Saturday, December 25, 2010

We Wish You A Merry Christmas



We enjoyed a christmas eve at the beach. Raggedy Ann went on many adventures including being swept down a small river that Jake had to rescue her from. Toben slept most of the day with the sound of crashing waves. Lilly and Bella were darling and chased after each other with seaweed ropes and sand, many people walking by commented on how cute they were. It was too much of a struggle to convince Bella to take off her beautiful christmas dress from Jenny. Sorry Jen but at least they are washing well and the girls feel beautiful every day.
I am glad I have a husband who gets us to so many wonderful places so often. Thanks Rich and Dora for being such great parents and raising such an amazing son.




Jake and I had a wonderful time being Santa's elf's and spent many nights creating our dream toddler size bunk beds, and fixing up things from my childhood such as my old doll bed, doll clothes, and doll house. Thanks Mom for keeping all of that stuff




Christmas morning brought the most beautiful sunrise that we have seen in Bakersfield. Wonders in the heavens herald the birth of our savior it was such a great reminder of that day long ago.


Bella surprised us and wanted to arrange Lilly's dolly tea set while she was eating cereal. Then we noticed who she was arranging it for, not the dollies it was for the hamsters. She was hungry and conversing with the about how she would eat their cheerios for them because they didn't like them. She is very good at taking care of all of her pets. We almost bought her a kitty for christmas but feared for the animals life with the big baby Toben, who likes to bite and pull on kitties. Plus Zhu Zhu pet hamsters are really the best pets for my sanity right now. Thanks mom for the hamster supplies they all love it.



We were very blessed with a christmas miracle as our children showed an extraordinary amount of tolerence with one another and let Toben in their room and even played with him! The best christmas gift a parent could get


Here is my childhood little table that I revived with a new paint job and a Ponyo scene


Bella is Determined that she is Charlotte the spider from Charlotte's Web. After Halloween came down she claimed the spider web and puts it over many things in the house and begins to play out the roll quite well. So after hours of woodworking and coming up with a detailed design for the bed Jake and I had my vision of how cute their room would look with such a chick piece. Not for long, immediatly after getting the bed Bella hauled out her web and started to decorate the top bunk. It really ruined my idea of the cute bed but fulfilled her wildest spider dreams and so it will probably stay for a long time.

Thanks again Dad for building that doll house with me it was fun to tell the girls about it and have them enjoy it so much

Bella busy spinning her web




Lilly snuggles down all 3 of her dollies and usually Raggedy Ann ends up as her pillow.


A doll bed given to my by my Great Grandma Freese when I was little. I revived it for Ragedy Ann
Two of the cutest boys on earth!



These three dollies now go everywhere with Lilly

Toben loved his Christmas bubbles thanks Jen!












WE Are so blessed with Beautiful Children and wonderful extended Family, that raised us well, and continues to love and us and the new additions. We love you all MERRY CHRISTMAS

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

If you have ever wondered how to watercolor just watch this calm and insightful instructional movie by Bella Rae. The movie features everything from brush holding techniques, to proper paint water ratios. Your sure to love it.


A little clip from our morning stroll at the farmhouse



Lilly busy putting on her first tea party ! She managed to rope her neighborhood friend Bubba into having one.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010


We had a very sad day today when we went to preschool and found out that their beloved preschool teacher Mrs Penni had to quit unexpectedly. Bella cried and cried on the way home, along with me. She kept saying "I'll never forget you Mrs Penni I'll never forget you." She was the kind of teacher that just radiates love and had so many creative activities for them. The two months they new her it almost seemed like she was a good substitute for not having a Grandparent that they see on a consistent basis, or any family for that matter. I was so grateful for how much she loved Lilly and Bella and I hope the new teacher can have a similar roll.

Soo we all went to the zoo and had ice cream




We had a Fun weekend staying at our farmhouse for the first time since we purchased it 4 months prior. Jake and I acted as the sole contractors on the house and each job was completed with precision and detail that in most cases would have costs of thousands and thousands to have contracted out. For anyone that has seen the house they now what a trash hole it was and most people that have seen it just think were crazy and hope we get rid of it asap. However Jake and I have gotten a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment from this that nothing else could give at the time. Most work was done at night the only time a parent can take a break or one or the other of us would take a Saturday, while the other stayed with the kids. It was a crazy amount of work especially laying the wood floors and in Jakes case digging the .25 mile long water new water main, but when you don't watch TV it is amazing the amount of time you have to dump into a prodject. So far we have

- gutted the house including all the flooring walls and ceilings
- lifted the house as the back end of the foundation had settled about a foot lower the then rest
-drywalled and retextured the entire house and ceiling
-replaced all the interior plumbing
-laid a 100% hardwood maple floor (only 1$/ft a fraction of the cost of most flooring b/c we bought the factory seconds)
-dug a sprinkler system and over .25 miles of pipe to run a new water main to the house
-sanded and refinished the vintage 1950's cabinets
-tore off and roofed the house
-tore off the terrible rotting porch
-replaced doors and vent covers ect
-replaced toilets and bathroom sink, and cleaned and cleaned

We still have a lot of work on the outside but it was amazing to stay in a place that I never thought would be this nice













The crowning event in any home, a kid with an ice cream

Tuesday, September 28, 2010


Kids at family home evening... jk lol <')))><

Tonight we all ate dinner in the tree fort, and for family home evening learned about Adam and Eve. We thought it turned out to be a really fun lesson. The next day I heard Lilly telling Bella "...and I like Eve dollies and you like Adam dollies" Bella was in distress she did not want to have the Adam dolly, well some of those church lessons sink in and some you use to bug your sister with.


The girls love their new preschool it looks like so much fun that I want to go to preschool. They get to ride cool metal trikes and sing and dance to great kid music, paint, play with tables full of rice and beans they even have a little time each day learning about a Bible character. Today they came home and were telling me about baby Moses Bella said in a very serious and concerned tone"and the mamma put the baby Moses in a basket and put him in the river. THAT WAS NOT SAFE !". They sure come up with some funny things to say, and fresh new perspectives.




Lilly looking lovely in her Dads gardening hat


Bella at Malibu looking at some Icon Stars (small star fish) on some sea weed



Toben was very happy about his very own big red sucker


The girls both went surfing with their dad who took them out on his shoulders and caught little waves with them. They both really enjoyed it and Bella asked to go again while we were packing up to go so her good daddy suited her up and took her out again.


Lilly and her cinderella dolly from a happy meal. The dolly goes everywhere with Lilly and that was truly the happiest meal she ever ate. As a mother I saw this darling dolly that my daughter loved and naturally next Saturday I wanted to get her the next one. Well much to her dismay it was the Prince Charming dolly or as Lilly would call it the little boy dolly. I handed it back to her and tried to introduce it in a fun way but no fooling her, "No I don't want that little boy dolly I don't like that dolly". Her immense disgust with that dolly was manifest through her actions of giving the dolly to her little brother Toben who is not allowed to touch anything in the house. Except of course food which he thoroughly enjoys. I love this shot of him trying to eat and drink at the same time, he usually wakes up very hungry.






Lilly and Bella cherry picking at Grandma and Grandpa's. They stood on top of the car and picked every last cherry in reach.
This pic has nothing to do with this week except that the girls have been asking to go to Utah multiple times a day, they really love everyone there.

Monday, September 13, 2010

Lilly Encounters the Manikins

Look Grandpa Gary I like to fix things like you!





The weather is getting cool and the pool is a bit nippy. Flying kites, going to the beach, happy acre and playing at the pool have filled the week. At 10:00 in the morning, the girls still run in first thing and brave the cold water at the pool. This morning Lilly was in and wanted her goggles on so she could go underwater. I tried to dissuade her but to no avail she was excited to swim. Of course it dosn't last long because of the cold and we spend the other hours collecting all of the flowers and berries and mushrooms and such from the great landscaping around the pool. We are always the only ones their in the morning and so when they take off their wet suits and run around naked I figure they only get this time once in life might as well enjoy it.


Bella spent much of the evening drawing trees in a way all her own. She holds the crayon much like an artist using pastels and swipes down a line for the trunk then she tops it with a nice bunch of circles and within a few minutes there is a whole forest covering the paper. I want to get a large canvas and have draw her signature trees all over it, they look so neat. She drew one for everyone in the family and we need to mail them out.


It seems that every moment they are up to something very creative. On Sunday while preparing my lesson for primary Jake took the kids out front but Lilly snuck in unbeknown to me. She quietly set to work gathering toys from every room in the house and lining them up front to back rimming the outside of our table. When I came out and looked at the clock I immediatly started to worry about how we were all going to get to church on time, and I set out to pack the diaper bag. Then I noticed the circle table out of the corner of my eye. I was glad to be pulled out of my mommy world and into the reality of my sweet 3 year old Lilly for a moment. These kids are so creative.



Bella pulled out all these weeds and lined them up she called it her fence.
We love going to Petco and they love helping arrange the store.



The days are very full and I wish we had a full time maid but I think that is what every mom wants. Lilly helped unload the dishwasher all on her own today. I know it is important for you kids to see you work and to be a part of helping, but man at the end of the day I am with Niel Young "a mom needs a maid". It is nice to have sweet chubby and some not so chubby babies to kiss. Little kids are always ready to give kisses and love. They have endless time and nothing to pressing on their docket. It is a nice luxury to just kiss and hug and love them whenever I want all day. I am sure I will not always have that and I try to take as much time for this, but the laundry does need to be tamed and the wasps that infest trees here do need to be killed, the lawn mowed and the food cooked and the dishes washed and the poop cleaned and so on. I am very grateful for a safe place to live where we can get out and walk and explore right out of our front door. I have the perfect mom life amidst the crazy amount of work and I am blessed to have a hard working husband that allows me such enjoyable times raising the munchers.


Our sweet Grandma Dora came last week and was such a shining example to me of someone that knows what life is really about. With the devastating news of breast cancer just a week before and an upcoming surgery she set about that week to make my life perfect, like she always does. Morning walks and trips with the kids so I could get some things done. Then she would come home and wash dishes and vaccume and read books and then sweep and love the girls and wash the table. I thought we might be able to help her in some way that week but she just helped a tired mom without taking a break and was happy and sweet all week. What a Woman! God needs more Dora's on the earth and I know she will get through all of this fine. Our prayers are with her.