Zoo

So here is the story behind the zoo. Every Wednesday in September the Phoenix zoo is allowing you to get two free tickets if you show your Fry's VIP card at the entrance and kids under 3 are free! So I decided to invite my friend/neighbor to go along with me and check it out. So yesterday we took my three little ones and her youngest to the zoo and all of us got in for...you got it FREE! We took along a lunch and so it was a very fun free getaway for us. I don't feel like I get out as much as I should since we don't have a lot of extra money to spare for trips and things so this was sooo nice. Unfortunately Isaac didn't want any pictures taken of him (Mr. Shy now), but I did get a couple of cute ones of Nathan. Cassandra was there too but she's usually attached to me or asleep in the stroller so that kind of makes it difficult to get any of her.

Nathan loved to push the buttons on the sign posts. He has absolutely no fear! Out of the stroller I had to watch him like a hawk as he will just wander to wherever takes his interest!


Nathan playing at the splash pad while Isaac was with my neighbor and her boy looking at the monkey village.

Here's Nathan outside the giant tortoise exhibit. I don't think the boys actually figured out what was going on and it took them a while to even realize there were animals out there. So they may have to be a little older to actually appreciate the whole zoo experience I think.


Eating lunch by the pond. Notice Nathan locked in the stroller!

Princess Ball 2009

There's a funny story behind this one. As you can probably tell. Our stake has an annual princess ball for the girls that are 3-11 years old and they get to take along their "prince". Rebekah was looking forward to going to this ever since she heard about it. When the night came she really wanted to go all out and dress up like a "princess" so she put on her snow white Halloween costume from last year and her tiara and gloves and of course her "lipstick" (clear lip gloss). Well, when she walked out of her room like that Dwayne's comment was, "Is she really going to wear that?" To which my reply was, "Of course! It's a princess ball and if you're worried about standing out, don't worry I'm sure there will be plenty of other little girls there dressed just like her!" So then he goes back into our room and I catch him going through his old service uniforms and I said, " Are you really going to wear that?" To which he replied, "Why not? she needs to have a prince right?" To which I replied, "Okay." And guess what? He was actually able to squeeze back into it! So here is a picture of Rebekah and her "prince".

Why does my life seem to revolve around poo?

I'm just going to copy and paste a conversation my sister Shelly and I had this morning so I don't have to retype.

Shannon: so I have to tell you what Isaac said just a day or two ago
he was in the bathroom doing his business and then he came running out yelling, "Mom! McDonalds!" and kept saying it over and over until I came in to see what he was talking about
Shellianne: so what did he do?
Shannon: sorry Nathan was peeing on the table
Shellianne: nice1
Shellianne: !
Shellianne: glad my kids aren't the only ones that do that.
Shannon: so I looked in the toilet because that's where he was pointing and sure enough there was a giant poo shaped like an M
Shellianne: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA You HAVE to post that story on your blog!
Shannon: McDonald's Mom!
Shannon: I would but it seems like my life revolves around poo right now!
Shellianne: Not nearly as much as mine does.
Shellianne: it's not like you post something every other week about it like me.
Shannon: like for instance yesterday Dwayne flushed a cloth diaper down the toilet and clogged it before church so he was working on that up until church started and didn't help me get the kids ready
Shannon: so the story behind it is funny though!
Shannon: Dwayne was helping me out by changing Nathan's diaper
Shannon: well he had a mega poop I guess because it was all over him so Dwayne decided to be helpful and put him in the tub to wash him up before church
Shellianne: how did he flush a clothe diaper?
Shannon: well while he was in the tub dwayne was spraying out the diaper and had just finished and flushed when Nathan tidal waved him from the tub which startled dwayne causing him to lose his hold on the diaper.....
Shannon: well you know the rest
Shellianne: oh no! Nater TateR!!!!!!
Shellianne: too funny!
Shannon: yep that's who he's blaming it on
Shellianne: what a mess.

Cassandra's Baby Blessing

We had a wonderful Labor Day weekend. Josh, Sharice, Derek, and baby Kael came down to visit us for Cassandra's baby blessing. Sharice and I had a fun time going out to lunch with grandma to the Olive Garden on Saturday. No kids! "The boys" watched all five of the kids while we were out having fun. It was so nice to be able to spend some time with Sharice and my grandma. We laughed and had fun and did a little shopping too! Thanks grandma! I even got to show off some of my couponing skills to Sharice with $.50 icecream and free skittles. Yummy yummy. (Yes I know that we're supposed to be in a weight loss competition, but you have to have some treats sometime right?!) It even rained that weekend to cool things off a bit and made it just that much nicer.

Sunday the group from up north went to grandma's for breakfast and got to visit while we got ready for church, and then met us there for the blessing. Cassandra looked so pretty with her brand new dress (thanks to grandma Heaton), her pretty jewelry (thanks Auntie Janice), and her little bow that I saved from when Rebekah was a baby (I was so happy to be able to use it since I didn't really get to use them with Rebekah. Too much hair!) Dwayne was a little nervous as usual, but did a fine job too. Dwayne's parents also joined us and we spent the holiday with them as everyone else went back up north the next morning.

Josh, Sharice, Kael, and Derek at Grandma's house.

Girl's lunch at Olive Garden
(I know Shell and mom wish they could have been there. We missed you guys too!)

"The girls"
Rebekah is so happy to have a baby sister

Rebekah, Me, and Cassandra

Byron, Jan, Me, Dwayne, Josh, Sharice, Kael, Rebekah and Cassandra in front and thanks to Derek for taking the picture!
(The boys were in nursery by this time so we didn't even try to pry them away for the picture.)

1st Day of 1st Grade

Rebekah started first grade this year. I'm not great with the camera so all I got was a picture of her in front of her brand new classroom. They just finished building the new school for this year. It's a really nice two story building and houses the 1-8 grade students (kindergarten preschool and the office are in separate buildings). Grades 1-3 and specials classes are on the first floor and grades 4-8 are on the second floor. We got to go to the red ribbon cutting that the governor (Jan Brewer) attended and got to stand just a few feet away while she snuck out the building after her speech. I was questioned afterwards why we didn't ask her if she was ever going to sign the new budget! Honestly, I didn't even know she was going to be there, and by the time all the politicians got through with their speeches (seriously over an hour of speeches?) Rebekah was in tears because she had to wait so long just to meet her new teacher. =) She was very happy though when the time finally came to see her new teacher and classroom and it looks like she has a really good matchup too and is doing great in school so far.