Happy Birthday, Sailor Channing!

You know the phrase, "you'll understand once you have kids".......  well this phrase comes to mind quite often while I'm hanging out with my sweet Sailor.  It's incredibly hard to write down in words how unconditionally, love-struck I am for my daughters.  The older they get the more this phrase replays in my mind because you really don't have any idea how much your parents love you until you have your own.  Bringing these beautiful babies into the world, raising them, & watching them develop as individuals with unique personalities is not just a habit of human life, it is an indescribable blessing that can bring us so much joy.  And I feel it necessary to accentuate the word JOY.  Joy is the one word that best & simply describes parenthood-in my opinion.  I feel overly blessed with JOY when I get to hear new word usages in my 3 year old's vocabulary, when she shares her little thoughts with me through out the day, when she sneaks up on me in the morning with a huge smile on her face and says "I'm awake, Mom."  It's times when I walk into a room and find my girls peacefully playing together & happen to see Sailor trying to teach Seryn a new trick, that's when my heart melts...it's when my little girls cuddly me just because....it's a simple "thank you, mom" that just motivates me to continue to raise my kids the right and most respectful way possible....it's the sad cries for a goodnight hug and kiss that urges me to rush into their room & feel so lucky I get to be their mother...

It's everything little.

little children, simple acts...

that bring more love & joy than someone could ask for.

 I know that our Father in Heaven feels the same way for each of us.

I love you, Sailor.  Happy 3rd!

You bring us so much JOY.

Chase's Saving Grace

These last two weeks have given Chase a bit of comfort if we are never blessed with a boy. Sailor has discovered BATMAN!  It all started with Spencer, Sailor's little friend, who was having a birthday party.  As we wandered around the store looking for a gift that would suit him, we came across a collection of sweet little kiddie Batman masks. They were $2.50 for each, and because they looked like the actual Batman mask I had to get one.  At this point Sailor had one on her face and one in her hands.  She walked with the mask on her face as I shopped. She wondered why everyone was looking at her.  She'd say, "Mom, they are looking at me.  I'm just Batman."  haha

I decided to buy her one as well and make a cape to go along with it for her and her friend. This single-handedly as become the best $5.00 I have ever spent.  This costume has kept her occupied for hours, days, and even weeks. She wears in EVERYWHERE even if it's the only thing on!

You can only bet what Chase was thinking as he watched his daughter run around the house yelling, "I'm Batman!".........movie-time. Chase has gotten the camera out on numerous occasions so he can film her 'in action'. He is so proud of his little girl!

Seryn has even tried dressing up herself.

After a few days of this Chase said, "if my girls keep this up maybe it won't be so bad if I don't ever get a boy."

A Fun-Family Movie

So I've mentioned before that Chase has started experimenting with different movie-editing techniques.  He's learned a lot on his own (in the little spare time that he has). I love that this is a new hobby of his because we have a lot of family footage filling up space on my hardrive and the only remedy for that is to eventually get Chase to edit and put together into a "family video" form.  I say "eventually" because one thing Chase appreciates more than I do are explosions, fires, slow motion, and the like. EVENTUALLY he'll get bored of that boy stuff, right?  EVENTUALLY he will get obsessed with the cutsie, sweet music, family-love stuff and will be begging me for the footage we have already so he can make touching videos that will make even the manliest of men cry.............ok, I am being exceedingly sarcastic right now.  I've already told myself  I will eventually do that job so Chase can continue to enjoy HIS hobby.  :) I love you, Chase.

 So without further ado, here's our first Kiya & Chase compromise: "Dreams."

click on this link 

Chase will get mad if I don't say this: watch the video in HD. :)

*Photography and some video by Kiya
     All editing, video, and compilation by Chase.

Happy Birthday, Seryn Reese!

Gosh, Ser, what would we do without you?

For one, I know I'd have more sanity. We'd definitely have a lot less food under the dining room table, I'd find less snot stains on my wardrobe, poopy diapers would be non-existent, going grocery shopping would be much less of a hassle, and we wouldn't have to race you to the bathroom in order to keep you away from the toilets.

Of course, those are just the minor things in life that don't mean a thing!

Because without you I wouldn't have someone to cheer me up on a stressful day.  Without you I wouldn't get the sweet embrace of a toddler's arms around my leg beside the stove as I  rush to get dinner on the table.  Without you we wouldn't get to witness the sweet love an older sister has for her little sister, even if that big sister likes to test your durability at times. Without you, your dad wouldn't get to hear the sweet call -"Dada"- as he returns home each day.  Without your sweet cuddles, kisses, and giggles, life would not be the same......we wouldn't get to feel this special, unconditional love that we have for you, our little Seryn.

We love you and feel overly blessed to have your special spirit in our home each day.

Happy 1st Birthday, Ser!

...Happy Birthday Dear Will, Evvie, Lucas, & Seryn...

Birthday Party for 4 Sweet Babies!  We are so blessed to have so many fun friends & neighbors to share a sweet day with.  Ser's birthday isn't until Sunday, but the other 3 adorables share a birthday on the 26th. We all got together and had a big ONE year old party for all!

Anne supplied the beautiful cupcakes and I, the drinks...I think I had the easier job. :) And might I add, the cupcakes=YUM. You can't see it, but the centers obtained a hefty morsel of chocolatey chip cookie dough........,nothing more to say about that. :)

The Higbee Twins and Ser...oh aren't they the cutest?

 Poor Lucas, a little nervous that all these strangers were staring at him. He had to leave the scene for a moment. Regardless, he's one darling, handsome little boy!

Got milk??

But not from me! :)

It's always such a relief once the brestfeeding is over. 

Once the crowd left, our besties (Lance and Anne) had a brief talk about the kiddos 2nd birthday, and that we possibly all may be away from Arizona; off in different places for rotations. WHAT?!? This was a weird thought.  Our time has flown (and is still FLYING) these past couple years, so the thought of us leaving the area and our good friends was a bit much to think about.  'Bittersweet' is the best description.  This was just another reminder of how blessed we are.  We feel so grateful for the fun time we are having here and this time in our lives where we can really develop as people and families in order to get us ready for the 'ultimate reality'; when we are not students anymore! I can't even fathom that thought. We are enjoying our journey so much! :)  

what my babes are up to

Out of the Mouth of Sailor:

When Madison was here she went to the bathroom just as we were eating lunch.  Sailor noticed and said: "Let me go check on Madison."
 Walks to the closed bathroom door:  "Madison, are you okay in there?"
Madi responds with a "yes."
Runs back to her lunch: "Mom, Madison is okay in there."
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 "Look, Mom, there's Mickey (Mouse) on my plate!"

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Sailor loves to talk about how she "floats" & "swims"  at the pool all by herself.  So we walk by the fish in the lake outside our door and she says: " Fish, you're floating just like me!"
Then again, as I'm boiling corn on the stove: "Look, the corn is floating just like me!"
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When I do Seryn's hair in a little pony it sticks STRAIGHT up, like a little toothpick right on top of her head.  One day in the car Sailor noticed it and said, " Seryn, you are a candle!"
Now she refers Seryn as a "candle" whenever it's up in that do. ha. I love it.

Both Sailor and Seryn like to pretend to talk on the phone.  

Seryn started this a couple weeks ago.  She isn't much of a talker but she will make an audible "hi" anytime she puts a phone (or anything that resembles a phone) up to her ear.  She also gets really upset and throws a little tantrum if I am talking on the phone.  She reaches for it and will calm down once it's in her hands. Sailor likes to have pretend conversations on the phone that sound like this:

"Hello." PAUSES & GIGGLES. "Really? That's nice..."   PAUSES AGAIN.   "You're a sweetie."
Another: "Hello." GIGGLES. "You're such a sweetie heart." "OK, I'll talk to you soon. Bye."

One time she was mumbling something that I wasn't paying attention to and then stuck her phone (one of our out of date phones) in her pocket and continued to help me cook.  I said,
 "Who was that?"
"Aurora."
"What did she say?"
"Oh, no, she just text me."......I'm afraid I have a 13 year old, not a almost 3 year old. :)
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 Seryn on the other hand is just a week shy of her 1st birthday! Yikes.  I don't know what to do with myself.  I feel like I can't ever give her enough hugs and kisses! Luckily she has been giving the sweetest hugs and kisses back. She'll even make the "mmmmwah" sound. She is really loving her dad lately.  She waves bye to him each morning and then will reach and cry for him as he leaves.  

  She likes to move to music, hold her cup all by herself, and she really likes to eat paper-any kind of paper.  Paper from books, notebooks, scriptures, garbage, but most of all, she LOVES toliet paper. One day we caught her taking the toliet paper out of the toliet...SOOOOO GROSS. She may or may not have had some in her mouth....but I won't leave you with any visuals of that. Poor, Seryn, if you only knew. :)

 Sailor and her camera! 

Several weeks ago I was going through and reorganizing our cupboards when I came across my old point & shoot camera. At the time, Sailor liked to "take pictures" with my very old film camera.  So when I found it I thought I'd surprise her by giving it to her.  I know what you're thinking...an almost 3 year old with a digital camera??? Sounds crazy but it's been so fun for her.  She takes pictures of everything and is starting to understand the concept of putting her "special camera" away in her "special camera bag" when she's done.  But putting the camera away in the "special drawer" is not clicking quite yet. Below are pictures out of Sailor's camera.  She already has her niche in the photography business:

Feet!

She really does have great composition, whether or not that's by accident.

Regardless, professionals can make amazing shoots "by accident" too, so she'll be able to compete in the photography world just fine. ;) hehe

More pictures from Sailor...

 I really love the one above!

When we went to go pick Madi up from the airport, Sailor kept saying she wanted to take a picture of Madison getting off the plane. She grabbed her camera and was "practicing" on the way there, but since it was a late flight she fell asleep and didn't get to take it until she got to our apartment.  I love Sailor's quirkiness.

Nothing else to say except, ohh how much I love my babes!

Madi Leaves :(

It's Friday the 13th, which means Madison is gone! :( Two weeks went by way to fast.  We LOVED having Madison over.  I loved all the one on one time I had with her.  She is the sweetest, funniest, kindest person I know- she is a better example to me then I have ever been to her.  I wanted to post the few pictures that we got while she was here.

 Lots of swimming.  Madi was excited about that and Seryn enjoyed it very much.

 Going out to dinner was our highlight.  The list went one: Macaroni Grill, In-N-Out, Cheesecake Factory, Pei Wei, etc...good times & good food.

 Madi my Model! I'm so grateful for her and her willing spirit to allow me practice my photography skills. She's so cute and these pictures just show that off! Thanks, Mads!