...Adventures w/ Zoe...

These pix are kinda old...from the beginning of Aug...but I wanted to share! I got to watch Miss Zoe during the first week that teachers go back...and we had a blast playing. I honestly don't think Jude and I have done as many activities in one day as when Zoe was here! Well...the first day, at least (You'll see the huge mess in the last few pix...we OBVIOUSly had aLOT of fun!)!!! The second, Miss Kim was kinda exhausted- so we did a LOT more lounging and reading!!! :D

...Mockingjay...

#76- Read 50 books
Mockingjay was my book #7 of 50. I've been SO looking forward to this book...seeing as it is the final book in the Hunger Games trilogy. AND we have been waiting a YEAR to find out how it all ends!!! Oh my word!

This book reveals what happens after the Capitol destroys District 12...how Katniss survives the loss of her home...and rises above to become the symbol of the rebellion. Now living in District 13...Katniss and her best friend slash potential something more must find a way to get the other districts to join the rebellion and ultimately try and overthrow President Snow and the Peacekeepers in the Capitol. ...oh...and save Peeta, of course!

Oh my word. Did I EVER love this series...and this book did NOT disappoint! :) If you have NOT done so yet...you MUST read The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and then Catching Fire and then Mockingjay! You will love it! :)

...SEVEN...

I'm gunna blink one times too many and before I know it...it's going to be time to celebrate Emme's first bday! ::bigsigh:: I truly cannot believe how quickly time is flying with her. I always thought Jude's first year of life whizzed by...but it was nothing compared to this! :(

I'm constantly amazed at my lil princess. She is such a joy and a blessing in all our lives. She is the cutest little crack up...and has the girliest demeanor! My heart melts each and every time Jude gives her kisses and she just smiles the biggest smile. Lil Smoosh! :D

Let's see...what is Miss Em into lately?!
* She is for SURE cutting her first tooth... (cranky.pants.mcgee!)
* She is eating more and more solids...to the point where she was boycotting her bottle for solids! So mama had to cut back on the amount of "cubes" Emme got!
* She is sitting up like a pro...
* She is ::this:: close to crawling, but can get anywhere she wants be rolling and using her HEAD to scoot! LOL!
* Talks up a storm "yayayayayayayayaya!"...
* She's OBSESSED with her blanket (in her crib) and likes to scare mama by sleeping w/ it over her head! (I have to go in every night after I know she's asleep to take it out!)
* She tolerates her jumperoo...
* She loves grabbing her brother's hair...
* ...and mama's face whenever she's taking her bottle!
* She refuses to keep her hair bows in her hair...
* ...and puts EVERYTHING into her mouth!

We are just so stinkin' in love with that lil munchie!

...first impressions...

#98- Volunteer at church

YES! Another thing I can check off my list...I have finally started volunteering at church... I've been wanting to find an area to serve for a while...and when we were at Palm Valley I tinkered with several ideas of things I wanted to do...but it's so "hard" when you have kids...time is limiting...and when your husband is on staff...well...it becomes even more difficult to find a place to serve and not have your babies in the nursery all day....

So. I'm serving in the Children's area under my motherinlaw...but...I'm not teaching...ohhhhh nonono...I am inputting data for First Time Guests. Basically...if you are a first timer...or have brought a guest...you fill out a card w/ your info...and I'm one of the peeps that puts you in the system allowing you to check your child in! Um...btw...GENIUS program...!!!...when you check your children in...you can register to do it w/ your FINGERPRINT...I know, right?! And it's always reassuring to know that not anyone can come pick your child up...as they need a tag that matches your child's! Anywho...rambling... have a million other blogs to write...so TTFN.

...when mom's away...

#72 Stay at a nice resort in PHX- just to get away

Okay...this blog is WEEKS in the making...I've been waiting and waiting and waiting to write/post it b/c I needed to steal some pictures...this is what happens when the only camera you have is HUGE...so you don't bring one! Anywho.

I got to attend the 2nd Annual "Girl's Getaway" Weekend w/ my ladies. This is the FIRST time since having my babies that I've gone away...the first time that mama hasn't been there for 24 hours...the first time, really since we got MARRIED that I've been the one that has over-nighted somewhere other than home w/o my significant other!!! WHOOOHOOOO! ;)

Now. I'll be a lil honest. I was SUPER excited to getaway...I mean...a mama needs a break to recoop and get her priorities straight...but I wasn't so much excited about going...the night before, I even complained to Derrick that I wasn't so excited- I didn't think I'd have alot of fun...and despite how much I NEEDED to get away...I really really really didn't like the idea of my kids and I being apart! :(

Can I just tell you, though...I'm SO glad I went! I had such a blast! I mean...it's not like we did a whole whole lot...considering I was gone LITERALLY 24 hours...but it was nice to be child-free and worry about no one but myself! I was actually kinda sad that it ended so soon- and look forward to a TWO day getaway next year (right, Karen?!)

...So...what all did we do??? Well...Jaime and I got together on Saturday for some pedis, lunch, and shopping...then we got to the hotel long enough to cry over Emme's 6mo pix (that I picked up on the way), change, and go to dinner. We had a nice and loud (heehee) dinner at Maggiano's followed by dessert. Kerry and I were dropped off at the hotel while the other gals partied it up in the parking lot of ...hmmm...Devil's Martini?? Martini Ranch?? Ooooh, I don't remember- but they didn't actually make it in b/c the parking lot was full...and they are old ladies and didn't wanna walk! LOL! We played some games back in the room before finally crashing at like 1somethingam... Sadly...I didn't sleep in like I was so looking forward to (I mean...no kids to cry and wake you up!?! Come ON!)...but got up around 7:45am...got ready and met up w/ the gang for "breakfast" at the hotel...then we sat around talking in our cabana (which was no bigger than my foot)...I went down the lazy river w/ Karen a few times before needing to check out...annnnd that is pretty.much.it. LOL! Wow. Doesn't sound so "fun" when I recount my memories that way...w/o all the crazy (no...really- it was crazy) details! But it really was an enjoyable time...Jaime and I left and grabbed some lunch and hit up Costco before heading home...I LOVED coming home and seeing the look on Jude's face..."Hoooooolllleyou!!!!!" he said to me...and I held him for what seemed like an eternity! It's nice being missed!!!! :)

Things I'll NEVER forget:
* FREEDOM...
* pedicures...w/ white people...who we STILL couldn't understand!!!
* shoe shopping w/ Jaime...no really...I'm eyeballing an intervention here soon!...
* H&M vs. HH ...there is a BIG difference LOL!
* "the jug"
* uncorking the champagne (which is hilarious...since I don't drink...)
* SPANX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
* hair accessories...
* Maggiano parking...I rode shotgun...and a couple of times...I was CERTAIN Karen was going to run someone over! LOL!
* "bye, Buddy...hope you find your dad!"
* "the dress"
* FIFTEEN times...
* other...not so quiet "girl" talk...
* Kerry's greenbean salad... laugh.out.loud. "Is that all you're eating?!"
* the lasagna debacle!
* standing up for myself...and not "going out"...b/c I'm really not a goingoutkinda girl!
* playing games...and losing (I HATE losing!)
* Catch Phrase... the word: "black"... my clue: "Love is...." I miss me some Love Breaux... :( my first and favorite black thing that popped in my head! :( I hate Japan!
* ooooooh that SONG! "dooodoodoona heyyyyy na dooodoodoona heyyyyy uhhh huh!" LOL! (Jaime and I heard it while paying for our pedicures...didn't know the song or who sang it and we were trying to "Shazam" it on my phone...but people were talking to much...so we "sang" it to the gals to see if they knew what it was...and they didn't. Heard it on the radio a couple weeks later... It's by Pearl Jam. Pearl Jam?! Are they still around?!)
* giggling at 1am in bed in the dark b/c that song is STILL in my head!
* Jaime...the chipmunk (idk...but those were some STRANGE teeth noises!)
* Kim...the snorer...to my defense...I warned them this might happen!
* the breakfast that ruined my life...the espresso machine was broken.... :(
* the cabanas...laugh.out.loud.
* celebrity gossip
* the iTouch that died after one song...
* the lazy river...
* getting rid of "evidence" of our shopping trip
* the OG...MMMmmmm...

I'm sure I'm forgetting something...but the list is long enough, right?! :) Such a fun time...can't wait for next year!!! :)

My BFF, Jaime



The Girlies



The Lester

...IKEA or bust...

Oh.Wow. I mean. Just.Wow. LOL! This is going to be one of those stories where you REALLY shoulda been there...

So. I love me some IKEA. It's one of those stores that you can ALWAYS find something to buy! Which- isn't really good for the unemployed! HAHA! No, but really...I have many lovely items in my home from IKEA...and so when summer started for my teacher peeps- I pretty much demanded that we all trek out there at some point to do some retail damage!

Today was that day. And boy was it a day! :)

Bre and Leighton, Jaime and Zoe, Jude and Emme and I all piled into Jaime's minivan to drive the 30ish miles to the store. I'm totally ready for this day too...I remembered to pack LOTS of snacks for Jude...a bottle/solids for Emme...got my iPhone w/ all it's movies for Jude...I even packed teething drops for Em! Oh man! So. We're driving (I really don't think you can imagine how packed we are...Jaime and Bre in the front...me and Jude in the middle and Zoe, Emme, and Leighton squished in the back- we literally barely fit!) when some warning light comes on...Jaime blows it off b/c the "low tire" light comes on often- and I don't think anything of it b/c there are SO many of us in the car, I assume it's all our weight! Yep. So like 6 miles later...BOOOOOM! Oh.Em.Gee, Marge. Jaime totally blew a tire!!! Oh my word! Now...it's about 10:15am...you'd think there wasn't that much traffic...um...no- there was actually a LOT of cars! And we're in the middle lane!!! Oh.My.Word. My heart was beating so fast...all I keep thinking about is that my babies are in the car! And specifically- that Emme, Leighton, and Zoe are in the very back and that someone might rear end us! :( But...Jaime was like a freakin' rockstar! She seriously just maneuvered her way over through the clearest path to the side of the road. Unfortunately...it was the lefthand side- next to the HOV lane...buuuuut at least we weren't blocking traffic, right???

So. After I finished saying "Thank You, Jesus!" a few times (I really thought we were going to get hit!)...I got my phone and used my USAA app to call Roadside Assistance (Jaime has USAA too)...the lady tells me that it's going to be 35 mins before they can get someone out to us... ?!?!?! Um. "We have 4 kids in the car under 5 years old...and a pregnant lady...if you can expedite this- that would be fantastic..." So. The lady gets some dood from Mesa to come help us...b/c he's supposed to be able to get there before 35 mins (which- for the record...he showed up 32 mins later...) but the guy was a MORON and didn't know his way around...I mean...we were under the freakin' I-17 stack...in a silver van...w/ a million kids...how hard is it to find?!?! I digress. I called my BIL, Kevin to see if he was "on duty" to help us...but right afterwards a DPS Assistance truck came to help us- and by helping us...I mean calling DPS and getting them to stop traffic for us so we could cross to the righthand side of the road! Awww- but the lil old man was super cute...asking us if we needed water or anything! :) Anywho. So the waiting game continued. The kids were all really good...Jude especially blew me away w/ his patience! I was starting to get annoyed w/ the waiting...especially b/c Emme's feeding time was rapidly approaching...and normally Jude goes down for a nap at noon...and it's 11am and we haven't gotten to IKEA yet! I vowed that if the driver didn't show up at 11:02...I was going to change the tire myself!!!! (Which...the only reason I didn't in the first place is b/c we were on the wrong side of the road and I would have died!!!) He's lucky b/c he showed up at 11:01! Sucka! Thankfully- the changing of the tire happened quickly... and then we girls decided to proceed (driving 50 miles an hour MAX! mind you) to go on our shopping excursion! Oh.Man.

I found a Costco a mile away from IKEA (using the AroundMe app! It's great!)...we thought we might go eat at Costco while the tire is being fixed...but unfortunately it was going to take WAY too long...but are we ever glad we stopped...b/c the nice man checked the air in the spare...and it was WAAAAAYYYYYY low!!! Can you imagine if we had blown the spare?!?!?!?!? Anywho...after driving in circles trying to use the "shortcut" to IKEA...we finally made it to our destination...and had a grand ole' time shopping!

I do have to brag...that my children- Jude especially- were absolutely fabulous! (Not saying the other two weren't- they just were in the play area for most of the time!) But b/c he hadn't napped and it was already a long and crazy trip there...he sat in the cart perfectly...and minus a few "mini-tantrums"...he was just so chill!!! I was a super proud mama! And bought Jude a trainset thing at IKEA as a reward! :)

(I'm sure my story would have been alot more "fun" - and lengthy- if I weren't so dog tired...but this is the gist!)

My "neverforgets" of the day:
* Mocha Frappe ...well...what I got to drink of it!
* Edward Cullen cups...it really does make me happy! LOL
* Leapsters...
* Emme's teething- and crying- and Leighton not liking it so much! LOL
* The fact that Leighton is going to have a baby sister (or brother) REAL soon haha!
* 36week pregnant Bre picking up my 40lb son! What the heck, Bre!
* "I NEED EARPHONES!"
* Being a child mediator! It was comedy! I just started making stuff up!
* Peeing on the wall...
* Jaime "not having" a spare...oh wait...it's under the driver's seat! LOL
* The lady in the white dress (::whispers- um...your bra is showing!::)...
* How NOBODY stopped to help us...is it b/c we were on the freeway???? Hmmm...whatever.
* IKEA food...it was cheap- and that's what counts! Haha- actually- I really loved their kids menu selection!!!!
* Drawer dividers...
* Apple Cheerios (um...sorry, IKEA- clean up in the frame department! LOL)
* Spending a day w/ some of my favorite people!

Awww...ladies...we must do it again! We'll squeeze Baby Sinclair2.0 in there somewhere! ;)

...what i've learned...

I'm a little behind on my T5Tuesday. Oh well! Today's T5T is dedicated to the things I've learned in my short 30 years of life...

5. Life is short...enjoy it more...try to remember all you can...learn from those who have already lived...ask lots of questions...take lots of pictures...DO something...BE someone...
4. You've got to accentuate the positive...and eliminate the negative...latch on the the affirmative...and don't mess w/ Mr. Inbetween!
3. Laughter IS the best medicine...
2. People will disappoint you...even those in leadership...and especially those you are closest to...you can either 1. get bitter or 2. move forward...
1. There are not many more things that are more wonderful than loving others and being loved in return...whether it is by a friend...a lover...a child...a Savior- it is truly the best.thing.ever.

:) What are some things YOU'VE learned in life?