Yummies

Eating the cake batter

Remnants of the perfect breakfast

My best friends

Chase's BIG smile

I just can't get over how cute my babies are

We got woken up by Hallie at 6:30 this morning (always a killer on Saturdays). So Matt pulled out the pancake batter and started cooking. The smell of the pancakes cooking inspired me to drag my body out of bed and help him. I LOVE LOVE LOVE yummy breakfasts. So what started out as pancakes for breakfast turned into bacon, eggs, pancakes, bannana pancakes, oj, and hot chocolate. Matt went a little overboard with the pancake batter and we had a ton of left overs. But what could make a 6:30 am wake up call better then a perfect breakfast. mmmmm. The only thing I didn't love about it was cleaning up afterwards, so messy. Luckily Matt was nice enough to do the dishes (did I mention that I have an amazing husband?) and then an hour or two later Matt and Hallie headed down to the beach and I got to go back to sleep for a little while. Here are some picture from the last couple of days that I love.

OK, I'll play.

So Stephanie Tagged me and I'm up for the challenge. Now let me think......

What I was doing 10 years ago.....

I was sneaking out with my secret boyfriend with my friend Elizabeth John and her secret boyfriend. Getting caught, and getting grounded for three months.

What I was doing 5 years ago....

Just moved to the North Shore of Hawaii to be with one of my best friends Kelly (after having been kicked out of BYU-Idaho for throwing water balloons at random people we didn't know and signing Julie in to our religion class when she wasn't there), living right on the water, and meeting this guy who was a REALLY big flirt with EVERY girl who later turned out to be my husband. :)

What I was doing 1 year ago....

Living in Tustin, CA and getting pregnant....again. :)

What I was doing yesterday...

Spent the day inside for the first time in a long time fighting off getting sick. I won the battle, so far.

5 Places I'd rather be...

1.In Hawaii with my little family
2.Greece, always wanted to go there
3.Any where that includes a maid and a cook
4.Plastic surgeons office helping get rid of this baby weight without any effort on my part. :)
5.Gap on a shopping spree that someone else is paying for.

5 Treats/snacks I love...

1.Diet coke
2.Oreos
3.Juicy cantelope
4.Milkyway midnight
5.Kettle Corn

What would I do with 100 million dollars....

Contribute it to finding a cure for Rabies. (Anyone watch The Office last night?)

5 Favorite T.V. Shows

1.The Office (duh)
2.Grey's Anatomy
3.Desperate Housewives
4.Law and Order
5.Everybody loves Raymond
6.24
7.House
(I couldn't pick just 5)

5 people to tag.....

1.Nicole Boice (because you never return my phone calls)
2.Kirsti Osborn (because it's about time you started a blog)
3.Sarah G. P. (just because you're pregnant and probably looking for things to pass the time at this point)
4.Alicia Powell (because it's about time you updated your blog)
5.Tiffany Hewlett (because I really like you, but don't even know you!) :)

Oh how I love thee...

Let me count the ways:
1. Everytime I catch you looking at your little brother, you look at me and say "He so cute."
2. Your mandatory piggy tails because you still have a mullet.
3. How everytime you hear a timer go off, you tell me "Dinner is ready!"
4. Your obsession with "Buggies".
5. How you tell me that you love me "so much".
6. What a good mommie you are to your Dollies.... you even put them on time out when they are being naughty and in the swing when they are tired and nurse them when they are hungry.
7. How you will eat ANYTHING. Except of course, spaghetti.
8. The way you wake me up in the mornings with one arm wrapped around my neck and the other hand running through my hair.
9. The way you sing along to all the songs on all the disney movies.
10. How when I sing you a song at bed time you always sing along with me, even if it's through sobbing tears.
11. How everytime we leave the house you bring toy after toy and ask "Mommy, can I bring this pleeeeeeease?"
12. How everyone around seems to just fall in love with you. You have an ability to warm people's hearts.
13. The way you love to put on make up with me when I'm getting ready.
14. Your obsession with brushing your teeth.
15. How ever since you had a ear infection last month you ask us every night at bedtime to put drops in your ears.
16. How no matter which picture of Jesus you see, even if you've never seen it before, you know who it is and tell me.
17. How happy you make me when you are happy.
18. How sad you make me when you are sad.
19. How much you love the beach, you are truely a water baby.
20. The way you changed my life in a way I never could have imagined.

Thumb Sucker

My little Chase sucks his thumb, and I have to admit....it's the cutest thing I've ever seen. These are his new scull and cross bones jammies that I love. Hallie has a matching pair in pink. So hardcore. :) We've had a nice cozy day inside all day and I've really enjoyed it. My friend Danielle and her two kids came over and while the little girls played we talked and made pizza and had cheese and crackers. I love rainy days with yummie treats. This rainy day is quickly turning into a scary weather day though. We are on tornado watch right now and Matt just left work. So I'm sitting here worrying about him getting swept up in a tornado in our Honda accord and wondering what I would do by myself with two kids if a tornado hit. I've never lived in a place with tornados....what are you supposed to do? Will I have warning before it hits? Am I supposed to go into the shower? (I think that's what I've seen in the movies). Maybe I'll go rent Twister. But wait, they're chasing the torandos in that movie aren't they? I'm lookin to avoid them. If you know anything about tornados, please tell me what I'm supposed to do. Just wanted to post a cute conversation Hallie and Matt had after a really long fight trying to put down for a nap yesterday:

Hallie:Lay down with me Daddy (Matt lays down and she wraps her arms around his neck and hugs him tight)

Matt: Are you naughty?

Hallie: Yes, I naughty.

Matt: Why are you so naughty?

Hallie: Because I so cute.

She knows what she's doing! Bless her naughty little heart.

Big girl bed!

After taking everyone's advice under consideration, we went ahead and got Hallie a big girl bed tonight. We debated back and forth on if we should go twin size bed or toddler bed...and went with the toddler bed. Tonight was the first night in a LONG time that we didn't have a huge fight putting her to bed. She was so excited to sleep in her "big girl bed" that she waved goodbye to us as we walked out the door. Cute girl. I wish I had more to report about Chase, he's still the best baby I've ever seen in my life. So good. On another note... watched "Kid Nation" tonight. Matt and I both really enjoyed it. It was so funny to see a bunch of kids try to create a city and make it work. We recommend watching. And why do I have this picture of Matt up? Well look at how hot he is!

Powell Family Gift Exchange

Here's the list of who drew who's name. Figured if I put it up here, that way I can't lose it.
Dad- Matt
Mom- Lara
Lara- Sara
Steve- Michael
Daniel- Mary
Alicia- Dad
Sara- Robert
Matt- David
David- Daniel
Rebecca- Alicia
Robert- Elizabeth
Mary- Mom
Elizabeth- Steve
Michael- Rebecca

Owen- Hallie
Hallie- Owen
Chase- Max
Alex- Chase
Max- Alex


Who the gift is from is on the left, who it's for is on the right. 40 dollar limit for adults, 20 dollar limit for grandkids. No gift cards allowed! You guys have to be thoughtful and have PLENTY of time to come up with something. We'll exchange gifts on Christmas morning. Good luck!

Unreal

Pools and lectures.

Hallie's first real haircut

Hallie underwater

Hallie underwater again

And yet again

Chases little smile

Matt throwing Hallie

My handsome man

My beautiful Hallie

My beautiful Matt :)

I'll start with the lecture: If you read my blog, leave a comment. That way I'll know that I'm not doing this for nothing. This means everyone. I want to see a record number of comment on this post telling me that you read my blog and how much you love that I take the time to do it. :) End of Lecture.

Now for the pool. We went swimming today and I had to post these really cute picture I took. Hallie has started trying to swim and Matt has been working with her a lot. She puts her whole head under the water and stays under for a good 4 or 5 seconds. She's so brave. Matt has been working really hard today on sanding down my piano so we can refinish it. I'm really excited for the final result, and to have a piano in my house. I also have some sad news, dance just isn't going to work out. Hallie won't participate. She's just too young, we'll try again next year. And for my last little bit of sad news... Hallie AND Chase both had to get immunizations yesterday. Oh it was awful. Hallie WIGGED and had to be pinned down for it, then screamed her head off for a good 20 minutes afterward. When the Dr. tried to give her a sucker for getting her shot, she threw it across the room at her. And my poor little Chase who never ever cries, he cried real tears that nearly broke my heart. So we got home last night with two grouchy and emotionally exhausted kids. Last little tid bit of information, Hallie got her first hair cut yesterday. Nothing drastic, just the long stragglers in the back.

A few more pics....

My little sweetheart.

Just had to put up a pic of my chubby little Chase. He just brings peace to my life. I love him so much.

Dancing Queen

I am so excited! Hallie is starting ballet/tumbling on Monday! It is technically a class for 3 and up, but they are making an acception for Hallie and letting her start at 2. We're going to do a test run on Monday and see if her attention span is up to the task. We'll see. If she can do it, I'm so excited to go to the dance shop and get her little ballet slippers and tights and a leatard. How cute will that be! The class is twice a week for 1/2 hour at a time. (little attention spans I guess). I also had to post this pic to show how much Hallie and Chase DON'T look like me. :) They are both little mini-Matts. I love it. Hallie is doing really good, we are finding friends and finding lots of fun things to do on the base. There's story time on the base, play groups, ballet, and new little friends. I'm starting to feel not quite so isolated. Chase is starting to go about 4 hours between eating which is giving us a lot more flexibility with our schedual. He is SUCH a good baby and the sweetest, cutest little man. His smile makes me melt, but I haven't been able to catch him smiling on camera yet. I will though. Matt is working hard and loves taking Hallie to the beach and to the pool everyday. I'm doing good and trying to be a good little wifey/mommie. I'm cooking dinner (I know, you all can't believe it), packing Matt lunches, cleaning the house, doing the laundry, I feel so domesicated. I'm not saying I'm good at any of those things, but I'm trying. :)

crazy,wonderful life

Pretty Girl

Lounging at the beach today

Hallie playing in the sand

Out to sea

My sweet baby

My loves

Hallie's "not fair" face

Our private pool

I lost my nanny this past monday...and what a loss it was! I thought I was sleep deprived before when she was doing the morning shift and making Hallie's breakfast and what not so I could catch a few more hours, now I'm a mommy/zombie. I guess it was time for me to be a big girl and take care of my kids by myself. :) It's actually been going really well other that being pretty tired. Hallie is such a fun kid and I just love her to pieces. Chase is the coziest, sweetest baby I have ever seen in my life. He is so peaceful. He never cries and loves to be held and cuddled. I can just lay him in his bed at bed time awake and closes his eyes and goes to sleep. HUGE change from what we went through with Hallie. We've been spending a lot of time at the pool that some nice stranger built for us to swim in. This pool is brand new and looks like it was built to be a community pool for a community that was never built. It is still kept clean, has no signs or lock on it, and never has anyone in it, except us. We go there everyday. There's a lot of shade for Chase and Hallie can swim around and work out all of her energy. We love going there everyday and love having our own, private pool. Here are some pics from the beach today and then rinsing off at our pool afterwards. OH yeah, and of course the picture of Hallie sneaking into my room and putting on my make up. Was THAT fun to clean up.