Week in Review...

Since I started school a few weeks ago I've been researching different preschool activities. One activity said to use the sticky side of contact paper and place it on the wall and see what objects would stick to it. Abby loved it! Don't mind the scissors, Ashlyn wanted to test it and see if they would stick. Also Abby didn't want her picture taken so she was giving me a frown face.

I took 2 daycare kids plus Abby on a walk the other day, 2 in the double stroller and 1 on a front carrier. Griffin loved being in the front carrier, he was giggling the whole time. My back was hurting the next day, whoops!

On Friday I had my first day of observation hours in a preschool classroom. I was so nervous and Abby was still sleeping when I left so I was in tears when I left, feeling guilty about leaving her. Rick has Fridays off, so Fridays will be my observation days. I had a great time and loved lots of aspects of the classroom that she implements. Abby had fun with Rick and they were at the park when I got home and she ran to me saying, mommy I missed you! It was so sweet! Then we took her over to the duck pond before the other kids got home. She loves having this one on one time with Rick and I. She's pretty lucky!

That night one of my daycare kids had a birthday party at Bounce U, I took Abby and Jacob and they had a blast.

Rick had a special daddy daughter night, they went out to eat dinner and then out for ice cream.

Week in Review...

Ashlyn taking a selfie on her ipod:)

We got a cute case for her little ipod. She loves it!

A famous soccer player came to Zaharis' PE class to teach some soccer drills. He also signed everyones arms! Too funny!

Ashlyn was able to take an electronic on Valentine's day, so she took her ipod. Can you tell she loves it?

Ashlyn and her friend Sara.

These are all of the oranges off of our tree!! I've been juicing them and we've all been eating them. They're like little cuties! So fun to eat fruit off of your own fruit tree!

Abby has been a big daddy's girl at dinnertime lately...this was for Family Home Evening last week. She was cuddling with him while he was reading a story...

For Valentines Day I had the daycare kids decorate cookies, they loved it!

Ashlyn was invited to our neighbors cookie decorating party after school on Valentines...

On Wednesday we sent her off to Science Camp. I was really nervous for how she would do, she always does great though!

On Valentine's night, Rick and I were able to attend a concert of Jason Lyle Black. He's my best friend (Amy Blacks) little brother. He was amazing!! He's so talented on the piano, he made up some songs and played beautifully. He even took live requests! He played some Moana for me! He is known for being the backwards piano man, he is amazing. I also got to see a missionary from Livermore that served in 1995 and was in our ward for 6 months, Brad Hekekia. He lives in Queen Creek and is so sweet. He remembers our family so well, even remembering that Carrie sang, I like to look for rainbows so beautifully. He also remembered Randy's shaved head. haha. Jason also played, when you wish upon a star and dedicated it to Heidi, who was a huge Disney Fan. He said that his whole family is meeting up at Disneyland this week and that they hadn't all been together at Disneyland since right before Heidi died. It was her last wish, to go to Disneyland as a family.

Rick got me a balloon and chocolates for Valentines. So sweet!

Here are some pictures that Ashlyns teacher sent to me....

She got to ride in this golf cart for one of the hikes since it was a little too rocky for her...

I asked Ashlyn how she got down from this rock and she said that her teacher lifted her up and got her down. We are so blessed that she was placed in my friends classroom this year, what a blessing! She has taken such good care of her while she's been hurt. She even had her reclining in a recliner during class time! I think that helped her heal so much faster!

Ashlyn and Maycee, who is the teachers daughter. They've been friends since they were 4!

Ashlyn and Sara, I guess Sara was so homesick that her dad had to drive up to pick her up. Reminds me of me when I was young!

She had a great time up at camp. We are glad that she is back home now:) We missed her!

Week in Review...

Ashlyn received a surprise gift in the mail from her Aunt Kim who sent her an ipod touch! She was so excited! She immediately took a selfie! haha!

Rick was able to get out on his kayak on Friday and he really enjoyed paddling around. He also went to the dr on Friday and found out that he needs an ACL reconstruction surgery, which basically means that they will take part of his hamstring and turn it into an ACL which will make it stronger and less likely to break down again. His dr said that this actually should've been done at his last surgery several years ago, but that they were very conservative and as a result he injured it just by jumping up and down at a football game:(. So, we need to plan on about a week off of work and 9 months of physical therapy in our future. Big time bummer. I told him that he can't do it because he has to go to Tahoe for our family reunion instead:) haha! We will see!

Our first big orange crop on our orange tree! The oranges are so yummy, they're like little cuties! We just planted our first lemon tree too. We now have an orange, tangerine and lemon tree!

It's been such beautiful weather that we've been spending lots of time outside lately. Trying to soak up all the good weather before it gets too hot.

My sister Carrie and husband Zach blessed their new baby Austin last weekend on Super bowl Sunday. It reminded me that we blessed all three of these babies on Super bowl Sunday too! This was on Jacobs blessing day!

This was Ashlyn when she received her ipod, she said it was the best day ever!

Here is our orange harvest, 2 1/2 bags of oranges! Yummy!!!

This week I got accepted into the teacher education program at Rio Salado college for a Post Baccalaureate Early Childhood Teaching Certificate. I start classes on Monday and I'll be taking 3 online classes and somehow have to squeeze in 20 hours of observation hours. I'm excited, nervous and really overwhelmed with all that I need to do, but it will be a good thing!

Week in Review...

Last Saturday Rick took the kids to a park...they had lots of fun playing in the sunshine...

Jacob went into the photo booth at the Blue and Gold Carnival last weekend and forgot to show me this cute pic...

Monday night was spent at the park for FHE, I left to go to the store and came home to find out that Ashlyn had hurt her knee. She jumped off of the swings and landed on her knees on some curbing. She swelled up pretty big, poor girl. I took her to urgent care the next day and they took x-rays and let us know that she had broken her patella (kneecap). We then scheduled a visit with a pediatric orthopedic dr for Thursday. The dr let us know that she should heal just fine while wearing a knee immobilizing brace. We spent lots of time at the drs this week, some of these appts I had to bring several daycare kids with me. It was a true test of my patience:) Luckily we all survived! It's a good thing that I didn't cancel my daycare kids because our freezer died on us and so we had to buy a new (used) freezer so we didn't lose all of our food again. Whew, what a week!! Ashlyn is healing and even went back to school on Friday. At one of our appts, there was this older man waiting with us and he was very friendly. He told Ashlyn that she should "milk" this injury. He's like, "you probably get to lay on the couch and your mom brings you all your meals right?" haha! He told her to tell all of her friends that she may be slower than them, but that she was really ahead of them (because she can get lots of help from others) we all laughed. He was cute!

Waiting, waiting, waiting....

We had Activity days at our house and we made these cute Valentines Wreaths, the girls were all very concerned about Ashlyn. They're all sweet girls! Her school teacher is a good friend of mine and had all of the kids in her class draw get well cards for her, they were so sweet!!

Here she is reading all of her cards, she felt so loved!! They even donated lots of "z bucks" which is their school money system in their classroom. She was really happy they did that! haha!

We also had New Beginnings this week where Haley got to introduce her little sister! It was really cute, Haley presented her with this crown that had lots of things on it that Ashlyn likes....like the books Tennis Shoes for the Nephites, the series Unfortuate events on Netflix, her favorite Book of Mormon hero is Teancum. It was super cute!

Our neighbor Savannah made up this song for New Beginnings and I just loved it! So super cute! 

We left right after it was done because Ashlyn was newly injured and as soon as we got out to the parking lot the power went out! I was so glad that we had left when we did!
The next day we were able to go to the dr and get her knee immobilizer which has helped her heal so fast! She's already starting to put a little bit of weight on her foot and almost has no pain! Yay!!

All of the neighborhood kids have been coming over to spend time with Ashlyn, they miss her playing at the park!

Always smiling!!

On Friday Jacob had an Ellis Island simulation, his "family" made the mistake of saying that they were going to California when they were supposed to be going to New York so they got deported! So sad! This was something Jacob will never forget, living history!

Ashlyn also went to school for the first time on Friday...she said that she got lots of help from her friends! She felt very loved.

We are very nervous about Abby going to preschool next year because she still has such a hard time with primary. One of my friends is going to be teaching preschool next year out of her home and so we are starting a pre-preschool for Abby. She will go 1 hour a week and just play and get used to being away from me. Her first time was on Friday and she had lots of anxiety leading up to it, and she cried as soon as I dropped her off:(. I had to pry her off of me and run out the door. My friend texted me later that she had only cried for about 2 minutes and then she had become a little chatterbox!! I was so relieved!! She did great!! I'm so happy!! Hopefully this will continue to go well, and then she can hopefully be successful in preschool next year!