made smores at sunset.
Hudson tried to stow-away with Jeff on his High-Adventure. Pretty cute baggage!
Jeff finished remodeling our down stair's bathroom. Here's some before and afters!

High-five anyone? This is what happened when the shop door got left open while Jeff was painting the bathroom. Oops!
Jeff surprised Madison with a fishing pole and trip to the lake where she caught four fish and "Dad caught none!".
Our last lake day at Coeur D' Alene.
The coolest pool ever!
Hudson loved to mini-wake board.

I want the fish dead...

2010-08-27T21:52:00.000-07:00

Madison has had a blue beta fish since JANUARY. We told her that most fish don't live very long, so not to be upset if " blue fishy" dies. Well, that thing just won't die. It looks awful and is really old, but the thing won't move on! It's been EIGHT months! She won a gold-fish a couple months back and it only lasted a week or maybe five days.

Anyway, I know it's awful, but I'm over having a pet fish. Please don't judge me.

First Day of School

2010-08-25T07:27:00.000-07:00

Wow, I have a child in school! It was so fun to see her get ready. She was excited and wasn't scared at all. I took these pictures as we were walking out the door and then forgot to bring my camera along- so some girl friends of mine (who have girls in Madison's class) took some pictures of the girls lined up to go inside the school. I'll have to post them later :) Anyway, when I came to pick her up, I asked "How was it?" and her reply was "It was super fun!".

Princess Party!!

2010-08-20T08:37:00.000-07:00

Princess Madison!
My friend Mao ("Ma") made this beautiful dress for Madison's present. When her two youngest girls saw what she was making, they asked for their own and yep, Mao sewed three princess dresses in about a week! She's amazing!(Her girls are sitting next to Madison in the group picture).

All the Princesses!!
We started off the party with a Princess Scavenger Hunt. We found our jewelry and are dividing them into our goodie bags!
Where are our crowns and scepters?
We found the Magic Mirror. Now make a wish and do a twirl!
We need a Frog Prince. Where can he be? (See tree branch, near tree trunk).
We found our castle! Now lets get some candy!!
It took about 10-15 minutes of hitting that "non-pa pier-mac he", but sturdy cardboard pinata! But it was worth it!!
Time for Presents!!
Hooray!Madison wanted "the sleeping beauty cake- in the movie". The cake assembly part went great, but my frosting went horribly thin. I tried adding more sugar, but it was getting overly sugary tasting and I wasn't going to start over,(I had made a triple batch thinking that I would need a lot), so I frosted the cake and quickly got it back in the fridge. I had gotten really frustrated while icing the cake and Madison said, "It's all right Mom. I'm just happy to have a cake." She is so wonderful!!! After the girls left, I asked her "So what did you think of your cake?",(She didn't see me finish it with the pink edging), and she goes "IIII loved it!". That's all that really matters in the end :)

Princess Madison and Princess Me
For her birthday dinner, Madison asked to have PIZZA! We determined last year, that making our own homemade pizza, I can make two larges for $5(regular tomato based kinds. Probably $7-8 with our chicken creations). Here's one of the grown ups favorite: garlic chicken. It tastes quite similar to Papa-Murphy's, we've had to search for the perfect sauce and I add BACON, because everything is better with BACON :)
Here's the kids favorite: Pepperoni & Olive
After dinner, it was time for a few family presents!
This is her reaction to a pink "Zhu Zhu" pet she got. Kenna is holding it for her to see.
Cool blanket from Grandma Tuttle. As we were getting ready for bed, Madison summed up the day, "Mom, today was the best day ever!" .

Backyard Fun

2010-08-15T20:18:00.000-07:00

Three Cute Kiddos!
The girls like to "climb" our large tree off our deck.
Hudson is feeling left out.
Problem solved :)
All three in the tree!
We love to swing!
And play in the sprinklers or just yell when they get us!
These lovely lattice Jeff made for me for a fraction of the cost. $2 instead of $10 :) I sure love my handy man!

Things I Would Highly Recommend...

2010-08-13T11:17:00.000-07:00

#1 Keeping the Commandments
#2 Saving Money & Being Prepared
#3 Walking With a Friend.
#4 Books: "Little Britches" by Moody
and "These Is My Words" by Turner
#5 Hot Baths
#6 Texas Roadhouse & Maggiano's Little Italy
#7 New Bra's
#8 Games: Killer Bunnies & Wii's Rayman Raving Rabbids
#9 Lemon Bars or Ice Cream Pie
#10 Gardening and/or getting a Bountiful Basket

Ten seemed like a good number :)

Happy Birthday Hud!

2010-08-08T22:01:00.000-07:00

Wow, I know it's hard to believe Hudson, but you turned one year old last month! Congratulations! His balloons amazed him!
Hudson took forever in eating his cake, then decided it was more fun to throw it off his tray and mash it into his hair. He truly was lucky that he even got a cake, because I had a nasty head-cold and was feeling awful.
The following pics are what Hudson has been up to over the past couple months.

He has been a walking' fool for almost two months now. He is getting some good speed these days.
Here is Hudson and his pal Natalie on the way to the lake. They are so fun to watch together.
This boy sure loves ROCKS.
He became more timid after taking a face plant into the lake. So this watering hole became his new favorite spot. He also enjoyed eating sand.
Once, instead of heading down to the water, Hudson went behind us women, and sat down with all the teen aged boys on their towels. Just hangin' with the boys, Mom!
A Father and Son ritual...head butting.

Meet KennaBug

2010-08-07T10:22:00.001-07:00

She looks pretty innocent doesn't she? Well this little fire cracker is anything but! Here she is covered in grape lip gloss and lets point out that her mirror got it worse :)The other day she found a pencil on the ground and went up to Jeff and said "Here Dad this belongs to your ear." She is very observant.A couple months ago she starting making threats whenever she got a time out or a talking to. Here are the most popular: "Well, I will poop in my panties" or "I will pee on the carpet." But the most recent and my ALL TIME favorite threat happened early one morning while half of the family was still asleep. We were together upstairs and she had shut a door loudly and in my loud whispering voice this conversation followed...
Me:"Kenna come on dude, people are still sleeping. Don't shut the doors!".
Kenna: "Well, then I will just..."
Me: "Kenna, don't you dare threaten me..."
Kenna: "...then I will just take away your birthday!".
(That one was hard not to laugh at :)Usually, this is the most peaceful time in our house. Hudson's not screaming because Kenna is pulling him this way or that. Madison isn't teasing Kenna making her scream bloody murder. Ahhh, they are so sweet when they sleep :)She is a cute little thing though. Grandma Tuttle and her become very close last Summer when my mom came to help after I had Hudson. They were cuddle buddies in the morning so I could sleep in and the nickname KennaBug was born. I now find myself saying it a lot but it will always be my Mom's pet name for her.I do love my McKenna dearly, but she is a handful sometimes!!

Therapy

2010-08-03T22:35:00.000-07:00

We all need a little mental break now and then, right? Well I've found mine...gardening. I enjoy the work, the peace, the accomplishment and the knowledge. It's my personal time, my therapy. Usually, if I haven't been able to get out during the day, I end up asking Jeff in the evening if I could go out for a bit while he entertains the kids.

The kids love the garden too. It's funny to pick sugar snap peas at 9AM in the morning and have them eaten before 10AM. The weeds have become way too over grown in certain sections of the garden, but I still don't feel like weeding is a chore. It's something I enjoy and want to do. It's hard to explain how refreshing to me it is.

Madison is a huge carrot eater, so when I thinned out some baby carrots she was thrilled! The only problem with wanting to spend so much time on my garden, is that the rest of the yard gets left out. I did plant some Zinnia's from seed and they are beginning to blossom, but flowers can get really expensive. But my front yard really does need some lovin'. So sorry vege garden, tomorrow morning belongs to improving our home's curb appeal :)

I'm intimidated by Princesses

2010-08-02T22:43:00.000-07:00

I've never been much of a "girlie girl". I always worried about having a girl first, because I thought I wouldn't know how to relate (in a way) or how to be sensitive or how to like all the pink stuff. Well it truly hasn't been that difficult, but I am now faced with the task of pulling off an "all girl princess party" for Madison's 5th birthday next week.
First, I'm a terrible party thrower or gift giver, mainly because I'm EXTREMELY and probably OVERLY practical. And we should mention CHEAP. Anyway, the thought of entertaining a bunch of little princess is a bit overwhelming for me, but I have had a couple ideas and I keep on reminding myself that they are only five years old right? I mean, how hard can it really be.........right?

If anyone has some AWESOME ideas, please feel free to share. Thanks :)

Keepin' it Real

2010-08-02T17:32:00.000-07:00

Firstly, I know that one of my strengths ISN'T blogging. It's the truth. I've accepted it and truthfully, I'm not too worried about it.
But I have decided that it would be worthy of my time to try to blog more about our REAL life, not just all the cute pictures, vacation high-lights or "Look at what I did...I'm so cool" posts.
I just feel that I could write a better and more accurate history of our little family and record who we really are and who we are becoming. Quite honestly, I'm challenging myself with this, so I guess we will see what I come up with. This post might be all talk :)

I just mopped my kitchen....

2010-07-16T12:01:00.000-07:00

that's it. Hooray!

Go Jeff, Go!

2010-07-12T09:40:00.000-07:00

A week after we returned home from CA, we drove a couple hours to Moses Lake for Jeff to race in his second triathlon. He shaved off 18 minutes from his previous triathlon in 2008. It was a beautiful day and the kids loved to cheer on their daddy :)He did a great job! I took better pictures this year, until at the finish line...bummer! Take a look...

AND THEIR OFF!
GREAT 1 MILE SWIM!

TRANSITION TO BIKE...

OUT ON BIKE FOR 26 MILES...

BACK FROM BIKE...GOT A BAD BLISTER :(

TRANSITION TO 6 MILE RUN!

GO HONEY!! GOOD LUCK WITH THAT BLISTER!

MADISON TAKING A PICTURE OF US BEING SILLY WHILE WAITING FOR DAD & A FRIEND WE MADE.

BEAUTIFUL GIRLS

HERE COMES DAD!

MOM NEEDS TO ZOOM OUT...

FINISH LINE... Mom thought she was zooming out but she was actually zooming in!

GREAT FINISH!! GOOD JOB DAD!

I was really bummed that I didn't zoom properly, especially that the girls raced with Jeff across the finish line- UGH!!! I even raced ahead of them with Hudson in one arm and the camera in the other to take that shot! Man! Why didn't I shoot a video???
Anyway- good times and hopefully I'll continue to improve on my picture taking. Better luck next time :)

Back in the day... or month...

2010-06-18T15:28:00.000-07:00

Let's play some catch up, shall we??
Over the Memorial Day weekend, we took the ever so lovely but ever so slow (Sorry Oregon, but you are SUPER LAME with your 55-60 MPH speed limits!) roadtrip to see my sister & her cute little family in Sacramento, CA. It was about 15 hours both ways and was are hardest roadtrip to date, but we had the BEST time ever!
Seriously, what a wonderful and relaxing vacation. We mainly let the kids play and we adults just hung out like old times. We did make an adventure over to San Fransico & the Bay area (where it seems that I finally got my camera out- because most the pictures are from there). We went down to the pier and then over to their giant city park and beach. It was super cold, so we had to have our picinic in the van. But then the kids ran wild, getting sand EVERYWHERE :)
We then made it over to the AMAZING Oakland temple. It is perched way up on a mountain side and has the most spectactular view. Us Hoffmann's then got to stay the night in Berkley with our good friends the Lawerence's and yet again... I didn't get any pictures! What's my problem? (Sorry Tris but we had a great visit with you guys!) Anyway, we had such a wonderful week and we miss the Limutau's emensely!! Good Times...sigh...

Wow and Hooray!

2010-06-15T09:18:00.001-07:00

Is it really Mid-June all ready? May was a really nice month, except for some dismal weather, but we still did a lot of fun stuff. I turned 27 over Mother's Day weekend. It was a really nice weekend and Jeff got me a golf bag cart (seen in the corner of the picture above) and some reusable golf teas. I didn't golf all last Summer being prego for half and then having a newborn for the other half, so that's what I wanted to do and we had a great time.

Jeff have been studying hard for a pretty important test, which he actually took last Monday. (More details to come later :) But Hudson has been a great support and study buddy.

Here's the girls having a little Saturday morning fun!

We love compost! Jeff went to a compost class and got this free compost bin. The kids thought it was great fun before we got it outside.

Our garden is up and running, but had a poor start. Our weather this Winter was extremely mild, but our Spring has been utterly dismal. We haven't had much sun, so our crops are still pretty small. WE NEED SOME SUN AROUND HERE! Luckily, this past week has been nice, so I hope Summer will be here soon.

Here's our new little strawberry patch. We've never done strawberries, so I hope they grow! YUM!

And raspberries too! Yeah!

And lastly, some pretty Iris'. This pictures doesn't do the five different varieties justice or can you smell their terrific scent. The smell like grape juice. YUM!

What I needed to hear...

2010-06-06T14:49:00.000-07:00

"To live greatly, we must develop the capacity to face trouble with courage, disappointment with cheerfulness, and triumph with humility."
-Thomas S. Monson
(Ensign Pres. Message June 2010)

May = Awesome Dates!

2010-05-27T14:11:00.000-07:00

I wanted to mention how great this month has been for going out on dates with my husband. We didn't try to make it a new goal or anything, but I realized how nice it is to just be with my man.
My birthday and Mother's day feel two days apart this year and Jeff kept on asking what I wanted, but I really didn't have a clue myself. Then I had this brilliant idea and told Jeff the next day..."So, we are going golfing this Saturday for my birthday k-?" He pleasantly smiled and probably thought "I have the coolest wife ever!".
The next weekend we went out with our good friends the Bennett's to eat at the ever yummy Texas Roadhouse that opened up in Couer D' Alene and then went for a stroll on the board walk at CDA lake. Super fun!
Last weekend, we had the pleasure to attend the temple together and do sealings- something we haven't done in quite a while. It was much needed in all the hustle and bustle of life these days.
This week we haven't gone out, but instead I had the best "date" yet this month when we stayed up until midnight on Tuesday just talking and eating fresh quesidillas off the griddle. There has been a lot going on in our lives lately and it was so nice to just chat and get caught up with each other. I love my kids, but they are so loud and needy sometimes. Jeff and I barely get to hold a conversation over dinner, so it was super great and it really made me feel all giddy and in love with this amazing man all over again.
So here's to you May. You've been awesome!

Priorities

2010-05-18T22:32:00.000-07:00

Last week I decided to try my hardest to "do it all" like all those other Mom's seem to do and you know what... I didn't. I have to admit that I did some amazing things and was exhausted every night, but by Friday I realized that I was a complete failure because I hadn't focused AT ALL on my first and most important priority... my kids. Isn't that awful? I mean, it really doesn't matter if I read my scriptures daily, go to the gym, make AMAZING food from scratch, catch up on our budget, landscape my yard or work in my garden. None of that matters if I didn't make memories, teach, or play with my kids.

Is was really eye opening and a good reminder to focus on what's truly important. I know this is really "preaching to the choir" sort of thing, but I'm just thankful for the reminder. Now I take a second look at my goals when I write them down for the week :)

Walking with Dinos!

2010-05-03T14:00:00.000-07:00

Back in February we started seeing advertisements for the arena spectacular "Walking with Dinosaurs". It looked amazing and decided we should take the girls, so we jumped online to get tickets. Well when we saw that the cheap seats were $70 bucks (even for Hudson) we decided to forgo it and maybe do something else later. Well April came and Jeff came home with a surprise from work- 4 tickets & parking passes to see it. Jeff's company has seats at the Spokane Arena and when shows come into town they send out emails to see who is interested and then they give them out accordingly. We were THRILLED! So a friend (Thanks Carrie) watched Hudson and the girls and us went to see it. Madison was a little afraid (mostly because the roaring was so loud) but Kenna was in heaven and wouldn't stop talking. My video won't upload, so we will try later!

Easter and Grandpa Hoffmann!

2010-04-25T22:33:00.000-07:00

This first photo was to show Grandma Hoffmann that the girls didn't have any fun with Grandpa. (Ya know, so she wouldn't feel left out.) But sorry Margaret, the girls couldn't help but have fun with Grandpa. He IS pretty goofy & cool. He actually had Kenna calling Jeff a "hippy" which was pretty hiliarous!

We had a nice little Easter with Jeff's dad in town. It was pretty chilly, but the kids still had fun up at a friends house for an Easter Egg Hunt. We had a great visit with Grandpa. Sorry Gary that it rained so much during your visit to Seattle and then us. Better luck next time :)

March 2010

2010-04-20T22:39:00.000-07:00

Besides having some oral surgery, March was a fun month. McKenna turned three years old and she is defintely a big girl. In February, she decided to become pottied trained and I'm glad that she choose to do it, but I was not in the mood to battle. We had a little family party and then went swimming at the YMCA- a favorite as of late :) The kids keep on growing up! It's amazing to see my babies all big with attitudes and fun personalities. Most of you haven't ever met my kids, so lets chat about them :) I must say, that I want to be like Madison when I grow up. She is the most caring, smart, sincere and genuine girl I know. She is so tendered hearted and kind. I really look up to her. Mckenna is already a mini-ME. She is a spit-fire, "I dare you to make me" girl- who has lots to say, even if you don't want to hear it. She is incredibly cute and has those angelic cheeks- but seriously, she's loud and testy. (Thanks Mom for the "I hope you have one just like you someday!"- you got your wish :) I do love her to pieces though. She is extremely loving, adorable and hilarious! Hudson melts my heart EVERYDAY. He is God's way of saying "thank-you" for having more children after having McKenna. Hudson is simply loveable. He has an infectious laugh and is really mellow. He loves to babble constantly, mostly saying, Da-Da-Da. I've been trying and trying to push the whole Ma-Ma thing, but he just grins and says Da-Da-Da. He thinks he's funny and he is.

Anyway, I sure am lucky, I need to remember that more.

Easter Pics

2010-04-08T14:07:00.000-07:00

They are all kind of looking at the camera and smiling- BONUS!

He just melts my heart everyday.

We were going to take some individual pictures of the girls, but this was the response for both of the them. We had just gotten home from church and they were hungry!

I know this is a terrible picture- but here is Hudson getting his first haircut. Jeff used his beard trimmer and it went pretty quick. Hudson thought it was pretty cool and smiled the whole time.

Change of Pace

2010-04-01T09:40:00.000-07:00

Maybe I was being way too optimistic, but I won't be ready for that half-marathon in May. After my oral surgery, I took two weeks off to heal and when I tried to go running last Saturday I only made it 1/2 a mile before every step jarred my jaw to the point of pain. I didn't think it was going to be such a big deal! I mean, I didn't have my knee or hip worked on, just was my stupid face! I returned home with tears of frustration & pain- but mostly frustration.
So, now I'm hoping to run a race in July. I've been working on lower impact exercises, so hopefully I can get back into running again soon. Anyway- good times. :)

Fieldtrip to the Fire station!

2010-03-23T10:52:00.000-07:00

Preschool group( yep all girls- not that we tried to do it :) And the baby brother's!! The fireman is getting on his gear.

Kenna was the brave one to sit on his lap :)

It was a pretty cool truck!

Learning all about the cool gadgets!

The girls loved to sit where the firemen get to sit!

Last month while teaching Madison's little preschool group, we had a small field trip to our local fire station. the girls had a good time learning about how the firemen live and they loved seeing the big red truck.

They (especially Madison) were a bit apprehensive about getting close to the fireman with all his gear on and that scary mask. The fire men's biggest concern was telling the girls to not be afraid of them when they are covered in their gear, but to remember that they are there to help and shouldn't hide from them. It really made sense when Madison started up close watching him put his gear on and then kept on stepping back and back closer to me. She was very hesitant to give him a high five and sit close to him for a picture.

It was a good reminder on fire safety and what I should be teaching my kids. They are young still, but should know what to do in an emergency.

We had a great time and then came back to our home for brunch and let the kids just play. Super fun!

Hey Runners!

2010-03-12T12:42:00.001-08:00

I need advice on how to keep a good consistant pace while running. The farther I run, I get slower and slower. I mean really slow.

I'd love to hear some tips. Thanks!

Family Adventure Weekends

2010-03-08T13:10:00.000-08:00

Jeff decided we needed to be more adventurous and do more fun things together as a family and so family adventure weekends were born. Madison was thrilled to find out that we were going to stay at a hotel! Having so young of kids, sleeping in just one room isn't what I usually would call fun. But Jeff has a great way of loosening me up and making me have fun no matter what we are doing :) Also we got bump up to a nicer room for free- we had the two double beds and a family room area with kitchenette. It was really nice and way fun.

I think the all the kids favorite thing was the fun indoor water park. It was a bit chilly but even when the girls were shivering they didn't want to get out.

Riding the waves!

Not so fun?

Yep, it's fun!

We had a nice night and most everyone got good sleep. It's nice when they are so tired that they don't put up much of a fight :)

So Sorry

2010-03-08T10:16:00.000-08:00

Hi friends...so firstly, I want to apologize that my former post came across so preachy and judgemental. I didn't want a hot debate or to ruffle feathers- I simple wanted to give my opinion on the matter.

There is no right or wrong answer- just opinions. My high school friend Melissa had a couple of great comments that were posted on the first implant post that gave a new perspective if anyone is interested, please go back and read. There have been many wonderful opinions shared and they enhance the conversation on this topic. So thank you.

I do not believe that any woman is less righteous if she is pro-augmentation and this topic is directed to all Mormon women not just Utah Mormons. And to Melissa's question of any atheistic to enhance your appearance falling into this category- I would apply the statement... everything in moderation. And I would apply that to breast augmentation as well.

I do agree- TO EACH HER OWN. But my own is obviously against it and that is all I wanted to say.

Breast Implants: Part 2

2010-03-07T13:06:00.000-08:00

Two weeks ago I sat down at the computer ready to unleash my thoughts on why breast implants were disgusting and wrong. Luckily, I decided to let myself cool down and compose my thoughts. (I know some of my older friends are amazed at this.) :)

I don't want to accuse, offend, or seem to judge people. Instead I want to promote a new perspective or inner contemplation on the matter.

I've truly felt disturbed and sadden by this topic. I've thought about it everyday and it would not leave my mind. I pondered and longed and even prayed for comfort and for the proper words to help me express my feelings.

I first heard of this new trend two and a half years ago while attending my monthly book club of all Mormon women. We discussed the topic with many different view points and opinions. The best words to describe what I felt was utter shock and then sadness. I thought "How can there be so many different opinions when we are taught the same values?".

Such as:

"Your body is a temple".

"You have divine nature and individual worth".

"The natural man is an enemy of God".

"Manage your money wisely, and stay out of debt".

"Be anxiously engaged in a good cause".

"Live in the world, but not of the world"

And of course I realize another great value that we all share ... Agency.

I truly am trying to be sensitive to the feelings of others, since I have friends that have gotten the procedure done and know of others that are in support there of. But I have never heard of a cause, an excuse, or reason pro-breast augmentation, that isn't flawed.

(Exception being a mastectomy patient).

It is sad that rationalization and even indifference can skew our eternal perspectives.

To conclude, I must heartily say that I am absolutely against breast augmentation. It goes against every fiber of knowledge that my body is a scared gift from God and that it has a divine purpose.

Breast Implants

2010-02-25T11:06:00.000-08:00

I recently had another discussion with some friends about the new trend in Mormon women getting breast implants.

(I guess it's all the rage in Utah these days.)

My question is...

WHY ?

I wanted to get your ideas and opinions on the matter before I go off on this new soapbox of mine.

(I have a history of being really blunt and harsh- who knew!)

Quite yucky...

2010-02-24T17:06:00.000-08:00

Picture compliments of a mean daddy who wouldn't wipe his poor son's nose taken a couple weeks ago. Here a sad pic of Hudson's full body rash he had last week, seven days after being put on Amoxicilin. (His giant head seems even bigger because he was looking up.)

Luckily, it wasn't an allergic reaction , but just a side affect. Sadly, his body was resistant to the antibiotic and developed infections in both of his ears. So we had to get on a different antibiotic, but now he is doing much better and finally sleeping through the night again. YEAH!!

We'll see how long it lasts.

Teething our next battle. :)

Party Yakima, Party

2010-02-21T19:33:00.001-08:00

Hey everyone! Let me be your guide to our friend's birthday party in Yakima.

Here we have McKenna and Issac gettin' comfortable on a nice chair together. Oh, here's me and my friend Elizabeth. I liked to grab her face & pull her hair and she liked to still my toys and body-slam me. We have a complicated relationship.
Here's Madison and the birthday boy Eric. They go way back- like almost 5 years!!Madison and Eric were partners in the three legged race. Here they are getting ready to go!

Now on to the cake!

I thought this cake looked really yummy, but my mommy NEVER gives me anything good to eat. What's her problem!!
It was a way cool party and I'm glad that we went to see our good friends.

Well that's it. So long!

What I'm reading this month!

2010-02-10T11:41:00.000-08:00

1st...Pope Joan by Donna Woolfolk Cross (Just finished today!)

My Rating: B-

2nd...Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

My Rating: TBA

I have to do it now!

2010-02-01T09:38:00.000-08:00

I've decided to do a HALF MARATHON in May! Yikes!!

Anyone want to do it with me?

I went running this morning for the first time since I had Hudson and I actually didn't die like I thought I was going to. It was a bit chilly, but it was above freezing :)

I spoke with a lactation consultant and I'll be needing to eat about 2500-3000 calories a day to support my breast milk supply and my own strength. Whew! That's a ton!!

Wish me luck! And give me your running advice you runners!!

Healthy Suggestions

2010-01-31T16:09:00.000-08:00

I am sick of my kids getting sick and then spreading it to each other. I'm looking for creative suggestions and ways in keeping your children from catching every bug that comes into your home!

And.... Go!

My Little Man

2010-01-24T18:33:00.000-08:00

Hi! I'm Hudson Hoffmann.

I'm a really good sitter and I like to eat my feet.

I love to laugh, but I don't enjoy jokes about my big head. (99% poor kid!)
This is me excited to see you! When are you coming to visit?

Bunk beds and Happy Kids

2010-01-11T14:31:00.000-08:00

Our cute kids!

I just love this pic because for once they all are smiling and looking at the camera. Madison has a band aid on her face if you're wondering. Man, she looks so grown up!

Isn't it kinda sad that Kenna and Hudson's heads are about the same size? Hudson, you're lucky you're so cute!!

When we moved into our house we bought this bunk bed for the girls, but just had them separated into two twins. We weren't sure if the girls we old enough for it. Over Christmas we decided we were done having their room be so cramped and made the beds...bunked. Anyway, the girls absolutely love it and their room feels ten times bigger. We also put a large mirror on their wall (it's from our old upstairs bathroom when we remolded). The girls love to dance and play in front of it.

I was hoping their new room set up would help them keep their toys in the room and play there, but it hasn't happened yet...what dreams may come.

Christmas 2009

2010-01-03T20:39:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful Christmas. Here are an array of pictures of the festivities!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Daddy Daughter(s) Date

2009-12-16T14:48:00.001-08:00

Disney on Ice ROCKS!
for the cheap seats, they had a pretty nice view!

Popcorn and Cotton Candy were a hit!

I'm pretty lucky to have these guys!!

Jeff took the girls to their most beloved Daddy Daughter Date thus far ... Disney on Ice!!

They had wonderful time! I'm so grateful that they can spend such fun and quality time with their Dad. Jeff is a wonderful father and I tell him time and time again, that he should be the one home raising them day after day. He is so patient and fun and I'm ....just not! Lately, I've been beating myself up over my terrible parenting skills and it just gets old! I wish it was easier for me, but I've got a lot to learn. I know I'm suppose to be at home with my children right now, so I've been setting some goals on how to be a better mom.

Anyway, (sorry I kinda went off) Jeff and the girls had a blast and I'm thankful for it :)

Here's the girls first Snowman of the season. It was celebrating Aunti Christy's birthday!

Catching Up

2009-12-06T19:36:00.000-08:00

FALL

Here are some pictures of what we saw when we returned home from our vacation. Let's say we had a lot of work cut out for us! We had leaves everywhere and as soon as we raked them up more would appear! It was endless leaves for three weeks!

The two pictures above are 1st: a basketball size hornets nest we discovered in one of our front yard trees. We only discovered it when all the leaves fell off. It's actually still up there, but we plan on taking it down and dissecting it.

2nd: Is a pic of my harvest decoration thingy that I made for my book club dessert table. The pumpkin and gourds we grew in our garden and the dried leaves came from our front maple tree. I had to take a picture of this arrangement because I truly am not a decorator or creative person- so it was fun to do something new :)

Halloween

Madison specifically wanted to be a "BLUE SHARK", problem was we had been gone half the month and stores don't carry any shark costumes. So, Halloween morning while I was playing volleyball, Jeff made this awesome blue shark costume. I'm glad that I married someone with such mad skills :)

Let's just say that Madison was a hit at our Ward Halloween party. Here is a fellow sunbeam,(who's totally crushin' on Madi) who continually liked to shut the shark's mouth.Madi and Kenna checkin' out each others loot!
Hudson was appropriately a cute cow. He loves his milk :)

Utah!!

2009-11-28T18:51:00.000-08:00

Family picture in the Beehive House after our tour :)

The girls loved the water at the Conference Center

Here's Kenna and I being silly while waiting for Jeff and Madi to get their food at the Lion House Bakery where we ate lunch.

What a view!
The girls loved being up so high in the Joseph Smith Memorial Bldg.

Salt Lake City LDS TempleCute girls!

Visitor Center fun!

The girls loved seeing the giant statue of Jesus because we have the same statue (a much smaller version though) in our home!

Dino's and My Family

2009-11-24T13:04:00.000-08:00

After our wonderful visit in Denver we headed to Price where my side of the family was congregating. It was so great to see everyone, especially my sister Jaycee! I just love her so much and appreciate all her wisdom and friendship. It was also great to see my Grams, my Aunt and Uncle Perez , Perez cousins and my parents & my brother. We had such an amazing time!
YEAH for Boy's! My sister and I have had our children right in order: girl, girl, boy! Little Christian and Hudson are two months apart and I'm excited for them to get to know each other. Sadly, Hudson's head was already bigger than his older cousin's! Price has a wonderful Dinosaur Museum and the girls loved it! Here they are with big "Al"!

The Raptor head coming out of the wall was a big hit! For all the kids :)

Here is Madison diggin up some fossils.

Kenna was a litle tentatve-I couldn't blame her :0
I just thought this was a cute picture of Madi. She has grown up so much and I just can't believe what a big girl she is now.

Big Buddy Hudson

2009-11-16T14:24:00.000-08:00

This picture was just taken last night - Happy 4 months old Hudson!

At Hudson's well check today his stats went as follows:

Weight: 15 lbs. (53%)

Height: 26.5 inches (93%)

Head: 17.8 inches (98%)

Let's just say that he has a lot of brain power! :)

The Grands

2009-11-16T14:18:00.000-08:00

Jeff's parents with all their grand kids.
Four generation picture of the Hoffmann men! (This is actually the best one we took- sorry Jeff. Keep your eyes open next time.)

Us with Great Grandpa Ralph.

Great Grandpa Ralph and all his great grand kids.

Denver Zoo

2009-11-13T16:10:00.001-08:00

We had a nice time at the Zoo, especially because it wasn't crowded. We usually go to the Zoo every visit to Denver (once a year), but the girls grow and change so much over the year that they seem to experience it in a new way every time. The Alligators were a huge hit because they girls were face to face with them- they loved it!
Many of the large cats were very active and alert- which the girls enjoyed!
Sisterly love!

Kenna riding the peacock on the Carousel.

Madi on an elephant!
I never thought I would say cute and hyena in the same sentence, but this little mama hyena and baby were really CUTE!!

Buddy Hudson trying to keep warm. Jeff called him our little lumber-jack.

Jeff's grandfather Ralph (who is 91) was able to go to the Zoo with us in the comfort of a wheelchair. The girls got to ride on his lap. We kinda had to entice Kenna with a bag of chips, but she did it :) I'm so glad that he and the girls could make good memories together.

Kenna and Rachel were matching in their pink striped shirts! They became best of buds!

Denver Children's Museum

2009-11-08T16:51:00.000-08:00

Try to imagine a fire truck, because that's whats behind Kenna here. I didn't take really good pictures- sorry. Madison really liked dressing up as a fire-fighter.
Just Mommy and her boy!

Puppet show anyone?

Dress up and Ring-Around-the -Rosies!
Marshmallow snack break!

Cute cousin Rachel painting!

Painting was a huge hit! These wonderful creations are now their favorite wall decorations in their room.

Madison the Bunny!

They had a whole room that was a giant worm's burrow where the kids could dress up and crawl through the tunnels.

Here's Kenna playing grocery store.

It was a cool little place and the girls had lots of fun pretending and doing hands on learning.

Let the Cross Country Vacation Begin!

2009-11-04T19:23:00.001-08:00

Our first destination was Denver. It was going to take us about sixteen hours with stops, so we spilt it into two days. The kids did amazingly well, but poor Madison threw up three times in those sixteen hours. Below are some crazy pictures taken in Casper, WY at a restaurant called Stanley's. The girls just loved it, even with it being below freezing!Madison actually had thrown up right before we arrived- but she couldn't pass up a pic with her favorite dinosaur...Rexy.

We finally arrived and the girls had a blast with their cousins- little Emma and Rachel!!
Coloring Fun with Cousins

They really played well together!

Here is Great Grandpa Ralph finally meeting his newest great grandchild, Hudson. They just talked and talked to each other. It was so cute :)

Much more to come...

About a month ago...

2009-10-28T15:28:00.000-07:00

Hudson at 2 1/2 months
They are really unkempt looking, but still cute :)

September was a wonderfully warm month. We were able to play outside and enjoy our back deck. I all miss those lazy summer days, but I truly do enjoy fall as well.

About Time

2009-10-27T13:43:00.000-07:00

It's all about time really. There is only so much of it in a day and I really need to set aside a chunk of it to post pictures and update you all on our lives. But right now... I'm still trying to unpack and do laundry from our recent vacation/road trip, I'm scrabbling to put together lessons for this week's co-op preschool that I'm pinch-hitting teaching for, I'm baking sugar cookies for our FHE treat(which we pushed back until tonight), I need to shower and it's almost 2:00 PM, and I have to go feed a cute little boy.
So...
I have truly missed blogging but I will have to get to it a little later :)

Hudson Update

2009-08-25T13:52:00.000-07:00

2 Weeks Old- All the men on Hudson's Blessing Day.
The girls sure love him!

We were lucky enough to have both our parent's visits over-lap on a Sunday morning. We took this advantage and blessed Hudson in our home with a bishopric member in attendance. It was nice for the girls to have so much quality time their grandparents. We had a wonderful time with everyone- they are both GREAT!

Hudson loves his daddy! Jeff likes to make Hudson do karate, exercises and line dance.

6 Weeks

Hudson is my Mellow Man. He is such a happy little dude!

Baby Hudson

2009-07-18T11:12:00.000-07:00

Correction: he is actually 20 1/2 inches long. When I took him for his two day check he measured the 20 1/2 inches instead of the 18 1/2 they said at the hospital -those silly nurses!We are doing well and he is much loved!

I was going to re-due Jeff's timeline with what really was occurring like: pain, anger, more pain, frustration, awful pain, hostility, immense pain & pressure and then utter relief. But I guess I'm over it and I'm just glad that my handsome boy is here!!

Hudson Jeffrey Hoffmann

2009-07-15T08:38:00.000-07:00

July 15, 2009
7lbs 10oz - 18 1/2"

12:50am - arrive at hospital and check in.
1:00am - hook Amber up to the machine - dilated between a 6 and a 7
1:20am or so - IV and draw blood
1:35am - doctor shows up for epidural...as soon as he gets the blood work
1:45am - blood work comes back from the lab and Amber gets ready for the epidural
1:50am - Amber is informed that the epidural will not be happening and that it is time to push
2:04 - Hudson make his debut

Mother and Baby are doing well. Pictures soon

Prego Forevermore...

2009-07-09T15:45:00.000-07:00

So I'm still pregnant if anyone cares. This whole false labor thing has been so freaking frustrating! Especially because I wasn't wanting to go too early and I wasn't being anxious about getting a baby here. I was feeling great and patient!! But now I feel like..."What the Hell!"- if this kid is going to come then COME!
Now I'm analyzing every contraction or ache and truly focusing on when the baby will come. It's pretty ridiculous and I'm simply OVER THIS CRAP!
Anyway- take care everyone :)

Aghh!!!!

2009-07-07T09:48:00.000-07:00

False (or perhaps early) labor SUCKS! I've been up for since 4:15 AM with a contracting uterus and I'm only dilated to a 2.5!
Peanut butter sandwich, hot bath and a nap- then maybe a baby later!

Garden Growth & Produce

2009-07-02T14:26:00.000-07:00

Here's a couple updated pictures of our garden. We sure do a lot of weeding these days :)

Do you know anyone who would like a ton of radishes? I don't know what Jeff was thinking planting so much, but there's not a lot of creative things to make with radishes!!
Red lettuce above and Green lettuce below- it's everywhere man!!

We ate our first salad about 3 weeks ago with our freshly picked lettuce and haven't stopped eating it! I swear it multiplies overnight or something. I've become this lettuce lady, trying to give it away to anyone and everyone!

It sure is nice though. There is something about being able to go out in the morning and get fresh produce for the evening. It makes me feel accomplished or something. It's nice that something has grown, so I don't feel like a total gardening loser! Let's hope the other good stuff continues to grow!

House Pictures...Finally!

2009-06-19T18:43:00.000-07:00

We wanted to have it feel like there was an actual entry and I think taking out the closet, made it feel so much more open. Jeff is planning on making a bench for this area that our guests can take off their shoes more easily.

Upstairs Bathroom

(Not totally complete yet, but still pretty)

I know what you all are thinking...we should have totally kept the spindles right?

Downstairs entry area.

It felt so cramped, so Jeff got rid of the door and half of the wall.
I just wanted to show Jeff's personal design of all the door and window moldings. He didn't like anything the stores had so he decided to make his own.

Downstairs Laundry & Den

My pictures don't do this room justice. The downstairs bathroom was also the laundry area- it's tiny! So Jeff put in a laundry closet off the back of the den. We haven't done any renovations with the downstairs bathroom yet. We are hoping to get to it this Fall/Winter.

Den Area- opposite side of laundry closet.

Girls Room

I haven't done any decorating, but the girls love their new big girl beds and their bird bedspreads (which they picked out themselves)-- YEAH, no princess crap!

What we've been up to!

2009-06-06T10:10:00.000-07:00

First, I've been getting bigger (oh joy!) Here's me yesterday at 34 weeks.

We planted our cold garden crops the first week we moved in- here's onions, red & green lettuce, snap peas and potatoes.
Then over Memorial Day weekend we planted the rest of our garden. Which includes: Yellow squash, zucchini, cucumbers, radishes, carrots, tomatoes, peppers, jalapenos, egg plant, corn, watermelon, cantaloupe, pumpkins, snow peas, green beans, more snap peas, and decorative gourds. We are hoping that SOMETHING grows :)
Here's our before shot of our living room fireplace.

And here's our after :)

Jeff has done such a wonderful job at all the renovations. We are hoping to have the other projects fully completed in the next couple weeks. (More pictures to come!)

The girls and I have LOVED having a backyard!

This is the first day of them playing in the sprinklers!

And surprise, surprise! Our hot tub works :) Jeff and the girls have loved it. I just can't wait until after the baby and I get to throw away my lovely compression tights. (By the way, this pregnancy I've had some vein problems in my right leg, in which I had to get medical compression tights for. I wear them always except for sleeping.)

We love our deck with the large tree that shades it!

Last Saturday we bought our VAN! Yeah :) It's a 2007 Grand Caravan and we love it! Automatic doors rock! On the same day, we sold our lovely Corolla to our bishop's daughter who is heading off to college this Fall.

Now, it's time for baby prep! I've been working on clearing out the baby's room (it's been our misc. box room) and getting clothes sorted and such. Life is good, but busy, but so good. Let's hope we can get everything done before the baby shows up :)

I am alive

2009-05-04T13:46:00.000-07:00

Life has been crazy...

We moved into our new house with continued construction to be done.
Lots of unpacking and boxes everywhere.
My in-laws were in town for a week vi sting.
Tons and tons of yard work.
My girls have been adjusting to their new twin beds. (uggh!)
More unpacking.
I started my garden.
More yard work.
And I'm getting fatter!! Pregnancy is such a lovely thing.

Anyway, life is good.

Video Fun!

2009-03-21T09:48:00.000-07:00

"Monkey-ing" Around & Belly Shot

2009-03-16T14:23:00.000-07:00

Here are the girls watching out their bedroom window for their Daddy to come home for lunch. It was too bright, so we had to bring in the stylish sunglasses :)

20 Weeks

It's not that impressive. I feel bigger than I look...bummer.

Life is wonderful when the girls entertain themselves :) They totally make me smile & laugh!

Life lately...

2009-03-06T15:39:00.000-08:00

For the past five months Madison has had a little gymnastics class once a week. She really loves it and tries her best. It has been nice for her to have a activity that Mommy isn't associated with. Her coach is very patient with all the kids and I've seen Madison improve and look forward to gymnastics every week. I know this is a silly picture, but she really looks grown up to me for some reason.

I recently got the motivation for baking bread for my first time. There are so many women I know that make bread regularly for their families. I didn't have any wheat flour, so this is the yummy kinda unhealthy traditional white bread. I probably won't bust out 10 loaves every 10 days like some gals I know, but I think I could manage making bread once or maybe twice a month. At least once anyway :)

Since Madison's hair is naturally curly, I haven't paid too much attention to the health of her ends, since I rarely see them. I've trimmed her hair sporadically myself over the years, but after I straighted it a couple months ago , I got a really nice look at her weathered ends. So Madison got her official first haircut last month (no worries, we only took about 1 inch off). My good friend Paige came over to our house to do my hair, so we just added a haircut for Madi's too. Madison thought it was really fun and she did a great job holding still.

It's a...

2009-03-05T08:35:00.000-08:00

BOY!!

Baby and I are looking healthy and on time. It feels pretty surreal that we are finally going to have a son, but we are thrilled!!

So Exciting!!

Plain & Simple

2009-03-01T14:47:00.000-08:00

This is our new house.

Not what you expected? Well this house is just like us: simple, plain, and practical. It has a lot of potential and we are excited to see the transformation.

It was built in 1979 and is on corner 1/3 acre lot. It has three bedrooms, two bathrooms, family room, living room, dining & kitchen and a fire place. The back yard is fully fenced with a rear deck, covered hot tub patio with hot tub included (needs servicing), large trees and a giant garden plot. Also, there is a three car garage shop (with heat, electric & plumbing) with a paved driveway off the side street.

I'm really in love with the back yard and can't wait for all the fun we will have in the up coming summers.

BBQ anyone???

Many more pictures to come :)

It's Official

2009-02-27T08:32:00.000-08:00

WE ARE HOME OWNERS!!

Sadly, I don't have pictures yet...but Jeff doesn't want to show any interior shots until we have done the renovations. We will do all the before and after comparison shots in due time.

I'll try to get an exterior picture soon!

Kenna Kills Me Sometimes

2009-02-19T09:45:00.000-08:00

A couple days ago, the girls got done with their lunch and Madison asked Kenna if she wanted to play hide-&-go-seek. Madison took her turn with counting and then it was Kenna's turn. She put her head against the slider door and started to count...
"1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11,...mumble, mumble, mumble... 18, mumble. READY NOT HERE COME!!!".
It was just so simply cute! I have never heard her try to count before (besides to three) and it was just fun to see how much she is growing up.
This morning I was in cleaning the toilet in the bathroom and she came to the door and here is our conversation:

KENNA: Time out.

ME: Who's in Time out?

KENNA: Baby.

ME: Oh really! Why is she in time out?

KENNA: Hit. (As she touches her head).

ME: Wow, well you need to tell her that hitting is a No, No and that it's not nice.

KENNA: (Runs away to her bedroom door way, and she yells from the doorway to the time out chair and shakes her finger...) NO NO BABY!!

ME: Now, just tell her to say sorry and give her a hug, okay?

KENNA: Okay, mom.

Well that's the story of the day! My sister gave me a great idea to start a journal for each of my kids and write down all these fun memories and sayings- which I have bought the notebooks, but I wanted to get it written down before I forget. So there ya go!