Staycation our little getaway!!!!

So the other day I took the kids down to the Hale Koa. It is a hotel right in the heart of waikiki. It is for military and reirees. The room was a great rate and it was a blast. My friend laura is with out a husband so her and her little boy eric came with us. . It was so much fun. We went down to the pool when we first got there. We were to busy playing to catch any pictures. We then checked into our hotel room. Got cleaned up and went out to dinner. It was nice to eat in an acutal restaurant. The kids thought it was cool to be in a restaurant. Then we took the kids over to the park they have there and let them play some more. While they were playing laura was so kind to walk down to the cheesecake factory for us and get us moms a treat. We went back to the room. The kids played some card games go fish and a really fun game called slpawhich. It is a fun game of making sandwichs. The kids were wiped out that bed time wasnt an issue. They went to bed and me and laura sat a talked for while we enjpyed a day well done and who could not be happy with a piece of cheesecake on front of them.

The treats

ice cream at the park

Dawson Fell asleep at Dinner

Silly girls playing around

The next day we went to the zoo and met up with our wards mothersgroup. It was a fun time it was super super hot. We learned a new lesson at the zoo this time

The tortoise's taught us a lesson today

Dress up in the petting zoo

I had such a fun time with the kids. even though it was only over night it was nice to forget the day to day stuff and go do things with the kids. It was fun to sit back and watch them have fun together and with friends. It was a great time to just get away. Thanks for a fun time kids.

Girls Party

This year for brooklyns birthday she said that she wanted an all girl party. So I told her she could invite 5 friends. The 5 friends turned into 7 friends. We made charm bracelets, pedicures, manicures, and decorated cupcakes. The treat bags were each girl got a nil polish and a lip gloss. Now I was super excited because it was such a cheap fun party. Id dit it at our house and I did it the time that dawson takes his nap. That turned out heavenly. I was trying to get poctures and I didt get alot ot them. The party came and went before I had a chance to take picutres. Or maybe I just didnt have enough hands? Well it was a great time. I love the chances that i can get were I can really see sre joy and happiness on my kids face. This was one of those days for Brooklyn. I love ya brooklyn Happy party day you looked beautiful in you pretty party dress.

The Girls

Pedicures

The perfect cupcake

Silly Silly Funny

I lost the battle

The other night our friends the prestscotts invited us up to the beach for a last get together since they were leaving. We had yummy thai food at the beach and let the kids just hang out. I didnt pack the kids swimsuits becasue we were meeting up there around dinner time and I thougth it was going to be to high of waves. I am sure there were some other reasons but the point is i didnt take them. Well of course we get there our friends are in the water and playing in the sand was not cutting it. I told the kids you are not getting in the water over and over. Well by this picture you can see who won that battle

So yes landon and dawson were in diapers the rest of the night and brooklyn was in a sweater I had in the car. Now you cant see but brooklyn has a dipaer on because I really had no extra clothes. The kids were happy as ever and they had a great time. The could have cared less what they were wearing. It was a fun night. Thanks to fun friends for a fun night

Not a care in the world. Nice outfits rees kids

Home projects

So I have been doing some new things around the house. I was going to plan on having them all done by the time david gets home so I was pacing myslef to procastinate until the end. Then when I found out my mom was coming I got busy and finished the projects. I am not sure what it is about when david is gone I get these ideas in my head to change stuff in the house. So hope he enjoys them. I know I do.

nothing fancy just new pillows

These are rod knobs I bought in utah at Rod works. That stores is awesome. I painted the picture frames and I think they turned out cute if I do say so myself

Every time i go to utah I go to my favorite stores. Insist that I buy projects for me to do go through the hassel of shipping and swear the first thing I do when I get back is get the projects done. Well I have a buge bin of projects unfininshed of course that I swore was going to get done the sceond I made it back. There is proably two or three trips worth and considering I usually ahve to bring a suitcase back from utah with me. There was a lot of stuff. So I pulled some stuff out and had my own craft night. I am sure it involved the nights like my sisters have at there craft nights, crafting, lots of yummy food, and no kids. Well I think mine went more like kids upstairs in bed, still yummy food, and a great converstion with myself.

This next project I can not fully take credit for the idea. I was telling my friend chantell that I wanted to get rid of our computer desk because I didnt like the big cabinet. We used to have a big entertainment center but now we dont so i thought it looked funny to have a big enclosed computer desk. I told her I wanted black. She said well why dont you paint your outside table black and mount it to the wall??? Hello that was genius. So I spray painted it black kept two of the legs and I had my friend kiona help me figure out how to mount it on the wall. We have a half wall in our house and it fits perfectly behind it so you cant see the computer unless you are in the kitchen. I am so proud of it and I absolutely love my new "work space'". Thanks chantell and kiona and everyone the listened to me agonize and always talk about my new desk.

It is not the best picture but hope you get the idea.

Thud Thud Crash!!

Last Saturday I was driving home from rewarding the kids with a movie since they had been really good all week while I spent allot of time cleaning and finishing up some projects around the house. I had just surprised them with telling them that grandma was coming the next day. My cell phone rings and it was David. I was so excited. They had pulled into Singapore and were going to be there for a week. I was so excited to talk to him. I was excited Brooklyn was going to get to talk to him on her birthday and Landon was going to be able to talk to him also. Things were going great on Saturday night. I woke up Sunday thinking this is going to be the best day ever. My mom was coming and I knew I would be able to talk to David. Well that lasted about twenty minutes. I was carrying Landon down the stairs then thud thud crash. I fell down the stairs. I hit my tailbone on one stair then I landed on the next stair. The wind was knocked out of me and it hurt so bad. So we got down the stairs checked Landon out and then wondered what do I do know???


The kids were great while I laid on the couch with ice. Dawson slept from 12:30-4:30 he must have know that I need him to do that. I had to let my friend Audra know since I wouldn't be at church and I had some things for enrichment to do. So she sent her husband and another brother over to give me a blessing. Then my friend chantell called to see if I was okay since she didn't see me at sacrament meeting. I told her what happened and she came right over with a big diet coke and some chocolate and some Motrin. Then my friend Cherise stopped by after church to see how I was doing. Then after that Audra came back over with dinner for us. I had many phone calls that day and help so thank you to everyone. I am slowly staring to feel better.
A little sore now and agian but nothing a little ice doesnt help.


So the great time came to get my mom. I had envisioned all the stuff we would do that day. and while she was here Surely that was not going to happen. I spent Monday most of the day in my bed with ice. We were able to venture out later that day. We did some things while she was here. It was so much fun to have her here.


I do have to say that she did so much to help me out. She was picking up Dawson for me, changing his diaper, cleaning for me, everything I could think of. Helping getting the kids in and out of the car. I have the greatest mom in the world. Even though it wasn't how I envisioned spending her time here I know that she had a good time with the kids and just being around. She is always helping me out. I talk to her at least everyday if not more then once a day. The kids love grandma Diane. It was truly a blessing to have her here. She was such a big help and I appreciated it so much.

Thanks for coming out mom and for helping me out so much. You are the best. The kids had such a great ti,e with you here. I know they miss you and hope we can see you again soon. Thanks for taking care of all of us while you were out here. We love you!!!!!

One of the kids was the photographer

Happy Brithday Brooklyn

Today was 9-9-09. A lucky day for many and for Brooklyn Rees it was a very lucky day. She turned five today and she was so happy. Grandma is here so that made this year birthday so cool. We missed daddy so much and we were so glad that he got to call us. He was so sweet and gave her some lies. That was the biggest hit of the whole day. We just had friends over for cake after school. She took some treats to her school as well. She had so much fun with her friends and cake. I told her she could pick any were she wanted to go for dinner. No surprise she choose chuck E cheese.

Thanks for the leis daddy

We got her a bike for her birthday and she loved riding it. I think she will be able to ride this bike for a while. She was so happy all day and had a great time.

Brooklyn I hope you know how much me and your dad love you. You are always such a happy girl. When your imagination goes it goes. You are into Hannah Montana now and anything fashion. You are always putting on fashion shows. I am sure that you get your fashion sense form me. Just kidding. YOu love to sing songs that you make up and perform for us. You are such a good friend to all your friends. You are making sure that everyone has some one to play with. You are always helping some one when they need it.

You are such a big sister. Landon and Dawson just love you. You are the first person Dawson looks around for in the morning. Landon misses you all day at school.

You have started school this year and are doing such a great job. Your teacher has told me what a great job you are doing. I know that you have had many things happen the last few weeks and with dad gone you are doing great. You are such a big help for me. You are always helping me out. Your daddy loves you so much and he loves to hear all about what you are doing in school and all the adventures you are doing.

I hope this year of being five is great for you. I hope you will learn all that you can at school. Keep up your independence. Never stop smiling like you always do. Remember that me and your dad love you so much and are so proud of you and all that you are doing.

Happy birthday Brooklyn

We love you Brooklyn

A new found love of a classic treat

I have found a new love of an old classic treat. I have found that cooking marshmallows over a stove is the same as cooking them in a campfire. I have had people tell me that it is the same i was doubtful until I tried it last night. We didn't stay for the campfire Friday night and the kids were bummed out and I had all the smore stuff anyway. I put dawson down to bed I let the other kids stay up and we tried it. It is so yummy. It is just like a campfire and there was no smoke involved. I turned the burner oh high. I had some skewers sticks that I put them on and we roasted away. I do have to say that I think that earned me points as the coolest mom last night. The kids were totally surprised when I told them what we were doing.

They turned out perfect crisp on the outside and a big gooey mess on the inside. It was a fun spontaneous activity that we did. I highly recommend it. So now I can have the goodness of a roasted marshmallow and not the mess of a campfire. Try it and let me know how you like it.

Landon got a little to hot while he was cooking his

A little burnt but the rest golden

Yummy gooey messy

Pure Delight