SPRING BREAK 2009 AND A LITTLE BRAGGING ABOUT MY HUSBAND!

We have had a great spring break! Our week started out with the girls going to visit their aunt, uncle, and cousins in Owasso. They had so much fun! I believe that they spoiled them rotten! They went to a movie, roller skating, bowling, had a picnic at the park, out to eat many a times, had a cook out at a friends house, went shopping, made bracelets, did their nails and I'm sure alot more that I have forgotten to include! I believe that they were busy from sun up to sun down!

While the girls were at their cousins, Randy and I were able to go on a trip that he won through work. We went to Orange County, California! Oh those days were so blissful!! We didn't find out until almost the end of February that Randy had actually won the trip but we were so excited when we heard the good news. The trip was a reward for being one of the top sellers at AT&T for 2008 in the southern region of the U.S. I was so very proud of Randy....he has only been at AT&T since December of 2007 and was able to make it to the top in 1 year. This trip is considered the ultimate reward at his work. There have been people that have been with the company for 15 years and just got to go on the trip this year, so needless to say, for Randy to do it in a year was so exciting!!! He gives 200% to his job so for him to be rewarded so generously was wonderful! We stayed at the St. Regis Resort and Spa in Dana Pointe, California. It was absolutely beautiful! We had the most amazing time! The food was great and the friends that we made were great and so fun. I absolutely loved just getting to be Randy's wife for a couple of days...some times I just feel like I'm Alexis' and Isabella's mom...which is great BUT I truly love being his wife so that was one of my favorite things about the trip. We got to go out on the Pacific Ocean and watch dolphins swim with our boat, go to Disneyland, go to Laguana Beach for dinner. They treated us so great while we were there...it was like our wish was their command! For those of you who know me well......that's the perfect world that I'm always looking for to live in!! AT&T really treated us great the whole time we were there! Randy works with a great group of people and I got the chance to meet them and their spouses and we just had the best time hanging out with all of them! When we would call to check on the girls we could barely get 2 words out of them because they were so busy doing things! That made the trip a lot easier for me to enjoy since I wasn't having to worry about them. This was the first time I had ever really left Isabella for several days in a row and I was very nervous and worried about that. I knew Alexis would be fine but I was anxious about Isabella and that she would want me. HaHa, I don't think she even missed me in the slightest!! We ended the week by going to Cuppies and Joe's with Nana and going to eat Mexican food with Mimi! Next week~ I'm going to have to go on a diet!!!! (Ok well for some reason I can't type under the pictures so I'll just tell you what each one is here!)

The first one is one of the many fountains at our hotel. This one is out front.

The second one is a sunrise view from our balcony.

The third one is of us and the store manager at Randy's store and his wife Amber. I LOVED getting to know her!

The forth one is a sunset view from out on the lawn at the hotel.

The last one is the view from one of the balconies at the hotel. You can see the flower garden just past the pool, then the golf course, then the Pacific ocean.

It was so beautiful there!!

WEEKEND FUN!!

What a fun weekend we had! On Friday evening I went out with my LifeGroup girls. We went to Ted's (mexican food) to eat and then went over to a little cupcake shop that recently opened in the area. It's called Cuppies and Joe's. It is so cute with a fun little atmosphere! We had a great time but I always have fun when I'm with those girls!! The girls stayed with my parents while Randy finished up working and then he headed over there to pick them up. Alexis got a cooking lesson from my mom in how to make pizza! She loved it! She wants to take cooking lessons from my mom so I guess this was her first one! Then on Saturday we went to my niece's dance recital. She did a great job! After her recital all of the family went to lunch at another mexican food place. Don't worry I could eat mexican food everyday if I had to....that's what I craved when I was pregnant with the girls! We always have a good time when we are with our family! Then the girls and I did a little shopping with Randy's mom. We had such a great day! On Sunday, Alexis woke up with a really bad cough and fever so we didn't get to go to church. My nephew had stayed the night with us though so at least he was here to keep the girls company! They loved having him here! Well..sorry I didn't get to post any pics with this post but for some reason I couldn't find it on my camera.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ISABELLA LOVE WHEELER!!!

Today is Isabella's 5th birthday! She has really been celebrating all weekend long. On Saturday she got to go to the mall with her cousins to see a movie and get their nails done! It was Maddison's birthday this weekend also! On Saturday evening we had her family party at our house. I think that we had close to 50 people here and that was just grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins (some great aunts and uncles as well)! Our girls are truly blessed with having a very large family on both sides that love them so much. Then on Sunday we went to church and to Pops for lunch. They announced over the intercom that it was Isabella's birthday on Monday and she just about crawled under the table from embarrasment!! Then on Sunday evening we went to my parents for dinner and the girls stayed the night with them! When Isabella woke up this morning my mom had a special breakfast for her since today was REALLY her birthday~white powdered donuts! She LOVES them and doesn't get them very often at home! I think my mom said that she 7! We then went to my sister's house for a birthday lunch for Isabella! I think that she had a pretty good birthday getting to celebrate all weekend long!

Isabella~ We love you so much and are always entertained by you. You keep us laughing! We love your personality and love having you in our family! Happy 5th birthday!

IS IT JANUARY ALREADY?

The girls in their Christmas outfits!

Five Generations!!

Randy's NeNe with the girls!

Oh my, my, my....it's January ALREADY! Where did December go?? Well, December is usally really busy so this year was no different. The kids had school Christmas parties and programs and we had our annual LifeGroup Christmas party at our house. Signs had to be made for customers and for gifts that we were given and food had to be made to take to different get togethers...I love Christmas time! Our Christmas celebrating is usually a week long event by the time we go to everyone's house that we celebrate at. It is crazy busy during that week but I wouldn't trade it for anything! Randy and I and our girls are truly blessed with families that love us so much and are so good to us. We really enjoy being with our siblings (and their families), parents, grandparents, and cousins. That's a lot of peeps...considering Randy comes from a family of 9 kids....yes 9 kids (that's why we only have 2 kids and are done!!) but we really love being with all of his siblings and their families and kids as well. It's crazy and loud but that's how it is and we are use to it! Oh yeah, go ahead and throw in 3 dogs running around in the house as well...it really is crazy. I feel like quoting Kate off of the TV show John and Kate Plus Eight "It might be crazy but it's our life!" Then for New Year's Eve we hung out with our LifeGroup with all of the kiddos and rang in the new year at midnight with the kids that were still awake!! For those of you who don't know what a LifeGroup is, it is basically like a Sunday School class but we meet on Wednesday nights instead. Our church provides childcare for us and Alexis does a class at church on that night and we go to someones house and hang out and do our Bible study. We have 6 couples who are in our group. We truly love each and every one of them and they are some of our favorite people to be with. The rest of the Christmas break was spent just hanging out and Randy working ALOT of hours. I attempted to go to the mall several times with the girls and threatened several times to just leave my youngest one there....just kidding, well kinda! Isabella really isn't a shopper and I don't understand how a child of mine can't be a shopper!!! Oh yeah..because she has half of her dad's genes! I took my mother in law with me one of those times thinking that Isabella would be a little better and a little more entertained..but she wasn't. We eventually left my mother in law there and parted ways...I was a little envious of her getting to just keep shopping all by her lonesome for as long as she wanted to or didn't want to! She told me as we were leaving that next year for Christmas she was going to get me a gift certificate for a baby sitter so I could go shopping!!! Oh that would be heaven! I really hope she does..that will probably be my favorite gift! And just for the record, I really wouldn't leave her anywhere! Well..maybe...ok no! If anyone would like to babysit a REALLY cute and funny 4 year old (almost 5), just let me know! She can feed herself, wipe her own nose, and wipe herself!! Hey that last one is a BIG deal! She just learned that over Thanksgiving break when my dad kept the girls by himself and he drew the line at doing THAT for her!! Okay..I should end this. If Randy reads it he will say I'm just rambling!

Gingerbread Houses!!

Tonight my sisters and kids came to our house and we ordered pizza and made gingerbread houses. WOW...was this a project! The girls really got into it and worked really hard on their houses. Some ideas were originals and some where stolen ideas from another person at the table!

I think that we all had a great time tonight! We really could have used my mom's help with Drew. Alison, Ashley and myself were busy helping the girls and Drew keep wondering off and we would have to go find him! He gave up on his gingerbread house and just started eating it! He keeps us all laughing and just makes Alison tired and worn out!

I (Heart) Drew!

I just couldn't resist getting a picture with Drew with the new shirt that Alison bought for him! I think that he rocks too!!

Thanksgiving 2008

(Isabella in her turkey hat and Alexis with her Thanksgiving placemat)

We had a great Thanksgiving this year! We started the Thanksgiving break by putting up our Christmas tree on Tuesday evening and then on Wednesday night we went out to eat with my whole family. Then on Thanksgiving day we went to Randy's grandma's house and ate lunch with his whole family. Later that evening, we met up with my family again and went to the movies. My parents and brother took the kids to see Bolt and Randy and I and Alison and Andy went to see Four Christmas'. That movie is hilarious!! On Friday my mom, sisters and myself went shopping for 16 hours....yes, 16 hours! We love it though, we have a very set routine that we do every year and certain places that we eat breakfast and lunch. Then for dinner we go back to my parents house for some smoked turkey that my dad makes for us each year. That turkey that he makes, is the BEST turkey that I have every tasted. After we eat dinner, we go back out shopping for a few more hours! We literally shop until we drop on Black Friday! I have to say a big thank you to my dad and brother who helped me in my "emergency situation." Randy had to work on Black Friday, so Seth spent the night with us so that he would be here in the morning when the girls got up and then took them to my parents house where my dad watched them ALL day long by himself! I don't know who was more tired...my girls or my dad! We have had a great Thanksgiving weekend and ready to get into that Christmas spirit!!

(Alexis rockin' out to Sugarland...I purchased it on Friday for $7.00!)

Oh, I almost forgot...Isabella had a feast on Tuesday at her school, so Randy and I went to that. She was cracking us up...she was so quiet and obedient and she kept giving us this smile that was hilarious. For those of you who don't know..Isabella isn't quiet and she only obeys some of the time!