My little Avery, so sweet

Here are just a couple of photos that Avery wanted me to take. Her motto is are you thumbs up or down??? Of course she is always thumbs up if you ask her!!

A little tumbling going on

The girls finally started gymnastics about 5 weeks ago. Really Avery is in a little tumbling class, but Payton is in the real deal. She took tumbling when she was 18 months-3 but then we stopped after I had Avery. Payton is doing great for really very little experience. Shs is on that balancing beam and on already doing flps on the bars. I can tell that she gets nervous but she is catching on well. She is of course very shy do this has really helped her out. She really likes it and that is what matters. We go on Tues nights and maybe next session we will go to Tues & Thurs. Here are just a couple of pics of the girls gettng ready to leave. Enjoy!

Happy Halloween

The girls had a great time for Halloween this year. As you can see from the pics that Payton decided to be a bumble bee and Avery a little butterfly. The weather was great this year.

Celebrating 11 yesrs of marriage in Paradise.....Punta Cana, DR

Stan and I celebrated our 11 year aniversary on Oct 3rd, 2009. We decided to take a vacation to celebrate. We went to Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic. We stayed at Excellence Luxury Adult Resort, All-Inclusive. It was an amzing resort. Everything was beautiful. The pictures will speak for themselves. The staff were nice and the other vacationers were just as pleasant. This was the first time we left the girls and they did well. I have to say I did not realize how life can be so busy. It really is important to take the break and to take time to relax. I do not think I give Stan enough credit for how hard he works and how much stress he can be under at times. I saw him relax in a way that I have not seen in a very long time. It was really nice to have him for myself for 6 days. We had a great time. Well, we made it 11 years and counting. I have to applaude the 2 of us for never giving up on one another when things got tough. Cannot wait to see what the next 11 bring.

Our first night there. It was a full moon.
A night out for dinner and entertainment

Our room away from home.

One of the 8 resturants

What we did most of the time

Our home away from home for a week

what we drank plenty of............yummy!!

My 35th Birthday Bash Celebrated with great friends!

Well I turned 35 on Sept 12th, 2009. At first I found myself a little sad. I was thinking where has all the time gone. And then I thought to myself, it has gone by starting a career as a nurse, which I love deeply, being a what-i-like-to-think-a-wonderful wife of 11 years to Stan, and my proudest, most-challenging role, a mother to Payton & Avery. I am 35, no turning back. I have accmplished alot in those years and most of them in the last 10. I could not ask for a better husband,(he may tell you that I say otherwise) a prettier house, or 2 cuter kiddos!! Then look at these pics, I have great friends that are there when all the above seems to not be!! We celebrated at Power & Light with dinner, sangria, and lots and lots of dancing. All the calories burned made Taco Bell at 3am possible......thanks ladies, had a great time!

All the girls, Bridgette, April, Amy, Devin, Denise, Kara, and Emily

You look great Kara!
The three amigas!!!

April celebrated her 31st b-day as well. Here we are blowing out our candles....what else is left for a girl to wish for????

What April tired of taking pictures????

Akward & Sassy

Payton is 6 and is entering the akward phase of childhood. She has lost both of her front teeth. I have to admit she looks much better with both gone vs just one missing. She lost the second on picture day of school but not til she came home. That is why I chose to buy the $7.45 package. Not thinking they are going to be her best yet. Then you have Avery just entering her sassy phase of childhood. She loves to dress up and more importantly "LOOK BEAUTIFUL." Here she is striking what she calls the Miley Cyrus pose.

Not a bit of it matching but who really cares right??? Not Avery.

Please do not mix the two, request from Avery

One morning after taking Payton to school Avery and I came back home and heading back to bed to watch a movie. When we got upstairs she decided that she wanted some milk. No chocolate just regular milk. I said okay. As I walked away I heard her say something but really did not pay that much attention to her. When I came back up she said, "did you hear me when you left?" I said honestly, "no." She said, "I told you to keep an eye on it." She looked at the bottom of the milk cup and said, "I guess you did keep an eye on it the whole time, cause you didn't make chocolate milk, just regular." Good job mommy. See if we all would just keep an eye on things maybe we could always do things right!! Wish it was that easy, and in her eyes it is.

Baking Cookies, I know not the way YOU make cookies

I have to say that clothing with the girls is sometimes optional and at times negotiable. At times I just have to pick my battles and allow them a victory! Really running around without a shirt or pants is not the worse decision these girls can make. We will have to discuss it if they are going to make this kind of decision at 16! Wouldn't Stan love to come home and find me topless in the kitchen making cookies!!

Many, many things wrong with these pictures

Here is Miss Independent at is again. I really can only think of 2 things wrong with these pictures. 1. She is painting on the carpet and 2. I am allowing it!! But on the flip side I can think of a million reasons why I think it is okay. I sound like a CMH ad with the millions reasons why. I will not bore you with them because looking at her I am sure it is not hard to come up with a few on your own!!

Payton's first day of 1st grade

Aug 13th, 2009 was Payton's first day of 1st grade. It was just a half day and then the next day and every day after is all day!! This truly is a day that I thought would take a lifetime to get here. I could not wait for this day but now that it is here and really happening I have to say a little part of my heart is aching. I am happy for her and am ready to see her grow into the person she is meant to be, but I still am a mom that wants to protect her. I know this moment will pass and I will soon enjoy having some free time, but for now I am sad and am missing her. In a couple of weeks I am pretty sure there will be a post about how much she loves school and how much I am loving some mommy time! I hope she has an amazing year and really grows emotionally and socially! I have to say that I have been so lucky and grateful to have the job that I have. Being a nurse and working 10 days a month allowed me to be home and not miss much of her first 6 years. It has been so important to Stan and I to have me here as much as I can be.

Two things she is going to miss and really should not have anymore, the thumb and blanket

Just being silly.......