The Aftermath...

So, I noticed that Joseph just didn't look quite right Sunday. Hummm.... is he just tired? It's been a big week - maybe he just needs some more sleep. So, we have a low key morning and after church I insist he sit and rest before the family comes over. Well, fast forward to 6:30 p.m. we get everyone in their Pj's and hope for early bedtime. Joseph starts complaining that his eyes and his head hurts. To make a long story short for the next 4 days Joseph is fighting a fever of 104- 105. When I took him to the after hours pediatrician Monday night his fever registered at 105.6! DANGER!!! Turns out it was a "long and miserable" virus going around and there's nothing we could do but treat the high fever. As terrible as I felt for him, and overwhelming as it was... I was so happy to be home with my kids and be able to take care of Joseph and play with Jackson and Mahlia. I'm so grateful to be a mom and to have the best husband ever and the cutest kids, ever.... Now, can we please get some sunshine already???

Pizza, Butterflies and Easter eggs

WOW! I can't believe it's been a week since I last posted. Please forgive me. Here is my update. We had an awesome Birthday/Easter weekend. We partied hard!
Friday evening we enjoyed a family night at Chuck-E-Cheese. Can I just say, "thank you!" to whoever owns the Orem Chuck-E-Cheese? While I am not a big fan of Chuck-E-Cheese, I am very grateful that they have cleaned up the Orem location so I don't feel like my kids are playing in germ-infested, dirty nastiness. The kids love it - Mahlia loves it so long as the mouse, is his name Chuck-E? humm.. I don't know what his name is now that I think of it... anyway, as long as the mouse doesn't come near her... she's happy.
Saturday morning we made Mahlia's birthday cupcakes - butterflies! Way fun. I'm a big fan of making my kids b-day cakes. While they might not be the most beautiful cakes ever, I hope they know that it's special just for them. (this is a good post idea... maybe in the future i will post some of my favorites of the kids cakes! stay tuned!)
Saturday afternoon we had a great time at my parents having lunch, Easter Egg hunt and b-day presents. We love our family get togethers, especially in the warmer months when the kids get to play outside. side note: Joseph even got his cousins involved in the "digging the hole to china" project! Saturday night John and I got to take Jackson and go have a relaxing dinner together. Big THANK YOU to cute Madeline from our primary class, who watched Joseph and Mahlia for us. Madeline, we love you!!! It was definitely one of those times where that date was soooo needed and I just needed the peace and quiet and time with John.
Sunday after church John's family came over to our house and we enjoyed lunch, Easter Egg hunt and B-Day cake. We missed Chris and Celeste who were just coming back from their cruise (jealous!). But a great time was had by all. Pictures to come.... Ü Mahlia loves her presents - she sleeps with her care bear (thanks uncle Wade) and her new bunny (bamma and bampa) every night, Dora (thanks Joseph) has become her new best friend. Lots of cute new outfits and I can't wait to post pictures of Mahlia in her new Princess dress ups! (thanks Kim!)

Happy Birthday Mahlia!

Happy Birthday to our little princess!! Two years ago today our little miracle arrived!!! (on a very snowy day) We are so thankful for our little sweetheart. She is such a blessing and we are forever thankful for our 3 precious miracles.

Things we love about Mahlia:

Joseph - joseph's quote from a few months back, "Mom! sometimes I feel I just can't take it anymore! Mahlia has the cutest face, the cutest hands, the cutest voice and the cutest laugh I have ever heard! I just can't take it anymore!!!" as he is riding in the back seat with her, laughing hysterically.

We love Mahlia's laugh, smiles, loves, kisses, belly, freckle on her foot, dimples, big brown eyes, beautiful skin tone. We appreciate the sunshine she radiates, her sweetness, her "motherly, compassionate ways", how smart she is, how loving she is, her determination, her strong emotions (really? where did she get that?), how she draws people to her. She really is an amazing little girl. We are so blessed to have her in our family.

Mahlia, we love you more than words can say. You are a precious little girl and our love for you runs so deep. You are our little sunshine, our brown-eyed girl. Happy Birthday sweetie!

'Éirinn go Brágh'

We LOVE St. Patricks Day! We had a great time celebrating the luck 'o the Irish and our wonderful Irish heritage. Everyone looked lovely in their green and enjoyed our dinner of Corned Beef and Cabbage. (thank you family fun magazine for the crock pot recipe) Dessert was shamrock cookies. My only regret of the day is that I don't have pictures... Darn it. But, I'm a big fan of Irish blessings, so here is one I found, short and sweet, but lovely none-the-less. Someday I will visit Ireland - my dream will come true! (positive thoughts produce positive results, right?!)

Where did that come from?!?!?!

So Joseph, Jackson and I are in the car yesterday on our way to pick up Mahlia. We're just chatting talking about our day when after a brief silence Joseph's asks, "Mom, how are you going to fit two babies in your tummy at the same time? That will be crazy...."
ummmmm...... WHAT?!?!?! Where the HECK did that come from? I have no further comment, except to say..... "NO, no, no, no, no, no, NO!"

China anyone?

Have you ever been to China? Have you ever wanted to experience China? How about a free trip? Well, stay tuned because Joseph and Grandpa are digging a hole to China!!

It all began on Tuesday in Grandpa's back yard. Grandpa bought some new shovels for the grand kids and he and Joseph decided to test them out. What began as "playing in the dirt" has become a major obsession with my cute 5 year old. I'm not exactly sure how it started, but I made the mistake of thinking Joseph was digging for dinosaur bones (silly me!) with a rolling of the eyes Joseph informed me that they were digging for treasure not dinosaur bones! (why do pirates like treasure so much anyway, he asks? maybe because they want to be rich?! he answers his own question!) So, the plan is once he finds the treasure he's going to dig his way to China right there in Grandpa's back yard! Since Tuesday he has thoughts of China constantly running through his mind. First thing when he wakes up, "Mom, is today the day I'm going to get to go to China?" To bedtime prayers, "Heavenly Father, please bless me that I'll get to China."

I'm so grateful for Grandpa's back yard and all the memories that are being made there. From swinging in the tire swing, planting flowers, paying baseball, soccer and Frisbee, planting and nurturing the vegetable garden, birthday parties and summer bbq's ... Grandpa and Grandma's back yard has become a place to play with cousins, explore, strengthen relationships and learn. It truly is a treasure where many memories are being made. Thank you bamma and bampa! we love you!

Boogers

So, the Aznar family has not had a decent night's sleep in MONTHS! Between colds, flu, asthma and amoxicillin allergy it seems to have been forever since John and I had any true sleep. So, Jackson finally decided that last night was going to be the turning point (we can only hope!). He slept from 10:00 p.m. until 5:40 a.m. UNBELIEVABLE!!! We were amazed! Unfortunately, Mahlia decided she was NOT going to allow this. She starting calling out to Mommy then Daddy then Jo Jo - starting about 10:45 until finally at 12:15 John got up to see what was going on. She never cried, just called out to us. (We didn't want to go any earlier because she tends to test us every once in a while to see how many times she can get us to come in... not an easy habit to break! Besides, we had just checked on her at 10:15 when we went to bed.) So, John gets up, opens her door and this is what I hear...

Mahlia - Daddy?

John - Hi sweetie, what's going on?

Mahlia - boogers. nose. need a wipe.

John - okay. gets a wipe and hands it to her.

Mahlia - Thank you Daddy. as she's wiping her nose.

John - You're welcome. good night. Love you.

Mahlia - ni- night. uv you.

She lays back down. Whut. Are you kidding me? That's it? She needs a wipe? couldn't you improvise at 1:00 in the morning and use your sleeve like most kids? Or your blanket? Guess that would be "gusting" according to her. Looking back? hilarious! This morning at 12:30 a.m. Not so funny. Good thing she's so darn cute! Ü

Addicted

Okay, I admit it.... I'm addicted to blogging! I can't believe that it is only day two and I am addicted. Ever since my first post, all I can think about is, "what's going to be my next post?" Should I post that Mahlia has learned to make a triangle using her thumb and index fingers - and she thinks it's the coolest, most amazing thing ever? Or that Grandpa taught her "No more monkeys jumpin' on the bed" and how cute it is? Or how Jackson is getting his "real" hair and we think it just might be curly too? Or how to know if your child is allergic to amoxicillin - because we just had that lovely experience. Or, what it feels like to be "spanked" by a 5 year old in Foosball, Nintendo and CandyLand? These are just a few of the many things that have been bouncing around in my mind. How I look forward to my future posts and the wonderful memories I will get to share. Thank you to my friends for encouraging me and inspiring me to join them in the world of blogging. Thank you to the inventor of the "blog" for giving me a simple way to journal my thoughts and experiences.
I am addicted!

Spring???

Oh my goodness, looking out the window today, i have to wonder... Has Spring Sprung? Could you possibly have come to bring sunshine, tulips, daffodils and green grass to bless our lives? I hope you aren't just playing with me - toying with my emotions. I went outside during lunchtime and actually felt the sun warming my skin! I actually felt warmth from the sun!!! Oh, how I can't wait to get my kids outside and let them run around and kick the ball and swing on the swings. Has it been a long winter, you ask? YES!

Wow! Look at me! My very first posting on my very own blog! Thank you my friends Angie and Bethany for always encouraging me to join the blogging world and for being my inspiration! So, here we go! Let's give this whole blogging thing a try!