Foust Family Fun

January 4 2012

2012-01-04T14:29:00.001-08:00

January 3 2012

2012-01-03T14:24:00.000-08:00

I almost forgot to take a picture today so at the last minute I snapped this of the boys. I have to remember earlier in the day or I will get a lot of bed shots this year!

January 2 2012

2012-01-02T14:14:00.000-08:00

My mom and I took the kids ice skating. Orion loved it, Chloe did not. Chloe made it around one time (although my mom swears it was two) and then she gave up. She started complaining about food of that she was thirsty or this or that. Meanwhile, Orion kept going and going. He needed some help along the way but ended up getting a lot better by the time we were finished. He wants to go again tomorrow.

We love cousins

2012-01-01T15:54:00.000-08:00

My brother and his family visited mid October again. It is so nice that our kids get along so well and truly like being together. We had a lot of fun time together this year. We are sad that they live so far away and wish we could see them more!

Visiting Big Bear

2012-01-01T15:23:00.000-08:00

I've finally realized that for the most part we are home bodies. It is hard to get us motivated to get up and go places but last October we made our way up the mountain to Big Bear. We went up the winding way which proved to be a bad choice because as soon as we reached the top, Orion started throwing up. Over and over. (Poor kid.) After his stomach emptied out he perked back up and we continued on our way. We met up with some family that have a rustic A-frame cabin up there and let the kids play. After a short visit with them we went into town and found a yummy Mexican restaurant to eat dinner at. Michael always like to walk off the food he just ate so we found a park by the lake to play at for a little bit. It was very relaxing to be by the water and enjoy a beautiful sunset. Our journey home wasn't as exciting as out ride up, thankfully! We were all happy and well when we reached our destination and glad that we had decided to have a fun family outing.

January 1 2012

2012-01-01T14:06:00.000-08:00

While Orion is at school..

2011-09-03T13:38:00.000-07:00

Chloe pretends she is too.

Preschool coop

2011-09-03T13:35:00.000-07:00

Chloe loves school! I am doing a coop again this year for her. There are 5 adorable girls in her class. I chose to teach all of my days in one big block, so August was mine all mine. Last Thursday was my last day of teaching until the new year! The girls are really well behaved and make teaching them pretty easy. This is a picture from our Pinkalicious day. They are trying their best to paint cupcakes!

It's Time For School Alreay?

2011-09-03T13:34:00.000-07:00

A couple days after Orion's birthday school started again. I dropped him off in his new classroom with his new teacher and everything seemed fine. When I picked him up after school everything was not fine. He complained that there were three recesses. What child complains about that? For the next two weeks I had to walk him into school and wait with him until the bell rang before I could leave his side. There were plenty of tears. I completely identified with his anxieties. One day I was sick and unable to take him to school so I left that task up to Michael. Orion tried to get him to walk him in but he refused. Michael turned it into a special mission for him. With some trepidation Orion agreed to the plan. Michael dropped him off successfully and I was sooo proud of my little boy. The next morning he told me I didn't have to walk him in. I was so happy. It has been quite an adjustment for him but it slowly seems to be getting better. Who knew first grade was going to start like this?!

Orion Turns 7

2011-09-03T13:14:00.000-07:00

This year Orion turned 7. We opted not to have a big birthday party this year and instead just had some family come over. Orion started his day with presents and eggos (I was happy he went with eggos because I hate making breakfast). He got a bunch of LEGOs which meant Michael and I spent a lot of the day putting them together with Orion. He was in heaven. He absolutely loves LEGO guys. He cares more about the guys than what you actually put together in the kit. Then he got to go pick out a video game at the store with Michael. They also stopped for lunch and candy along the way. Orion got home and played video games for the rest of the afternoon with Michael and Chloe. Again, in heaven. After a hot dog dinner and more LEGO playing, the grandparents and aunts and uncles started trickling in. He chose to jump right in to opening the presents. I swear he got every possible box of LEGOs sold at target. We all enjoyed chocolate cake and ice cream together while Orion excitedly tore into several LEGO boxes dumping the contents all over the living room floor. I about died when I saw the mess! He ended his perfect day putting legos together with his best friend who got to spend the night. What a lucky guy!

My Sweet Niece Addy!

2011-09-03T12:59:00.000-07:00

This is Addison. She was born at the end of July. I love her. It is so nice to have a little newborn around again. I only wish that all of my nieces and nephews lived as close to me as she does.

A Quick Look Back At June

2011-07-31T08:34:00.000-07:00

I decorated a baby shower for one of my sisters-in-law, Michelle.

Chloe and Great Grandma Foust

Michelle and Lisa were both due on the same day, but ended up having their babies three weeks apart. One had a boy and one had a girl!

The decorations at the party.

Orion won a Kiwanis award at the end of the school year!

Chloe 'graduated' her first year of preschool. (A co-op I do with some friends.)

Chloe turned 4 and had a Rapunzel party with some girlfriends. (No boys aloud!)

Spring Break in Park City

2011-04-13T14:50:00.000-07:00

Michael and the kids got two weeks off for spring break this year. I wanted to get away and it was a perfect opportunity for us to do so. I asked the kids what they wanted to do and they both quickly answered me with SNOW!! So a couple days later we were in the car headed for the snow. We ended up in Park City, UT (thanks to my mom)! We stayed in a great location right on Main St. We were steps from great food, great snow, and cute little shops. We spent two nights up there and one night with my great friend Kelli. Orion and Chloe got to play with their friends and I got to catch up with Kelli! Perfect! It was a quick trip and we were back before we knew it. It was just what we needed this Spring Break!

2010-07-25T13:05:00.000-07:00

Way to go!

2010-07-20T14:49:00.000-07:00

I don't really believe in preschool graduations, but I guess it isn't up to me! Orion graduated preschool last month! He sure was excited and actually participated in the presentation. Way to go dude!

Chloe's 3rd Birthday

2010-07-15T18:37:00.000-07:00

Chloe's birthday party was so much fun to plan. It was a fun in the sun theme that started off our summer in the right mood. There were lots of carnival style games like bucket toss, sand dig and catch a creature complete with prizes for the little one to try. We even had a giant water slide for the kids to play on (thanks Dave & Sandy!). It was really fun to see the kids having such a great time.

Here is a picture of Chloe with each of her guests. (I think she actually enjoyed taking pictures with everyone most of all!)

The next day was her actual birthday. It started out really well with presents and smiles...and then quickly went south with tears and pouts. She did not like when we sang to her but after some cake and insisting that she watch Justin Bieber on TV all was well again.

The festivities continued the next day with a trip to Disneyland. I gave Chloe a make over in before we left and let her choose a princess dress to wear. She decided to wear Alice in Wonderland (I know, not a princess). This was the first time we stood in line to meet the princesses. Chloe really enjoyed it. She was especially excited to see Snow White and Cinderella. The weekend was fun but I was glad when it ended because I was really tired!

This part was Michael's idea...make the ugliest face you can make. I just had to show you how ugly I am!

How many Fousts does it take to change a tire?

2010-07-13T10:40:00.001-07:00

Gold Class Cinemas - Best Place Ever!

2010-07-13T10:27:00.000-07:00

We went to Gold Class Cinemas to celebrate my father in-laws birthday. It is the best place in the world to see a movie while eating dinner on a cushy recliner under a blanket. This is were Michael and I came as a part of my birthday celebration too. It was so much fun to go back. Afterward we walked around in old Pasadena. It is such a nice place to visit, I highly recommend it for your next date night if you are in the area!

Angels Game

2010-07-13T10:00:00.000-07:00

I love the Angels! Last month my dad took us all to a game. Our seats were great and so were the peanuts! My dad and I were feeling nostalgic so we walked around half of the stadium looking for ice cream served in the plastic Angels hat...but they didn't have them anymore. So sad. All they had was ice cream in a monkey (not nearly as cool). On a happier note, I did see a commercial for Baskin Robbins and they are serving ice cream in team hats right now. I haven't gone yet because I know it won't be as cool as getting it at an Angels game!

My 30th Birthday Extravaganza!

2010-06-17T13:45:00.000-07:00

I had the best birthday ever this year! My expectations are always really high so the fact that I liked it was a miracle in and of itself. My birthday started early with dinner at my parent's house. My mom surprised me with a doll cake. She has been making these for me since I was little and I love them! Thanks mom!

Michael planned out the whole day for us on my birthday. First on the list was to ship off the kids. (Thank you Sandy.) Then off to my massage. It was excellent! After showering (the oil is just too oily for me) and getting ready again we were off to Pasadena. We went to the botanical gardens there. It was BEAUTIFUL. I loved walking around the different gardens. There was so much too look at.

After the gardens we headed to a cute little hotel to get an appetizer. It turned out that we didn't really like the menu so we went with dessert instead! After the hotel we went to the coolest movie theater EVER. It's called Gold Class Cinemas in old town Pasadena. This is what the seats looked like. But wait, it gets better. When we sat down they offered us pillows and blankets and then gave us a menu. They serve food and drinks during the movie. It was so much fun.

The next weekend I had a 30th birthday party. It was a murder mystery party. I have always wanted to have one. I'm glad I finally did because it was the best thing ever! SO MUCH FUN! I'm glad everyone came and participated.

Thank you Susan for doing so much work!

Trying to figure it out!

Oh no, someone killed Susan!

And here she is...the murderer.
The party made my year!

Palm Springs with Grandma Foust

2010-06-17T13:15:00.000-07:00

I took the kids to Palm Springs for a couple of days back in April. The day we got there Orion came down with a really high fever. It is always hard when your kids are sick, but it's even worse when you are on a trip. He felt bad the entire time we were there. The weather was great the first day so we went to the pool. (Orion laid on a chair most of the time. Poor Guy!) This is Grandma Sandy teaching Chloe how to swim.

The second day the weather turned really cold and windy on us so we decided to go to the children's museum. It was one of the best ones I have been to and the kids really enjoyed it.

After the museum we packed up and headed home. It was a quick trip, but a fun trip! Thank you Sandy for inviting us. It was fun spending alone time with you.

Cousins!

2010-05-13T17:22:00.000-07:00

My brother lives way far away in Colorado and recently had baby #3. I thought for sure that they would never visit California again, but to our delight they flew out for a visit. The kids had so much fun playing with their only cousins. They were here for such a short time so they completely filled their schedule. We started where anyone visiting southern California with kids would start...Disneyland!

People asked if they were twins all day long. Ashley and I dressed them in similar colors unknowingly.

On Saturday while the boys went to play golf, the girls went to get their nails done. Chloe and Maddie were really in to it. It was Chloe's first time and she felt like a princess.

We had a family dinner on Sunday and afterwords Michael entertained the kids with some games. Here is one he calls Pete. The kids had a really fun time with him.

Where We Live Now (It's Always Changing!)

2010-05-12T15:05:00.000-07:00

I FINALLY GOT A NEW TABLE!!!!! I AM SO EXCITED.

A quick trip

2010-04-12T08:34:00.000-07:00

Michael and I went a quick trip this last weekend to Mountain View without the kids! We are so fortunate to live close to our parents now because they quickly said yes to each taking a night with the kids. While Michael worked on Saturday I got to surprise my friend Kelli at her baby shower.
It turned out to be such a nice shower. My friends Lindsay and Jamie really put a lot of work into it to make it nice for Kelli. It was fun to see all of my old friends from the ward too. I got to catch up with everyone I was missing except maybe Tabitha (where was she?). The rest of the day was filled with a fun birthday party for Lindsay's son, a nap, dinner at our favorite pizza place, and a movie. I was so tired! On Sunday I layed around and watched TV all morning. It was so nice to be able to relax without kids!! When Michael got off work on Sunday we headed home. Unfortunatlly it rained the whole ride home. I hate driving in the rain at night so I was pretty nervous the entire time. I was so happy when we made it home alive. I'm glad that Michael and I got to spend time alone together, it was a lot of fun.

There is something so special

2010-04-12T08:28:00.000-07:00

about a newborn. This little guy was eight days old and so fun to watch and snuggle with. Thanks Heather for letting me capture some special moments!

Easter Egg Hunt

2010-04-04T10:17:00.001-07:00

We hosted an Easter party this year and it went really well. We had a really good turn out and it was really great to have kids that were my kids age here, hopefully I am building some friendships for them.

My mom came up with the idea of having a tostada bar. Everyone was able to build their own. I bought fresh bowl type tostadas at El Pollo Loco (they were awesome) and then made everything else. It was a really good idea and everyone liked it. (It was way better than the usual party food...hotdogs...hamburgers...boring!)

I bought 5 of the big big balls at Target and the kids had a blast kicking them and bouncing them in the backyard. I'm glad I decided to do the balls and not bubbles (too messy) or even sidewalk chalk (way too messy and I can't stand touching it, even on my kids clothes).

After lunch and running around in the back it was time for the hunt. We sent all of the kids and dads inside while the ladies hid (in plain sight) the eggs. When the Eggs were in place I gave the kids a quick lesson on hunting for eggs. Basically - let the little kids get eggs too. Then we were set.

Inspecting the loot!

It was really great meeting new families and friends. We hope to have them over again soon.

My Blog, My Choice

2010-04-02T20:55:00.000-07:00

So...some people have complained lately (Lindsay) about my blog. I promise to start posting more about what is up with us...tomorrow (or the next day).

2010-03-24T10:10:00.000-07:00

Chloe Finally Has a Room of Her Own...

2010-03-17T19:13:00.000-07:00

and it's pink. I wish it wasn't, but it is. She loves it!

Moving 3 Times in One Year Stinks!

2010-03-17T18:55:00.000-07:00

The Yearly Wedding Ritual

2010-03-17T17:02:00.000-07:00

We seem to be on a roll here with a wedding every year. This year it was my brother in law, Jeff's turn. He married a really sweet girl from Utah, Michelle. They are so cute together and everyone is really happy for them!

Congratulations Jeff & Michelle!

Please come back rain...I finally bought boots!

2010-01-31T18:31:00.000-08:00

OOPS...She's having a Boy!

2010-01-31T17:55:00.000-08:00

Well this is the story...
My sister in law, Natasha, went in one month ago to find out what she was having and they told her they were pretty sure she was having a girl. Yeah! So we plan her baby shower according to that info. We had pink candles and pink tablecloths and pink lanterns and pink frames and pink piggy banks. We were all decked out and ready to go. Well...the day before the shower she went to get 3D imaging of the baby just to make sure...and sure enough...IT'S A BOY!!! We found out late in the day and the shower was the next morning so she had a pink shower anyway. Poor thing! She was a really good sport about it though and kept her spirits high. Thankfully through the power of Facebook and a few phone calls, about half of the guests found out and rushed out at the last minute to switch their gifts for boy things. I got lucky on the other hand and got one of the adorable pink blankets that was made for Natasha's baby given to me for Chloe!!! At least she has a funny story to tell her son.

A Trip to Mexico

2010-01-31T17:21:00.000-08:00

aka...Tapatio. I love this grocery store. The little restaurant inside has really good food, they give away free samples of cake and chips & salsa in the store, they sell the best chips and salsa, and the kids were really entertained with the energy in the store. I highly recomend the place and if you go...don't forget to buy the chips and Tapatio salsa!

Orion thought he was wolverine.

Official Southern Californians

2010-01-31T17:08:00.000-08:00

We have Disneyland annual passes! Isn't it great to live in southern California!! We have gone 3 times in 3 weeks and we still want more.

Chloe LOVES going fast on the Tea Cups!

What's Missing?

2010-01-27T09:09:00.000-08:00

Orion lost his first tooth! It came out when he was going to bed. It was kinda late notice for the Tooth Fairy because she doesn't carry cash anymore, but she made it happen!

Little Lucy

2010-01-23T21:47:00.001-08:00

A trip to visit friends!

2010-01-11T14:58:00.000-08:00

Last week we went back to Mountain View to visit friends. We had a great time. Orion especially loved seeing his best friend Brayden! Chloe loved playing with Josh. I loved going on a girls night with all of my friends. Michael worked the whole time so didn't really love anything...except me!

This is a sneak peek for Kelli...isn't she beautiful!! She's due in May and can't wait for it to be over!!

Sorry Jamie, this is not a post about me.

2010-01-11T14:54:00.001-08:00

It about your sweet little boy! He is so cute and the best behaved baby I have worked with so far. Hopefully that will last into adulthood!! Miss you. I'll send you the rest when I'm done!

Love

2009-12-30T20:44:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas to all!!

2009-12-30T20:36:00.000-08:00

The kids were so excited Christmas morning.

Orion loved his gifts from Santa!

Chloe looked like a doll.

We hope all of our friends and family had a wonderful Christmas! Here's to a great new year.

A Stolen Moment

2009-12-30T20:29:00.000-08:00

So Orion saw Santa at the mall and wanted to go sit on his lap...so we did. We get up there, I have my camera out and the lady tells me that I have to pay for the pictures even if I take it myself. I told her that it wasn't fair and snapped a picture anyway. I quickly gathered the kids and left. Fortunately, Orion got to tell the dud of a Santa they had what he wanted and the one picture I took turned out to be good.

Snowing at the Park

2009-12-19T17:39:00.000-08:00

Look at these handsome boys!

2009-12-09T11:13:00.000-08:00

Your boys were so cute Memory! Thanks for letting me take their picture.

Breast Cancer 3-Day

2009-12-09T10:42:00.000-08:00

We made it back to California just in time to see my mom finish up her 60 mile walk. She has done the Susan G. Koman Breast Cancer 3 Day four times now! She is really commited to finding a cure! We were so glad to be able to go cheer her on this year.

Grandpa keeping the kids entertained with some ice cream.

Here she is - the star of the show!

Yes, Michael and Orion should have been wearing pink!

An inspirational kiss from the grandkids to help her finish the last mile!

Sweet Kennedy

2009-12-03T09:09:00.000-08:00

Sneak Peek!

Baby P*

2009-12-03T09:03:00.000-08:00

This sweet little girl was so funny to photograph. She was 12 days old and she absolutely would not let us take her out of her blanket. I only took 20 pictures in the hour I was there. Needless to say I didn't get many good shots, but hey-we tried. Every photo shoot is a lesson for me right now and this little one taught me a whole lot! Thanks Melinda for letting me try.

One Hot Mama!

2009-11-07T15:17:00.000-08:00

You look great Ashlie!

Fun Fall Fotos

2009-11-07T15:09:00.000-08:00

I went out with these beauties today to take some fall photos. I have officially decided that I LOVE photography and want to start my career as soon as possible.

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T06:09:00.001-07:00

Last night our branch had its Fall Festival. Orion dressed up as Ben 10 and Chloe was a cupcake. My mom pulled through for me again because she made both of the costumes for the kids.

We went to church and they had a carnival set up inside. The kids got to fish and color and get their face painted and have a whole lot of fun

Towards the end they announced the winner for most creative costume and Chloe won!! She was so happy and a little confused.

After the carnival inside, we went to the parking lot for the annual trunk or treat. Orion had a great time but Chloe got a little scared with all the commotion, she asked to go back and sit with daddy. We didn't get a lot of candy because we were so slow, but we are going on base tonight to make up for it! We hope you all have a fun Halloween experience tonight!

Parker

2009-10-29T13:59:00.000-07:00

Here is a sneak peak for Parker's mom. He was so cute, thanks for coming today!

Yeah for Aubrey

2009-10-28T03:51:00.001-07:00

The other night Orion was feeling sad because he is bored here and doesn't have a lot of friends. So I did what any good mom would do...I got my phone out and started texting. Thankfully, my VT pulled through for me and the next day sent her daughter over to play with Orion. I'm guessing that they had a lot of fun because she didn't want to leave (that has never happened to us before - normally kids are running out the door at first glimpse of their mom (huh Kelli)). So now we have play dates planned for the rest of the week and hopefully Orion will feel better about being here.

Would you buy this picture??

2009-10-13T10:23:00.000-07:00

Preschool Transportation Day

2009-10-13T09:36:00.000-07:00

I looked out my window this morning and this is what I saw...

When I saw the Ambulance I thought there might be something wrong at the preschool (which is also across the street), but then I remembered that it was transportation day at the preschool. A few minutes later Chloe's class came out so I got to take a few pictures of her.

Here she is on the boat (before she knew I was there taking pictures).

She checked out a motorcycle, a tractor, a moving van and an ambulance. She would not get close to the ambulance - she is afraid of them. We live next to a fire station and a police station so she hears sirens a lot and she has developed a fear for some reason. Tomorrow they are planning on having a fire truck come...more pictures to follow!

I'm so glad...

2009-10-10T06:28:00.001-07:00

my mom came to visit. I picked her up from the airport that is less than 2 miles away (pretty much everything is under 2 miles away in this town) on Thursday night and she stayed until Wednesday morning! It was great to have her here. We entertained her by going to Wal-Mart 3 times, going to Rudy's (my new favorite BBQ place) twice and going to the Emporium (previously featured) for Ice Cream once. There really is nothing to do here people!!! We spent most of our time working on Chloe's costume. I sent my mom a picture of what I wanted a long time ago and she got to work. She is amazing. It is the cutest thing I have ever seen. Thanks mom! We managed to make time for a photo shoot too. She is beautiful - thanks for coming mom.

Nothing to do...

2009-09-27T13:21:00.000-07:00

So I force my family to take pictures with me

Baby Dallin

2009-09-26T15:26:00.000-07:00

I continue to practice...THANKS ANDREA .

Weekend in San Antonio

2009-09-14T16:16:00.000-07:00

Michael had another Dr.s appointment in San Antonio on Friday so we decided to make a weekend trip out of it. I love getting back to civilization!!

In the past, we have only gone for the day but this time we decided to be tourists. We went to the riverwalk and took a boat tour and we went to check out the culture at Market Square. We forgot a stroller (I don't know how we possibly managed that) so we had to carry Chloe around a lot. She is not a walker. We tried to walk as little as possible but when you are trying to be a tourist it is pretty much inevitable!

Chloe loved looking at the marionettes.

Orion successfully found anything that had spiderman on it!

Chloe's Turn!

2009-09-10T10:30:00.000-07:00

Chloe has been on the wait list for the preschool across the street since July. She was so sad when Orion started and she couldn't go. I shouted for joy when I got the phone call letting me know there was an opening for Chloe. Not only is she going to love it, but I'm going to love it too. Two full mornings a week without the kids...just think of the possibilities!

Here she is ready to go. She was so excited to meet 'teacher' (I think she thinks that is what school is called). We walked over to the school a little early and she met her two teachers and saw her classroom for the first time. When it was time for me to go I thought she might cry but she didn't even notice I was leaving.

When I picked her up the teachers said she did great and asked if she had been in day care before. I told them no and then told them about nursery at church. I guess nursery has helped to prepare her for the world!

Thanks to me (I was her nursery leader) and Lindsay!!!

Chloe's New Obsession

2009-09-09T12:42:00.000-07:00

Princesses or princeth as Chloe says.

Orion's First Day at Preschool

2009-09-09T12:33:00.000-07:00

Sightseeing

2009-09-09T12:15:00.000-07:00

Living without Target and a real mall has left me with a lot of time on my hands. We are a really bored. So we decided to see what this part of the state has to offer us. There isn't much...

One afternoon is all you need to see it all.

We went to a State Park Museum to see imitation pictographs. The real ones (which were over 8,000 years old) required a 6 mile hike and we all know I don't walk! (The kids were the real reason why we couldn't hike, you had to be 6!) The museum was surprisingly nice and well maintained.

Then we went to Judge Roy Bean's Saloon. They preserved his saloon which was also the courthouse and billiard room in the early 1900s. It was cool to see the old building and the cactus garden that surrounded it. The kids liked the ice cream.

Intruder

2009-08-27T10:37:00.000-07:00

This guy flew in our house a few days ago. Check out his size!!

She's got all her ducks (and other things) in a row!

2009-08-27T10:36:00.000-07:00

I'm Confused!

2009-08-27T10:31:00.000-07:00

The Emporium

2009-08-27T09:30:00.001-07:00

We found a cute little fountain shop called the Emporium the other day. We each ordered something different and then shared. The kids were in heaven!

Our New Pet

2009-08-27T09:22:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago Michael found this little guy in the house. It is a Mediterranean House Gecko. The kids spent all afternoon making it a house but after a little research, Michael decided that it would be best to let him go...in the house. So now we have a new pet. (I actually haven't seen him since.)

My Guy is 5

2009-08-16T06:17:00.000-07:00

Orion turned 5 last week. Seriously, where does the time go? We didn't have a big party this year, but Orion still had a great day. I told him he could do anything he wanted to do on his special day and he chose to "go to Blockbuster and rent a video game". So, that is what he did.

Early morning opening.

Sad excuse for a cake, but Orion looked at it and said "Wow, awesome cake mom", so I felt better. It's a cake only your 5 year old son could love.

Chloe thought it was great too. She must be related to Aunt Susan because she only ate the frosting.

Swim Lessons

2009-08-12T10:46:00.000-07:00

Swim Lesson Highlights:
*Chloe was old enough to be in the beginners class.
*Orion was a lot braver this time around.
*I got to sit on the stands and watch (in peace).
***Orion FINALLY passed level 1. We are so proud of him!

New Address

2009-08-07T13:38:00.000-07:00

I absolutely LOVE our house here. It was built in the 1920s but just remodeled. It's fun living here.

Waterslide Fun

2009-08-06T10:40:00.000-07:00

The resort we stayed at in Chandler had this awesome waterslide and no lifeguard on duty! We went down a million times. The kids had a great time. I love pools!

Rawhide Western Town

2009-08-06T10:36:00.000-07:00

We stopped in Arizona on our way to Texas. We took the kids to this western town in Chandler. It was really fun - and HOT.

Moving to Texas

2009-08-06T08:05:00.001-07:00

Sometimes you have to pee...and scratch your butt.

Fun on the 4th

2009-08-06T06:50:00.000-07:00

We spent the 4th at the Foust's this year. It was a pretty relaxing day filled with outdoor entertainment, sun bathing, movies and fireworks.

It took Orion an hour, but he finally understood the concept!

Sea World

2009-08-04T06:31:00.001-07:00

We went to Sea World on July 3rd. We went in the afternoon and stayed late for fireworks. It felt a lot more relaxed being there in the afternoon even though I was freaking out about squeezing all the shows into our small time frame (which we did).

Waiting to see Shamu. I don't think we really did.

A fun new addition to the park. Chloe loves rides!

Susan went with us too, which is always fun!!!!

Thanks Monica!

2009-08-04T06:20:00.001-07:00

Thanks Monica! Your son was adorable! I'll send you the rest of the pictures soon! We finally got computer access again! (It's been a month!)

I'll be in Corona

2009-06-24T15:43:00.000-07:00

I'll be in Corona from July 1st to the 6th. If you want to let me practice on you or your kids I would really appreciate it. It's all part of my 3 year plan to become a photographer, but a photographer needs a portfolio so please let me take your picture!!!

2009-06-24T14:47:00.000-07:00

Branching Out

2009-06-24T14:41:00.000-07:00

My kids were getting tired of me taking their picture, so I found some new cute kids. My dear friend let me borrow her kids for a photo shoot this week. We had a lot of fun!

Orion

2009-06-24T14:39:00.000-07:00

Pictures

2009-06-24T14:32:00.000-07:00

I made my kids pose for pictures again so I could practice. I am having sooo much fun!

2009-06-20T07:53:00.001-07:00

Finally a Warm Day!

2009-06-19T09:22:00.000-07:00

Our Trip to Colorado

2009-06-19T08:58:00.000-07:00

The kids and I headed to my brother's house last weekend for a little visit. Their house is beautiful and their neighborhood is adorable. We had a lot of fun with them. All of the kids played really well together and really enjoyed being around each other. While we were there we drove down to Pueblo to pick up Michael for the weekend.

I got to play with Ashley's camera while we were there and fell in-love so I had to have one. She drove me all around to hunt down the camera I wanted and we finally found it. I LOVE IT!
Here are some pictures of me testing out the camera...

Orion was sad to see Michael go again.

The plane Michael is flying right now.

Waiting in the Airport

2009-06-19T08:57:00.001-07:00

Two parties for my 2 year old!

2009-06-19T08:23:00.000-07:00

I don't know where all the time went, but my little girl is already 2. We had two parties this year, one with friends in the area and another in Denver with my brother's family and Michael. (Michael was in Colorado at a Flight Training school.)

Chloe's Butterflies in the Park Party:
(Picture's to come.)

Chloe's Little Piggy Party

She was really happy at the Piggy party, maybe it was because Daddy was there! Ashley made a pig cake that turned out so cute. We sang to Chloe then she opened her gifts. She got dress-up clothes and play food that she can cut up. After she opened her gifts, everyone ate cake! It was really good. I think Chloe had a good time!

Orion's Emergency Surgery

2009-05-27T08:33:00.000-07:00

Last Tuesday Michael took Orion to the emergency room. He had been complaining of severe pain in his stomach. After a few hours and a number of tests they told us he had INTUSSUSCEPTION.

Here is some information I copied off the internet explaining what it is:

Intussusception is the enfolding of one segment of the intestine within another. It is characterized by and initially presents with recurring attacks of cramping abdominal pain that gradually become more painful.

The onset of abdominal pain is usually abrupt and severe. Just as fast as the onset of pain appears, it disappears and the child resumes activity normally. This process of sudden severe abdominal pain appearing out of the blue, then disappearing, is repeated with duration of painful attacks. The pain usually increases after approximately five hours of recurrent cycles of severe abdominal pain followed by relaxation. Vomiting and diarrhea occur in about 90% of cases within six to 12 hours after initial onset of symptoms.

The disease is three times more common in males than in females. In about 85% of cases the cause is idiopathic (meaning that it is unknown). The remaining 15% of cases can be caused by a variety of such other diseases as tumors of the lymph nodes (lymphoma), fat tumors (lipomas), foreign bodies/objects, or from infections that mobilize immune cells to the area causing and an inflammatory reaction and intestinal blockage. Most cases of intussusception do not strangulate the affected bowel within the first 24 hours. If the disease is not treated after this time, the possibility of intestinal gangrene, shock, and death increases.

After the ER figured out what it was - I dropped off Chloe and rushed to be with Michael and Orion at he hospital. They sent him in for an enima right away hoping to straighten out the bowel. Sometimes the enima will work, but this time it didn't. They couldn't get it to straighten out completely. The doctors informed us that we would be transfered to Stanford Hospital where they are better equipped to deal with children. At that time we decided Orion needed a blessing so we called our good friend Brad to come over and help out. I felt a new sense of calm after the blessing.

Around 9pm we arrived at Stanford. Orion went through a lot more tests and ultrasounds there and by 11pm we were going in for a second enima. When it didn't work the second time, they said he would have to go in for surgery right away. At 1a.m. they took him in for the surgery. Around 2:30am the Dr came out and told us that everything went well and that we could see him soon. We were so glad that the operation was over and that he was going to be all right. He stayed in the hospital for two days while he recovered.

We know that Heavenly Father was watching over our family during this whole ordeal. I am so thankful for the church in our lives and all of the wonderful friends we have. We had a lot of friends and family that were willing to do whatever we asked of them and I am so grateful to everyone that helped us. I have never been in a situation where I needed the help of anyone besides family so it was amazing to me to see how caring and concerned people were for our family.

Orion is running aroud and back to normal now. They say little kids bounce back quickly, and it is totally true. I still can't believe how fast Orion recovered. I'm am so glad he is a healthy little boy again because we love him so much and can't imagine our lives without him!

Orion's in T-Ball!

2009-05-27T08:09:00.000-07:00

Recently our Saturday mornings have been filled with T-Ball! Orion is really into it for about 5 minutes and then asks when we are going home for the other 45! Four year olds are so funny, they have no attention span.

Listening intently to the coach.

Giving his best swing.

Running the bases like Flash. (That was the only way to get him to run faster.)

Chloe thought she was on the team. I couldn't get her to sit on the side with me because she wanted to stand right next to Orion and do what he was doing.

Oakland Zoo - Take Two

2009-05-27T07:46:00.000-07:00

We went to the Oakland Zoo a couple of weeks ago. I thought it was going to be really fun for Chloe this time because she is a little bit older. Well - her excitement was underwhelming to say the least. This picture really sums it up!

Chloe and Josh not caring at all.

Orion was more interested in running to the next animal, the next animal, the next animal than actually stopping to look. It was almost like going to this zoo 2 times was 1 time too many!

Orion is always looking for a way to pretend he is Spider-Man, so this web was like a dream come true for him!

Another year older...

2009-05-03T16:22:00.000-07:00

Here is a run down of my birthday weekend.
Friday:
Flowers
Cards
Movies
2 Hour Massage

Saturday:
Dinner with friends
Cake and games with friends

Sunday:(Actual Birthday)
Presents
Cards
and a little birthday surprise!

Grandma's Survival Kit

2009-05-03T16:14:00.000-07:00

I made this survival kit for my mom when she came to take care of my kids last weekend. It came complete with foot lotion, foot mask, foot scrub, spa socks, emery boards, loofa and eye mask. She didn't have enough time to use it while she was here surprise, surprise but took it home so she could pamper herself in peace!

Daddy's Home

2009-04-27T08:27:00.001-07:00

The kids are so happy to have Michael home! I don't think Chloe has ever been so excited and she didn't really know what to do with that emotion. She just kept giggling and breaking out into laughter for no reason at all. Everyone is glad Michael's home.

Lieutenant Foust

2009-04-27T07:53:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I flew to Knoxville Tennessee to see Michael graduate as an officer. He was selected by his 89 peers to be the Class Speaker, which meant he gave a motivational speech to the class during the graduation. It was five minutes long and he did an excellent job. He has always been very comfortable speaking in front of an audience and it showed. I was soooo proud of him.

Here his is saying his federal oath to become an officer.

They all took a turn ringing the bell as their name was called to go up and get their certificate.

Then there was a parade.

Michael marching past with his squadron.

They finished off the ceremonies with the pinning on of the Lieutenant bars. I was honored to pin them on for him!

Lieutenant and Mrs. Foust!!
I was so happy for him!

Then we went exploring in Knoxville.

It was a fun day, but a tiring one.

The Knoxville Airport had rocking chairs at the gates to sit in. I thought it was awesome and wanted a picture. Here we are.

Pool Playing

2009-04-21T13:48:00.001-07:00

A miracle has occurred! We have had 3 hot days in a row here. Today we celebrated by going to the pool with some friends. It was great to get out of the hot house and into some cool water.

Orion loved the kiddie pool.

Chloe and I just liked putting our feet in!

The popsicles were the biggest hit.

Sun Day

2009-04-19T13:29:00.000-07:00

We love to play in the sun!

The sun is back ...

2009-04-19T13:27:00.001-07:00

So it is time to plant flowers.
(That are probably going to die next week!)

Bedtime Buddies

2009-04-19T13:26:00.001-07:00

Easter + Entertaining

2009-04-19T12:51:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Easter this year with my parents. The kids woke up at 6:45 to start their easter egg hunt.

Chloe already has a mouth full of chocolate!

So does Orion.

Dying eggs. (Not my favorite tradition, I am too much of a control freak about it. It is way too messy for me to enjoy.)

I can't believe I didn't get any pictures of my kids in their Easter clothes for church. Oh well, I'll recreate it later!

We finished off the day hosting an Easter dinner. We had my mother and father in-law over along with two brother in-laws Chris and Bryan, a sister in-law Lisa and a bestest friend Susan. (Probably more people than my parents have ever had in this house.) It was a lot of fun...the decorations were darling, the food tasted great and the company was fun.

The table decorations.

I wish you could see how cute those fluffy bunnies and chicks were that were hanging on the tree. The picture doesn't do them justice.

The dessert tower.

Thanks mom for helping me do this at your house!!!

And now...
The recipes everyone was asking for:

Mouth Watering Stuffed Mushrooms
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Mouth-Watering-Stuffed-Mushrooms/Detail.aspx

Lemon Berry Tartlets
http://www.surlatable.com/product/recipes/course/desserts/no-bake+lemon+berry+tartlets.do

Disneyland

2009-04-16T19:07:00.000-07:00

The kids and I recently went to Corona to visit my parents. We had a lot of fun as usual, but the best part was Disneyland. Chloe had a confused look on her face when we first got there, but she quickly decided she loved it there. She especially loved the characters. Mickey spent a lot of time with her and she couldn't get enough of him. Orion loved everything. He had total control over deciding what rides to go on. His favorite was autotopia - he is a crazy driver! We love Disneyland!

Cozy Coupe

2009-03-26T09:38:00.001-07:00

Cruising in the coupe when I was 2.

Chloe