Life & Times of the Corbridge's

2012-01-31T10:13:00.000-08:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAYCE!!

We celebrated Mayce's 5th birthday this weekend. She was spoiled by her family and enjoyed having them there with her to celebrate.

Mayce and I often have a battle on her wardrobe. When Payton and Fallyn were her age they must have loved me more because they let me dress them in whatever I wanted. Most mornings Mayce and I are quick to compromise but Sundays are an exception. She always wants to wear a "puffy" dress. So for her birthday both of her grandma's took her shopping for dresses that fit her requirement. She actually has a physical test for the "puffiness" of the dress. She does a twirl and goes down to her kness. If the dress "puffs" up around her when she's down it's a winner. I believe my mom said she tried on about 8 dresses before deciding on the best. So here they are:

Another favorite gift this year is one of those balloon animals that float near the ground so it looks like they're walking. We avoid this booth at the mall but a birthday was a good excuse for her cousins to get her one.

Thank you to our family for celebrating this amazing young lady with us. She keeps my days entertaining and we love her so much!

2012-01-17T11:28:00.000-08:00

Nothing too exciting happening around here. I'll post some pictures to keep you coming back!

This year in primary the kids are randomly chosen to take home "CTR Charlie" (I think that's his name) and they're encouraged to take or draw a picture with him while doing some service. So here's Fallyn advertising Crisco and making dessert for FHE. She choose to make the chocolate cookies using Devil's Food Cake mix. Thank you to the Krupp's for introducing us to those via their blog years ago. Yum!

Drake sees a laundry basket and needs to sit in it. And Mayce is a fan of having her picture taken.

The girls are really into making masks. Fallyn randomly surprised us with her dalmatian face and Mayce needed one too. So Fallyn helped Mayce make hers. They crack me up.

Merry Christmas to me! I got an ipad from Dave for Christmas this year. The kids think it was a family gift. But how can I resist them when they're enjoying it together? Here they are watching "Kid History" on youtube. I love them, so they pretty much use it more than me.

So there we are in a nutshell last week!

2012-01-04T20:58:00.000-08:00

(We are just going to pretend is hasn't been almost a year!)

My first thought is, "We had a great Christmas this year!" and then I remember it could have been better. The reason it could have been better was because Drake had his first ear infection. It was the first ear infection EVER for our family. Of course the worst day was Christmas day. All he wanted to do was watch movies in the car. So that's where he and Dave spent the morning. Poor Drake just cried and wanted to be held. But Monday we had it diagnosed and with the help of modern medicine we are good. Well, good on the Drake front. On the 28th Mayce started complaining of ear pain. We saw a doctor Friday morning and she had a double ear infection! What is going on? Medicine - check! Worst medicine taker ever - check! You would not believe me if I told you how poorly Mayce takes her medicine. However, if you ask our neighbors I bet they can tell you. Why twice a day for 10 days? Seriously, if the medicine makers had Mayce as a daughter they'd rethink the whole dosage. It sounds like I'm trying to kill her EVERY time. But we still have several days to go so wish us luck. Really, other than the ear infections it was a great holiday. Here are some fun moments:

For Corbridge Christmas we spent almost an entire week in Monterey. It was great weather and we had a lot of fun. We went to the aquarium (need to go back), went hiking, went shopping, exchanged gifts, and played with cousins. We are very fortunate to be able to go away with family every year.

New bikes for Payton and Fallyn

Ice skating with Grandpa

Mayce decorating cookies at her school party.

And can you believe this little guy is capable of this:

This gives you the smallest picture of what he does. I need to lock every cabinet door and bedroom door and bathroom door and . . .

Having a boy is a completely different experience than girls. I wonder if having him last is pay back for something. The girls were the calm before the storm. But he is so fun and crazy. He is spoiled by his big sisters and everyone else.

So here's to hoping the blogging will continue!

2011-02-15T09:47:00.000-08:00

MAYCE

Look who's 4!! My baby girls turned 4 on the 29th. She took cupcakes for her class and had a big birthday bash here with family. We had 20 adults and 13 kids running around here. It was all family, we're luck to have so many close. I think the highlight of turning 4 for her is going to the "big kid" side at the gym. What a life! Her stats:

Height: 41" (76%)

Weight: 36 lbs. (58%)

Here are some party highlights:

(Blue Steel)

2011-02-14T14:04:00.000-08:00

CURRENT STATS:

My little man is 6 months old! He is still the life of the party. He has an awesome fake cough /laugh going on these days, he has 2 bottom teeth, and can sit unassisted pretty well. He's still a great sleeper and good entertainment for his sisters. I could not ask for a better child! (Well, besides my other 3 children)

Height: 27.27" (87%)

Weight: 19.3 lbs (77%)

2011-02-11T15:34:00.000-08:00

CORBRIDGE CHRISTMAS

We did Corbridge Christmas in Tahoe this year. It was a beautiful home with lots of stairs! I can't complain though because of all the exercise I didn't gain any weight. This year we were on "I". I got a waffle Iron and Dave got some how-to magic stuff (Illusions). We hung out and went sledding a couple of times, it was great!

2011-02-11T13:32:00.000-08:00

CHRISTMAS

We had a great Christmas. We spent the day with Corbridge's and Walker's so we were extra lucky!

2010-12-29T14:25:00.000-08:00

DECEMBER

Here are some highlights from our December 2010:

On December 2nd Drake turned 4 months. His stats were:

Weight - 19lbs. 1 oz. - 97%

Height - 26 1/2 inches - 90%

Head circumf. - 43 cent. - 65%

What's up!!

This is the Sunday before Christmas. I LOVE that my girls still like to wear matching dresses. We don't do it too often, (Payton just informed me she doesn't like it, who taught her to read?) but they look so cute! Now that Drake's here he'll coordinate. I should be getting good at vests and ties in the next couple of years. And no, I did not make the dresses, but I could have. (that last part was for Dave)

Here's Drake and Emmett. Family was over and these two were sacked out on the couch. They are only 9 weeks apart, I think Drake can take him.

Grandma Walker, Payton, Fallyn, and I headed up to Placer High to see Placer Theatre's Nutcracker. Fallyn's best friend was a Bon Bon this year and it was fun to see her and give her flowers. We also got to inspect a ballerina's tutu to see how it stayed up and level. Payton says: It was really fun!

And this is a random picture of Fallyn I found on my camera. I just had to share!

2010-12-09T21:35:00.000-08:00

Nope, not Halloween!

So I made a mistake of words this morning (11/18) with Mayce. It was her Thanksgiving Feast at school and I asked her if she wanted to dress up for the occasion. I meant a nice dress or something. However, Mayce only heard the words "dress up" and the battle ensued. She really wanted to wear her Halloween costume but we settled on this. It could be a little pilgrimish. And as for Drake - Cami tried to warn me that boys are a little rougher with the #2's than girls and he has proven her correct. Every other day he ends up in a back up outfit. His Halloween costume was the back up in the diaper bag that day. So two of my four wonderful children ended the day in costumes. Just call me Wonder Mom!

2010-11-16T20:34:00.000-08:00

I'm back, again!! Here's a recap of the last 6 months. I'd say a lot has happened and here's the biggest event:

He's here!!

Drake was born August 2nd at 11:43pm. It was drama for the week leading up to him. I was hoping to be induced at 38 weeks like I was with Mayce but an ultrasound showed him to be about 6 lbs at the 38 wk mark. So we decided to induce at 40 weeks. The morning I was supposed to be induced I called the hospital to double check and they didn't know anything about it. Since I was in tears the nurse said she'd call my doctor and get back to me. He called about an hour later and said to go in. Thank goodness, I was ready to have my baby!! We started poticin at about 9am and I had him 14 hours later. (It took 29 hours with Fallyn, but only 11 with Mayce.) I didn't have to push too long, so Drake ranks #2 in the best deliveries. (But so far he's #1 in the baby behavior department) Since we didn't know he was going to be a he, we were not prepared. He's currently sleeping in a hot pink room with flowers and girly insects on the walls. Another project! So - he was 9 lbs. 8 oz. I think the ultrasound was a little off. That put him at #3 in the heaviest dept. But all that seems like forever ago because I'll tell you what - 4 kids is a lot to handle! We are managing. Luckily we have so much family around and they can rescue me at a moments notice. So, here are some photos, and more to come!

2010-11-16T20:23:00.000-08:00

Halloween 2010

Halloween has been pretty much the only time I pull out my sewing machine these days. Each year after their costumes I remember how much I love to sew and vow to do more. This year is the same. I have a huge list that I hope to complete by the year's end. Ask me about it and maybe I'll be guilted into actually getting some things done. (Sorry there's no pictures of Drake, he was a skeleton courtesy of Old Navy.)

Dorothy
Glinda
(not to be confused with Ga-linda)

Jesse

2010-11-16T20:01:00.000-08:00

Dillion's Beach
October 2010

Payton and Fallyn played hooky from school for a day and we made a quick trip to the coast. We camped in the motor home. The convenience was nice but all the kids wanted to do was watch movies inside. We did allow a church DVD that had "Johnny Lingo" on it, among others. It was fun watching that again. The girls had so many questions, they just had a hard time accepting the premise. Dave and I enjoyed explaining it to them.

2010-11-16T19:00:00.000-08:00

In October Payton received one of the awards for the character of the month. We are so proud of her, she is a very dedicated student and a great friend.

Our neighbor had an "Alice in Wonderland" themed birthday party and my girls went as the singing flowers. Fallyn really wanted to be the bread that was a butterfly but it was a month after Drake was born so I needed to keep it simple. I appreciate that my girls are happy with whatever. I'm very lucky!

Just because!

Swim lessons:
Mayce

Payton

Fallyn

S'mores with the cousins:

Mayce finished her first year of preschool. She loved every minute of it!

Softball banquet

2010-05-24T20:38:00.000-07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY FALLYN!!
My #2 turned 6 on May 21st! We went to a River Cats game that night and they put her birthday on one of the light up sign things. That was exciting for her to see. Fallyn is so sweet to others in need, she loves her friends, and is eager to try new things. She was our surprise but I cannot even imagine my world without her. I love Fallyn!

2010-05-24T19:42:00.000-07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PAYTON!!

My first born tuned 7 on the 29th of April. She is so awesome. She loves to read, loves sports, playing on the computer, and is always willing to help me and her sisters. We are so lucky to have her in our family. She was a long time coming, but worth the wait!

2010-05-24T19:18:00.000-07:00

APRIL

The second week of Spring Break the girls, my Mom, and I loaded up Rocket and made the drive to Utah. It was crazy snowy but we made it. We visited Temple Square, The Museum of Church History and Art, and the Pioneer Log Cabin.

In the Museum of Church History and Art they had an "I Am A Child Of God Exhibit" where there were lots of interactive things to do. Here are my angels and Mary.

Dave flew out for the weekend to celebrate Easter with us. The girls had fun spending time with Maya.

There was a little snow and they used most of it to make this snowman. Thanks uncle Jake for helping them!

The girls also had their annual Jog-a-Thon in April. Fallyn missed her goal by one lap. She was devastated so we went out for ice cream after school. She officially did 14 laps. (I think in reality she did more though. There were two times I had to stop her to get her bracelet marked because she forgot to check in and get counted.)

I missed Payton's run, I had the time wrong, but she did 24 laps. Wow!! (Thanks to friends for the pictures!)

2010-05-24T18:39:00.000-07:00

MARCH

I guess it was a slow month of March. Dave and I went down to San Fransisco to see Wicked (again - yea!!) with some friends. This time we saw the matinee, which was wonderful. But I think the evening show had a better energy. No complaining, Wicked is wonderful!

(Dave said this was the last time I could wear my fun red jacket. Did I mention I'm pregnant. Yep, here we go again. I'm due August 1st, and we didn't find out the sex. The girls are hoping for a girl so they don't have to give up their toy room. Nice!)

2010-05-24T18:17:00.000-07:00

FEBRUARY

The girls and I went to see The Wizard of Oz at our local theatre. Payton and Fallyn loved it, Mayce loved the first half and then she was done. It was fun for all of us!

Fallyn was awarded a "Character Counts" award. We are so proud of her and what a great student and friend she is!

This picture was taken on February 13th. Dave was doing yard work and while he was hosing down the driveway the girls put their suits on and enjoyed trying not to get sprayed by Dave with the hose. We had lots of comments from neighbors Monday at school. What can I say? Corbridge Party Girls!

And of course another play. This one had a written script. My little playwrights!
(the audience)

2010-02-02T18:24:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Mayce!!

Friday was Miss Mayce's birthday. She is a big 3 year old now. Just ask her and she's pretty sure of her age. We had lots of family over and had a great time!

2010-01-04T11:13:00.000-08:00

So she needs to work on hopping on one foot. (sorry about it being sideways, Dave took this on his phone) We love her!

2009-12-15T15:52:00.000-08:00

Things you've missed, here are the highlights!:

Corbridge Christmas

Each year we do a pre-Christmas trip with Dave's family. This year we went to Windsor, CA. We took one day to see the Redwoods and go to the beach. We all had a great time!

Thanksgiving
The girls had a great time with Dave's cousin's kids. Thanks to Brielle and Kendall, the girls love you!!

13th Anniversary Cruise, yes without our girls!!! (thanks family, for taking care of them!)

This was on excursion was called "Salsa and Salsa". It should have been titled, "Margaritas with a little Salsa & Salsa" the water was great!

Halloween

Silvermist

Rapunzel

Little Bo Peep

The State Fair

The first day(s) of school: (we snuck Mayce in a year early for 3 year old pre-school, she's very advanced!)

2009-08-17T13:55:00.000-07:00

BACK TO SCHOOL GET AWAY!!
We've started a fun tradition this year (I hope it becomes a tradition) and took the girls away for one last fun trip before school starts. We spent the weekend at Squaw Valley, in the village, so everything was at our fingertips. The girls had so much fun. The weather was great and we were able to do a lot of fun stuff.

On Saturday we took the cable car up to high camp where we relived the Olympic past, ice skated, played in snow (ice rink shavings), went swimming, watched set up for a wedding (romantic!), and dined (well, it was a cafe but we paid like we were dining).

The other two days we just played. It was a great weekend!

2009-08-17T13:21:00.000-07:00

LAST DAY OF SWIM LESSONS

The girls did another round of swim lessons before going back to school. Mayce and I got in on the action too this time. Until they are three the lessons have to be with mom and so I was in the pool every day too. Mayce enjoyed it and Payton and Fallyn both advanced to the next class. They loved it and look forward to swim lessons again next year. In the mean time we are still over at Grandpa & Grandma's taking advantage of their pool. Fun, fun!

2009-07-26T11:16:00.000-07:00

COUNTRY FAIR
Dave's mom is her ward's Activity Committee Chairman and they had a "Country Fair" yesterday. People from church displayed different things they had made. And many brought yummy food from their gardens. The girls were in heaven. There was a popcorn machine, cotton candy machine and a snow cone machine. They fed us lunch and then we helped clean up. It was a fun morning for the girls. And they loved their pioneer dresses. I made Payton and Fallyn's dresses Friday (waited until the last minute of course!) and my mom made Mayce's for Payton when she was two.

My girls can be so weird about things. None of them wanted flavoring on their snow cones. They just wanted "snow" flavor. Luckily Dave was manning the snow cones so they ate as much snow as they wanted. About half way through Dave let them take over. They didn't pour the syrup but they can make a mean snow cone now!

Yummy cotton candy! I'm not afraid to say that I ate two of these yesterday! Mayce didn't want hers and I couldn't let it go to waste. The calories were totally worth it!

And what do you do with all the extra ice from the snow cones? Shave it down and have a snow ball fight. The kids (and adults) had fun throwing snow balls at each other.

2009-07-26T11:06:00.000-07:00

SWIMMING LESSONS

Payton and Fallyn finished up a session of swimming lessons last week. Thanks to Cami for nudging us into it. They had so much fun so we're going to do another 2 weeks. Mayce and I are taking a class too, it should be fun. It will definitely help to pass the next two weeks before school starts.

2009-07-19T19:55:00.000-07:00

My Saturday Swim

The scene of the "incident":

The victim:The casualty:

On Saturday the girls and I were feeding my in-laws koi and Mayce went in with the food. I don't understand how she lost her balance but in she went! I was standing right next to her so I got to her quickly but it was scary none the less. She went under and made no attempt to do anything! She just floated there face down. When I pulled her out she didn't gag or cough, nothing! Completely unfazed! We showered off and she was on her way. We had a long talk about how she should have been scared but I don't know how much sunk in. However, I am mourning the loss of my favorite flip flops! And Mayce is not allowed outside without supervision.

2009-07-19T19:34:00.000-07:00

Congratulations Tommy & Kelsey

My sister Kelsey had her first child at 12:32am MST on July 17th (the same birthday as her grandma!). Her name is Maya and she was 7 lbs. 12 oz and 21 inches long. What a petite little girl! Everything went smoothly and my sister called it easy. That's amazing for a first! Everyone is doing great. Here's some pictures:

(I have no idea why I can't turn this, sorry!)

2009-07-17T19:32:00.000-07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!
Sorry this is back dated, but I did want to publicly tell you I love you and what a great mom you are! You're the best!

2009-07-12T22:11:00.000-07:00

THE FIRST PLAY
So we had our first "official" play on Friday. The girls did their own costumes, hair, and make-up. It was originally about a princess (Mayce) who needed to find a prince so the queen (Payton) with the help of the fairy god-mother (Fallyn) had a ball to find a prince. Well, after so much preparation, and Mayce not having had a nap that day, the princess was not in the mood to act. So the play was re-worked for the queen to find a king. The following pictures are the cast photos, enjoy:

Payton Corbridge as The Queen

Fallyn Corbridge as The Fairy God-Mother

(those are some sad wings, looks like it's time to replace them)

Mayce Corbridge as The Princess

(doing her scary face - why? I don't know!)

And this is me, the audience. Apparently just the fact that I was there wasn't enough. Payton said I had to dress up too, and this is what she gave me. Nice!

I love so much that my girls do this now. I tortured my siblings, neighborhood kids, and all the parents for years putting on recitals. It is such a rite of passage and it's fun that they are at this age. It keeps getting better and better! I love them so much!!

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

4th of JULY

We had a wonderful relaxing holiday weekend. Dave had Friday off so he and the big girls went boating with his brother, sisters, and their husbands. This has been such a hectic summer so far that this was the first time the boat's been out this year. The girls loved it and everyone who could swim and wasn't pregnant was able to wakeboard. They went to the river so I wasn't too crushed to stay home with Mayce. We ran some errands and met up with everyone back at Dave's parents. That night we set off $20 worth of fireworks, which let me tell you - that does not buy you much, and the kids were disappointed in the smallness of them. Saturday we headed back to Dave's parents where we went swimming and ate food. At nightfall we went down to Cal Expo to watch on the sidewalk. (Some day we'll pay to go in.) The big girls loved seeing all the fireworks but Mayce kept her head down and said they scare her. She's just looking for attention! We finished to weekend going to church with Dave's family and eating some more. It was a great weekend!

2009-07-01T15:30:00.000-07:00

Most Current Drama

So, about 3 weeks ago I was brushing Payton's teeth and noticed a new tooth had broke through and was coming in right behind her baby teeth. It's neighbor was not far behind. So naturally I started freaking out. I called the dentist who said this happens all the time. To who? This is the first case of human shark teeth that I have come into contact with. They told me since she wasn't in any pain we could come in the next week. Her baby teeth were not even close to being loose and so at that appointment we scheduled another appointment to have them taken out. I had given her the pre-med just in case they did it that day so she was ready. She was not happy to have to wait 3 more weeks to get the cold hard cash for the teeth. Monday was finally the day of the procedure. She did so well, her dentist uses nitrous and has a moving playing on the ceiling so Payton didn't have a care in the world. She's been on soft foods, which is so much fun because she's a picky eater anyway but bananas and pancakes it is!

Here is the moment she had been waiting for. She received $1 per tooth and a note from the tooth fairy telling her, "Congratulations Payton! You were so brave at the dentist. Love, The Tooth Fairy." The fact that the tooth fairy knew her name blew her away. Payton wanted to know how the tooth fairy knew she had been to the dentist. I told her that the tooth fairy knows all when it comes to the happenings of the dental world. That satisfied her and since she can read now will expand no further about the tooth fairy.

2009-07-01T15:12:00.000-07:00

Miss Mayce had a fun birthday party Saturday night. It was at The Little Gym and she had so much fun! The woman who does my hair (Her name is Kathy Holden and she just purchased a salon called Seven on Washington Blvd. in Roseville, she's amazing!) gave us a bunch of leotards that her daughters used to wear. Most are Payton and Fallyn's sizes but there was one small enough for Mayce. She loved it! I think looking good totally added to her ability to do somersaults. She had a blast!

Here she is doing one of the tasks the organizers had them do. She did a fun little pose at the end each time. I think she realized she was only one of two girls there at the party and just wanted to put forth that little extra effort! And please ignore my lame mom whoo-hoo!

Speaking of Mayce . . .

Look who has hair long enough for full pig tails! Yea! My hair options for her have just been added a new dimension. She loved them, she's been touching them all day.

2009-06-25T12:30:00.000-07:00

COOLING OFF! (and rambling)
This pool has been kicking around our garage forever so this week I filled it up for the girls. It's perfect for Mayce and great for the big girls too. Our backyard is shaded in the late afternoon so it's nice not to have to put the sunblock on. We can just walk outside and cool off. Mayce was actually in bed this time because she is sick, again! The Motrin is finally working though so she's in much better spirits today. Yesterday all she wanted to do was sleep on me. A 2 1/2 year old with a fever gives off a whole lot of body heat, let me tell you! I was wrinkled and sweaty! Because of this we were not able to make our field trip to Modesto. I had to do so much bribing to avoid a melt down with Payton and Fallyn. Dave's parents have purchased a business in Modesto so Dave's been down there all week. The first couple of days he had commuted but last night he stayed down there and we were going to join him for the night. So I think we're headed there this afternoon for just a quick trip. I love the innocence of children because going to Modesto is all they can talk about. I love them!

END OF SCHOOL
Payton's school does an end of year carnival that was a lot of fun. Tons of people were there but that was a good thing. Dave was out of town so it was a girl's night. And it was also before this current heat up so it was nice outside! We played games, went on a train ride, had Payton's face painted, and went on the inflatable toys. They could have stayed forever. Next year we'll have to go earlier and I'll need to take backup.

2009-06-25T12:27:00.000-07:00

SOFTBALL

Payton played softball and had a lot of fun this year. We had a great fundamental coach and Payton was hitting the ball from a pitch (most of the time) by the end of the year. Her team was named the Bluebirds and the girls were so cute. I was even reunited with a friend from high school who's daughter was on the team too. She enjoyed it and wants to play again next year. She and Fallyn will be able to play on the same team next year. That will be nice!

2009-06-02T22:17:00.000-07:00

REVIEW
part III

Fallyn graduated from Pre-School on May 26th. She attended Play With Me Preschool and loved every second of it. She met such good friends and learned so much! We'll miss Miss Becky but it won't be long (one more year) until Mayce will be heading off to pre-school. Ahh!

2009-05-28T21:10:00.000-07:00

REVIEW
part II

Memorial Day Weekend
We went to Redding to spend the weekend with our wonderful friends who we miss so much! Saturday we went to Turtle Bay which I think is a state park with animals and nature stuff. (that description left much to be desired!) It's right there at their world famous Sundial Bridge. We BBQ'ed with friends on Sunday and the men took the kids swimming at the hotel while the ladies lunched Monday. It was a good weekend. Oh - except for the part where Mayce had her 2nd worst tantrum Friday night. The stress of it was compounded because we were in a hotel but seriously I almost drove home that first night because she was freaking out. Ahhhh!

There was a lego display and I thought it was only appropriate for Payton to take a picture with the heart! My little "heart baby".

2009-05-28T21:08:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Fallyn!
My Fallyn turned 5 on May 21st. So we had another party and another Webkinz (thank goodness!) The three weeks between their birthdays was very long with Fallyn drooling over Payton's webkinz. Yea, issues resolved. More cake and more family. We love having everyone so close!

2009-05-28T20:43:00.000-07:00

Zoo Field Trip
On Monday 5/18 Fallyn, Mayce, and I went to the Sacramento Zoo on a field trip with Fallyn's pre-school. We had lots of fun and were there early so we got to see the Lyons and tigers. The girls had a blast!

2009-05-28T20:33:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Payton!
April 29th was Payton's 6th birthday. We had fun with friends and family. Her cousin Owen gave her a Webkinz. We are now hip and with it!

2009-05-27T23:50:00.000-07:00

REVIEW
part I

Disneyland

In mid-April we went to Disneyland with Dave's parents and his brother's family. Our girls loved spending so much time with their cousin and enjoyed their first visit to see Mickey. We could have spent several more days there but felt lucky to have the two we did! With SO many pictures here are a few highlights:

2009-05-27T23:38:00.000-07:00

Dallas

Dave and I had the chance to go to a Nascar Race in Dallas the weekend following my birthday. We had "hot" pit passes which allowed us to go pretty much go wherever we wanted. We were truly spoiled because we also had a golf cart to take us where we wanted to go and we watched the race on the top floor of a condo (which was nicer than our house.) It was a weekend full of racing. Our driver won the Nationwide Race so we were in the winner's circle and had our picture taken with Kyle Busch.

2009-04-01T14:49:00.001-07:00

In the words of my darling Mayce . . .

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO MY!

Is is weird that I'm publicly wishing myself a happy birthday? I just wanted to show off my dream birthday cake. Will I ever be able to justify it's purchase? Probably not, but a girl can dream!

2009-03-02T21:05:00.000-08:00

Dedicated to Lisa Parker:
So, I just got a new AIO printer and I'm playing with the scanner. This isn't too clear but it's my first attempt. Anyway, Lisa was disappointed that last November I didn't post the memory lane picture, well here it is! I can never believe how young (& thin) we were.

November 29, 1996

2009-02-05T14:23:00.000-08:00

My Girls!
Just some fun pictures for fun!

One of the best parts of being a mom is when your children play nicely together. I love that my girls get along and make my job so much easier. They are so sweet and loving I am truly spoiled!

Don't think I'm a horrible mom but this was my girl's first time to Fountains. They still don't know there's a kid's water area yet. (So let's keep that on the down low for now.) Thankfully they turn that off for the winter. They loved to watch the fountains. This may become a regular thing for us. Where's Mayce you ask? She is digging up the landscaping, nice!

We found these suckers at Cost Plus. They are hilarious. It was fun to see them wearing these around.

Payton's 100th day of school was last Friday and here's what we did. 100 feathers! That's right, they glued 100 feathers to this board after they did 25 hand prints. So these are turkeys. We didn't make it very easy on her class (or teacher) because we did them in groups of 4. I'm sorry I made you count to 100 by 4's Mrs. Williams! We had a great time making this, but it was the largest in her class. We have learned from this experience and next year Fallyn's will be smaller and not feathers. (We are still finding them around the house.)

2009-01-29T09:47:00.000-08:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAYCE!!

My baby is 2 today, and that's crazy! It seems like just yesterday the most petite of the 3, weighing in at 8 lbs. 5oz., was born. She is turning into a little drama queen, and keeps me laughing. You know how watching your kids is like looking in a mirror. They pick up on your little traits or habits you weren't aware you had. Well I have discovered that I must *sigh* A LOT. Little Miss Mayce sighs about everything. Every time she lies down, sits down, or anytime I tell her anything. What does that say about me? Sorry to anyone who I have sighed at, I'm working on it! So in the words of Mayce, "Happy New Year to my." (For whatever reason happy birthday sounds more like happy new year. You understand right Poppy?) Love ya Mayce! (Party photos to come . . .)

Here are some pictures from Mayce's party. We are so lucky to have so much family (& family's family) near by. We had a great turn out! She had a blast and was so excited for it to be her day.

Mayce got lots of fun stuff. Clothes, books, toys, she cleared all categories.

Okay, our theme for the evening was, Horton Hears a Who. This is my (along with my wonderful assistants Payton & Fallyn) creation of the flower that carries the speck that carries the Who's. My girls informed my that it wasn't exactly right, but good enough for me. I think this may be my first crafty, bakey, mom cake. The picture does not do it justice!

Here's a picture of most of our crowd. We had poppy's and grandma's, cousins, 2nd cousins, aunts, uncles, and cousin's grandparents. Mayce sure can gather a crowd!

2009-01-21T20:32:00.000-08:00

We are back!
So, I have a new laptop and I've been too lazy to switch everything over. So that is why we've got some red eyes, sorry! Here's our December minus Christmas. I'm a horrible picture taker so I need to get pictures from my mom. But here was last month in a nutshell:

This year for our church nativity Payton was a cat and Fallyn got to be a chicken (she had been waiting all year for this!). They had a great time and made us proud. Is was once again a wonderful program that we got to enjoy.

This is my beautiful mother and the girls at Payton's holiday program. She had her motions to the songs down perfectly. She practiced and did a wonderful job. The best part was that the program only lasted about 15 minutes and there was refreshments!

Fallyn also had a Christmas program. She sang songs and had motions to them too. It was also a quick program followed by decorating sugar cookies. She did wonderfully!

My brother was married in the Bountiful Temple Dec. 19th and the girls loved playing in the snow. Utah had a big storm while we were there. It was a quick trip but the girls got snow time every day. Maybe if our mountains finally get some snow we can take a trip up. They love the snow.

This is some Christmas Eve festivities. They are silly and loved the holidays as much as I do. With our trip to Utah Christmas was kind of thrown together this year. The big girls realized that they didn't get everything they wanted and let us know. Next year we will be taking much more time focusing on the purpose of the holiday.

I'll try to update again soon and get off my lazy bum and make the switch of computers. Wish me luck!

2008-12-05T17:51:00.000-08:00

A Tradition Passed On. . .
As young girls my sister and I loved to have curly hair. She has a beautiful wave in her hair that she can let air dry and look amazing. However, the random waviness of my hair is a cruel joke. It in no way looks even remotely good. So, as girls my mom would put our hair in sponge curlers and we would sleep in them. To bring us to the present, my ladies have been asking for curly hair. They don't like me to use the curling iron, I burned Fallyn once, oops! So I broke down and bought a set of curlers. They were so excited! They were even willing to sleep in them. I don't give them enough credit. They made some comment that even though sleeping in them would be uncomfortable, the curls were worth it. Another affirmation that they are my girls! I didn't really have a rhyme or reason to how I placed them. I have learned from the experience and will do it differently next time. Payton lost several during the night but she had some nice body to her hair. I didn't know how Fallyn's would do because her hair is fine and stick straight. But hers held the curls too. It was fun reliving my childhood through them, I'm glad they had fun too! By the way, Mayce is not ready to make the sacrifice of sleeping in curlers yet. She did keep a couple in for a minute or two. And sorry if this is a silly post, my sister will appreciate it though!

2008-11-29T15:04:00.000-08:00

Happy Anniversary to us!!

Today Dave and I are celebrating 12 years!! It's crazy I know, but here we are. We joke about it being a long 12 years but in all honesty I can't believe how fast it's gone. We have a wonderful life and a wonderful family. I would post a wedding picture but you wouldn't recognize us. The girls saw one and asked who it was. Nice! Oh, Dave got me a ring I wanted but I won't get it for 3 weeks. It has to be sized to fit my man hands. I haven't got him anything yet, I'm a terrible wife, but I think I'll get him a watch. I can put that here because he never reads our blog!

So it's been a couple of weeks since we've last updated so here's what we've been up to:

The girls all had birds on they're shirts here. Random I know, but I have begun seeing a pattern in the way I dress them. Same color, all in jeans, or all wearing shirts with birds!

For Payton's end of the year soccer party we had it at the indoor Softball Arena. They set up the field for a kick ball game. I don't know whose daughter she is, I consider both Dave and myself fairly athletic, but sometimes Payton is just crazy. By the time I started filming her she understood the game a little better. But as you can tell here, kick ball is not her sport.

Payton is posing with her soccer trophy. She loved soccer, especially playing goalie, and is sad that she won't be able to play again until she's in 1st grade. We'll practice at home so she doesn't get rusty!

Fallyn had a preschool field trip to Save Mart. Mayce and I tagged along and had a fun time. The first picture (Fallyn in purple pants) was us watching the box smasher. That and the live lobster in the sea food dept. were the highlight of the trip.

Courtesy of my Dad, Dave and I got to go to the Kings vs. Suns. In high school I loved the Suns because Charles Barkley played for them and he was my basketball role model. I loved to watch him play. Anyway, we lost in overtime but it was an exciting 4th quarter and overtime. And thanks for spoiling us with those seats dad!

And Dave and the girls had another camp out. They did not make it through the entire night this time. They were sleeping on the ground (no air mattress) and it got a little soggy for the girls. Dave was not disappointed to have to come in. But before hand we had the fire pit going and we toasted 'lil smokies. Yum! Mayce and I were in the house the whole night.

So minus Thanksgiving, this is what we've been up to. I didn't take any pictures, Mayce's been cranky with hand, foot, and mouth (won't be at church tomorrow), so I've been mostly keeping my kids under control. My sister and her husband are here from Woodscross, UT, and my brother at BYU-Provo is here. My grandma from St. George, UT, and by youngest brother's fiancee from BYU-Rexburg are here too. My brother in Roseville stayed in town so we had a large group which for dinner also included my aunt and uncle and their 4 kids. It was great having such a big group and spending so much time together. I love the holidays!

2008-11-09T20:43:00.000-08:00

RANDOM
Our weekend . . .
Pretty mellow really. Payton's second to last soccer game was Saturday. We played the Sea Monkeys (love the name) and they had lots of Payton's friends on that team so it was fun to see everyone. Payton scored her first goal! She loves soccer and is bummed she can't play again until 1st grade. But it was really exciting and now Dave feels like we got our money's worth! (My poor girls, I'll try to keep him in check) Later that night we had a post Prop 8 ice cream social and the girls ran wild in our Bishop's home. Lots of kids there! Today was our ward's Sacrament Program and it was great! The girls both memorized their parts and said them perfectly. Fallyn even had an unintentional solo of I Am A Child Of God. They had all the sunbeams sing and Fallyn was RIGHT IN FRONT of the microphone. She had been waiting for this moment for a year. Ever since Payton spoke at the pulpit Fallyn has been counting down the days. Apparently it wore her out because by the end of the program she had fallen asleep. Love her! Mayce has been super cranky this week so I thought I'd post some cute pictures from last week to make up for it.

She's been back and forth with the hair. It's killing me because her sisters could usually care less what I do to their hair. Mayce usually picks out her own barrette's and will possibly let me put them in her hair. And she needs them because she's growing out those bangs and with the winter runny nose, it is not pretty! But here she is being goofy. She brought me 3 rubber bands and this is what we did with them. Some times I cannot figure her out!

And here she is the TV addict. She loves The Backyardigans and Little Einsteins. Both great cartoons with lots to learn from. However she is not watching in moderation. She's out of control and I'm enabling her. If I thought she was cranky this weekend she'll probably die this week when I cute back her TV time. I've been getting more done, but at this slothful expense. She cracks me up! Wish me luck! I need to be strong, she's only 1 right!?!

2008-11-04T06:45:00.000-08:00

Happy Election Day!
These were on a blog of my sister's friend. Totally hilarious. Especially this first one. As a huge fan of DWTS (annoying abbreviation!) I started laughing out loud at this. Too funny! And the second, since I've refrained from political speak this season I must say, so true!

2008-11-03T12:26:00.000-08:00

More Halloween!
Thursday, the 30th, was our ward's Halloween Party. It was a lot of fun with a huge turn out. There was even a haunted house that Fallyn came crying out of. She is so brave with some things but with others, she's like me! I still watch scary movies through my fingers. I'm a wimp. It was raining so they moved the trunk-or-treating part indoors. Total chaos, but the good kind. My kids enjoyed every second of it and got SO much candy.

They are waiting to go into the candy area.

I just can't get enough of Charlie Brown and Snoopy. Mayce bullied her way into this picture but she's so adorable I let her stay. (Okay, she would have thrown a tantrum if I didn't. Same thing.)

The following pictures are from Friday, the 31st, at Dave's parent's ward activity. More fun and more candy!Here's Payton eating donuts on the Sugden's creation. They were kind enough to let us borrow their donut on a string holder for the party. Dave's dad had come by our ward party and saw it. Thank you Sugden's!

Fallyn and Grandpa Corbridge here enjoying the donuts too!

My girls actually let some one paint them. Not on the face of course (?) but on the arms. I have no idea why they are so afraid of this. Baby steps I guess!

We had so much fun this year. Lots of use out of the costumes! Here comes Thanksgiving, a wedding, and Christmas. Will my office ever get cleaned?

2008-10-29T09:04:00.000-07:00

FUN WEEKEND!
I don't think I've posted any soccer pictures yet so here's an example of what has kept us busy with two practices a week and a game on Saturdays. We really like her team. Her coach is the mom of one of the boys on the team and I'm totally impressed with the practices. It's drills and good skills they've been mastering. However, this is our only year with this team. There are eight boys and Payton is one of two girls. I guess next year they separate the girls and boys. So we've been scouting the teams we've been playing for good girls for next year. Just kidding . . . maybe!

Payton's favorite position is goalie. She's not bad, but I think she a great forward. However, she always requests goalie or fullback. She tires quickly at forward and it's hard to tell if that's because she goes full-throttle or if it's her heart. But she is super aggressive at forward, she keeps going and going. The coaches referee at this age and when she's playing forward every time she passes the coach she asks to play fullback. Who's kid is this?

Later that night we crashed my brother's ward Halloween party. I am so proud that I got the costumes done in plenty of time. It helped that Dave spent a few days in Oregon last week so I had lots of time to sew without him distracting me. Payton and Fallyn love their costumes but I had to put Mayce's on her while she was screaming. Then she walked around with her legs and arms out like she was in pain. By the end of the night she had adjusted. We'll see what happens tomorrow night. Jake thinks I should get her a wig, that may be pushing it.

Payton is an angel this year. I think I need to make her a halo though, some people thought she was a princess. Hello, she has wings! My dad spent half the night torturing her telling her that real angels don't have wings. Good thing she's a strong young lady because she didn't believe a word he was saying.

On the left is cousin Owen. He's Snoopy and his little brother is Charlie Brown. So cute! Then we have Fallyn as a Mermaid. I must admit that I really love her costume. I was afraid of it because I basically had to make it up. I'm not that creative. Give me a pattern and I'm good, but to create from scratch (okay I used a pattern for the bodice and sleeves) I definitely put this one off for last and it turned out great. Mayce is a clown and if anyone ever sees me buying this fabric (tissue lame, accent on the e) stop me. Even with serging the edges it was torture! But she looks cute so I guess it was worth it.

After church Sunday the girls were excited because we had friends over. Here's a couple of pictures.

My kids do not usually fall asleep eating so we couldn't resist this picture. I guess partying the night before finally caught up with her.

And who can resist taking a picture of two adorable kids in laundry baskets? J is about four months younger than Mayce and has a solid 6 lbs. on her. Those cheeks of his! They remind me of Fallyn's when she was that age. It would be nice if I could say they got along great, but Mayce is such a stinker, I don't know if I'll ever be able to say that. If another child, or adult sometimes, gets with a two foot radius of whatever she is playing with she starts the pre-emptive "No!" She's killing me! She is my defiant child. I am lucky that she's my only stinker. She should grow out of it soon!

So that was our Saturday and Sunday. Get ready for more Halloween pictures. Tomorrow is our ward's Trunk-or-Treat and Friday is Halloween and Dave's parents Trunk-or-Treat. Any one's tonight we can crash?

2008-10-20T16:50:00.000-07:00

Preschool is here!
Fallyn had her first day of preschool today and of course she loved it! She's with a family friend who just started an in-home preschool this year. She would have started earlier but it took forever for the in home visit to happen. But it finally did and now we've started. So Mayce and I had a few hours to kill together. Fun! Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings are going to be quiet. I really felt old today with two of my three kids in school. Life just keeps moving forward. Sometimes I feel like I'm barely holding on. Oh well!

This isn't a great "First Day" photo but Mayce thought I was dropping her off too. She was crying, and freaked out when I set her down. We'll have to get better pictures later.

To kick off preschool last Friday we went to The Pumpkin Patch as a school. Grandma Corbridge came with us and we had a lot of fun. Fallyn is still wearing the bracelet that let her go on all the stuff just in case we go back. I love her!!

2008-10-15T18:22:00.000-07:00

Partying with Cousins!

Today we had so much fun with cousins. All of the kids here are related to our girls whether they be first cousins or 2nd cousins once removed? (My cousin's kids) Regardless we all had a great time! We decided to get together for some Halloween fun. My SIL Cami got some great crafts together for the kids, we decorated sugar cookies, and just played. I must once again say how grateful that I am to have so much family near by. It's great to have such wonderful women in my life who inspire and uplift me. Now that Payton's in school and the kids are getting older it's tougher to get schedules to link up but hopefully this will encourage us to do more. The holidays seem to do that, I hope it continues. Yea for family!

We ti-dyed these shirts and then we'll decorate them by using the circles to create pumpkins. (Sorry I cut off Tyler's head Britt, I don't know what happened there!)

Work in progress . . .
Final Result: Cute little bats!

Here's the just playing part! I only had one battery charged. I know, I know, who do I work for? But anyway, only one was charged so they all had to squeeze onto one car to play. The babies got to climb on the Barbie Jeep. And we had our first car accident with the girl's car. Payton literally got ran over. Luckily all of us Mom's were out there and Kerrie used her super-strength to lift the car off Payton. There was slight injury but nothing a sugar cookie couldn't heal.

Ouch! Sorry Payton

What a fun day!

2008-10-14T11:03:00.000-07:00

Just Because. . .

We decorated the outside of the house this year. Don't get me wrong, this is nothing compared to some other houses around here, but I'm proud that I got myself and the girls outside to do it. I've been in a bit of a funk lately so it felt good to drag out the ladder and hammer. Hopefully this will continue and I'll get costumes done, the girls room painted, dresses for Sawyer's wedding, Dave's jean quilt . . .! Will it never end? Hopefully not because what would I do then? Be bored out of my mind!

Here are some random pictures of Payton and Fallyn. We were at RC Willey's with Grandma Corbridge looking at dining room furniture for her and new beds for the girls. Grandma took the helmet off a suit of armor. The girls loved it!

Payton

Fallyn (oops, forgot to fix the red eye, scary!)

2008-09-29T21:13:00.001-07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KELSEY!

We hope you had a great birthday. We miss you and love you!!!
(My singing should secure never being asked to join the ward choir)

2008-09-25T12:13:00.000-07:00

The Nut Tree
9/19/08

Payton had the day off from school and so Dave took half a day off and we headed down to the Nut Tree. I know I had been there several times as a kid but I had no recollection of it. But it is wonderful now. It's a great park for 2+ year olds. We had to go on a few things with the big girls but it was great. It's compact and clean and they can go on everything several times (totally worth the $10 bracelet which is unlimited rides and admission) and there was plenty for Mayce to enjoy too. We had great afternoon.

Here's Dave and the girls with the Engineer who drives the original train from the old park. He was very informative and had a wealth of knowledge of all things Nut Tree.

The girls are riding a Hobby Horse made from the pattern of the ones also at the original Nut Tree.

Don't let this ride fool you! I went on with Mayce and when it takes this corner you had better hold on. The girls loved it.

Ahh, they're so cute! (Sorry Tommy, I forget to get Dave to pose in one. I know you want to keep the contest going!)

Seriously, we had a great time. It was nice to let them go on as many rides, multiple times, that they wanted. There's tons of shopping and places to eat. And it's across the freeway from the outlets. Perfect for everyone!

2008-09-18T10:01:00.001-07:00

Sorry no picture, but I just wanted to update. Life has been crazy so it's hard to keep up. The funnest (is that a word?) thing that's happened is Tuesday night Dave's softball team clenched 1st place. They went undefeated this last season. In the championship game Dave hit another home run. I grew up watching my dad play softball and they hit them out all the time. However, I guess in the last 20 years they've changed the type of ball they play with and I've been informed it's much harder to hit it out now. But my man has done it a couple of times now so whoo hoo! I haven't been to many games this season because they've been starting at 7:30 and 8:40 and the girls go to bed at 7:30. Trust me they need their sleep! But Tuesday I was able to find a babysitter and go to the games. It was a double header. It was a fun time.

I also have a bit of sad new. I don't know if everyone has heard that Dave got the girls a couple of "pets." Yes, we now have fish. Beta fish of course. Fallyn's is red and named Strawberry and Payton's was blue and named Pointed Blue. (Those of you who know us well know that my girls are two of the least creative people when it comes to naming animals. Dave's mom has had cats and they're all Whitey White, Blacky Black, a Stripety Stripe.) So Strawberry is a CRAZY name for us. Anyway, Pointed Blue has passed on. We only had him for a couple of weeks and I have no idea what went wrong. The girls are like, "Oh well, lets go get another one!" But I think I'm having issues. They are in a twin tank. It keeps them separated so I know Strawberry's not to blame. They were fed every day, and not over fed. Their water (which I prepared ahead of time and left out for 24 hours so it would be the proper temperature) was changed weekly with the stuff to neutralize tap water. I thought we were doing everything right, so what happened? I don't know if I can just replace Pointed Blue like he was never here! It's bad enough watching them swim in their tiny little tank/bowl but now to have Pointed Blue's blood (they do have blood right?) on my hands, how can I replace him? I guess I'm just going to have to pull myself together and be strong for my daughters. Well, I appreciate you letting me work through this. I'll post pictures when we replace poor Pointed Blue. And I've all ready been informed that Payton wants a red one now and it will be named Pointed Strawberry. (Tears stream down my face from laughter when I hear them discussing that kind of stuff.) I think we'll try to keep different colors so it will be easier to tell them apart. Wish me luck (and the new fish)! Thanks again for listening!

2008-08-29T15:30:00.000-07:00

I love the State Fair! Or any carnival for that matter. I love the cool air of the night, all the lights from rides and games, and of course I love the food! I'm sad that riding the rides has fallen off of the list but I think I'm too old for them. I can do the Ferris Wheel, and apparently the Bumble Bee ride, but that's about all I'm good for. How sad! Maybe if I get back into shape I'll be able to some day ride the Zipper again. Is that ride even around anymore? Monday night we went to the Fair and had a blast! Thank goodness my kids still love seeing the animals more than the rides. Thanks to Grandpa & Grandma we got to do some rides though so we got the whole experience. We had a great time!
Dave looks so cute! I'm glad he suggested taking this picture! ;)

This was Mayce's expression the ENTIRE time. Someone has got to get this little girl a pony!
On the spinning dragons with Owen.
And here's Mayce and me flying the Bumble Bees. She enjoyed this too. She saw the bigger kids going on rides and really wanted to go on something. She surprises me everyday by how she wants to do what her older sisters do. She is a 5 year old stuck in a 1 1/2 year old's body.

2008-08-16T16:35:00.000-07:00

Happy birthday Dave! Here are a few pictures from the out of control party we had for him Thursday night. We love you!

2008-08-16T16:25:00.000-07:00

My baby's first day of school! I am proud to say that I "kept it together" I was definitely on the edge though. She has absolutely loved her first week of school. She was pretty timid at first, but not in a needy way. She was just a little quiet.

Here she is waiting in line.
And here's Fallyn in line with her. Fallyn has adjusted well without her. I can tell she misses her though because she's been a little crankier than usual.
This is Payton at her spot at her table. We stayed for about 10-15 minutes while her teacher read a book and we wrote a note to our kids. Ahh!
And here is Payton with her teacher Mrs. Williams. Payton has nothing but wonderful things to say about her. We'll get to know her better Wednesday night. Dave's mom is the only one who has really met her but I'm not going to mention why that is because I might cry. Ask Dave about it!

2008-08-16T16:09:00.000-07:00

So I fell off the wagon for a few weeks, but I'm back. Here is some catch up! We are so lucky to pretty much all of our family in town these days. So Friday, August 1st we all went to the Rivercats game. I am not a big fan of baseball in general but I've really started to love going to the games. We sit on the grass and totally enjoy ourselves. On this particular night both of our families went together so we had a ton of people!

These are my parents with Mayce and Payton.

Here's Mayce looking so cute with her Rivercat Claw. My dad bought them for the Payton, Fallyn, and Owen at our first game. The girls had no idea what they are for but now they're a favorite play item.

More of our group here. Dave along with a brother, a sister, two brother-in-laws, and a sister-in-law.

Here's Dave's parents with his sister, my brother (above), and Fallyn.

And here are the 40 hot dogs it took to feed everyone. I don't know who paid but thank you!

2008-07-25T19:24:00.000-07:00

This post is way late oh well! Here's what happened last Saturday (the 19th):
Dave was on an overnight scout camp out so the girl's and I mooched off of Antelope Stake's Pioneer Day festivities. Dave's parents were there making the pancakes and my parents were there eating them. We didn't stay long but Mayce was feeling the pioneer spirit in her dress. My mom made that a few years ago for Fallyn. When I showed it to Mayce her eyes lit up, no joke. She is definitely my girliest girl!

After the pioneer party we headed out to catch the end of the Eppie's race. My brother participated in all three legs this year. I am totally naive to the lingo of these kind of things but some of the things I heard were that his time was 2 hours 16 minutes and I believe it was much better than he had expected. (Robby, leave a comment if I'm way off with that.) It has semi-motivated me. If my little brother can do it, so can I! Who knows how long that will last but it looked like fun (to someone who didn't spend over 2 hours working my body until it would work no more!) I'm so proud of him, and there he his with his 2 boys and Payton and Fallyn.
Here's Mayce hanging out in the stroller. She loved that thing. They had an entire kids area in the park after the race. They had inflatable toys, face painting (that my girls would absolutely not do), and little carnival games. Along with free popcorn and cotton candy! Yum! I think next year we'll go just for the fun of it. They had a live band and bunch of different vendors, it was quite the event.

So there's last Saturday. We haven't done much since then. We'll see what I can pull together for tomorrow.

2008-07-16T15:41:00.000-07:00

(Disclaimer: Sorry I couldn't get this to rotate. I tried saving it rotated in my photo program but when I saved it, it saved it into still pictures. So, those of you who know more than me feel free to clue me in. Thanks, and sorry!)

Here's a clip from Dave's softball game last night. We had a lot of fun. The game was at 7:30 so the weather was nice. Almost sweatshirt weather (I love sweatshirt weather!) and his team won so it was a great night. So Dave's been a little bummed about his season so far. They're only allowed single walled bats and apparently he's never hit with that kind before. His hitting (in his opinion) has been less than stellar. He usually gets on base, and has even hit one out, but most of the time he's racing the throw to first. But here's a good clip because it summarizes Dave well. He is willing to sacrifice his body for any sport. He usually pays for it the next day, like he is today with multiple open wounds and the inability to move body parts, but he knows no other way than 110%. So this clip is for Cami, it's not a real game if Dave doesn't end up the dirtiest player on the team.

2008-07-11T21:04:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday we had the opportunity to go to Lake Tahoe with friends from our ward. Mindy and Bruce came with us so we had a car full. The girls had fun but I think the beach house in North Carolina has spoiled them. They played for an hour and then ate and probably expected a break in a house for a while and then out to the beach again when they were ready. Sorry ladies, this is the way most people go the the beach. We still haven't taken them to the Pacific Ocean yet, we probably should to bring them back to West Coast reality. But they had a great time and are still talking about it. It was nice to get away from the smoke that is still invading our air. I'm trying not to be the paranoid mom who doesn't let their kids play outside right now, but when the smoke is as thick as fog I have a hard time encouraging outside play. So here are the girls at Lake Tahoe!

Here's the girl's posing for me. Fallyn with the hand on the hip is funny. And apparently this is what Payton thinks of when she's told to pose. I guess we need to work on her creativity. I think she gets the lack there of from me. Whenever I was told to do a funny pose after a team picture I always looked lost. I was still trying to think of something funny while they took the picture. Maybe I should have Dave work with her.

The water was pretty cold but they all got all the way in. We have some water girls!

This was taken right after Mayce put her face in the water. She was fearless once she got in. She spent the beginning of the day just sitting in a chair eating gold fish crackers. I kept asking her if she wanted to swim but she like hanging out with the adults.

Here's the group picture. Look at all those boys! We are definitely outnumbered. It's a big change from Redding where there were lots of girls their ages. It's nice though because at this age they don't really realize the difference. And they spend a lot of time with their cousin Owen so boys aren't too foreign to them.
We had a great time and are looking forward to another outing to the lake. Thanks for the invite!

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

We had a pretty mellow 4th of July this year. We went to out to breakfast, then to Roseville's parade, home for naps, Grandpa & Grandma Corbridge's for swimming and dinner, and then we watched the fireworks. It was nice and relaxing.

Here's Dave and our ladies (well, two of them are being ladies) on the sidewalk waiting for the parade to pass by. We viewed at the end of the route this year but are planning on going earlier next year so we can watch from the beginning. It's a pretty long route for some to walk so toward the end their enthusiasm for participating has wained. The space between the "floats" also gets a little spread out. With our crowd we need it coming constantly. And, they had jump houses and slides set up in Royer Park, which was not on our agenda for the day. We spent most of our time telling them, "no." Not fun! Dave and I are firm believers in keeping our kids in the dark when it comes to fun things they will not be doing. Next year, to the front!

Here's a view from the spot where we watched the fireworks. As per tradition, we sit illegally on a median of grass in the intersection of Arden, Alta Arden, etc. and watch Cal Expo's firework display for free. This started when there were no kids. This year we had four, ages 5 and under. (Happy to have cousin Bruce in town now!) Not so safe and sane. Every year we talk about paying the money and watching from the stands, I know we're missing more of the show from a mile away, but we never go inside. And I don't know if my ladies even know we can do fireworks ourselves. Although that may fall into the "keeping the kids in the dark" category. I grew up celebrating the evening of the 4th at my parents with friends and homemade ice cream. Not to mention the dad's letting bottle rockets go from between their teeth and the firemen showing up after having calls about illegal firecrackers, those were the days! Seriously, don't mention that to Dave because he would totally try it.

Here's Payton and Fallyn with their glow necklaces. (Thanks Brittany, they loved them!)

My sister Kelsey surprised us with a visit. Mayce loves having her here. You can tell because Mayce's actually letting Kelsey hold her even though I'm within eye sight. (Boy, I sure wish Kelsey's husband Tommy would let them move out to California. Utah is no place for a California Girl!)

Grandma Corbridge made glow light accessories for Mayce's hair. And here she is with her infamous SMILE! I'm going to have to start practicing smiling with her in the mirror. I know as a teenager she'll give me a hard time about taking so many pictures with her smiling like that. Sorry, it cracks me up.

So, those were the highlights from our holiday this year. We're bummed we weren't able to make it to the annual BBQ in Nevada City, especially since I heard there's a permanent soft serve machine on the deck now, but we'll be there next year. It's so nice having our families so close by and being able to celebrate with the Corbridge's and Walker's together. We are truly blessed. We're also blessed to be touched by so many family and friends who have served and continue to serve in the various armed forces. With out them, and others like them, we would not have the freedoms we enjoy. I honestly cannot tell you how in awe I am of them and their choices to serve. They, along with their families, are in our prayers daily. Thank you!

2008-07-01T20:44:00.000-07:00

It was a pretty quiet week for us. I think we've finally recovered from our traveling so here are a few silly pictures of the girls just because!

Here's Mayce in Fallyn's raincoat and shoes. Why does she have a raincoat in the middle of summer in fire crazy California? Because she wanted it. It's just that simple with her. I'm getting weaker in my momminess as I become outnumbered. And the shoes, Mayce is a shoe lover. We are in trouble. She loves every one's shoes and usually needs to be wearing a pair at all times.

Who says the Mr. Potato Head parts are just for him? Not my girls. The parts are usually on them before the potato.

Here they are being "burritos." It cracks me up how much Mayce needs to do what they do. That girl is way ahead of her 17 months. (Yea! Nursery in one more month!) Today she was chasing Fallyn around the island in the kitchen and she'd change directions every time Fallyn did to head her off. Fallyn's comment, "Man, she's good." Ha! They make me laugh so much!

2008-06-20T21:10:00.000-07:00

We were fortunate enough to have spent a couple of weeks in Ocean Isle Beach, NC. The girls and I were there for almost 2 weeks. Dave joined us the second week. Here are the girls in a tide pool that Grandpa Corbridge helped maintain for them. They loved the shallow warm water.

Payton is her father's daughter when it came to spending time on the beach. She could stay out there all day if we let her. Fallyn takes after me. It's fun for a while but, we need some indoor time too.

It's tough to maintain napping while at the beach so Mayce took it whenever she could get it. We enjoyed walks on the beach because Mayce would sleep. She's so cute!

Payton's squaring off with a wild crab here. I'm surprised she got this close to it. She's not very outgoing with anything unless it domesticated.

When the sun goes down the games came out. The girl's enjoyed being involved in anything to prevent their bedtime. Of course a card game could not be interrupted for such trivial matters.

We had a great trip and are spoiled for having had the opportunity. It is a great trip for EVERYONE! Fingers crossed that we'll have the opportunity again some day!