Family Q

Christmas Portraits: The Ashcraft Family

2011-12-20T10:24:00.000-08:00

(Click on photo to enlarge)

Super Easy Ribbon Flower Tutorial

2011-09-26T21:40:00.000-07:00

Here is a SUPER Easy Ribbon flower clip you can make! They are so quick and easy, and look oh-so-cute on a lttle clippie!

What you need-
Ribbon (2 different colors/patterns and widths)
Coins (dime, quarter, penny etc...)
Hot Glue and Glue Gun
Aligator Clippie
Button (bling, flower ect.)
Needle and thread
Wood Burning Tool
Glass surface
Felt

What you do-
1. Plug in your wood burning tool and allow to heat up.
2. Cut two pieces of the wider Ribbon (about 12in long each)

3. Cut one piece of the thinner ribbon (about 6in)
4. Place a coin on top of one of wider ribbon pieces (I used a Peter Piper token) and burn off a rounded top. (Measure about 2 inches per petal). Repeat for 6 petals.***Please remember to cut on a glass surface***
3. Grab the other wide ribbon and repeat, only making those petals about an inch in length.
It will look like this^^^
4. Grab your thinner ribbon and do the same (you may wanna use a dime for this one since its thinner). *I did these about 1 1/2in in length) surface.
5. Take your threaded needle and sew through the straight end of each petal and gather (as shown in photos) after the sixth petal in finished, attach together to form a flower.
6. Repeat step 5 for the 1in ribbon and the thin ribbon and layer on top of the wider petals.
7. Cover your clippie with a ribbon. Cut a circle out of felt and hot glue the flower to the clip with the felt, and add a button or bling or a little something to the middle of the flower.

Crafting Like Crazy!

2011-09-25T08:55:00.000-07:00

Been crafting like crazy with a few girlfriends lately and having a blast.
I was able to find a lil' corner in our office to make myself a little crafting area:

...keep your eyes out for some of our hair bows and headbands on Etsy in the next few weeks.

This week I'll have a table set up at a garage sale in Peoria on:
Sat. Oct. 1st. at 7am

Here are a few new ones!
Some of our headdbands

New Themed Clips:
Halloween:

Fall:

Christmas

Sweet Treats:

Black/Pink and White Clippies

Teenie Little Bows:

Oversized Flowers

After a Couple of Years...

2011-09-25T08:53:00.001-07:00

After a couple of years....

...our family has changed a bit! LOL

Some More Bows

2011-09-16T07:22:00.000-07:00

Getting ready for Halloweenie:

Firetruck Bow (Miss Aleea made this for Rebecca)
Are you ready for some football?!

Misc:

A Few New Outfits!

2011-09-16T07:06:00.000-07:00

I made Rebecca a few new outfits! I ironed-on some decals on a few of her onsies and made kirts to go with some of her bows! Too cute!

Red, Black and White "Love" Outfit:

Red, Yellow and Blue Firefighter Outfit:
Black, White and Pink baby Rockstar Outfit:

Baby Wipe Covers

2011-09-15T21:43:00.000-07:00

So, My girlfriend Nicole introduced me to a new craft...covering baby wipe boxes! These are too cute! They look like little clutches, but they hold several baby wipe refills!

I made one in pink and Nicole made a green one!

A Few More Ruffle Butts

2011-09-12T08:13:00.001-07:00

Made a couple more bloomers for Miss Rebecca

Crafty Playtime

2011-09-10T11:44:00.000-07:00

While the boys played and the baby girls crawled around and giggled, my friend Aleea and I got to crafting!
My Little Rockstar Bow Purple Fairy Princess Bow
Pink and black layered bow

Pretty Paisly with Pearls Puff
Rebecca and Felicia initial puffs Fun and Crazy Toy Story Bow with feathers!!! Sponge Bob Bow So sweet Funky Green Puff "Ants on a picnic table"

"Ruffle Butt"

2011-09-08T21:15:00.000-07:00

Love these ruffled bloomers, and thought I would make a few pairs for baby girl :)

Hair Bows

2011-09-07T02:56:00.000-07:00

I started making hair clips and headbands...and I can't stop! Love how creative you can get! What fun!

Pointed-Petal Flower Clips:

Layered Pointed-Petal Flower Clips:

Cluster Headbands:

Rolled Fabric Clips:

Ribbon Bows:
a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kGrnbTlsrWw/TmaoA8slCJI/AAAAAAAAHks/SlYu_J7zgbw/s1600/IMG_4633.JPG">

Folded Fabric Flowers Clips:

8 Months!!!

2011-09-05T09:41:00.000-07:00

Our Sweet Rebecca 8 months old today!!! Oh My Goodness!!! Where on earth has the time gone?

This month she has basically just improved on crawling and sitting up. She started to pull herself up and stands (although she has a hard time sitting back down, I think she may be afraid that she'll fall). She popped out 4 teeth (all on top). She has pretty much written off baby food all together. She seems to really likes the real stuff. Her favorite foods are bananas, peaches, scrambled egg whites and oatmeal. She LOVES cold water from her sippy cup and is CRAZY about Orange juice!

She loves playing with our doggie Remi, she's making some of the funniest faces and loves exploring all over the house!

She likes going on jogs with mommy and big brother Andrew and will never be too big for kisses from daddy and his mustache!

She loves playing outside with kids and babies, like her cousins...here she is with her oldest Aidan and her youngest Kaylee :)

She went to gymnastics for the first time with her big brother, and loved it, so we will definately be going back more!

She is a happy, healthy little girl and I could not ask for more than that! I truely adore her!

I am having a blast with her and her big brother and am looking foreword to a busy next few months and for so many more firsts...like helping celebrate big brother Andrew's Birthday, her first Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years and of course her FIRST BIRTHDAY!!!

Eggs!

2011-09-04T10:35:00.000-07:00

Rebecca LOVES scrambled egg whites! It is so cute watching her eat and play with her food! It's so funny; when I get my egg whisk out and start cracking eggs she gets so excited!

Cheetah Girls!

2011-09-03T22:10:00.000-07:00

Rebecca was sportin' another outfit from Chloe's hand-me-down closet! I found a few photos I snapped of Chloe when I had her one day wearing the same outfit one year prior! Super cute "Cheetah Girls!

Toofers!

2011-09-02T11:01:00.001-07:00

Well no wonder this little girl has had a hard time relaxing at bed time! Check out these chompers that ALL popped through within a couple days of eachother! CRAZY!

Cheesey Chicken Taco Casserole

2011-09-01T14:31:00.001-07:00

I kinda made this recipe up by combining a couple different recipes, and experimented at lunch. I have to say, it was REALLY good and will be making it again!

Ingredients:
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 jalapenos chopped
1/2 white onion chopped
3 Roma tomatoes diced
cilantro (I eyeball it)
1 can tomato sauce
1/2 cup yellow corn
oregano, chili powder, cumin, cyan pepper, garlic salt, salt, pepper (all to taste)
about 8 corn tortillas
about 1 tbsp. cooking oil
shredded cheddar cheese

Preparation:
1. Boil chicken with a dash of water. Let cool. Shred. Set aside.
2. In a large pot, mix jalapenos, onions, tomatoes, cilantro, tomato sauce, corn and all spices to desired flavor. Add shredded chicken. (If it looks a little dry, add a little bit of water until it's not too runny)
3. Bring to boil, and cook in high about 10-15 min.
4. Preheat oven to 375*
5. While chicken and veggies are cooking. heat oil in a shallow pan.
6. Cut corn tortillas into 2in x 1in strips and fry.
7. Lay fried tortilla strips on the bottom of a 9x9 baking dish and sprinkle with cheddar cheese.
8. Pour the chicken and veggies over top of the tortilla and cheese. Top with remaining cheese.
9. Bake in oven for about 10-15min.
10. Let cool about 5 min and enjoy!

"Crafty Girls"

2011-08-31T22:37:00.000-07:00

My girlfriend Misty and I decided to be "Crafty Girls" and make a few hair accessories for the baby girls today during a play date! It was fun and can't wait to make some more!

Fun with Gracie Girl!

2011-08-20T10:42:00.001-07:00

Had a wonderful visit catching up with with Miss Gracie and the Rosky Family! She is such a sweet baby girl, and I am so glad that I had the opportunity to work with her amazing daddy and meet her beautiful mommy! They are a really awesome family and I am so glad that even though we no longer work together, our families have been able to keep in contact and I get to watch Miss Gracie grow! Love this family!

SeaLife Arizona

2011-08-14T00:40:00.000-07:00

We purchased tickets to the SeaLife Aquarium at Arizona Mills through "groupon" and took the kiddos friday to check it out! It was nice and we had a good time! :) It is getting more and more fun to take Andrew to these places, becasue he really has such a blast and knows whats going on!

Cruizing the new "hood"

2011-08-12T08:48:00.000-07:00

Aidan took us around his new neighborhood and showed off the awesome park thats located right behind thier house! The boys took thier quads and went cruizing around the "hood" :)

(there's a PERFECT view of the mountains just west of thier home and the park)

"Bumbo Girls"

2011-08-09T08:29:00.000-07:00

Just go ahead and call us "The Bumbo Girls" ~They totally rock the Bumbos at the park...in EVERY color!

7 Months

2011-08-05T16:31:00.000-07:00

Oh wow! This month REALLY snuck up on me! I can't believe that Rebecca is 7 months old today!
Quite a bit has happened! SHE CRAWLS! yes, this week, Rebecca oficially became mobile! She also started eating some new foods and has discovered how to make new sound with her voice! Love this amazing baby so much!When Andrew was a baby we took him to get photos a lot and this time around I am home so we are on a budget and well, photos cost a fortune. When he was teenie we did some bubble bath photos at JCPenny...and so I made a little shoot at home for rebecca and...well, the ones I took were free :)

Swim Fun :)

2011-08-04T23:57:00.000-07:00

Had fun swimming with some friends :)

The little ones enjoyed the baby pool:

and the "BIG" kids, jumped on in the big pool!

Andrew decided to be a buzz-kill and stay in and watch a movie! (he swam all afternoon at grammas though...goof ball!)
It was a fun time with these beautiful babies!

Look at these kids!!!

2011-08-03T17:18:00.001-07:00

Cutest babies EVER!!! I am so blessed and in SO MUCH LOVE!!!

"Slumber Party"

2011-08-02T01:05:00.000-07:00

How young is TOO young for a slumber party? :o)

(Andrew just HAD to join in the party!)

Love these sweet, cuddly baby girls!

BTW I absolutely love how my girlfriend Christa and I have so many of the same outfits and jammies! It makes it so easy to dress these little mamas alike (as for thier hair clips, everytime either one of us buys a package with 2, we give one to the other, so they always have the same bows!) SERIOUSLY, adore my sweet friend and these AMAZING babies!

My BIG Boy!

2011-07-31T08:38:00.000-07:00

He just keeps growing! How do I make it stop?

*2009

*2011

(Visiting Daddy at the Fire Station)

Tunnel Slide

2011-07-30T09:11:00.000-07:00

After about 3 months, Andrew FINALLY started to play with something OTHER than the swings at grandma and grandpas house...he's moved on to the tunnel slide now! :)

Fire Trucks

2011-07-30T02:01:00.001-07:00

How cool are FIRETRUCKS!?!

"Free"

2011-07-30T01:49:00.001-07:00

If it were up to Rebecca, she would be "FREE"...Free of any diapers, clothes, any restrictions! She loves to be naked!

Peas in Pods

2011-07-29T20:42:00.000-07:00

Andrew and his buddy Aidan are definately 2 peas in a pod! These 2 little boys are too stinkin' cute for words...they are inseperable during play and when it's time to go, they hug, knuckle it out and say, "bye"!

(It was a cute coincidence that they are BOTH wearing white tank tops, camo swim trunks and flip flops...my friend Misty and I must just think alike!) It makes it that much better that little Ryann and Rebecca are in love with eachother. When we get them together, they study oneanother and smile and giggle! Love getting them all together for some play!

Imagination Avenue

2011-07-27T22:27:00.000-07:00

Took the kiddos for a little roadtrip to the eastside of town for a play date with some friends at a place called "Imagination Avenue"today. It was a fun time and we really enjoyed the day :)

Aidan and Andrew had a fun time playing with eachother and ALL the DIFFERENT toys

Rebecca, Brooklyn and Miss Ryann had a good time in the baby/toddler area :) (Rebecca and Brooklyn just had to check out the Fire Station, just like where thier daddy's work)

Check them out at :
IMAGINATION AVENUE:
INDOOR PLAY AND PARTY CENTER
http://www.imaginationavenue.us/
10614 N. 32nd Street
Phoenix AZ 85028
602.765.3192

We finished with lunch at Streets of New York for some pizza and went home for naptime and to meet daddy's when they got home from work and school!

Evening Picnic at the Park

2011-07-26T08:12:00.000-07:00

Since the recent summer storms, it has been a bit humid, but the temp. hasn't been too bad. Last evening we did a picnic at the park and it was so beautiful! It was warm enough to play in the water, but not too hot to enjoy ourselves. Sunday morning we did breakfast at the park, I can't decide if it's nicer at sunset or sunrise!

"Baby Mum Mums"

2011-07-25T13:56:00.000-07:00

I LOVE "Baby Mum Mums"! I used them when Andrew was a baby and now it is Miss Rebecca's turn enjoy them!
"Baby Mum-Mum Rice Biscuits are perfect for introducing solid food to a baby! Made especially for teething babies, Baby Mum-Mum rice Biscuits are baby biscuits that dissolve easily in your child’s mouth, with no mess!"

They have 3 stages:
Stage 1: Baby Mum Mum: First solid food for baby
Stage 2: Toddler Mum Mum: For little ones 18months and up
Stage 3: Mum Mum Snax: For kiddos 4years to 12 years

Baby Mum Mums come in 4 different flavors:
-Original
-Organic
-Veggie
-Banana
(when Andrew was a baby they had strawberry, but it looks like stopped making them)

Parents’ Checklist
[x] Great Taste, No Mess
[x] Dissolves Easily
[x] No Artificial Colors or Flavors
[x] No Preservatives
[x] Gluten, Egg & Peanut Free
[x] Baked
[x] Each Serving Individually Wrapped For Convenience

You can get Baby Mum Mums at:
Albertsons
Wal-Mart
Target
Babies R Us
Walgreens
Sams Club
Kmart

Check 'em out at: http://www.mummums.com/

A Fun Grocery Trip

2011-07-25T09:32:00.000-07:00

We have started turning grocery store trips into fun learning activities. When we go shopping now, Andrew wants to "walk". At first I was a little nervous but he did so AMAZING. It took us a bit longer than usual (about twice as long) because he helped me put everything in the basket but it was a lot of fun, especially produce. I would tell him what kind of fruit or vegetable and in what color and he would pick them out, and count them off as he put them in the bag (1,2,3 green pears or 1,2 white onions). It was good because he felt like a big helper and also because a quick trip to the grocery store became a fun learning activity, where we practised counting, colors, shapes and recognizing different foods. It's so easy to expose your children to these different things without having to put him or her in a classroom if you just utilize your time with them wisely! They are DEFINITELY little sponges.

Don't get mad at me, it was the baby!

2011-07-23T22:41:00.000-07:00

Love this onsie! My girlfriend Misty got one for her daughter and told me to get to Target to pick one up so Miss Rebecca could have one! I love it, but hey, don't get mad at me, it's the babie's shirt...lol!

Time for "Play"

2011-07-23T03:11:00.000-07:00

I took my kiddos to the park, just the 3 of us! I just felt like I had to get us all out of the house and have some us time away from home to just run around and be crazy! Andrew was too funny (as usual lately) and Rebecca just soaked it all in (also as usual). I LOVE playdates with friends and family, but spending some one-on-one (or one-on-two time I should say) with them out and about is always a lot of fun!

Vehicle Report Card...

2011-07-23T00:04:00.000-07:00

I was at the Park this evening with the kiddos and when I got back to my car, the Peoria Police Department left a paper on my windshield. I was curious as to what this was and it was actually kinda cool. It was a little blue card and on the front it said, "Vehicle Report Card". The reverse side said this:

Your Peoria Police Department:
Our Officers are concerned about your safety and the safety of your property. Vehicle Burglary is a very common type of property crime, yet it is a very easy crime to prevent. All it takes is a few minutes to protect your car. We have completed this form today to help you keep your property safe.

Your vehicle has:
[] Passed []Failed

If your vehicle failed, it was for one of these reasons:
[] Property in plain view
[] Keys were left in vehicle
[] Window was left open
[] Door was left unlocked
[] Other____________

Thank you for your time and support!

I thought this was pretty nice...one to remind people to be a little cautious and two, there were officers/security circulating the parking lot while my kiddos and I were playing. I appreciated this and hope others did as well!

...and in case you were wondering...my vehicle PASSED!!! Duh!!! :) :) :)

Phoenix Children's Museum

2011-07-20T07:11:00.000-07:00

The Children's Museum is a lot of fun! My sister-in-law Rachel gets a lot of coupons from there and was happy to share the savings with us. It's a fun activity and chance for all the kids to enjoy some indoor play! :)

Rebecca and Kaylee were loving the mirrors (I guess they like what they see as much as we all do!) PRETTY BABY GIRLS

align="left">Andi and the boys also enjoyed pretend play, arts and crafts, climbing and more! While Rebecca did some tummy time and Kaylee caught up on napping :) :)

Blow-Up Trampoline

2011-07-18T19:37:00.000-07:00

Found this giant blow-up trampoline at Target (they are having a lot of sales right now)...April brought over a pkg of balls, and we turned it into a BIG ball pit! Fun Times :)

The Ultimate Frustration!

2011-07-18T18:00:00.000-07:00

You want to see Rebecca angry?...give her a puffy in her hand and watch her try to get it into her mouth! It is the ultimate frustration!
Almost got it...
...No! I quit!!!
Haha...poor baby! I eventually just put the snack in her mouth for her :0)

Splish-Splash

2011-07-18T00:44:00.001-07:00

Found this cute shallow pool, PERFECT to keep little Miss Rebecca nice and cool!

Splish Splash!
As I am sure I DO NOT have to point out...my little diva IS SITTING UP ALL BY HERSELF NOW!!!

Getting Brave

2011-07-18T00:25:00.000-07:00

Andrew is sure getting BRAVE in the pool this summer! He has started venturing off on his own into the middle of the pool! He started floating on his blow-up turtle and kicking his feet in order to move all around the pool! The more we swim, it makes sense that the more comfortable and BRAVE he becomes in the water :)

He started out by taking Rebecca around the pool

More Splash Pad Fun

2011-07-16T22:58:00.000-07:00

Andrew just loves to play at splash pads!

...and Rebecca enjoys relaxing in the shade :)

Sitter-Uppers

2011-07-16T22:51:00.001-07:00

So, we have ouselves a couple of sitter-uppers...neither one of them seem to prefer to sit, BUT they can definately do it!
Rebecca looks mad, like "get me out of this position so I can try to crawl!" Next they will be crawling, BOTH girls, look like they are just about to take off too...it's cute, they both will get up on all fours and rock back and fourth at eachother. Kinda looks like they are about to race! haha

Lady Bug Butt!

2011-07-16T08:51:00.000-07:00

LOVE this little summer outfit!

Morning With Brooklyn

2011-07-16T07:34:00.000-07:00

I got to spend the morning watching Miss Brooklyn and getting a little look into what it might be like to have twins (since the girls are only 11 days apart)!

She is such a goood baby and we had fun :)

The Korittky Kids

2011-07-16T07:05:00.000-07:00

Both Rebecca and Karsen are getting BIG so fast!

I feel like this was JUST them....

...and now look at them

(We couldn't get these two wiggle worms to sit still for a picture)

My friends little girl Tehlor is always the BIG kid when we get together for a "date". Just recently after getting a baby brother of her own, she is really taking on a "mommy" role. It's pretty sweet.

Tehlor and Andrew:

Tehlor and Rebecca:

6 Month Check-Up

2011-07-12T15:20:00.000-07:00

Rebecca's 6 month check-up went really well. She is growing so big and strong. She was 15lbs, 5oz (around the 45%-50%) and she was 27.75inches long (about the 75%). Her head also measured in at about the 50%, so Dr. Cwik was happy with her growth. I am learning that my babies are long and lean! Andrew was always about the 70%-80% in height and after 6months, he was always about the 20%-25% for weight. She showed off to Dr. Cwik about just how close she was to crawling, by rocking back and fourth on all fours and Andrew had to show her up by saying all his colors (he is such a ham).

Comparing MY boy and My girl
It's so funny how similar they were the first 4 months, but by 6 months, Andrew was a pound and a half heavier than she is now! The two have different eating habits as well. Andrew wasn't eating ANY foods just yet. We started cereal, fruits and veggies after he turned 6 months and he nursed the entire first 6 months. Rebecca started Rice cereal 4 weeks ago, 2 weeks ago began veggies, and this week she started fruits (a few teeth popped up and she was following our spoons like a hawk so it was apparent she was READY to start eating.

By this time, Andrew was sitting up and even started to pull himself up a bit, he loved his bumbo and bouncy chair as well as jumperoo, while Rebecca LOVES floor time and the excersaucer. She doesn't like to sit up too much but really loves tummy time. Andrew was still co-sleeping at 6 months (still kinda shares our bed at 2 and a half!) and would eat EVERY 2 HOURS!!!! while Rebecca has been sleeping 10-12 hours a night, in her bed, every night since she was about 3 months old!!! Both of them enjoy playing by themselves, with Andrew it was in a sort of device, Rebecca it's the floor mat, but the difference is she has to hear my voice, if I stop talking to her, or acknowledging her, she cries she is always in the same room as me (even if daddy is home to entertain her).

I find Rebecca is a very social baby. She LOVES to giggle and laugh at just about ANYTHING! My mom used to say that you had to work for it if you wanted a smile out of Andrew. Not to say he wasn't a happy baby, he was just more "serious". I can't wait to see what toys she prefers to play with and if she plays like Andrew. Andrew has always been the type to try and figure things out for himself. As soon as you give him a toy, he immediately wants to know what buttons work what! haha!

I have such a blast watching the two of them and love their many differences and similarities! The differences are so awesome, because we learn so much more about how to adapt as parents, and I love the similarities, because it's so cute to see so much of them in one another. We are so blessed with such happy, healthy kids

Big Girls...

2011-07-11T20:20:00.000-07:00

These 2 are getting so big and thier personalities are really shining through when they get together and have "talks"

So...much...hair...

2011-07-09T09:21:00.001-07:00

Rebecca's hair is getting SO long! I simply don't know what to do with it all! LOL

Look at her cute little pony :)

A Lovely Evening at the Park

2011-07-09T01:33:00.001-07:00

Andrew and Rebecca spent a lovely evening at the park with Timmy and Kaylee :)
Andrew and Rebecca enjoyed a swing together: Cousin Timmy helped by giving both of them a few pushes :)

Little Miss Kaylee woke up from her nap to "play" :

Andrew and Timothy took a walk with thier "Tata" and enjoyed the sunset, and checked out the ducks:

The boys stripped off thier shirts and played in the water at the splash pad:

It was such a nice visit to the park!

The moon was also a pretty neat sight...it kept hiding behind clouds and peaking out :)

Andrew and his "guard dog"

2011-07-09T01:18:00.000-07:00

Remi has ALWAYS been Andrew's "guard dog"! She loves him so much and lets him get away with a lot!!! We picked out Remi before I knew I was pregnant, and brought her home when she was a few months old, and I was about 5 months pregnant with Andrew. The 2 of them are really growing up together! She really is HIS dog!

The first time the two of them met (we had JUST gotten home from the hospital)

(Look at how they sleep!) They are too cute!

Andrew Evan's Movie Theatre

2011-07-09T01:06:00.000-07:00

Eat your Heart out Harkins...Andrew got a Television set so we set up some chairs and put Shreck 4 The Final Chapter on and turned his room into a movie theatre!

Another Family Shoot

2011-07-07T09:53:00.000-07:00

The Bibb Family: So much fun!
Had such an amazing time meeting this sweet family! They are absolutely beautiful and it was a blast taking thier photos!

Brother and Sister
Baby Ryann Big Brother Aidan The Bibb Family

Cooking for Rebecca

2011-07-06T11:07:00.001-07:00

It's so fun making baby food again! It's such a short time that they need their food pureed so I'm happy to do it for her:) I remember making Andrew's and now it's her turn!

Here's some SUPER helpful information and stuff to REMEMBER when it's "time" to introduce foods:

Stage 1 (4 to 6 months) Foods for Baby
CEREAL AND GRAINS-
Rice, Oat, Barley
VEGGIES-
Acorn/Butternut Squash, Sweet Potatoes/Yams , Green Beans (and I do peas and carrots)
FRUITS-
Apple, Banana, Pears and Avacado (I stay away from Avacados for the first 2 years, because my husband has allergies)

It takes practice so remember:
-"A baby's tummy is the size of her fist - remember this as you are feeding her; it doesn't take much food to make a "meal"!
-Only you know your baby and will be able to decide if baby is ready for solids.

Have Fun with this new milestone :) Today she enjoyed a 3 oz container of carrots for lunch

Little Bit O' This Pasta Salad

2011-07-05T22:06:00.000-07:00

I call this a "Little Bit O' This, Little Bit O' That Pasta Salad" because I just kinda throw stuff in in it and it always turns out super yummy!

Ingredients:
-bow tie, corkscrew, or elbow noodles
-splash of Olive oil
-splash of red wine vinegar
-oregano, rosemary, basil, thyme, salt, pepper, garlic salt
-veggies:
I like: broccoli, black olives, green onions, cherry tomatoes, red bell peppers, (really whatever veggies you want to use)
-cheese:
any kind of cheese you want! hunks of pepper jack, mozzarella, fresh Parmesan, cheddar, crumbled feta (any kind you prefer)

Preparation:
1. Cook noodles according to directions of package.
2. While noodles are cooking chop all veggies and throw in a bowl (the more colorful the better as presentation)
3. Chop or grate the cheese and keep separate
4. Strain noodles and run under COLD water.
5. When noodles are cool, coat with red wine vinegar, and olive oil, until noodles are moistened.
6. Add veggies to noddles
7. Add seasonings (add additional oil if salad seems to be dry)
8. Last, add the cheese you decided to use, and stir around!
***Serve Chilled and ENJOY!***
***Note***if you don't want to bust out all of your seasonings and you like the flavor of Italian dressing, you can just coat noodles with Italian dressing!

-I used whole-wheat bow-tie pasta and fresh grated parmesean cheese and it turned out super yummy!

6 Months

2011-07-05T20:15:00.000-07:00

Today is July 5th and our little "Becca Bear" is 6 months old! Holy cow! I can't believe she is already at the "half-way-to-1-year" mark! Her little personality is definitely starting to shine through as she's getting bigger! Love this little girl so much and I can not believe how fast she and her BIG brother are growing right in front of my eyes!

She REALLY wants to be mobile and recently she gets up on all fours and tries so hard to crawl!

Rebecca's accomplishments/firsts in these short 6 months:
-holding head up nice and strong
-eye contact
-recognize different people's voices (especially mommy, daddy, and Andrew)
-smiling
-she got her ears pierced (and did so well and we change out her earrings all the time!)
-is in a swim class
-has been to several zoos, children's mu seam, malls, parks, birthday parties, playdates, church, fire station and other fun activities
-giggling (during play)
-grasps toys and bring up to mouth
-sucks on her toes
-motorboat sounds with her mouth
-raspberries with her tongue
-clicking her tongue on the roof of her mouth
-sleeping through the night in her own room
-rolling over
-recognizes her own voice (and will yell and make herself laugh)
-up on all fours, rocking back and forth on her knees
-sits up with little assistance
-4 teeth
-began eating rice cereal
-began eating veggies (just this past week)
-saw fireworks for the first time
-LOVES kids, especially her big brother, laughs at other kids when they make eye contact with her.
-***I am sure there are more, but that's all I can remember at the moment!***

Independence Day Weekend Fun!

2011-07-05T08:47:00.000-07:00

I hope EVERYONE had a wonderful 4th of July 2011! We had a great weekend celebrating our Independence with family and close friends!

Sunday July 3rd:
Family Fun:

Delicious Food!
-(My brother making his famouse grilled, crusted corn) SOOOOO YUMMY)-

-Yummy Desserts!-

AMAZING peanut butter/chocolate rice crispy treats!!!

(My parents are still away, so it was kinda wierd celebrating a holiday without them, at thier house, but we totally had them there in spirit!)

Monday July 4th:
BBQ with the Gilbert Family and Fireworks with Tata and Nana

Fun with Close Friends and Family-

More yummy food!!

Waiting for fireworks...SO TIRED, but anxiously STAYING AWAKE!!!

can't...look...away...
What an AWESOME HOLIDAY!

My Aidan

2011-07-04T07:39:00.000-07:00

Love my nephew Aidan so much! I can't believe that in just a few short months he will be turning five years old...FIVE YEARS OLD!!! He has been such a amazing, important part of my life and I love him so much!

Updating...FINALLY

2011-07-03T01:17:00.000-07:00

I FINALLY Updated my "Family Wall". It had been missing Rebecca and Kaylee photos! It looks so cute! The pictures are all so bright and fun, I feel so much better now that they are all up there!!! LOVE ALL THESE LITTLE KIDDOS SO MUCH!!!

Sushi on a Dime

2011-07-02T19:36:00.000-07:00

Fry's Marketplace has wonderful Sushi and the price is right! They make it fresh right there in front of you and you can get quite a bit for a very reasonable price. It isn't the same as going out to AH-SO or Kabuki or anything, but when you are having that sushi craving, it really hits the spot...that's what David and I enjoyed for dinner tonight!

Here's what I ate for dinner tonight:
It's SUPER tasty and for $6.99, a lot of sushi!!!

"Only If Becca Does..."

2011-07-02T17:08:00.000-07:00

Since bringing Rebecca home, the sure-fire way to get Andrew into the bath is if I tell him Baby Becca is taking a bubble bath! He's kinda like, "only if Becca does"...

"Peas Please"

2011-06-30T13:56:00.000-07:00

After a week of successfully introducing cereal to Miss Rebecca's diet, we have added veggies to her menu! Today I made her some peas and she seemed to enjoy them!

"Fruit Kabobs"

2011-06-30T13:35:00.000-07:00

A fun way to get the kiddos to eat their fruit! Usually at breakfast time the boys do great with their cereal, the little battle is over fruit, but this morning they scarfed down their fruit before they even looked at their bowls of cereal!

What You Need:
Toothpicks (preferably the ones with the rounded ends depending on your little ones age)
Grapes
Strawberries
Banana
Oranges
Peaches
(any fruit you want)

What You Do:
1. Cut up fruit into small bite-size pieces
2. Slide them on the toothpick like a shish kabob
(If you let the kids make it themselves, it helps with patterns and they enjoy it even more!)

Ready for the 4th

2011-06-28T14:36:00.001-07:00

First "Newborn Pics"

2011-06-26T06:11:00.001-07:00

My cousin's baby boy Jacob is so beautiful. The two of us had a playdate the other day, and did a little impromtu photo shoot. We used a little blue ribbon and made him look like the amazing little gift he is!

So Sassy

2011-06-24T20:49:00.000-07:00

These girls are too sassy for words!

"Dream On"

2011-06-24T15:21:00.000-07:00

April packed a new color of nail polish today...so Chloe and I went with "Dream On" for our color of the day... Love this sweet little princess! She's too cute, she gets all excited when I bring it out and sits on the floor right away, ready to get her pedi on! :)

Craft Hour (Fancy Masks)

2011-06-24T14:42:00.000-07:00

Today we made Fancy Masks, and the boys have been running around scaring eachother all day!

Mr. Yellow Belt

2011-06-22T22:51:00.000-07:00

My nephew Aidan started karate and LOVES it, in fact, he just recently (last Saturday) got moved up a class and is a YELLOW belt! Oh my goodness he is too cute! He has class on Wednesdays so today my brother picked him up from my house and before they left changed him into his "uniform" and he showed off some moves for the camera!

The back of his uniform has a "dragon" I don't have the heart to tell him it looks like a lizard...or maybe a teenage mutant ninja turtle! LOL

Nummy

2011-06-22T15:17:00.000-07:00

Rebecca LOVES her cereal so much, the only problem is, if I take a little long in between bites, she screams! haha...what a cutie-a-pootie!

"Spa Mimi's"

2011-06-22T13:43:00.000-07:00

It was a girlie pampering day at Aunt Mimi's or should I say, "Spa Mimi's:

First, Chloe wanted her nails painted pink with sparkles...just like her "mimi"

Then, when April dropped off the kids she asked me to cut Chloe's har, (if I messed it up, she promises she'll say she did it...so hopefully my brother doesn't follow my blog too closely! In case he hates it...she can take the blame LOL)

Here's her hair before
...and here it is after (and of course I saved a lock for April)
One day it wil be Miss Rebecca's turn to get a little "snip-snip"...until then, lots of pretty bows and flowers! :)

"Craft Hour" (Day 3 with the kiddos)

2011-06-22T13:20:00.000-07:00

Today we made bracelets. Aidan made one for his mommy, his daddy and himself and Andrew made one for "baby Beda" but didn't want one for himself! (they picked out the colors and made up their own patterns, I just cut and tied the strings and spelled the words they wanted. I love when they are concentrating so hard...and it occupied them for almost 45 min!

"Craft Hour"

2011-06-22T06:08:00.000-07:00

I am watching the kids for the next several weeks while my mom and dad go on vacation.I wanna make sure they have fun and don't get too bored being cooped up in my house, so I started a "craft hour". Aidan really enjoys it and it keeps the kids attention! Plus its good INDOOR fun for these HOT afternoons!

Yesterday we made "Foam Puppets"

Cereal

2011-06-21T09:34:00.000-07:00

Today Rebecca had cereal for the first time! She scarfed down a bowl with 2 oz of milk mixed in like it was nothing! She did SO GOOD! The only thing, little booger wanted to feed herself, it will definately take 2 hands and a lot of patience to feed this little mama!

She ate in her swing on the back porch while the bigger kids played with the water

Andrew's First Time Eating 2009 Rebecca's First Time Eating 2011

Photos

2011-06-20T21:47:00.000-07:00

I have been asked to snap a few photos for friends, and they are so happy when I show the pictures to them. I decided to start a little "photography page. Obviously I am just starting out and ANYTHING I do will be word of mouth! My goal is to just make people happy! I ABSOLUTELY adore photography and especially family photos. The three years that we have been a family have just FLOWN by so capturing as much as I can in photos (and blogs :) ) has been so important to me! I really appreciate all the words of encouragement from my firends and family and would love to do portraits for all of you!
Please follow me at:
http://www.evanleighfotos.blogspot.com/
...and set up a session! We'll have a lot of fun!

Toofers!

2011-06-18T07:13:00.000-07:00

Here you can see her 4 teeth! The two right in the middle front on the bottom and then 2 further back barely poking through...wonder when a top one will poke through?

Am I mean?

2011-06-18T07:06:00.000-07:00

Am I a mean mommy because I think my kids are so cute when they cry? When they have little "hissy fits" and cry, I can't help but kinda giggle sometimes! I think the way they totally transform thier face is hilarious, so sometimes, (I admit) I just grab my camera and snap a pic!

Andrew and his one-single-tear:
...That's all it takes to melt my heart!

And miss Rebecca has the face down pat....but where are the tears?

...her brother will have to teach her how he pops that ONE tear in there for a more realistic cry! hahaha! (oh and I love how you can see her teeth when she makes that face!)

Diva Alert!

2011-06-17T21:06:00.001-07:00

Get back people...make room for Chloe and her sunglasses! Heeheehee...she is so cute!

Summer Summer Sumertime!

2011-06-17T20:37:00.001-07:00

Andrew 2009 (7 months old)

Rebecca 2011 (5 months old)

Morning Cartoons

2011-06-17T00:05:00.001-07:00

Before I had kids, I never really inderstood the whole "morning cartoons" thing. I mean, why do kids wake up and immefiately watch cartoons? I said I wouldn't have cartoons on first thing in the morning (like I said, BEFORE I had kids)...now I get it! See, when little ones wake up, they NEED TIME...I mean it's a good 15-20minutes before Andrew starts talking and smiling, let alone eat any breakfast. So what do we do? We say "good morning baby boy" and we give hugs and kisses and he sits on the couch (well, he kinda suspends himself between the couch and coffe table) and slowly start making him breakfast. After about 15-20 min of "cartoon time". He's his happy little self, and it's time to start the morning! :)

Summer Treats

2011-06-16T23:42:00.000-07:00

Seeing as how I was born and raised in AZ, I have been through over 25 summers in the Arizona Desert, but I gotta tell ya, every year, around this time, I seem to forget just how hot it is! We come up with lots of ways to keep the kiddos cool, and one of those are some summer treats!

Andrew LOVES homemade Strawberry Limeades (from a KrAzY Straw of course!)

Here is Rebecca finishing off Andrew's Frozen GoGurt

Yummy...Rootbeer Floats!!!

Aunt April giving Rebecca some frozen peas

uhoh...Tule's on sale

2011-06-16T08:24:00.000-07:00

Me: Um...so, what had happened was I was at the store, and saw that tule was on sale.
David: So? NEEDED more TuTus?
Me: Well, a baby girl can NEVER have TOO MANY TuTus!

Yellow with a Pretty Yellow Bow to match

White, Pink and Teal with Zebra bow AND matching flower hair pieces for Rebecca and her buddy :)

"It's a BEAUTIFUL Morning"

2011-06-15T19:56:00.000-07:00

We had SUCH A BEAUTIFUL morning at the park today! For some reason the animals were just so beautiful, and fun this morning. The grass was super green and all the trees were full of color. We even got to see a turtle outside of the water. It's funny, we met about an hour earlier today (because of the heat) and for some reason, everything just popped, you get so used to running around, it's nice to just take a "strole" and enjoy the beauty.
Here's the cute turtle we got to say, "hi" to

Now these guys are this ANGRY gosse/duck family! The 3 of them are ALWAYS together and as you walk by, they will quack at you and come at you like they're gonna get you...every morning we look for the family is...they move ALL over the park!

See you can tell in this picture...look at the white one, look how he's "yelling"! LOL

Look at how pretty this park is! Now you know why I love my morning walks so much (well that and visiting with my mom and playing wit the kids)

Sexy Daddy

2011-06-13T10:52:00.000-07:00

There is really nothing sexier than a man who is confident enough to walk around with a baby in a Bijorn wearing a HOT PINK hat while playing at the park with his kids! Love my life!

The Gilbert Family

2011-06-13T07:44:00.000-07:00

I took some family portraits for our friends "The Gilberts" they are such a sweet family and it was a lot of fun! I hope they love the photos as much as I do!

These are just a few of my FAVORITES from the shoot!

Pump It Up

2011-06-09T16:49:00.000-07:00

Now that is getting so hot out, doing fun activities indoors with the kids is a must! So yesterday we had fun at "Pump it Up"

Baby Mohawk

2011-06-09T07:45:00.001-07:00

Well good morning mohawk :)

More TuTu Fun

2011-06-08T19:50:00.000-07:00

I also had a chance to make a red, black and white tutu for my little diva :)

Happy Crafting!

TuTu Fun

2011-06-08T07:56:00.000-07:00

I made a few tutus and I must say they turned out absolutely adorable!!! They are super easy and fun to make...

What you need:
1. some tule
2. elastic
3. ribbon

What you do:
1. Measure how wide your baby/little girls waist is and cut elastic.
2. Sew the elastic into a circle.
3. Cut 2 inch thick by however (long you want your tutu) strips of tool.
4. Tie each tool strips to the elastic band.
5. Finish off with a bow or flower...THATS IT!!!

Have a GREAT day and Happy Crafting!

Seasoned Roasted Red Potatoes

2011-06-07T07:20:00.000-07:00

This is an awesome recipe. It's a very tasty side dish that we enjoyed with meatloaf and corn :)

Ingredients:
2 lbs. red potatoes, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 tablespoon basil
1 tablespoon thyme
1 tablespoon rosemary
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons seasoned salt
pepper to taste

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. Place potatoes in a casserole dish and drizzle with olive oil.

3. Add spices to coat potatoes. Stir potatoes around.
4. Place half of the Parmesan cheese on the potatoes and place in the oven for 30 minutes.

5. Check potatoes, stir (add more olive oil if the potatoes are getting dry) and add remaining Parmesan cheese.
6. Return to oven for 30 minutes or until they are roasted to the desired color and texture.

Enjoy!