We won today! Angel's team won 9 - 7. They played against a really good team that beat them last weekend. But not today!! And Larry's such a good coach!

This is a Test

This is a blackberry mobile test.

Hooray, it works! Now if I can only figure out how to post pictures through my phone. I LOVE my new Blackberry Storm. As Alliah and Angel put it, "IT ROCKS!"

She's Four Months Now!

Grace turned four months on May 4th. She is just growing like a little ragweed. We are amazing at the new things she does each and every day. Tonight I took Grace a bath. She has a little cold and cough so she really enjoyed her warm bath. She doesn't fit in the bath hammock we used to put her in. She sits in the baby tub and loves to kick her feet and splash in the water. She loves everything about a bath; even drying up. She especially loves getting lotioned up. I always do a little baby massage and she smiles from ear to ear. The part she absolutely HATES is for me to dry her hair. The child has so much of it that it takes a while and she has no patience for it!It was on her 4 month birthday that Grace decided she was going to hold her head up and shout to the world! She is quite the talker now. She still can't stay on "tummy time" for very long, but she's doing better. When she's done on the tum-tum she yells out and I mean yells. She doesn't cry, but yells! It almost sounds like she says, "Ay! Ay!" We crack up!
It was also on Gracie's four month birthday (as we lovingly call it) that she discovered her FEET! Oh she laughs when she sees them! Everyday at about noon I lay her down in her crib for a rest. She used to watch the little mobile that we got for her, but not anymore. She has all the entertainment she needs right built in. She tried to get her feet to her mouth, but because she's so chunky it's hard for her to do it!
At Grace's last doctor's appointment she weighed 14lb 12oz and was 25 inches long! I'm raising a GIANT! :D That's okay...that just means that no one will mess with her when she gets older.
Each day we are falling more and more in love with this precious gift. Angel and Alliah laugh so hard when they see Grace play with her feet. They are as amazed as we are of how much she is discovering and learning already. I got a feeling that this little one is going to be quite the character. Sweet and full of life.

The Weight Loss Train

Choo-choo! So I'm jumping on the weight loss train once again. Working from home, well, just BEING at home all the time has left me spending much too much time dancing with the refrigerator handles. Yep, me and Grace has been indulging in home cooked food a little too much and both our clothes are getting a little tight. Okay, okay...Grace is SUPPOSED to be growing, but I'm not! So, I've started keeping my food journal again and me and Grace are enjoying the beautiful weather we're having by taking long strolls down our neighborhood streets. Today I was inspired by the immaculate landscapes of some of the houses we walked by. So much so that I mowed our lawn (for the first time), pulled weeds, swept the walkways...ughhh Now I'm so tired! I had to look up "how to start a lawn mower" on e-how.com and I got the job done! Yay me. So, whenever you pick up a nice juicy burger or gulp down a delicious strawberry milkshake, think of me. My train has left the station and, for now, it is going at a steady pace. I'm feeling motivated!

Feeling So Grateful

Last night as we sat at the dinner table, I just sat back and watched my family interacting with one another, smiling, laughing, just enjoying time together. My Angel is growing so fast right before our eyes. He had baseball practice yesterday afternoon and was still over-stimulated by the fun he had. His eyes lit up like a bonfire when Larry told him that he did the best job out on the field that day. He leaped off his chair to his feet and said, "Really, Daddy? I did?" Larry told him he did a good job and Angel sat back down, smiling, and then continued to get his grub on (Anyone who has had the experience of watching Angel eat will tell you it is quite a sight. He inhales food!) Alliah just amazes me. She can be so caring and say the darndest things. She also can be a little stinker, but today she chose to be a sweetheart. After Larry complimented Angel, Alliah said, "Yeah, I'm proud of you, too, brother" and knodded her head in a "matter-of-fact" kind of way. Miss Grace just sat completely content in her bouncer on the floor between Larry and Alliah. She didn't cry or make the whiney noises she's discovered she can make now. She just smiled away, playing with the toys that hang from the bouncer. Later in the evening, Larry asked the kids to bring down their homework so he could check it. Yes, you read it right. Larry is the homework checker - and to him I am eternally grateful! Alliah breezes through homework and wants to do more! Unfortunately, Angel guessed at half his answers and had to do them all over again. It wasn't a pretty sight. Larry was upset and Angel was crying. Needless to say, me, Alliah and Grace left the dining room and let Dad and Angel get down to business. It took them quite a while for Angel to understand his work so Alliah had to go upstairs to bed without him. About a 1/2 hour later, Angel went on up to bed. We stayed up to watch the 10 o'clock news. After getting Grace to bed I always make sure Angel and Alliah are covered and comfortable for the night. When I walked into Angel's room, I stepped on a box of candy, taped to a piece of paper. Alliah had written Angel a note. This is what it said: "Dear Angel, I was crying for you as I walked up the stairs because you were sad. Tomorrow we can play anything you want. I just wanted to let you know that I love you. Your sister, Alliah." Then she drew hearts all over with smiley faces inside. My heart melted!! We'd been experiencing some bumps in the road with the kids lately so I'm so glad that I got to peek into my daughter's heart and see that it is still made of gold. I'm grateful for my loving husband, my sensitive son, my caring daughter, and my precious baby girl. Thank you, Jesus!

More Pics...

Here Miss Gracie sits in a cool, new chair called a Bumbi. My mom has this chair at her house for cousin Isabella, who is now a whopping six months, so we sat Grace in it to see what she would do. Well she sat for a good five minutes or so...needless to say, we went to Target the next day and got her one, too. But her's is PINK!

These next two pics are from Easter Sunday. Tia Connie got Gracie laughing like she'd never laughed before. It was more than a giggle, like we've heard Gracie do. She was laf-fing! :D She loves her Tia Connie!


Here is a picture you don't see too often...ME! Yes, I am ususally the one taking all of the photos so I am rarely seen on this blog. But, Larry caught me, Gracie and my Mom on Easter Sunday, looking so happy and feeling so loved!

Grace and Mommy on Easter Sunday, 2009. Here Grace is wearing a beautiful, pink jacket given to her by my Tia Susie (my dad's sister).

New Pics!

So I've been a little busy....not able to post updated pictures of the kiddos, but here they are! It's 11:13pm, but I'm posting! Hope they make you smile as big as they make me smile. I sure do love my babies...

Here both kids were outside practicing their baseball/softball skills. I can't believe how big their getting. How times flies...

My Angel is such a good helper. He loves his baby sister so much and her face lights up whenever he walks into the room.

Miss Alliah gives us a model pose as she is ready to go to church in the outfit SHE put together. Such a fashionista!

A Hot, Hot Day

Today we were so HOT! It was a scorching 98 degrees here and that is crazy hot for us! My Gracie got to hang out in her diaper while the rest of us wished we could do the same. Alliah and Angel came home from school hot looking like little red tomatoes. Larry called it an early day, working until noon. I had some running around to do and, of course, I had my road baby with me. She always makes the day so much better. As I was washing Gracie's bottles tonight, I felt a cool breeze blow through the kitchen window. I immediately had a flashback of the cool Fresno nights (from many, many...many moons ago) when Larry and I would take late night walks and hold hands and just talk. I told him my "flashback" and said I missed those times. And what did he say? "Hey, we got three kids now." I couldn't believe it! What a thing to say when I was feeling so nostaligic. What a man thing to say. Anyways, I still miss those times that we just had eachother and we were freshly "in love." I'm told we'll experience those times once we're 'empty nesters.' Ah....while I enjoy every minutes of parenting, I miss the "larry and me times." We built a good foundation to build our lives upon during those evening walks. I guess I have that to be thankful for. :D

Softball Is Underway!

The softball season is in full swing and Alliah is having so much fun! The girls play pretty good for a pre-rookie team. It's Alliah's third year playing so she's pretty much the team "veteran." LOL She has got one mean arm! In this picture her team was playing the 'Carmel Winners'. Unfortunately, they were later called the Carmel "losers" because the 'Mighty Dolphins' sank 'em! :D (I really do have good sportsmanship on the field and I'd never say that to Alliah, but it's my blog and I can brag on my baby girl here.) :D Tonight is Angel's game and I'm taking my camera. I hope to get a pic of him in his catcher's gear. So cute!

Pictures As Promised

Here are the pictures I promised to post of Grace in her new jumper. She still loves it - and we love it too because it keeps her from wanting to be held all the time. She'll play a whole 20 minutes or so! We feel so blessed to have such a good baby. Everyone was right, she is growing fast. Can't believe she's already 3-1/2 months. Still a baby, but growing right before our eyes. Everyday holds a new discovery: her tongue, her hands, her fingers, recognizing songs and laughing uncontainably! I drop a tear almost every day because I am so thankful to the Lord for this beautiful, beautiful gift.