Daniels' Day to Day

Daddy/Daughter Dance

2011-02-04T18:51:00.000-08:00

Malea all ready to go and looking beautiful

Malea and Daddy

So Pretty


A Pretty Princess with her Daddy

Tonight at Malea's school, they had a Daddy/Daughter Dance. Malea was so excited to go with her Daddy. She called him at work yesterday and asked him if he would take her. Steve reluctantly said yes, since he isn't the biggest fan of dances. He was happy to be able to spend some one on one time with his little princess though. She planned out exactly what she wanted to wear and told me that she needed her hair curled. She even got to wear some eye shadow and lip gloss for her special night. It was so precious to see my baby girl beaming as they left for their special date. It is so fun to have a daughter to dress up and to see her feel so special. I fall in love all over again with Steve when I see him with our children and the love that he has for them. I love my beautiful family and look forward to many more special memories like this one. Now we'll have to wait and see if Andrew will let me take him to the Mother/Son dance that is in a couple of weeks. I'm not holding my breath LOL

Back to School

2010-09-10T15:56:00.000-07:00

Okay so I know school has been in session for almost a month now, but I am lame and don't update my blog enough. So anyways, here is the back to school post. Andrew and Malea started school on August 16th. Andrew is in 2nd grade and Malea just started kindergarten.

Andrew is in a 2/3 combo class this year, which made me very nervous at first. He doesn't mind at all though and is thriving. His best friend is also in his class, so he couldn't be happier. He is doing a lot of 3rd grade work and is very smart. He is starting to read chapter books and loves doing math. He is always reminding me how smart he is.

Malea is thriving in kindergarten and comes home every day with things that her teacher "told" her she "has" to do. A lot of times they are just things that she wants to do, so she fibs a little and says that her teacher said so. We have been having a lot of discussions on telling the truth and about what a lie is. She is so funny. She is learning very quickly and loves going to school every day. She is also quite the social butterfly and has made tons of new friends. I think her favorite part of school is the socializing part.

Alex doesn't quite know what to do with himself now that he has no siblings to play with in the morning. It was rough the first couple of days, but now he's used to the routine. He has now figured out that he gets to watch whatever shows he wants and that he has mommy's full attention.

I have just been busy going back and forth from school three times a day. I am really looking forward to next year when I only have to go twice!

Easter 2010

2010-04-06T07:46:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics from Easter. It was a wonderful day filled with General Conference, family, fun and an earthquake to top it off. It was a very nice day, besides the earthquake part.

California Pizza Kitchen field trip

2010-03-23T15:59:00.000-07:00

On St. Patricks day I took Malea and Alex on a field trip to the California Pizza Kitchen. They do really fun tours for small groups of kids before the restaraunt opens. When we first arrived they brought us all in and sat everyone at a large table and gave all of the kids small coloring books and crayons. Then they took everyone's drink orders while the kids colored. We then proceeded to wash all of the kids hands and when we returned there were personal sized pizza doughs at each childs seat. The kids then got to put the sauce and the toppings of their choice on top of their personal pizza. While the pizza was cooking we got a tour of the restaurant including the kitchen, fridge, and pantry. We got to see the workers and chefs prepping for the day. They showed us their neat machine that cuts bread in to perfect slices and then we each ate a piece of their yummy bread. The kids got to see the huge brick oven where their pizzas were cooking. Soon after the tour was over, the pizzas were ready to eat. Each child loved eating the pizza that they had created. It was such a fun field trip and the staff at California Pizza Kitchen were so friendly. The kids were also very wonderfully behaved the whole time.

Waiting outside before going in
Malea and Maddie coloring

Alex and Lizzie enjoying their creations

The thank you card we made with all of the kids names on it. The worker said it was the best thank you she's ever gotten for doing one of the tours.

Malea had so much fun

Been a long time

2010-03-23T15:57:00.000-07:00

So I know it's been a long time since my last post, but I think that I better start getting back to blogging. I think it will be too much work to go over all that has happened in the last many many months, so I am just going to start again from right now.

Malea Boogie Boarding

2009-08-27T17:22:00.000-07:00

As I said in my last post, our day at the beach was great. One of the most fun things was that the kids went boogie boarding for the first time. Malea absolutely loved it and we could hardly get her off of the boogie board. The waves were perfect for her and the water was warm and clear. Here are some of the pictures we got of her.

Carlsbad Beach

2009-08-27T17:01:00.001-07:00

On August 19th we went down to Carlsbad for my cousin's sons birthday. Joey turned 7 and it is tradition that he always has his birthday in Carlsbad, when Aunt Linda and Uncle Gordon have their condo week. This was the most perfect beach day for kids. The water was warm and clear, and there were very little waves. Really I have seen bigger waves at the lake. All of the kids loved playing in the sand and the water. It is unusual for my kids to even go near the water, becasue they are always afraid of the waves. This was a totally different story. Icouldn't get them out of the water.

Alex loved the sand the most.

Here he is with his sand eye patch. He thought it was funny.

Malea and Maddie playing in the sand.

Malea and maddie playing near the water

Andrew actually walking into the water.

We had a fabulous day. Unfortunately, I had called Andrew's school and told them that he was sick and would not be attending school that day, and then that afternoon he really did get sick. At least I wasn't a liar. Poor kid was sick the rest of the night.

Easter pictures that I just found

2009-08-25T11:00:00.000-07:00

So I know that I am way behind, but I lost my camera at my Mom's house on Easter, and we just recently found it. So here are some pictures from Easter.

Alex liked putting his feet in my Mom's pool, more than looking for eggs.

Here are the kids after their Easter egg hunt. Alex did love eating all of the candy.
Andrew hunting for eggs

Malea hunting for eggs

Andrew, Malea and Alex before church. It was such a beautiful day.

Our new house

2009-08-25T10:55:00.000-07:00

This is one of the views from our front yard. I think that the mountains are quite lovely. I can't wait until the end of winter and spring when they are more green. Another view of the mountains.
The planter that we just planted. All of the landscaping was completely dead, so we have been working hard and still have a lot of work to do.

This is our house. We are really loving it here and it is so nice to finally have our very own home. We still have lots of work to do though.

Buying Our First Home

2009-05-15T13:47:00.000-07:00

We have been looking for a home to buy now since January. We were in escrow once only to back out because the house had roofing problems and would be too expensive to fix. The other side refused to pay for any reapairs, and so the search continued. We finally decided to look outside of Riverside and have been looking in the San Jacinto/Hemet area. We put several offers on houses and missed out on all of them until today. We just found out that our offer has been accepted on a house in San Jacinto. The house is only 4 or 5 years old and is a 4 bedroom 3 bath home. It is on a fairly large lot in what seems to be a very nice neighborhood. Our address will be 260 Tradewinds. I am super excited. I know that escrow is a long and frustrating process, and we hope and pray that everything will go smoothly.

http://www.mrmlsmatrix.com/Matrix/Public/Portal.aspx?L=1&k=489336XHLU5&p=DE-43339627--F

Don't Talk To Strangers!

2009-04-23T21:56:00.000-07:00

The other day my sister Amy watched Malea, Alex and Elyse (the little girl that I babysit), so that I could go to a short doctors appointment. While I was gone the girls were eating lunch, and Elyse wanted Malea to share with her. Amy said, "Malea will you share your grapes?" To which Malea gladly agreed to. Then Malea wanted to eat her pudding. Amy got out two spoons so that the girls could share. Malea looked at Amy and said very matter-of-factly, "My mom said 'Don't share your pudding, and don't talk to strangers.'" I never told her not to share her pudding, but I am glad that she was paying attention when I told her not to talk to strangers. She really cracks me up.

Alex's fun at Sea World

2009-04-13T12:06:00.000-07:00

Last Monday we went to Sea World because it was Spring Break and because we have season passes. I love Sea World and I love that the kids are entertained all day without having to wait in huge lines to do everything. There is a very cute play area for the kids, along with a play area with water fountains that you can get wet in. I did not want the kids to get wet, and Andrew and Malea were fine with that. Alex on the other hand, was determined to get soaked. I finally gave up and took off his overalls so that he could play in the water.

Here is Alex before he got to the water.

Here he is on a mission to get into the water.

Here he is all wet and not willing to hold still for a picture. He was much too busy and having way too much fun.

Here he is drenched from head to toe and happy as could be. I finally decided he needed to dry off. Good thing I brought extra clothes.

Andrew's 6th Birthday

2009-04-12T19:08:00.001-07:00

Andrew turned 6 years old this year on March 16th. (Yes I realize that I am way behind in my posts) For his birthday we took him to Disneyland because he could get in free and because we thought it would be a fun and special thing to do for him. He had a blast and got to wear a birthday button. Everywhere we went people were wishing him a happy birthday. I can't believe that I am old enough to have a six year old, and that the years have flown by so fast.

Here is Andrew in front of the big Celebrate envelope.

Here is my funny boy, trying to keep himself entertained in the Princess line. He really wasn't impressed by the princesses, and we actually took him on other rides while Malea was waiting.

Pretty Princesses

2009-04-12T18:57:00.001-07:00

For Andrew's sixth birthday we went to Disneyland. It was a day full of fun and wonder. We waited in line for almost two hours for their new attraction in which you can meet 3 of the Disney Princesses. It was totally worth it in the end. Malea got to meet 3 of her favorite Princesses, Belle, Ariel, and Pocahontas. She was in pure heaven. She got their autographs, and was able to talk to them and get pictures with each one. The line was long a grueling, but the memory makes every minute totally worth it.

Malea loved hugging Belle.

Malea loved Ariel's beautiful red hair and blue dress. My neice Madelyn didn't understand what the big deal was and kept trying to get out of the pictures. In a couple of years she will be all over doing this again.

Malea absolutely loves Pocahontas and wants to watch the movie all the time. Some other people were dissapointed that they didn't get to meet one of the other more popular princesses, but not Malea. She was happy as could be.

Hike up Mt. Rubidoux

2009-04-12T18:46:00.000-07:00

About a month ago we were looking for something fun to do as a family and decided that we should go for a hike up Mt. Rubidoux. It was a beautiful day and was not too hot. We had so much fun getting outdoors and enjoying the beauty of the city around us. From the top of the mountain Riverside really is a pretty place. The kids had a blast and we all got great exercise. If you are ever looking for a fun and free activity, this is a great one.

Steve and the kids on a bridge that goes over the trail.

Andrew and Malea playing on the way up

I pushed Alex all the way up the mountain and Malea joined us for about half the trip. It was a great workout.

The view from the top of the mountain. Too bad it was overcast.

Malea at the top.

Alex was happy to get out of the stroller at the top and have a nice picnic lunch.

Andrew and Malea loved climbing the rocks and exploring everything.

Andrew's T-Ball

2009-04-12T18:33:00.000-07:00

Andrew is playing T-ball this year. It is the first time that he has ever done an organized sport. He loves it, and it is so much fun to watch. The kids are so cute. We especially love when some of his teammates get tired or bored and lay down in the outfield or chase ladybugs. Andrew's team is called the Red Socks. CAL Baseball is a wonderful league that stresses the fun of the game and good sportsmanship. I highly reccomend this league to anyone interested.

Malea loves to go to the games and can't wait until she can play.

Alex loves to be outside and play.

Andrew got a hit and made it to first.

Andrew with his second cousin Jason

Warming up to bat.

Yelling

2009-03-02T09:22:00.000-08:00

The other day we were in the car and we stopped at 7 11 to get a soda. I ran in and Steve stayed with the kids in the car. While I was inside Steve changed the radio station to music that he likes. Malea was crying and saying that she did not like this music. Andrew said that it was Daddy's music because it was yelling music. Malea replied, "Mommy doesn't like yelling music, she just likes to yell at us." Guess I should really work on not yelling so much!

Snow in Riverside

2009-02-24T08:22:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago Steve's sister Wendie went up to Big Bear for the weekend. It snowed the whole time they were up there and so their truck bed was full of snow. They brought it down the mountain with them so that the kids could play in it. My kids have never really been in the snow and they thought it was great fun. They had a snowball fight, and we built a snowman. Thank you Uncle Richard and Aunt Wendie for the fun day!

Amy's Farm

2009-02-21T19:13:00.000-08:00

So I know that I am way behind on my posts and that I have not updated my blog in forever, but I am starting with this post.

About a month ago I took Malea, Elyse and Alex to a place called Amy's farm. It is in Ontario and they are a farm that takes the baby cows from nearby dairy farms and care for them until they can go back to their original farms. They do a lot of school and group tours. They have a lot of great things to see and do. The kids got to feed baby cows, pet goats and pigs, hold baby chicks and learn about the farm. We all had a great time. If you ever get the chance to go, I definitely reccomend it. Just remember that it is a farm, which means it is dirty and smelly.

Merry Christmas late!

2008-12-26T17:13:00.001-08:00

We hope that everyone had a Very Merry Christmas filled with family and love. I hope that we all remebered the true meaning of Christmas as we celebrated. I am so thankful for this time of year and the joy it brings to all of us.

We had a wonderful Christmas and here are a few pictures from that fun morning! They are in the wrong order, but I am too lazy to fix them.

Here is Steve having more fun with the toys than the kids. Steve has always loved Nerf guns.

Another of Steve with the Nerf gun. You wouldn't know that it is actually Andrew's present.

Alex eating wrapping paper. Yum!

Andrew with his new Hot Wheels set.

Malea with her Cabbage Patch kid. Lilly Paula is her name. I think she is very cute.

Alex wasn't too sure about the whole unwrapping presents thing, but he remained happy and loves his new toys.

Malea's new dollhouse. Andrew likes it as much as she does, and they have been playing with it non-stop.

Before the chaos began.

Elf Yourself Merry Christmas

2008-12-23T08:28:00.001-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Christmas Pictures

2008-12-08T22:19:00.001-08:00

This morning I decided that I needed to get pictures done for our Christmas cards. It was definitely interesting. Andrew and Alex were sick all weekend, Andrew with the stomach flu and Alex with croupe. Needless to say, it was not a fun weekend and today they were both still a little bit grumpy and not feelin 100%. I got them all bathed and dressed and told them they just had to be cute for a couple of pictures. This is some of what I got. I do think they turned out pretty cute, even if they are not perfect, and of course at least one of them looks goofy in each one. That's kids for you. I've also learned that the more kids you add, the less likely you're going to get a really great shot.

Thanksgiving thoughts

2008-11-25T12:35:00.000-08:00

I am feeling very sentimental right now and very thankful for all of my many blessings. I have way too many blessings to be able to name them all, but I will put down a few.

I am so very thankful for a wonderful loving husband who supports our family and is the amazing patriarch of our home. I am thankful for my three beautiful children who have so many talents and wonderful things that they bring to our home. I am thankful for the joy that they all bring to my life. I am thankful that we are all strong and healthy.

I am thankful for my sisters and my parents. I am thankful for the love and support that they give to me. I am thankful that my sisters are truely my best friends and that they are always there when I need them. I am thankful that my parents raised me to know right from wrong and to stand up for my beliefs. I think they did a wonderful job at raising us.

I am thankful for wonderful in-laws who are truely my family. I love them all and am grateful for their love and support.

I am thankful for all of my extended family who I am so close to. I feel sorry for people who do not get to know their grandparents, Aunts/Uncles, and cousins as well as I do. I love you all and am thankful for your love and support.

I am thankful for amazing friends who also love and support me. I love you all dearly. Although I don't get to see all of them as much as I'd like to, I want you all to know how much you mean to me.

Heavenly Father has blessed me in so many ways. I will never be able to express my immense grattitude toward him. I know that he loves me and will continue to bless me and my family. I love the gospel so much and am so thankful that he sent his son to die for me and each of us.

Sorry for the sappy post, but I felt that during this season of Thanksgiving that it was important to share my gratefulness. I love you all and hope that you have a fabulous holiday!

Photo tag

2008-11-22T08:57:00.000-08:00

My friend Karyn tagged me in this game of photo tag. Here are the rules:

1. Go to your pictures file.

2. Go to the 4th file.

3. Go to the 4th picture.

4. Post it and tell the story.

5. Tag 4 more people.

This is Malea still in her pajamas one morning. Steve wanted more recent pictures of Andrew and Malea to put on his myspace, so he grabbed the camera. There is no fun or exciting story, but I like this picture. It captures the silly side of Malea. These are also her favorite pajamas with Ariel on them. Sorry it wasn't more exciting.

I will tag:

Amy - All about the Caldwell's

Adrienne - Ballantyne Bunch

Jalaine - The Gibson's Ark

Denise Wilkes - Wilkes Family

I hope you have fun with this and I can't wait to see what you post.

Halloween

2008-11-03T12:26:00.000-08:00

So I realize that I am behind, but I wanted to post some pictures from Halloween. We had a wonderful day and the kids were adorable.

This is Malea as a ballerina, doing her favorite "trick!"

Alex was a cute little penguin, however, he only wore the costume for a couple of pictures, and then had had enough! It was also too warm for him.

Andrew was Spiderman for the second year in a row. I tried to convince him to be something else, but he would not hear of it. Luckily the costume from last year still fit him and I got to save money.
Here are my silly little trick-or-treaters together.

This is Malea's pumpkin that she picked. My friend Rebecca grows pumpkins every year, and she let Malea and her school friends pick out a pumpkin. Thank you Rebecca!

Here are all of the pre-school friends together with their pumpkins. They are all such sweet kids, and I am glad that Malea can have great friends.

Overall, we had a great week filled with fun parties and family. Malea and Andrew both had parties at school and Andrew had a costume parade. We went to lots of family members homes to show of their costumes, and we attended the Trunk-or-Treat at the Blaine St. Church. It was a wonderful and fun holiday!

My real name.

2008-10-17T09:02:00.000-07:00

The other morning Malea came running in and said to me, "Your nick name is Andrea, and your real name is Mommy." I thought it was so cute that I just had to share. Most days it does feel like my real name is Mommy, but it is a name that I wouldn't trade for anything. I love being the mommy to my three sweet and wonderful children. I am very blessed.

Alex is 4 months old!

2008-09-25T16:03:00.000-07:00

As of yesterday, Alex is 4 months old. The time is going by way too fast. He is such a sweet and fun baby. He really is so easy and cheerful. This is my favorite baby age when they play, but are not yet able to get around. I am so very thankful for this beautiful baby boy that Heavenly Father has sent to our family!

Alex went to his first hockey game to celebrate him being 4 months old! Okay, we would have gone anyway, but it sounds good. He was wonderful the whole time and the Ducks won. He is wearing his brothers new beanie hat that is way too big, but it looked cute anyways.

Alex was all tuckered out by the end of the game. Aunt Cathy was in heaven holding the cuddly sleepy boy!

Alex loves to play with his little floor play gym, but he doesn't stay on it anymore.

Here is a picture of Alex right after he rolled over.

Alex is also getting good at sitting up. He is still a little bit wobbly and folds mostly in half, but we're getting there.

Here is a small video of Alex laughing. He is very ticklish, and before I pulled out the camera he was laughing histerically. I still caught a small laugh. I love the sound of laughing babies!

Alex is rolling over

2008-09-22T20:34:00.001-07:00

Alex has finally figured out how to roll from his back to his tummy. He has been rolling from is tummy to back for a while, but now he can do both. He has been so close for a long time, but he is very content to be on his side, so he never really tried that hard. This morning he figured out how to do it and now every time I put him down, he immediately rolls onto his tummy. He is very funny, because he can lift his head up very well, but he also wants to be on his knees. He hasn't figured out how to do both at the same time, so his poor little face gets smashed into the floor. He goes back and forth between lifting his head and pushing up to his knees. He eventually gets fed up and just wants to be held. It is amazing how quickly they learn to do things. He is already growing up too fast. I want him to stay my baby. I love all of the first year milestones though.

Andrew the baby magnet

2008-09-12T21:30:00.000-07:00

Kids and especially babies have always loved Andrew. For some reason he always makes them laugh. We can be anywhere and he will see a baby and make the baby laugh. It doesn't matter if we know them or not. My neice Madelyn especially thinks he is funny. He just has to be around her and she will start laughing histerically.

Tonight it was especially cute when Andrew was playing with Alex. Alex was laughing harder than I have ever heard him laugh before. We all couldn't help but laugh along. Laughter is definitely contagious, and there is no better sound than the laughter of your children. I love when my kids are so happy.

I hope that Andrew continues to have this effect on babies his whole life. I think it is adorable.

Big vs. Little

2008-09-12T09:41:00.000-07:00

So Malea lately has been telling us how big she is. When she wants to do something on her own she says "no my do it cause I'm big." Yesterday however, it was a very different story.

She will not sleep in her own bed and always ends up in bed with Andrew, because we will not let her in our bed. Poor Andrew. We told her that she is a big girl now and needs to start sleeping in her own bed. She said "no my not big, my little." That was the end of that.

Later, Steve and I were talking about how she hasn't been taking naps lately, and by 5:00 in the evening she is horrendous because she is so tired. Steve said "Malea you need to take naps, that is what little girls do." She said "no, my big!" Steve said, "If you're big than you need to sleep in your own bed." Her reply was, "no my a little girl who doesn't take naps!" There is no fooling Malea.

She is one of the most stubborn children on the planet. She keeps me on my toes.

Daniels' Dictionary

2008-09-02T13:41:00.000-07:00

So I am totally stealing this idea from my friend Adrienne Ballantyne, but I thought that it was cute and a great idea. These are some of the silly words that my kids use and their definitions. Kids always come up with some of the funniest words and I wanted to be able to remember them.

Bumper Beds= Bunk Beds

Puter= Computer

my= I

noodles with orange sauce= Macaroni and cheese

Malea always ads an "ed" to the ends of her words. For example, insted of saying "I cried," she says "I cry-ed." Actually it would be "my cry-ed" because for some reason she says "my" instead of "I."

I just love kids language. These are just a few that I could think of off the top of my head, but I will try to update the list as I remember or hear more.

Fun In The Sun

2008-08-27T08:11:00.001-07:00

On Friday the 22nd we went to the Diamond Valley Aquatic Center for some good old fun in the sun. The kids had a blast. Andrew loved playing with all of the fun water features, and going down the slides. Malea was happy to just swim around like a mermaid. Alex was happy to hang out in the shade with Mammaw and Mommy. We had such a fun day. This is a great place to take your little ones during the summer!

Andrew Started Kindergarten

2008-08-27T08:04:00.000-07:00

On Monday Andrew started kindergarten at Alcott Elementary School. He was so cute in his new backpack, and he was not scared at all. His teacher is Mrs. Young and she seems very nice. I can't believe he is big enough to go to school already. Where did the last 5 years go?

He had a really great day. He was dissapointed that he has to go five days a week though. Preschool was only three days a week. He will get used to it very soon. Malea thinks she should get to go to school too. She will be in kindergarten before I know it.

Alex's blessing day

2008-08-12T16:09:00.001-07:00

On Sunday August 3rd, Alex was given a baby blessing in church. It was a wonderful day and his daddy gave him a beautiful blessing. He was a wonderful baby (thank you Uncle Joe) and looked oh so cute in his special outfit that I picked out before he was born for this special day. After church it was wonderful to have all of our family over for a special gathering and yummy muffins and juice. We missed those that are out of town, but it was still a wonderful and special day. We are so thankful that Alex has joined our family. I don't know how we got along without him.

New Pictures

2008-08-05T15:47:00.000-07:00

Today we got new pictures taken of the kids. I am very pleased at how they turned out. I hope that you enjoy them!

Alex was such a good boy!

He way very tired by the time we took this one

Such a happy boy!

3 sweet kids. They were all so good.

My big boy with missing teeth. So cute!

My sweet angel girl. She's really good at fooling you.

I think that they turned out wonderfully. They were all very well behaved and we got some beautiful shots of all of them.

Alex is 2 months old tommorrow

2008-07-23T15:55:00.000-07:00

Alex will be 2 months old tommorrow. The reason I am posting this today is because we just went to his well baby check up and I wanted to let everyone know how big and healthy he is. He now weighs 13.5 lbs and is 23 inches long. He is growing very well. I must have pure cream for him to eat. I just love all of his adorable baby rolls.

Our cute 3

2008-07-23T15:50:00.000-07:00

This is my favorite picture that has all three of the kids in it. Malea and Andrew love to take turns holding Alex. Alex likes it for a short time and then gets overwhelmed by them pawing him. Alex is going to have to be a tough little boy.

My first blog

2008-07-23T15:43:00.000-07:00

I am not very big on blogging, but I decided that I needed a good way to post pictures of my kids and keep my family and friends updated. A couple of people have told me lately that I should start a blog so here you go. I can't promise to have anything great to say or that I will always keep things current, but I will try my best. Mostly I will try to keep up with current pictures. I hope you enjoy!