Vacation Time

Many new and exciting pictures are on the way! We will be going to Lake Powell, New Mexico and Livia is even taking a trip to Salt Lake with her grandparents! Don't forget to come back and visit our blog in a few weeks- I promise to post all the adventures- for now we are officially on Blog vacation! See you soon!

today in Flagstaff.....................

Global Warming.............huh..............The last picture is when I had to give Livia a visual as to why her summer flip flops were not a good choice today.

a weekend getaway!

Chad surprised the kids and I with a fun filled weekend. We stayed at a great resort in Scottsdale and it felt like we had the place to ourselves! the place had like 10 pools! We mostly stayed at the beach pool because the kids could play in the sand. Livia chased this duck forever because she wanted to hold it so badly. after a morning of sunshine we headed back to the room for baths and naps before heading off to a Diamond Back game. It was the kids first time going to one and they were pretty excited- especially Tate who is addicted to baseball right now- he walks around the house with a mitt on at all times. We had such a great time and I feel so refreshed after getting a little sun on my skin. Thank you Chad for being so thoughtful and spontaneous- It is why I love you so much!

freeze time...............

Even though we are in the midst of the terrible two's- I can't help but wish he would stay this age forever..........................I really don't want him to change. He is already losing his baby chub and growing like a weed- I keep having these moments of wanting to freeze time.

Rhotons are tough!!!

After many failed attempts of having Family Home Evening with the Shepherds, Wendy and I were determined to make it work this week! We had planned to have smores and foil dinners off of Lake Mary road. We were prepared and even included the Woolf clan in our plans we were so sure it was going to work. By late afternoon my foil dinners were prepared and my blankets and chairs were loaded in the car- I was just waiting for Chad to get home so we could take off. I noticed it was getting quite cloudy and the wind was just miserable but I tried to ignore it because I was so excited (the kids were too) and I wanted it to work out. We all decided to give it a go and I am glad we did! It was perfect weather for snuggling in blankets and the food never tasted so good! The kids had an absolute blast running around and collecting firewood and whenever mine complained they were cold I would remind them that "Rhoton's are tough!" our family motto. It was cold last night for a reason I found out this morning- 6 or so inches of snow fell throughout the night- school was even delayed today. Isn't it the middle of May?

Happy...............

Mother's Day!

Tate's Treasures............

Tate hauls these things everywhere he goes. It started out that he had to be holding his Mater car and it has gradually gotten out of hand- to the point that now he has cleared out his Cars lunch box so he can take them everywhere more easily (is he smart or what?) I am glad he thought of this because getting ready to go to the store was becoming a a hefty task- Shoes- check, coat- check, Buzz- check, airplane-check, flashlight-check, Mater-check, bug-check, red cars-check, blue frog-check and lastly a buck of course- check! Now I can just simply say it is time to go and he just runs to get his box. Don't most kids have a blanket or stuffed animal for security?

goodies but oldies..............

I found these three books at Bookman's today. They are my all time favorite books from when I was little. They were the books I could read out loud from memory before I could even really read because I made my mom read them to me so often. Tate and Livia now love them too- especially because they think it is funny that I used to be little like them and have them read to me. does anyone else remember these stories?

puzzle girl

Livia loves puzzles! She is so good at them and can complete them without any help at all. This one completely blew me away! It was a pretty tricky puzzle that my grandma bought for her a while back for when she got a little older. She found it in the game closet- unwrapped it and put it all together! When she came to get me to see what she had done, I had to take picture I was so very proud.

out with the old and in with the new......PLEASE!

I have washed Chad's shoes to the point of no return- those stinky things should have been thrown away months ago- I recently bought him a new pair and every day I see them sparkling in the closet after he has left. Finally I asked him if I bought the wrong kind or something- "No, I just feel like a dork when I wear shoes that look all new and everything." I just don't really get boys- I hate it when I wear shoes that don't look like they just came out of the box- I guess it is one of those Venus and Mars things- I honestly never thought Chad even cared about things like that. Too funny.

just the girls!

I am a firm believer in kids napping as long as possible- I myself took naps clear up until Kindergarten (O.k.-maybe I still do whenever I can). I always put the kids down at the same time and some days Livia falls asleep (Maybe twice a week) but most days she just reads and rests for a half hour or so. I usually go and get her if she doesn't fall asleep. I find that this time of day is really special for us girls. Lately we have been doing a lot of baking during this time. Livia is such a helper- she is to the age where she is truly a help and not just in the way mostly making messes. We chat and lick spoons and giggle and talk about how much the boys (Dad & Tate) are going to love the tasty treat we are making. I have a feeling moments like this will be what I miss most when she grows up. I love this little bowl licker!

spiders everywhere!

Chad and I woke up several times the other night to a screaming child- when I say screaming, I mean a terrified screech! Tate was convinced that his bed was covered in creepy crawly spiders- he even had Chad and I searching for them in and around his bed. His little sleepy body was trembling with fright- I thought maybe he was dreaming and having some sort of night terror. I then had a very vivid memory of being a child and waking up in the night convinced that there were big bull frogs sitting around me on my bed when in fact it was just Bert and Ernie in their racing soap box cars! "He thinks all of the little paw prints are spiders!" Sure enough, stripping the bed did the trick and after 3 episodes of waking up that night we all returned to our beds for a couple more hours of sleep. Mom's are so smart!

My mother with Molly and Zoey (my sister's little girls) Aren't they all just lovely? I think so! I just want to kiss Molly's cheeks! I love that little munchkin........................miss them so much!

a favorite

Whenever we go to my parents house we have to go for rides on the ranger as much as we can. Now that my dad is getting more grand kids, Chad and I decided that he needed this great jump seat for the back so he could carry more passengers. You sit up so high in this seat and the kids get the biggest rush out of going on fast rides with their Papa!

sleeping beauty

Livia is just like her mommy- we hate getting up in the mornings! I went into her room several times this morning to get her up for school and she refused to get going- I thought she looked so sweet and had to take a picture of her peaceful little face.

independence............

Chad put together these stools for the kids bathroom and I have been loving it! They get their own drinks, brush their teeth all day long and wash hands just for kicks! They love the independence stools give them. My sister always says that taking a toddler's stool away from them is the equivalent of taking a teenager's car away. My kids are growing up so fast it seems like my job is getting easier each day!

too tired

Tate was having a hard time going to bed the other night and kept getting out. I would put him back in immediately and the kid would not give it up. He probably got out of his bed 50 times! Finally when he did not appear at my door I went to check on him and found this. I think he fell asleep on the job!

Dad rocks!

Tate loves to fish! While Livia and I went to get ears pierced Dad and Tater went fishing at Chad's special fishing hole- Chad says this pond is so stocked you get one every cast. Tate could not stop talking about it when he got home last night. Like father like son. While fishing they came upon a fresh mountain lion kill so Chad called his friend Preston who has dogs and they left at 4 in the morning to go get themselves a mountain lion. You have no idea what it is like to be married to someone this obsessed! Well some of you do...........

brave girl.............

Yesterday afternoon Livia and I went to get her ears pierced. It is literally all she has been talking about since her grandma tried to take her and a cousin after Easter (they only let the parent take them so they were turned away). I have been using the threat like crazy lately that "little girls who (fill in the blank with anything naughty) Do not deserve to get their ears pierced!" What am I going to use for my threats now? She was so brave and hardly even flinched when it happened. I looked at her little face and asked if it hurt and she said yes and began to scream! We caused quite a scene let me tell you. It felt like the whole mall began to gather around and gawk at us. I was sweating like a pig by the time that whole ordeal was over. Chad and I originally wanted to wait until Livia was 8 to get this done but caved in recently because it really is rare that Livia ever wants one specific thing. I try hard to not get my kids things before they get the opportunity to wish for it- sometimes that is most of the fun! Livia- you were so brave- I am proud of you.

smarty pants

Today while running errands with the kids, I was so excited and happy that the weather has taken a turn for the best. We had the windows down and we were listening to music as we drove to here and there. When we got in the car after the last stop I began singing as I was backing out of my space- the conversation with Livia then began...............

Me: (singing) Make you banana pancakes- pretend like it's the weekend.......... (a Jack Johnson fave for those of you who are not familiar.)
Liv: Mom- please- just don't sing for a little bit o.k?
Me: Don't you like it when I sing? I think I am a pretty cool mom for rocking out with you kids!
Liv: I don't like it when you sing because I just don't like annoying sounds.
Me: My singing Annoys you? I didn't even know you knew that word. what does it mean?
Liv: it means when moms make you mad with what they are doing.
Me: Well, that is a good enough definition for me- You little smarty pants.
Liv: That is annoying too when you call me names.


Oh, Livers- when did you grow up? I smiled the whole way home after this conversation while watching my little young lady in the rear view and wondering what is to come in the teenage years if she thinks I am annoying now............... just wait Livia, Just wait.