Just for you

I'm getting far too good at this whole blog-slacking thing. So here are some catch-up pics... yet again.

Halloween was kind of a drag. But cool thing: Paige wore the Rainbow Brite (flashback) costume that my grandma made for Chelsea that all of us girls wore for Halloween back when we were little. She was an AMAZING seamstress - pretty good job I think and even better that it's lasted this long! Just check out those boots!

I had bought this cute little skeleton onesie for Cal but of course when I went to put it on it was FAR too small since the kid grows too darn fast. So luckily my sister-in-law had a spare caterpillar for the night. Not like it even mattered though cause he slept the whole time anyways. Oh well.Calvin is now officially on rice cereal - here's the first time photo.

And the first face. "You call this food???"


Paige has been an eager little helper in the kitchen lately.

And a ham everywhere else... as always.
And I just HAD to let you in on the funniest after bath time mullet EVER! "Business in the front, party in the back Mom." She really needs a haircut.
And I was just looking at Paige's pics of when she was the same age as Calvin is now and I was kinda surprised at how they really don't look that much alike. Hmmph?!?!

Paige - 5 months

Calvin - 5 months

Not all that interesting or exciting, but that's what I got.

Bobby Dus!!!

That is what Paige calls Baby Gus... Bobby Dus. So cute. Anyways, I just got these pics from Chel and I couldn't help but post them - I am SO EXCITED to have a new little nephew and even more so to have my sis join the mothering world... as if we didn't have enough to talk about already!!! Here he is!!!

Oooo I just wanna SQUEEZE him!

OF COURSE they came equipped with a skeleton costume for Halloween

Proud Papa Shane, love it

Little Gus Gus in his AMAZING crib bedding that Chel made ALL FROM SCRATCH!! No joke, she made the bumper, bed skirt, sheets, blanket, and all the matching accessories. I'm not sure this is my sister... but I am STUNNED and quite frankly a little jealous. I mean seriously, look at that blanket!!! Good work Chelsifer.

JOY & heartache

My big sister Chelsea and her hubby Shane had their first little baby on Halloween - HOORAY!!! Baby boy Gus Armstrong... 7lbs. 20.5 inches. He is adorable and I can't wait to spoil the pants off of him. So exciting and SO STINKING HAPPY!!

and

I don't know if I have just become more aware or what, but ever since Justin passed away it seems like tragedies just keep coming left and right all around. It is just ripping my heart into pieces for all those going through such hard times. My love, thoughts, and prayers go out to them all - too many to list. Please please pray for all those burdened with hearthache. It works... I know.

Me, Quirky??? Nah...

I've finally decided to honor the whole tagging charade this little blogging world has created. So here you have it - some of my quirks.

• I HATE belly buttons. I think they got to be one of the grossest, dirtiest, smelliest, yuckiest parts of the body. I mean, hello??? It's a big hole in the middle of your middle. Patrick loves to stick his finger in his and then chase me with it. He once paid me 5 minutes of feet rub per second that I swooshed my finger in his belly button. The WORST 3 seconds of my life. GROSS.


• I can not, no way, no how, get a brain freeze. And trust me, I've tried. Pretty cool huh?


• You know when you see an actor and you know they're in something else but you can not for the life of you remember?? Well I am unusually good at figuring it out. I know it sounds kind of weird and fairly stupid, but I really feel like it's one of my great talents in life or something and I am totally awesome at it. "Who her?? Woman #2 on this old episode of Seinfeld?? Easy, Elle's friend on Legally Blonde who does her nails and likes the UPS guy. Duh." I know, you are all so envious.


• I feel like there are two types of people in this world: Twizler people, and Red Vine people. Let me make it clear that I AM A RED VINE WOMAN. And I love them... LOVE them. Now I don't know how you Twizler lovers even call that morphed wax licorice, but it is despicable. I almost feel like Twizler people should just live in a Twizler colony while all of us real licorice lovers live on in normalcy. Wow, that was harsh, sorry. But Twizlers... seriously??


• I can totally do the splits. Shocked? Ya, I'm surprisingly flexible for a 6 foot Amazon.


• I have an obsession with putting things together. Like every time something says "assembly required" my heart does this little leap of joy knowing that as soon as we get home I get to sit and work on it. And I squealed with delight when I got a 400 piece set of K'Nex for my birthday... as in this past 24th birthday. Squealed.

State Fair

NEED I SAY MORE????

Well yes, I guess I should, but isn't fair food the real reason you even truck your hiney all the way to downtown Phoenix and join yourself with the scum of the earth in the first place?? haha, just a joke my friends... kind of. Anyways, we had a surprise visit from part of the Forbis clan this past weekend and had lots of fun and decided to add the AZ State Fair to the list. Not as glamorous as I remember as a wee one, but we still had fun.

We even got Calvin in on the fried goodness action... heehee

Paige found her future calling - a 4H champion goat contender

The petting zoo was pretty great - yes folks, A GIRAFFE!

Aww... so special with the giant lit-up food palace in the backround.

And Paige had the BEST time with Gma Forbis playing dress-up, reading books, and everything else she could squeeze into a weekend - such cute little buddies!

Cabin Fever

We got to go up to my parents' cabin this past weekend and had SO MUCH FUN!!! Seriously, it was so nice to just get out of town and not worry about a darn thing. We had some great adventures. It was so strange to be taking Paige to all the places I went at her age and show her all the crazy/silly little things I did up there back in the day. I swear it feels like I was just there a month ago playing mud wars with all my siblings. That's it, I'm officially getting old. But I still wouldn't mind a good mud war or two...

We decided (accidently) to take the Apache Trail/Roosevelt Dam route up to Payson. It may have taken us 5 hours instead of 2 but man was it a site to see. And yes, those planks of wood are the sorry excuse for a gaurd rail keeping us from crashing to our death on the smallest one lane dirt road I've EVER seen - way to go AZ.

"Chapstick??? What chapstick??"

Had some good bonding time with cousin Tate.

And cousin Celyn.

Calvin did a lot of snugling and my mom didn't mind a bit - it was chilly!
Did some ATV riding - I swallowed a bug for the millionth time in my life - awesome.
Did some hiking - this was Paige's prefered mode of transportation.

Had some great times with Pop Pop and Ganky. (we don't really call them that but don't you think we should?)
Some more snugling for Cal.
Paige had her first REAL s'more.
It was successful.


And what woodsy trip would be complete without a bonfire??? LOVE that smokey smell.

Oh the Joy

I am so grateful for fun/happy times like this that make all the screaming, crying, tantrum throwing, spit up-ing, poop-smearing, hitting, no napping, door slamming and insanely loud yelling worth every single minute. Oh, and with an occasional whimper from the kids, hahaha.

I just LOVE these kiddos

Cal's a big fan of patty-cake

Paige trying to shmooze her way into the "just boys" photo

Such a happy little booger

This kid has got to be a little rascal in the making cause he can get away with just about anything with me - love that goober!

September

Yes, it has been about a month since the last update. So here it is at a glance...

Patrick's younger brother Kevin came down to stay with us for a couple of weeks and we LOVED having him here! He is so much fun and Paige just about gobbled him to pieces - she just couldn't get enough! And I was in heaven having some adult interaction during the days. Thanks for all the help and fun Kev!

Awww... brotherly love.

Also, my sister Chelsea and her husband Shane flew in from Spokane for a weekend and they are expecting their first little babe in just about 5 weeks!!!! I am SO pumped! But if you know Chel at all she hates surprises and showers... so her lovely friend Randi and I decided to throw her a surprise shower! HAHAHA!! It was hilarious and she was a little bit mad at first, but I think she got over it. It was all out of love... okay, and a little bit selfishness just to see her face.

Big man Cal is mastering the Bumbo - he's getting pretty good without it as well. Such a studly little man. He has also been sleeping like a CHAMP for quite some time now - about 8pm to 6am every night. I am SO grateful. And he's one heck of a heartbreaker with that little sideways smile of his.

And of course little miss P-diddy. I just can never take enough pictures of this chiquita. Love her to pieces.

Yup, she's still hard core into dress-up and even more so now that she got some new dolling up goods from Grandma Forbis - thank you thank you!

"Snap me darling, I just can't stand how beautiful I am."

And the other night I took Cal to the Relief Society broadcast with me so Paige and Patrick could have a Daddy-Daughter night and this is what I came home to:

FORT-MANIAAAA!!!!! They had so much fun renting all her favorite movies, cooking a pizza together, chowing down ice cream and building this fort to just go crazy in. What a great night to remember.

Labor Day Lovin'

We had a little "stay-cation" over Labor Day weekend but definitely made the most of it. We had a family swim night and took Cal for his first dip. He LOVED it! And I have to say that he's got the cutest little man-boobs I've ever seen. Hilarious. Also one morning Paige and I had WAY too much time to kill so I straightened her hair. It was crazy not to see her little curls bouncing around - I hardly recognized her. Such a sassy little thing.