Playing Catsup

Well, I have to play catch up because I haven't posted anything on here for sooooo long, sorry! So here's some things that we've done since we moved to Cali... Max, Daddy and I went to the beach. Max likes the dirt--not the sand--the dirt. He's not interested in going near the water yet, which is great...I can just sit there and let him bury our feet in the sand and life is good. The weather is so freaking nice! Our windows are open constantly, the door would be, too, but then the flies get in, and we haven't bought a fly swatter yet. Maybe next time we go to big lots, that'll be our big purchase!
Daddy loves to go to the beach...he coaxed Max towards the water...Max is good to just dig in the dirt.
We visited the Newport Beach Temple to see Moroni up there on the top tootin' his horn. When you ask Max what the guy up there is doing, he promptly sticks is finger up his nose and says dooo-dooo-dooooo! (mom sticks her thumb to her mouth to form a trumpet--same thing) It's a pretty temple! Can't wait to go inside.
We saw a bunny at the Temple!!! That was the highlight for Max. He scared him away, don't worry. :)
And...Happy Birthday to Daddy! Jeff turned twenty-seven on the Tenth...Old Man-ski! I made him his favorite cupcakes...which make me want to puke...white cake with sick-nast crisco frosting. I've never made the vile stuff before, but Jeff said it was fantastic. We celebrated his bday the night before at a fun new Yogurt place called yogurtland. Holy good. If any of you come to visit us...or I guess come to California and don't visit us...shame on you, you have to go to Yogurtland. ahhhh!

We have met some fun people, so we're excited about living here. Come over and visit us!!!

Bye Bye to Friends

We had a sad last couple of days saying goodbye to our friends. Who knew that I'd grow to call Arizona my home. We have so many good friends back in both Maricopa and up in 'town.' That was the hardest part of me moving to California...I'm stinking going to miss my friends! I cried a little, but had to buck up, because this really is the best choice for our family right now. So long to all of our good friends that we will miss so much (of course not all are shown here). We'll miss you guys!!!

These pics are of Max saying bye bye to Rylee and Reece and to baby Bryce. Max still talks about you guys!

Positive!!!

Get Excited!!!!

Girls Day

A little out of sequence, but I just got this picture from when we had a girls day in Utah. My grandma, Sister, Brandy, Sister-in-Law, Katie, Sister Erin, me and my Mom. I'm so thankful to have such an awesome family and to have such amazing women to look up to!

he's 2!

Max is officially 2, and he can say it! So fun! He woke up in the morning to a large room filled with balloons...his favorite. He chose to have waffles for breakfast, and after breakfast, he opened a few presents...his favorites including a new handy manny doll that talks and a bubble machine. woo hoo! Anyway, we can't believe that 2 years has gone by, time flies! We are so blessed to have such a sweet little boy in our family. We're grateful you were born, Maxer!

Utah

We just got back from a family reunion trip to utah. We had so much fun!!! We got to spend time with our cousins that we never get to see from the Ellsworth side of the family, and see Mar Mar and Paw Paw and Boo Boo. We stayed up at a cabin that my Aunt owns in the Brighton ski resort. It was so fun to be up in the mountains and see the stuff that we never get to see in AZ. We saw a moose and Porcupine, went hiking, did the Park City Alpine slides--max laughed the whole way down, got our family pictures taken, did kids crafts everyday...it went too fast! Mar mar and Paw Paw(Autie's mom and dad) set up a scavenger hunt for all the kids on a nature walk...that's what this picture is of. We looked for conifers, pine cones, flowers, squirrels, stumps, etc. It was a fun activity for Max and all his cousins. This is one of the kids crafts that we did: decorating cupcakes...max had a ball with it, I think all the other kids did, too.
We hiked up to Lake Mary...yep, Jeff hiked, and he was awesome!!! This is us up at the lake.
Anyway, we had so much fun in utah, we even got to see Jeff's brother and sister-in-law for a few days, which was so fun, too! Can't wait for the next time I get to see my family all together...it doesn't happen very often!!! I love my family!

We're Moving!!!

Jeff got a new job as the Area Scout for Southern California and Hawaii for the Diamondbacks. Woo hoo! Congrats Jeffer, he's worked so hard ever since we got married to keep himself in 'the game' he deserves every bit that this job has to offer! He starts September 1st, which is coming up fast. We left Max with Grandma and Grandpa Mousser for a couple of days and Jeff and I came over to California to check on some apartments that we'd found. It looks like we're going to move to Huntington Beach. We found a cute little 2 bedroom apartment, we are excited about Huntington, excited about our ward (My great aunt Bette is actually in the ward that we'll be moving to). So it looks like we'll be coming home and packing packing packing. So fun...anyone can come visit...but you'll have to sleep on the couch, there's not much room, but it's super close to the beach, and there seems to be a lot of fun things to do! Get excited, here comes Team Mousser!

Skiv Pool Party

About the only way we can get ourselves outside (which is where Max constantly wants to be) is to have water involved. We had a spontaneous pool party with Rylee and Lisa (while baby Tyse was sleeping on the LoveSac inside) in skiv-vies! The kids had a fun time playing, and the mommys had a fun time talking. It's real sad that we live in the sun, and are so butt-white, but what are ya gonna do...
Rylee getting Max! Don't worry, he really does like it.

sNow in AriZOna!

One Saturday morning, they had SNOW at the PHX Zoo!!! Flip Flops and Mittens, that's how we roll here in AZ. We met up with Rylee and Tyse, Reese and Cash and had so much fun for about 10 minutes...then we got to go see the animals! Max got a pass to the zoo for his birthday when he turned one, and we have used and abused the priveleges. It's been the most fun!!! Thanks Uncle Steve and Aunt Becky for such a fun present! Ps---snow still tastes too good to resist even when it's a little bit dirty--I couldn't keep Max's mouth off the stuff! Mmmmmm, nummy!

Max' Crax

oops...forgot to attach the picture...sorry about it!

Max' Crax

Max and Mommy and Grandma and Max's cousins Julie and Lexi went swimming this morning...Max is swimming so good. I couldn't pass up putting this picture up for you all to see...as Jeff would say: 'Don't smoke crack!' Max has a cute little crack sticking out...the funny thing is that I didn't even know! ha ha.

Bag of Cars

The Other day, I went outside to put Max in the car and sitting on the block fence in between the Moussers house and the neighbors house was a white grocery bag with a note on it. I went over to investigate and the note said: "some trucks for Max, if you don't mind. thanks for the picture you drew on my driveway, it made my day, mark.'

Mark is our neighbor who we rarely see, and to be honest, I know he knows max's name, but I doubt if he knows mine. Anyway, A couple of months ago, he brought a box of random, really fun trucks over for Max that he was so excited about because there was an ice cream truck and an oscar meyer weenie car...all the cool cars that we can't find anywhere. Max was so excited about them, and to say thank you, we went over to their driveway when Mark wasn't home and drew a big picture of Max with some trucks that said Thanks for the Trucks, I lOVE THEM! Love max.

Anyways, long story short...this bag that was left on the fence was filled with brand new police cars, all different, and REALLY good ones that roll so fast when you push them. I can't tell you how impressed I was with how amazing our little exchanges have made me feel. It was so nice of mark to drop all of those trucks off for max. Like I said, we rarely see him, and we rarely say hi, but i think it's soooo cool that just a little act, like drawing a picture on his driveway to tell him thank you, or giving a little boy a new truck can do to brighten a person's day. Max was ecstatic to get these new trucks. It's such a good feeling to do something nice for others....duh, I know, but there's just a little insight to my weekend. Do Something Nice For Someone! This is Max with is new Police Fleet from Mark. He can't get enough of them. He just carries all 6 around. :)

Happy 4th of July

Jeff helped set up an all-star game between the west and east valley kids and they played in the Mariners Spring Training Stadium in Peoria (I think it's the mariners...whatever) Anyway, so Mommy took Max to watch the game...rather, run up and down the stairs, play with a spray bottle, suck on a sucker and squish a grasshopper (he wasn't so into watching the baseball game...don't tell daddy or grandpa) but the real fun was Max got to play in the dug-out during the 8th inning and afterwards, Max got to run around the bases with Daddy and play on the field. Afterwards, they turned the fields lights off and we watched the city of Peoria's fireworks show on a blanket on the field...Max LoVeS fireworks! It was a fun...HOT...4th of July, and the best party was we got to be with Daddy! Hope everyone had such a fun holiday...

Six Word Memoir

Six Word Memoir Tag (thanks Brandy!)

Ernest Hemingway once bet ten dollars that he could sum up his life in six words. His words were- For Sale: baby shoes, never worn.

Here are the rules of this tag:
1. Write your own six word memoir.
2. Post it on your blog and include a visual illustration if you’d like.
3. Link to the person that tagged you in your post and to this original post if possible so we can track it as it travels across the blogosphere.
4. Tag five more blogs with links.
5. And don’t forget to leave a comment on the tagged blogs with an invitation to play!

My six word memoir:

Time Flies When You're Having Fun

For the past year, Jeff, Max and I have lived with Jeff's Mom and Dad. It's been a great opportunity for us to live here, to recover from our horrible house situation in Maricopa, and to get back on our feet while Jeff finds a full-time job. In addition to it being a great opportunity, I've had a hard time living here. I've had a bad attitude, and for a year, what could have been an amazing opportunity, for a lot of it, I sequestered myself into a cave with my bad attitude. More recently, I've realized my fault (regardless of how many times Jeff tried to get me to realize it) and I've tried my best to enjoy the situation... and how amazing-- I'm actually having fun. So, my six word memoir is not an all-encompassing memoir for my entire life, but my life right now. There's nothing I can do to speed the process along with Jeff trying to find a full-time job, and moving on, so I may as well have fun in the place I am. Max and I do fun things, Max and Grandma do fun things, and Cheryl and I have been doing a lot of projects together: and since we're all having fun, time is FLyINg!! I can't believe that we've lived here for almost a year. It's true that you can't change your situation, but you CAN change your attitude.

Crafty Little Witch

I've been a crafty little witch the past little while, and thought I'd put a couple of the quilts and projects that I've made up for you all to see...So fun!! This is a table runner made from a valentine charm pack that Cheryl gave me forever ago...I machine quilted it myself...and I know you can't see it, but there are hearts quilted into the squares.I belong to a Quilter's Roulette group at Zoe's Trunk (My favorite Quilt Store)...(I sound like an old granny...ha). Once a month, you go and pick up small bits of fabric from a selected 6 or so, and you build any 12 inch square...everyone turns theirs in and we get entered into a drawing to win 12 of the squares. If you finish the quilt top by the next meeting, you get a gift certificate...woo hoo!!! So, these were the 12 squares that I won. I just put them together, and then quilted it on my machine. Lots of quilting...though you can't see it...I'm having a ton of fun learning to machine quilt, and I'm getting better and better!

Cheryl gave me a Mary Engelbreit Charm Pack, and this fabric panel for my Birthday...so I just put them together to make this...of course it's machine quilted by me...can you see the squiggle on the outside black border?? hee hee. I'm having so much fun...OK, just one more...

I made this quilt for Max for his twin bed that I NEVER want him to sleep in...I'm planning on keeping him in his crib until he's 5, but just in case he learns how to crawl out, so help me, here's his All-Star quilt that I made him. That's all for now, but I've been sooo busy with them. Hope you like!

These are a few of my favorite things

Bunny, Blankey, Cucumber...These are three of my favorite things...Brandy and Jeff think we're w.t., but we can't go to church without a 'tA-mone'...which is how Maxer says Cucumber. Sounds a lot like 'dA-mone', which is Grandma, but this is a critical difference! don't be alarmed, he'll eat that whole thing.

Swimming Lessons!

Max is taking his first session of Big Boy Swimming Lessons...We did a session of Mommy and Me a little earlier in the summer, but this is Max's first lesson by himself. He's done so awesome, though he cries the whole time. He floats on his back, turns around and reaches up for the side when he gets let go (as seen below) blows bubbles like a champ and kicks like crazy. He likes to monkey crawl along the pool edge. I'm hoping, soon, that he won't cry out my name the whole time, but nevertheless, he's doing so amazing, it's soooo fun to watch him learn! We've got a regular fish on our hands!

$64.11

Are you kidding?!?

Really, I realize that gas prices have been escalating for quite some time, but now it's just ri-gosh-darn-diculous!!! I filled up the gas tank today and it was $64.11...I feel bad for all of you out there that drive very large gas vacuums! Just thought I'd join the ranks to say HOLY COW! If you see me around town on my bike, don't tease me...I'll be getting a tan, and saving money all at the same time!

Sprinkles

Good friends are like stars...

you don't always see them, but you know they're always there.

I'm so lucky to have such amazing friends!!!

Boating!

Last weekend, my cousins Cody and Michele took Max and I out on their boat!! We had soooo much fun. I got to Air-chair...holy weird, and I water skiied for the first time since I was 10. It was a blast. Max was great on the boat, but when it was mommy's turn to get in the water, and mommy fell...he screamed...I think he was so scared that I got hurt, or that I wasn't going to come back up. Even now, when he sees a boat, he says: "wa-wa, uh-oh, down." That means mommy fell down in the water. It's so much fun to hear him talk, and hear what he's thinking and what he remembers. He's so smart. He blows my mind everyday! We also started swimming lessons today and we already learned a new skill!!! We can hang onto the edge and crawl around the pool. Unfortunately, Max is not afraid of the water...he's a little crazy as a matter of fact, so swimming lessons is a must, especially in AZ...yikes! There are a lot of good things about Arizona!
Max and Autie at Saguaro Lake...This is Max's turn