Mason Turns 4

I can't even believe it but my baby boy turned 4 on monday! He gets more and more excited each year for his birthday, he woke up that morning and asked "where's my birthday?" I don't think he gets that it's a day and not a physical thing but none the less it's so cute! Papa brought doughnuts over in the morning and we stuck a candle in it and sang to him! Then I had bible study so Steph brought lunch over and picked up the cake for me and we had our study with the ladies of our church and then she graciously stayed with me and helped decorate and made some appetizers (she also took all the pictures for me). We had fun getting the house all ready, things are always more fun with a friend. Ed picked up the balloons and then got the boys out of the house while we finished up, he and I made the mac and cheese the night before so we just had to get it in the oven. We had such a great turn out, we are so blessed by all the sweet friends and family we have! Mason loved blowing out his candles and opening his fun gifts, he got all kinds of adorable clothes and some fun toys! Thank you to all who came and those who couldn't make it but still dropped off things for him, it's so appreciated, he was one happy boy :0)

Day Hike

Again, out of order here but a few weeks ago we went on a little day hike around Fallen Leaf Lake with my grandparents. It was such a nice day, we met them up there and then drove around until we found a spot we though we'd hike around. There was a pretty waterfall and stream that we sort of went along, the boys absolutely loved it. Mason led the way and thought it was just great. Afterwards we packed a lunch and sat in the back of our cars and ate and then we took the boys to get ice cream at camp richardson before it closes for the season. It was a great day, nice to get out before the snow comes!

Happy Birthday Ed!

I returned from LA on the 20th and Ed' birthday was the next day. I planned a dinner for Friday but the boys and I wanted to do something for his actual Birthday. We went to the park and had lunch with him and then the kids and I came home and decorated and made a cake to have our own little party with just the 4 of us. It was pretty fun, the boys made a sign for him and each picked out their own cards for him. Then thursday night Jeremy and Steph had us over for dinner to celebrate since they could come Friday. We left the boys with Papa and Drama (that's what the boys call her) and we had the Costco blue packet steaks (somewhat inside joke sorry lol) It was delicious as always and then we had some Baskin Robins ice cream and hung out! Friday night we had our families over and made some carnitas. Another fun night!!!

Meeting Sailor Jean

Sweet Sailor Jean was born August 29th and I was able to fly down a meet her! I was very anxious about flying alone and being gone from my family for 5 days but we made it happen and I was so glad that I did! I flew down on a Thursday night and the whole fam picked me up from the airport. Scout was super excited to see me, she talked my ear off all the way home, it was so cute. And little miss Sailor was just ever so precious and tiny, I forget how incredibly tiny new borns are (she was two weeks when I got there). So fun, the next morning I was still on my home schedule of being waken up by two little boys around 6:30 so I got up to read for awhile and I hear "STACIA! STACIA!" from Scouts room :0) She was ready to play the second her little eyes opened it was adorable, I couldn't have been happier! That night we met up with Josh and Michelle and went down to the food trucks. So. Good. That was a lot of fun, Sailor slept through it all and Scout danced her way down the streets and the food was amazing!! Afterwards we had to go to the store but Sailor was on the verge of waking up and going to be very hungry, we went for it anyway ha ha! She woke up five steps into the store so Em took her to the car to feed her while Pete, Scout and I split the list and ran through the store as fast as we could, it was kind of comical, and Scout was just yelling "Emawee" trying to find her... too funny! We made it though all to say! We also had a nice dinner over at the Tagliere's (Pete's parents) and that was really nice, I got to see his whole family again, he, his brother and his brother-in-law have close birthdays so we were celebrating that! Em and I also got out one day and did a little shopping at H&M- love that store, and another day her mom watched both girls and we went and got pedicures and lunch! And her mom was also kind enough to have us over for dinner the night Pete went back to work, and we barbequed and Scout and I swam in her pool, it was so nice! I couldn't believe how fast 5 days just flew right by! It was so great to spend time down there by my self with my precious friend and her adorable girls, I was so glad that I could help out a little and get to just soak in Sailor before we all head down there (next week). I just love those girls so much, had such a fabulous time! And it was all made possible by my sweet husband who insisted that I go for that long and take some time for my self, my grandparents who watched the boys one day and did all kinds of arts and crafts and sounds like had a super fun time with the boys, and my momma who also took the boys one of the days and my sweet "Stephy" as mason calls her, she cleaned my house and baked bread and lemon bars and the boys just loved hanging out with her, Mason even told her at nap time "I love you Stephy" so sweet! It was very comforting knowing that my boys were in good hands, made it a lot easier to leave :0) and at the airport I was greeted home by both boys running across the airport yelling Mommy!! All in all just an amazing time was had, can't wait to get back down there, all 8 under one roof should be very exciting!!!

Swimming at Diane's

Sporting our matching Target pants and shirts <3

Last day good byes

The girls ;) love them!

Playing with Scout! Too Fun!

Sailor girl, so so cute!

Food Trucks!

<3

Mason Makes the Paper

Ok ok I know it's not THAT exciting, but I was pretty excited. The county built a new jail and had an open house for it the other night. We decided to not attend but wanted the boys to go with my sister-in-law. She took all the kids down and did the tour with them and they got to pet one of the horses. So Mason and my niece Amanda got their picture taken petting the horse and there was a little article in the paper! I thought it was cute ;) Here's the link if you're interested...

http://www.recordcourier.com/article/20110826/NEWS/110829899&parentprofile=search

Summer Fun and Random Pics

I can't believe that it's already the end of August! Where in the world did this summer go? I've only made it up to the Lake 3 times but it seems like we've been ever so busy! I've taken the boys to the swim center twice, once on a play date with Madeline and once with Steph and her nephew Anthony, both times it was a hit. We've done a few park days, hit up the nice and cool library and lots and lots of just hanging out around the yard. We even did a day at Wild Island with Steph and my sister-in-law and my niece and nephews! I have to say, this sumer has been a lot of fun but I am looking forward to winter again, a little slower pace, although Steph and I were talking last night and there's only like 2 free weekend between now and after the Holidays, it's insane, so hunker down folks it's about to get even crazier!

For the random picture portion of this update is just a few of my favorite ones of the boys in the past month or so. They are getting a little easier to photograph, they'll actually smile and cooperate a little so it's fun. Enjoy...

God's Grace

Poor Waylon, he came down with a fever on a friday night a few weeks ago and fought it for 4 days. It spiked at a 103.6 but remained right in there all 4 days. It seems we always get sick on a friday night, right before the weekend where I can't get into the doctors office. We battled out the fever all weekend and I was able to get him in on Monday afternoon. The doctor thought for that he had strep but tested him anyway and it wasn't, it ended up being a virus that looks and acts like strep but doesn't respond to antibiotics just needs to run its corse. At that point the fever had finally broke so she gave him a throat numbing medicine to make him a little more comfortable. I feel so bad when the boys get fevers. They are just miserable and I just bug them to death with the cold wash clothes, yucky medicines and constant temperature checks. Thankfully no one else got it, just Waylon and by the end of the week he was much better.

I titled this post God's grace because not only did He get us through that week with Waylon and it was nothing more than a simple virus but He had his hand on Mason and my Momma that day too. Susie kindly took Mason for me the day I took Waylon to the doctor, she had to run to reno to pick up some material for our business and he tagged along with her. She called on her way back and said she had to stop at Trader Joe's for a few things and then she'd be home. A few hours had passed and I was so occupied with Way and dinner I hadn't really noticed, Ed too wasn't home and I had sent him a few text with no response but still wasn't by any means alarmed, it all was pretty normal. Around 7 pm Ed, his mom and Mason all walked in, I still assumed nothing other than they all got home at the same time, but then Ed asked Mason to "Tell mom what happened"... Turns out there was some ducks crossing a road and the lady in front of my mom stopped on the HWY for the ducks and mom crashed into the back of her. The Lord had taken 9 lives within 3 weeks of their accident on that HWY and he ever so graciously spared my little boy and my precious mother-in-law from nothing more then a tiny bruised neck from Mason's carseat straps. I could hardly believe that they were in an accident and fine, I just hugged Mason and had an abundance of thanks to the merciful God I worship! Moms car had to be towed away, she cracked the radiator or something so it didn't run but I was still just ever so thankful! Mason wasn't scared or shaken up at all, in fact he went and grabbed a little race car toy he has and a tow truck toy too and showed me what happened, and was very animated!

Puppy...Kittens...Who am I?

We started talking about getting another dog, looking at pictures and prices and seeing what's out there. We really weren't all that serious, it more like something that sounded like a good idea... Well I stumbled across this adorable little year and a half old Beagle/Hound dog on the incline animal shelter website. I called to see what it would take to get him, found myself filling out the adoption app, getting our animals current on shots and two days later driving up to incline to pick up our Henry boy! I don't know what happened exactly, I fell in love with this little guy, and if you know me you'd know I'm not a huge animal fan, but he was so sweet I couldn't resist. Plus, I wanted a pal for our dog Bailey to have in the yard with her, and I wanted a smaller dogs for the boys- They just love him, way calls him "hungry" and mason calls him "honey" so we're working on that. He dug out of the yard within the first few days, but I fixed that problem and he didn't listen at all and he's already gotten a lot better at that too! I'm pretty happy with Mr. Henry and Ed secretly loves him too.

Then just last week our cat had kittens. Like all the litters we have around here there was of course complications. She ended up having them in the litter box and when I opened it I saw one had died, one was roaming around and then there was a clump of four trying to separate but couldn't. I picked them up to put in a cleaner environment and the four were still connected by their cords and after birth. It was a mess, it was covered in litter and I think that's why she wasn't eating it off. So, after a phone call to Ed he came home to help me do some surgery lol. We had to cut them free and I honestly didn't think they'd live. The internet said to tie the cords if you have to cut them but it was such a mess and they were so tangled that we were barely able to cut them free at all without almost giving them another belly button! And then I thought momma kitty was going to just reject them after that, she wasn't getting in the box with them, but Ed put her in and she's been nursing ever since ha! So, now we have 5 kittens and I have one maybe two spoken for so....