The McAuley's

Gilbert Days Parade!

2011-11-29T12:10:00.001-07:00

Our very first parade as a family and the girls got to be in it! They were so excited! They did great! I always get tears in my eyes! Yes, I'm one of those mom's! I can't help it! They are just too precious dancing there little hearts out! It was so cold when they got on the float but they where such troopers! Thank goodness it warmed up!

We have 2 more this weekend. The Queen Creek Parade and then the Chandler Light Parade at night. Its going to be so cool!

Thanks Aunt Melissa for coming and supporting! :) We love you! <3

KAR {Dance} Competition

2011-11-14T12:10:00.001-07:00

Elle had her 1st Dance Competition with her Tiny Allstar Group.Their dance name was "Superstar" and they lived up to it! They did awesome and brought home Top First Place and High Point! I was so proud of her! She was so nervous back stage so we said a little prayer together like I always used to before I would go on stage :) It was such a special moment for her and I to share <3 Here are some pics from the day....

Practicing in the hallway

Awards time!

Elle with her teacher Miss Alexa :)

{There's a Parade!}

2011-11-02T17:28:00.000-07:00

Oh how I {LOVE} the innocence of my sweet little ones!

Paislee: "Mom there's a parade coming down the street!"

Me (as I'm cooking dinner): "Are you sure?"

Elle: "No, Pais-It's our neighbor practicing on his trumpet for school."

Paislee: "Oh! :) *giggle*

Elle: *giggle*

Me: *giggle*

Halloween {2011}

2011-11-01T10:07:00.000-07:00

Elle Turns {6}

2011-10-18T09:26:00.001-07:00

First {Strut N Stuff} Performance!

2011-10-18T09:25:00.003-07:00

Their first performance was so perfect! They worked so hard these past months and it paid off. I was a very proud mommy! <3

1st Day of School {2011}

2011-08-30T19:24:00.000-07:00

Meet the Teacher Night and Fashion Show {2011}

2011-08-30T19:20:00.000-07:00

Dear {Elle}

2011-07-29T23:49:00.000-07:00

Today was a rough day little one! You are having a hard time going to class right now. Whether that be primary or dance class. So, I tried to persuade you with a reward. Today for example, you didn't want to leave me for dance class. You kept saying you were going to miss me! It breaks my heart, but I know that this will help you in the long run! So I pried you off my leg and you calmed down after a couple of minutes. With in 5, you are having a ball strutin' your stuff across the floor. You make my heart smile when I see you enjoying something and developing your talents!
Unfortunatley, because you cried before class, you didn't earn you reward {today was a treat from the gas station} But we still had to stop and get Paislee her reward. This is where your melt down began...
-You were screaming at the top of your lungs and refused to get in the car, so I helped you
-As we were pulling out of the gas station, you opened the door and almost fell/jumped out!, Scared me to death! I calmly (tried to be calm) parked the car, put the child locks back on, buckled you in...
-The kicking and screaming that came from your little body shocked me!! But I held strong and we made it home.
This reminded me of the days when we would put you in time out in your crib and you would fling your little leg over the side and pretend you were going to jump out.
I am so grateful you are strong sweetheart, but sometimes.... its kinda hard on me! And when I say kinda, I mean a lot!!
Thank you for teaching me patience! Let's hope tomorrow is better :)
I love you Ellie Bellie!

{Fourth of July} Decor

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

Here is my fourth of july wreath. I got it done with {1} day to spare :)

Summer Fun! {June}

2011-07-02T18:29:00.002-07:00

At the beginning of the summer we listed {50} activities we wanted to do. They included fun stuff, lessons, and personal goals too. Here is what we have done so far:

Cooking Lessons

{Collin can make grilled cheese all by himself!}

Play dough

Board Games

{London loves this one! Its called Headbandz and you try to guess what card is on your head.}

Hilarious!!

Forts!

The kids slept in the fort they made :)

Go see movies!

The girls and I saw Monte Carlo yesterday with the Dance Studio girls.

Mike and Collin saw Transformers (sorry no pics)

As a family we saw Rio on Mike's bday :)

More things we've checked off our list:

-Personal Prayers

(the little ones can now say it all by themself and Collin's and Paislee's prayers sound so much more grown up and they really speak from their hearts!)

-Made Smore's (we've done this one a lot!)

-Made Snow cones

-Ran through Sprinklers

-Backyard Swim Day

-Learned how to play Cat's Cradle

-Learned how to vacuum properly (mommy's favorite!!)

-Swim Lessons

-Made Cookies

-Stut n Stuff Auditions (Previous Post)

-Pizza Night

So {16} down and {34} more to go!!

Its definitely been a fun summer so far!

Strut n Stuff Auditions {2011}

2011-07-02T18:06:00.001-07:00

Dance Dance Dance!

2011-06-23T22:01:00.000-07:00

The beginning of June the girls auditioned for the Strut n Stuff Team and.... made it! They worked so hard to learn the routine for try outs and felt so good to see their hard work pay off. So the past couple of weeks have been so much fun watching them make new friends and learn so many fun new things. I have had fun too, being around dance again and being around other Moms who love it just as much as I do.

Today, they pulled me aside and said they want Elle to be in the Allstars team which are girls that are hand picked form the Strut n Stuff girls to compete. I was so excited for Elle! But at the same time I was worried that Paislee would feel bad that she didn't make it. I talked to the owner and she suggested some classes for Paislee to help her get to the Allstars level for next year, so we had a plan.

I went home to tell Mike and we talked to the girls together. Elle was really excited and I looked at Paislee and she was just as excited for Elle too! She said she is so happy for Elle and she wants to work hard to be an Allstar next year. I was so proud of my sweet little Paislee for supporting her little sister and wanting to work hard!

Congratulations little Miss Elle! I am so proud of you sweetheart! and to my Precious Paislee ~ I am so proud of you too little one! Thank you for being such a good big sister!

I love you girls!
xoxoxoxoxox

Happy Father's Day! {2011}

2011-06-21T11:08:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's Day to the best father in the world! You are such a good excample to our kids! You show our boys how to be strong and kind and treat our daughters like they are the beautiful princesses of all the land! I am so lucky to have found such a perfect husband, but little did I know you would be the perfect daddy too! Thank you for being our rock and being there for all of us! We love you!

I am also grateful for my Heavenly Father. I feel so blessed to be able to go to my Father in Heaven in prayer and know He listens. I feel His hand in my life and knows me personally. He knows exactly what I need and has blessed my life with such a perfect Husband for me and four beautiful children that teach me everyday. My life has had many bumps and bruises, but I know He has never left my side through it all. Thank you Heavenly Father. Happy Father's Day.

Collin is {10}

2011-05-19T14:16:00.000-07:00

10 Years ago today I became a mommy.

From the very beginning he had us wrapped around his little pinky! <3

He was such a good sport-I dressed him up and took lots of pictures :)

Here he is on his first day of preschool. He has always been too smart for his own good! :)

The cutest little buddies!

I love his smile! He can brighten my day with that cute grin!

He has always been such a good brother! ....and very protective!!!

As he has gotten older-not a big fan of pictures!! LOL!

But still just as handsome!

{what a little stud muffin}

He is loving football and of course XBox and Wii

My sweet little boy is not so little anymore! We love you with all of our hearts Collin!

Happy Happy Birthday!!!

London is {2}

2011-05-04T14:29:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday my little one!!

Pinewood Derby {2011}

2011-04-11T08:00:00.002-07:00

Last Saturday was the yearly Pinewood Derby. Collin's design was a truck this year. Uncle Tony cut it for him and he did an awesome job! Thanks Uncle Tony!
Collin named it "Sonic"
He won 3 out of 4 races this year! Big improvement from last year :)
He was awarded "Best of Show"
Everyone loved the silver wheels! :)
Great job!!!

{Happy Valentine's Day!}

2011-02-14T18:41:00.002-07:00

Today was such a {fun} day! I woke up to my sweet little Collin giving me his Valentine :)
Then I found little notes from Mike around the house...love him!!

When the kids got home, they made Valenitne's for Daddy and we set them in a basket in front of the garage door for him to find as he came home. London threw a can of Salmon in there to join in on the fun! I didn't even see it till Daddy was going through his goodies!
Mike brought home a roses for not just me, but for his princesses Paislee & Elle too! And Resses for Collin. {Ah mist!}

I made Mike a CD with some of our songs and found a card with sound that had one of our songs!! And of course he got his favorite-Resses Peanut Butter Hearts :)

I thought it would be gun to have a fancy dinner with our fancy plates and wine glasses, complete with a tablecloth even! :) The kids loved it! I made pasta bake and garlic bread-the kids' fave and we had Sparkling Apple Cider in our fancy glasses. Collin said: "MOM! Is this wine?! We don't drink that!!" I was very proud of him that he was making sure we were obeying the word of wisdom. LOL! I reassured him it was just juice...fancy juice!

I love my family so much and I feel so blessed I was able to have such a fun day with them!
Happy Valentines Day!
xoxoxoxoxox

{Paislee's Barbie Glam Birthday Party}

2011-02-14T18:30:00.003-07:00

info to come...

Paislee turns {7}

2011-02-08T20:06:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to my Precious Princess Paislee!
{pics to come}

2011 {Suns Performance}

2011-02-07T14:17:00.001-07:00

Last Friday Paislee & Elle performed with Freestyle Dance Company at the SUNS Game. They did so good! I am so proud of my little dancers!! :)

{On the way to the game!}

{Grandma Julie and the girls}

{Mommy, Daddy, Paislee, and Elle}

{Right before the performance}

{Paislee, Mommy, and Elle}

{Paislee, Daddy, & Elle}

{Paislee, Grandma, and Elle}

{Sweetest Essay Ever!}

2011-02-03T11:03:00.001-07:00

Collin is such an awesome big brother! He loves to help with London. Collin did an essay on his hero and this is what it said:

I just love his handwriting too! Its just like Daddy's! :)

Christmas {2010}

2011-01-19T10:22:00.000-07:00

We had such a fun Christmas this year!

Christmas Eve {also Grandma Julie's Bday} was spent at our home with all the {Cohee's}
Complete with the Nativity...of course! :)

pics to come...

Christmas Day the kids opened presents from Santa and Mom and Dad. Then we went to Grandma Bobbie's and had Great Grandma Elba's Ravioli {yum} and opened presents. We love spending time with our family! We feel so blessed!

pics to come...

I won CSI's {Amanda's Pick}

2010-12-19T10:17:00.001-07:00

I entered the {Argyle Wall} I did in London's room in the CSI's Project of the week contest...and I was honored with:

Thank you CSI!

Pera Club 2010

2010-12-12T09:55:00.001-07:00

Every year we get to go with Grandma Bobbie to SRP's Pera Club Christmas Celebration. The kids {love} it! There is rides, games, face painting, yummy food, cookie decorating, snow, and of course SANTA!

Thank you so much Grandma Bobbie for a fun day with you!! We love you!

A {MERRY} Mob!

2010-12-05T09:53:00.001-07:00

{Elle} turns 5!

2010-11-23T19:27:00.002-07:00

Our sweet little Ellie Bellie turned 5 last month and I am {very} late in posting!
5 Things we {LOVE} about Elle

{1} She loves to dance! She is always saying {Look mommy! Watch me!!} We have a CD player/Radio in our kitchen and she has become our own little DJ :)

{2} She is mommy's little helper. She is always wanting to hold London and her baby cousins.

{3} She is the most precious little kindergartner! She tested in this year because she turned 5 after school started. It is the most precious thing to see her get on the big yellow bus with big bro and big sis! :)

{4} She is my little craft buddy :) Her favorite place is the scrapbook store! A little crafter in the making!!

{5} She is the {silliest} {most determined} {most independent} little thing I have ever seen! Look out world!

To our precious Elle,
You have grown up so much this past year! Daddy and I are so proud of you and how hard you work at everything! I love watching you figure something out and that beautiful smile of yours always melts our hearts :) I love listening to your prayers at night and love watching your testimony grow as you turn to your Heavenly Father in prayer. Always know Daddy and I love you with all our hearts and so does your Father in Heaven. Happy Birthday sweetheart!
Love,
Mommy and Daddy
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

London's Cardio {Update}

2010-11-11T07:20:00.001-07:00

Yesterday we went to the cardio doc again to see how little London's heart is doing. The aortic valve has dilated slightly,but the doctor seemed to think we were still ok for a while. I asked if this was something that his body could fix on his own and he said no, he would definitely need surgery at some point. My heart dropped when I heard this. I think the doctor could see it in my face too. He reassured me that everything would be ok.

{London playing with the ekg stickers}

Halloween {2010}

2010-11-11T07:13:00.001-07:00

Paislee {BROKE} her arm!!

2010-10-29T15:51:00.001-07:00

On {Oct. 6th} I got a call from the school saying Paislee broke her arm. She fell off the balance beam and landed right on top of her arm and the beam. She said it looked like a "Z" when she got up and had to turn her head the other way becuse it looked so gross! I rushed to the school and found her in tears, but very brave with her arm in a splint.

She was taken care of by about 5 fireman, 3 EMT's, sheriff, principal, and the best school nurse! The Principal gave her a monkey to keep her company :) I drove her to the hospital where they took X-Rays and put a more stable splint on. She was so good and brave! I wanted to take pics of her arm and she even tried to crack a smile for the camera.

We made an appointment for an orthopedic doctor that Fri. After meeting with him, we decided to have her put under to set her arm and then he would cast it. I was a nervous wreck the whole week! Today we went to have her arm set. Mike and I both went. I think I was more nervous than Paislee was. Mike gave her a sweet Father's blessing which made her {and me} feel more at eaze. She did awesome! She had a loose tooth in the front and the anesthesiologist said he decided to pull it so she wouldn't accidentally swallow it while she was asleep during the procedure. She was telling all the nurses that the tooth fairy gives her lots of money for her teeth! They all adored Paislee and were very sweet to her. She was so happy to finally have her cast on and extra happy that she lost a tooth too! It was definitely a new experience to have a child brake a bone, but we got through it! Thanks again to our family and friends for your prayers and help!

Halloween Porch Decor

2010-10-19T13:36:00.002-07:00

WOW! My Halloween Porch Decor was one of the winners in the CSI Project this week! Thanks CSI for this honor! :)

I am in love with my Halloween Porch this year! This is how I did it:
You will need for wreath:
~Frame from Ikea
~1/2 yard of burlap
~Fabric for roses
~Witch (I got mine at Target for $4.00)
~Peacock feathers
~Glue Gun

For the wreath:
1. Remove glass and glue burlap on cardboard that comes with the frame.
2. Glue witch onto burlap
3. Make rolled roses (there are a ton of tutorials out there!)
4. Glue peacock feathers and roses to the burlap. (Do this after you put the burlap covered cardboard back in the frame)

You will need for pumpkins:
~Faux pumpkins (I got mine last year after Halloween for 75% off)
~Ribbon
~Tulle
~Fabric for roses
~Rhinestones (Hobby Lobby)
~Glue Gun

1. Make lots of rolled roses in different sizes

2. Glue onto pumpkin.

3. Adhere rhinestone swirls to smaller pumpkin.

4. Glue small pumpkin onto large one

5. Tie a bow with tulle onto small pumpkin and glue on a rose at stem.

For ribbon pumpkin:

Alternate ribbon and glue with glue gun.

Tie tulle at top!

Easy peasy!!!

Sorry I don't have step by step pics to go with the instructions. I wasn't sure what was going to be the end result when I started the project :) Sometimes my best work comes from this type of crafting!

Happy Halloween!

{Stay tuned for more Halloween decor!! }

I am linking up to:

Our {10th} Anniversary Getaway...Finally!

2010-09-23T14:19:00.000-07:00

Mike and I celebrated our 10th anniversary on Aug. 18th and last weekend we finally got to celebrate it! I thought it would never come! We had so much fun...we felt like newlyweds again :) This was our adventure:

Friday:
~Got the kids off to school and went to get pedicures. {I think I have Mike hooked on pedicures!} I also got this new thing called shellac nails. Its awesome! Its a manicure and then they put a topcoat of gel on and then cure it under the lights. It stays on for 2 weeks and does not chip!! {Love it!}
~When we pulled into the parking lot of the nail salon, we couldn't put the car in park! It was a blown fuse, so we replaced it and the fuse kept blowing through the whole weekend....not fun, but we didn't let that stop our fun! :)
~Our hotel was in Scottsdale, so on the way there we stopped at Fashion Square mall and had lunch and went shopping. I kept wanting to go the kids stores and Mike had to remind me this weekend was about us! :) Its just so fun to buy clothes for my kids, I think its a sickness :) It was so fun picking out clothes for Mike and having him try them on. He looked goooooooooooooood in his new spiffy clothes! I fell in love with him all over again! Not just because he is hot {majorly hot!} but he is so loving and funny and SUPER fun to shop with! Major PLUS!!
~Next we checked into our hotel. We stayed at the Montelucia Resort {Thanks Heather for your post! Loved the hotel!} The grounds are beautiful and the rooms were awesome!
~Ordered room service for dinner

Saturday:
~Went out for breakfast and went to JCPenny to kill some time before we went for our couples massage! It was very relaxing!
~Went to Desert Ridge and shopped a little more and then we went to the movies and saw "The Other Guys" It was so funny!
~I lost my phone some where between the movie and the car...kind of a bummer!
~Had dinner at Macaroni Grill
~Went back to the hotel and ate our dessert in the Jacuzzi

Sunday:
Slept in and went out for breakfast. Then we headed home. We both missed the kids so much!

Thank you Crystal, Melissa, and Mom for watching the kids for us! They had so much fun with their aunts and grandma!!

Thank you honey for a very romantic and fun weekend! I can't wait to see what the next 10 years bring! :) I love you!
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Collin is such a {big} helper!

2010-09-08T19:22:00.001-07:00

Today I was busy with the kids and the {after-school routine}. It seems like this is the hardest part of the day! Papers to read, homework x 3, snacks, unloading lunchboxes, and on and on. Well London was whining in his crib and Collin said "Its OK Mom, I got him" and he went upstairs made his little brother smile and brought him downstairs. {He holds him in his lap and skooches down the stairs on his bum. I am too nervous that he will trip and fall with London in his arms...} I was so busy with {the craziness} that it took me a second to notice how sweet and helpful that was! So, Collin~ Thank you so much sweetheart! You are my right hand! Always willing to help and take care of things. It means the world to me! I love you with all my heart!!

My {BIG} Helper

My {LITTLE} Helper

{Don't mind the dirty floor- I was making Bella Bands that day and its all the fabric scraps, I promise my floor is not always that dirty!}

{Familes Can Be Together Forever}

2010-09-04T15:52:00.001-07:00

Nine years ago today Mike and I were sealed in the San Diego Temple for time and all eternity.

Collin was 3 months old at the time, so we were able to have him sealed to us too.

To celebrate our sealing anniversary, we wanted to have a fun day as a {family} So here is our day!

We went to see Despicable Me. It was so funny and precious at the same time. Definitely one to own!

Then we went to Cold Stone and had some ice cream! {YUM}

After that, the boys went to Gamestop and the girls went to Bath and Body Works :)

Here are the girls with their lotion and body spray. I had so much fun with them smelling all the yummy fragrances! It was so cute to see how excited they were about the same stuff I love.

I love that they are getting to an age that we can do fun girly stuff together!

Collin picked out Superman and Daddy picked Tomb Raider XBox Games.

Collin wanted to play as soon as we walked through the door! :)

London loves to hold the buckles on his car seat! It cracks me up!

He was such a little trooper the whole day! He loves to be out and about.

We had such a fun day and I am so thankful for my little {family} and to be sealed to them forever.

I love you with all my heart!

Happy Anniversary!!

What London has been up to...

2010-08-26T08:23:00.000-07:00

London is seriously the funnest baby! He is so happy and full of life.

~He has learned how to open doors...even the one leading to the garage, so we have to keep it locked now.

~He has learned the {L} syllable. So now added to the "Gum Gum" There is a Lagum Gumal in there. I am trying to get in on camera....

~Last week he was getting his bottom molars in and of course he got an ear infection...not one but two! He was a hurtin'!

That's all for now!

Out of the Mouth of Babes

2010-08-26T08:18:00.002-07:00

"I think I just want to throw my self on the ground and have a fit!" {Elle}

"I have to keep begging because that's how you get what you want..." {Collin}

First Day of School {2010}

2010-08-24T16:08:00.002-07:00

This post is a little late, sorry!

Collin is in {4th Grade} this year! He LOVES his teacher! He came home and said he had a great day! He has teo friends in his class. I was SO happy!

Paislee is in {1st Grade} this year. She has grown up so much! She loves her teacher as well! She was all smiles when she came home and said she is so happy she is in 1st grade! She gets to play on the big kid playground and it has swings! Woohoo!

Elle is in {Kindergarten} this year. She was a little hesitant but there were no tears this morning! She met a little friend when she sat at her desk. She came home and said she made lots of friends and that the boys wouldn't stop chasing her! Uh-Oh! Its already started! :)

Meet the Teacher Night {2010}

2010-08-05T20:07:00.000-07:00

Tonight we went to the elementary and met the kids teachers. The kids got awesome teachers. I can't believe I am going to have 3 kids in school! London loved being in his stroller {pushed by Big Brother} He thought he was one of the big kids meeting all the teachers. :) Looks like its gonna be a fun year!

Posin' before we left...

Posin' after we met all the peeps :)

{Elle is sad-she wanted popcorn...mommy said no}

Ah mist! My Precious Family!

{I have a hot hubby!}

London's Favorite Spot in The House

2010-07-29T14:02:00.001-07:00

We have a small table in our Family Room that we put the laptop on for the kids. I find myself using it instead of going in the office so I can keep an eye on things while I need to be on the computer. London takes his little treasures and sits himself underneath the table by my feet. It cracks me up! He babbles and talks to his toys. It took him a little while to figure out that he shouldn't stand up under the table though! He learned that the hard way! Gotta love these {precious} moments!

London's {FavorITE!}

2010-07-24T09:05:00.000-07:00

London {LOVES} Yogurt! We usually have his high chair in the kitchen and I put food on his tray while I am fixing food for the other kiddos. If the fridge is in view and he sees yogurt when I open the fridge, he starts whining for it! It took me awhile to figure it out, so we have to be very careful when we open the fridge, because he looks for it everytime! When I get it out to give it to him, he kicks his little legs and is so happy and excited for his FavorITE! :)

{Family} Movie Day!

2010-07-21T10:02:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday we all went to see Toy Story 3! This is a BIG deal!! We have never {all 6 of us} gone to a movie. We take the kids out individually to movies for special times with mom and dad, but for some reason I was afraid to take all of them at once. To my surprise, it was the best day ever!! I was so proud of my kids sitting in their seats, all in a row. It gave me so much hope! I thought I would forever be in the stage of toddler tantrums, frustration, and exhaustion. I am tip-toeing into a new world. School-aged kids! It is so much fun :) We still have London, just entering the toddler stage, but I can handle one toddler. I seriously wanted to cry I was so happy! I {love} my family!

London is {Walking!}

2010-07-08T07:09:00.001-07:00

It seemed like it was never going to happen, but he is finally walking! He is getting so good at it so fast! He looks so precious and is so proud of himself. :) We love you London!

Update {June}

2010-06-13T09:31:00.003-07:00

The past month at the {McAuley's}:

~The flu hit our house! First Elle, then Collin, and London threw up once. Mike felt nauseous for a day too.

~I got the bright idea to give London a peanut butter & jelly sandwich. He started getting little red bumps above his lip, so I gave him some benedryl. He went down for a nap and when he got up he had blisters all over inside his mouth. He could breathe fine thankfully! But he was in so much pain. Mike took him to the doctor and she said his body reacted to the peanut butter this way. Funny thing, I react the same way when I have walnuts, but I can have peanut butter. Anyway, he still has ulcers in the back where his molars would be and they haven't gone away yet. Its been 12 days! Poor thing! I feel so guilty!! We are going to take him to the allergist when the ulcers go away.

~The kids went to swim lessons the past 2 weeks. They all did awesome!

~ Mike turned *33* Happy Birthday to the love of my life!

~Collin and London's Birthday Party!

We had a lego Batman and Robin birthday party for the boys this year

Collin and his and London's cake :)

Robin (London) and daddy :)

Close up of the cake

The boys made marshmallow guns

The gang is ready to defeat the villains!

Takin' em down!

They worked up quite an appetite, so the hero's took a break and had some pizza :)

Then the boys were divided into 2 teams and had 10 min to build the coolest building for Batman and Robin

Their creations

Our little Batman and Robin had a great day! Happy birthday boys! We love you!

Collin is 9

2010-05-22T23:08:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday sweetheart! We love you!
{pics to come}

London and his cardio appointment

2010-05-21T11:20:00.000-07:00

Good news...kinda. We just got back from London's cardiologist appointment. He got an ekg and an ultrasound. He did so good during the tests :) He makes all the nurses giggle with his sounds he makes and expressions. He played with my necklace and the cap to his bottle during the ultrasound-wanted nothing to do with the toys.

The doctor said everything looks the same as 3 months ago which is good. He hasn't gotten worse. I wanted to hear "he's healed!" but I didn't. He wants to see us back in 6 months.

I am so grateful for the good news we heard though. I should feel good about it. But it makes me want to cry that we have to go through this with our sweet little man in the first place. It does however, make me cherish and appreciate what I do have and how much we are blessed everyday! I am grateful I have the gospel and the knowledge that I can pray to my Heavenly Father at any time, anywhere. I said many prayers today! On my knees, in the car, and little prayers in the doctor's office during the entire visit, pleading for good news. Thank you Heavenly Father for blessing our sweet baby!

Collin earned his {WOLF} in scouts!

2010-05-16T17:21:00.000-07:00

he had to drink a glass of wolf's blood (fruit punch) to receive his patch...he downed it!! He had it dripping all over :) We are so proud of you Collin! You worked really hard for this award!! We love you!
{Pics coming soon}

London is {crawling}

2010-05-16T17:19:00.000-07:00

He started crawling 2 weeks before he turned one. Yes, he is a late starter but I am grateful!! He is my last baby and when he figures out how to walk, I will no longer have my baby {tear}.

I am 31

2010-05-16T17:16:00.001-07:00

Happy birthday to me! Mike took me out to Bucca di Peppo and we got a pedicure together :) Thank you LOVE OF MY LIFE!

Paislee & Elle Spring 2010 Recital

2010-05-16T17:15:00.001-07:00

The girls had their recital last Friday night. They did awesome!! Pictures to come!

London is 1

2010-05-16T17:14:00.003-07:00

Happy Birthday little one!

Update

2010-04-19T12:07:00.001-07:00

Holy Cow! (Did I just say "Holy Cow?") I can't believe its has been a month and a half since my last post. Its been SUPER crazy...as always :) Here is whats been goin' on in our home:

~Paislee lost her first tooth!

~London got another ear infection. Pour little guy! Every time he starts to get another tooth-he gets really congested and then...ear infection :( He is working on the two that are on either side of is top two teeth. One has finally popped and the other one is so close!

~I got sick with some throat infection and a fever. haven't gotten one of those in awhile! Not fun!!

~Started my new workout-Brazilian But workouts from Beachbody :)

~We got a trampoline! The kids love it...almost as much as Mike and I :) I can't believe how great a workout it is! Elle was hesitant to jump high at first, but now she is bouncin' all over the place :)

~We have been making one day a month a special outing day with Mom or Dad. It has been fun being able to go out with them and have some quality one-on-one time seperately.

January was Collin's month. He wanted to stay home and do crafts and cook something together! He has the creativity bug like his Mommy...aw Mist! :)

February was Paislee: Mommy and Paislee went out. She wanted Grandma Julie to come too :) What a special treat! We went to see The Princess and The Frog and then to Build-a-Bear workshop. It was so precious, there was a guy that was filling the bears and sewing them up and Paislee did not want anything to do with him. So I was her spokesperson. Sweet little thing-she gets so shy! When we went on to the fluffing of the bear-she perked right up and was herself again. She picked out a Princess and The Frog Outfit and a little iPod, Purse,and Sparkle sandles for her. She named her Carelauna. We stopped next door for some icecream and we were pooped! She almost fell asleep on the way home!

March was Elle: Mommy and Elle went to Build-a-bear workshop and she picked out a purple bear with an iCarly sound that plays songs :) She picked out a tinkerbell outfit, sandles, and purse (they were out of the iPods) she was sad about that. She named her Bella. Since it was Easter time they gave her an Easter basket for her bear to sit in too. They tried to give her the pink one but she insisted she wanted the green one :) We went to Auntie Anne's Pretzels for lunch and she was tuckered out. So we stopped for icecream and went home for a nap.

April was Collin again: Daddy and Collin went to Gameworks and played video games. Then they sold some books to Halfprice Books and got credit towards new ones. He picked out 7 Scooby Doo Books. They stopped for some icecream and were drawn to Gamestop next door :) He picked out a Sonic Game. Daddy and Collin ahd a fun filled day!!

~Easter and General Conference
Lacie, Nathan, Thaxton, Crystal, Paisyn, and Grandma Julie came over for the day. We had Chalupa for lunch...so yummy! We meant to watch Conference but it never got turned on...whoops! We DVR'd it so little by little, we can watch it. I like having it playing on Sunday mornings. We had an Easter egg hunt with all the kids-it was Thaxton's first one (London's too, but he was sleeping). He was so cute running around getting the eggs in the grass. Thanks family for coming over! It was FUN!

I love my babies!

2010-03-09T14:53:00.002-07:00

I just wanted to tell my children how much I love them! They are all so special and are so precious! For example:
Collin-He stayed home sick today so he was camped out on the couch, but I HAD to workout. So he decided to be my cheering squad! The workout was getting really hard and I said (winded) "oh my gosh! is it over yet? I can't do anymore!" And he said "You can do it mom! " Just that little cheer pushed me through the last half. I love you Collin!

Paislee-This past week I have had the sniffles so pretty much every morning she has put the packed lunches (that my preious husband packs the night before for me!) in her and Collin's backpack, as well as packed their snacks, and their waterbottles...my kindergartner! She is so proud when I come down stairs and I have discovered her surprise! I love you Paislee!

Elle-She is going through a phase of being scared at night. Last week when I went to check on the kids before I climbed in bed I found Elle laying on the mound of laundry in the hall fast asleep! Sweet little one! So the next day we made her bed longer, (its an ikea adjustable one), put tinkerbell stickers on the wall and moved her Name Letters from her old room to the wall right by her bed, and I put on extra soft comforter for her to snuggle with. I am hoping this will help her at night! I love you Elle!

London-Last Friday Elle, London, and I went to a Mom & Me scrapbook class and as we were leaving I noticed they had fabric now in their store! I was so excited. London wasn't buckled in the stroller because I just bearly put him back in and thought we were going straight to the car-then the fabric. Anyway, I turned around to look at the fabric and the next thing I know London is sitting on the floor waving his arms like a little bird and wimpering! He slipped underneath the tray and onto the floor! I couldn't believe it! He wasn't even crying-just a little wimper to let me know he wasn't happy with what had just happened. I scooped him up and gave him a love and he was happy again. Note to self: always buckle baby in stroller! I love you London!

Thank you kids for being so precious! I love you with all my heart!! xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

New Calling!

2010-03-08T15:13:00.000-07:00

Mike and I were released from nursery and I was called to be a Relief Society Teacher! I am gonna miss the little ones! They were always so precious with their little comments and little cute things they always do! Love you Nursery!

I am SO nervous! I have never taught adults before! My teaching callings have always been with primary or young womens.....but I am super excited! I will be able to get to know the women in my ward...finally! I teach on the 3rd Sunday which is coming up so wish me luck!!

Collin's Pinewood Derby (The Event) Saturday March 6th 2010

2010-03-08T15:06:00.002-07:00

He named it the batmobile :) He got the award for "Coolest Car"

His times:

1st Race: 6.1607

We didn't realize we needed to put graphite on the wheels to help the car go smooth! woops! :)

2nd Race: 3.8662

He came in 2nd place! THe grahite definitley helped!

3rd Race: 3.8592

2nd place again

4th Race: 3.8212

2nd place again

So, overall he did pretty good! We are so proud of you Collin!

Thanks Mom, Melissa, Suzie, Garrett, & Berlyn for coming to support him! I think he got the loudest cheers out of everyone when he got his award!! I love our family!!

Collin's Pinewood Derby (the building)

2010-03-02T12:20:00.001-07:00

Last night Collin made his first pinewood derby car. Our sweet neighbor helped us cut the car. Collin and her son spray painted the cars and glued guys on top. Collin wanted his to resemble the batmobile :) He got a little lego guy and glued it on top and then added a steering wheel and a windshield from his legos. Then daddy added the weights and after Collin went to bed daddy was so sweet and spray painted the weights to make it just right! They added flame decals and a cobra snake on the back and the # 93. I still don't know why he picked that number? Collin and daddy had fun witht their first scout project together! We will see how it weighs in tomorrow??

London's top 2 teeth!

2010-03-02T12:18:00.000-07:00

London's top 2 teeth popped through this morning! Poor little thing he has been teething and swollen for over a week now. After his morning nap today they broke through. 4 down and 16 more to go!

G.L.A.M.O.R.I.O.U.S!

2010-02-24T15:13:00.000-07:00

Paislee's 6th bithday party was a glam party! Fergie would be so proud!
Decorations:
~Feather boas everywhere, including the ligt fixture over the table
~Tissue paper blossoms hung from the ceiling with streamers
~Feather Boa wreath on the front door with a letter "P" to greet her glamorous friends
~Pink & Purple P's for extra paislee glam :)

Activities:
~The girls where given a feather boa and homemade flower clip for their hair as they walked through the door
~I had glam stations that my awesome mom and sisters helped me with. There was the makeup station, nail station, and manicure station complete with sparkle lotion.
~After they were all glammed up we had a dress up relay. It was too precious seeing the girls spin in circles with all there get up on!
~Opened presents
~Sang to the birthday girl and had yummy cake. I couldn't find a glamorous cake so I bought a girlie cake from Fry's and dressed it up with purse opened with a feather boa inside with a letter "P" and a mini mirror hanging from it. I also added a feather boa to lay around the bottom of the cake. Loved it!

Food:
~Chicken salad sandwiches on croissants
~Fruit with yummy fruit dip
~Sun chips
~Strawberry lemonade
~Cake-of course :)

When the girls were done eating their cake, we took the party out back and they had a ball just being girls. They went home with their feather boa and hair flower as well as a purse with lip gloss, bracelet, necklace, brush and comb and a little mirror.

We had so much fun! I will add pics later-just wanted to get the info down before I forgot it! that happens a lot!!

Happy Birthday Paislee!

2010-02-18T16:13:00.000-07:00

My little Paislee has turned 6 years old!

(her blessing)

~She is so kind and loving to everyone.

~She is my little helper. She loves to help me with what ever I am doing...laundry, dishes, cooking, and the funnest of all....shopping! She is so fun to shop with!

~She loves to sing. Her favorites right now are "Replay" by Sean Kingston, "Disturbia" by Rhianna, and any Lady GaGa Song. Ya...we jam out! :)

~She takes dance and loves it! She performed at a Suns Game last Oct with her little sis. She did so awesome! She was in the front, rockin' it!

~She started Kindergarten this year and loves it! Riding on the bus was a big thrill for her.

~She is an awesome reader! She reads to her little sis and bro for me all the time!

~She loves her family. She is our peacemaker...Heavenly Father knew I needed her!

We love you little one! Happy Birthday sweetheart!

Update

2010-02-03T15:14:00.003-07:00

Ok, so no pics...but I really want to keep important stuff and not so important stuff written down for memories. It takes more time to take the pics off my camera and then upload them, I find I just don't post becuase of this. So....if I can get the time for pics...BONUS. If not...well atleast I have my thoughts :)

The past two weeks for mommy of 4.....

~London got croop, then his first ear infection, then his first tooth, then his second tooth!

~Elle fell putting on her shoes and pulled her thigh muscle. Poor little thing was limping around :( It lasted for about 4 days and she is good as new!

~The yucky flu hit our house....1st Elle, then Collin, then London, then Paislee. I am so sick of vomit I could just vomit!!!!

~Trying to get Paislee's 6th birthday party ready....gonna be G.L.A.M.O.R.O.U.S!

~Wean London from the boob! He hates the bottle so I had to give him tough love. He was so stubborn I had to feed him from a medicine dropper. Last Saturday he caved. He is now completely weaned! Can we say Hahla!.......Hahla! I am kind of sad, this being my last baby, but I need my sanity back. Love you London!

~Took Collin to a Naturopath...way cool! She did an LSA Scan and we discovered he is allergic to dairy, nuts, and wheat among other things, but this is where we are going to start. Plus, I ordered Essential Oils as well as Defense (Probiotics) I took a trip....journey to Trader Joes and then Sprouts to get things Collin could eat. His lunch today consisted of Spelt bread with Sunflower Seed Spread and Raspberry preserves. Organic blueberries. Gluten free pretzels. Organic, no sugar added juicebox. I was so worried he would come home hungry, but he actually ate it! He said he liked it!! I have been trying to make this a positive thing for him, so he has his very own shelf in the fridge and freezer for his special stuff. He feels pretty cool and special. I am so proud of him for being so open to this big change. Love you Collin!

~The next part of his healing process will be EFT. Kinda weird...but at this point, I am open to anything!

~I've been making 60 some odd heart crayons for the kids' valentine's party...regular valentine's from the box just won't do!!

Back to the craziness.............

Excersaucer Baby

2009-11-30T15:31:00.001-07:00

I am really behind on my blog so there are a couple posts. Look at my archive because its not showing all of them on this first page...

Here are a few pics of London in his excersaucer. He loves it!

Schnepf Farms Fieldtrip

2009-11-30T14:55:00.001-07:00

I went with Elle's preschool class to Schnepf Farms

We got to go on a hayride and tour the farm

Sorry London...kinda cut youoff the pic! Oops!

They have reindeer!! Elle kept saying

"Why are they on the farm? They should be in the North Pole with Santa!"

Elle and her preschool teacher. She is awesome!!

Elle listening to them teach us about how things grow from a seed.

They let all the kids pick out a pumpkin to take home. Elle loved that idea!

Her pick....

London, our little trooper. Happy as could be!

Elle in front of the pig. She was so excited to tell Paislee.

Paislee loooooooovvvvvvvveeeeeees pigs!

My little farmer princess!! I love you Elle!

Precious moments with mommy

2009-11-30T14:44:00.001-07:00

London found his tongue, so when ever he smiles he sticks it out! Too precious!

I love his giggles!!!
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Halloween 2009

2009-11-30T12:24:00.001-07:00

I uploaded the pictures backwards...so we are starting at the end of the day...

Our first house! :)

London snuggled in and ready to go!

My hot hubby cleaning off the patio from all the pumpkin carving

Collin and Uncle Nathan workin' on pumpkins

Paislee and Collin workin on their cute pumpkins. Elle got the flu so she was upstairs with her spider ring I made her since she was so bummed about not being able to join the fun :( Then 2 days later I got it...then Mike! Yuk! Anyway, back to Halloween...

Aunt Suzie and Paislee

My four little trick or treaters:

Elle is a witch

Collin is Indiana Jones

Paislee is a kitty cat

London is a monkey

Two little monkeys jumpin on the bed.....

Lacie let us borrow her other monkey costume so London and Thaxton were the two cutest monkeys around! They almost looked like twins!

Collin...I mean Indy :)

Here wears this costume every time it comes out of the dryer...he loves it! I am so glad we are getting a lot of use out of his costume this year!

Paislee the kitty cat...she wears this all the time too! She sounds just like a kitty! She crawls around and purrs all over.

Elle, our little witch. She was feeling much better by now!

We had such a fun halloween with everyone! Thanks for being such a great family!!

London's Blessing

2009-09-18T16:19:00.001-07:00

London Michael McAuley

Blessed by:

Mike McAuley (Daddy)

September 6, 2009

Dressed in white this special day,
You are brought before the priesthood
To receive your earthly name
With which your family was inspired.
Held by those who hold authority
Who are guided by the Spirit,
Your name proclaimed and blessing pronounced;
Your journey to earth is now announced.

London with his big brother, Collin and his big sisters, Paislee & Elle

I love you Michael!

2009-08-25T14:53:00.002-07:00

I just wanted to let my husband know how much I love him. You are my Prince Charming who swept me off my feet and now we are living happily ever after! You make me so happy every day and are the best father to our beautiful 4 children. Thank you for 9 wonderful years and many more to come. I love you Michael with all of my heart forever and always!

Tummy Time!

2009-08-12T14:31:00.001-07:00

Here is London looking at himself in a mirror toy for tummy time. He loves looking at himself :)

It is the cutest thing...he gets his arms and legs kicking so fast and gets so excited! He is so precious!!

Happy boy :)

First Day of School!

2009-08-10T11:57:00.001-07:00

Collin and Paislee posing before we are off to school

Gotta show off the backpacks!

Paislee in front of her class. She was SO excited!
We couldn't get Collin to let us take a picture of him in front of his class.

Elle before her 1st day at preschool.

Another backpack pic. :)

The kids 1st day went really well! Mike took the day off so we could both take the kids to school. I thought we would be taking them to there lines on the playground and saying our goodbye's there but we got to take them each to there class. It was neat to do but I didn't have any makeup on and I got to walk around the school with out my sunglasses looking fabulous with no makeup! :)

The kids came home on the bus with big smiles. I had a hard time that day though... its always hard sending a kindergartner off to school. Collin couldn't find Paislee at the Sibling pickup and was so worried. But, they found each other and all ended OK. He is so protective of his little sister.

Elle loved being in her own preschool class. She was a little worried at first without Paislee but by the time we got there she was very proud to have her OWN class. She came home with a little hat on she had made and a huge smile!

My new niece Berlyn was born today!

2009-08-02T15:59:00.001-07:00

Berlyn Emma Stokum

Born: 8-2-09 10:02am

7 lbs 3oz 20in. long

Me with the little Princess

Me, Suzie (new mommy) Lacie, Crystal, and Berlyn

Crystal and Berlyn...look at those lips!

Meet the Teacher Night

2009-08-02T15:48:00.001-07:00

As you can see...Collin is SUPER excited to start school! Collin will be in 3rd grade. He is growing up so fast!

Paislee is starting Kindergarten this year. She can't wait! She was skipping through the entire school while we where there meeting their teachers. Elle will be in preschool, she wished she was going to "The Big Kid School" :) It's going to be so strange having just 2 at home., but I am excited to have some time with my Ellie Bellie and our little Hawkster (London)

Pics of my lil' sis Crystal with the kids

2009-08-02T15:41:00.001-07:00

Isn't my little sister beautiful!! Look at those eyes! :) Love you Crystal!!!!

Crystal and my little mermaid...Elle decided she was ariel for the day :)

Crystal and London. He loves his Aunt Crystal!

Cute pics

2009-07-30T13:08:00.001-07:00

Here are some cute pics of the kids. I am trying to do better at keeping our blog updated :)

He is smiling!

2009-07-30T13:03:00.001-07:00

London has finally started to smile and giggle! He has the sweetest little giggle :) I keep trying to get video of it, but by the time I am ready to record he stops.... I'll keep trying !

London's Room

2009-07-30T12:47:00.002-07:00

I have had a lot of requests to see pictures of London's room...so here they are! :) The top picture with his name where made out of 12x12 pieces of mdf. I mod podged scrapbook paper on the mdf and used epoxy glue to stick the letters to the square. I added ribbon, charms, rub-ons, and other little goodies to add pizazz.

The second picture is the argyle wall. I wish I had pictures of all the steps, but I did this before I entered the blog world :) It took me 2 days, becuase of drying times. But I am so glad i did it! I rock-a-bye London and gaze at my wall....silly I know, but you gotta have little happies in life! And this is one of mine....Anyway, here are the steps:

1. Measure wall and map it out on graph paper. I also colored the graph paper to see what colors I wanted to use...very helpful step!

2. Find the middle of the wall and start measuring out the diamonds. Mine were 1 ft wide by 2 ft tall.

3. Use painters tape to tape off diamonds. I did the blue first, and then taped again for the green.

*Tip: Apply a little clear caulk to the seams of the tape. This took a little more time, but it gives you a very clean line so you don't get those little runners of paint under the tape.

~saw this tip on Colorsplash with David Bromstad on HGTV...love this show!!

4. Measure the middle of the blue and green diamonds to make the brown stripes over them. I taped again and painted the brown stripe.

5. Sit and rest a long time and enjoy your beautiful wall!

I am linking up with:

Collin's Baptism

2009-06-28T22:27:00.001-07:00

Collin was baptized on Sat. June 20, 2009.

Grandpa Steve gave the opening prayer and Lacie led the music even though she didn't want to :) Grandma Julie and Grandpa Steve bore their testimonies which was so beautiful and meant a lot to Collin. He even got little tears in his eyes! I know he felt the spirit so strongly. After their testimonies Daddy baptized him. It was so precious to see him look up at Mike and put his little hand on his arm. I couldn't stop crying. It was an awesome moment for me to see my 1st baby being baptized. We then went back to the Young Women's room and all wrote little notes to Collin while they got dressed. Janeen then sang I'm Trying To Be Like Jesus while she played the piano as well! It was so beautiful! I had no idea she was so talented. She brought such a special feeling. Trisha gave a talk after the musical # on the Holy Ghost. It was perfect! She had visual aids and the whole bit. I know Collin will remember that talk. Then Collin was confirmed by his daddy and Grandpa Steve joined in as well as our good friend Mike Brinson. Suzie gave the closing prayer and we all went home to enjoy some yummies Collin had picked out to eat. London slept the whole time while we were at the church which I was so greatful for. I was a little worried about that because lately if he is awake he thinks he should be eating.

Thank you so much to all of the family and friends who came to share this special day with him. I know Collin will remember this day forever.

London is here!

2009-06-12T08:59:00.001-07:00

London Michael McAuley

5-4-09

7lbs 4oz

21.5 in

He was born at Banner Gateway. I had a C-Section again. Everything went really well and everyone is healthy. We both went home 2 days later. He is such a precious little boy with a sweet spirit. He is so calm and happy. We love him so much!!

Just a couple hours old with Mommy

Hospital Visits

Melissa and London

Tony & Monica and London

Trisha and London

Suzie and London

Janeen and London

David and London

Lacie and London

My 1st Post!

2009-04-30T12:18:00.002-07:00

Paislee & Elle dancing :) They love the wood floors!!

The McAuley's

Gilbert Days Parade!

KAR {Dance} Competition

{There's a Parade!}

Halloween {2011}

Elle Turns {6}

First {Strut N Stuff} Performance!

1st Day of School {2011}

Meet the Teacher Night and Fashion Show {2011}

Dear {Elle}

{Fourth of July} Decor

Summer Fun! {June}

Strut n Stuff Auditions {2011}

Dance Dance Dance!

Happy Father's Day! {2011}

Collin is {10}

London is {2}

Pinewood Derby {2011}

{Happy Valentine's Day!}

{Paislee's Barbie Glam Birthday Party}

Paislee turns {7}

2011 {Suns Performance}

{Sweetest Essay Ever!}

Christmas {2010}

I won CSI's {Amanda's Pick}

Pera Club 2010

A {MERRY} Mob!

{Elle} turns 5!

London's Cardio {Update}

Halloween {2010}

Paislee {BROKE} her arm!!

Halloween Porch Decor

Our {10th} Anniversary Getaway...Finally!

Collin is such a {big} helper!

{Familes Can Be Together Forever}

What London has been up to...

Out of the Mouth of Babes

First Day of School {2010}

Meet the Teacher Night {2010}

London's Favorite Spot in The House

London's {FavorITE!}

{Family} Movie Day!

London is {Walking!}

Update {June}

Collin is *9*

London and his cardio appointment

Collin earned his {WOLF} in scouts!

London is {crawling}

I am *31*

Paislee & Elle Spring 2010 Recital

London is *1*

Update

I love my babies!

New Calling!

Collin's Pinewood Derby (The Event) Saturday March 6th 2010

Collin's Pinewood Derby (the building)

London's top 2 teeth!

G.L.A.M.O.R.I.O.U.S!

Happy Birthday Paislee!

Update

Excersaucer Baby

Schnepf Farms Fieldtrip

Precious moments with mommy

Halloween 2009

London's Blessing

I love you Michael!

Tummy Time!

First Day of School!

My new niece Berlyn was born today!

Meet the Teacher Night

Pics of my lil' sis Crystal with the kids

Cute pics

He is smiling!

London's Room

Collin's Baptism

London is here!

My 1st Post!

Collin is 9

I am 31

London is 1