Anna Sugar Bee Waters

My Anna turned nine this last week.

She had a fun day lots of cute clothes, and toys. Birthday treats at school, fabulous birthday dinner (her first request was crab, shrimp and steak but I told her she is not old enough to have such expensive taste!) so she opted for orange chicken, pinapple, costco rolls, and apple juice. Of course she had a horribly ugly cake made by me as is tradition and cookie dough icecream. All in all not a bad day.

Anna is such a funny girl, my number two in so many ways. Here are just a few of her quarks and characteristics!

• She is AMAZING with Jensen, a natural mother and she loves him so very much. She is always willing to help and care for Jensen in anyway. She comes home from school and he is the first and only thing to get her attention. I love watching her tenderness and sweetness with him.
• She still loves her sugar- we put anything sugary in front of her and tell she can't have any and she will shake and have to physically hold herself back from grabbing it. It is quite funny to watch.
• She is smart and witty. She loves school, she loves learning and I love that about her.
• Her natural tendency is toward selfishness but in the last year she has really worked on improving in that area and she has. But I love that she is willing to improve who she is and become a better person.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY SUGAR BEE!







The End of Summer :(

BYU vs. AIRFORCE game



Sept. 11th game. They did a great tribute to all those lost on the 11th.

 

The end of summer has come so very sad! We were busy everday and yet we did not even scratch the surface of what I had hoped to do this summer. Oh well, here is the last of our summer fun.

We went to the library summer reading program fair which was super fun (and free) we spent almost all day there! All kinds of things to see and do. Some of the highlights were the stormtroopers for Julia, the flight for life helicopter, sitting in and on all the emergency vechiles, face painting, water slide, and all kinds of other fun things.
I love the library!



• We went to Waterworld so I could relive my childhood memories. It was great fun and I loved watching my girls excitement at all there was to do. I loved seeing them overcome fears in order go on the big scary rides. They are braver than I was at that age! Jensen was great- he just took it all in, went on the big family rides with us and was just happy as can be.

I think this is a new family tradition!

• Bret's work put on an emergency preparedness night at the Sky Sox stadium so we got go support dad in all his hard work. The girls loved it. My favorite part was driving to the game and listening to the girls talk about how we have such an awesome family and they love how we spend so much time together. I wish I could of recorded the conversation. They really understand the importance of family. . . I would like to be able to remind them of their own words when they are 17 and we aren't so cool anymore!

Now we enter into the FALL. A season of crazy schedules, weather and an endless amount of homework and winter preparations. The girls are already discussing Halloween costumes and Thanksgiving plans.

I am not ready I still want more pool time.

My Birthday Boy

Happy Birthday to the love of my life. Thirty seven years old today. . . where has the time gone. I was looking at our wedding pictures the other day wow did we look like babies playing dress up! I considered giving you all a side by side of then and now but then realized I wouldn't like to look at how I have aged! Maybe for the fifteen year anniversary!

The best decision I have made to date in my life is marrying this guy. He makes me a better person, and loves me more than I would ever deserve. I love that we still laugh together and enjoy each other. Bret is an amazing father, husband, priesthood holder and man.

I just love that man! I am glad we get to celebrate him today.

Jensen @ 6 Months

(I have misplaced my camera so this is most recent picture of him from our library reading program party about 3 weeks before he was 6 months old!)

SIX MONTHS - where has the time gone? I can hardly believe that it has been that long already- I feel like I should still have a newborn!

He is growing like a weed! He weighed in at his six month appointment at 19 pounds and 8 ounces. To put that into perspective my four year old weighs 23 pounds. He is 28 and half inches long and is in the 97% across the board. He is one big boy and I am feeling it every time I lift his car seat into the car.

He has brought such happiness to our home. I love that kiddo. He is just the happiest and most content little one I have seen. He loves his sisters to pieces and they love him. It is funny with the birth of each child it seems like they fit right into place and I can't remember what it was like to not have them a part of our family. The same is true with my Jensen. I can't put into words how I feel about him and what he has brought to our family. I am so grateful that Heavenly Father has given me such beautiful, wonderful and sweet spirited children.

Some fun facts about Jensen:

• his pediatrician says "he's not obese, just fat"
• wearing 9-12 month clothes has been since June!
• Julia can make him laugh so hard by just looking at him funny
• he is a mommas boy- and momma is loving it!
• he continues to nurse like crazy every three hours and is taking no interest in baby food.
• We were at the pool enough this summer that he got a baby tan- pull open his rolls and you'll find they are pretty white inside!
• he just rolled over to his belly but prefers lying on his side.
• when he gets tired he can't close his mouth- it is just too much work to pull those cheeks up when your tired.
• he is number one little boy in the Water's house.

Eve and Anna took a computer movie class this summer. Eve did hers on Jensen here is a little clip from it! He has since added on two more rolls onto those thighs!

Trampoline

Yesterday I finally finished painting the ceiling of our family room. After I finished I laid down on the couch to check for missed spots. I was hot and sweaty so I pulled my shirt up to cool off, exposing my belly. Then my little Anna came along jumped up on the couch looked down at my stomach and said, "how come Jensen gets his own trampoline and I don't?" I asked what she was talking about and her reply was- "he gets to jump on your belly trampoline it is so mushy and bouncy like a trampoline."
Ha Ha. . . thanks Anna.
Now I know I haven't been to the gym at all this summer, we've have eaten out way to much this summer. But isn't lifting a 17 pound 4 month old, strapped into his car seat in and out of a giant SUV four to five times a day considered good ab work out? Apparently not.

Splash

Today we went to one of my favorite places in town. The fountain at The America The Beautiful Park. It is this huge water fountain that is free and kid friendly for kids of all ages. There also a really great park and in a few years when some of the newly planted trees have grown it will be perfect for those hot summer days. I just wish I would have thrown on my swimsuit to- instead I ended up in wet jean shorts. I hate the feeling of wet jeans!

From this picture of the girls at the playground you would never know that this park is in the middle of downtown. I love where we live, I love love love summer and I have really loved spending the summer with my children. I can't believe school will be starting in a month- we have hardly scratched the surface of all the fun things I wanted to do.

Anything for a free meal

My hubby thinks I am crazy but I love a good deal, a free coupon or some kind of gig that allows me to save money or get things for free. So of course we participated in cow appreciation day at Chick-fil-a. Dress like a cow and get a free meal. White tee-shirts and some black construction paper dots and a little face paint and the kids get to eat out and I don't have to cook!

LOVE IT!