uncle andy.

andy came to visit us in march before his deployment to afghanistan...a very bittersweet visit. he was in town for about a week so we had lots of time to love on him before he left. we were able to celebrate his 25th birthday with lots of friends. i made him an oreo cake, which was super yummy! we also had andy over for a tri-tip dinner and cinnamon rolls for dessert. kev would love it if i made them every week. my thighs...not so much. kyri was able to have lots of uncle andy time. she so loves him. they have become really close so it is always such a special time when he is here. they watched plenty of phineas and ferb...a must. kaden was all smiles when he was with his uncle andy! he will teach him all he needs to know about baseball and the simpsons (which he won't be allowed to watch). andy loves kyri and kaden so much and we are so thankful for the special bond that they share.

it was so good to see our bro before he left...but not easy to say goodbye. andy is now in afghanistan and will return sometime in september. we miss him even more now that he is so far away. we love you, andy. our prayer is for protection over you as you defend our country. may God give you strength as you honor Him in all that you do. we are so proud of you.

she adores him.

next time kaden sees his uncle andy, he will be walking!

love...sweet love.

can't get enough of these two!

the cake most suitable for andy...oreo's and chocolate!

brothers.

many faces of kaden.

oh buddy buddy.

crazy boy!

everything goes in the mouth. everything.

always smiling!

eyes of wonder.

cheeks. yum.

what?

soaking it all in.

stop making me laugh, mama!

dreaming.

flying!

can't stop kissing this boy.

tiny lips.

kaden. all boy. all love.

27...plus one.

my 28th birthday came and went...but with many wonderful celebrations! on my special day, kevin and kyri made me breakfast. pancakes, eggs, and fruit. it was delicious! kevin gave me my much-anticipated birthday present...a new camera. we've been needing a new one and this was too good of a deal to pass up. i LOVE having a digital SLR camera. it's a sony and i'm still trying to figure it all out. so far it is taking great pictures! love it. my parents both came up to take my family out to dinner...my choice. lucille's barbecue! i can still taste the yummy goodness. my mom bought me a cuisinart for my birthday, which is just awesome! i use it all the time, making baby food for my little man. thanks, mom! i feel like my kitchen is now complete. i had a wonderful birthday with the ones i love. kevin always makes me feel so special...and my two little loves just overflow my heart with joy!

baby food made easy!


my wonderful girlfriends also put together a night to celebrate at chevy's...my fave! me, my closest girls and good food. it was my first night out without my buddy buddy...he was at home with kev and kyri. he did great and mom had a wonderful night out! love all the women in my life. they bless my heart.

tarissa, gentry, and angela...love those girls!

sandie, kerri, and tarissa...beautiful.

probably my most favorite birthday present of all...a surprise visit from my bff! kevin told me the night before to be ready in the morning by 9:00 am. i asked him about a million questions to try and figure out who was coming over! i even asked, "is it ELLEN?" he laughed pretty hard. the next morning, i got a knock on the door. it was jenni! (her daughter, maya, and her mom too). she flew in from colorado to visit her family in placerville. she decided to suprise me and make a stop in lincoln. how sweet is she?! jenni planned a day for us, just me and my bff. kevin and her mom stayed at our house with the kids. our first stop was petroglyph's to paint pottery...but not before we picked up a chai at starbucks. we painted our little hearts out and talked about life. it was perfect. this was a a first for me...now i can't wait to go back and take my kyri girl! after we were done with our pottery, we picked up chevy's for lunch and headed home. the kids had way too much fun and jenni and i had a splendid afternoon together. what a wonderful treat. i just love her! thanks, jenni...you always know how to make me feel loved.

cute girl!

we both painted the same thing...in the same color scheme...we are cool like that.

ready to be fired.

love it when maya comes to visit!

friends for life.

day to celebrate L.O.V.E.

it may be april...but i need to start somewhere. i'm beyond behind on my blog...sorry friends. our computer pooped and we had to get it fixed. now i have hundreds of pictures to go through from the last few months. here are some photos from our wonderful valentine's together. we had lunch at red robin and then spent the day at home. kyri and i made dinner. kevin and i cuddled and watched a movie. poor kaden was sick, but he was still all smiles!

mommy and kyri in our matching aprons...love baking with my girl!

made heart-shaped whoopie pies with pink frosting. even more yummy than they look!

checking out his valentine's card from sister.

she made thiese fruit kabobs for our dinner...all by herself!

poor baby had to have breathing treatments for his bronchiolitis. he was such a trooper and it made him breath so much better.

love him.

flowers from my honey. (picture taken with my new camera...more photos to come from my new toy!)

she did it!

last month, kyri decided that she was going to stop sucking her thumb! she went to the dentist for a cleaning and they asked her, "you are such a big girl, are you going to stop sucking your thumb now?" she came home and made the choice all on her own...she was a big four-year-old and she was going to stop sucking her thumb! i made a chart for her (just like her potty chart) and found some cute animal stickers. that first night was not easy. normally, kyri will only suck her thumb when she has her silky blankets. we didn't take her blankets away because they are so special to her. she cried a little bit when she wanted to suck her thumb, but she was deciding on her own to be a big girl. i was so proud of her! after that night, it was like she never sucked her thumb. she didn't try at all for the next 30 days. everyday, kyri put a sticker on her chart and couldn't wait for her "special treat!" when her chart was full, we took her to cold stone for some yummy ice cream. she chose cotton candy ice cream with gummy bears...she loved every sugary bite! we also took her to target to pick out a book of her choice. she chose a toy story book...her new fave! we are so proud of our sweet kyri. you did it, big girl!

she loved picking out a new sticker each day.

kyri and her special treat. yum!

lincoln fire station.

in january (yes...i am that far behind on my blog), our playgroup made our yearly trip to the lincoln fire station. kyri was beyond excited! she talks about going to the fire station almost everyday. kevin was able to join us...a special treat for kyri. here are some pictures of the fun-filled day with friends!

checking out all the cool gear on the fire truck.

kaden stayed nice and cozy on mama.

that tire is bigger than you, kyri!

the gang.

seeing what it's like to drive the big fire truck.

the coolest part of our time at the fire station!

enjoying a snack outside.

what a great day with her buddies!