This generation...

Okay, maybe I am showing my age and sounding a bit old but when Daniel and I walked into Subway the other day to get lunch the young girl making our sandwiches (probably 16 or 17) had 3 large hickeys on her neck in plain sight! First of all, I know teenagers make out and that's all fine, I am not in denial about that, but who wants to see that when going to get lunch! Second, where is this girls parents or boss telling her that's not cool!! Who is giving this next generation any type of direction. Back in my day if a girl had a hickey there was at least an attempt to cover it up. And I think if I ever came home with a visible hickey (don't worry Mom and Dad...I wasn't into hickeys...remember my black widow days)my parents would have killed me. Now days girls and guys are happy to show that crap off. It's crazy to me. Daniel saw some kids walking down the block who looked to be about 12 and smoking cigarettes! Seriously, where are their parents? I'd rather see them playing video games than walking around my neighborhood smoking in front of my 5 year old son! I am a bit worried for Cody as he grows up with the now "whatever feels good" attitude. I live next to a high school and see young teenagers kissing on the corner quite frequently and the boys with their pants now below their butts with their boxers in full sight...no shame! I have seen the stress and heartbreak as two teenage girls next door got pregnant one right after the next, lying to their parents about being in school, smoking pot in their backyard as a family activity. Their parents giving them everything they want because their parents were tying to be friends and not parents. Not to mention that the father's (of the pregnant girls)are pretty much missing in action and one is a gang member who was charged with statutory rape!! Hello people, wake up and be parents and good role models!! You don't have to be perfect but seriously...come on!! I am going to have a hard time when Cody starts dating and will try to keep him in as many sports as possible to avoid dating! No hoochy mamas at my house!! Scary days ahead!!!

Some cute pictures of Cody and Porter at their T-ball game. If they could only be this cute and innocent forever!

fashion vs. comfort!

So I am sure when people have seen me lately they've been thinking...is she turning into a frumpy mommy type or what. lately I've showered (always) but hair not done, and not even trying to keep up with the new (old) 80's wave of fashion that I hate but is now the rave. Well, just to let you that there is a reason for my look. I've had to make a sacrifice and trade fashion for comfort. Sad as it is for a girl to say that. I've had to trade my cute platforms, sandals, and casual shoes for ones that I can walk better in because of my foot...which the situation has not changed a bit since last time I posted about it. Since shoes can kind of make or break an outfit, work out shoes and athletic sandals don't really look too cute with the current fashions or really anything besides jeans and T-shirts. I've been sticking to my work out clothes a lot too. And since there is not a for sure cure in the near future...lets just all hope and pray that it's coming fast before I lose all fashion sense! I actually guess that I wouldn't mind it lasting until this 80's phase is over.
As for the hair...well, lets just say it's been abused a bit and needs spend a few days at an oil spa to recover. It's in recovery and once it's better it will come back down and colored again (more abuse). It's so hard being a girl!!

The shoes I miss wearing

The shoes I wear now

Like father, like son

Wow, I wish I had a picture of Daniel to post because he use to fall asleep exactly like this on the couch before Cody was born. One hand holding his head and the other...half way down his pants. I guess the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree! When I saw Cody fall asleep like this I couldn't resist taking a picture!

He's 5

It all started 5 years ago...two lines on a pregnancy test...the excitement of a growing belly...the first time hearing the heartbeat...to butterfly like feelings when the baby moves...then watching your baby move on the ultrasound...did I mention the never ending growing belly...ready to pop! And then you have the sweetest, most innocent thing in your arms that you can't stop looking at in awe. You fall in love all over again!



And then they grow up. We celebrated Cody's 5th birthday. It was all about Wall-E! It's hard to believe that my little guy is growing up. He's talking better, asking lots of questions, learning about life at school and church. He knows how to write his name, ride his bike without training wheels, skateboard and now is starting T-Ball. Where has the time gone?? He's not my "little bear" anymore.





Cody with his cake and birthday crown from school.

Life did not exist before Cody

Cody has not embraced the fact that his Mommy and Daddy were alive before he came to us. The past few weeks Cody has noticed pictures of Daniel and I before we were married and before or at our wedding. He's not been too happy that he's not in them with us. We've tried to explain that he was living with Jesus or that he was in my tummy so he would understand but he does not accept these explanations. One picture he saw was with me and my Dad dancing at my wedding and he told me that he didn't want Mommy being a princess and why he wasn't in the picture! The other picture was when I was getting ready for prom and he crinkled it up and said that he didn't want to be in my tummy anymore! I try to tell him it's when Mommy was younger and in school and he didn't even recognize that it was his grandpa standing with me!! When he sees a picture of Daniel and I without him he gets very mad and says he doesn't want to live with Jesus anymore and he wants to be with us. It's cute, sad and funny but I am getting tired of running to my picture's rescue before it gets destroyed! Anyone have any good recommendations or have had this happen with your children?

Another Utah trip

Daniel and I celebrated our 8th wedding Anniversary this past month. Hooray!

Daniel had an edible bouquet sent to me while he was at work.
We also decided to take another quick trip to Utah with Autumn, Ryan and the boys since Utah finally got some snow. We had to borrow snow clothes but the boys ended up having a blast sledding down a hill close by.

Cody loved making snow angels

The boys managed to be their crazy selves!We took the kids to a couple of museums that had a lot of fun things for the kids to do. One of them had this helicopter outside for the kids to play in.

Great Grandpa Bell got down on the ground to do some wrestling with Cody. It scared me to death but great grandpa said it was okay! And Uncle Alan thought it was pretty funny too.
At one of the museums they got to make some cool little pimp daddy hats

We had a fun time!

We couldn't stay away too long!

Thanks to my parent's Christmas gift we were able to once again get annual passes to Disneyland. I actually started the day a bit in a frantic realizing while on the tram that I forgot to put deodorant on...which could be very stinky on a day that is suppose to be 80 degrees!! (yes it is January and 80 degrees here in California) After combing Downtown Disney for someone who sold deodorant, we spent the day at California Adventure park trying to see and do things that we have not done there before (hard to believe that there is stuff we haven't done but we usually do the same rides for the kids). The weather turned out perfect and it was not crowded in the park so that makes for a great day of Disney fun!

This was King Triton's carousel. A change from just the regular horse carousel at the Disney park.

Lucky us only had to wait 20min for the new Pixar mania ride. Cody loved every second of it. Big hit!
We visited the pixar aquarium show where you got to see and talk to Crush the turtle.
That too was a big hit.

Cody swimming in Nemo scenery

Daniel and Cody with the Nemo back drop.

We got to see and take pictures with Lightening McQueen too. Nothing better than a fast, hot car. I wish they would make a Sally car for us girls.

We also forced Cody to try the Soaring over California ride and he was so not into it until it started, but said he really liked it afterwards. I don't know if it was that he liked it or he liked the bribe candy we gave him for trying a new ride. Whatever works, right?

Here's to trying something new!