Happy 3rd Birthday Mia Mia!

Mia Mia Mia. How is Mia 3 years old already? Our itty bitty baby girl that we were so worried about the whole time I was pregnant with her has just grown and changed so much this past year. She is a happy, healthy thriving and awesome little girl. She loves to copy things Aspen says and does, but in the past year she has really developed a great imagination and her very own, very pink personality. We love our little Mia Mia and here is her birthday interview!
1. Height and Weight: 33 inches, 23 pounds, 2 oz (yes, Isaac outweighs her by a full 8 oz.)
2. Favorite color: "PINK!" (I ask her often if she likes ANY other colors and she always says so matter of factly, "no. I only like pink. pink is my favorite." i do NOT know where she gets this from.
3. Favorite food:"HOT DOGS! I love hot dogs, they are my favorite. My daddy is going to take me to the store and buy me HOT DOGS!" (and she always throws her arms up in the air in sheer excitement when she says HOT DOGS! It is the funniest, most high pitched excited sound ever! SO funny! Also, most days as soon as Malo gets home from work she asks him to take her to the store to buy her hot dogs. It cracks me up.)
4. Favorite movie: "Rapunzel. But we don't have it at mine house." (Rapunzel is the movie TANGLED. Super cute movie and she will be SO excited to see she's getting it for her birthday!)
5. Favorite game: "My Dora game." (Dora Memory)
6. Favorite book: "My pink purse book"
7. Favorite treat: "Pink cake"
8. Favorite toy: "The mommy horse and my baby pink piggy."
9. Favorite Activity: "eating picnics on my pink blanket."
10. Favorite Outfit: "My kitty cat dress!! Because its PINK and it matches me because I am pink!" (She seriously wears this silly "dress," ALL THE TIME. Its not even a dress. Its a nightgown. And its Aspen's. But Mia claimed it months ago and would wear it all day every day and every night if I'd let her. She cries every time we wash it and asks "is my kitty cat dress dry yet?" over and over...until its dry.)

 

11. What makes you happy? "my kitty cat dress"
12. What makes you sad? "when my mommy says 'no that i can't wear mine kitty cat dress'"
13. Best friend(s): "Isaac and Aspen and Esther."
14. Your testimony: "Heavenly Father loves me and Aspen because we're girls. And daddy and Isaac are boys, but Heavenly Father sometimes loves boys like them. Well, Isaac always, but daddy mostly, well, sometimes." (that's ALL her - I have NO idea where she comes up with stuff!)
15. Personality Traits: Sweet, strong willed, shy in new situations - outgoing and loud at home and when you are comfortable, snuggly & cuddly, loving, affectionate, helpful, very excitable, munchkin-like,
16. Our thoughts about you from the last year: Oh our little Mia Mia Munchkin....you are one awesome little girl! You make us laugh every day and you make us scratch our heads in disbelief at the crazy and quirky things you say and do! You have a voice - a voice that when you are being sweet, is the CUTEST little munchkin voice...and when you are excited, holy cow it gets so loud and high pitched that it could cause all the dogs in the neighborhood to howl. So funny. On the flip side of that, when you are mad, you are MAD! Its sometimes really hard for us not to laugh because you get SO frustrated and you have so much to say when you are upset, but you come in this teeny tiny little package of a person and it just seems so...off...but its real. Sometimes I am certain that when you start throwing a fit, that people who live miles away can hear you. ;) Silly girl. When you make up your mind to do something, there is no stopping you.

You are so loving and affectionate, you love to be held and curl up in a tiny little ball in our arms or on our laps. You go up to Aspen and Isaac multiple times a day and just hug them and you come up to me a give me a big hug and tell me you love me at LEAST 3 times a day. You get SO excited and run to daddy whenever you see him. You are still pretty shy in new situations and around new people, but you are getting a little quicker to warm up. :)
You have so much spunk and spirit and are so fearless. You love to run around and chase Aspen and Isaac. You play tag and hide and seek and you really just love active play. You rarely will sit down long enough to watch a movie, but you will sit for an episode of "Dora!" and you get SO excited about Dora. It cracks me up. You really really like to sit on my lap, or daddy's lap, and have us read books to you. That is something you will always sit for. And sometimes you will even read to other people. :)

My spunky little Mia Grace, you are SO stinking girly sometimes that it is ridiculous. I seriously have NO idea where that all comes from. But you are all things girl - pink, pink, pink, ruffles, accessories, dresses, purses, shoes, hair bows. And lately you won't go anywhere near anything that has a spider web without asking someone to get it for you. You love princesses and "being beautiful." You do mommy's hair all of the time, and like to put bows in Isaac's hair. You also enjoy painting your toenails and fingernails (if there is even a chip, you ask me to fix it.) You recently started painting them yourself, but it was too messy, so now you paint Isaac and Aspen's...and mommy's. But you still have me do yours so it will look just beautiful.


One really funny thing about you right now is that we find you in random places asleep when we get up in the morning. Sometimes you're in your toy bucket, on the couch, by the door in your room, in Aspen's bed, in Isaac's crib, in mommy and daddy's bed, beside our bed on the floor, in laundry baskets, on the back of the couch, etc. You always go to bed in your room, but at some point in the night/early morning you go randomly sleep in other places. And you LOVE your owl bed (and are obsessed with owls right now) so its so funny that you go sleep in other very random spots.

Oh Mia, we just love you so much. You have such a big personality in such a little package. You constantly surprise us with the things you say and come up with. You are very determined and want what you want. And you are very specific with what you want. You are such a great kiddo and we adore you. Never a dull moment with you, that's for sure. Happy Birthday, Mia! We love you!

 

Happy 4th Birthday Aspen!

June 12 was Aspen's birthday - four years! Can you believe it? I know I can't! How does the time go so quickly? How is it possible that my sweet baby Aspen will be in Kindergarten in a year? Ugh. I hate how quickly they grow up. But its so fun at the same time. Its funny how in the first couple years of life kids grow and change every day...and then after that they don't grow quite as quickly physically - but emotionally, socially, intellectually - those areas they just grow in leaps and bounds. Aspen is SUCH a smart and funny little girl. We love her more than words can say. Here is her birthday interview for the BIG 4!

 

1. Height and weight: 41 inches, 36.5 lbs.
2. Favorite Color: "Green and red. And brown, too. Like chocolate"
3. Favorite Food: "Chips and Salsa with nachos. And cake. And peas."
4. Favorite movie: "Beauty and the Beast and Rapunzel." Rapunzel=Tangled
5. Favorite game: "Hungry Hungry Hippo is my favorite!"
6. Favorite book: "The Lion One." (she likes books with mommy and baby animals in them a lot right now)
7. Favorite treat: "Cookies."
8. Favorite toy: "Zoobles and Pet Shop and Horses! (my little pony)"
9. Favorite Activity: "thinking. and playing in mine park that daddy builded for me."

10. Favorite Outfit: "a dress." Really she loves any dresses. She always says she is so beautiful every time she puts one on. :)

 

11. What makes you happy? "ladybugs and movies. and daddy."
12. What makes you sad? "when Mia takes my stuff."
13. Best friend(s): "Mia. Mia is mine best friend EVER!"
14. Your testimony: "Heavenly Father likes peas and Jesus eats peas with me outside. And we can talk to Heavenly Father when we say prayers and we bless the food and we bless that Grandma will feel better."
15. Personality Traits: Sweet, funny, fun, VERY friendly and outgoing (as in will strike up a conversation with anyone, anywhere), talkative, thoughtful, empathetic, helpful, kind, cautious, analytical, loving and very affectionate.
16. Our thoughts about you from the last year: Aspen, you are such a joy and blessing in our lives and our family. You are learning to be responsible and really are setting a good example for your sister and brother, who adore you. You are loving and so affectionate and I LOVE my "big huge giant Aspen hugs!" Daddy loves when he walks in the door and you and Mia and Isaac all run toward him, anxious to share your love and your day with him. You are the best snuggler. We all love Aspen snuggles and you won't nap or go to bed at night without someone to snuggle you. You are very thoughtful and sweet. When we told you grandma was sick, th first thing you said was, "i will give her a hug and read her the hungry caterpillar and sing her 3 songs and then she will feel better." Sweet girl you are. :)

You really love to eat! :) You are a very healthy eater, enjoying fruits and veggies more than most people I know. And on the flip side, you have a HUGE sweet tooth and love cookies, cake, candy...all that stuff. But luckily you, most of the time, fill up on healthy meats, veggies and fruit! :)

You are still very much a daddy's girl, as you always have been. Daddy loves it. He loves hearing you say, "I love you daddy, I love you so much." You love to wrestle on the floor with him and "attack!" You also love to go into town with him and play outside with him. And he takes you for "way fun" bike rides on your big princess bike, where you tell everyone you ride by "look at my princess bike! its so pretty!" You go up to him a lot and tell him "you are the best daddy EVER." You and daddy have always had (since the time you were about 6 months old) a thing where you sit and share a bowl of ice-cream and some chips and salsa (yes, at the same time - you two are nuts! :)

You love LOVE to be outside and getting dirty, helping mommy in the garden or playing dump truck and digging holes in the dirt. You like to help daddy cut the grass (with scissors, mind you. silly girl. :) You love the water and you have always taken to it quickly. You are very cautious in many areas, but the water you have always been comfortable in. You are going to take swimming lessons this summer and you've been practicing in the bathtub. You have great ideas like that! :)

You continue to have amazing language skills and make up the funniest stories. You are SO fun right now to have real conversations with and you ask questions that are pertinent to the conversation. You are so so so fun to just be around and talk to. You have a huge imagination and play really well. You have recently starting to tell Mia how to play with you, "pretend you are a mommy dinosaur and i'll pretend I'm a baby giraffe." etc. You especially enjoy your little Zoobles and you love playing with My Little Pony horses.
You are very social and friendly. You ask people all the time what their name is and then tell them yours. You enjoy playing andhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif playing. You enjoy running and exercising with mommy. You also like to color and draw and enjoy working on your letters. And of course, you enjoy cooking with mommy. You always have and that is super fun for me, too. :)

My sweet Aspen, we love you SO much. You are such a great big sister and Mia and Isaac adore you. Everyone who knows you, loves you. Its impossible not to. Your family loves you, your friends love you, but most importantly, your Heavenly Father loves you and He will always be there for you. Thank you for being our sweet, sweet girl.

 

Let them be little

My kids are growing too fast. I worry. I worry if I'm teaching them enough. I worry about them going out into the world and hope and pray that I've helped them learn right from wrong. I worry too much.

The other day I heard this song (again) by Billy Dean, I think Lonestar does a version of it, too, but it made me cry because its how I feel right now. They're so little, and the grow too fast, but the best thing I can do for them is to let them be little, to give them love and affection and teach them all I can. Gosh, I love my kids SO much and I feel so so SO incredibly blessed to have the opportunity to raise these precious children. It is overwhelming sometimes and a lot of work, but I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. And today is the last day I will have a 3 year old, a 2 year old and a 1 year old. Because tomorrow is my sweet Aspen's 4th birthday. And its crazy. Its crazy how quickly they grow up. Anyway, I ramble. I never quite know how to put into words the thoughts that are in my head. Obviously! ;) But anyway, I just am so so so grateful for my Sweet Aspen, my Munchkin Mia, and my Monkey Isaac. They teach me so much. They make me a better person. Their love and their hugs and kisses make me happier than anything I could have ever imagined. I love them. And I love my handsome hubby for being such a good daddy to them and for supporting me and making it so I can be home with my babies. I hit the jackpot with him for sure. :)

Anyway, here are the lyrics to that song I was talking about. :)

LET THEM BE LITTLE - Billy Dean

I can remember when you fit in the palm of my hand.
You felt so good in it; no bigger than a minute.
How it amazes me you're changin' with every blink.
Faster than a flower blooms, they grow up all too soon.

So let them be little,
'Cause they're only that way for a while.
Give 'em hope, give them praise,
Give them love every day.
Let 'em cry, let 'em giggle,
Let 'em sleep in the middle,
Oh, but let them be little.

I never felt so much in one little tender touch.
I live for those kisses, your prayers an' your wishes.
An' now you're teachin' me how only a child can see.
Tonight, while we're on our knees, all I ask is:

Please, let them be little,
'Cause they're only that way for a while.
Give them hope, give them praise,
Give them love every day.
Let 'em cry, let 'em giggle,
Let 'em sleep in the middle,
Oh, but let them be little.

The so innocent, precious soul:
You turn around, an' it's time to let them go.

So let them be little,
'Cause they're only that way for a while.
Give them hope, give 'em praise,
Give them love every day.
Let 'em cry, let 'em giggle,
Let them sleep in the middle,
Oh, but let them be little.

Let them be little.

My life is complete...

I've always wanted curly headed babies...half the reason I married Malo! (mostly kidding). Aspen has wavy/straight hair (its wavy on the bottom underneath and straight on the top), Mia's got pretty ringlet curls...but Isaac...Isaac has Malo's hair and it makes me SOOOOOOO happy! My life is complete now! haha. But seriously, the last couple weeks Isaac's hair has just exploded in this awesome awesome head of Malo-like curls and i LOVE it!!!! Check this boy out!

My mommy

My mom is the best mom ever. She has always been there for us; she has always been loving and supportive. She is the best. I have always been able to count on her for everything, if I have questions about anything I can call her and get a great answer. She raised 3 children as a single mom and never EVER never even once made any of us feel like a burden in any way. She did her absolute best to teach us right from wrong, to encourage us to excel in whatever we tried, to always be there for us. She is the best. If I can even be half as good of a mom to my sweet children as my mom has been, they will be truly blessed. My mom is a woman of tremendous faith and with the capacity to love more than anyone I know. She is a rock in so many people's lives. She is amazing. She is strong. She is faithful.

And so, on March 16 when I sat in a room with a gynecological oncologist and 3 nurses and heard them tell my sweet, strong, amazing mother that she has cancer, I felt like I had to be the strong one for her. But I went in the bathroom and bawled and bawled and was so so so scared for my mom and for all of the people who need her in their lives and I prayed harder than I've prayed for anything before in my life that she would make it through and be ok.

Fast forward to today, May 31. Its been 2 1/2 months since that day and these have been some of the best and worst days of our family's life. Good in that we have seen how many people love and support my mom. We have had so many prayers and fasts and just a tremendous outpouring of love from everyone who knows her...and we all thank all of you for that. She had a pretty crazy intense surgey on April 2. But she came out with flying colors, after the initial icu scare. She has stage 3c ovarian cancer and stage 1 uterine cancer, technically 3 primary cancers so its crazy how well she is actually doing. It had spread pretty far but miraculously did not get inside any of her vital organs, but she sure had a lot of non-essential organs removed. It is a testament to me that prayers work that none of her vital organs had to be removed...as the surgeon was fairly certain there were be a lot of that done. (One of her tumors alone was estimated to be 7 lbs and she had multiple tumors and they seemed to have gotten them all).She has had a rough recovery, I won't go into details because she wouldn't appreciate that, but its been rough. Its been rough on her and its been rough on all of us who have been helping take care of her. But again, a blessing to see how much love and support there is out there. I know that Heavenly Father is mindful of her and he is blessing her with strength and perseverance.

She is not yet healed completely from surgery, but after 8 weeks they decided to go ahead and start her crazy crazy chemo last week anyway. She has day 1: 4 hours iv chemo in a clinic (which ended up taking over 7 hours) and day 2: 8 hours intraperitoneal chemo inpatient hospital (which we were actually there for about 12 hours), and day 8: 4 more hours in the hospital. That will happen in 2 days. Then on day 22 it starts all over again, for 6 cycles. Its a pretty intense and grueling chemo treatment, but their studies show that it gives and average extended life expectancy of 16 months. So far she is doing pretty ok with the side effects. We knew it would be rough, so we've expected that. But she is doing ok. She is strong. She is awesome. I love her so much and am grateful for every day that Heavenly Father allows her to stay on this earth and bless the lives of others. She is an inspiration to me and watching her go through this has been hard, but its just another example of strength and faith that she has shown. She still has a long, hard stretch ahead of her, but she can do it and I believe that she will be ok. :)

Every prayer that Aspen and Mia say includes "please bless grandma will feel better." Sweet girls. They must take after my sweet, sweet mommy.

Happy 1st Birthday Isaac!

Isaac turned one year old March 7th. I can't believe it has already been a year! And I can't imagine our family without this rambunctious, silly, sweet, cuddly, crazy little monkey! :) He is an amazing little boy and can hold his own with his two big sisters. He likes to toodle around, throw balls, kick balls, climb on things, wrestle, knock things over, push the garbage can around, roll trucks on the ground, run run run and roar like a dinosaur. He is so happy, so easy to smile. He is so much fun and we all love him so very much!

Here are a couple pics from his birthday. We made him a monkey cake, since he's such a little monkey. He dove right into it. Just like mommy. :) And he got balls and trucks and a cool drum for his birthday - perfect for our little boy!








I think his frosting beard makes him look just like daddy. What do you think?? ;)


Happy Birthday to our sweet son! We love you Isaac! :)

Its impossible!

It is impossible not to love this boy!