Spring Break in AZ

Scott had a week off for Spring Break... California was cold and rainy so we decided to drive to AZ and spend some time with Scotts family.

Clara LOVES Abbie.

Jackson and Lilie are so cute together! They get along so well and have so much fun!

 We picked oranges and grapefruit at Papa Randall's. Clara was so cute with her Papa... she was constantly crawling all over him, tickling him, and lounging on him.

 Poor kitty.

 The cousins had a sleep over at Nana Lisa's. Abbie told the kids stories as they fell asleep.

We went on a hike not far from Lisa's house. It was fun getting out and enjoying the perfect 70 degree weather. At first Jackson was a bit of a complainer... but he ending up doing great and now he can't stop talking about it.

Poor Abbie pricked her finger on a cactus.

 It was a great view of the city the whole way up the mountain.

 I kept trying to compare the hike to super-hero's to help Jackson get through it. This green tree represents the Incredible Hulk.... hence the muscle flexing :)

 We carried Clara up & down this entire mountain. We need to work on her hiking skills.

 Climbing the last bit.

 Inside the wind cave.

 Our family at the top.

 Lillie and Jackson.

 Abbie. Jackson. Lillie.... home stretch.

 After the hike we went for a swim.

Cute little Lucy.

 Jackson and Lillie.

 Nana. Clara. Abbie. Hot tub time.

Arizona is always so much fun. The kids love to see their cousins, and the weather was PERFECT!

Dinner with Dad....

Dinner with Dad is obviously a party at our house. Scott showed the kids how to blow food at each other through a straw. The kids loved it! But let just say I am still finding random pieces of food around our house :)

My Must Haves

 Scott got me the Nike + iPod Sports Kit for valentines day. And I have to say I am obsessed. The oval shape fits into any Nike+ shoe, and the attachment hooks into your iPod. It talks to you while you run, tells you your distances, your speed and calories burned. Once your run is complete Lance Armstrong's voice comes on and congratulates you on your distance and speed. It's totally awesome... and my most favorite gadget!

Scott also got me these Nike Free Run shoes... they are so comfortable, flexible, and super light weight. They come in a variety of colors... and I am al about having a fun color to look at while my feet pound the pavement.

 There are a variety of watchbands that you can buy that fit the new ipod nano. But these are the best if you have a nike+ to add in. I absolutely LOVE having my nano on my wrist... its so accessible and easy to read. LOVE IT!

 Another one of Scotts finds.... wow.... maybe he should be doing this post? Ha ha. After UT I came home to our fridge stocked with this bread. It is soooo yummy! I will put a few slices in a zip lock bag and feed it to the kids (and myself) while we are out running errands. We buy it at: Trader Joe's.

I do a lot of dishes. I mean A LOT! And thanks to our apartment quality dishwasher :) ... I have to basically hand wash every item that goes in. But seriously... this dishwashing soap makes it not so bad... and the best part about it - my hands don't get dry! I have tried all the scents, but the pomegranate is by far my favorite.

Thank you baby jogger for coming out with a way to turn my single into a double! We do a lot of walking at Disney Land, and poor Jackson's legs always get to tired... along with my ears from all the complaining :). But just a couple months ago - baby jogger came out with an attachment for the back of your stroller for someone to stand. You can hook it up when you are not using it - or take it off (no tools required). Now I can use my most favorite jogging stroller for everything! Baby Jogger... you complete me.

For the first time in 5 years....

I am officially done buying diapers. 

This Week

I felt like it took me forever to get back into my "everyday groove"... since being in UTAH.

We had Audrey over for the afternoon while her mom when snowboarding... that's right, snowboarding in So Cal.

Disneyland. Always a fun afternoon.

A while ago I bought a Groupon for the Jump!Zone. A group of us took our kids out. They had a blast!

I bought Clara a new swimsuit. She wore it around the house all afternoon along with her tutu. I was on the phone with my little sister Cami when she was running around like this... so Cami, this one's for you!

We went on a walk and to the park. Our friends took us to this great trail just 5 minutes from our house and now I am obsessed! Jackson cruises along on his scooter and Clara half sits in the stroller and half lolly-gags behind us looking for flowers.

It's been a great week. This week Scott's schedule will be back to normal (boo!) ... let's hope I can keep up with the kids and enjoy being a single mama!

AMERICAN IDOL

Thursday morning I woke up to a text from my friend Jenny asking me if I wanted to go to American Idol.... Um, are you kidding? Yes Please!

Me. Jenny.

I went with Jenny's family. These girls are all sisters and are so cute and fun to be around.

We all got a little split up for the show. Jessica and Jenny were right behind the judges... which meant whenever the judges were on TV... so were they! Tori and I were right next to the judges, which was awesome! We didn't get to much TV time, but we had amazing seats. We talked to Randy, starred in awe at Jennifer, and couldn't take our eyes off Steven Tyler's bedazzled outfit!

Thanks Jenny for inviting me! Thanks Tori for the tickets! And thank you for letting me spend the evening with your awesome family!

Jackson turns 5!!!

We started out the morning with breakfast in bed! Of course he was up before breakfast was ready, but ran back to bed for us to come in with the breakfast tray and sing happy birthday.
Jackson's breakfast request: Fruit Smoothie (I added in muffin eggs, orange juice & bugs).

Later that night we had friends over for dinner and cake & ice cream. Jack was really particular about his cake... he wanted a volcano with lava and dinosaurs. It was a fun cake to make, but compared to last year it is not quite as nice looking. But Jackson loved it - and thats all that matters :)

Happy Birthday big boy. I really wish you would stop growing.