Juggling it all...

It's sort of a given when you live in this desert land that your kids have to go through this right of passage called city league swim team. And I gotta say... BRING IT ON! Growing up I always wanted to be on a swim team, nevermind that my strokes often look like someone is having a seizure in the water, but none the less I wished I had tried. Well, you better believe that this mama is living vicariously through her kids when it comes to swim. Sweating palms. Nervous stomach. Pacing back and forth... this is usually how you can find me and Scott on the sidelines. I LOVE IT!! She was pretty good last year for her first year, and this year she really did even BETTER...bringing home 3 first place ribbons. I actually only ended up bring my camera to one of her meets, shameful, I know. But in my quest to be ever more present in my kids' lives I didn't want to be all camera-crazed, jockeying for the BEST position with all the mom-tographers videoing their super-star athletes. R

3 weeks ago today we celebrated the twiners 5th birthday. Nope, I refuse to believe my babies are now 5! I don't know when I should officially stop calling them babies, but you better believe I'm milkin' it for all it's worth... they are my BABIES!! Aside from the fact that Brooke was absolutely determined beyond a shadow of a doubt that we would be celebrating her birthday in Disneyland, we had a super low-key birthday celebration. I have no idea how she got that bee in her bonnet about Disneyland, but the weeks leading up to her birthday were filled with questions like 'what's the first thing we're going to do, mama, when we get to Disneyland?', or 'will there be fireworks on our birthday at Disneyland just like on the commercial?' Seriously, it was heartbreaking to tell her the sad and pathetic truth that we would be spending her day at the all-you-can-eat Peter Piper Pizza lunch buffet. Not even in the same ballpark as going to Disneyland,

A few weeks ago we had quite a few days with some down time and we couldn't stand the thought of letting them go to waste. Having lived here in AZ for 13 years now there is still so much I have not done or seen, one of which is to visit Jerome and Prescott. I loved both of those towns, but Prescott was by far my fav... and not only that, but the quick jaunt from Jerome to Prescott through the Mingus Mountain is absolutely beautiful. So, if you haven't yet visited by other photo blog [ HERE ] and seen my other street and random photos from our Jerome & Prescott road trip be sure to do that as well. Here are some fun snapshots of the fam from that trip...

Oh Sammy J...where do I even begin with this girl?! One minute I'm lovin' on her and we're having a great mother/daughter bonding moment, the next moment I'm giving her a time-out with her nose in the corner! I can't wait for the teenage years...said the mom in the most sarcastic tone!! This was such a funny photo I took of her a few months ago...just her being so over dramatic...not at all like her mama... ;-) So, about our Sammy girl... -She's one of the toughest 8.5 year olds I know -A few months ago she asked us how old she has to be to be able to base jump (cRaaaaaaaZy, I know) -Can be the most tender big sister only when I'm not around...or so I've been told -Is so determined to be the absolute best at everything she does -Wants more than anything to be with her Dad at all times...she just adores him so much -Is tough as nails on the outside, but sweet and tender when it counts -Is obsessed, and even that's stating it mildly, with a

And then there's Sam...who made us so unbelievably proud of her breakout soccer skills last year. She showed the most talent and enthusiasm for the goalie position so her coach pretty much made her the team's FULL-TIME goalie... yeah, she was that good. When all the other girls where scared to run into a crowd of girls kicking the ball, Sam would dive in head first to retrieve it. She has some serious 'no fear' when it came to diving and just getting in there.

Oh man, where does one begin to describe our little peanut. For starters I still get a kick out of the random folks that ask me almost weekly what the age difference is between the B's... then the genuine look of shock and awe when I tell the unsuspecting person that they are in fact twins. Let's see...what else about Brooke... -She bounces EVERY where she goes...she can never just walk places she has to twirl, bounce, you name it -She is the most amazing UNtrained dancer EVER...at least that's what her Grandma Herrick would say! -She has the most loving heart I have ever witnessed...loves and cares so unconditionally -Wants to be just like her big sister in the worst way -Has my chin...and it's soooo cute! -Her prayers will melt your heart...no joke! -Still prays everyday that her Grandma will be strong and healthy and we don't dare correct her -Always wants to be on the go and constantly asks to go to the mall -Has the sweetest bond with her bro and I

Never before has Brooke seemed so small... I couldn't believe how tiny she was out there on that field with all those gigantors and their gigantic bodies. Thankfully we had a bit of a pep talk with her before each game and just told her that she could throw elbows anytime they crowded her or started mowing her down. From that point forward she just began to run with her elbows out... girl's gotta protect herself!! Here's a video from our lil peanut's first soccer game...

Like I said, I do not plan to have all three in soccer again at the same time anytime soon... that is, if I have anything to say about it... which I'm slowly learning that I don't. The worst part about having the twins in soccer was that their games were played at the exact same time on opposite ends of the soccer field park...that meant the pops and I were running back and forth between the fields to watch each play. Now THAT was exhausting... Any whooooo, here are some shots of our BIG little girl at her very first soccer practice.

How can you not be smitten with this lil fellow? Such a cutie... Even though this was taken well over a year ago, here are some things about my lil man today... -loves to wrestle with his sisters even if they don't -he loves to tinker with EVERYTHING and learn and know how it all works -can be such an independent little soul -he is all about having fun... just like his dad -can't NOT tease his sisters and pushing their buttons -he is a definite mama's boy and I love everything about that -he is afraid to flush toilets and thinks there are 'zewer' monsters (aka sewer monsters) -he will eat anything I feed him...so grateful for that! -he is quite the little fish...thankfully because the pool is the only way we can get him clean -thinks all LCD/plasma screens in stores are giant iPads and will touch and swipe them all

I think we missed the mark by not fully explaining to Brody the most basic of concepts in soccer... and that is... KICK THE BALL!

Last year we signed up ALL the kids for soccer, and while I don't plan to do that ever again anytime soon, we did have so much fun watching the little munchkins try their hardest. Here's b-boy at his first practices with his team... the Orange Crush!! Gotta stay hydrated here in the desert!! And now for a little scrimmage game...

OK, here we go... my attempt to play catch up... Scrolling down you see it was just a few posts ago that I was so proud of my new lil 2nd grader. Well as time so often does it just flew right by and we just wrapped up 2nd grade year... watch out 3rd grade. As tradition in our house here is Sam's mini shoot commemorating her 2nd grade year.

What the what?? October 2010 was my last post? That's no bueno... fo sho!! Hopefully this fun video I put together for Sam's 8th bday & baptism will hold you over until I can get some proper posts up!! Enjoy!