A Day in the Life of the Bishops

Four

2011-12-07T22:31:00.001-08:00

The time has flown by way too fast...

One day old...

One year old...

Two years old...

Three years old

Our big Four year old

Happy Birthday Madison!!!

You are such a sweet girl with a huge heart and a giant smile. You bring so much love and happiness to our family. We hope felt extra special today sweetheart, you deserve the special treatment. We love you to pieces!

Love,

Daddy, Mommy and Kaden

Halloween

2011-11-11T19:20:00.001-08:00

The kids could NOT wait for Halloween this year! They planned way in advance their costumes and were very specific what they wanted. Luckily we were able to produce :) We went to Grandma and Grandpa's trunk-or-treat for their ward and then went trick-or-treating on Halloween night as well. They were excited to be able to dress up twice!

Which one is the normal Bishop Family??...you decide :)

Sweet little Rapunzel....the wig was her favorite part of the costume

Hulk SMAAAASSSHHHH!!!!!

It was hard to get him out of character, as you can imagine!

Ariel and Rapunzel trunk-or-treating

Not quite Edward...Maybe after a meal :)

Dax and Kaden

The Carving Begins...

It took A LOT of convincing to get them to get down and dirty. They were not fans of the guts at first, which was a surprise to me!

Stachetober!!

Halloween Night...

Nice Hulk face Grammy!!

Rapunzel had her own prince charming that gave her a life from house to house :)

The Trick-or-treating crew...Rapunzel, Ariel, Hulk, Spiderman, and a cupcake. Talk about diverse!

Kids are already planning their costumes for next year!!!!

We Partied....Transformers Style!!

2011-11-01T17:28:00.000-07:00

You might be shocked that this is not a Dino themed party...I was!! Kaden has matured his interests to Super Heros and Transformers, however his love for those dinos still stays true. You would think that the end of October would bring a fall birthday in the air...nope, not in California. It may as well been a pool party! Luckily Bryce's parents have a great outdoor patio that offers a lot of shade and a great place to party, thanks guys! We had an awesome party with lots of yummy food, and great friends and family!!

Truely BFF's

Some of the girls...Candice, Maddy and McKenna

Cutie pie Elle Belle :)

Kaden's buddy Ollie

Cute girlies!!

The little craft turned out so cute!! I got little mini pumpkins for each kid and let them decorate with markers, different stickers, jewels, and some googly eyes. They were all so creative, it turned out great!!

It was too enticing for him :)

Grammy!!! I don't think my mom EVER ages!

My bestie Brittany

Jordyn went to town with the jewels!!

All the kids that made this party happen!! Oliver, Thomas, Kaden, Corbin, McKenna, Skye, Sydney, Jordyn, Madison, Candice, and Elle(didn't want to join the pic)

Donut-on-a-string game...thought this would be fun, they might still be too young for games, we had some tears :(

Water balloon toss...lasted one toss :) But they liked it!

Cutest boy EVER!!

Yes, what would a Transformer party be if Optimus Prime was not hanging overhead filled with treats!?!

It was funny to see each kid's tactic on trying to break this guy open...Karate CHOP

Sizing up his target

Or the one foot hop...my fav :)

"It's my party and I'll cry if I want to!!!" aka Pinata wouldn't break despite all his efforts :( I'm sure he will love this picture when he's older!

We love you Bud!!

Happy 5th Birthday Kaden!!!!!

Big Birthday Today... The Big "5"

2011-10-25T22:18:00.000-07:00

We have come along way...

Kaden at one week old....

One year old...

Two years old...

Three years old...

Four years old...

The big 5 year old!!!

                                 Happy Birthday Kaden!!!!!
We love you so much!! You bring so much love and laughter to our family.   We hope you have a fabulous birthday and feel extra special! Love you big guy!!!

                                      Love Daddy, Mommy, and Maddy

Cabin Weekend

2011-09-16T17:50:00.000-07:00

Since I can remember, every summer we spent weeks at my parents' cabin in Huntington Lake. Besides being a lovely place in the mountains to encircle you, I have always felt a sense of connection with my grandparents there. The cabin was passed down to my mom from her parents. They both passed away at early ages, and my siblings and I never got a chance to know them. Although there has been much remodel in the past few years due to snow damage, there is a little sense of connection knowing that my grandparents also spent so many summers there vacationing as a family. It is my pleasure to now be able to vacation every summer with my little family to carry on the Shelman traditions. The cabin is a bit far from us, 7 hours give or take, so we have just been able to go once every summer. This year it was over Labor Day weekend and with Rob and Felicity and their kids. As I was uploading my pictures from the weekend I was shocked at the number 231!! A bit camera happy are we Tiffany??? I will try to pick a few of the best :)

The lake, Pb & J, and Dino trunks...what more does a boy a need?

Along with the cabin is a private dock in this little private cove. Even with the kids, it was so peaceful and serene.

Bryce was one with the mini sailboat :)

Notice the grown man in a full wetsuit and the little ones in just bathing suits :) The water is literally melted snow so it is FREEZING!! But somehow as kids it doesn't bother you as much. I did show their Daddy up and jumped in with no wetsuit, Maddy wanted to show Daddy up to...brave little girl down below

Good work Maddy

We actually got to layout...it was awesome!!!

This is how Becks preferred his travels on the paddle board. PS...my sister's hot :)

Love Them!!

B man giving Mads a ride.

Ballet on the boat???? That's what they told me they were doing.

This pretty much sums up the weekend of these two boys. Show me your best T-Rex you dino lovers!!!

Beyond cuteness!!

THE Rob-daddy :)

Play-do sesh...always a must on vacation

My lil man...I give him two years before he's taller than old mom :) We all took a little hike, yes I really do mean little. The first slight incline Kaden started to complain about his legs being tired. You need some muscle on those little chicken-legs boy!!

BFFs

Twins?!!?

We had such a fun weekend!! Kids keep asking when we are going back...that's always a good sign :)

Today

2011-06-27T15:10:00.000-07:00

I will start from today. To catch up is way too much, so I will start from today.

Kaden James

My little baby turned into a boy. All four and a half years have felt like a blink. He is a smart kid. He retains information like a sponge. His knowledge of dinosaurs is even more unbelievable. Can you pronounce Quetzalcoatlus? Dinos are his forte but he loves all animals. Kaden went to preschool this year and loved it. His preschool was everyday, so morning cartoons became a luxury on Saturdays. He is amped for Kindergarten, but happy for summer break. Kaden has a strong personality; full of energy. His passion is refreshing. He loves his sister, she is his buddy. Nothing is sweeter than seeing them play together in their own make-believe world. He can't live without his daddy but has a very special place in his heart reserved just for mommy. Today, he is still my baby boy.

Madison Joy

Not sure how my baby girl is three and a half. She is one thousand percent girl, but can hold her own with rough boys. She is a smart cookie. Her eye to detail is astonishing and will basically notice a new freckle on your face. Her vocabulary is impressive for just three years old, which means she rarely stops talking. Maddy loves dressing up and clicking around in her or my heels. She also loves playing "mom" with her babies or stuffed animals. I hear her mimicking me as she parents her babies which is sometimes eye opening. Madison loves to sing. She shares my love of music, but maybe she will have a good voice :) She reenacts singing time from primary every Sunday when we get home. She is excited to start preschool next year and has been paying attention and learning right alongside of Kaden this past year. Madison is a lover. She shares a very sweet bond with her daddy, and has him wrapped around her little finger. Teenage years will be interesting. Today she is still our little Maddy-girl.

Bryce.

Several changes have graced our lives. Bryce is part of the Harris Personal Injury Lawyer family as a case manager and lien specialist. He is working his tail off. He enjoys the challenges his job brings to expand his knowledge. He works in Oceanside so we all have adjusted to the commute. We are enjoying him home on weekends. The Macgregor 26 Sailboat is still his dream that he is bringing Kaden a part of now, his first mate. As the water warms up, his itch for scuba diving is evident and will drag anyone who wants to tag along. Amazing husband and daddy defines him these days. He rocks at both. Today, after seven years, he is still my best friend.

Tiffany.

My educational goal has been realized. I am a Registered Dental Hygienist. Yeah, finally! I am also a wife and mommy again, which I missed more than I realized. I am no longer a slave to my books. I work one day a week and the occasional extra job, but still looking for more. I love it! I am also enjoying waking up with my kids, play dates, and freedom four days out of the week. I enjoy cooking dinner most days, but still not a fan of deep cleaning. I do crave all the "girl" time I had with 28 other girls and the constant mental stimulation while in school. A bachelor's degree is in my future, but distant for now. I'm really enjoying the free time to work out, and want to run in a race soon. I am enjoying actually having a summer this year, hence our frequent trips to the pool :) I don't feel like our family is complete yet, but not quite ready for #3. Today I am a wife and mom and I love it.

Summer Vaca

2010-06-03T15:39:00.000-07:00

I finished my 2nd term last Wednesday so I have had this past week off. It has been great to feel like a Mom and wife again, to slip right back into all the things I used to do when I was at home. It has gone by pretty fast, but has been great!!! Finishing this term marks me half way through Hygiene school and I am now a SENIOR!!! I worked really hard and finished the term with straight A's so I have felt this week was much deserved. I tried to document with pics all I could since this is my summer vaca, until the end of September. My kids ask me everyday if I have to go to school tomorrow and I can happily say NO!! (for a few more days atleast)

My time off so far...

We enjoyed a movie night with the kids...Chipmunks: The Squeakquel (a new favorite of theirs)

Memorial Day...
Bryce happened to have the day off so we braved the beach...not as crowded as I thought it would be. Bryce was able to scuba dive with our friend Brant and brother Justin so they were happy campers. Andrea and I enjoyed the sun and kids on the beach, also happy campers :)
If you can't tell he has a ladybug at the end of his finger, not a usual hand gesture of his :)
McKenna also showing off the ladybug
Kaden is not a real fearless kid, but when it comes to the ocean for some reason he is, it's great! He got toppled by a wave at one point and just got back up and continued to play.

Always fun to bury your legs, and get sand in EVERY single spot imaginable

Corbin also enjoying being burried
We also went to Oceanside and spent a day with Harmony. She graciously let me get pampered and get my hair done while she watched my kids. She is awesome!!! Also, we celebrated Andrea's birthday on Saturday with a yummy BBQ and the Laker game, but sorry no pics from these days, I was slacking. We have been able to see all of our friends and family that are forced to take a backseat while I'm in school. It has been really fun!

Temecula Berry Co.
Today I took the kids to a blueberry farm in Temecula to pick our own berries. We had so much fun and the weather was perfect! The kids have told everyone they have seen including strangers!
They gave the kids their own little buckets and instructed them to only pick the ripe "blue" ones not green or purple. They were very careful to stick to the rule.

Farmers are done, now time to devour!!
This weekend we get to see some our friends from Newport that now live in Utah. Haven't seen them in so long...I can't wait!!!

Happy 28th Birthday Bryce

2010-05-23T14:47:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Sweetheart!!! I hope you have a great day! Thanks for being such an amazing husband and daddy. You make our family so fun and are always making us laugh. Thanks for working so hard for us and being the rock in our family. We Love You!!!! Happy Birthday!!!!!!!

Love,
Tiff, Kaden and Maddy

Beach Day at Laguna

2010-05-16T15:54:00.000-07:00

We had a fun day playing at the beach yesterday. Bryce and our friend Brant went diving and the kids and I played. They are at such a fun age to play in the sand and the water.

What have we been up to?

2010-05-14T22:30:00.000-07:00

Scooter rides with Dad...
Picnic lunches...
Playing in the pool...
and Shalaxin'!!!! (thanks for the new word in our vocab dad :)
I live for my Fridays!!

Mammoth Trip

2010-04-16T21:47:00.001-07:00

I'm a little late on this post but we took the annual Mammoth trip about a month ago and had a TON of fun!! The kids were both finally old enough to play in the snow, and trust me in those 3 days we were there, we got a whole winters worth of playing in the snow!!!

The kids LOVED sledding. They even went by themselves.

Kaden helped Bryce and Grandpa build the snowman

I know a TON of pics but there were so many to choose from. I LOVE snow pictures. There is something about the white background that makes them just brilliant.

Gondola ride..trip highlight for sure!! I think I was more nervous than the kids. We were really high up and our gondola was blowing in the wind. It only took a few minutes of breathtaking scenery to mask the nervousness.

Cutest picture EVER!!! After reaching the highest gondola stop we climbed up a small snowy hill for a 360 degree view of the mountain. We were at the highest point you could get...11, 053 ft!!! It was AMAZING!!!! (and cold)

It was nice to visit with Great Grandpa and Grandma Rowley!! We had such a fun trip, and it was our first road trip in the new truck, which was very roomy and comfortable!! :)

First Primary Talk

2010-04-11T14:27:00.001-07:00

Kaden gave his first talk in Primary today. He did a great job!! He stood nice and tall at the podium and spoke clearly into the microphone. What a proud moment for Mommy and Daddy. When did he grow up so fast?

Pre-Easter Festivities

2010-04-07T22:04:00.001-07:00

With the few days I have with the kids during the day, I decided to enjoy an Easter activity with them...making Easter cookies. They had a blast!! There were not many left when Daddy came home because the kids would decorate and then eat!! My kids are at such a fun age that they can do projects and activities and LOVE to do them! I treasure my Fridays!!
Patiently waiting, 8 minutes seem like forever in a kids eye!
Proud of his creation!

Meet Maddy...crazy as ever, but in the same breathe, sweet as ever too! What a combo!

Saturday morning Justin and I took the kids to the Murrieta Spring Eggtravaganza. It was quite an ordeal in that there were TONS of kids and all the eggs went in seriously 30 seconds. There was a petting farm and a chance to go on and look at a fire truck. We had a great morning.

Egg Dying at the Bishops...

All ready for Easter!!

Easter Day

2010-04-07T21:23:00.000-07:00

We are fortunate to have both of our families so close by so we spent Easter in Oceanside with the Freeman clan and Murrieta with the Bishop clan. It was a long day full of fun!! The kids had 3 hunts in one day (the Easter bunny came to our house and hid their dyed real eggs)
Night before Easter, excited about leaving their baskets and dyed eggs for the Easter bunny!
Easter morning...they were so excited I thought it was Christmas morning. Their baskets were right where they left them just full of fun things, and the eggs were hidden around the house.
This picture might just portray Maddy to a "T"!!!

Easter morning with the Freeman Clan...
When she prayed for grand kids she had NO idea!!

Easter Afternoon with the Bishops...

These girls are trouble together!! Too much personality in such little bodies!! :) (stole it off your blog Andrea, thanks!)
Such a fun day! The kids got to play with ALL of their cousins and were on a sugar high all day!!! We have the best family that makes holidays so much fun!!

A New Niece!!!

2010-03-12T15:51:00.000-08:00

Eric and Harmony have a new addition!! Sydney Paige Cottrell came on Monday March 8th at 5:40am weighing 7 lbs 10 oz. I was dying all day at school on Monday to get my little hands on her! Although she is the 6th grandchild, it is just as exciting as the first! We went down to San Diego Monday night and got to hold the little princess
Every woman's dream to look that good hours after labor!! Look at those thigh rolls Sydney, that is new to the Cottrell family! :)
She is so precious!! Everyone is doing great! She barely cries and sleeps like champ!!
Proud aunt!!!! I always forget how little they are!

Open wide!!!

2010-03-12T15:28:00.000-08:00

I took the kids to the dentist for the first time this week. I have been prepping them for a couple weeks now so they would know what to expect and be excited and not scared. We might have a dentist in our future, when the doctor was looking at Maddy's teeth Kaden wanted to sit on his lap and count Maddy's teeth with the big clip! Go figure, it's Kaden :) He's such a funny kid!!

Does this face tell you how it went? Yes, I dorked out and took pictures! It was such a proud mommy moment for me :) It was really fun to know and understand all the terminology the doctor and assistant were using :) He puts all the fearful adults to shame huh!!
He let them take pictures of his teeth which he turned to me and said this is fun mommy! The office was all digital so he loved being able to see the pictures they took on the screen. He thought the x-rays looked cool but he wasn't as thrilled taking them. He also let them polish and fluoride his teeth. The doctor looked at all his chompers... no cavities, and I got commended for their clean teeth! Yeah!! I better get good reviews or I'm in the wrong profession!!
This is after their appointment, they got balloons for doing a great job. No pictures of Maddy in the chair because she wasn't too excited about it. She was pumped going to the dentist and watching Kaden but as soon as it became her turn she wasn't having it. So she just got fluoride and that was even work! Maybe in 6 months she'll do better! Great job kiddos!!

The Bishops ARE Alive!!

2010-02-13T23:07:00.000-08:00

Well well well...the Bishops reappear!! I know it has been WAY too long since I've done an update, so hopefully I can get back into it. It seems like a daunting task to update the last 4 months of our lives, but I will try in a concise manner, hopefully!!

The summer ended freedom in my life and regular stay-at-home-mom stuff! We did have a blast with lots of play dates and lots of fun!!Fall began with a visit from Papa, which is always full of reading books and playing outside.

October was the month of CHANGE!!!! I started Dental Hygiene School on October 7th, and it has been a whirlwind ever since!! The schedule was very challenging for both me and Bryce and the kids. My first term I was gone from 6:30am to about 6pm!! What a change from spending every moment with the kids to spending a few hours in the evening before bed. Then, after tucking the kids into bed starting my night of studying, sadly not having our "us" time as Bryce and I were used to. On the same hand, it has been an awesome experience so far! It has been quite fulfilling learning so much and challenging my mind as I had been out of full time school for a few years. As I should have expected, my family adjusted EXTREMELY well. The kids are so fortunate to have so much loving family to play with. Grammy does the majority of the days but Grandpa, Andrea, Harmony and Felicity have also put in many hours to help lighten the load, and of course Daddy when he is off of work. Bryce has had to take on a lot of extra work and stress. He's a rockstar!! He plays Mr. Mom and runs the business by himself!! Kris, Bryce's brother, is thankfully working with him to atleast lighten his load of owner/accountant/technician/phone answerer (great grammer Tiff). We have the most amazing family and an awesome support system. I am telling you, by the time I'm done this is going to be a CRAZY group effort!!! I am having so much fun and trying to keep up with life flying by. For instance my baby boy turned 3!!!!!

\What an intelligent energetic loving little guy Kaden has become. Some of his favorites still include animals specifically dinosaurs now. He is constantly piecing the world together one question at a time! Nothing gets by this kid! Kaden is a so much fun and is full of life and love!! Grandpa made a killer Lightning McQueen and Mator cake! It was sweet, wish I had those kind of skills!Might be one the sweetest pictures ever!! We had Kaden's Bday at Peltzer Farms, a pumpkin patch where all the kids got to visit the petting zoo, ride the horses and train, as well as find their way through a corn maze. It was tons of fun...totally a Kaden kind of Birthday!
Good looking bunch Grammy! Haven't they all grown so much!

Halloween...
So fitting for Kaden to be a Dinosaur. This kid wants to watch Jurassic Park everyday!! Maddy made the cutest little ladybug!!

Our lil' Maddy girl turned 2!!!!!
Ladybug was the theme since she was so into ladybugs after Halloween!! I was a proud mama after make this cake! After piping the whole cake in pink and black my hand was pretty sore :)

Christmas!!
I can't seem to find our Christmas pictures, so this will have to represent! Kaden was so into Santa this year Maddy wouldn't sit on his lap but would stand by him and did manage to warm up to give him a hug! We had a great Christmas and spent it at my parent's house in Santa Maria. It was Justin's first Christmas back so all of us were finally together! It was chaotic and exciting!!! Unfortunately, we ended our Christmas with a really bad car accident on our way home after the Christmas weekend :( We were watched over that night and through Heavenly Father's miracle are all alive. We did leave with some injuries, so the Chiropractor is a frequent stop. Our little Matrix kept us safe but sadly was totaled. We recently replaced it with a Toyota Tundra so now I REALLY feel safe in my big car. Pics from School...My home away from home!!

This was my first real x-ray patient, we practiced on manikins.
These are my carpool girls Marcie and Kristen. We just added another carpool buddy so now I only have to drive 1 week a month!! We have a pretty good studying system on our long drive home!!
We all celebrated our first term at Yard House after finals!! It was fun for everyone to relax and wear something other than our green scrubs! We're the "Emeralds"
My friend Robyn and I
Your Future Hygienists!!

Also exciting news...
Ryan left on his mission to Edmonton, Canada!! This was at his farewell, I will have more pics to follow. We are so proud of him and very excited. He has been in the MTC for about 3 weeks and seems to be doing pretty well!
Grandma Bishop sadly passed away suddenly, so fortunately we were able to take a trip to Utah over my week term break. Ryan reported to the MTC that Wednesday so we got to see him off, visit with family and sadly say goodbye to a generous and loving Grandma. More pictures to come of our week in Utah.

Well if that is not enough oh Bishop happenings, not sure what is! Hopefully now that I'm caught up I can stay current. Thanks for your patience through this post!! :)

Pennypickles

2009-09-26T23:36:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to take the kids to this Children's Imagination Museum called Pennypickles in Temecula. My friend Autumn and I took our kids on Friday to explore their imaginations with a hands-on museum that kept them wide-eyed and captivated for the 2 hour session. They had a toddler room with blocks and things fit for smaller children but the kids only lasted about 10 minutes in there. They were more interested in exploring all the different themed rooms. One of their favorites was the maze that was in the dark and had glow-in-the-dark shapes, symbols and pictures in it (after the initial concern of going in a dark room, my kids are not real thrill seekers). I managed to capture a few pics while following our little explorers.

All the kids in a hot air balloon basket...they thought this thing was pretty cool and were pretending they were flying, while I was remembering my engagement and how small the baskets really are!! There was even a rope you could pull that lit a "fire" above the basket and made the appropriate noise. Thomas, Kaden, Jordyn (well her eyes and nose) and Maddy.

There was a music room that had an old record player and piano and even little instruments they could play. This was an old mic that you could sing in and then hear yourself through the phone. There were 2 on either side of this table so Kaden and Thomas each picked them up, we told them to sing a song and they both started singing "I am a Child of God" Great song choice!! :) "My turn" was muttered by Maddy when Kaden was done and following her bro, as she does all day long, started in with "I am a Child of God"

Autumn and Thomas singing away!!

Maddy on the space travel chair. I think she traveled into next year!

This chair looked like the "Alice in Wonderland" chair

Kaden, Thomas and Maddy relaxing on a bench outside in crazy hot weather!! We all had a fun day and my kids were asleep before we even got home, a great perk of a day full of fun!!

Croatian Kids

2009-09-26T23:23:00.000-07:00

Justin brought a cute little outfit home for all the kids and I realized I never posted the pictures. I was looking through my pic files and thought these were blog worthy :)

Beach Day!

2009-09-08T21:03:00.000-07:00

We are into September and still having beach days, I do love So Cal!! We went last Friday before all the Labor Day crowds, and this time Uncle J and Grammy joined us. Justin said he was excited to finally be a part of a beach day that he always got pictures of on his mish. The water was really warm!! I usually get my feet wet with the kids but on that day it was like a swimming pool so I actually went in all the way!! It was beautiful!! Keep this weather coming!!
The Crew...we're not small, and we're not quiet!!Uncle J built a hole for the kids to play, and they helped him build a sand castleCould Gracey be any cuter!?!
Grammy and the dirty lil Maddy, she's a big fan of getting sand EVERYWHERE!!Skye the lil beach babe!!! She has gotten quite the little tan and her hair gets blonder by the second!! Can you believe she was born with almost black hair!?!This has to be the cutest picture EVER!!! I think it's frame worthy! He spent lots of time playing in the water with his Uncle J.They both loved the ride!! Maddy got dumped a few times but still seemed to mutter "that was fun" under her chattering, scared breath!! She's a trooper!

Summer Blazing On!!!

2009-09-03T23:12:00.000-07:00

Since it is still crazy hot here, I took advantage of a "End of Summer" sale and got the kids a new pool to play in, since our whale pool from last summer got eaten by mice in the shed. (Sorry LONG sentence, I've always done that huh mom) It was much bigger than I anticipated, but ended up being really fun for the kids. I made it our own little water park by putting their slide into it. It looks really fun... well it is pretty fun. Fortunately, for the kids they have a 5' 2'' mom that could join in the fun down the slid!!! :)That's what brothers are for right? What would an outside play day be without a popsicle?Come join us!!!

Returned With Honor

2009-08-31T22:51:00.000-07:00

That's right, we have him back!! Justin spent an honorable 2 years serving the Lord and the people in Croatia and is now home! It was such an awesome experience of course for him but also for me to have a brother on a mission and to witness, through him, the miracles of Heavenly Father as well as the growth in my baby brother! I'm so glad that he served, but I am equally glad he is home!! It was a much anticipated day full of emotions!

My mom doesn't have a blog so for some family and friends I'm going to start off with a few pictures from their trip. My parents were fortunate enough to spend a week in Croatia and the surrounding areas before they picked him up and then almost a week with Justin traveling around his areas and others he didn't get to see. My parents said it was so touching to meet the people the Justin had such an impact on and to see their utter heartbreak to have to let him go home. Justin kept them busy going every day all day long, so I'll show you a few of the 600 pics they took!! Sorry but I don't know where they are in a lot of the pictures, but they are really beautiful!

This is a family Justin baptized towards the beginning of his mission. My parents were gracious enough to fly them to Germany (the closet Temple) and go through the Temple with them and also see them sealed as a family. This family meant so much to Justin, so to be able to see them sealed for all time and eternity was an awesome experience for him and my parents too!

Finally...the Homecoming!!The girls and kiddos anxiously awaiting the arrival.
His view off the plane...

and our view The excitement and joy was indescribable!
Finally together again, Abby and J.
I don't know if you can tell, but all the kids had "Welcome Home Uncle JJ" shirts on. It was SO cute. Enlarge the picture you might be able to tell better.
J with his newest nephew Beckham. He left with 1 niece and 1 nephew and came home to 5!!
Kaden loved him right away!! Who couldn't?!?

Justin definitely had his priorities straight, the next morning he woke up and the first thing he did was go surfing with Rob and Felicity!! He was in heaven!

We were all fortunate enough to be able to spend some time in Santa Maria. For the first time in...I don't know when, we were all together (unfortunately w/o my dad who had to go back to work in Africa) for 5 days!! We had many late nights of laughing and joking, followed by many early morning of 5 kids under 3 at my parents house! It was chaotic but so much fun!!

We drove to Pismo one day, had the greatest clam chowder on earth at Splash, and took the kids on a walk on the pier. It was so much fun to take the kids back to our old stomping grounds and brought back many memories.On another day, we took all the kids to Avila Valley Barn for some yummy fruits and veggies and of course the little petting zoo. You could buy scrap food to feed them but somehow Skye, the littliest of them all, was the only one brave enough to feed them. Go figure! Kaden was SO in his element as you can imagine. He actually forced me to take a picture of him in front of every animal. Immediately after he had to approve of the picure to make sure he could see the animal in the background. :) He's a funny kid. I'll spare you and only show one!Cousins make the best of friends!!

We had a blast visiting, taking turns babysitting while the others ran the great trails around my parents house, eating yummy food cuz we were all on vaca, and spending awesome quality time with each other. I even got to meet up with an old friend from high school one day which was awesome!

Sunday came and Justin gave an amazing talk at church and then unfortunately we all had to head our seperate ways! But not before more pictures of course!!! :)

Again, do you think Kaden could love him any more? Although he was a little jealous that Justin got to ride on an airplane and he didn't!!

All the family that came to listen to J. We filled up half the room I think! What great family support we have!
Wow how our family has grown, and were still missing Dad in this picture!!The proud momma and her baby. Sorry mom even with heels he towers over you!! :) Great things come in little packages!Justin and Abby

I love you J!!! I'm so proud of all your hard work and selflessness. You are an amazing brother and a great example to me!! On our way home we made a stop in Santa Barbara to see Sally. We couldn't pass through without allowing her to see her little boyfriend!!! :)

Thanks for sticking it out through that. That whole week was so amazing! There were too many pictures to choose from and I still left out a ton!

Exciting News!!!

2009-08-24T14:24:00.000-07:00

I have exciting news...(no I'm not pregnant!!!) I got into Dental Hygiene School!!!! YEAH!! What a sigh of relief to get in on my first try. It seems as though my hard work is beginning to pay off!! However, I fear the hardest work is ahead of me!! I'll have to appologize ahead of time because my blog updates will probably become fewer and farther between. I will be attending SJVC where they offer an accelerated program that is 16 months straight( as opposed to 24 months). I think there is a week in between terms but that's all. It is a great school with high expectations and deliver some great Hygienist...aka Felicity and my cousin Stacey. I start October 5th!! Yikes barely over a month! I am of course so excited to finally see a light at the end of the tunnel, but the logistics make me a little anxious. I have been fortunate enough to be able to stay home with our kids for almost 3 years now and only have had to work this past year from home. I do feel so blessed to have had the opportunity, and I feel that I will open some doors for us to be able to do it again soon. But in the mean time I know it will be hard to leave my little loves!! Thankfully I have the greatest family on earth and so much support that will help me through and step in as little helper mommies. By the time I'm done I know this will be a combined family effort to get me through! Beware...I can't wait to start picking!!! :)

Very Anticiapted Day!!!

2009-08-17T22:06:00.000-07:00

We're on our way to Santa Maria to welcome home this stud!!! As you can imagine we're all CRAZY excited to welcome our missionary home. We pick him and my mom up from the airport on Wednesday evening!! YEAH!!!

PS Isn't Croatia beautiful?

5 Years of Sheer Bliss!!!

2009-07-17T14:57:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Bryce and I celebrated our 5 Year Anniversary! I don't know if we could've predicted our lives 5 years ago, but that is what makes life so exciting! We are continually growing and learning, but we both feel that we have a great relationship with lots of love and laughter; and that we make a great team with our strengths and weaknesses. We were laughing the other day as we were talking about our upcoming "big day" that we got married so young that I will only be 69 when we celebrate 50 years!! Still a young buck! CRAZY!!
We had a great day together yesterday! Bryce worked in the morning and then we spent the afternoon in Newport Beach while Jamie watched the kids. It was so fun to go back to where it all began and drive by our old homes and our favorite spots in Newport and reminese. We have tons of fun memories there which was great to reflect upon. We did all the fun stuff: rode on the ferry over to Balboa, walked around the peninsula, went to the Wedge and watched all the boats go in and out of the harbor...I miss you Newport!Then we headed up to Manhattan Beach for a AMAZING dinner at Flemings! We got to visit with our old friends we both worked with and were treated like a King and Queen. We arrived to our beautiful booth with flowers on the table, a Kenyon touch! It was so nice to just eat and visit and not have to be feeding other little mouths. I savored every bite!! I will describe the food as best I can but words really don't do it justice. I guess it is a blessing and a curse to know what real fine dining is like. Such a treat, but the more you have it the more you want it!! We started with an appitizer platter with BBQ shrimp, scallops, and lobster tempura. I think we could've both eaten a whole plate of lobster tempura, it was DIVINE!! Moving on...We both got wedge salads, again how can a salad taste so good?? I got Halibut on a bed of baby spinach with a delicious pomegranate bernaise sauce, and Bryce got a bone-in rib-eye with Flemings potatoes and snap peas as our sides. Can you tell I'm still excited about it? We of course got a lava cake for dessert and were STUFFED!!! What a great day and night we had. Thanks Flemings staff for making our night so special. It was so fun to just be mellow with no schedule and no real place to be but just with each other. It was really nice to have that quality time together!! Happy 5 years babe!!

Cabin Fever!!

2009-07-09T16:10:00.000-07:00

We had a great mini vaca this past weekend. We went up to my parent's cabin in Huntington Lake and celebrated my birthday, Eric's birthday, and of course the 4th of July!! It was some what of a nostalgic trip for me to bring my kids up there for the first time. Since I can remember we have been going up to the cabin every summer; that's how us Freeman's camp!! It was my mom's parents cabin, which she spent many summers at, and now we had the pleasure to take our kids!! For going on a vaca with kids, I think it has been the most relaxing since. There is not a lot of people, our dock is in a small cove and it is just so peaceful!! On Friday my mom rented a house boat for us to cruise around the lake on. The weather was beautiful, it was relaxing, and the kids had a blast!! Here we go...Takin' it all in!
Daddy and his princess! Isn't it beautiful?
The kids definitely were into helping Daddy driveThe Girlies!
Captain B totally in his element!
My mom was very patient with Kaden wanting to fish and hold it all by himself. If you have trolled before you know it takes some strength, sorry dude, maybe when you're older!As my Dad always told us, I made my fish lips and...that's right a fish!! There is a certain thrill you get after catching a fish. They were really biting that day. I caught one more that made it right up to the boat but then got off, an another while reeling in. I could've fished for hours!!Sushi?!? Yuck, I preferred mine cooked! We did in fact BBQ them that night and had a fish fry! (Same fish, I only caught 1)Harmony's proud fish of the day. We're glad she was there, she is the master gutter! Eric also shared in the luck that day!
The kids enjoyed the hammock; they loved to swing.Can't believe I'm already 24. Married for almost 5 years with 2 kids, who would've thought!! German Chocolate Cake...MY FAV!!
Grammy, Maddy and her pine cone she couldn't separate with!
She is too cute for words, although that is a pretty goofy smile!
On Friday night we went on the infamous walk to the Dam. It is quite a walk and we did it without strollers! I can't express how peaceful it is! Is is such a small lake it never gets much traffic.
Breathe taking...the scenery that is!That's my big boy!! So cute!The kids had so much fun playing in the water and sand. It was nice for them to play in the water and not have to worry about the waves. Also, I forget how refreshing fresh water is!!I swear you can't feel a thing when your a kid. This water is literally melted snow. There is a stream the feeds into this cove that comes straight from snow! The wussy dad's had wetsuits, gloves, and booties on and said it was still cold! :) I remember swimming in it for hours when I was a kid, now my toes get wet!
Happy 4th!! The girls in their matching 4th outfits. Unfortunately, there can be no fireworks in the mountains!!
Eric's B-day is on the 4th. Happy Birthday E-rock!!
That night the boys made a fire pit for us all to enjoy. It was a doozy of a pit I might add with comfy stumps!
Good hygiene girls!! This kept them busy while we packed up to leave!

It was a long trip home, but I'd have to say worth. We had a great time and can't wait to return soon!! Stay tuned for Bryce's Man-venture!!! (I'm waiting on some pics!)

Playing Catch Up

2009-06-13T16:05:00.000-07:00

I've been a bad blogger, but am hoping to redeem myself with a little catch up!!
(PS I won't get offended if you skip through it, it's pretty long, but I have to do my journaling!)

Visit from the Wallace's

We had a great visit from some Newport friends who now live in Utah. They stayed at a timeshare in San Clemente walking distance from the beach that they enjoyed for a week. We were also able to reap the benefits as we were able to see them quite a bit within the week. I didn't take a ton of pics, but here are a few...

Izak, Brecke, and Kaden enjoying an ice cream break! What a ladies man you are Izak!!
Kristen got squirt guns for the boys that kept them busy for quite some time. The boys were a little rough with them, so poor Maddy had to watch from inside for a while!Pals for Life!!

That weekend (which is a few weeks ago) Rob and Felicity had Beckham's blessing in their home. It was a great afternoon with some grub food and lots of friends and family to share the special day.
Proud Papa with his little guy!

We also took some family pics! The kids are getting way too big. When I compare family pics

Look at Skye's cute purse! She was carry it around all day. Maddy was chasing her around the house for it, but Skye seemed to have quicker legs and kept Maddy chasing!
The whole gang!! I can't believe how much it has grown. In only 2 short months we will actually have the WHOLE family together!! Can't wait!
What a sweet Family of 4!!
I still can't believe there is 5. I bet Grammy and Papa can't either!

That next week Sally invited us to the Wild Animal Park. Animals what.....we're there huh Kaden!! It was a pretty fun day with perfect weather. Our next park we have to hit is Sea World.
All the kids loved the petty zoo, or deer zoo. Sally insured the kids that they wouldn't bite!
The elephant exhibit was so cool because of this little baby. I seriously wanted to take it home, could you imagine...2 toddlers and an elephant!!! What a priceless picture. Grandpa walked Kaden around for most of the day because he was too excited to be in the stroller.The lion exhibit was awesome too! These lions were just sleeping right up against the window!! Maddy was checking out the sights on the Safari ride.I think this is when he spotted the Zebra, we were a little excited!!Of course we had to hit up the merry-go-round.
I also enjoyed a ride on a camel, I think it was. It had been a while since I was on a merry-go-round, but I'd have to say it was pretty fun.

Thanks Sally for a fun day at the Wild Animal Park. Kaden asks me almost every day if we can go to the Animal Wild Zoo, Wild Zoo, Animal Zoo, every time it's a new name. He just can't get Wild Animal Park. I think park to him= playground, and animals=zoo. Makes sense I see the confusion.

We've had a busy last few weeks, but thats it for now. I'll have an exciting post after Bryce's adventure this coming weekend...more to come!

2009-06-01T21:08:00.001-07:00

My little baby is not a baby anymore!!!

Such a big boy!!!

Taking away the paci and potty training were both A TON easier than I thought they would be!! It only took about 2 days and he hasn't had an accident since! In fact the other morning I woke up at 3 am to Kaden yelling, "Mommy I gotta go pee-pee on the potty" I was in a daze but bounded out of bed. Of course when he was done he asked for his treat. I promised him in the morning, I just couldn't do a 3 am sugar buzz!! Unfortunately, #2 is not going so well. So I guess technically he's only half potty trained, but he wears little undies that are so dang cute!! He's a very private #2-er and always hides, so it has been a challenge to get him on the potty and not in his "spots"!! Any suggestions?

Happy Birthday Bryceroni!!

2009-05-29T20:52:00.000-07:00

Bryce's birthday was last Saturday (the 23rd) and we celebrated with a little party. Our sister-in-law Andrea actually has the same bday so it was double the birthday, double the fun. We rented a GIANT slipe-n-slide that all of us big kids enjoyed. The little kids were pretty apprehensive and only played on it for a few minutes. There were a few bumps and bruises and some very sore "big boys" the next day but tons of fun!
I told you it was GIANT!!I think this is Bryce and Eric racing.I'm pretty sure this one of the times when some bumps and bruises occurred! They forget they're not 10 year old boys anymore!!Birthday slide!!!My man cub turned 27 this year!! Wow, the time has flown!I tackled baking a cake for him, the infamous "Better than...(you know)" cake. There was only a small sliver left so I think it was a hit. Bryce is not a big sweets fan (I know he's crazy) but he approved so I was happy!
Happy 24th Andrea!!Eric and Harmony joined us in the fun! Summer= watermelon= A happy Harmony!!Brittany and Ollie came to play also!Hurry Ollie...chugg before Dad notices and takes it away!!

Thanks to all our family and friends who came to help us celebrate, sorry I didn't get a picture of all of you!!

Meet Baby Beckham!

2009-05-02T23:26:00.001-07:00

We went from no other boys to 2 in 3 weeks; aren't we lucky!! Baby Beckham Robert May was born on April 29th, 2009 (My lil bro's birthday!) at 6 lbs 14oz, 19.5 in. He was born at 9:06pm and I couldn't wait to get my hands on the little guy! It was so fun to hold such a little angel. So far he has been such a great baby...he eats well, sleeps well, and loves to be held (although he doesn't have much of a choice in that one!) Can't wait to see you again lil guy! I told Felicity he has big shoes to fill with such a studly name! I think you'll rock it bud!I think Maddy would be jealous of all his hair, and look at those lips! So cute! Kaden is so excited to see him, he keeps asking me where Beckham is.
It is so cute when they are so little and keep their legs all scrunched!
Good job Momma!
Gracey was very tender with him and loved looking at his little toes!My mom got them this balloon and I thought it was so cute and needed a blog appearance!

Congrats Rob and Felicity! We're glad all went well and much faster this time!!

Round Two...

2009-05-02T23:10:00.000-07:00

(Opps wrong order, the other post first!)

We went home for a nap (well the kids) and refresh for our next party. Saturday night we had a surprise 50th Birthday party for Bryce's dad. I can't believe it was pulled off without him having a clue! Those are the best surprises!! I didn't get too many pictures because I was chasing the kids around, but we had a great evening and some grub food!Uncle Ry Ry waiting with Kaden for the man of the hour!
Kaden and McKenna enjoying a snack on the hammock.
We took advantage of Great- Grandpa and Grandma being in town for a 4th generation picture. I thought this was pretty cool! The Bishop legacy passed down!
Group pic: Our family, McKenna and Corbin, with the Birthday boy, and Great-Grandpa and Grandma.

Happy Birthday Grandpa!!

Day of Parties!

2009-05-02T22:49:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday we had a fun party day where the kids ate way too much cake for one day!! We celebrated Gracey's 2nd Birthday in the afternoon at the park across the street from their house. It was nice to have a place where the kids could play during the festivities! Can't believe your two girlfriend!

My mom got Gracey this delicate ballerina music box. She loved it! She was very careful with it.Maddy was very intrigued by the cute little music box!!Are you enjoying the party Skye?AMAZING!! (Inside and Out!!) Felicity is way too talented!!Of course Gracey was nice enough to sneak a taste to Kaden...what a good cousin!This is the way we should all eat our Birthday cake!Enjoy kids!!Umm...just take a good look at the scoop of ice cream on the spoon. His sneaky smile says it all!! He's in heaven!!My girls!!

Enjoying the Sun!

2009-04-22T12:49:00.000-07:00

**Random Pic, just wanted to include it!** Modeling their Easter suits before taking a dip!Bryce's Aunt and Uncle, Terry and Beth, came for a sunny California visit with 5 of their kids. Terry decided he wanted to try scuba diving as well as one of their older boys Golden. So on Saturday the whole gang headed up to Laguna Beach for a nice beach day and some diving for the boys. The drive was not pleasant, but the site of the beautiful ocean was!! I was so happy that Bryce was able to take a day off from work and enjoy his passion! It had been like 8 months since he had gone, so it felt good to be one with the water again! :) The pic above, although far away, are the boys in the water.Scuba Steve!! That smile from ear to ear says it all!! (If you can see it that is!)Three of the four divers after their dive; Justin, Golden and Bryce. Poor Terry had some technical difficulties and didn't quite enjoy it as much! Poor guy! What would a post be without pics of the kiddos!The beach brought out the best of their sharing qualities!! Yeah for beach!
No naps, and play, play, play...you deserve a rest on the sand. Maddy likes to copy her big bro. I'd have to say, at the end of the day I also felt like collapsing. But when the kids love it so much, it makes it all worth it!Kaden had a blast playing with all the kids, and for 3 days straight has asked where they are! This is Deacon and Kaden...I know they could totally be brothers, instead, like 2nd cousins or something (not sure how that works). We had a great weekend followed with a very lazy relaxing Sunday! We enjoyed your stay fellow Bishop family!! Don't be strangers!!

Easter Easter Easter!!

2009-04-17T16:02:00.001-07:00

Our Easter festivities started on Saturday evening with some egg coloring. Truth be told I wasn't so sure how the whole dye with a 2 1/2 year old would work, but he always seems to surprise me in how well he does and how mature he is getting. Maddy did well too, she wanted to eat the eggs more than anything, but she managed to color a few also.
Kaden was very careful and had great direction from Daddy. When they would pull the eggs out of the dye Kaden would exclaim, "ohhhhh, beautiful!!" What a cheese ball!Jamie helped Maddy so I could be the photographer. She really liked the spoon!McKenna and Justin making some pretty designsThis is what I got when I said give me a "cheese". You want one, you got one Mom! I have to say this is my favorite picture they have taken in a long time. The looks on their faces are even better than cheesy grins. They really are such great buds!Grammy somehow pinned them down for a pic!Doesn't my lil' man cub look so handsome!
Checking out the contents of the basket. It was our tradition to always get a bathing suit in our baskets and Bryce's to get a kite, so the Easter bunny was good to them and they got both!I can't smile right now, I have just shoved as much candy as possible in my mouth before my Mom swiftly takes it away! I'm not too young to know what's going on!!We officially have a kiddie table!! Yeah! We had my side of the family and the Bishop side for a combined Easter celebration with lots of yummy food (of course), a fun little egg hunt and of course lots of fun!
Felicity made the kids some cute cupcakes that Kaden thinks he's grabbing on the sly! Daddy is helping Kaden scope out the "good" eggs. It is truely exciting to be a parent and be on the other side of these traditions. Look at the excitement in Bryce's eyes to help his lil' buddy hunt some eggs.I got the "golden egg"!!I made the kids wear their bunny ears while hunting. I think this might have turned into a tradition, they looked way too cute!
I guess he didn't need too much help!Searching through all the goodies!
Last, but not least, the scavengers of the yard!! :0

I hope you all had a great Easter!!

Finally a Nephew!!

2009-04-17T15:13:00.000-07:00

Justin and Andrea had a little baby boy a week and a half ago named Corbin James Bishop. All went well, although I'm a little jealous of the 4 hour labor!! We are so excited to finally have a nephew and when he gets a little older another boy for Kaden to hang out with. Congrats you guys, and to McKenna who is now a big sister!! Sorry I don't have any pictures of Mom and Dad with baby Corbin, they get no credit I guess! Sorry!! :)Only 2 hours old here! He was born at 10:46pm and we were so excited we headed to the hospital at midnight when Ryan came over to stay with the kids. I forgot what little angels they are! So precious!What a proud big sister!!This was their first meeting! It was so funny to me that both our kids are so into Corbin. They both want to hold him all the time, even Kaden! Too bad it's not the right timing for a sibling guys!Proud Uncle Bryce! Look how small he is compared to our big ol' kids!Someday you guys will be buddies! I can already tell.A little smooch for the lil' guy!

Pre-Easter

2009-04-11T16:48:00.000-07:00

Do you think we are a little excited for Easter??

A Day Worth Blogging!

2009-04-05T22:06:00.000-07:00

After having a nice day of watching General Conference today, we decided we all needed some play time outside. We headed over to Harveston, a housing community with a man-made lake. It is really pretty with gazebo's, paddle boats, waterfalls, and of course ducks! We took some bread and headed out to enjoy the beautiful weather and give the ducks a little snack.Seriously!!! Is this not just the most priceless picture EVER!!Things have been so busy, I didn't even mention Maddy is walking...finally! :) She's actually pretty smart because she got more "mommy-holding-me" time not walking...they are much smarter than we give them credit for. But it's now official, we have 2 toddlers under 2 1/2! Good thing we're young and have lots of energy :)Kaden was counting the ducks for me..I think there were thirteen? Is that right little guy?The boys feeding the ducks.Daddy had to make sure the kids didn't try to swim with the ducks...there were many close calls! Kids are curious :)Can you believe he is just a big boy!! Man, where did the time go?Didn't pose this I swear, just asked for a "cheese"Maddy watching the duckies!!Look at all that crazy hair! She getting quite a bit now!Didn't pose this one either. They were running around together on the grass and Kaden said, "Maddy, give me a hug!" I was excited I caught it on camera. Pure love! They are the best of buddies and love to chase each other!Daddy, Catch me if you can!!

What the...

2009-04-05T21:59:00.000-07:00

The other night after the kids went to bed I went to the store to pick up a few things and this is what I came home to...

Yep!!! Full blown MULLET!!! I've been bugging him to cut it, so he did!! Uhhh kinda :)
We both thought it would be pretty hilarious to go to work with this style...but he ended up finishing the job that night!! What a hilarious surprise to come home to! Keep me on my toes Bryceroni!

The Last Horray for Winter!

2009-03-13T23:16:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago we went to Mammoth with the whole Bishop clan. It has become a tradition of theirs. Although it is only my second year, I'm liking the tradition! It is really not THAT far, but with two kids in a car for hours I think it took us like 8 hours...all day! The drive was definitely worth it though because we had a blast! Kaden especially LOVED the snow!! It was hard to keep him inside for any length of time. We all had to take turns playing with him in the snow, because we got cold...not my little ball of energy though. Bryce along with his brothers and Eric went snowboarding one of the days and then went sledding with the rest of us the next day. Maddy was a little more apprehensive. I think if her mommy didn't bundle her up so much like a snow bunny she might have liked it better. Also, crawling can't be fun in the snow! Better hopes for next year! Of course...here comes the pictures!!I love my snow bunnies!!Are we loving the snow?!?Poor Maddy, this is how she spent her snow time...cold!Kaden and McKenna loved sledding. Notice the snowball eating...that was also a fan favorite!This was right in front of our cabin. We were so close to the slopes, walking distance for sure!All ready for snowboarding!!
I think this is the cutest picture ever!Grandpa Rowley and Kaden, excited to be together!Grandma Rowley and MaddyGrandpa and Grandma Rowley and their California great-grandkids. It was so nice to have them here for a month, we got spoiled. Now were sad their back in Washington.Bryce and Eric digging out their snow cave!!Kaden dragged Grandma in the snow cave and told her about the polar bears in it! Scary!!Ry Ry with the biggest icicle I've ever seen!!

It was a great trip and fun to have kids big enough to play in the snow!!

Valentines...A 3 Day Event!

2009-02-22T08:43:00.000-08:00

{I finally got a moment to post!!! Yeah!!}

We had a great Valentine's Day this year that lasted a couple of days. That is my style of holiday, make it last as long as possible! Ours started on Friday, the day before Valentine's Day. The kid's friends, Justin and Elizabeth, hosted a Valentine's Day party at their house. There were 9 kids the oldest being 3 and the youngest 3 months old. They decorated cupcakes, played pin the lips on the heart, and played with all of their fun toys. Here are some cute pics to follow...Decorating is a serious thing around here!The kids actually lined up and stayed for a picture! AMAZING!! Charlotte is missing from this picture, but these were all the big kids. Kaden and Justin were twins for the day!! Maddy looks like such a big girl!! She's growing up too fast!

Day 2 was Valentine's Day. Bryce had to work all day, so the kids and I just hung out. This was the first Valentine's Day night in a few years that Bryce wasn't working, helping others have an enjoyable night at the restaurant. So we decided that instead of fighting the crowds, we would have a mellow night at home and enjoy the time we had to spend together as a couple and as a family. Life gets so busy, it's nice to chill for a night! So I decided to put my cooking skills to the test and made a pretty tasty meal. It included chow mein, orange chicken and cream cheese wontons. After prepping all day and cooking all evening, I then realized why people go OUT to dinner!! However, it was pretty yummy and fun to make a special meal for my family. I guess the kids were feeling the love also because as they were playing in the bath, Kaden out of the blue wrapped his arm around Maddy and said, "Mom, cheeeeese!!" Maddy was soon to follow and out came the camera. Priceless moments of pure love! I'd have to say, it has been difficult and a lot of hard work raising two kids 13 months apart, but at this stage, I am so greatful they have each other and already share such a special bond. We finally put the kids to bed and enjoyed some chocolate covered strawberries and sparkling cider, or "bubbles" as the kids call it! I truly LOVE Bryce with all my heart! He is a great companion that is a great support and always encourages me to do my best! Although our lives haven't seemed to be a "piece of cake" I would never want to walk through it with anyone else...I love you! Muah!

Ok, Ok, enough of the mushy gushy huh!! :) Day 3 of our Valentines was on the Monday to follow. My mom and sisters came up for a belated Valentines Day party. We were determined to have it even if it was late and to bake/decorate cookies with the kids... It was quite a hit! I didn't know how well a couple of 2 year olds would do, but I was impressed!!Grammy taught Kaden and Gracey how to roll out the dough. I didn't know he could be so patient!They had a blast with the cookie cutters. Kaden of course wanted to make all of the cookies a "BIIIIIIG Heart!!"While the big kids made cookies, the little girls hung out with Harmony and of course Maddy ate... suprise, suprise!! (For those of you who don't know Maddy as well, she is our resident garbage disposal...no exaggeration! Seriously!!)Test the frosting...All is well, ready to decorate...Final product...DELICIOUS!!This is Gracey in a nutshell! :)A day with all the grandkids and Grammy would not be complete without our best attempt to coral the lil' guys and force them to say "cheeeese" a million times! They are all good sports!Like I said...our best attempt!Can you believe that these are the babies!!Our afternoon ended with a little Mother-Daughters date! Jamie so graciously watched ALL 4 kids while we went to a movie. It was such a treat! As you can see we take celebrating seriously in this house!! Stretch it out as long as possible. I always love a reason to have a party!! What's next...St Pattys??

Rainy Day Project

2009-02-07T14:34:00.001-08:00

My mom and I decided to do some arts and crafts on Friday since it was raining all day. I've been wanting to make something to hold all of Maddy's hair accessories instead of just shoving them into a small box. So we dragged the kids to Michaels to get our supplies, put them down for a nap when we got home, and started our crafts. We made 2 bow/headband holders and some flowers to attach to her headbands. It was easier than I thought it would be and a lot of fun to do it with my mom! Thanks Mom! Thanks kids for taking good naps for us!!
This one is for of her flowers and bows.
PS Don't mind the hideous wood paneling in their closet!
This second one is to hold all Maddy's headbands. This girl isn't hurting for accessories!!These are the flowers we made! I'd have to say they turned out pretty cute for our first time. We make a good team Mom! We had a little system going by the end!Final products; headband and all!Of course we had to model a couple of them. Maddy LOVES wearing her headbands! In fact if there happens to be one laying on the floor or she gets one out of the diaper bag, she attempts to put it on and then goes along with her playing, crooked and all!Kinda a funny face there girl! Maddy has mastered taking pictures and saying "cheeeeese" as you can tell!No headbands for Kaden, just a cute smile!!

Amazing Weather: Round 2

2009-02-02T11:48:00.000-08:00

We are enjoying our second wave of awesome 70-80 degree weather!! I hope all of you enjoying the snow don't hate us in SoCal!! :) So we decided to head to the beach on Saturday with a whole gang of people. We went with Bryce's parents and Grandparents visiting from Washington, Jamie, Justin, Andrea, and McKenna; and met Eric, Harmony, Skye and my mom there! We were quite a crew! Unfortunately I was busy taking pictures of all the kids so I don't have evidence of everyone there! It was SO beautiful! A few weeks ago I went with my sisters to the beach and Felicity said you know whenever I start to complain about it being so expensive to live down here I will remember that we are chillin' at the beach in January! I SO agree. We are very fortunate to live so close to the beach and be able to enjoy it all year round! So here are the pics!Daddy and his lil' chunky monkey!
PS. Look how skinny my hubby has gotten! All that hard work pays off!!Daddy and Jamie with Kaden in the FREEZING water!COLD, but HAPPY!! Cold water doesn't ever effect kids!Maddy was the definition of water baby!! She could not get enough of it and would just book it into the waves without a care! Try to catch me!!Justin burying McKenna's toesies with sand. What a sweet moment! Grandma playing with Maddy in the water. She's on her way to walking, but not quite there!Skye was all about exploring the sand!!Whats a beach day without a wagon ride! I think Justin got his workout for the day!Also being burried in a necessity! Skye really is that teeny compared to the other kids!! What a cutie! The End!!

2009-01-30T22:10:00.000-08:00

The Kids + Shopping =
Difficult and stressful, sometimes entirely unsuccessful

The Kids + Shopping + Ice Cream =
SUCCESS!!YUMMY!!! The sticky mess, totally worth it!!

On a sad note, Maddy added "no" to her vocabulary!! :( Although it is still a very sweet "no" she means it! Great, now I have 2 that can verbally deny me!

Love Birds!

2009-01-27T21:40:00.001-08:00

Maddy found her self quite the catch! This is our good friends, Josh and Brittany's little cutie pie. I know who Maddy's Valentine is this year! First kiss at 13 months, not too bad!! They are so cute together! They both get so excited when they see each other. The feelings are mutual, although Maddy seems to be the one making the moves! We've got to watch that girl; she has lots of love to give!! Young Love!! Of course we couldn't get a picture of their faces!! Too cute!!

Blue Man

2009-01-24T12:56:00.000-08:00

We have been really working with Kaden in teaching him how to share toys and really play well with other kids because he seems to show them who's boss! So today I picked the kids up from the "nursery at the gym" (as Kaden calls it) and I got an awesome report, actually for both kids, but I was especially excited that Kaden played so well with the other kids. As we were leaving one of the girls gave him a lollipop to reward him. Just to preface, my kids don't really eat candy (unless their uncles sneak it!!) so Kaden was pretty stoked. I thought he deserved his treat since it reiterated our teachings. It literally took him a full hour to finish it, but was farely clean with it. I just thought that he looked so cute with his little blue mouth so I figured I would take a pic before cleaning him. Well, I guess it has been a while since I have eaten a sucker, because I didn't realize that the blue ring around his cute little lips was here to stay!! So we have a little blue man today! We'll see how long it lasts!! I'm so proud of him and his great progress!!He looks awfully guilty! He knows he's getting a real treat! (If you click on the picture to see it closer you can really see the blue!)Yum Yumm!!

Family Pictures

2009-01-20T19:49:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago the whole Bishop clan was in the same town at the same time, so we planned to take some family pictures. I'm just now getting to posting them, but there are some nice ones, and of course really cute ones of the kids.I mean really, could they be any sweeter!?!The cousins!!Man this family is growing by the second!Kris, Jamie, and Ryan...the only kids left at home!The Bishop crew again!A precious pic of Justin and Andrea's quickly growing family (if you notice the baby bump)We finally got a decent picture of Grandpa and Grandma and the babes!! Their pride and joy!I thought this was a sweet moment that was captured!My little love bugs!!

Ok, I have to preface these next few pictures. Due to the ability of rapid picture taking we caught a funny succession of pictures... Kaden loves to give Maddy kisses, but sometimes they are a little forced (notice the hand on her neck and the plea for help on her face)

Major Major Recap!!!

2009-01-12T16:14:00.000-08:00

So I think I should be fired from blogging! I'm a whole month behind!!! So Sorry! But I'll have to recap on Christmas, News Years, and all the fun in between. So here we go...

Christmas!!

This was a fun Christmas for us being that the kids are getting older and understanding Christmas a little bit more. We spent Christmas with the Bishop side this year where the whole family was finally together again! Kris has been on his mission and has been the missing link! That will be the Freeman side next year as Justin will be home! I will narrate with pictures because who am I kidding, no one likes to read a lot! The pictures are where its at!Our attempt at a Christmas pageant on Christmas Eve. It was quite chaotic trying to get pictures, but they were good sports!Joseph holding baby Jesus so tendering!! Seriously...this has to be the cutest Angel!!! (I might be a little bias) Did you know Angels had cheeks like those!!When did pant-sing (sp?) start at TWO??? This might be a cruel picture but I thought it was so cute!!
I took mostly video on Christmas morning so I only have a few pictures of the kids and gifts. Santa brought Kaden an awesome fish tank with 9 fish in it!! Everyone of them is named either Nemo or Dory. Unfortunately we've already had 2 fatalities!! :( Santa brought Maddy her first baby doll. She is such a girl and loves them. I think one of her clearest words is "ba-by". They also got an awesome slide from Grammy and Papa Freeman, and a sweet plastic picnic table with bench seats and sand box from Grandma and Grandpa Bishop!! Thanks guys, they love them!!A little Christmas morning love! How sweet!!
Unlike his cousin McKenna who was delighted to recieve clothing, every time Kaden opened up clothes he kept looking for the real gift. He would fling them out like the rest of the tissue paper. Note to self, more toys, less clothes!

New Years

For New Years my parents so graciously rented a cabin up at Big Bear for our whole family to share! It was awesome! We all did some snowboarding or skiing (except for prego Felicity) and traded off watching the kids. It was a blast! The cabin was plenty big to fit our 8 adults and 4 kids under 2 years old! Here are some pictures to highlight our tripDaddy took Kaden enjoyed sledding together and Kaden's favorite eating lots of snowballs.Grammy and Papa with their snow bunny. Maddy could barely move in the snow suit. We sat her down and she didn't move!Had to grab a family pic in the beautiful snow!Maddy and Skye, excited to be stuck warm in their suits!Another little snow bunny! Taking a break from sliding down the hill! Playing so hard is hard work!
My little love bug!!Now for the New Years celebration...This was our chocolate fondue party! There was way too much yummy treats to dip including cream puffs, vanilla wafers, prezels, cookies, and more!! We all felt pretty sick afterward!Harmony REALLY enjoyed the chocolate!! (Sorry Harm, had to post it..It was too cute!)Bryce and Eric's celebratory homemade "BOMBS" to ring in the New Year.Happy 2009!! I'm not sure what was up with Bryce's eye?? Maybe a little too excited! :)Umm...not sure what we would look like if we actually drank! Dr. Pepper does the trick I guess!Aren't my parents too cute!! Love to have my dad home! Ok, I don't know if this picture does it justice, but one of the snowboarding/babysitting days, Felicity and I were watching all the kids and Garcey and Kaden sat themselves down in the same chair to watch some "toons" (as Kaden calls them) and munch on some Doritos. Hey they were on vaca too I guess!! When they were done eating like 3 bowl fulls of chips they were covered in nacho cheese and Kaden looked at me and said "Mom, spicy" "Do you want a drink buddy" "OKAY!" I then realized they were eating spicy nacho Doritos. Gracey, the stomach of steel was not phased a bit!! This is SUCH a fun age! They are so cute and the best of friends!!!

Well, you made it!! I'm getting closer to being caught up!! Thanks for enduring the LONG post! Life is good! My new years resolution was to really acknowledge and appreciate how blessed I am with an amazing husband, the sweetest children, and awesome family and friends who are such a great support. I plan on trying to focus more on my everyday blessings as I wake up to two beautiful and healthy children and a loving, hardworking husband every morning. Happy New Years!!

Merry Christmas!!!

2008-12-23T11:26:00.001-08:00

We hope you all have a great Christmas with your families and a Happy New Year!! We love you all and are so grateful to have you all in our lives! Even if it's only through the blog! :) Merry Christmas From the Bishops!!!

What a life!!

2008-12-20T21:54:00.001-08:00

There is nothing like Saturday morning cartoons in Mom and Dad's bed!!!

Hope you all have a very Merry Christmas!!

Princess Maddness!!!

2008-12-17T23:01:00.000-08:00

My final is over now so I can reconnect with the world and what better way to do that than to blog!! Maddy's 1st Birthday was on the 7th, so I'm a little behind, but I'm all about stringing on Birthdays for as long as possible! Anyone with me!?!! So our little monkey turned ONE!!! Already!! We still can't believe it! She seems so little still. I remember thinking that Kaden was such a big boy at one, but then I look back and nope, he was a little guy! So we had "Princess Mania" at our house. Besides the lights of the Christmas tree, our house glowed a pretty pink! We enjoyed the company of our family and friends, ate some grub food and enjoyed Maddy in the spot light. Now for the best part...pictures galore!! Bear with me, she only turns ONE once! :)Our Princess decor. It was hard to capture all of it, but you get the point, PRINCESS!!
She got this chair from Justin, Andrea and McKenna and immediately she started kicking her feet and rocking out. Who needs music! It was the perfect 1st gift because she had a darling chair she could open her presents from. Thanks guys!This present opening is serious stuff Maddy!! She ripped some of the packages open with lots of help from her cousins and big bro. Thanks!

I made my first Birthday cake, and I have to say, I was pretty proud of it! It was red velvet with cream cheese frosting. It was completely gone by the end of the night, so I think it was a hit! (And yes those are jewels! Like I said, PRINCESS!!)
I also made Maddy her own personal cake. Not as cute, but made to destroy!! She seemed to like it! It was a perfect size to dig into. I love how she is showing off her Princess Birthday big perfectly! Gotta love girls!!
Yumm!! She was so funny, at first when she touched the frosting she put her hands out to me to clean them because they were messy. So what did mom do, shove them further in the cake!!
I thought this was such a cute picture of everyone crowded in my kitchen watching the birthday girl eat her cake. What great family and friends we have! I wish you could have all been there!!
All done!
Thats my girl!! Just messy enough to get cute pictures, but not covered from head to toe!!
Of course Kaden couldn't miss out on the cake! He actually did really well. I wasn't sure how he was going to be with all the attention of Maddy, but he did great!! Just wanted some cake! He's not afraid of a little pink!!Grammy and her little Mads!
Happy 1st Birthday lil' mis! You are such a sweetheart with the cutest little personality and determination. You truly are our lil' Princess! We love you!!!

And the Critics Say.....A-MAZING!!!!

2008-11-24T22:48:00.000-08:00

Twilight was AWESOME!!! Not only was it an awesome movie, it was such a fun night. Friday night Andrea and I drove down to Oceanside to join the Twilight Pre-movie Party at Felicity's friend Leanne's house. (Thanks Leanne!! We had a blast!) We indulged in yummy snacks and some fun trivia. Then about 40 of us headed to the theatre for some VIP treatment. Due to another friend's hookups, we got into the movie without waiting in line, and had roped off seats waiting for us!! Thanks again Ashley!! I had purposely set my standards a little low so that I wouldn't be disappointed but it blew them out of the water!! Of course books always have more detail and more insight to emotions, however, I thought that the movie was extremely well done!! LOVED IT!! Only complaint, it was too short. It definitely left me waiting for more! Can't wait to see it again!!Us girls partying it up, Twilight style! The group before we headed out to meet Edward!Do we look a little excited!?! Can't wait!!

Thanks Bryce for being Mr. Mom for the night! The kids had a fun night with their Daddy!!

Date with Mom and Dad!

2008-11-13T22:30:00.000-08:00

For the first time since Maddy was born Bryce and I took Kaden out on a date by ourselves! We have been so excited for the past month waiting for Madagascar 2 to come out because we knew Kaden would love it! Bryce ended work early today so we decided we would take him to the "Big TV" to see Madagascar. This is the first time he has ever gone to the movies, and he was awesome! He wanted to sit in his own seat and not on our laps! He looked so cute in those big ol' chairs. It was so funny because I didn't realize but when you only weigh 25ish pounds, your legs are not heavy enough to hold down the seat. So he watched most of the movie almost folded in half, but he wanted to sit by himself!! It was such a cute movie and very enjoyable for Bryce and I. Kaden was pretty sad when it was all done. He kept saying, "more big TV, more big TV!" I'm glad there were other kids there (of course it's a kid movie) cuz he kept saying "oooh Alex and Melman and Goria and Marty!" He can't just say one, he has to name them all! It was pretty priceless! Bryce and I really enjoyed the time together with him. Although we were in a movie the whole time, it was nice to be focused on him and how much fun he was having. I do think it is really important to have one-on-one time with your kids individually, especially as they get older and as you have more. Because we were always so busy and there were 4 of us, I rarely had individual time with my parents, especially my dad. But I do remember this one time, and I think I always will, where my dad took me to a UCSB Girls Basketball game. It was so much fun, just he and I especially watching something I loved! I also felt special because we went in the porsche!! Years later, I still think that it was such a special outing we went on just the two of us! Anyways, we had a great night and I thought I would share it!!
P.S. If your wondering about his cut, he got stitches off on Wednesday and it looks great!! It is just a thin line that in a couple of years will probably have disappeared! He's doing great!

Poor Little Guy!

2008-11-08T23:01:00.000-08:00

Kaden had his first major injury the other night! Besides bumps and bruises nothing serious has ever happened to him. But it was just a matter of time, and unfortunately, he fell and busted his eyebrow open! Poor little guy! With much deliberation about whether we thought he needed stitches, we decided to ask a pro. Luckily our friend Dave who is a PA was able to come to our rescue. He assessed Kaden and let us know that stitches would be the best route. So 5 stitches later, he is on his way to a full recovery! We can't express our appreciation to Dave enough!! We owe you BIG!!Our little Frankenstein!! He is actually doing really well. It doesn't seem to bother him that much only when he need to clean, neosporin, or band aid it.
Poor guy had to be restrained to be able to stitch him up. His Daddy was very brave and held his head in place to ensure he didn't move. I was proud that I was tough enough to also be there trying to calm him down. I knew that it would be better if he could see both Bryce and I, so I mentally prepped myself for painful screams from my baby and stood by his side. Bryce was much stronger than I, and was able to be by his side the whole time to help his little buddy! Good thing kids are so resilient! We love you Kaden!

Halloween...A little late!

2008-11-08T22:05:00.000-08:00

I'm finally getting to post some Halloween pictures! We had a fun Halloween night full of trick-or-treating and partying it up at Bryce's parents house. We figured we wouldn't get any kids at our house so we helped hand out candy at Bryce's parent's house and also enjoyed a little of Jamie's party. Bryce, his brother's, and Eric all made a haunted spook alley for Jamie's friends to freak out in. It worked really well with the girls! And some pics...For all of you Madagascar fans, Kaden was Marty for Halloween. This was the only time he would keep the head on. It was the best part, but we should have known he wouldn't be a fan. He looked awfully cute though! Mommy's little lamb! Of course Maddy had no issues with her hood, except she got hot. That's Cali for you, hot on Halloween!Yes, that is my man cub! I didn't know someone so handsome could get so...well...scary! Check out those teeth! Somehow, I had a different vision of a vampire...Edward!! :)I tried to be scary! I have to admit, I felt much more scary than now I can see that I looked. It was the first Halloween in my life that I dressed up as something scary and not cute and girly! Bryce and I were discussing our past costumes and I found it hilarious that everything he was it had to be dead. Like if he wanted to be a...clown for example, he had to be a dead clown. What a difference between girls and boys huh! FYI this is the best way to trick-or-treat with little ones!! It was perfect!Maddy loved the ride! She sat in her seat the whole time, just content with the ride!Eric and Harmony came up to join in on our Halloween fun! Skye was a cute little dragonfly.Kaden kept checking on his treats to make sure they were still in his bag. I think he was in shock at how many treats he was getting and that Bryce and I were excited for him to get them. He was so much fun to take and said "Trick or Treat" (with emphasis on the TREAT) to every house! What a fun night!

All Things Shrek!

2008-10-28T22:21:00.000-07:00

Our little guy turned TWO!! We had a great party with our family and friends. Shrek has been a favorite of Kaden's for quite some time now so only appropriate to have a Shrek party. I had been prepping him all week so when you asked him what kind of party he was having he knew, "Shrek parrrtyyyy!" Allow me to narrate the day through pictures...Shrek has some competition...he's pretty cute!!Our wonderful Chef Felicity made both Kaden's mini cake on the right and the big cake. Both a huge hit!! The big Shrek cake was the most amazing carrot cake! YUMMM!! Kaden's cake was fun-fetti giant cupcake with worms on the top and his face connected to a lollipop. She is way too creative!! It was awesome, thanks again!! Shrek decor...and the entertainment in the background!Harmony and Skye enjoying the festivities.Our friend Brittany and Maddy's future husband Oliver! What a cutie! The Grandpas! At one point in the day Kaden came up to them and pointed to one and said, "Grandpa" then looked at the other, paused for a moment and then said, "More Grandpa!" It was one of my favorite lines of the day!Kaden's Loot! Can we say spoiled or just really loved?! Bryce, Ryan and RobTearing into his presents. For the week after his bday he kept asking to open more presents! He would say, "Mom, more presents!" Like he didn't get enough! :) Not the greatest picture, but it showed a lot of Kaden's loving family.Our little guy...or not so little anymore! (Also kind of a blurry pic sorry!)He took one bite of his cake and said, "Yummy!!" He ate a good portion of it and loved every bite!Kenna your too cute!! This is her "cheese" pose, I love it!This is where I found Kaden part way into his party. He had to take a rest from all the fun!Kaden scored with all kinds of adorable clothes and awesome toys. He is way into figurines especially of animals. So we decided to line up all his animals/dinosaurs that he got from his bday and let him pose with them. What a big boy! I still can't believe our little guy turned TWO. It is also quite scary to think that Maddy's 1st birthday is in a month! Where has the time gone. I guess it really does fly when your having fun! We love you Kaden and hope you had a fun birthday!!

Words, Word, Words...

2008-10-22T20:55:00.000-07:00

A new word for Maddy!!

Maddy's vocabulary is growing fast! Her list of words include Mom, Dad, Hi, Bye, Uhh-Ohh, good girl, and now duck!! I realized I tell her "good girl" a lot and she has seemed to pick up on it. Kaden and Maddy were having their bath tonight and Kaden handed Maddy her pink duck to play with and as clear as day she said, "duck." I would have to say that she was born into the right family because besides her words we can understand, she chats it up all day long! She has to compete with Kaden so sometimes their volume gets pretty loud. Another reason she was born into the right family!! Can't wait to hear what her next word will be! Oh our little monkey is growing up too fast!!

More than just Pumpkins!

2008-10-06T10:14:00.000-07:00

There was a "Fall" feeling in the air on Saturday so we decided to embrace it and visit a pumpkin patch. I have been anxious to get some cute pumpkin pictures this year and Saturday turned out to be the perfect day. We went to Peltzer Farms with Bryce's family minus Grandma and Grandpa. There was so much to do than just play with pumpkins! It was such a fun day with lots of cute pictures. I always appreciate Justin and his willingness to take pictures with his awesome Cannon Rebel (I try not to covet but it's hard). After the day ended, we realized we took 450 pictures in a few hours of pumpkin patchin'!!! Here are a few, well quite a few, brace yourself...They had a really nice and clean petting zoo with very calm and friendly animals. I was suprised that all the kids were so excited with no hesitation about petting and feeding the goats, even Maddy. I love this picture!! What a cutie pie! The goats were really excited about her food!SQUEEEEEEZE!!! Kaden gave lots of love to the goats!Poor goat! Kaden decided the goat was a perfect height to ride! Maddy didn't exaclty "pet" the goat, her "pets" turned into "pulls", but the goat didn't even flinch.Kaden is slightly obsessed with animals and has a slightly larger obsession with horses so when he saw the pony rides he was in heaven. He kept tell us,"riiiide horse". It was perfect, they strapped him in nice and tight so we didn't even have to walk around holding him. He was definitely in his element. At one point he even asked for a cowboy hat. I guess we weren't fully prepared with all the gear! There were some big tears when it was time to get off which then earned him a free ride! Lucky boy! Before the day was over he rode the horses 3 times, but could've stayed all night long!Never too young to ride a pony! She is quite a fearless 10 month old. She loved it!This picture perfectly describes their relationship. So cute!!Don't get lost in the corn maze boys!!Maddy was the perfect model! This age is great where they smile on command but stay where you pose them; 2 year olds are a different story!I LOVE pumpkins!!!Pumpkin-head!Hey there girlies!! "The Brotherhood" Finally, all the boys together at last!And of course we can't forget the girls!Buried in straw, how fun!!It is getter harder and harder to get a family picture where both kids are smiling and happy, so this is as good as we got. Then finally a picture of Bryce and I! Usually one of us are on the other side of the camera and the other holding a child! So it was nice to finally get a picture of the two of us.

Thanks for the patience with the endless amount of pictures, I was really excitied about all of them so it was hard to choose a few!

2008-09-20T22:51:00.000-07:00

Like the new hair-do???

"Rock Star" in the making!!

Welcome Home Elder Bishop!

2008-09-14T23:08:00.000-07:00

The long awaited September 3rd, 2008 finally came!! We all carpooled in a 15 passenger van, 3 babies and all, to go to LAX to pick up our little missionary! After what seemed like an eternity of waiting, he finally made his way around the corner and there he was! Two years of waiting and he is finally home. Korea has given us back our Kristopher! We were all so excited and anxious for his arrival. When Kris and his mom embraced there was such a tender moment of pure joy and happiness to be together again! I can't imagine the relief of having him home safe and now in your arms! We were also extra excited to introduce Kris to his nieces and nephew that were born while he was gone. It was so sweet to see the love on his face for these new babies in his life and how excited he was to play with them and shower them with hugs and kisses. For probably about a year now, we have been showing Kaden Kris's picture on our refrigerator so it was cute to see him recognize him and call him by name. We are so proud of his great sacrifice and the hard work that he gave to the Lord and the people of Korea for two years of his life, and are glad to have him home!We love our Uncle Kris!!!

A Visit From Grandpa and Grammy!

2008-09-14T22:12:00.000-07:00

My dad left his "home" in Africa to come to his "real" home and payed us all a nice visit. The days always seem too short and the time passes by much too fast, but amidst the chaos of babyland, it is always nice to have some quality time with my parents and especially my dad when he is home. So of course we had to head to the beach for some sandy fun!
Kaden and Gracey helped Grandpa dig a hole to play in. It offered much enjoyment and a break from chasing them around!The tide came up and filled the hole with water so they had their personal swimming pool which they absolutely loved!!
Maddy is in Grammy heaven!Grammy and Kaden enjoying the waves! (Uncle JJ I think we might have a beach bum in the making!)Maddy could not get enough of the sand, especially in her mouth. They all go through the sand eating time, I stopped trying to prevent it and decided that it wouldn't kill her! She enjoyed the tide coming up and the cold water on her little or should I say plump legs! Gracey is content in her domain, "The Beach!" and too cute for words!There is a hand full of sand in those little grippers!Cousin Fun! Skye showed Maddy how to get around in the sand!
We miss you already Grandpa and Grammy. We had a fun visit and can't wait for the next one!! Love you!

"Wove"

2008-08-15T21:58:00.000-07:00

I had to post a precious moment I had with Kaden this evening. I kinda had a rough evening and fussy kids didn't help. Kaden fought taking a bath, brushing his teeth, and tried to prolong bed time as long as he could. When I finally got him calmed down in his room we were saying our prayers and he was sitting on my lap facing me. My eyes were closed saying the prayer and I felt a tiny soft hand rub my cheek a few times, more like pet my cheek very softly. When I finished I opened my teary eyes and he was staring right at me. He looked at me and stared into my eyes and said "wove" (translation: I love you) It was one of the sweetest moments I have had with Kaden. Not only was he being so gentle and sweet but I saw that he really understood "wove" and didn't just say it because we asked him too. I wanted to make sure I posted this moment so I don't forget it. I love you Kaden!!

I Can Count!!

2008-08-13T23:20:00.000-07:00

Kaden learned to count a little over a month ago but I was finally able to video it and have the proof. He is concentrating on his blocks so he is a little quiet. You might need to turn up your volume a bit to hear him.

What a cutie pie! Kaden is 21 months old and is such a fun little guy. He has so much personality and has so much energy, he keeps me on my toes. Kaden seems to say a new word every day and is just shy of speaking in sentences. He LOVES animals, mostly making their noises. He also would run and play until his legs fell off if possible, and has developed a real love for the park, any park with slides. He tests the boundaries every day by doing stuff he shouldn't do and then looking at us to see if we are going to do anything about it. Perfect example...he loves to jump over things now and of course Maddy is a perfect candidate when she's on her belly. So naturally he wants to jump over her but doesn't always clear her. So the other day instead of jumping he was stepping over her and looking at me the whole time seeing if I was going to make him stop. He is a little stinker, a cute one at that! My friend Stacie took these precious pictures of Kaden a couple of weeks ago. I can't wait until the day comes when I too will own a Canon!! A girl can dream!!Yes he is laying on a cement sidewalk. This was after a traumatic bubble/dish soap incident. Sometimes they are the cutest when they aren't feeling well. What a handsome boy!He is Bryce's child! :)

She's on the Move!

2008-08-12T21:38:00.000-07:00

That's right, Maddy is crawling at 8 months!! Well the Maddy version of crawling. You will understand by the video. A bitter sweet moment for us!! Of course we are so excited that she is progressing, however, that just means more supervision needed! Yikes! Maddy is growing up way too fast. This week was a big week for her. Her two top teeth poked through, she started crawling, she can wave and also say "uh-oh" as she learned from her big brother. They weren't kidding when they said that younger siblings progress a little faster. Amidst her busy week of changes, Maddy has managed to still be the happiest baby I think I've ever seen. Not much seems to bother her and she smiles at the drop of a hat. She is very resilient and Kaden has taught her to be one tough girl! We definitely were blessed with a little angel girl!

(Sorry the color is kinda funky, it was in the evening, bad lighting!)Contrary to what this picture portrays, Maddy 's hair is starting to come in! Patience!
You are very talented lil' miss!Kaden and Maddy are really starting to enjoy playing. Just about anything Kaden does makes Maddy laugh. His laugh is contagious to her and they both just end up giggling for no reason!

Summertime Fun!!

2008-07-25T11:48:00.000-07:00

We have had a great summer so far and spent most of it outdoors. Kaden is constantly standing by the door saying "side", which of course means outside. We have had lots of fun pool days, park days, and our own backyard days. I'm with Kaden, might as well enjoy the sunny weather while it lasts, as long as it's not too hot!! Maddy is finally sturdy enough to ride in the wagon! Yeah another mode of transportation! Their skin definitely doesn't do our play time justice! My little whities!! I think it's the lighting!! :)She poses so well for me, she needs to give Kaden a few tips!Perfect seat for you KK! First of many tree climbs I'm sure! Assisted tree climbs of course!They both enjoy the crab floaty! It seems as though he loves the pool more and more everytime we go.Maddy is our water baby!! Loved it from day one! She gets her feet kicking so fast that she actually moves herself. Future Olympian swimmer I guess! :)I might be biased but isn't she just the cutest thing ever!! She just learned how to clap her hands which is so cute. She actually knows the word and will clap if you ask her to. Smart cookie! She also just recently said "mama", a very happy moment for me. Now she can say dada, mama, and a whole lot of babbling we can't quite make out yet. What a happy little monkey!!I had to throw this one in here, I'm sure Kaden will hate me for it later. He got a hold of a pair of fake glasses I used to sport, and enjoyed running around the house looking extra intelligent! My kids are so much fun! This is such a fun age for both of them (amidst the days I want to pull my hair out). They really are such fun little munchkins! Now if we can just keep it to two for a while that would be most terrific!!

Lots to Celebrate!

2008-07-21T13:43:00.000-07:00

We have had a month of celebrating! Too much fun, no time to blog! So now that it has died down a bit I have a moment to let you in on our festivities! Enjoy!
We celebrated my birthday at the beginning of the month with lots of family and lots of German Chocolate Cake..my favorite!! Yum Yum! If your wondering, my crown says "Birthday Princess", is that not perfect! Thanks Mom!
4th of July was next. We celebrated it in Carlsbad with Eric and Harmony (also Eric's Bday) and my mom. Unfortunately, it was so foggy at the beach that no fireworks were seen, but we had a fun day at the pool and of course yummy food.We also celebrated our 4 year Anniversary! I can't believe it! We had a fun paddle boat ride in a nearby community lake and enjoyed chocolate-covered strawberries, Martinelli's, and the beautiful sunset. I must say it was quite romantic!!We also enjoyed a visit from Grammy! We are always sad when our right-hand woman has to go back home! Your such a big help mom, and a great babysitter!!

We Miss You Beach!

2008-06-27T21:09:00.000-07:00

I would like to think that if we still lived in Newport that we would be at the beach everyday, which probably isn't the case, but being away from it I realize how much I miss it. I miss being able to just go on a walk and have the crisp salty air in my face. The breathtaking views of that the beach and harbor would offer. I also miss the sand in my toes and in all of Kaden's crevices, somehow it makes its way everywhere. I miss you beach!! Well today we had to pay a little visit to the beach, not Newport but Oceanside. It is a little closer and offers not only beach but fun cousins to play with! We were quite a sight. I'm pretty sure we took up half the beach with umbrellas, strollers and baby gear. There was a cute pregnant couple enjoying their lunch sitting below us and I was hoping that we didn't scare them. I guess she was only having one baby and not five of different ages!! My little beach bum is getting so big. He is a boy now, no sign of baby left in him! Sad, but also exciting to experience the next stage. We haven't quite hit "The Twos", so we are still in good spirits!Maddy experienced the beach in two different ways today, happy playing......and oh so happy sleeping! Look at those cheeks. Good thing Jamie was nice and comfy.Kaden LOVES Jamie and so do we!! Not only is she a HUGE help whenever she is around but she is always so sweet and fun to be with. She is the lil' sis I never had!What cha talking about girls? It is too early for boys! They already play so well together!! I think it is safe to say that Gracey likes sand!How relaxing Felicity! I'm sorry that it only lasted as long as the picture took, you gotta love active toddlers!!!McKenna, you're too cute!! Surprisingly sandless!

It was a great day at the beach and ended with the best frozen yogurt I have ever had in my life!! Berry Swirl is a must!! We managed to get through the day with no ant bites, bee stings or meltdowns! Good day!! We miss you beach!! Can't wait to see you again!