Sunday, December 21, 2008

Pictures

Brooklyn's 5th grade Fall Picture
Ava's 1 yr picture

Naliea's Christmas Picture



Ava's Day Care Christmas card picture



Monday, December 15, 2008

Happy Hanukkah

Last Friday night Brooklyn helped one of her best friends, Dagen, with his Hanukkah project. The last 2 years instead of getting presents for Hanukkah, he donates time and services to worthy causes. This year he needed a little help packing up hygiene kits. Brooklyn was more then willing to help. The good deeds also graced the cover of the Sunday paper. I have attached that article. http://www.nevadaappeal.com/article/20081214/NEWS/812129952&parentprofile=search

Saturday, December 13, 2008

I admit it!!

I am guilty of sometimes pretending that I don't speak English to avoid talking to people!

I guess the dark hair and eyes and everyone always asking me if I am mexican or something more exotic then just plain white has started to pay off.

Example of how this plays out:
Scenario #1: The other day, ok a month or so ago, I was at Walmart and the checker had asked me to hang the "closed" sign on the back of my cart and then tell anyone who lines up behind me that she is closed. I didn't want to do that - - that makes me feel uncomfortable, so I didn't answer her, she handed me the sign and repeated herself --so I got the "I am not sure what you are saying look" on my face and shrugged my shoulders. I hung the sign up on my cart but didn't tell anyone who came behind me to go away - she can tell them if they can't read my sign.

Scenario #2: The parking lot solicitors that chase you down and want to sell you a magazine subscription or something. I just pretend I don't hear them and when that doesn't work I again stare at them blankly and then they repeat and I shrug my shoulders and shake my head and turn around and when I have to I will say, "No Habla" I only bust out the "No Habla" when I am pretty sure the other party doesn't speak Spanish!

Also, I can only do this when I am not with my whitey Husband and Kids!

Technical difficulties

I know I promised more pictures from November and they are coming!

My computer crashed! I had a boatload of viruses on there most-likely from Myspace, good thing that I converted to Facebook! Don is in the process of trying to salvage all of my pictures and music and then he has to earse everything. So anywho -- as soon as I start getting some disks with relevant pictures on them I will post them.

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

I am very tired. I still have an entire month of pictures to post and 3 finals to cram for - check back in a day or 2 for more pictures
I am very tired. I still have an entire month of pictures to post and 3 finals to cram for - check back in a day or 2 for more pictures

101 Dalmatians

Anita, Nanny, Spot Opening song
Opening conga
Enter Cruella De'vil
Cruella trying to buy puppies and Nanny protectin them


This was my favorite part of Brooklyn's at the end they sing a song about how happy they will be and they will snuggle up by the fire and Brooklyn cuddles with her duster


Naliea and Rick came the last day and so did Brooklyn's best friend Dagen


Both posing







In case of emergency press this button

So for those of you with in home security systems this is for you.

We have an alarm system for the house and it came with a key fob that allows me to set and unset the alarm from the front door or the car. It also has a blue emergency button that sets off a silent alarm you know in case you are getting attacked or something, and in case you have ever wondered if it works....it does.

2 weeks ago, of course on a Tuesday night when Don isn't home I get a phone call at about 10 o'clock pm from the Carson City Sheriff Dept. telling me that I have an officer on my front door and they are responding to a silent alarm call from my house. I ask for 5 minutes to get dressed - I was not permitted that time. I was told to throw a rob on and open the door. That's what I did.
Ava my very very active 1 year old had been playing with my keys that night and had evidently pressed the silent alarm button.
The officer wanted to walk through the house and make sure that no one was here holding me against my will. It is nice to know that they system works - but I it was rather embarrassing!

Random pictures from Oct.

Freezing at the soccer game
Look how bundled up she is
Pam's Birthday
Pam on her birthday

Ava giving Mario kisses
Evan playing cars
Evan, Mario and Brooklyn
Mario
Brooklyn

Auntie Shannon trying to win the favorite Mom/Aunt award and carving pumpkins

Brooklyn for Halloween
I hated Ava's costume - but I waited till the week before Halloween so this is what I was stuck with


She was a mime - not a bank robber or burglar





Tuesday, December 2, 2008

November update

November has been an incredibly busy month.
Lets start with well....my birthday of course! My birthday is the first of November and I had told Don that all I wanted to do for my birthday weekend was clean the yard, we have 13 trees in the back yard that all shed and then several more in the front so by the first of Nov we had boat loads of leaves that needed to be cleaned up. He agreed.
We were just planning on trick or treating with Brooklyn and her friends and then yard work for the weekend. So I thought. Don has class Thursday night and doesn't get home until after 10 usually and usually he doesn't care what I do on Thursdays, this particular Thursday Brooklyn had her play practice until 5:30 and then soccer practice immediately afterwards, she changes in the car, then after soccer I had a few errands to run. During this time Don kept calling me ,"Where are you at? What time do you think you will be home?" etc etc. I was beginning to get annoyed. "Why do you care? It's a Thursday evening! I will be home way before you! Don't worry about it!" We get home. I get Ava's diaper changed and I go to change my clothes, I had been pooped on, and then the doorbell is ringing. HOLY CRAP, who the heck is here it's nearly 8:00!? I have Brooklyn go and see who it is, she comes back to my bedroom and tells me that it's trick or treaters. WHAT!? That's not until TOMORROW. I through on whatever is handy, not matching and no bra - it's a great look. I stomp to the door preparing to tell some punk ass kids to come back tomorrow. I through the door open - scowl plastered firmly on my face so that whoever it was on the other side of this door will know I am in no mood to be toyed with. I hear Trick or treat! It's my Mom and Dad! They had come up to surprise me for my birthday! And of course they weren't empty handed. If you are a blog reader of my sister or sister in law you know that my parents gave us Wii Fit and Guitar Hero for our birthdays.
I was shocked! It was all making sense at that point, that's why Don was so crazy with the nonstop phone calls! Evidently he had been planning it for some time.
We had a great weekend, they got to sit through a bit of the Nevada Day Parade. Then we went to breakfast, haha Don had the group over and had brought home Olive Garden for everyone. Isn't he sweet?
About those games though - I suck royally at Guitar Hero, you have to have hand eye coordination. I lack. Here is my impression of the WII fit lady, it is better if you heard me do it, just imagine. You stand on the table thing and it weighs you. Then it blasts your BMI across the TV screen then it says, "Erica you are ...." the options are obese, overweight etc you get it-
but mine says, "Erica you are a lard ass" Now why in the world do I want a TOY to tell me I am fat every time I play it? Except it is super duper fun and I ROCK at the ski jump!
This game is the future cause anorexia among little girls, that thing says that Brooklyn needs to loose like 6 pounds!
Then the next weekend I went to Chicago to visit Stacie and to use my free ticket that none of you losers wanted to use to come and visit me. :) I am disappointed to report that I didn't take any real pictures, just a few of her apartment. I wish I could go back and take tons of us doing nothing. We shopped and ate and shopped and ate. It was so nice that we were able to shop at one store and try everything on and on again, we stayed in one store for like 2 hours! It was awesome! All in all it was a great trip. Minus the drunk kid who decided to sit next to me and kept getting up to throw up.
While I was gone Brooklyn had the All star soccer tournament, that all went off without a hitch even without me here to make sure.
The following two weekends Brooklyn was in the children's production of 101 Dalmatians. She was GREAT! I am so proud of her! We went to all six shows and Ava loved the music and dancing. Then last Monday, 1 day after her final play, she had her tonsils removed. She stayed home from school last week and seems to be healing well. She was bummed because she could not eat Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday, even though we did our Thanksgiving Sunday night so she could eat with us. Thursday all we did was go to a buffet so she could load up on pudding and mashed potatoes. She has requested pizza, tacos, hamburgers, chips and salsa and apples when she can eat hard food again.
What we have going on now is: Brooklyn is playing basketball this season we are only into the practices, games don't start until after Christmas. She is going to try out for Annie this weekend. And then yesterday she received an invitation from PEOPLE to PEOPLE organization to be a Youth Sports Ambassador to play in the Youth Friendship Games this July in AUSTRIA!
I am looking into the organization and they seem legit. Roxi said she went to DC with them in high school. I just don't know if this is once in a lifetime opportunity or will she get these invitations every year? I am going to the parent meeting in January to learn more then we will decide.
I have finals next week. I can't believe that my first semester back to school (again)is finished!
We got a little economic stimulus package from my parents before Thanksgiving and I am proud to say that I have all of my Christmas shopping done and shipped off. All except our old folks - we are adopting grandparents this year from the senior center.
Ava is walking and running. She is into EVERYTHING!!! I don't know how we are going to put up our Christmas tree. She and the puppy are double trouble they buddy up to wreak havoc! She pulls stuff down from tables and he takes off with it.
As for Don, he is still working that we are grateful for. We are in another budget cut scenario and are hoping that he doesn't get laid off. I am not particularly thrilled with all of the government bailouts that have been happening. HOWEVER - if the President is going to be giving trillions of dollars away bail out the States! Bail out Nevada so Don doesn't lose his job!
Hmm I think that's about it for November?

After the cake and ice cream

Brooklyn was feeling a little in need of attention. Don had to teach her how to "walk"

Brooklyn gave Naliea and Evan piggy back rides.



Sorry

I am too tired! I posted all of these pictures backwards and don't want to fix it! The hand prints across the floor! I loved these prints!
So we moved the cake to the mat on the ground - that lasted only a second. She doesn't like being dirty

Still hating the cake!


REALLY hating the cake, all the people standing around singing to her, watching her ect Not sure what to do with this cake

Tossing the hat off
Not thrilled with the birthday girl hat


Ava and her little cake. I had to hold it because she kept trying to grab the candle.



Ava's First Birthday ... OCT 3rd! I am a slacker! Ava had a great first birthday. Pam, Don's mom, came up for the week she stayed with us. It was nice having her. Don's brother Jeff and his wife Julie and their 2 kids also came up for the weekend of her birthday. That was the most awesome considering that their baby was like 10 days old! Lets see who else came? It was 2 months ago....Sean and Mandy, Lori and Ryan and Jase, Rick and Deidra and Naliea, oh and our friends the Heaths. I think that was it! She made out!
I am going to close this post out so that I can start fresh. And maybe post the next batch of pictures in the right order!













Tuesday, November 18, 2008

To: The Brown Town Gang

To all of the BrownTown Family:
Our family's thoughts and prayers are with right now. Connie, I am sorry to hear that you have lost your dad and to all the kids I am sorry that you lost your Grandpa. I wish I could be there with you all. Please let me know if there is anything that I can do from here for you all.

Monday, November 17, 2008

NEWS FLASH!!! YOU ARE NOT A MAN!!

This is what I scream at the TV every time I hear about Thomas Beattie being pregnant or having given birth and the pregnant again.
I know what I am saying may not sound the most socially acceptable. He has all the parts of a woman - that is not a damn freak of nature thing that someone who has ovaries and a uterus gets pregnant!! I refuse to call him a man until Thomas has undergone the gender reassignment surgery!
For crying out loud - I could shave my damn head and grow a full on mustache and beard without taking hormones (just stop waxing)!! And then get knocked up and call myself a pregnant man! Does that make me a man!?!?!? HELL NO!!!! Thomas is still functionally a freaking woman!! Or at least has all woman parts. When Thomas gets a penis and has his uterus taken out and then "miraculously" gets pregnant then I will be OK with all the hype.
Listen, I am pretty liberal in a lot of my views about things - but this - I just can't hang with! Please!
Am I alone?

Friday, October 24, 2008

The most insulting thing anyone has ever said to me!

There is this woman who attends our ward and is also a reading specialist at the school that Brooklyn goes to.

About 1 month ago she was talking to me after church about how she felt Brooklyn had been disrespectful to her teacher by asking her teacher if a book that she wanted her to read was "up to her level." church lady says " I don't know why she thinks she is so 'above average' but to tell you the truth she is just AVERAGE. She must hear a lot of that stuff at home."
I pretty much just heard her say ... blah blah blah after the average comment! She is so not average!
This woman must not know me and my parenting style - like she thought she did. To tell me that Brooklyn had been disrespectful to an authority figure had my blood boiling and Don's too.
Like seriously - down play down play down play unless you really want me to beat the snot our of my child in the church parking lot! But what she was telling me just didn't seem like Brooklyn. But I wanted to drag her out by her hair and beat her senseless. We talked about it - well I talked about it - Don backed me up- - - all the way home from church. I made her write and essay on being conceited and pride.....yeah it was still better then beating her. I talked to the teacher the following week - church lady was wrong - teacher doesn't feel that Brooklyn had ever disrespected her and as a matter of fact Brooklyn is one of the top 3 students in her class, scored at a 10th grade reading level and 10th grade math level on their standardized MAPS testing last week.

TAKE THAT MEAN CHURCH LADY!!!!!!!!! MY CHILD IS NOT AVERAGE!!!

Just an update

CONGRATULATIONS! BAILEY PATTERSON!!! Linda's daughter made the cheer leading team at her school! She is a total cutie and a soccer star - totally happy for her! I told her that I may have to break my ban on hating cheerleaders now....except she is jock still too - and Alexa is my niece so I don't hate her either.


2 weeks until Chicago! Yeah. I am getting more nervous, not for no good reason but Don had originally thought that he was going to have a leisurely weekend where he and the girls just hung out. Since soccer was officially over 1 week ago. Monday while we were eating dinner and we get a call from Brooklyn's coach that she had made the all star team!! Yeah for her! She was voted in by 4 of the 6 coaches on her overall performance. Anyway the games go all weekend the weekend that I am gone! HAHA Don will have to feel the pain of taking the baby to a cold soccer game all by himself - he hasn't had to do it yet - alone. She also has her play practice every day that week. It will be interesting to see how he handles it! She already keeps me busy everyday after school. I am so glad I only have one kid old enough to participate in activities!


Monday was our 3 year anniversary, I can't believe that it has only been three years, in the best possible way it feels longer. I always stutter telling people how long we have been married I always want to say 5 years - 7 years? Weird huh? I love him so much! I am so happy that I found him...actually he found me....so I am so happy that he found me.

Ava has been sick all week - that's never fun. She had double ear infections on Tuesday pink eye by Friday! That's GREAT!! Stacie said it best when I was describing how it sucks to try and give her any sort of medicine. She said, " Sounds like trying to give eye drops to a wolverine." Essentially, yes, yes it is. Oh yes - and she will only sleep in MY arms and only if I am rocking her in the rocking chair. Not so bad when you can watch TV all night long - oh yeah except our 2 year old POS projection screen TV bulb burned out! So I am in the rocking chair at all hours and they seem to drag on and on and on. The repair man says the bulb won't be in until next Friday. Don called Sony finally and ordered one and it should be here tomorrow! YEAH!

At Ava's ear infection appt this week our pediatrician was trying to listen to her heart and lungs and Ava kept ripping the stethoscope from her neck and off of Ava's chest. I had to restrain her like bear hug style so that the Dr could look in her ears and throat. Then Ava was screaming at herself and laughing because it makes an echo sound in there. She does that anywhere that is quiet and has great acoustics...like oh...Church and libraries. Our Dr. said "Oh wait until she learns a phrase like 'go to hell' or 'shut up' and begins to scream it at church, but I am sure you remember that from when Brooklyn was a baby." and I say, "no actually. I think I remember Brooklyn still being a pretty mild tempered child for the most part." "Oh well not this one, let me just warn you that you guys are really going to have your hands full with this one the next several years!" say the Dr. What a resounding vote of confidence! She scares me! She isn't 'offically' walking yet. She can. She just won't. She will when she wants to but for the most part she gets to where she wants to go by speed crawling.

So I think I am done. I will post pictures - maybe tonight. Maybe not.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

A Mother's Struggle

I have an old friend Tiffany Barney, she and I used to work together at Cumorah Credit Union.
She started dating a guy, Sonny Kaufusi, from the Foothills Singles Ward before I had Brooklyn. I never did like that guy, and frankly he didn't like me because...well I was ornery even then I would tell him he was full of it!
Any way he is a complete looser and scum bag. They got married, I remember that Tiffany had moved out of his place within 6 months or something and their daughter was born in like 10 months, their divorce was one of the ugliest that I have ever seen.
With Tiffany's permission I am posting an article that recently ran in the Las Vegas Review Journal. I encourage you to also watch the video clip, it is shocking to think that this sort of injustice went on for so long and then when the legal system had finally caught up to him he did what any "innocent" man would do...he took off to his native land of Tonga.
Any way read it - watch the video - draw your own conclusion. http://www.lvrj.com/news/31247194.html
http://www.lvrj.com/news/31247194.html

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Interesting

Stacie emailed this to me. It's quite interesting -- long, but at least it is set to a good music!

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Should I stay or Should I go?

So I have this one way free Southwest ticket it expires Nov. 9
I haven't been able to give it away all summer - of course maybe I could have if the contingency wasn't that they had to use it to come and see me,

Don has been telling me to use it since August, "Go see Brian, Amber, Becky or Stacie." So after much consideration, and some intimidation from Holly - I can't use it to go see Amber she is in Savannah and SWA doesn't fly there the closest airport is 3 hours away, and that would make for a LONG weekend.
Brian lives in Nashville and I would really like to take Brooklyn and Don with me if I went there.
I could use it to go to Vegas, but that's kinda lame tickets to Vegas are half the price and I just saw everyone there not long ago. I could always go to Chicago again and see Stacie and her new house. Since I have already done all of the touristy stuff in Chicago we could just hang out in the suburbs and relax. So I priced the return flight home and it is only $115.00, and we have a $50.00 gift card still - so apply that and after taxes and fees it's only like $86.00! Don wants me to do it, probably so that I stop whining about not having any friends. But I am nervous about flying Southwest that far? I actually have already booked my flight there using the free ticket ( so that way I have a seat Nov. 6)....but it isn't too late to change....what should I do?
I want to go!! BUT I am afraid to go??? It's silly - I know

Friday, October 3, 2008

She won!

Forgot to update that Brooklyn won the race for class president.
Yeah! I am so happy for her! What a little go getter!

Thursday, October 2, 2008

Holy LOTS OF PICTURES!! Pictures from August and Sept

So lets start with that I haven't posted any pictures in a very long time! Sorry.... so I am posting a ton of pictures from August and September. My battery died at some point and I forgot to reset the date so towards the bottom the dates are way wrong. I tried to post them in a sort of date order Ava dumping out her toy box, and then crawling inside of it...and then rolling it.
She is so crazy


Ava getting the happy gas before the MRI/MRA

OK we went to brunch after Ava's procedure and I saw this...I had Don kinda pose so I could take this picture.... Can you even count the number of scrunchies and barretts?

Ava's first time on the beach, this is at Muir Beach
Daddy and Ava walking on the beach
Brooklyn getting chased, this was so much fun watching her run in and out of the waves.
I love this picture - like a post card
I like this one too
So much I guess i posted it twice....


Muir WoodsInside a Redwood


This tree fell down in the 1930's and it is thought to have began to grow in 909 AD,

These trees have such an impress life span and life cycle

The crazy small elevator in our SF hotel. Brooklyn playing on the luggage cart in our Sacramento Hotel...the condom hotel
The condom is actually under this garbage can, have pictures of the real deal but won't post them. Lucky you!
Ah...my hero! This is the crib box!

Brooklyn a little less then happy about the crib box

Doesn't this mean....??? Haha I laugh every time we pass this sign - so this time I got a picture
Lorelei's Cupcake tower
Naliea at Lori's shower


The woman of the hour


Brooklyn's first day of school


Peach Days! Waiting for the Parade

Holly getting ready to fly away
Jaren very upset having just lost his balloon
Kyle's balloon kept attacking grandpa

OK this ride is so stinking scary. A bunch of metal welded together in the shape of an octagon and then trampoline material attached - a few seat belt and there you have it - totally safe to let your kids go on...and flip upside down
The big girls LOVED this ride

Alexa and Brooklyn at the FREE Home Depot station. It was so much fun we had enough adults to kids so things moved pretty smoothly
My builder buddy!




Kyle's finished project

Kyle testing out Nathan's stool
Grandpa and Jaren
With their completed birdhouse!
What a great team


Don and Brooklyn and their accomplishment
The scary trampoline pentagon upside down ride thing..

Jaren still liking it here
Alexa going upside down

Jaren...not so much liking it anymore


Ava playing with the keys the Hutchings gave her


Ava loving on the bear my folks gave her for her early birthday Grandma Carol and Ava



I love this picture! It is the Mountain Meadow Masacre Monument

Don and Brooklyn walking to the Monument
Coming back
We were here! The ET highway. AKA dead cow highway
The ONLY thing in Rachel, NV
Snoopy taking a nap This was 5 days before Jase!
Don and Lori
Grand Pops, Mommy and Jase
So fresh! 9-19-08
Mommy and Baby Jase
The Lamb Family leaving the hospital
On the way out of the hospital....this woman just HAD A BABY!!
Ryan and Snoop
The cake that Brooklyn had to decorate since I had the flu.
Ava and I got the flu really bad last week (Brooklyn and Don got it too, just not as bad)
She couldn't keep anything down, and it eventually led to this.
It was so horrible!


Snoopy
His full name is
Snoopy Dog Sir Licks a Lot Stepro
Isn't he cute?



Jase Steven Lamb (10/2/08...his due date!)



So Sweet!! His eyes seem to be a more "true" blue....not as
baby blue gray....we will see!
Jase's Bedroom
That's the infamous crib...we will forever remember that trip!