October 31st

We had a fun Halloween this year. We carved pumpkins the night before. Andon had a good time throwing pumpkin seeds on the ground.

Halloween morning we got up and went to the Arizona State Fair with my dad, Mark's parents, brother & sister-in-law. We had such a great time going on rides and eating fair food.

This slide was Sierra's favorite. I think they went on it 4 times. We need one for the backyard!

Here are Sierra, Mark and my dad after the first little drop on the log ride.

And here they are after the big drop! Sierra may not look happy, but she wanted to do it again. I think she just didn't want photographic evidence.

After 5 1/2 hours of fun we headed home to relax and get ready to trick or treat. Sierra decided she wanted to be a butterfly princess this year. Mark wanted to pick out Andon's and bought him a Captain Kirk costume.

Seriously so sassy with the posing.

Andon could have cared less as long as he could have a sucker.

Happy Halloween!!

Fall Fun

We took the kids to the zoo last weekend. It was warmer than we had thought it would be so we decided to let the kids get wet. I don't think they minded wearing wet clothes the rest of the day.

Then Andon and I went to the Pumpkin Patch with my MOM's group while dad was at work and Sierra was in school.

The weather was beautiful. For a while. Now we are hitting 90 again and this does not make me happy. It's NOVEMBER!!

Our life in pictures

Birthday trucks and cupcake

Basketball with daddy

First day of 1st grade His new favorite thing!

Sprinkler fun!

First soccer game

Sierra is number 3

Rainy day puddles

Are you still there?

Does anyone still read this thing? Yet another 2 months has gone by without a single blog. I see it everyday and say to myself today's the day and it doesn't happen.

We are finally getting a taste of fall here in the Valley. It rained like crazy yesterday and I loved every minute of it. The kiddos played in the puddles while I made dinner. They were soaked and very smiley. I'll post some pictures of that as soon as I get them off the camera.

Sierra started soccer a couple of weeks ago. I think she loves it. She is not an aggressive girl so we were a little unsure she would do it. She is trying to decide if she wants to do soccer or cheerleading in January. I vote for soccer so we get our money's worth out of the cleats & shin guards!

Andon is speaking more and more. I love nap times! His favorite thing to say is "Apple, please." And of course "mama, mama, mama, mommy, mommy, mommy" just like that if I don't answer him right away. He does not appreciate it if I say Andon, Andon, Andon right back to him. Time out will be his BFF in the coming months. He has a temper. Not sure where he gets that from. :)

So fast

Andon is officially 2 years old. These past two years have gone so fast. Our little man came along at just the right time for mama. Having to take care of a newborn & Sierra was the right way, for me, to get through losing mom. He is obsessed with all things with wheels. Finally saying please when he wants something (usually suckers) and plays so well with his sister it is scary. I hope that lasts for a while. It rocks having them entertain each other sometimes.

Andon has acclimated to the new house. He has trucks all over the place. And wants to go "ow-side" ALL day. Not so fun in this heat! At his well check today he was 26.8 lbs and 35.5 inches. Just 1/2 an inch shorter than his sister was at two. I'm not sure how accurate that measurement is though. He was screaming, kicking and wiggling as they were trying to measure him. Not a fan of the pediatrician.

Summer has gone so fast as well. School starts next Monday. We meet Sierra's teacher on Thursday night. She is extremely nervous about starting at a new school with new kids. But, I think she would be almost as nervous going back to her old school. Dad took her shopping today for her much wanted messenger bag and shoes while Andon and I hit the doctor. They had much more fun than we did for sure!

We have been home for a week now and have zero regrets. Mark is getting the scorpion problem under control and I am finally cooking again. Almost all of the boxes are unpacked. That is simply amazing! We are a happy happy family to finally have some space to move in.

2

2 years since we lost mom.

Nearly 2 years since Andon was born.

We are officially homeowners of our 2nd (and probably last) home.

July continues to be a roller coaster of emotions for me. I don't think that will ever change. This year was harder than the first year. I didn't have a baby to take care of so I found myself thinking of mom more often. What she missed, what she would do, what the kids were missing out on. It's been tough.

I firmly believe that things happen for a reason. I reconnected with old friends just months before we found out mom was sick. I truly believe that was to give me support and girlfriends since I was going to lose my best girlfriend soon. I have an amazing group of friends that I am blessed to be a part of. Unbelievably supportive in all my endeavors, just as mom was.

I also believe I got pregnant with Andon at the time I did for a specific reason. Mark won't like this, but I truly believe God had this planned out perfectly to give me something to hold onto and nurture at a time when I was hurting the most. It gave me an "escape" from the pain for a little while since I had a baby and a little girl to take care of. A little girl who to this day misses Nana and loves her.

Buying this house was a long, frustrating process. But closing on it and receiving our keys on July 16th has to be for a purpose as well. I need something to focus on and a place to grow as a mom and individual. It turns July 17th into, not a happy day, but a day with a positive outcome. We worked on the house today to prepare it for our move. I think about mom in nearly every move I make. She would love this house, but hate the backyard fence because it isn't private enough. That was the first thing that came to mind when I saw the yard. But she would have been as excited as the rest of us and pitched in to get it ready.

July is always going to be tough. But it ends on the 31st and, this year, with Andon turning 2. I'll always ask myself what would mom do throughout the year. But in July I will treasure her memory and keep pushing forward because I know that is how she would want it.

Big news

We are on the move. Literally. Mark and I are buying a new house. It is much bigger than the townhome and has a fabulous backyard for the kids. I can envision many nights out on the patio and watching the kids ride their bikes in the cul-de-sac. We are beyond excited! Well for the new house part, but yikes the packing. This bites. I mean really bites. We have been packing for 3 weeks and it feels like months already. Our new house has been empty for a good 4 months and the landscaping is a mess. It's going to take some time to get that back in shape, but it will be so worth it. We should be in the new place by the end of July. I'll send out an email to all with the new address when we are actually there.