End of the school year stuff

Little miss Tayter Tot getting bigger every day.

To start off the end of the school year and beginning of summer Dad had a camp out. The kids were so excited. Since #1 sleeps walks every night we knew it would not be the best idea to sleep on the grass so they slept on the balcony. To our surprise both kids slept out all night.

#2 Loved making S'mores and drinking hot chocolate. 

#3 loved watching the movie.

We did an early session of swim lesson but by the end of the week #2 was a...not perfect but better swimmer.

#1 enjoyed arts and science day at school. She loved Mr. Valentines nature class which was full of exotic animals like kangaroos and the sticky bug below.

#3 was blessed in the LDS church and we were so lucky to have my in laws fly in from Utah to spend a few days with us. We took them on a day trip to Santa Barbara and stopped at a local fruit stand in Camarillo which they had never done before.

#2 got to enjoy Grandma and Grandpa all to himself while #1 had a birthday party to attend. We enjoyed lunch at CPK and walked downtown.

We also took them to yogurtland. They had never eaten at a frozen yogurt store so this was a special treat.



#3 Blessing Day
June 3, 2012

                                                                 Great Grandma.

Schools out for Summer!!!

We enjoyed our very busy last day of school with a class party. We will miss her 1st grade teacher as she had a fantastic year!

Grandma and Grandpa also got to attend #2's last class party.

First day of summer

I told the kids to go outside and play and after an hour of not hearing from them I checked to see what mischief was going on. I was right with mischief...

They had jumped in the pool fully clothed and were having a water fight with the hose. I loved watching them play in the sun and enjoy that they had a summer break.

I think #2 was thrilled to have his sister home to play with and not be bored by his mom.

They washed and sorted rocks.


It was a bitter sweet moment to look at the full backpack of hard work this last year. I was so proud of their accomplishments and growth and so proud to see both be strong and have a very successful year in many ways. I was also sad because I knew it meant another year had quickly come and gone and we would soon be moving on to 2nd grade and last year of pre-school. I know my sweet babies are growing up so fast and I will miss the crazy, hectic, chaos days of kids but will embrace them while they are here for me to treasure.

10 things

10 Things about #2 at age 4

1.  He is my snuggle bug.  He will be in the middle of a TV show or playing toys and stop to come say he loves us and give us a gentle hug. He will give you adorable sweet kisses on your leg or face and barley touches you when he does it. He will lie on your lap, climb into bed and stroke your hair and face and just smile.

2.  He lives in his own imagination world. He pretty much has a Broadway play of Pirates of the Caribbean in his head and acts out every scene with his imaginext figures accompanied with every part and piece. When asked what he is doing he will tell you the whole movie and has everything figured out down to the last detail. He loves to line up his cars and people and have things in order.

3.  He looks up to his big sister tremendously. He watches her every move and waits for her to come home from school, asking every 15 minutes how much longer till DD gets home. Once we pick her up he right away and anxiously asks if she will play with him. He will cry if she says no and will continue to bug her until she caves. He will happily do anything to play with her, which includes doing what she wants of Barbie’s, Polly pockets, house, restaurant, and crafts.

4.  He literally has his eyes half closed once we say our nightly prayers to what he calls his Heavenly Flower. He is almost crashed when we sat Amen. He is our early bird and wakes up as early as 6:00am bright eyed and bushy tailed as he quietly walks into our room. Once he wakes me up he tells me he wants my phone and quietly turns the volume all the way down so he wont wake anyone. He goes back to his bed to play on the phone until 7. He has a rule of no getting out of his bed until he sees number 7 on the clock. He then races down and wakes me again to say MOM, It’s number semen (seven). 

5.  He loves to graze like a cow. He will eat snacks and bites of food all day if I would let him. I purposely give him very small portions knowing he will never finish the 2 small spoonfuls of eggs. He loves watermelon, cantaloupe, eggs and chocolate chips. He hates French fries and will not eat them even with dip. He always tells me NO LETTUCE even if what we are eating is something you would not have lettuce on. He will always tell me he wants to eat a strawberry but then he spits it out. He loves ice cream.

6.  He HATES taking showers. I think he has only taken 1 in his 4 years. He hates water on his face and is slowly learning to enjoy the pool. He has been very timid of the pool and scared to swim unless we are right alongside him in the water. He doesn’t even want me to watch in a chair on the side, It can only be right next to him.

7.  Although he is very quite and expressionless he has a LOT of thoughts in his little head. He takes a lot in and really observes and remembers a lot. He can get away with murder with his twinkle in his eye and constant smile. He is horrible at being sneaky and as I am watching him he will tell me he didn’t color on the table and then smile. We have the hardest time getting mad at him since he has tender heart. He is not a sissy by any means and will hold his tears in like a true boy, rub his eyes with his wrist and tell you he is fine. He never wants to hurt someone’s feelings, other than his big sister. If you happen to do something that makes him feel bad and you realize it he will make up a story and and put the blame on  someone else like his sister so he doesn’t make you feel bad.

8.  Everything is on his own time.  You cannot entice him with prizes, rewards, candy, etc.  He is willing to throw his most prized possessions away if he does not want to do something. (Which makes telling him “Mom will throw away your toys if you don’t pick them up” almost impossible.) He is his own person, and does not need to be the center of attention. Most of the time this comes across as being shy, reserved, or not interested.  But the he is quite the exact opposite.  He loves quality time talking with people individually, especially if he is in big crowds. He amazes us when he decides that to do things like finally dribbling the soccer ball (after trying to get him to do so for the last year), as if he has played for years.

9.  He is a GREAT big brother.  We were a little uncertain how he would handle a new sibling taking up his mother’s time. He loves him Mom and she sings him their special song from Toy Story.  However, true to his character, he has fully embraced his role as a big brother. You’ll catch him out of the corner of your eye gently leaning over to kiss her on the forehead, or see him take the initiative to put her binky in when she is crying...all on his own. He strokes his little sister’s hair and says I love you Tates.

10.  He is funny when it comes to church and the gospel. He is not very interested in going to primary and tends to get bored as he tells us. If there is 1 big thing we have learned is he takes a lot more in than he lets on. We were told by the leaders in primary that they were teaching about the 12 apostles. They had played a memory game of all their names. When it came time for kids to remember them no one knew the apostle Boyd K. Packer. In true style when literally NO ONE could guess he quietly raised his hand. When called he softy said BOYD K PACKER as clear as day. It was hard to believe he really knew that but when it happened again the following Sunday Quinton L. Cook Everyone was in awe. He often tells me that Jesus will come to live with us again on earth and we will one day die and live with him in heaven. He will tell me that Heavenly Father is in his heart and ask me to tell him about Jesus.

He is our sweet boy and we love him so much. He is a very unique and special person and is loved by everyone. We look forward to the following year with him before he heads off to Kindergarten. We realize our time is too short with our children and are enjoying every precious memory he gives us as we feel it is a great gift and blessing to be his parents and family.

Happy Birthday Beckam

I have completely slacked doing this last year for my kids but I write 10 things about them at their current age before they turn a year older. These are 10 things about #2 before he had turned 4 that we want to remember.

1.  He is my snuggle bug.  He will be in the middle of a TV show or playing toys and stop to come say he loves us and give us a gentle hug. He will give you adorable sweet kisses on your leg or face and barley touches you when he does it. He will lie on your lap, climb into bed and stroke your hair and face and just smile.

2.  He lives in his own imagination world. He pretty much has a Broadway play of Pirates of the Caribbean in his head and acts out every scene with his imaginext figures accompanied with every part and piece. When asked what he is doing he will tell you the whole movie and has everything figured out down to the last detail. He loves to line up his cars and people and have things in order.

3.  He looks up to his big sister tremendously. He watches her every move and waits for her to come home from school, asking every 15 minutes how much longer till DD gets home. Once we pick her up he right away and anxiously asks if she will play with him. He will cry if she says no and will continue to bug her until she caves. He will happily do anything to play with her, which includes doing what she wants of Barbie’s, Polly pockets, house, restaurant, and crafts.

4.  He literally has his eyes half closed once we say our nightly prayers to what he calls his Heavenly Flower. He is almost crashed when we sat Amen. He is our early bird and wakes up as early as 6:00am bright eyed and bushy tailed as he quietly walks into our room. Once he wakes me up he tells me he wants my phone and quietly turns the volume all the way down so he wont wake anyone. He goes back to his bed to play on the phone until 7. He has a rule of no getting out of his bed until he sees number 7 on the clock. He then races down and wakes me again to say MOM, It’s number semen (seven). 

5.  He loves to graze like a cow. He will eat snacks and bites of food all day if I would let him. I purposely give him very small portions knowing he will never finish the 2 small spoonfuls of eggs. He loves watermelon, cantaloupe, eggs and chocolate chips. He hates French fries and will not eat them even with dip. He always tells me NO LETTUCE even if what we are eating is something you would not have lettuce on. He will always tell me he wants to eat a strawberry but then he spits it out. He loves ice cream.

6.  He HATES taking showers. I think he has only taken 1 in his 4 years. He hates water on his face and is slowly learning to enjoy the pool. He has been very timid of the pool and scared to swim unless we are right alongside him in the water. He doesn’t even want me to watch in a chair on the side, It can only be right next to him.

7.  Although he is very quite and expressionless he has a LOT of thoughts in his little head. He takes a lot in and really observes and remembers a lot. He can get away with murder with his twinkle in his eye and constant smile. He is horrible at being sneaky and as I am watching him he will tell me he didn’t color on the table and then smile. We have the hardest time getting mad at him since he has tender heart. He is not a sissy by any means and will hold his tears in like a true boy, rub his eyes with his wrist and tell you he is fine. He never wants to hurt someone’s feelings, other than his big sister. If you happen to do something that makes him feel bad and you realize it he will make up a story and and put the blame on  someone else like his older sister so he doesn’t make you feel bad.

8.  Everything is on his own time.  You cannot entice him with prizes, rewards, candy, etc.  He is willing to throw his most prized possessions away if he does not want to do something. (Which makes telling him “Mom will throw away your toys if you don’t pick them up” almost impossible.) He is his own person, and does not need to be the center of attention. Most of the time this comes across as being shy, reserved, or not interested.  But the he is quite the exact opposite.  He loves quality time talking with people individually, especially if he is in big crowds. He amazes us when he decides that to do things like finally dribbling the soccer ball (after trying to get him to do so for the last year), as if he has played for years.

9.  He is a GREAT big brother.  We were a little uncertain how he would handle a new sibling taking up his mother’s time. He loves him Mom and she sings him their special song from Toy Story.  However, true to his character, he has fully embraced his role as a big brother. You’ll catch him out of the corner of your eye gently leaning over to kiss her on the forehead, or see him take the initiative to put her binky in when she is crying...all on his own. He strokes his little sister’s hair and says I love you Tates.

10.  He is funny when it comes to church and the gospel. He is not very interested in going to primary and tends to get bored as he tells us. If there is 1 big thing we have learned is he takes a lot more in than he lets on. We were told by the leaders in primary that they were teaching about the 12 apostles. They had played a memory game of all their names. When it came time for kids to remember them no one knew the apostle Boyd K. Packer. In true #2 style when literally NO ONE could guess he quietly raised his hand. When called he softy said BOYD K PACKER as clear as day. It was hard to believe he really knew that but when it happened again the following Sunday Quinton L. Cook Everyone was in awe. He often tells me that Jesus will come to live with us again on earth and we will one day die and live with him in heaven. He will tell me that Heavenly Father is in his heart and ask me to tell him about Jesus.

He is our sweet boy and we love him so much. He is a very unique and special person and is loved by everyone. We look forward to the following year with him before he heads off to Kindergarten. We realize our time is too short with our children and are enjoying every precious memory he gives us as we feel it is a great gift and blessing to be his parents and family.

2 months

2 months has absolutely flown by! I remember when time was so slow with #1 and now that she is nearing 7 and entering into 2nd grade I can't seem to slow life down. I wish I could freeze my kids in time because I know I will miss and treasure the days when they are this young and full of pure happiness and innocence. 

#3 is a fairly easy going baby. She still LOVES to be held but yet not snuggled. She just wants to be a part of whats going on. As you can tell she still has a full head of hair. Unfortunatley you can not tame her hair but it fits her personality. She is smiling and getting excited by kicking her little legs and breathes faster when talked to. She really likes her Daddy and flirts with him. She loves to be held facing backwards and definitely lets you know when she is done with something. 

For mothers day we went to the Covina Country Club with my family. The buffet was very good and we love to spend special time with GG and let her know we love her. 

 Every Mothers day I reflect back to my most precious mothers day gift. I was able to bring #2 home from the hospital on Mothers day after a week in the NICU and high emotions. It was a wonderful day reflecting back on, as well as #1 singing to me in church, lots of love from my #2 and showered with love and gifts from my husband.

4 Generations, My Grandma, Dad, Me & #3

This poem was written by a friends son and Calvin and Hobbes. It is so typical of a teenagers thought process:

Dear Mom,
I was going to buy a card with hearts of pink and red,
But then I thought I'd rather spend the money on me, instead.
It's awfully hard to buy things when ones allowance is so small.
So I guess you're pretty lucky I got you anything at all.
Happy Mother's Day to you!
There I said it now I'm done, So how bout getting out of bed and making breakfast for your son.

1 Month

 I like to take a pictures of my babies every month of their firs year. It is so fun to see their growth in just 1 month. I unfortunately have been quite busy with the end of the school year and 3 kids and did not get a great 1 month photo. 

#3 doesn't seem to mind that there is almost a 7 year gap between them and quiets down most of the time when her big sister holds her. #1 is very helpful without me asking. She will attend to her crying, put her binki in and feed her. I will often walk in and see that she has picked her up out of her bed and holding her or rocking her. She always holds her when we are getting everyone bathed, teeth brushed, toys picked up, books read, & prayers. A perfect little mother in training. 

 She is starting to fill out and has definitely gained her weight in her cheeks. Her body structure is staying petite and grew 1 inch in length since she was first born. She is on her daily schedule of sleep and wake times but falls asleep easily. She is easy going and likes to be to held a lot. She is not a snugly baby but wants to be a part of what we are doing.

 I absolutely love when newborns are sleeping and don't have control of their heads and just completely they fall to one side. I especially love it when they have chubby cheeks to rest on their little chest.

Her hair is still intact. A lot of people thought it would all fall out but I am most certain it will not as my other kids did not. She has the thickest and most hair of all my kids and it stands straight up. We try to lay it down but it will only go half way down so then it looks really dumb.

Giddy Up!

 Jared knows this phrase all too well and probably never thought our son would be saying it once we moved to California.

He had been talking about and asking to get a cowboy outfit before his birthday.  We decided to buy him parts and peices. Jared bought him these fun light up roper boots while my mom and I made him chaps and a vest. If you know #2 you know that he is never complete unless he has EVERYTHING that goes along with whatever he has. (IE: If he has a fisher price boat he has to have every pirate, swors and character to complete the scene as shown on the box it came in.) Well... when he opened his gifts he was thrilled but said he still needed the rope, hat, and mustache and but of course he would not be a real cowboy without his MUSTACHE! What, where did this kid come frrom.

Since we celerated his birthday all week with 2 different pre-schools and a large party at the park when Sunday was his real birthday we did not do very much. I found out later that they forgot to sing to him at church and when he primary teacher found out she was livid. She was so darling and noticed his boots right away since she comes from a long history of cowboys, rodeos, horses, and anything in that industry. Later that afternoon he received a special visitor at our door, Yup, his amazing teacher. She is a darling woman who really dotes and cared for our kiddos, especially since there are only 3 in the class and #2 is the only boy. 

 He was his typical self of shy and quite when she had a horse, hat, scarf and cupcakes for him until after she left and he was galloping all around. He was so excited and told me he was a real cowboy now. He galloped and said yehaw all night until I made him go to sleep and he slept with his horse.

He felt so special with cute cupcakes she brought just for him completed with candles and all. He told me he can eat them all becuase they were his.

 We just love this little boy, Giddy Up Partner! P.S. He did not pick this up from Toy Story because he was into story many years ago and this is a new thing that doesnt invlove woody.

Easter Break

Some of my family had  plans to be in Utah for Easter vacation and since Jared was already up there for a weekend birthday vacation for my dad we decided last minute to jump in the car with my mom and drive up. My mom was already driving up and since I was only 2 weeks postpartum baby it was perfect so she could drive and let me rest. My sister in law drove 1/2 way the previous night so we were able to catch up to her in St. George and grab a bite to eat and finish the last leg together.

 I was not up for playing too much since I didn't want to get #3 sick and I was still in recovery mode but we did get to enjoy a few things as a family. We did visit the new city creek mall. It was a nice addition to downtown Salt Lake City.

#3 did nothing but sleep and shop a few stores with me. (2 weeks)

 We have both loved little cottonwood and area for many years. We have always enjoyed Easter in Utah and having snow as well as their HUGE egg hunts. The kids don't get a ton of eggs but we love the environment and being able to see so many children with glee run to pick out their eggs they want.

 #2 was very happy to have his face painted like a bunny although he looks miserable. I think he hates when I take pictures.