Shake it shake it

Does the fact that my children love to get up on tables and dance or swing around poles say something about my mothering skills??

What's UP??

What have we been up to lately?

taking care of little babies who aren't feeling so good...isn't he delightful??
and taking care of bigger babies who also aren't feeling so good. We have had a bout of stomach flu that lasts and lasts make its rounds through the kids, not the throw up kind...but still no fun. It's finally made it's way to me YUCK YUCK.

Bella is expressing her independant fashion taste lately. My mom picking her up from pre school commented, "she looks like a bag lady". Sometimes it's just easier to let her wear what she wants and freeze than fight her on it, she is soooo stubborn. Her new favorite outfits are the one below, accentuated with a large bright yellow scarf of mine that she wears like a pashmina and her ballet tights, leotard and skirt that she insists is appropriate pre-school attire if you just add the skirt below and a cute sweater to the ensamble. She truly wears this skirt at least 3 x a week. She is almost as bad as David who tries to sneak to school in the same holey sweats every day.


My lovely birthday cake, that my sweet husband...otherwise known as my BFF (BEST FRIEND FOREVER for those who didn't go to my junior high and aren't familiar with our lingo). He had Tuesday off which was my birthday and he is really good at making a fuss over me, always cooking& taking care of me. He baked these cupcakes earlier in the day, frosted them and put the candles in and left them in the oven until the party. Then forgot they were in the oven when he went to pre-heat it to make lasagne (another favorite treat of mine). I was disappointed because German chocolate cake is my absolute fave! I settled for a 7 lb chocolate cake from costco...YUMMY!

Would you like some blue wax with your pecan frosting??

David had his pinewood derby on my birthday so that got to be my pre-party. He loves building the car, but was tortured when I made him sand it and paint it 3 times. But he and his dad have gotten pretty good at making cars, this is the 2nd time he has come in first. Not as cool a car as last year's spongebob square pants car because I did the designing of the body and he painted it himself...but it still won. Well, technically he came in 2nd but that is because they let an 11 year old race so David will get to be the one to represent the pack at the district competition.

The siblings enjoyed movies while the older boys raced.

Here is David reigning in his enthusiasm!

Baseball season is upon us...wet, rainy baseball season. We were all bundled up to watch David's first game, except for bella who was wearing her outfit above, a light jacket, and mary jane shoes with no socks...I am mother of the year!

We love our cupcakes. This was our FHE treat for tonight...

The girls are really into the sprinkles, more so than the eating the actual cupcakes. Isabella said it felt like she was spreading fairy dust on her cupcake-just like tinkerbell.

Old Rachel would have eaten all the leftovers...

New rachel still has the stomach flu

THE END!

MY BFF

Engagement Pictures 1995

In a previous post, I mis-labeled my sweet sister as my BFF. I was informed that the word BEST indicates the numero uno, the top, the biggest kahuna of all kahunas and therefore the term BEST friend should really only be used to denote the person who is truly my world and that would of course be my husband Dave.

When I think of best friends, I usually put that into the girl category and husbands are in another category and so that is where I made the mistake. Of course my best GIRL friends are my sisters & mom. But if we are talking any relationship, then the best friend in my life would always be Dave. There is no comparison, he is my favorite. And since tomorrow is Tuesday I will share with you 10 reasons why Dave is my best friend, and always will be of course.

Portland Temple Atrium, Jan 5, 1996

Just so I am perfectly clear, these are in no particular order.

1. He always makes me laugh...even when I really don't want to laugh, he is still there trying to crack jokes and make me laugh. I always know when it is time for an epidural because he is no longer funny, in fact that is when his joking makes me mad. But then the anesthesiologist comes and then I can laugh again.

2. He knows all my inside jokes, can finish my sentences, and makes fun of the same things, or laughs at the same things I do. We have been sharing our life since 1995 and that makes for a lot of inside jokes.

The day we got engaged, Oct 2, 1995

3. He loves me in spite of and sometimes, I think, because of all my neurosis. Enough said!

4. He goes to museums and plays with me even though he'd rather be home watching a game or reading a book. In fact, we went to at leats one museum usually more than one in every city in Europe we visited, now that is LOVE!

5. He is a good father to our children, what more can a mother ask for.

At our reception, lovely winter theme. I LOVED my dress & flowers but mostly the man I was standing next too!

6. He will stay up late at night when I want to talk. He makes a big fuss like he hates it, but I know inside he secretly loves it. Now for those who know Dave, he loves to go to bed really early and get up really early, so you know what a sacrifice this is.

7. He has the most beautiful blue eyes, now I know this isn't really a "friend" quality and I am only supposed to be listing "friend" qualities, but this is my list and I can do what I want.

8. He helps me with my math. I don't need to go into more detail than that do I?? Most of you know I am bad at math!

9. He pushes me to be better and loves me regardless of all my weaknesses.

10. He knows when I need love and freely gives it.

I love you dearest, you are my best friend forever!

This is my favorite of our wedding pictures, the photographer was standing on the other side of the reflection pool, we were goofing around between shots, my dad took this from behind.

When the cat's away...

The Mice Make Cupcakes!

Savannah showing off her artistic skill

Yes, that is food coloring we just decorated our cupcakes with instead of gel...how could you tell?
Gabriella & Hyrum so cute

OH YUMMY!

We have a fantastic babysitter, my cousin Talia...and she is wonderful not just because she lives down the street and I don't have to pick her up...but because she really plays with the kids. When she comes for longer than an hour she always bakes something, and leaves me the leftovers YUMMY! Thankfully she took these great photos to show their handiwork with the food coloring gel pens.

So on Saturday Dave was working all day at a scouting event and my BIL Douglas was working all day at work so my sis & I decided to have a girls afternoon and go together to our cousins' wedding. We left the bigs at home with Talia and took just the babies. I am so glad we went. We got to spend a few hours with my grandpa, who I love and don't see often enough, and I got to spend 5 hours in the car laughing & talking with my BFF. We visited grandma Raquel's grave which has the most beautiful headstone on it. Plus we got to see Keith and his beautiful bride and spend time with our Dyer relations who are really a fun group to be with. To see pictures more fabulous than I could ever take of the blushing bride & groom visit my cousin Kjrsten's blog. It was so fun to see everyone, or most everyone. I really am blessed with a wonderful family and I am so thankful for them .

To steal a quote from Kjrsten too...here are some Dick Dyer origionals:

Laurieann Lacher, Rebecca Dyer Lacher, Dick Dyer, Rachel Dyer Keller, Benjamin Richard Keller (who is named after grandpa & great grandpa)

Rick Dyer Jr., Dick Dyer, Laurie Dyer

6th picture for Kathi

Here is another tag from Kathi who I love. 6th picture, 6th folder. But actually the 6th picture was semi-pornographic so I couldn't show it. It was from when Savannah had this really wierd mole so we took a picture and sent it to our friend who is a dermatologist and lives in San Antonio so he could advise us on what to do. So this is actually the 7th picture. This would be spring of 2007, we were living in a tiny apartment in Landstuhl Germany. Isabella was obsessed with singing along to the keyboard. This whole folder was really random.

And here is the 3rd picture...the before the shirt is off photo...note that her pants and shirt are on backwards...hee hee!

And here are some more lovely pictures from our little photo folder. I think Dave took these pictures to share when he was giving a lecture-he's so crazy!

And while I am blogging, do you know what I love about blogs...they connect us with the people we care about, or would have lost touch with when the army sends you from here to kingdom come. But it also shows you that the world is a really small place. I just found out that my friend from Germany is also friends with my friend who lives in Hawaii-a non military connection I never would have made. I also found out today that an old friend from North Carolina lives about 35 minutes from me now, but without blogs I never would have known that. Isn't it wonderful!

10 Years Old

My baby boy is in the double digits and I have officially been a mother for a decade. It is hard to believe how fast time has flown and the little bundle that I used to rock and smell his hair is now old enough to stay home by himself and figure out a good argument to get his bed time extended. David is a joy to be around, he is full of fun, quick wit, energy and plays a mean game of HALO. We all love him so much.

Of course he requested pizza for his birthday dinner & an alien cake with flying saucer. Even though he had pizza for hot lunch at school and pizza at his birthday party the next day. He could eat pizza every day for a year and not be sick of it.

Birthday party at the bowling alley

COSMIC BOWL

I made an army cake for his birthday, the guys were capturing the covenant flag.