Nayeli's 4th Birthday Interview

Nayeli's 4th Birthday Interview

1. What is your favorite color? Pink
2. What is your favorite toy? Strawberry
3. What is your favorite animal? Doggie, penquin, turtle
4. What is your favorite food? Chicken nuggets
5. What is your favorite treat? All the treats
6. What is your favorite thing to do with Dad? Do secrets (aka pretend their sneaking a treat behind mom's back)
7. What is your favorite thing to do with Mom? Play with playdough
8. What is your favorite thing to do with our family? Make balloons for Teddy's birthday
9. What is your favorite TV show? Minnie Mouse Bowtique
10. Who is your best friend? Audra and Jackson and Nora
11. What is mom's job? To do the dishes
12. What is dad's job? To go to work everyday and pay money
13. What is your favorite song? Do you want to build a snowman (from Frozen)
14. What is your favorite movie? Frozen
15. What is your favorite thing to do outside? Jump on the trampoline. We need to put a trampoline in our backyard. It needs to have a net on it so then we won't fall off of it.
16. What is your favorite outfit / thing to wear? My church dresses
17. What is your favorite holiday? Christmas and Valentine's
18. What do you want to be when you grow up? Ballerina, bike rider and artist

Anything else you want to say?
Um, I love doing ballet. Can we do some more of this?

My 31st Birthday

I am writing this over a month late because it has been a crazy crazy month, but I'll write all about it in the next post. In the meantime I need to tell about my 31st birthday and how great it was.

For the past three consecutive years, Ben has been gone on my birthday due to SHOT show, a trade show he attends in Las Vegas. This year, however, he was able to leave as late as possible, meaning he was home for half of my actual birthday on Sunday and flew out in the afternoon. For that reason, we spent most of Saturday celebrating my birthday. In fact, he had his interview at the University of Utah on Friday, flew home early Saturday, spent the afternoon crashed on the couch (can you blame him?), and then we went out on a date that night. We hired a babysitter and went to a delicious Italian restaurant in Lake Oswego, then came home to have ice cream and blow out candles. Well a candle, to be specific. I'm not much of a cake person, so it was the perfect dessert.

On Sunday morning Ben made a delicious crepe breakfast (my favorite), I opened gifts, and then we got ready for church.

My handsome, dapper boys 

These kiddos are the cutest, aren't they?

Ben came to part of church with us, then left to catch his plane. After service the kids and I stayed busy by taking selfies... of course. 

That night my wonderful friend Dennine invited us over for dinner so I wouldn't have to cook on my birthday. It was fun to be together and was the perfect end to my night. Honestly, it was a fun day and we celebrated it in a great way. Really, this getting older thing isn't bad at all- I don't know what everyone is always complaining about ;)

Zumba

I have always wanted to try a zumba exercise class, and I mentioned so to Ben once. Then recently Ben asked if I would like to take a zumba class offered at the local community center. I said of course. So for my birthday Ben bought me a pass to an eight week class every Wednesday, and since the class is at 5pm, Ben also comes home from work early and cooks dinner. It has been the best birthday present I could have asked for to be able to get out one night a week, as well as not have to stress dinner.

The class itself has been really fun. The instructor is spunky and always has a smile on her face. We live in an area with a lot of seniors, so out of 20 or so in the class I am the youngest under 50. I'm basically dancing zumba with my mom and I love it. I love being in situations where I can make friends that I wouldn't make otherwise, and I have. You can't dance with others and not bond.

I have two more weeks of my class and I have loved how it makes me feel. Moving my body to music feeds my soul and makes me feel young. Props to Ben for winning the birthday lottery this year. I won't ever forget it.

Ben's 28th Birthday

On July 8th Ben turned 28! He's getting so old! ;) It was kind of a crazy day because my sister Laura was in town with her family, but I tried to make it as special as I could and we did some celebrating after Laura left.

I started the day by sending Ben a text. Unfortunately auto correct got a hold of it and it turned into this:

Oh how I laughed at his response! Then later, after lunch, he texted, "Lisa never showed :(". Ha ha! He keeps me laughing and I love it.

When he got home from work we had a few presents for him. Nayeli had helped me wrap them in the afternoon.

Unwrapping gifts. Teddy in motion, like always.

That night my friend Dennine had offered to watch the kids, so we went out to eat at McMenamin's, a restaurant that is famous here in the Portland area. We ate on the patio, then enjoyed music by a live band. It was an old-man band that was not so talented, but it took Ben back to the days when he used to listen to his dad play in a band and he loved it. So we stayed for a long time and chatted. Date night is good for the soul, you know?

 Birthday date. I love this man.

We celebrated as the week went on by taking Ben balloons and a Jamba Juice to his work at lunch time, then cooking his favorite dish (sweet and sour chicken) for Sunday night dinner. Our wonderful neighbors Pops and Anita also wanted to get in on the celebration, so Pops offered to make Ben a homemade ice cream cake. We went over there Sunday night to enjoy it.

 Ben and Pops. Pops loves to bake and brings us cookies every Monday. He is wonderful.

Overall it wasn't a very well celebrated birthday for Ben, but he didn't mind. It always at a crazy time of year so we just try to make it as special as possible. As it is, I love Ben and am so happy he's mine! Happy birthday to the best man I could have asked for!

Teddy Turns One!

On April 28th, our sweet Teddy turned one. It's unreal to think that just a year ago I looked like this:

I weighed over 140 pounds (which on my five foot frame is quite a bit of weight) and I was SO uncomfortable. I literally had difficulty breathing when I sat down because of how Teddy pushed up on my lungs. But it was all worth it, because then my sweet 8lb 6oz boy was born.
 

Chest to chest right after giving birth. I have cried with joy every time I have met my babies (excuse the triple chin- as mentioned before I had a few extra pounds on me :) )

And now look at him- the cutest little rascal:

He likes to bang the pots and pans as I make dinner

As well as get into all the cupboards. We put locks on them (see the cupboard door), but he was still able to get into this specific one. We finally replaced the lock when he spilled the maple syrup... BIG mess!

My cute mess maker

He loves being outside and LOVES strawberries

On his actual birthday, I took both Teddy and Nayeli to their one and three year well check-ups, respectively.

The windows at the doctor's office are on the third floor making them fascinating.

Poor Teddy had to get shots (my mother-in-law is convinced he'll never forgive me for the trauma I caused tohim on his birthday) but after a nursing and a good nap he was back to normal. It was a pretty standard day, except that Nayeli and I made cupcakes for him to celebrate that night when Ben came home.

We sang Happy Birthday, then let him dig in. He licked the candle...

...then licked the frosting off the top...

Then dumped the chocolate cake bottom on the floor! Whose child is this anyway?!

He is just precious, isn't he?

We did baths and pajamas, then opened gifts. Nayeli was happy to help out with the opening, of course.

It was a pretty simple day, but that's the way I like birthdays. I am not an elaborate party planner, and so while my kids are little and I can keep it simple, I will. 

As a side note, I sewed a pennant banner that can be used for birthdays at our house, but it wasn't done in time for Teddy's birthday. When I did finish it, I decided that it had taken so long that by golly, I was going to hang it up somewhere. So it's out on my porch right now, making our apartment reminiscent of a circus.

Back to Teddy- he has been a difficult baby (see this post) but he is the sweetest, cutest, most loving little boy and I love him with all my heart. I am so happy he came to our family and for the things he has taught me about patience, love, sacrifice, and myself. 

Happy birthday sweet Teddyman! We sure are happy you brighten our lives every day!

Nayeli's 3rd Birthday

Nayeli turned three a few weekends ago. We decided to keep her birthday low key and not stress over doing anything too elaborate. It ended up being a really great and fun weekend.

Her birthday fell on a Saturday, but since Ben had to go camping with the scouts on Friday night and he wanted to make her breakfast in bed, we decided to celebrate it over two days. Saturday morning the grocery store near our home had an Easter celebration so we met our friends the Clarks there. There was a mini petting zoo and cookie decorating, as well as the "Easter Bunny" aka some guy dressed up in a really creepy bunny costume. Nayeli wouldn't go near him, but she loved the cookie decorating.

 It was her birthday- the sugar coma was inevitable :)

The Clarks then invited us to their house for lunch so we ate there and Nayeli got to jump on the trampoline (her favorite). After awhile Ben called to say that he was on his way home so we went to meet him. He took some time with Nayeli before they both crashed on the couch for a nap.

 This is exactly how she fell asleep. The girl loves her sippie.

 I eventually took it so that she could sleep a little more comfortably.

That evening I had to go to the General Women's broadcast so Ben took the kids. They went to a park and played, then went to the local arcade to play some games. On the way they stopped at Jamba Juice and Nayeli got to pick an "ice cream". She had a great time on her special "date with Da-da".

 Ben got these pictures taken in a booth at the arcade specifically for me because I LOVE booth photos. The one on the top is my favorite.

Sunday morning Ben woke up to make her breakfast in bed (it was the tradition in his family growing up). Everything he made was pink- her favorite color. She thought that was so fun.

In the afternoon after church we finally let her open gifts. She has been asking for a dog or cat for a really long time but since that is not feasible right now, we decided to go with a fish. She was thrilled. Bingo.

 She named the fish "Sally". 

 Opening gifts

 She also asks for a pink sucker every time we go to the grocery store. I attached one to her gifts.

That night, we invited a few family friends over for cake and ice cream. When I asked her what kind of cake she wanted this year, she said a "pink Minnie cake". She even picked the kind of frosting she wanted at the grocery store, then we put dollar store figurines on top. Easiest cake I've ever decorated.

 I love Teddy's face. He's so mad he can't get to the cake.

Our friends the Goughs came for dinner and then the Clarks and Pops and Anita joined us for dessert. We sang Happy Birthday to her and she was so pleased. Then we had pink cake and pink ice cream (of course). We told our friends not to worry about bringing gifts but Anita gave Nayeli a really cute Minnie doll. The night was a hit and it was very little effort on my part. Perfect.

Lastly, I thought I would do an interview with Nayeli. All answers are in her words exactly.

Nayeli's 3rd Birthday Interview

1. What is your favorite color? Pink
2. What is your favorite toy? My Minnie doll
3. What is your favorite animal? Doggie
4. What is your favorite food? Quesadilla
5. What is your favorite treat? Gum
6. What is your favorite thing to do with Dad? Hiking
7. What is your favorite thing to do with Mom? Play tigers
8. What is your favorite thing to do with our family? Play lions
9. What is your favorite TV show? Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Paw Patrol
10. Who is your best friend? Momma
11. What is mom's job? Be with me, play with me
12. What is dad's job? Play with me too.
13. What is your favorite song? Let it go
14. What is your favorite movie? Let it go (Frozen)
15. What is your favorite thing to do outside? Blow bubbles
16. What is your favorite outfit / thing to wear? The Minnie one
17. What is your favorite holiday? Valentine’s
18. What do you want to be when you grow up? Be a birthday cake

Anything else you want to say?
Yeah, um.... play.

There you have it folks. She is the cutest and best and we sure love her.

My 30th Birthday

This year I turned the big 3-0. As my birthday was approaching I kept thinking of that Deana Carter song "Strawberry Wine" that says, "I still remember when thirty was old..." and that's exactly how I felt. But then the day arrived and there was nothing I could do about it except celebrate. So celebrate I did.

Every year for the past three years Ben has been gone on my birthday because it is typically when the knife industry goes to a big show in Las Vegas. Fortunately, this year the show was  later so Ben was able to fly out on the day of my birthday. Then he could at least be there in the morning, which I was excited about.

We celebrated the night before by going out to eat. Ben surprised me by getting a babysitter all lined up then taking me to a steakhouse in Portland called Ringside. He had received a substantial gift card for Christmas from work and so we thought we might be able to eat there a few times... that is until we saw the menu. It was the most expensive meal we have had in a long time and we had a ball. We ordered fun drinks, got the most delicious onion rings, I got a $60 steak while Ben ordered fried chicken and then we ordered creme brulee for dessert. The food was divine (the steak melted in my mouth) and worth every penny. In the end (once the gift card was applied) we only paid $35 for one of the most delicious meals I've ever eaten. It was great and what we would have paid had we gone anywhere else anyway.

Creme brulee for dessert

The morning of my birthday Ben woke up early with Nayeli and they decorated the front door and living room with balloons. She had so much fun wrapping gifts and being a part of it all. She's getting to be such a fun age.

Nayeli picked out the pink balloons, of course.

Cute little Teddy

Ben gave me a rose, a target gift card, and a doughnut making pan that I've been wanting to get forever. He also wrote me a list of "30 reasons why I love you". It was really sweet. There was also the promise of making me a hand painted sign of a saying I love- more on that later.

We then loaded up the car to take Ben to his coworker's house so they could drive to the airport. We dropped him off and I looked at the clock. It was only 10am. I thought, "There's no way I'm going to go sit at home with my kids on my birthday." So it was off to Target we went. I spent the gift card Ben gave me on various items, the most notable being a box of hair dye.

We arrived at home in time for lunch. My birthday wish was that we all would get a good nap, but it seemed unlikely since the kids often play what I like to call "musical naps" in the afternoon. That means that while Teddy is asleep Nayeli is awake and then by the time I get Nayeli to sleep Teddy is awake. However the fates must have heard my plea because we all got amazing naps. Best birthday gift ever. After waking I then had two friends bring by flowers which made me feel really special.

I let Nayeli take my picture on my birthday. She did a decent job!

In the evening I had arranged for a babysitter to watch the kids while I went shopping by myself. I went to Joann's fabrics to pick up a few materials, then bought a hot chocolate at Starbucks and perused the aisles at Goodwill. I was in heaven.

I arrived home by bedtime and put the kids to sleep. They went to bed easily and I had the whole evening to myself. I began by putting that  box of hair dye to good use. Call it a mid-life crisis, but I needed a change, and a box of hair dye was an inexpensive way to do that. I had dyed my own and my mother's hair multiple times before, so I just slathered it on thick and... voila!

Before and after. The left is my natural hair color.

In the picture it doesn't look too bad but it turned out a lot more strawberry-blonde than I wanted. Oh well! What was I expecting from an $8 box of hair dye, right? I texted Ben the above picture and he only responded "Oh boy...". I knew he secretly liked it :)

I was then wide awake and on a roll so I decided to cut all the squares for a t-shirt quilt I have been wanting to make for years. It's a compilation of Ben's and my shirts, mostly from college and our missions but also from when we were dating and after we married. Each shirt has a memory and a story associated with it and I was so excited to finally begin the project. I ended up going to sleep about 1 am.

I have pieced it all- I just need to tie and bind it now. I'm so excited for it to be done!

So that was my birthday! It was such a great day and although I missed Ben I had so much fun. I really feel so happy with my life to this point- I have made great friends, traveled abroad, graduated from college, served a mission, married the man of my dreams, had two beautiful children, and I feel like the best is yet to come. Here's to another 30 years!

Nayeli's 2nd Birthday and Hermiston, Oregon

On March 28 we celebrated Nayeli's second birthday. It's amazing to think that two years ago I became a mother. Although some days I want to pull my hair out, I love being a mom. It has fulfilled me in ways I never could have anticipated and I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Plus I love my little Nayeli. She is such a good girl and my little buddy. We had a great time celebrating her birthday.

Nayeli's birth- 2012

The celebration started early when she found (aka Ben left it on the porch when he got out his bike from our storage closet one morning) her main gift about a week before her birthday. We picked this mini Jeep up at Goodwill for just $8. She'd been asking for a "car" for months before that so we knew she'd love it. And we were right. It's one of her favorite toys.

The actual morning of, Ben made her breakfast in bed and we woke her up singing Happy Birthday (traditions taken from Ben's family). We opened a few gifts and Ben headed to work.

I let her get herself dressed for the day. She chose a Mickey shirt, Mickey socks and a Hello Kitty headband. Can you tell she's really into Mickey Mouse right now? Oh, and this is how she wanted to pose for the picture I took. She cracks me up.

We ran errands in the morning and by 10:30am she had already consumed a chocolate egg, soda and a doughnut. And she had a balloon she'd picked out from the dollar store. It was turning out to be a great day. The rest of the day was spent at playgroup then getting ready for our weekend getaway.

That evening after Ben got home from work, we packed up the car and drove to see my sister Emily and her family in Hermiston, Oregon. They just moved there from Florida since my brother-in-law Darren will be working as a nurse anesthetist. Anyway, I had told Emily that we would come and help unpack, move boxes, etc. It was a 4 hour drive so we got there late Friday night, chatted for a bit, then went to bed.

Saturday morning Nayeli was so excited to meet her cousins. She LOVES other kids and she especially loved Gabe. They are only 6 weeks apart.

 

Paul, Gabe and Nayeli. I can't get over Gabe's cheesy grin. So cute.

That afternoon we had lunch and then did a small party for Nayeli. She had requested a rainbow cake so my nephew Paul helped me make one I had seen on Pinterest. She loved it, mostly because it had "num-nums" aka Skittles on the top.

The inside of the cake. I was so pleased with how it turned out.

Isn't she the cutest? Ben had me make sure she was wearing this shirt to go with her rainbow cake. She's also got a thing for rainbows right now.

We had a great weekend hanging out and helping Emily and Darren. Actually Ben helped and I laid on the couch. Being 37 weeks pregnant made me pretty useless, but we still had a great time talking and enjoying each other. Besides, Emily and Darren are great hosts and it was so fun to see them since they've been living far away for so long. However our fun was short lived as we left early Sunday morning to be back for our 1 o'clock ward.

 

That evening we gave Nayeli the rest of her gifts. We had also got her this mini-kitchen (a hand-me-down from a friend) and a basket of plastic food that you can cut in half. She's played with all of it incessantly since. Parenting win :)

Since then Nayeli has also been incessantly talking about her birthday and the "rainbow cake". I'll admit, it was more fun than I anticipated to plan a fun birthday for her. I really enjoyed it. Plus the whole weekend was that much more fun visiting Emily and Darren. I'd call it a win-win for everyone.