Quality Time!

Sunday morning we got up early and headed out to ride Edward's quad! We went with our friends Daniel and Holly and their kids, too. They also have a quad, so we all took turns and went riding while the others would watch the kids. We had so much fun, and the weather wasn't too bad either. Holly and I might be asking for our own quads soon. :)

The kids brought their off-road vehicles, too! Here is Gabriel in his truck!

Kiera in her Jeep!!

The kids will be asking for real ones before we know it!

Mommy taking Gabriel for a ride. Don't worry, we went slow and there was nobody around. He really likes going on short rides with us!

Edward hit a rock and pretty much destroyed his tire, but luckily he had a spare at the house. Daniel ran back to get it so we could stay. Of course this happened first thing in the morning, so we were lucky it didn't ruin our day.

He Survived Day 1!

Today was the first day of the Pre-Academy for Edward. He is training at the Tempe Police Station for the next two weeks and then has starts at ALEA (the academy for most police departments in the city). I made him let me take his picture. So, I will keep everyone updated with pictures of him over the next 4 months. He is really excited, but still pretty nervous! Be sure to continue to keep him in your prayers!

In his "Black and Whites". This is what he will wear most days to the academy.

Good Times with the Kiddos!

Kiera eats her first bites of "real food". I made her butternut squash since it was one of Gabriel's favorites, and she loved it!!! She wasn't too happy when it was gone.
Sipping her water after her meal and sporting a Raiders bib since it was Sunday! Yes, the Raiders lost.
We discovered this wagon was the perfect size for Kiera and the kids had a blast playing with it!
Brother and sister getting ready to go down the slide.
Kiera playing with her friend Kami! They get really excited when they see eachother! It is really cute to watch them "play".Kiera trying to eat the ribbon.Kiera and Gabriel love bath time! She is always reaching for the toys he is playing with and he "nicely" tells her that they are his. (technically, yes, we haven't bought her any bath toys) Some day, she just won't accept that for an answer. He has no idea. Poor kid. :)

Vegas!

I went to Vegas last weekend for a bachelorette party and we had a blast! Shannon (the bride-to-be) and Bryant are getting married in less than 2 weeks! Edward is a groomsman and Gabriel is the ring bearer!

Getting ready to head to the Strip!

Heading to the Palms for a night of dancing!

Holly and I after a night of dancing!!!! We had a ton of fun! Thanks Shannon for inviting me! I can't wait 'til October 4th!!!

Disneyland and California Adventure!

We went to Disneyland and California Adventure when we were in CA and had a ton of fun! The middle of the week in the middle of September is the way to go. The place was practically empty and it was such a beautiful day!! With us came Grandma Susan, Auntie Linda, Uncle Wally and Great Grandpa!

Gabriel was so excited to see Mickey and Minnie, but when it was time to say hi he became very shy. In the end he offered a high five and was excited to get started with our day!

Mommy and Gabriel on the new Toy Story Mania ride!

Kiera enjoying lunch at Club 33! Well, she enjoyed watching us eats lots of yummy food. She is also doing really well sitting in a high chair!

Edward taking Gabriel on the Matterhorn. Yep, Gabriel went on his first roller coaster ride. He did really well and even wanted to go again.

Us getting ready to go on Space Mountain!

P.S. Lauren (from previous post) was able receive Edward's blood today! We were so excited that we could be a part of helping her to get better soon!

Visiting Lauren

Edward and I went to Children's Hospital in LA on our vacation to donate blood to an extended family member (Edward's cousin's husbands neice - does that make sense?). She was diagnosed on April 1st with a brain tumor.

She was in the hospital that day getting chemo so we were able to see them, too. Unfortunetly, I couldn't donate due to my hemoglobin (sp?) level. They recommended more red meat. I'm not so sure about that.

Edward donating blood. They actually let you donate for a particular person if you are the right blood type. I know I match with Lauren (not that it mattered since I couldn't donate), but Edward doesn't know his blood type so when they figure that out then we will know if Lauren will get his blood and they will tell us, too! If not I am sure someone else will appreciate it!

The nurse painting Lauren's nails while she was getting her chemo through IV. Next to her is her sister Marissa.

Us with Lauren. Check out her blog (Lauren Nihei) on my list to read more about Lauren and her progress so far. She is taking everything amazingly well for just being 4 years old!

Kiera eats cereal!!!

Kiera started eating cereal and she loves it! We are hoping she will start sleeping better through the night with some extra calories before bedtime. The last few days have been really great, so we hope that continues!

"I Love Camping!"

As I lay awake on Saturday morning looking up at the trees that surround me I tell Edward who lay next to me in our tent, "I love camping!". He replied with, "You sure are wide awake for someone that wants to go back to sleep." Knowing I didn't have to get up to two kids I did want to go back to sleep, but that didn't really happen. There is something about the great outdoors that makes you want to get up and enjoy it all, and we did!

Kelli, Melynda, and Holly just hanging out!

The boys getting ready to shot gun a beer!Leia drinking a beer! Just kidding, she is just holding Laura's. :)
Holly playing with fire! This is our favorite thing to do when we go camping (no worries, we are usually pretty safe)!

The boys playinbg a made up game with the football. The best part was when they convinced us to play, too. We had a ton of fun!

Somehow Kelli managed to give both Edward and Marc piggy-back rides. I give her and her thighs a lot of credit!