The Richeson Family

Alivia's 3rd Birthday

2012-02-04T19:26:00.000-08:00

We had a great morning of fun with our close friends and family. It is hard to believe that Alivia is already three years old. I just can't believe it. She amazes us and we love her more and more every day!! Happy 3rd Birthday baby girl! :)

First Movie!

2012-01-15T16:39:00.000-08:00

Today we went to the movie, Beauty and the Beast with some good teacher friends. This was Alivia's first time in a movie theatre and she did great. However, she did not like wearing the 3D glasses at all! She did a great job sitting like a big girl by Ava. By the way, Ava is her new obssession. ha! She LOVES Ava so so much! Sometimes we have to remind her that Ava is almost 2 years older than her because she wants to do everything Ava is doing. Since Allison and I are best friends we love that our girls are so close. It is the cutest thing ever. We had a great morning at the movie together. Next time I will have to get a picture of all the kiddos. Deana, thanks for the invite. We had a great time! :)

Ava and Alivia already in a trance. Ha!!

They were holding hands. They are too cute!

Back to Class

2012-01-10T16:35:00.000-08:00

This week was my crazy week back at school. Since this is my last semester of classes I decided to take a class early and double up on myself. I was supposed to take this class in May but with the baby coming I decided to try and get it done early. I am driving to Warrensburg on Tuesday nights and my other 2 classes are on Wednesday nights. I am carpooling to Warrensburg with 2 other girls from my cohort that are also having babies in the Spring. I am glad I get to ride with them every week. Well needless to say, I have been dreading this week having to start homework all over again. I just keep telling myself the end is so close!! Ben made this week so much easier for me. He kept things as normal as always, making dinner, cleaing the house, doing laundry, reading books with Alivia, giving baths and making this cute lunch below. I am just so lucky to have a husband that does so much around the house and never complains. How did I get so lucky? Ben, thanks for always being you and for being an amazing husband and father. We love you very much!

Baby Will- 19 1/2 Weeks

2012-01-05T14:34:00.000-08:00

Profile Picture...blowing a bubble!

His leg....I think it looks like Uncle Phillips (my brother)

Giving the "love" sign!! :)

Cute feet

It's still a boy! He was very proud! he, he!

Happy New Year!!!

2012-01-01T07:27:00.000-08:00

For New Year's this year Ben, Alivia and I went to Chad and Kristin's house for dinner with our kids. We had a great steak dinner and enjoyed playing with the kids. Jensen is getting so big and it such a cutie. The kids went to bed and we even got some adult time too. We are so lucky to have such amazing best friends. Thanks for being so wonderful to us. We hope everyone has a great 2012 year! We are so excited for the new things that are coming for our family. Happy New Year!!

Jensen opening his present from Alivia. Isn't he the cutest little boy ever?

Alivia opening her present from Jensen!

Alivia LOVES Jensen!

Alivia got a Tinker Bell Village and Jensen got a new walker!

CHEESE!

Alivia fed Jensen his dinner, bananas!

After Jensen went to bed Alivia got a little slap happy and wanted to eat jello in Jensen's highchair! He, he!!

Will got some new burb cloths! I was so excited to get our first boy item! :)

Cleaning the basement

2012-01-01T07:14:00.000-08:00

The last couple of days Ben, Alivia and I have spent downstairs reorganizing the basement for all of Alivia's toys since we don't have a playroom upstairs anymore. We are so excited to begin the next phase of our basement this month! We are hoping to have the entire thing finished by May when baby Will arrives. We are keeping our fingers crossed. For now, we just laid down some rugs so Alivia can still play with all of her toys downstairs. I didn't realize how many we had until we started pulling them all back out again. She loved playing with the baby toys too and would get so excited when she saw something for Will. It was a fun family project. Can't wait to have this finished soon! :)

Some of her toys tightly squeezed in here!

She LOVES getting some of the baby toys out for Will.

Ben didn't realize how many tubs of Alivia's clothes I had downstairs! lol!!!

Having fun riding her car with her doll!

Christmas with Matthew and Riley

2011-12-31T07:09:00.000-08:00

This morning we celebrated the holidays with Matthew and Riley. My mom, grandma, Ashley, Marty and I enjoyed getting together as well. We are so lucky to have such wonderful best friends in our lives. They are like family to us and we love them very much. The kids are growing up so fast! :)

Play Date with Claire and Colton

2011-12-29T13:17:00.000-08:00

This morning we went to my good friend, Amy's house, for a play date. Alivia was really excited to play with Claire and Colton. Makena and Mason were going to come too but Makena got sick. :( We missed them. Claire and Colton's new playroom was so much fun. They even had a new bounce house. The kids had a great time together. Thanks for letting us play. We LOVED it! :)

Giggles. I tried to get the girls to pose for a picture but this is the best I got!

Alivia going in for a hug!

Alivia and Colton...too cute! :)

Alivia's New Room

2011-12-27T14:19:00.000-08:00

My good friend, Allison, painted the letters. She did such a great job! LOVE YOU Allison!

Her reading area...

Makeup and hair area...

Work area....

Alivia got to pick a few toys to keep in her closet since we had to take a lot of the toys downstairs. She chose her baby dolls and play house, dress-up clothes, princess dolls and some books. :)

Baby Will's room is cleaned out and ready to decorate with blue!!

My mom made us a blue blanket in case it was a boy! :) We are so excited to have Will join our family. :)

Christmas Afternoon

2011-12-25T14:11:00.000-08:00

Alivia's cousins, Tara and Brooke

All the Richeson grandkids

Alivia now has a stone with all the grandkids

Her new Dora pillow!

Excited about her new vanity!

Grandma Mary and Papa Terry's surprise! Its a Boy!

CHEESE!

Christmas Morning

2011-12-25T12:13:00.000-08:00

Alivia came in our room around 6:00 and was so excited to check and see if the reindeer had eaten all the food we laid out. I will have to admit that I was actually already awake hoping for Alivia to wake up too! ha. We immediately went into the living room and Alivia just yelled, "SANTA CAME!" It was so cute. After we opened presents at our house we went to my Grandmas to open presents with my mom and dad. It was a wonderful morning with everyone. We are so blessed to have our families so close around the holidays. :)

Checking Santa's milk and cookies. He left her a note that told her to check the playroom. :)

LOVES stickers....

She has been wanting a Dora pinata for some time now. We were planning on getting one for her birthday in a month but Ben picked this up for her. SHE was so excited!

Checking the reindeer food outside. It was gone!! YEAH!

Santa left the dogs some treats too!

Can you say obssessed with Dora??

A new princess mobi go game! :)

Her very own pink digital camera....

Her first time seeing her new room!!!

She is so excited!

Santa's note!

After opening Santa's presents at our house we went to Grammy's to open presents. She LOVES Strawberry Shortcake dolls!

Princess shirt.....

This is the cutest sleeping bag ever. It has a dog pillow and feet. :)

Uncle Phillip got in the sleeping bag too...

My mom and grandma made Ben and I this amazing blanket. She used both of our t-shirts from college. We are going to hang it up downstairs on the wall when our basement is finished. There are so many great memories made just by looking at this shirt. What an amazing gift!

This is a picture of me on the Chiefs stadium when I was a baby. My mom got another print made and put it in a frame for Ben. My mom was the director of the Chiefs cheerleaders when I was a baby so she had this picture made. Ben is obssessed with the Chiefs (win or lose) so he would LOVE to hang this up in our basement. :)

Her new easel! :)

Aunt Mable, Alivia and Grammy

Grandma Sara, Alivia and Grammy

Grandma Sara, Alivia, Me and Grammy (4 generations)

Grandma Sara, Alivia and Papa Steve

Christmas Eve

2011-12-24T14:03:00.000-08:00

So excited for Rapunzel

In shock that she got a Rapunzel doll!

Her mobigo! :)

Reading books with Grandma Sara. They could read for hours!

Grandma Sara and Papa's surprise! It's a boy!

We are so excited! :)

Alivia is excited too!

What a great big sister.

Before Church

Cheese with Daddy!

Kisses

Christmas at Preschool and Santa

2011-12-17T18:00:00.000-08:00

Waiting in line to see Santa at Bass Pro!

Getting a little more excited!

Not too sure about him but she didn't cry. However, she DID NOT want to sit on his lap!

Hmmmm......Ha!

Smiling at her preschool program....

Alivia's preschool class at learning ladder. There are 11 kids in her class. One kiddo was sick the day of the party and program. Alivia LOVES to sing and dance. However, she did not sing one word during the entire program. ha! My mom and I kept laughing as she stood and sat with a blank look on her face. I guess we know what she might do at her dance recital in June then. Oh well, at least she wasn't crying or running away. It was so cute to watch!

Bring a Friend Week at Dance

2011-12-13T17:57:00.000-08:00

Today was bring a friend week at dance. Alivia brought Ava to dance with her. The girls were so cute together. It was pretty funny watching them do the wheel barrow with each other. They are going to be best friends forever, just like their mommys! We love you Ava! :)

Croup Again

2011-12-04T14:31:00.001-08:00

Alivia stayed with Ben's mom and dad while we were in St.Louis for Kelly's wedding. Unfortuntaley she came down with croup Saturday night and is wheezing with a barking cough and has a 102 fever. This is the fourth time she has had croup so luckily we have a breathing machine and can start the treatments right away. Although, Alivia hates, hates the breathing machine so it just breaks my heart to hear her scream with her screaching barky voice during the entire thing. Hopefully this will only last a few days....crossing our fingers!!

Kelly's Wedding

2011-12-03T14:28:00.000-08:00

Ben and I at Kelly's wedding. :)

Kelly and I met in college and were in the same sorority. Everyone always thought we were twins or sisters. She is such a wonderful friend and I absolutely love her family and new husband as well. I wish she lived closer so we could see each other more often but we still stay as close as ever even though we don't see each other very much. The wedding was just perfect and Kelly was such a beautiful bride as you can see from the picture. Congrats Kelly and John!! We love you!! Hope to see you soon....

Baby Bumps

2011-11-26T19:34:00.000-08:00

Jessica is a good family friend of ours. We grew up together and have many memories playing on the golf course and having family gatherings at Fun House pizza. She is having a baby at the end of March so our due dates are two months apart. She lives in California so I was glad I got to see her this weekend at her baby shower. We just had to pose with our baby bumps together. Love you Jess! You look so cute and we can't wait to meet the little guy!

Christmas is Coming!!!

2011-11-25T19:29:00.000-08:00

While I was out shopping today the Santa Bus came through our neighborhood. Ben said she was really excited to see him but of course didn't talk to him and was timid when she saw him. She LOVED talking about seeing him after and especially liked the candy cane and teddy bear. We will see how our santa visit is at Bass Pro this year. Last year she was not a fan at all. We will see!

Christmas Tree is up and lights are on the house. Ben worked so hard on the roof to get the lights perfect. It looks great! :) I absolutely LOVE this time of year!!! We look forward to this day every year because we play Christmas music really loud and put up Christmas decorations all day long. It is so fun! Ben and I are both like little kids!

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T19:24:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving this year. We spent the morning with the Richeson family and the afternoon with my side of the family. We are so thankful to have both of our families here so we can always share in this wonderful holiday with both of them. We really cherish these holidays together and know how lucky we really are.
We hope everyone had a fantastic Thanksgiving!!

My Little Worker

2011-11-18T19:22:00.000-08:00

Alivia has become quite the little worker. Often times she is coloring and practicing writing her name instead of playing with her toys. She still LOVES playing with baby dolls and her new obsession is princesses or fairies. I had to take this snapshot of her working so hard to write her name. It is so cute!! My little girl is growing up so fast!

Pregnancy

2011-11-17T18:04:00.001-08:00

I have really been missing blogging lately but I have been bogged down with my research class and have been pretty sick. My dr. gave me zofran to help with the sickness and it has helped a bit. I am hoping since I am almost 13 weeks that the sickness is going to be over soon. It is definitely all worth it though. I wasn't even nauseous with Alivia so with this pregnancy being a lot different I am definitely calling boy!! ha! I have also been having really weird dreams this time. I have had numerous dreams that I am having twin boys. It is pretty crazy how real the dreams seem. Our sonogram is scheduled the first week of January so I guess we will have to wait until then. We will see!! Crossing my fingers for feeling good soon! Also, yesterday was my last research class and I have a break until January with no classes! YIPEE! I am really looking forward to the relaxation and time with family and friends. :)

News!!!

2011-11-01T18:03:00.000-07:00

Alivia is going to be a big sister!! The due date is May 28th! :) We are so excited! Alivia is already planning out everything she is going to do for her "little sister" (she is determined it is a girl). She has even kissed my stomach already. It is too cute. I can't wait to see her in action with the baby. LOVE HER!

Halloween Fun

2011-10-31T18:00:00.000-07:00

Halloween Night

Trick or Treating with Grammy

Ben's Masterpiece

Carving Pumpkins

Alivia's Party at preschool

So cute....friends at school!

Great Book!

2011-10-16T15:23:00.000-07:00

My mom has been buying some great books to read to Alivia at her house. Tonight my dad was reading her this book. It is such a great book about manners. Each page shows a different Disney character acting out a specific manner. Alivia loves it and wants to act like all these princesses! :)

Fire Pit Nights

2011-10-16T15:19:00.001-07:00

Alivia, Ben and the dogs and I enjoyed our Friday night around the fire. We have really gotten some great use out of this fire pit. We love it!! It was such a great family night! :)

Picture Day at School!

2011-10-13T15:19:00.000-07:00

Today was Alivia's first picture day at school. Ava and Alivia go to the same preschool but are in different classes since they are 2 years apart. Allison and I did not plan for them to have matching shirts on but it was pretty funny when our babysitter sent this picture to us! Love these girls! We will see how her first picture day comes out! She said she smiled good....:)

Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-09T14:04:00.000-07:00

New Car

2011-10-02T13:08:00.000-07:00

Watching Dora

Headphones for her movies

Bye, bye the the Lincoln. :(

So excited!

Ben and I have been looking for a car for some time now. His car keeps breaking down so we decided to trade it in. Ben was also nice enough to let me pick the new car so he is taking the Envoy. My all time favorite car is the Acadia but we wanted something less expensive. When we were at CarMax last weekend we saw the Jeep Commanders and I LOVED it. I especially loved the 3rd row option. They found one in Omaha with the color and everything in the inside thtat I wanted. We went to look at it yesterday and next thing we knew it was ours! Alivia loves it too since she can watch movies. We have already had to discuss with her that we are not going to watch Dora everytime we get in the car. ha!! It was so fun driving around this weekend! :)

Fort Jumping?

2011-09-24T11:04:00.000-07:00

So tonight Ben decided he was going to build a fort and then teach Alivia to jump from a step stool into the fort. WOW, you should have seen my reaction when I saw him doing this. I couldn't crush his excitement despite the fact I was really worried Alivia was going to break a bone but I let her do it a few times. OH my, how she loved it!! The things that Daddy's do! :)

Karsen's Birthday Party

2011-09-17T12:39:00.000-07:00

Having a blast!

Ava doing Alivia's make-up

Alivia and Karsen (the birthday girl)

This morning we went to Karsen's birthday party. I went to high school with Karsen's mommy and she is a good friend of mine. It was a pajama and pancake party! It was so much fun. Alivia had a blast with the big girls and couldn't get enough of them doing her make-up. As you can tell that were quite the make-up artists. ha! What a fun party!

Ducks???

2011-09-16T18:17:00.000-07:00

So last weekend Ben took Alivia to WalMart to do our grocery shopping and at the end of the trip Ben got her one of these little rubber duckies from a quarter machine. WOW, I never thought something would be so special to her. This is probably her favorite toy ever. Today my dad went to another WalMart and bought her 5 more. My dad stopped by to give it to her and when she opened it you would have thought you had given her the biggest present ever. She screamed at the top of her lungs with the cutest excitement! It was so cute seeing her so excited for these little ducks. I guess I know what to get her for Christmas now! ha!

Bath Time!

2011-09-16T18:13:00.000-07:00

For some reason this past month we have had major melt downs at bath time. So tonight I decided to change things up a bit and let Alivia take a bath in our jacuzzi tub!! Well that did the trick! She loved it. Hopefully this continues......she even liked turning on the jets. :)

Grammy's House

2011-09-15T18:09:00.000-07:00

When we came home tonight Alivia said she wanted to stop by Grammy's for a little bit. She loves drinking orange juice out of Grammy's fancy glassware! She thinks she is so big. We love that my grandma lives so close so we can do this all of the time. :)

Dance Class

2011-09-13T18:07:00.000-07:00

Roll call!

Waiting her turn so patiently!

Ready for class!

LOVES this!

Alivia started back at dance this week. She has a new teacher named Miss Kelly. Kelly and I actually danced together back in the days. Alivia absolutely loved it. Since it was watch week I got to catch some good pictures! I am so proud of the little dancer she has become! This will be the class she has her dance recital with in June. Can't wait!

High School Reunion

2011-09-11T18:01:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was my ten year high school reunion. I was on the planning committee so I couldn't believe the weekend was finally here! We also had a park day the day after the reunion. Here is a picture of Ava and Alivia having a blast! :)

Fire Pit

2011-09-05T18:47:00.000-07:00

Today was such a beautiful day! Ben was outside from morning until it got dark doing yard work. In the afternoon he said he needed to go to Home Depot to get some wood for a corner landscaping thing he was doing. Well while he was there he text me to see if I wouldn't mind him getting a fire pit. I said sure! I LOVE bonfires!! Needless to say when he got home with stones and pieces I was a little confused. He said he was going to build the fire pit and he knew exactly what he was doing. ha! I will say I was a little skeptical but boy did he prove me wrong! We had a nice evening around the fire. Can't wait to do it again soon. It was the perfect night!! We hope everyone had a wonderful Labor Day!

Reading???

2011-09-03T18:18:00.000-07:00

After the park today we went to Grammy's house. Grandma Sara was there too!! My mom has been wanting to show me how they have been working on their Dick and Jane books while my mom watches her on Tuesdays. It was too cute how Alivia was memorizing the words on each page. I was so proud! Of course, my mom's goal is to teach her to read! LOVE IT!

Park Day!

2011-09-03T18:14:00.000-07:00

Today we went to Sonic for lunch and then to the Grain Valley Park. We were going to go to Santa Caligon but we decided not to since it was so hot. We weren't outside very long before Alivia wanted to leave because it was so hot. It was so nice not having anything to do but spend time together. Hooray for 3 day weekends!

A Night with Friends

2011-09-02T18:23:00.000-07:00

Tonight Chad, Kristin and Jensen came over for dinner. Ben and Chad went to the store and bought steak, shrimp, salmon, peppers and much more! It was quite the feast and so yummy. Kristin and I had a great time catching up and Alivia and Jensen played and played. Alivia loves seeing baby Jensen. She just wants to constantly feed him, burp him and rock him. It is too cute! Jensen is already 4 months old. The time has flown by! We love him so much and he is such a handsome little guy. It was a great night with our wonderful friends! :)

Happy little guy!

They are both ready for bed in their pj's!!!

First Braid

2011-09-01T18:10:00.000-07:00

Today while I was getting Alivia ready for school we decided to try a new hair style. I am always trying to get Alivia's bangs out of her face so we decided to try a braid on the side. She loved it and it stayed in all day long!! What a big girl hair style!

Alivia's First Day of Preschool

2011-08-30T19:55:00.000-07:00

Today was Alivia's first day of preschool. We were so proud of her. She didn't shed a tear and stayed in her chair when we left like a good girl. Her teacher said she was just perfect and so sweet. She also told us she went to the bathroom 3 times and raised her hand when she had a question. We practiced raising her hand at home. he, he! She is so excited to go back tomorrow. We are so blessed!! Here are a few pictures from today! Ben and I had fun taking the day off from work to spend this special day with her. :)

Alivia's version of Little Miss Muffet

2011-08-28T18:35:00.000-07:00

Alivia has been having fun learning a nursery rhyme each week. I have been teaching her the nursery rhyme I am teaching to my kindergartners at school. She is having a lot of fun! :)

Skyscrapers at Winsteads

2011-08-20T16:22:00.000-07:00

Today we decided to go to Winsteads for lunch just to do something different on this rainy Saturday. I had forgotten how yummy their shakes really were! Alivia absolutely loved it too! What a fun afternoon together!

Making "Chester" Cookies!

2011-08-18T19:04:00.000-07:00

Tonight Alivia helped me make "Chester the Raccoon" cookies for my kindergartners. Every year I always read the book, The Kissing Hand, and I bring cookies for them. I always look forward to this activity. Alivia had fun helping me and she even got to hear the story and eat a cookie too. She thought it was neat that she read the story and ate the cookie before my kids did. Ha! It was a fun night together....

T-ball Lesson

2011-08-15T18:59:00.000-07:00

Tonight Ben made Alivia a "T" box and even made dots with chalk for Alivia's feet. She really hits the ball well so Ben is pretty proud. We have a few more years before t-ball but they were having fun practicing! It was a great night of fun in this cool summer weather. :)

Congrats to Mr. and Mrs. Brucker

2011-08-07T15:32:00.000-07:00

Today was Rachael and Ronnie's big wedding day. Rachael and I have been good friends since first grade. It isn't too often that people get so lucky to have such a long friendship like Rachael and I. She is just a wonderful friend and I couldn't be happier for her. Ronnie is a great guy and going to be an amazing husband for her. Congrats to Mr. and Mrs. Brucker! I was so honored to be apart of your special day. It was a beautiful wedding! We love you!

Rachael, Allison and I

Happy 1st Birthday to Riley

2011-08-06T14:46:00.000-07:00

Today was Riley's 1st birthday party. Since this was also Rachael's wedding day my mom and dad took Alivia to her party. Alivia had a great time and the monkey theme was so cute. Riley, you are just precious! Happy Birthday.We love you!

Birthday girl!

Eating cake! My mom put curlers in her hair for the first time. LOVE her little curls!

Alivia's 2 1/2 Year Pictures

2011-08-05T15:42:00.000-07:00

My good friend, Allison took our family pictures at Lake Jacomo tonight. It was really hot outside but we were able to get some good pictures! Allison is so talented at what she does and we are so thankful that Alivia LOVES having her take her picture. Thanks Allison for always doing such a great job. We LOVE the pictures! Here are a few of my favorites!

Favorite one!

Sunny Pointe Playdate

2011-07-26T12:20:00.000-07:00

Today we met some of my good teacher friends at Summit Waves for the "kid time." We then played at the nice park by Summit Waves and then went to eat at Jimmy Johns. The kids had a great time together. I am so lucky to have such great teacher friends! :)

John, Brielle, Ava, Luke, Jenna and Alivia

Daddy is out of town

2011-07-21T16:22:00.000-07:00

When Ben took his new job with Travelers 6 months ago they told him he was going to have to go to a week long training in Georgia in July. Well July is here and Ben has been gone all week for his conference. Needless to say I can now relate to how hard being a single mom really is and I would definitely be a wimp when it comes to having a traveling husband. WOW, am I lucky to have such a supportive husband. I have enjoyed my time with just Alivia and I but she definitely has missed her Daddy and having an extra pair of hands is sure handy! :) He left Sunday and will be back tomorrow but I am leaving for Rachael's bachelorette party tonight and I am not coming back until Sunday. I took Alivia and the dogs to Grandma and Papa Richeson's house today and I know they will have a great time there.This will be the longest Ben and I have ever been apart, 7 days. :( However, I am looking forward to a fun girls weekend celebrating with Rachael and friends. We can't wait for her to tie the knot in a few weeks. Ben left Alivia and I some sweet notes under our pillows before he left. It made our night. We are so lucky to have such a wonderful daddy and husband in our lives.

Doesn't he have the neatest handwriting?

PE means (pumpkin eater). He used to call her that when she was a baby. so cute!

Reading with Grammy

2011-07-19T14:13:00.000-07:00

After story time at the library today we went to Grammy's house to show her Alivia's 2nd free book she got at the library. Alivia gets so excited to add her sticker to her name on the wall. We have read 48 books so she has gotten 2 free books for the reading program. We have until the 30th to read the rest of our books to earn her last free book. I am so glad she LOVES reading!

Listening to Grammy read Clifford!

Swimming, Swimming and more Swimming!!

2011-07-15T13:34:00.000-07:00

Alivia absolutely LOVES going to the "big pool." Today we invited a few friends to the pool and the kids had a great time. Alivia thinks our pool is "her" pool so she enjoyed opening and closing the gate for everyone. ha! I really enjoy that she likes the pool too because I am a huge pool fan! he, he! We were there for a little over 4 hours today and she would have stayed longer. Oh how I love my little swimmer! :)

Happy Birthday Alex

2011-07-15T11:16:00.000-07:00

Tonight we went to Alex's birthday party. Alex is a great family friend of ours. Alex and Alivia have this cute connection. It is so funny to see them together. We joke that we might be planning their wedding one day. The party was a Star Wars theme and it was so cute. Stephanie made swords out of noodles and the kids loved playing with them. Adam put the mask on and the kids got to throw water balloons and "Darth Vader." It was pretty funny. The kids then used their swords to hit the bubbles from the bubble machine. What a fun party it was! Happy Birthday Alex! :)

The kids chasing "Darth Vader"

This just makes me laugh. I asked the two of them to take a picture and they posed like this all on their own. Maybe this will be their prom picture one day? ha! :)

Paradise Park

2011-07-14T13:46:00.000-07:00

Today we went to Paradise Park with Makena and Mason and Claire and Colton. The kids had a great time together and played so well. We were there for almost 3 hours. Thanks for a great day girls. Hope to see you again soon! :)

Makena and Alivia in the bank :)

Makena, baby Mason and Alivia

Alivia and Claire playing outside

Ball pit time with Amy, Colton and Claire

Play Date with Jensen and Brielle

2011-07-13T14:04:00.000-07:00

Today we went to Jensen's house to play and Brielle came too! The kids had a great time together and Jensen was such a happy baby the entire time. The girls LOVED playing with him and they even showed off some of their cool dance moves. ha! We enjoyed our day with them. Thanks for a great time Kristin and Jensen. Can't wait to see you again soon!

LOVES HIM

Playing peek-a-boo with Jensen

CHEESE!

First Pedicure

2011-07-13T13:39:00.000-07:00

Today Alivia and I went and got pedicures together. I thought I would wait until she was three but I just decided that we would do it today. I am so glad I did because we had a great time and did so well. We decided to do matching toes and she got such a kick out of it. My little girl is growing up!

My Little Dancer

2011-07-13T13:30:00.000-07:00

Alivia really LOVES dance class and can't wait for Thursday to come each week. She really likes her teacher Miss Jill and talks about her a lot. Miss Jill was my dance teacher too so it is so neat that Alivia is enjoying her experience. She hasn't decided if tap, ballet or tumbling are her favorite yet but she is doing really well. Since she is liking it so well I am going to sign her up for classes in the Fall. Oh, yes and that means she will be in a recital next June! OH, how I can't wait for that!! We are so proud of Alivia for being a good listener in class. Keep it up! :)

LOVE being a Teacher!

2011-07-12T13:43:00.000-07:00

Today Alivia and I went to the library for story time and then we went to Sonic for lunch. After lunch we went to the pool for a few hours. These are the days that I cherish being a teacher so that I can have the summers off with Alivia. It is the next best job to being a stay at home mom! :)

Alivia's veyr own oreo and m & m blast

My little swimmer! She LOVES swimming!

Thinking she doesn't need a nap after swimming. ha!

Aven's Birthday Party

2011-07-09T15:24:00.000-07:00

Today was Aven's 2nd birthday party. I went to college with Aven's mommy and we play bunco together now. It is so fun seeing all of the girls together. They are growing up way too fast. We had a great day at Deanna Rose today. Happy Birthday sweet Aven!

Hugs for Aven

Blow fun!

The kiddos!

Makena and Alivia feeding the goats or trying too. They were both throwing the food at them! ha!

So hot!

Ben got Alivia to finally hold out her hand to feed them!

Claire, Makena and Alivia getting wet. Claire LOVED getting wet!

Feeding the goats their bottle of milk!

Ben is such an animal lover. The goats loved him as you can see!

Makena and Alivia. Alivia was being stubborn and wouldn't hold Makena's hand. She later told Ben and I in the car she was so sorry! :(

Family Field Trip to Summit Waves

2011-07-08T15:17:00.000-07:00

Since Ben was taking off Thursday and Friday today was our water park day. We were so excited for this day and Alivia was too! We left our house at 9:45 thinking we would get there early but what we didn't know was that it didn't open until 12:00. I had taken Alivia to the 8:00-10:00 time for just kids but I didn't know that 12:00 was the open time. So, we went and got lunch and ate it the nice park right by Summit Waves. Alivia had a great time playing. We then enjoyed our sunny day at Summit Waves. Alivia really liked wearing her water wings and swimming in the lazy river since she would go so fast. She also ended up going down the slides by herself with a little encouragement from her friends. It was such a wonderful day!! :)

Sliding at the park

Swimming with Daddy! She did end up going down both of these slides by herself. We ran into 2 of my friends and their kids and so Alivia wanted to be just like them and go down the slides.

Cheeto break!! LOVE IT!

Sushi Lunch Date with Ben

2011-07-07T15:39:00.000-07:00

Today Ben took the day off so we could spend some time together. Alivia always goes to Janet's on Thursdays to keep her routine so we decided we would have some time together just the two of us. We decided to eat lunch at the Sushi restaurant at Summit Fair and then we had dessert at Yogurtini. YUM! We were going to go and see a movie but we couldn't find a good one to see so we just went home and relaxed. It was the weirdest feeling not having Alivia with us. We kept asking each other what we used to do in our spare time when we didn't have Alivia. We were just lost as to what to do without her with us. ha! We joked that before Alivia we probably would have been painting a bedroom or etc. This just shows how special Alivia is in our family. Ben and I enjoyed our day of relaxation together. We are so blessed to have each other each and every day. I love you Ben!

Happy Fourth of July

2011-07-05T06:26:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful 4th of July weekend. Sunday we went on Kristin's parents boat with some friends. Alivia spent the day and night at Grandma and Papa Richeson's house. They visited the elk, shot off fireworks and ate Alivia's favorite food, PIZZA! She had a great time with them. On the fourth we had dinner with my family and shot off fireworks with the neighbors. It was a great weekend celebrating with family and friends. We hope everyone had a great 4th as well! :)

Getting ready to go swimming!

So excited to swim in her "little pool" as she calls it!

Helping Mommy make the fourth of july cake

Our family...

CHEESE!

Uncle Phillip

Eating cake!

Eating cake and watching the fireworks....

Alivia caught her first parachutes with Daddy!

My brother and I

My mom and I

Aunt Mable (my grandma's sister) and my grandma

Aunt Mable, My Mom and Grandma (my mom's mom)

A great night of watching and setting off fireworks. My dad definitely got some good "big ones" this year. However, Alivia didn't like the loud noises this year so she just sat in the chair the entire time. :)

Happy Birthday Grandma and Papa

2011-07-02T06:19:00.000-07:00

Papa's birthday is June 30th and Grandma's birthday is June 2nd. We had a great time celebrating their birthdays. Alivia LOVED having 2 cakes and 2 different birthday celebrations. Happy Birthday Mom and Dad! We love you!

Play Date with Morgan, Mackenzie, Matthew and Riley

2011-06-27T11:32:00.000-07:00

This morning we went to Matthew and Riley's house for a play date. Morgan and Mackenzie came too! We hadn't seen Morgan for a long time and Mackenzie is already 3 months and we hadn't even seen her yet! The kids had a lot of fun playing together. Ashley, Jami and I had fun catching up as well! :)

Morgan, Alivia and Matthew

Jensen's Baptism

2011-06-26T05:30:00.000-07:00

This morning we had the honor of standing as Jensen's god parents at his baptism. We were so honored and privledged when Chad and Kristin asked us to be Jensen's god parents. Jensen is a true blessing and we were so grateful to be able to witness god's love for him today. We are also so thankful to have such amazing friends like Chad and Kristin. They are the true meaning of friendship. They are like family to us and we love them very much. Jensen, we are so proud of you and you did so great today. We are so excited to watch you grow. Alivia can't wait to teach you all sorts of fun things. We had an amazing day celebrating such a wonderful thing!

After his baptism

Anne (Kristin's sister) and Kristin and Chad

Kristin's Family

Chad's Family

Alivia gets so excited when she gets to hold Jensen! I LOVE IT!

Extreme and Yogurtini

2011-06-24T09:53:00.000-07:00

Today we went to Extreme Gymnastics in Lees Summit. We went a few times last year and Alivia really liked so we thought we would try it again. It is from 10:00-12:00 for $4. They have a big obstacle bounce house, balance beams, trampolines, pits and lots of things to climb on. The kids had a great time! We hope to start going every Friday! Sorry the picture are blurry. I took them with my phone. :)

Ava and Alivia doing some bar tricks!

Ava, Alivia and Henry sliding down in the pit

Balance beam time!

Hudson, Henry, Alivia, Ava and Luke-After Extreme we ate lunch at McAllister's and then played in the water fountains!

This was our first time at Yogurtini and boy was it yummy!

First Dance Class

2011-06-23T16:41:00.000-07:00

I have been looking forward to this night for a while now. I have always thought of the day when my little girl would take her first dance class. I know this may sound silly but since dance was a big part of my life growing up it makes me excited to be a dance mom! Of course, I have prepared myself if Alivia doesn't like dance but I thought she would LOVE it since she loves dancing and etc...Well the first dance class was a HUGE success! I thought for sure she would cry and not want me to leave her but she went right with the group with no problem at all. The best part is that she actually followed directions and was a great listener the entire time. They did tumbling this week so they did some stretches, crab walks and somersaults. Alivia did such a great job and I couldn't be more proud of her!

Holding her tutu! Notice the adorable bag my friend Jenn made!

So excited...

Even more excited....

Her new dance friend, Harper. Harper's mom and I took dance class together when we were young so it is neat that our girls are taking classes together.

The look....ha!

Doing stretches....

Doing so well and listening...

Waiting patiently her turn....

Crab walks...

Somersaults.....Alivia looked at the girl and said, "watch this!"

What a good girl!

Candy time! So proud of you Alivia!

Play Date with Makena, Mason, Claire and Colton

2011-06-22T11:56:00.001-07:00

This morning we had another play date with Makena, Mason, Claire and Colton. They came to our house this time. The girls played very well together and the weather was so nice to play outside. I enjoyed spending some mommy time with Amy and Jenn as well. Thanks for coming over. We had a great time!

Makena, Claire and Alivia- they are all 6 weeks apart

Precious baby Mason

Snack break!

Story Time and Funny Faces

2011-06-21T07:24:00.000-07:00

Every Tuesday my mom has been watching Alivia since I am working on my intern hours at school. Which, by the way I am really enjoying my intern experience. :) My mom has been taking her to story time at the library every Tuesday. This was Alivia's third week going and she even got up and danced and sang with the kids. This is a big step for her because it takes her a while to warm up to new situations. I love how they don't just read a story, it is an entire lesson where they make a craft. I am so lucky that my mom can do this with her each week. One more week for me and then I will be able to take her. I am so looking forward to spending every minute with her with no homework worries!! I am almost there!

The mask she made at story time!

So happy!

Pouty face....

Cheeseburger face as Alivia calls it!

"What?" face as Alivia calls it! HA

Kid Zone

2011-06-20T13:04:00.000-07:00

Last Friday we went to the new Kid Zone in Blue Springs. It is only $4 before 11:00. It isn't a really big place but well worth the $4 I think. Alivia had a great time! It definitely wore her out so we will be back again. :)

Sliding...

Playing ball....

Play Date with Matthew and Riley

2011-06-20T12:58:00.000-07:00

This morning we had a play date with Matthew and Riley. Every time we get together the kids have so much fun together and just keep acting older and older. :( We had such a great morning together. :)

Matthew and Alivia (they are 6 weeks apart)

Riley and Alivia (Riley will be 1 July 28th)

All three of them! :)

Happy Father's Day

2011-06-19T14:33:00.000-07:00

Today was a wonderful day. Alivia and I woke up and made Ben breakfast while my brother and dad were putting Ben's chair downstairs in the basement. Alivia was so excited to surprise Ben with his new chair. We let him sleep in a bit and then suprised him when he woke up with his breakfast and new entertainment recliner! I then finished my ethics paper for a couple hours while Ben and Alivia went to the store. We then hit the pool for the entire afternoon. It was so relaxing just laying in the sun and playing with Alivia. We ended the night with a great dinner at my parent's house. I am so lucky to have such a wonderful dad in my life. I am also so lucky to have married Ben, who is the best dad to Alivia I could ever ask for. LOVE YOU BOTH!

My brother and I with my dad!! Aren't we cute?? ha, ha!

Trying to get Alivia to take a picture!

Swimming with Mommy!

Swimming with Daddy! She was so brave today jumping in by herself and swimming with her water wings. Last summer she wasn't timid at all but this summer she is timid for sure. She is getting better though!

Ben's new chair for the basement. Ben has been wanting a chair like this to go in front of the projector. He is so excited about it that we may get 2 more just like this. Now if only we could get our basement finished.....

During the summer Alivia goes to Janet's house 1 day a week. She made these adorable letters and pictures while she was at Janet's on Thursday. Isn't this the cutest thing ever?

Thanks Janet for making something so special!! WE love it! :)

Neighborhood Cookout

2011-06-17T14:39:00.000-07:00

Tonight we went over to the Summerlins' house. They are our very good friends and neighbors. The Arbeiters and the Greene's came over too. The kids had a such a great time and the adults did too! :) We are so lucky to have such great neighbors.

Ryan, Chase, Emma, Alivia, Charlie and Gracie

Waffle Morning

2011-06-15T07:14:00.000-07:00

Alivia and I had a lazy morning in our pjs! Since she has been getting up at the crack of dawn I let her come in our bed this morning and we slept for another hour together. She never ever falls back alseep or sleeps in our bed so it was so fun to snuggle. We then got up around 7:00 and made waffles in the waffle maker. She loves watching the light turn to green when it is ready! Oh, how I LOVE summer days off with my little girl. 2 more weeks and grad classes are done and I will get every day with her! :)

Being a great helper!

She thinks it is so cool!

YUMMY!

Dance Outfits

2011-06-13T12:14:00.000-07:00

Today my mom and I and grammy took Alivia to the mall to shop for some dance outfits. I had heard there were leotards on sale at Old Navy so we wanted to check them out! We found 2 leotards and lots more clothes for Alivia. For some reason I always forget to go to Old Navy and their prices are awesome. Can't beat $5 for shorts and tank tops! We ended our morning of shopping with a carousel ride! My mom and I decided to ride on a horse too while Grammy rode on the carousel bench. It was a great morning! I can't wait for Alivia to wear her leotards in 2 weeks :)

Carousel ride!

Electrical and Plumbing is DONE!

2011-06-12T18:53:00.000-07:00

So we feel like this has been the never ending project but it has been so nice to just pay as we go with this because it is quite the expense to finish a basement in a ranch since the downstairs is so large. We are so excited that the electrical and plumbing is done!! Hopefully in a few more months we will have the dry wall and etc. done and then we can paint and lay carpet!! We are keeping our fingers crossed! :)

Looking in at the bedroom, bathroom and walk-in shower

Canned lights are in!

Bar

Alivia posing in what is going to be her new playroom!

Painting with Daddy

2011-06-12T18:51:00.000-07:00

After church today we decided it was family painting time! Ben is so creative when it comes to art things. He draws Alivia all kinds of pictures. They had a great time together! :)

Baby Jensen

2011-06-11T18:47:00.000-07:00

After Rachael's couples shower we went and picked up Alivia at Grandma Mary's house and then went to Chad and Kristin's house for dinner. Alivia was so excited to see Jensen. She is obsessed with holding babies these days so she was so excited to use the boppy and hold him. She did such a great job!! We were so glad to get to spend the evening with them!!! Jensen is such a cutie and is changing so much. :)

So proud!

Rachael and Ronnie's Couples Shower

2011-06-11T11:57:00.000-07:00

One of my best friends from elementary school is getting married!! We couldn't be happier for Rachael and Ronnie. They are perfect for each other in every way. Today was their couples shower at the Colbern Winery. We had such a great day with family and friends and the weather was beautiful! We can't wait for their wedding on August 6th!! :)

Ben and I

The happy couple....

Rachael and I

Libby, Jenny, Me, Rachael and Allison

Part of the wedding party...

First Summer Playdate

2011-06-10T12:47:00.000-07:00

This morning we went over to my very good friend, Jenn's house. Jenn just had her 2nd baby recently and his name is Mason. We had a great time playing. It was a full house. I guess I am the only one in our group of college friends noq who had their first kiddo but hasn't had their second kiddo yet. lol! Our good friend Amy came too with her kiddos Colton and Claire. It is fun watching Claire, Makena and Alivia play together since they are all 2 months apart. They are too cute! We had pizza for lunch and chocolate chip cookies..YUMMY! We can't wait for many more play dates with them over the summer!! Claire and Colton- we promise to get pictures with you next time. So sorry!!

Alivia was so so excited when Jenn said she could hold Mason on a boppy. WOW, doesn't she look like a natural big sister?? I just LOVE her excitement!

Makena, Alivia and Mason. Makena is a great big sister!

Makena and Alivia playing dress-up, tea and serving each other lunch!

Taking turns getting in and out of the babies bed.

Makena's turn....

Alivia LOVES her trampoline and really wants one! :)

Pretty Sun

2011-06-08T12:35:00.000-07:00

This morning we were up super early because I played in the Blue Springs School District golf tournament and we had to leave by 6:30. This past month Alivia has been quite the early riser. She has been getting up at 5:45 every morning. UGH! Her entire life she has slept until 7:30 and now that she is getting older I guess she just wants to wake up sooner. This is a bummer with summer here and we can't sleep on my days I am not interning but I will definitely take the wonderful days I get to stay home with Alivia. As we were leaving this morning Alivia LOVED looking at the sun and wanted me to take a picture of it. The picture doesn't do it justice but it was very pretty! Of course, Alivia wouldn't crack a smile in the pic. :)

Sun

My big girl.....

My doll baby!!

The Summerlins

2011-06-06T20:13:00.000-07:00

Tonight Alivia went over to the Summerlins house. They are our wonderful neighbors. Traci watched Alivia for 3 weeks when she was a baby and I had to go back to work. Alivia just LOVES playing with Chase and Ryan. Since I had class tonight at 5:00 and Ben doesn't get home until 5:30 or 6:00 Traci watched her for a while. Ben said she had so much fun that she didn't even want to leave when he picked her up. Alivia is pretty shy these days so I was glad to hear she did so well. Thanks for giving Alivia a great night of fun!!! You guys are the best!

Alivia and Chase

Summer Reading Program

2011-06-06T12:02:00.000-07:00

This morning Alivia and I had our first trip to the library for the summer. We went a few times last year. She wasn't really into checking out books last year but she did like story time. I signed her up for the summer reading program this year so she could earn her free books. I am hoping to start going to story time once a week. It will be good for her to actually sit and listen to someone. Ha! She absolutely LOVED checking out the books today. It was so fun to see her pick out the books. We will see how long it takes us to get through 15 books. What a big girl I have!

Notice how she wouldn't look at the camera. What a stubborn little thing!

Pool Day with Daddy

2011-06-05T20:25:00.000-07:00

This weekend has been filled with nonstop homework. I am sure you get tired of reading my blog and hearing about homework all of the time but it is hard not to write about it when it is so much a part of my life right now. Anyway, today Ben decided he was going to take Alivia to the pool while I was studying. Since this is something we always do together as a family I had a hard time watching them leave. For a second I started feeling depressed about spending time away from Alivia but I soon realized that it will all be over soon and it will be so worth it. As they were leaving I about died when I ran outside and saw Alivia standing up in the sun roof. Apparently Ben was going to let her sit in the front seat on the way to the pool. Ok, the pool is literally 30 seconds from our house but it still made me a little nervous. Her precious face outside of the sunroof was super special too though. Here's to the end of June coming faster and faster so I can spend every second with Alivia without any homework at all!

Chalk Time

2011-06-02T19:03:00.000-07:00

Tonight was such a great night since I have felt like I haven't been home all week with class 2 nights a week. Alivia and I just played outside the second we got home and I let her stay up late tonight too. We had such a great time practicing shapes, colors and her name with sidewalk chalk. I know I say this a lot but I can't believe how big she is. Tonight I was thinking about how I will have to pack her lunch in a backpack in August. WOW! I am definitely going to be that mom on the first day of preschool crying!! ha! So excited that it is summer now and we can have more late nights like this. :)

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

2011-06-02T18:59:00.000-07:00

I have been trying to capture this moment for a while. Alivia absolutely LOVES singing while Grammy plays the piano. I am just amazed that she can actually stay with my grandma on some of the notes. Of course, my grandma is pretty excited about this since she is a big singer and piano player. TOO CUTE!

Memorial Day Weekend

2011-05-30T12:25:00.000-07:00

We had a great Memorial Day weekend with both of our families. Great food and just lots of fun playing outside. We hope everyone had a great weekend!

Ice Cream man came to Grandma and Papa Stewart's House!!
Eating with Grammy!

Her first ice cream with gum in it! :)

So fun! :)

Grandma and Papa Terry came over for dinner! Alivia was showing them her new sandbox! :)

Tent Time!

2011-05-30T12:20:00.000-07:00

This morning I woke up at 5:45 and I noticed Ben wasn't in the bed. I then checked Alivia's bed and she wasn't in there either. On the weekends Ben sometimes sets up the tent in the living room and they sleep in the tent together but I didn't see the tent in the living room. Yes, you guessed it. They slept on the deck!!! It was too funny when I opened up the tent and Alivia was bright eyed at 5:45 in the morning since the sun was shining in. I am sure it was a great night of sleeping outside and they both had a blast. Ben is such a great dad and always does fun stuff like this with Alivia. Maybe I can sleep in the tent next time?? he, he!

Surprise Mommy!!

First Pool Day

2011-05-30T12:13:00.000-07:00

Today we had our first pool day at our neighborhood pool. Alivia calls it the "big pool" since she has a little pool in the backyard. We had a great time minus the freezing cold water. Alivia had so much fun she fell asleep on our walk home. We are looking forward to many more of these days!!

Cooler and goodies packed!

Laying out with Mommy and Daddy

So tired!

Homework, Homework and More Homework!

2011-05-29T15:15:00.000-07:00

I have been really bogged down with homework this weekend but after 6 hours of working I decided to take a break and enjoy the sun with Alivia and Ben. Boy, was I glad I did that. We had such a great time in the backyard! I am looking forward to many more afternoons like this! :)

Girls Night....

2011-05-28T10:30:00.000-07:00

Tonight some of my high school friends and I got together for our monthly girls night dinner. We decided to bring the kids this time so Alivia was really excited. I am so lucky to have such wonderful friends in my life. It is a true blessing! Love you girls!

Rachael trying to get Alivia to hold her. She was bribing her with lipstick! ha!

The girls watching a movie while the moms were eating dinner and enjoying some wine. :)

Way past bed time. Ava and Alivia are enjoying apples with their blankets and pillow pets!

Mason Jackson Viscomi is Here!

2011-05-27T10:26:00.000-07:00

My good friend from college, Jenn, had her 2nd baby today. We were all so excited to find out the sex of the baby since they kept it a secret this time. Jenn has another little girl, Makena, who is Alivia's age. Makena is going to be such a great big sister! Congratulations Viscomi family. We are so happy for you and Mason is a cutie pie!

Happy 21st Birthday Uncle Phillip

2011-05-22T20:10:00.000-07:00

My brother's 21st birthday is May 24th so we celebrated today at Grammy's house. My "little" brother is such an amazing person. It is very often that siblings who are 7 years apart are so close but we really are best friends. I am so proud of him in everything he does. He really does amaze me in all his accomplishments. He will graduate from MU next year and I couldn't be more proud of him. He is the best uncle ever as well! Alivia just LOVES him to death. Happy 21st birthday Phillip. Be careful in Vegas and we hope you have a blast! LOVE YOU!

Cake time!

Alivia getting a bite...

Finger time!

LOVE that face!

Playing with Papa!

CHEESE! Happy Birthday!

Opening his Vegas money (the card sang Celebration)

Alivia having fun outside with her new magna doodle mat. My mom got this for her at a garage sale. It is the coolest thing. It just takes water and this marker and it is mess free. Alivia LOVES it!

New Sandbox

2011-05-21T12:23:00.000-07:00

I just started looking for a new sandbox because I wanted to keep our water table just a water table even though it is supposed to be used for water and sand. I just knew it would annoy me when the water and sand would mix. I also wanted Alivia to be able to sit down in the sandbox and she couldn't do that with the table. Anyway, my mom was out at many garage sales this morning and she found this perfect sandbox for us!! It is exactly the same brand, shape and color I was looking for. It also fits perfectly under our deck and the lid is awesome! I also checked on the reviews and it has the best reviews I could find. It is a step 2 model. We definitely hit the jackpot on this garage sale item. Thanks Mom!!! Alivia played in it for almost 2 1/2 hours today before nap time. Alivia also helped clean out her water table, pool, slide and swing set so we are set for the summer!!! YIPEE!

So fun!

Cutie pie!

Having fun!

Alivia's First Manicure

2011-05-20T12:15:00.000-07:00

Today after school I took Alivia to Jo Ann (our family friend who cuts our hair) to get her hair cut. Alivia was perfect for Jo Ann and sat real still in the chair. After she got done Alivia was adamant that I get my hair cut too! So I sat down in the chair and Jo Ann pretended to cut my hair. As she was looking at my hair she decided I really needed a cut and a highlight too. SO....her daughter, Jessica, came up and watched Alivia while I got my hair done too! Alivia sat in this chair for 25 minutes while Jessica painted her nails. I have painted her nails many times but we always get it all over the place because she never sits still long enough. I couldn't believe how big she was acting. She had such a great time. Thanks for a great girls night out of pampering with my favorite little girl! :)

So pretty....

Jessica

Pretending to blow dry her hair and read a magazine! he, he!

Having so much fun!

Funny Moment

2011-05-19T20:17:00.000-07:00

While giving Alivia a bath tonight she looked at me while sticking out her her stomach and said, "Mommy, I have a baby sister in my belly." I said, "Alivia you do not have a baby in your belly." Alivia said, "Yes, I do Mommy and shhhh...she is sleeping." While saying this she was sticking her belly out really far and patting it as if she was pregnant. It was so hysterical! She just amazes me every day with what she knows and says. She truly is growing up way too fast!! I am sure there are many more of these moments in our future! ha!

Strep Throat :(

2011-05-17T05:18:00.000-07:00

Well unfortunately Alivia has strep throat. She came down with a fever on Friday so my mom went to get her at Janets. Her fever went down by Sunday and we thought she was feeling better. Since we had my grandmas 90th birthday party Sunday we knew Alivia was 100% but she couldn't miss out on this family event. She was running around by the end of the party so we thought she was feeling better. My mom stayed home with her yesterday and her fever came back so my mom took her to the doctor and sure enough she has strep throat. :( This is the 3rd time she has been sick this year...ugh! I just hate it. I am so so grateful that my mom can stay home with her when she is sick. I know Alivia enjoys staying with grandma too. She is on antibiotics now so we hope she feels better soon!! :(

Ben's Graduation

2011-05-14T07:35:00.000-07:00

Today Ben graduated with his MBA from St. Marys. I am so proud of Ben for this wonderful accomplishment. Alivia is also glad to only have one parent taking classes during the week now. One more year and then I will be done. It can't come soon enough! I don't think I will know what to do with myself without having homework. he, he! I can't wait for that time though to just be a teacher and a mom not in school. Ben, we love you so much and we are so proud of you!! :)

Alivia saying her "full name" (Alivia, Kathleen, Richeson)

2011-05-13T16:13:00.000-07:00

I finally got Alivia on video saying her full name! Don't mind the tummy shot too! She said it kind of fast but hopefully you can still hear it! I am trying to get her stating her birthday and singing twinkle, twinkle next. WE will see!

Miss Bessie

2011-05-10T16:22:00.000-07:00

My Grandma has been coming to help in my classroom every Tuesday and Thursday. She stays for about an hour and absolutely LOVES it. The kids love her too and call her Miss Bessie. It is too cute! Every day the kids beg and plead to work with her and constantly ask me whos turn it is to work with Miss Bessie next. This has been such a great experience for my Grandma and for me. I truly am grateful to have such an amazing Grandma. I know I say this a lot but I hope to be at least half as wonderful as her one day. Thanks Grandma for being so wonderful with my kiddos. They love you very much!