Happy Birthday Aleis (1 day late!)

It is really hard for me to believe that 9 years ago I brought such a wonderful girl into this world! Aleis has been such a blessing to our family. I especially love that she is such a great daughter and big sister! So in honor of Aleis 9th birthday... a day late... here are 9 fantastic facts about my Aleis...

1. Aleis is the most helpful girl I know

2. Everyone is a friend waiting to happen!

3. She loves to sing and dance

4. There is nothing she can't do!

5. Everything is a new adventure to her!

6. She loves to be a tomboy, but she still has her girly side too!

7. She is always there to play with her sisters

8. She is amazingly smart and talented!

9. She makes me proud of her every day with every thing she does!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEET ALEIS!! This picture is a bit old, but I just love her in it! :)

So here's what happens...

I recently decided that I am tired of constantly picking up things my children keep leaving around! I especially got tired of picking up the pajamas that were dropped on the floor in front of the dresser instead of in the drawer! I don't even care if they get folded, just as long as I don't see them on the floor!!! So I have made a new rule around here. Every item found on the floor at the end of the day is worth 5 minutes of hair time for me! That means if I find 4 things on the floor belonging to one child in particular, that child owes me 20 minutes of "hair time"! They get to brush my hair, put in clips or pony tails... whatever, they just can't stop playing with my hair for the whole 20 minutes!!! I am loving this game! However, it is getting to a point that my 8 year old has decided to get real creative (she usually ends up with the most hair time!). So here is a picture of what can happen when your child ends up with 45 minutes of "hair time"!

Not bad work for an 8 year old huh?! :)

Summer and 1st day of school pics!

So I have totally slacked on the blog! Sorry about that! :) Here is a little taste of our summer!

Dad spent the good part of the summer tucked away in the room or at class studying for the BAR Exam! We missed being able to have him come play with us, but the time spent studying was well worth it. He took the bar at the end of July and we headed straight out from Dallas, TX to Beulah, CO for a family reunion. It was a long drive, but well worth it to spend some quality time with the Work/Hurt side of our family! We had a wonderful time visiting, exploring, hiking, swimming, gaming, and all around playing!

Since we have been back in Texas the girls participated in a program called "TEXAS STARS". It is a great program run by a wonderful lady, Shaleen Wilding! She teaches the kids different songs and dances to perform! The girls loved going every week and learning all the new things! I will post some pictures soon!

Glen is in Irving, TX during the week working at a part time job with an attorney. He is learning a lot! We sure miss having him around all week here with us, but we are very grateful for the job and experience is gaining! Maybe we will end up in Dallas again! :)

Aleis and Charissa have started school here in Round Rock. They get to ride their bikes to school by themselves, so they are loving it! I am grateful we are close enough that they can do that. It gives them a little independence. I am still not sure how to handle all this independence, but I am learning! Riley just started (today) a small preschool program with some moms from the area. I did this with Aleis and it was great. I am excited for her to have this experience and get a little more prepared for Kindergarten next year! :)

I am trying to figure out what to do with my free time, besides spend it at the gym! :) I am applying to be a substitute teacher here in Round Rock. That should take care of a little bit of time. I am also working on helping my parents with some organizing projects around the house. Oh yeah... I can also get caught up on this blog and Facebook! :) SWEET~!!

We are enjoying our time with our family and are grateful for all of the blessings Heavenly Father has showered us with! We seriously miss our Tulsa friends! Hopefully before the end of the year we will have to make a trip to Tulsa for some fun!!

"Daddy rung the BELL!!"

IT IS FINALLY OVER!!!


3 years of some serious hard work, late night study sessions, who knows how many Diet Mt. Dews, sacrifice and STRESS are finally at an end... well at least the school part is! :) Yesterday Glen finished his last final of Law School. YAY!!


There is a tradition here at The University of TUlsa that after a senior finishes their last final they RING THE BELL on Bayless Plaza. Working on campus, pretty much right next to Bayless Plaza and hearing the bell ring through these last weeks of school made me realize that this is really it! It is a great tradition and everyone in my office loves to hear the excited cheers of family and friends as those graduation seniors clang away on the BELL! Well, my husband and I strongly believe in keeping traditions alive. So after he finished his last final yesterday, Glen gathered the girls together and met me at my office for the big event. We gathered up all the people in my office, they have all been a great support and comfort to me and my family for the past 3 years, and we headed out to Bayless Plaza. It was amazing! To finally be able to watch my husband grab that rope and clang away and get to cheer him on was a great memory moment! I am so glad my girls were able to watch their dad ring the BELL! They were very excited, even if they are not really sure why he did it or what it all means yet! Someday I hope they will pull this memory out of their hat and smile at what their dad accomplished! :)


Riley is already telling everyone that "Daddy rung the Bell!". Not many people realize what she is talking about and kind of give us a funny look, but after explaining it a little, everyone is very excited and understands why she is so happy to share such great news! :)


I am posting some pics that my coworkers took for us!

This is Bayless Plaza. Charissa is giving daddy a big thumbs up (I think!) :)

Here are the girls by the bell on Bayless Plaza, before daddy rang the bell!

Just cause she is so stinkin' cute!! :)

Colorado!

Here are some pictures of family we spent time with while in Colorado!

Laurie is Glen's Cousin. We weren't ready for this picture, but Aleis took it anyway, that is why we look the way we do and Glen's head is chopped off a little! :)

Natalie is Laurie's daughter and the guy with green hair is John, Natalie's boyfriend! They were great tour guides and hosts! We loved spending time with them!

Bob Longwell is Glen's Dad's Cousin! :) He and his wife, Irene, live in Greeley, CO. We were able to spend a good part of one day visiting with them and having lunch! Glen had never met Bob until this trip, so it was neat to learn about his life and their family!

It was fun to visit and catch up with everyone! We had a great time!

We went skiing... well some of us skiied and some of us hiked down the mountain, while carrying skis, poles and listening to a whiney 4 year old throw herself in the snow, very dramatically and tell me "I can't go on! Please mommy!!!" hehe!

WE hiked through Bear's Lair Park with 4 HUGE dogs and some great old and new friends! This picture only shows one of the dogs that was with us! Bailey was by far the biggest though! It also doesn't show that they were sitting on some pretty high rocks! It was awesome!

We ate a lot of food! We explored Black Bart's Cave at Casa Bonita. We ate awesome Sopapillas! YUM!! We explored Denver and its surrounding areas of Greeley and half way to Estes Park! We did explore the Dam Store on the way to Estes Park! I highly recommend it for the shopping, not the bathrooms! :) I don't have any good pictures of the Dam Store... sorry!

And even when our car had to be put in the shop to have the fuel pump replaced we still got to eat some more food and watch fun old people do square dancing in their fun outfits! They were amazing! :)

Thanks to Aunt Layne, we spent a day at the Denver zoo and had a fantastic time! It is an amazing zoo, with peacocks and geese wandering around right at your feet! Notice the pics!

We will be going back someday! We loved our visit to the beautiful mountains and miss our family already! :)

Back from the great North (Colorado)!

We are home and glad to be here! :) We had a FANTASTIC trip to Colorado for Spring Break!! I will have to post the pictures we took while there later! Lots of sun, family, snow and outdoors! the girls had a wonderful time meeting part of the family they have never had a chance to meet and we all had a great time exploring the great outdoors of the Rocky Mountains! :) I will post more details later!!

GLEN BRAG!!!

So this is a short note to brag about my amazing husband! :)

Glen entered the "Biggest Loser" Contest at my work. It was 8 weeks long and he worked really hard to drop the weight! In 8 weeks he lost... are you ready for this...

35 POUNDS!!!!

Amazing huh!? He looks fantastic and he took 1st Place!!!

I am super proud of him and how hard he worked and is still working to take care of himself!

Way to go GLEN! :)

Riley's future career and dresscode

Riley: "Mommy, I know what I want to be when I grow up!"
Mommy: "Oh really what is that?!"
Riley: "A cowgirl!!"
Mommy: "Ok, why do you want to be a cowgirl?"
Riley: (very matter of fact) "because I can help horses!"
Mommy: "oh, well you know that you can be Veternarian and help all sorts of animals when they are sick or hurt."
Riley: "Can I still be a cowgirl and help horses!?"
Mommy: "yes Riley you can still be a cowgirl and help horses!"
Riley: "OK."

two days later....

Riley: "Mommy when I am a veternarian, can I wear high heels like you?"
Mommy: "yes, but you might want some boots for when you go outside to help the horses."
Riley: "But I want to wear high heels!" (very distraught)
Mommy: "well you can wear high heels inside, but if you have to go outside you might want some boots for walking in the dirt and mud and stuff!"
Riley: "But I can still wear high heels?"
Mommy: "Yes Riley, you can still wear high heels."

So starts the path of the high heel wearin' cowgirl veternarian!!

Where to next??

I just wanted to post a quick update on the happenings in our life right now! Glen will be graduating in May (May 9th to be exact!) and we are not sure where we are to go after that! We love Tulsa and have thoroughly enjoyed our time here! If there is anyway we get to stay here we would be thrilled! We were supposed to head to Texas for a job, but that has changed and we are not sure where we are supposed to go now. :) So we are on the hunt again! Or rather, Glen is on the hunt again! He is working so hard to provide a better future for our family, I am so grateful for him! :) So who knows where we will end up within the next 6 months!? :) I am sure it will be where Heavenly Father has the most need of us. He has truly guided and blessed our lives for the past 3 years of this adventure, I know he will continue to take care of us!
Aleis is really growing up fast. She is loving Achievement Days with Sister Pepple and Sister Stentzel! They are awesome leaders and really love those girls! :) Thanks you two for making it a fun experience for them!
Charissa is reading up a storm! She reads everything from road signs to trucks to chapter books now! She has started to take an interest in the Magic Treehouse series that Aleis loved to read in Kindergarten! We have been able to collect the whole series, so it should keep her busy for a while! :)
Riley is finally figuring out the whole "if you want people to be nice and play with you, then you have to be nice when you play with them" concept! She has a little friend that has really become her best friend at Daycare. Unfortunately that little friend is leaving the daycare this Friday! :( She is a little sad, but I am hoping having had this friend has taught her to play nicely with everyone!! We'll see next week! :) Her big sisters are teaching her to write and read! I will often find her and Charissa sitting in the chairs in their room next to the bookshelves with books in their laps. Charissa will be working with Riley on a word or the sounds letters make! It is really cute! :)
I am still serving with the Young Women at church and loving it! If we do end up leaving, that will be the hardest part for me... leaving such wonderful young women! We have an amazing group... ALL OF THEM! So any of you moms that read my blog, know that I love your girls and feel that I have learned so much more from them, then I have taught them! :) They are amazing, strong, smart and beautiful young women who will grow into even more amazing Women some day! I feel truly blessed for having had the oppurtunity to know each one of them! Thank you for sharing your girls with me!! :)
Ok, gonna start crying if I think about it anymore, so I am going to go now!! I have some funny Riley moments to post! :)

TAX TIME!!!

It's that time of year again! TAXES!!! :)

Some people may think I am one sick individual, but I actually enjoy doing them! I am certified and have access to some pretty neat software through a fantastic (former) employer! Anyone need help? Just give me a call! :)
YEAH for getting money out of Uncle Sam! :)

BOOT CAMP! aka... KICK MY BUTT CAMP!!

Ok, so I consider myself in pretty good shape. I exercise at least 3 days a week. I try to eat right. I take pretty good care of my body. I have not always been this way, but I realized after having 3 babies that I was not the same and I needed a change. I started taking some fitness classes here at TU during my lunch hour a couple days a week. Then on my off days, I am able to go to the gym and do a 30 minute workout on a machine or two. I have taken Cardio Kickboxing for the past year, so I thought for sure I could handle this BOOT CAMP that my kickboxing instructor was running. BOY WAS I WRONG!~! Today was the second day and I feel like someone has taken all my leg muscles and tied them in knots. When I go to take a step, my brain is saying "Ok leg muscles flex and move forward!" But my leg muscles have suddenly developed some mind of their own and say "HECK NO! We aren't doing anything!" So then I end up looking like some drunk woman walking around work! :) Hopefully having the weekend to stretch and walk it all out will help me feel normal again!! :)

I did hear a quote that is helping me get through the pain! :)
"Pain is weakness leaving your body!"
Man, I must be getting rid of a lot of weakness right now!!!!

Aleis' Baptism

We had several family members join us for Aleis special day. G & G Nicholas, and Work, Judith Nicholas, Amy Dimon, James, Angie, Christian, Josh, Andrew, Ben & Heidi Nicholas and Joseph & Kathy Nicholas.

Aleis was baptized by Spencer Sanders... a priest in our ward. Something we have decided to do with our children is have them ask a priest in our ward to do their baptism and Glen (dad) will do their confirmation. Aleis had a hard time accepting that at first because all her friends were baptized by their dads. However the other girl she shared her baptism day with was Jenica Wood and she actually had her brother, Logan, who just came home from a mission baptize her. So it worked out great.

It was a very spiritual and amazing experience. We are so grateful for families in our ward that have taught their children the gospel and the importance of the priesthood. We are grateful for a wonderful ward that are so supportive and amazing! We are especially grateful for awesome primary teachers that spend so much time teaching and loving our kids! :) Thank you!

I have to say, the funniest part of the day was that both Aleis and Jenica had the exact same dress on. This was not planned or discussed in any way! They both just ended up having the exact same dress as their special after baptism dress! What can I say Julie and I must just have great taste in clothes! :)

It was a great day! :)

Halloween 2008

So I am a little behind on my postings... I know! But I just got these pictures from my wonderful sister, Judith, who is awesome with a camera! :) We went to Round Rock, TX for Halloween. The girls got to trick or treat at my parent's neighborhood and we had a blast! :) Aleis was Hermione from Harry Potter... Charissa was a Midevial Princess and Riley was The Little Mermaid! :)

The new year!

Well, the new year has started off pretty nicely for us. I had almost 2 weeks off of work for the Christmas/New Year break and enjoyed spending lots of time with my girls and Glen. We did a lot of work on our house and finished up some touch up projects... OK, Glen did a lot of work on the house! :)

We had a wonderful and quiet Christmas here in Oklahoma. We opted not to travel this year, sorry family! Santa just was not up for trying to track us down this year. It was fun to wake up in our own house and be able to enjoy our girls together! Santa found all three girls and they were very excited. Aleis got her Dumbledore's Army Messanger Bag! Charissa got a Leapster and Riley got her Barbie Learning Laptop! They loved everything and we had a fun lazing around day. We went to see The Tale of Despareaux (spelling?). It was a cute movie for the kids! :)

New Year's was also pretty quiet at our house. The girls wanted to stay up until Midnight. We told them they could, thinking that with one or two movies they would be out! NOT A CHANCE!!! All three held out until the ball dropped! We took some funny pictures and sent them to bed after that. We hoped that being up that late they might sleep in at least until 8... Not our little alarm clocks! So New Year's Day was spent getting our house cleaned and ready for our family that was coming into town for Aleis' Baptism!!

My parents came into town on the 1st and we went to dinner at a little Mexican Restaurant here in Broken Arrow called "El Tequilla". It was fantastic! And the price was very reasonable as well. I had a really big Chimichanga and rice and beans and guacamole and chips and felt like I was going to pop!!! It was delicious! On Friday January 2, my brothers Joseph and James came into town with their families! We had a really fun night of hanging out and eating Bar-B-Que chicken and rice and edamames! :) (soy beans!) I love having family in town, because it gives me an excuse to make some great food in large quantities that I don't usually make, because we don't eat it all! :) Growing up as 1 of 11 kids, we learned to cook for an army. It has really taken me a while to learn how to scale down. I guess that is one of the reasons Glen and I love to have friends and family over to the house. We love to get to know families and what better way to do that then over some good food!? :)

Saturday was Aleis' baptism. I will post about that seperately. It was a wonderful day and I have some great pictures! :)
Until then!....