Summer is here!

Has it really been almost three months since my last post?  Yeesh!  It's been a very busy few months to say the very least but Heather told me I better post something or else.  I guess I better start in March....

Addie went to the funnest birthday party ever.  She came home looking like this-

That same weekend we had a girls day sans Lucy.  I took Addie and Kimber shopping to a few cute boutiques in Show Low then we had lunch at their favorite little Italian joint.  We followed that with a little more shopping.  It was a great day.

After our day of shopping we headed off to Addie's school to play on the playground.  When we showed up Addie refused to get out of the Ranger because she was afraid she was getting caught by the principal and it would mean major trouble.  I was eventually able to talk her into it and guarantee her she would not get in trouble.

Back in February and early March I gave my girls tickets to the Hale Theater in Gilbert to see Rapunzel.  They were so excited and I'm happy to say it was worth the wait.  We took my nephew Cooper and in place of Kennedy (who had the Chicken Pox) my niece Kayla came along.  We had a ball!  The play was so tastefully done and was good for kids as well as adults.  The kids loved talking with the characters after the play.

Onto April-
We randomly ran into Jordan and Nichole that same weekend and I had to snap a few pictures of their sweet baby Michelle.

Annie also went to one of her Prom's.

We got home and spring had sprung!

 A few weeks later the girls and I headed back to the Valley to be with my Grandma.  It's the strangest thing but she teeters on the verge of death and then bounces back for a few days.  I figured I better not waste any precious time with her so we spent a few days helping my mom take care of her.  The picture below was taken after Heather and I got her up and out of bed for the first time in days.  She wanted to go outside and loved soaking up the sunshine.  Heather and I decided to sneak some pictures with her.  Can you tell by her face that she had no idea she was getting her picture taken?

It was a huge suprise but while we were outside her brother, Dick, showed up.  They rarely get to see each other but since she wasn't going to last much longer (ha!  She has proved us wrong again and again) many people were gathering to see her.

Oddly enough just a few weeks after their visit Aunt Vera, Dick's wife, passed away.  It shocked me because I had just seen her and served her a plate of cottage cheese with peaches.  No one expected Grandma to outlive her!

I got a kick out of that lady.  I helped her out of the car and wheeled her to Grandma's porch and I'll tell you what, it was work.  That lady was solid.  I don't know how Uncle Dick managed to take care of her like he did.  I had a good talk with her about the hat she was wearing.  She gave it to Dick for Christmas many years ago and it got left in the back window of the car for a long period of time.  When they finally retrieved it it had shrunk and no longer fit him so she started wearing it and boasted to me about how many people have offered to buy it but she never would.  What a woman.

I am so grateful I got the chance to spend some good quality time with Grandma.  I have so many fond memories with her and this trip was no exception.  

Fast forward a few days.  For months and months the girls have been begging me to get my wedding dress out.  Finally one Sunday afternoon I let into their pleas and let them try it on.  I quickly grabbed my camera and figured I better snap some pictures of them for future use.

I'm seeing these in a wedding video someday-

In early May Lucy caught a nasty flu bug.  That poor baby was throwing up for a week.  It was so sad to watch her crash on the couch through out the day.  

Kimber was the only other one who caught it but she lucked out and hers only lasted 24 hours.

T-Ball and Little League started in early May and boy, it's been a doozy.  I don't know how parents can commit to so many extracurricular activities.  I have two kids to run to practice and they only have one game each per week.  I would be lying if I said I would be said when the season ends.  

Our cousin Lana snapped some pictures of Addie during one of her games and thank goodness because I spend all my time trying to save Lucy from falling off the bleachers or honking the horn and distracting the players. 

It's been really fun to watch the girls improve.  I have to give it to Addie's coach for pushing her and helping her grow.  Kimber has also improved.  She's gone hitting off the tee and  running all the bases until she got home to actually running after the ball when it comes close to her.

Now Lucy.  That girl.  She really keeps me on my toes.  This girl threw this fit-

 When Kimber caught her doing this-

See that cardboard on the ground?  Kimber was smart enough to quickly put it there to catch the drips.  And do you notice the condition of my coffee table?  That is the result of cleaning lots and lots of messes that little mischief makers has made.

At the end of May we took a much needed vacation to Colorado.  We spent a few days enjoying the weather, long rides on the Ranger, sleeping in and having no where to be but together.

On Saturday night we hit the Bar D Chuckwagon for dinner and a show.  Cowboy food is not my thing but the fact that they were so darn efficient made it easier to swallow- both the food and the pricetag- $64 to feed our family.  But it was all worth it as I watched the girls laugh and sing along.

As part of their show they had all the Vets stand and for the first time in my life I felt extra proud since my brother is now considered one of "them."  As we sang a few songs about the United States my heart was full was I was once again reminded that I am proud to be an American.

Kimber snapped about 101 pictures of the guys.  She loved the one that kept falling asleep and snoring as part of the act.

Once the show was over the girls had a ball running from shop to shop checking out the little town.  I'm so glad Jared got a few pictures.  He insisted I get in front of the camera for once.

 Look at this little face.  This can't be the same girl who rubbed craft paint all over the coffee table, can it?

We took a long ride on Sunday and stopped for a few pictures.

We were all sad to see Monday come since we knew it meant packing up and heading home.  But the girls wanted to eek every bit of fun they could out of the trip so they had Jared help them carve their names into a tree-

And played for hours in a fort Jared and his brother built when they were small-

We were all sad to leave and face the fact that we would have to get back to normal- work, chores, everyday responsibilities, getting up early.  But, all good things must come to an end, right?

We also had to get home because I'm a crazy lady who decided to do some summer classes for kids and classes were starting the next week and we had lots to do to get ready. 

Every Tuesday-Thursday throughout June we hold classes for kids Addie and Kimber's ages and it's been a blast.  Tuesday's are arts and crafts and Wednesday and Thursday are cooking.  We made a fun array of crafts and a variety of foods.  All the kids seem to have a great time and it's a little extra cash in my pocket, meaning the girls and I can do something extra this summer since they've worked hard too.

We've also had lots of visitors.  We started off with my nephew Cooper who stayed with us for a few days after we got home from Colorado.  He and the girls played to their little hearts content.  There was picnics, shaved ice, playing in the sandbox, getting wet on the trampoline, lots and lots of Ranger rides and late nights.  My girls don't get to stay the night at friend's or cousin's houses so when they get to have someone stay it's a huge treat and usually results in late nights and early mornings.

We've also made a two trips to the beauty school for some cheap pampering.  The first trip was for pedicures. 

 Once we got to the school I realized the waterproof mascara Kimber was wearing had run and there was nothing I could do.  Looks like she was really concerned, right?

 And this is how Lucy soaks her feet.  It's all about the bubbles.

Once the actual pedi started she was in heaven.  The girls at the school couldn't get over how cute she was and how good she was doing.  Best $2 ever!  The normal price is $5 but "since her toes were so small" they only charged me $2.  What a deal!

We went back a few days later so the girls could get their hair styled.  What a cheap way to have fun and escape the heat for a while.

Congratulations if you made it through the whole post.  It' been one heck of a summer already and there's lots more to come. 

Bug Graduates

It was a long 10 weeks for our family but Taylor finally graduated from Basic Training!

My parents along with Judd, Brigham and Taylor's fiance, Jenn, make the long drive to Oklahoma to attend the graduation.  They had a wonderful time spending time with him on Family Day and for the few hours they had with him after the actual graduation.  I wish our whole family could have made it but there was just no way.  We would have had quite the entourage.  

I've always been proud of my country but never full understood what it meant to be a person who protects our rights and freedoms.  When Taylor started Basic Training I dedicated myself to learning everything I could about what he was going through.  It was so different than I had ever imagined.  I am so proud of his accomplishment.

He is now in Texas at Fort Sam Houston where he will do his Medic traning.  Again, I have researched what his training will entail and know he is going to do great.

Reading Skills

Addie has a serious love for books.  She is one of the top readers in her class!  Right now she is into the Magic Tree House books and will always have a place in her heart for the Junie B. Jones series.

I love seeing her share her love of reading with her sisters.  She will read to anyone who will take a few minutes to listen.  I found her reading Kimber's favorite book to her the other day.  And thank goodness because I am so sick of it!  You saved me on this one, Addie!

Standout Memories

I have so many great memories from my childhood but there some that stand out more than others.  Like the time my mom kept me home from school to take me shopping for new shoes.  Or the times my Dad would take me to Golfland when our school had it reserved.  I went so many times I got earned a Golfland t-shirt!  I try to help my kids create those same memories but I probably won't know if I have succeeded until they are all grown. 

Bedtime for the girls around here is 8:00 but last night I threw our routine out the window and let the girls talk me into making chocolate chip cookies at 8:30.  That's so out of the norm for me but it was so fun.  Addie and Lucy showered while Kimber and I baked in the kitchen.  We were all laughing and having a great time.

It was 10:00 before Kimber finally crashed although Addie fell asleep around 9:30.  That's late for them but I wouldn't have traded it for the world.  We'll be back to normal tonight but I hope my kids look back and remember skipping bedtime to eat cookies. 

On that note I want to remember the time that Addie and I snuck away after Kimber and Lucy were in bed and went to Wal-Mart at 9:30 at night to get groceries.  It was the night before everyone was arriving to celebrate the 4th of July and we were fresh out of everything so it was going to be serious shopping.  It takes about 30 minutes to get to our Wal-Mart and I remember Addie and I singing to the radio and having a great conversation.  We ended up getting home at about 12:30 and after we unloaded all of the groceries Addie was hungry so she ate a bowl of Cheerios.  It was about 1:00 by the time she ended up going to bed.  She has talked about that experience so many times and refers to it as the time she "stayed up all night."

Maybe I don't have to wait until their grow to find out if they remember these things after all.

Memory with Grandpa

Jared's Grandpa Miller has Alzheimer's.  He no longer lives alone and has trouble remembering most things.  Sometimes it's comical and sometimes it's sad.  For example he has told me many times the owns Chase Bank.  He also told me that he opened the border between Mexico and Arizona and that he personally elected the first woman president of Mexico.

But in the same visit he might tell you that his wife, Grandma Miller, who died in September of 2009 and Jared's Mom, Marlene are still alive.  He says people keep telling him that they are dead but they aren't!  According to him they have been in Hawaii for a time, lost on his childhood ranch and as for now they are visiting the ranch waiting for him to come get them.

We get a few visits from Grandpa and his caretaker, Edith, every week.  Since he sees us frequently he still remembers my name as well as Jared.  He knows who my kids are but doesn't know their names. 

Most of the time when he is here he sleeps while me and Edith visit.  Last week during one of their visits he took on Kimber in a game of Memory.  He got two matches by chance but Kimber was so happy to have someone to play with other than me.

It's such an ugly disease.  It's just devastating to watch someone who was once so wise and a wonderful storyteller lose their mind to Alzheimer's.

7

I'm behind in my blogging, as usual.  I'm trying to get caught up but it seems like so many events fall by the wayside because I just don't take the time to blog like I should.

On the 5th Addie turned seven.  Really?  Seven?  What is happening to me?  I was holding her in my arms, blinked my eyes and suddenly she was seven.

Addie's birthday actually started the night before because Kimber was dying to give Addie her gift.  Addie kept requesting a hair salon for her birthday and I just wasn't sure how to make that happen.  I wasn't going to invest in a whole get-up since we don't have the room and she would quickly outgrow it.  I thought and thought but just didn't know how to make it happen.  Then the funniest thing happened.  The gal who does my hair was having a garage sale to Kimber and I hit it up.  There, laying on the ground in the dirt was Angie's mannequin head from beauty school!   Kimber and I knew it would be perfect for Addie and the price was right, ONE DOLLAR!  Addie could curl, color, cut and comb to her little heart's content and I wouldn't feel bad when it was time to throw it away.

We kept it hid for just over a week when Kimber finally couldn't take the excitement any more.  We stuck Angie (we figured that would be her name since it was written in permanent marker across her neck) in a bag and gave Addie the goods.  Jared and I were expecting Addie to flip out when she pulled the tissue paper out and saw hair filling the bag.  But no way!  She pulled Angie out and it was love and first sight!

I'll just say that was THE BEST dollar I have EVER spent! 

Not only was it Addie's birthday but it was also her turn to be the Superstar Student for her class.  She put together a poster with all types of pictures and fun facts about herself.

Kimber, Lucy and I picked up Addie for lunch and brought her home.  We ate all kinds of nasty food like chicken strips, french fries and root beer.  Healthy, right? I think not, but it was so fun! 

After lunch we took her back to class where she served Andes Mint Cookies to her class.  Miss E. has a tradition in her room where she gives the birthday kid spankings for their birthday.  She puts them over her lap, calls a student up to catch any tears that might fall and pretends to give hard spankings.  All of the class laughs and and thinks it's so funny to watch the birthday boy or girl squirm.  And she doesn't stop once their age is reached.  She gives a few extra, one to be a good reader on, one to be a good friend on and so on.  It was really fun to see Addie get all the attention in her class for a few minutes.

Her teacher also had her do the calendar board with the class so I could see how it worked.  It was really fun to watch Addie lead the class through their routine but my favorite part was when they did compliments.  The students raise their hands and are called on by the calendar person one by one.  They give that person a compliment and in turn the calendar person thanks them.  I wasn't expecting much, just a few shallow compliments but was so surprised when the kids gave sweet compliments to my little Addie.  I heard a lot of "you are such a good friend" and "I like your shirt" but it made my heart happy when a few of the nicest boys in her class told her that she was very beautiful or that she is very pretty.  How creative on her teacher's part to give the kids an opportunity like that.

Once Addie got home from school she soaked up every minute of getting to watch Kimber and I work around her.  She was looking forward to skipping her chores as much as she was looking forward to opening presents.

For her birthday dinner she chose pizza.  Again Aunt Jeanie and uncle Kenny ate with us. 
I love these pictures of Addie as she opens her junk box.  (A RIchardson Family tradition where you get a box or bag filled with your favorite junk food.)

There must be a wad of hundred dollar bills at the bottom of that bag.  Maybe it's keys to a new car.  Could it be annual passes to Disneyworld? 

No!  It's a bottle of Sangria! 
In true Addie fashion she requested brownies with marshmallows and frosting in place of cake. 

I truly thank Heavenly Father for Addie.  She keeps this family going and is my number one help.  She is mature and organized and kind to everyone.  Last week I went to parent-teacher conference and her teacher told me that she had just done a social test with the kids to see where everyone was at friend wise, making sure there was no bullying or anything.  One by one she asked each child privately who their top three friends were.  Addie was at the very top of the list.  I'm not saying she is popular but that she is a friend to everyone.  There is one boy in particular in her class who is slow and the other kids have a hard to being friendly to but Miss E. says Addie is always patient and friendly to him.  I love returning her to school after lunch and seeing the kids hug her.  She is a sweet girl who I am grateful for every day.

Five

My little Kimbie turned five on the 28th of February.  She started her count down at least a month early and every day reminded me, many times during the day, how many days were left until she was finally five.  I think she was expecting some type of physical change when she woke up on her birthday morning but to her surprise she woke up the same ol' Kimber.  Just one day older.

Around here birthdays are all about YOU.  You choose each meal, you get to relax and skip your chores and you get all the attention.  I offered to make Kimber anything she wanted for breakfast.  I offered all kinds of stuff but in the end she chose a bowl of cereal. 

Since her birthday fell on a school day she took a treat to her class.  She chose No Bake Cookies, her favorite.  Her teacher sent her home with her favorite snack, popcorn and M&M's and some cutesy hair bows.  She's a great teacher and really made Kimber feel special.

For dinner we again offered her anything she wanted.  She is so easy to please.  All she wanted was a bean burro from El Cupido's.  Aunt Jeanie and Uncle Kenny ate with us.  It was simple but lots of fun.

Kimber could hardly wait to open her presents. She hardly ate her food but rather stared at her presents like she would suddenly get x-ray vision and the contents of her gifts would reveal themselves.

 I love my little Kimbie.  She keeps things real around here.  I love her honesty, her compassion and her sense of humor.  Can't wait to see what this year brings for her.

We started a new tradition this year for birthdays.  On the weekend closest to your birthday you get to join mom and dad on their date.  You get to choose where we eat and what we do.  Kimber got lucky and had two dates.  We didn't have a chance to take her with us when we actually should have so on her actual birthday Jared took her out.  She chose spaghetti and meatballs at a little Italian restaurant. I thought that would suffice but she made it clear that she needed a date with both parents so she got go with us this past weekend.

I remember having daddy-daughter dates with my date and how special I felt.  I saw that same glow in Kimber and realized I needed to make those dates happen more often.  We snapped a quick picture of the two of us while Jared was talking with some friends.