Be Still My Heart....

Oh. My. Word. I am SO in love with this handsome little man! This post is a "just because" post. Just because he is so stinkin' cute and adorable. Parker is 17 months old now, and the time has flown by. Yet, at the same time, I can barely remember him being a baby!

Parker is so fun! He is non-stop, always on the go. He loves to run, climb, jump, slide across the floor, and kick/throw anything and everything! He is all boy and then some. He is tough and has the stalky build of a football player in the making.

This kid makes us laugh. He's always up for adventure, and if it includes his big brother and/or sister, count him in!

Although the pictures don't really show it, his big blue eyes and blonde curls in the back are a killer! It's what everyone notices first about him. Parker keeps life fun. He plays the role of the "baby" in the house quite well and is learning to irritate his brother and sister by taking their things and running! Luckily for him, they are so in love with him that he is quickly forgiven.

Nothing is safe in this house anymore....not even the umbrellas! He's always into something, exploring, playing, getting into mischief! He's tiring, yes, but so stinkin' adorable....my heart is captivated forever!

My Big Kindergarten Boy!

Have you ever seen anything so handsome?? I love this kid! These are Preston's Kindergarten pictures. He is loving school! Because we decided to put Pres in a private Christian school, we had the choice of full day or half day class. We opted for the half day program so he goes to school from 11:45-2:45 each day. There are only ten kids in his class, one of which is his cousin/best friend Max.

We are so thankful for this kid. I have seen him grow and mature so much these past few months since school started. He is very independent, yet still loves to cuddle in my lap anytime I sit down. He's a leader, and a helper, and I adore that about him. He's always happy (at school anyways) and has fun in any situation. He's my calm, social, easy-going, emotional, sensitive, try anything at least once kind of kid. And I couldn't be more proud of him!

A Rainy Night

Darron is gone caribou hunting, and we are tired of the rain! So, instead of sitting indoors (again), we ventured out to enjoy a night of splashing in the puddles!

And although it doesn't look like everyone was having fun, we actually were! Parker got a little irritated at having to wear big brothers rain coat, but once we filled his tray with rocks to throw, he was a happy camper....rain and all!

And those puddles didn't stand a chance to these giggly children in their rain boots!

Armed and Dangerous!

Oh yeah! I'm officially armed and dangerous!

Last weekend, two of my girlfriends and I took a women's only Defensive Handgun class. We spent four hours Friday night in a lecture and about 9 hours on Saturday at the gun range learning to shoot.

I had the opportunity to shoot my father-in-law's .45 1911 Kimber. I was so excited about this class, but super nervous and I had NEVER shot a gun before! Like....NEVER.

However, Darron has enough guns and ammo to supply a small army and I have always thought about how stupid I would feel if I couldn't protect my own family when we have such a large supply! :) So....off to class I went.

And....I LOVED it! I walked away from this class feeling empowered and capable of protecting myself and my family. I learned the correct, tactical way of handling a gun, aiming, shooting, correcting jams, etc. And I learned practical tips on staying safe.

And to top it off, I was with two great friends that I had a blast learning and laughing with!

AND.....I even impressed one of the instructors with my shooting abilities! :)

So, will I be "packing heat" from now on with my own .380 handgun that Darron bought me for Christmas? Let's just say, you don't want to mess with me! :)

Welcome to Kindergarten!

I can't believe my "baby" boy is starting school! You don't really realize how little they still are until you send them away to be on their own in a big school for the first time! Luckily, Preston is going to Grace Christian School and they had the option for half-day kindergarten, so that's what we chose. So, he goes to school from 11:45-2:45 every day. He wishes he went all day, but I figured starting next year he would go to school all day for the next twelve years....so I might as well hold him close for as long as I can!

The pictures are out of order, but this is how we celebrated a successful first day....an icee and popcorn at Target! :)

Preston and his best bed/cousin Max are in the same class. They also went to Preschool together. These boys are unseperable. Thankfully, they are good boys, even together, so the teacher enjoys having them! And they tend to be helpers too! I love these boys!
Preston was so excited before I took him to school. He had his back pack on and ready to go, giving Parker boy a little loving and assuring him he would be back after school.

And here is my big boy, all smiles, ready to embrace the first day!
He wasn't nervous at all! I'm so proud of him!

Payton was excited to get to walk Preston into his class. She wanted to be in his pictures. They are so silly together....when they're not fighting!

I am so thankful God led us in the direction of Grace Christian School. I NEVER intended to put my kids in a private school, after all, I'm a public school teacher! But God speaks to those who listen, and sometimes he SHOUTS to make sure He is heard! :) And I'm so thankful I finally heard Him!

Preston is loving school. He gets to see several of our good friends who teach at the school, as well as his cousin Brookelynn throughout the day. He comes home smiling and excited every day. Parker naps while Pres is in school, and that leaves Payton and I to have a few hours of alone time together. It's the perfect situaion for all of us!

Cheers to a great start to a great school year!

Family Fun in the Sun

What a beautiful Sunday! Payton and I got up early and headed downtown to cheer on our close friend Marquel, who was running in her very first half marathon. We had a great time meeting up with Marquel's family and a couple of other girlfriends. It was so fun to watch Marquel and cheer for her. And any time alone with just this little sweet thing makes for a great time!

After church and an afternoon nap, we loaded up the bikes and headed to the Campbell Creek Trail system. Darron pulled Payton and Parker in the trailer and Preston pedaled hard on his bike with training wheels to keep up. The trail is BEAUTIFUL and goes all along the creek and through the woods.

After biking for awhile, we stopped at Take lake to throw some rocks into the water. Parker LOVES throwing anything, so throwing rocks and making a splash was the perfect break for him!

I am so thankful for my family, sunny days, and living in such a beautiful state!

Welcome to the Family!

Meet Spikey and Fireball. Our new bearded dragons. I'm still in disbelief that I have reptiles living in my house....and that I've been forced to hold them. I am NOT a reptile fan....at.all!! But, thanks to a sweet bearded dragon named Sunny, we now are proud bearded dragon owners.

Sunny came to stay with us for two weeks while his family was on vacation in Italy. I should have known what that lead to. Darron and Preston immediatly fell in love, so two days before Sunny was scheduled to reunite with his own family, Darron and Preston were rescuing this pair of dragons from a neglegtful home.

Payton quickly took to holding the bearded dragons too. She likes to hold the little girl, and with the help of her cousin Brookelynn, they came up with the name Fireball.

And this is a perfect picture of Payton: in a princess nightgown, all girly, holding a bearded dragon!

Darron cracks me up. He gets worried about the bearded dragons is takes great care of them. He loves holding them and teaching them to "perch" on his shoulder.

This alone, makes it worthwhile to be a bearded dragon owner. Have you ever seen anything cuter than this little girl and her "beard of dragon"?!!

The "Man Truck"

Introducing, Darron's new "Man Truck"! Boy is he one happy, proud man!

The Dodge Ram was starting to have some troubles and pulling our camping trailer with a 1500 truck was proving to be a difficult task. So, we went in search of a "bigger truck."

After looking, researching, and test driving, we were both set on getting a Ford 350 diesel. But, we needed to get an older model because the newer models had horrible engines. However, all of the older models were.....OLD! And came with their own set of problems.

That's when our research led us to discover the great, trusty engine in the new 2011 F-350's. And wouldn't you know it....they were having a "sale" (if you can call it that) to close out the 2011's. So....this is what ended up coming home!

We LOVE this truck! It is big, roomy, and beautiful. It pulls the trailer like nothing is attached and we feel nice and safe! Every man needs a man truck, right?

One Already?!

It's hard to believe this sweet little thing is already one!! It's funny how time works. It doesn't really seem like just yesterday that I was pregnant with him or that he was a newborn, but then again, I can't believe he's already so big and just turned one! Wow!

Parker had to prove himself to be a tough little guy from the very beginning. At three weeks old, this little guy ended up in the hospital for seven days. He was poked, prodded, scanned, and messed with constantly. He had iv's, spinal taps, antibiotics, ultrasounds, and vitals checked. But he was so tough. I knew then that we had a special litte guy....a little trooper. And the Lord protected him then, and has continued to protect him! The final conclusion was that Parker had bacterial meningitis. Because we caught it early, the doctor was hoping for little or no lasting side effects. As of now, Parker is healthy and right on track developmentally! Praise the Lord!

Parker quickly won the affections of his big brother and sister! I'm not sure they could love him any more! They are always wanting to be near Parker and touch him, hold him, wrestle him, feed him, etc. And I am always amazed at how they never get mad at him. Parker can pull hair, swipe a toy, or hit and they just "correct" him and move on. It's really cool. And man does he love his brother and sister in return. He is always following them and wanting to be a part of what they are doing. And he and Payton seem to have a special connection. Lately, I've noticed that when Payton is throwing a fit and sent to her room upstairs, Parker quickly wanders off and is always found playing in Payton's room while she is in time-out. I guess that's his way of checking on her and taking care of her! :)

See those big blue eyes? Yep, those define Parker. That's what everyone first notices and comments on. Those eyes are going to get him into a lot of trouble some day!

Oh ya, and the drool on the t-shirt....yep.....his shirts STILL look that way!

Ahhh....those blue eyes!

This is Parker boy celebrating his first birthday with a chocolate cup cake. He may look like it was no big deal, but boy did he demolish that cake! We celebrated with a small family get together and it was so fun to watch him dig in!

Ohhhhh the curls! How I love those blonde little curls. Besides his blue eyes, the curls are also noticed. I just can't bring myself to cut them yet!

Parker is such a joy. He is so fun and so stinkin' cute! He has a stalky build and reminds us of a little body builder. He's into EVERYTHING.....and I do mean EVERYTHING! He climbs, bullies his way through, throws, demolishes, eats, drools, laughs, giggles, wrestles, and every now and the sits still long enough to snuggle!

Parker boy....you are so loved. I can't wait to see what God has planned for you!

Soccer Time!

With the arrival of May comes the arrival of summer soccer! This was Preston's third year to play and he loved it! We were so blessed that our good friend, Stuart, was his coach this year. Pres played on a team with Diego and Max too. Although he had to miss the first two weeks of soccer due to an unexpected trip to Texas, he got right in there and looked forward to every game! Stuart quickly learned, though, that Preston and Max shouldn't be on the field at the same time....something about them always having their arms around each other and goofing off instead of watching the ball! Huh....I just can't imagine that! :)

Preston is in the middle row, far right with Max right above him.

After watching for two summers, Payton finally got her chance to play soccer! I love the way the YMCA has it set up. Although their on different teams, Pres and Payton played at the same time each week on field right next to each other.

Payton was also very fortunate to have another of our good friends to be her coach....Coach Brad! Payton loved playing soccer. She got so excited each day she got to play and she looked adorable in her uniform. She never hesitated to go out on the field, but actually watching the ball and attempting to go for it was a different story! Payton loved running around, checking on the kids who had fallen, and running past me smiling and waving! In fact, the only times she ever kicked the ball was when Coach Brad led her by the hand right to the ball. And she thought that was so fun!!

Payton is in the first row, second from the left....right next to her buddy Xavier and below her friend Faith.

Preston, Payton, and Max! This reminds me of an old picture of my brother, me, and my cousin Ronnie when we played T-ball together!

And here is a classic of my funny Payton girl and her silly faces!

Well, we survived another soccer season! Although it's fun and the kids enjoy it, twice a week can be time consuming! I'm glad it only lasted 6 weeks!
(Can you get any cuter than that little blondie learning to play soccer?!)

Easter 2011

This year we celebrated Easter at the cabin. The Coronado family was not able to join us due to sickness and Pres and Payton sure missed having them there. But we still had a GREAT weekend with Grandma, Aunt Chris, Tressa, Richard, and Randall.
Aunt Chris and the "big" cousins hid easter eggs outside in the snow all around the cabin. Pres and Payton had a great time finding their eggs!

Grandma LOVES doing crafty projects with the kids and Preston just eats it up! Grandma helped the kids draw, cut out, sew, and stuff their own bunny pillows! It was so cute and the kids loved getting to help!

Of course we also had fun dying easter eggs. Preston was able to stay pretty clean....but Payton....she's a different story!

Time out at the cabin with family is unbeatable. We are so thankful for having a place to go and retreat from the world together! But more importantly, we are thankful that the tomb was empty and Jesus had risen! Praise the Lord!

Sailor for a Day

My big bro, the Navy Chief, had a "Family Day" on his ship at the beginning of March. My mom mentioned the trip to me and told me she would love for me to come and join her on the ship for a day. I laughed it off and told her there was no way I could make that happen....between leaving three kids for several days and a last minute plane ticket.

But, if you read my birthday post, you know that my incredible husband DID make it happen. He surprised me with a plane ticket to meet up with my mom and brother in San Diego for five days....all.by.my.self! I had a terrific time! It was so refreshing to spend time just being a sister and daughter. I relished the time I had just visiting with my brother and getting to know him again. This is the pool house he has been renting. Such a cool little bachelor pad! Mom and I both reminded him to be sober when leaving, or he may end up IN the pool! Besides spending a day on the ship, we also had a day of just hanging out in San Diego together. We decided to tour an old submarine. Behind mom and Andy are the torpedos....pretty cool. Friday was the day we spent out on the ship. It was so cool to get an idea of what Chief Edwards and the others do on the ship all day. I can't imagine living in a "steal" environment all the time! I need me so color!

I love this flag. This huge flag is the war flag. This is what they fly when they are out to sea. It gave me chills! I was so proud to be with Chief Edwards! Andy is in charge of 70 something people on the ship and seems to be well known and respected. Very cool! This is the deck mom and I spent most of our time on. It was a long day. A fun day. A cold day. A day full of patriotism and sun. Sun.....awww the sun! Oh how I love the sun....and the nice sun burn I received as well! The shooter guys got to show off shooting the machine gun. That was cool! Watch out world! I arrived in San Diego late Wednesday night. Andy had to work all day Thursday and mom didn't get into town until later Thursday night. So I got to....I mean....."had to" spend the entire day Thursday by myself. All alone. Just me!

And what did I do? I slept in until 10. I laid in bed and watched a movie from 11-1. I got up and got dressed, then went for a short jog to find some lunch. Then a short job back. I took a shower, got cleaned up, then laid in bed and read a great book. Then treated myself to a pedicure. Andy and his girlfriend picked me up for dinner and treated me to Olive Garden. It was a PERFECT day. I soaked in every moment of it!

I am so thankful for this trip. Spending time with just my mom and brother, having no responsibilities, was amazing. I enjoyed every moment of it. And although I was ready to see my kids and hubby, it was still hard to say good-bye to Andy and my mom and this unique opportunity we had to spend a few days together!

Payton Turns Three!

My "little girl" is getting so big! I can't believe three years have already gone by, yet in some ways, they have been very long and challenging! This goofy picture of Payton, with her tongue out, pretty much sums up PART of her cute personality. At three years old, Payton is hilarious! She is always goofing around, singing, dancing, making up words, laughing, and just being funny!

Payton is a tom-boy/princess all wrapped up in one bundle. The girl loves to play in the dirt, smash bugs, hold worms, and be messy. Yet, she is almost never seen without a baby, the baby's blanket, a purse or two, and any other "essential" for that moment.
This year Payton picked Chuck-E-Cheese for her party. Since I was heading out of town to spend a few days with my brother, her choice was perfect....no big preparations, and no clean up! Faith, Sydney, Diego, Xavier, Hunter, Liam, Ethan, Marquel, Hannah, and the rest of the parents all joined us for a great night.
Unfortunately, Darron and I both forgot our camera so a few pictures on our phone was all we managed to get.

Earlier I mentioned being goofy was PART of Payton's personality. The other part of her personality is the one that has given me so many gray hairs at such a young age! Payton is a very strong-willed, opionated, easily frustrated little girl. She can be silly and laughing one minute, then throwing a major fit the next minute. She is very snuggly and loving, and most people only see the happy, sweet side of our little "Pei Wei." But boy can she keep us on her toes when she's just with family!! Payton is the type of child that should come with their own "How to survive raising this child" handbook!

My mom continually tells me she is just like I was as a child! Sorry mom!!

I have no doubt God has big plans for Payton. She has so many great qualities and when she's not being onry, she has a very magnetic personality. I'm just praying we can reign in that strong personality so she will choose to use it for serving the Lord!

Payton, even with all my gray hair, I love you so much baby girl! And I can't imagine life without you.....it sure would get boring!