Day 141: Solar Eclipse

Sunday was a solar eclipse and we have been looking forward to it for quite awhile, it even made it onto the calender. Jeremy made a pinhole projector to see the eclipse the "safe way" but by the time we got down to the beach, it was pretty overcast and we were able to look at the sun with the naked eye. We got LOTS of pictures over time and you can check out more of them on my other blog HERE. It was fun to see the kids get excited over this, since it's something that doesn't have too many times in one's lifetime.

Day 141: Chorley

Age: 163 days old

Day 140: Armed Forces Day Parade

Saturday was the big Armed Forces Day Parade. We were excited, the kids were pretty excited and everyone had a good time. The parade seemed a big dry this year, but it was nice to all be together and get to check it out as a family. This picture is one of my favorites from the day of the boys watching the parade.

They also shook hands with several of the soldiers and even got a picture of the kids with a few of the soldiers:

Day 140: Chorley

Age: 162 days old

Day 139: Cousins

Today we had some smaller visitors come to visit.. that's right most of the Jessop cousins came down for a visit for the big Armed Forces Day Parade. I went up and met Kristine, luckily I had dad and Katelin in the car to keep me company, and Katelin was a great nanny to Chorley in the backseat, as she had her moments on the long drive. We brought back Bailey, Jordan and Ryder and our kids couldn't be more excited to spend the weekend with their cousins.

Day 139: Chorley

Age: 161 days old

Day 138: Double Doozie Yum

I am such a huge fan of the double doozies from back in the day from the GACC. Well Katelin and I found this VERY yummy recipe and decided to give it a go. Even though there is not frosting in the center, there is cookie dough and the fudge cookies are wonderful!!! One was more than enough to try and eat in one sitting. But they are defiantly going to be made again.

Day 138: Chorley (play time of her blankie)

Age: 160 days old

Day 137: A Bunt

One thing that the kids have learned this year in softball and baseball is all about the bunt. Austin pulled off a great bunt and got on base in his game. I just happened to get it on camera too, which worked out great.

Day 137: Chorley

Age: 159 days old

Day 136: Rolling

Looks who's rolling..... Well at least from her tummy to her back. We had put Chorley down to play and Austin, me and Jeremy were sitting around watching her and then all of a sudden she rolled over!! And she kept doing it about 6 or 7 times!!! I was sooo excited and that we actually got to see her make such a big accomplishment!! She would laugh when she would roll and then look startled when she landed on her back, not too sure what to think of it all, but we were excited.

Day 136: Chorley

Age:158 days old

Day 135: Brown Rice

I know this may seem funny.. but this bag of brown rice TOTALLY made my day. We used to get it at Costco last year, and then out of no where they just discontinued it.. Well at Costco today, look what I found!!! The Brown Rice!!! It's 10 bags of brown rice, that store in the freezer and microwave in 3 minutes and it sooo yummy with alot of our dinners, it saves on time and is quick and healthier!!! I love this stuff.

Day 135: Chorley

Age: 157 days old

Day 134: Mother's Day

Today was Mother's Day and I am really truly blessed to have 3 wonderful kids that call me mom!!! Each of them touch my heart in a different way and I love them sooo much. The kids were sooo excited to give me my gifts. I cried of course while opening them. Each of them made a paper in school called "When you thought I wasn't looking..." and they would finish the sentence with different things that they thought I didn't see them paying attention to me while I was doing things. It made me cry.. ALOT!!! Jeremy gave me a wonderful much needed gift certificate to go get a massage and I can't wait to use that one. We made dinner at the house, taco salad and invited my parents over. We had Mississippi Mud for dessert, something I haven't had in a LONG time, yum!!! It was such a wonderful day and I LOVED just spending it with my family!! 

Day 134: Chorley

Age: 156 days old

Day 133: Sydney's Softball Party

Sydney has her end of the season softball party today. They had some fun jumper water slides going on, sand necklaces to make, and a luncheon going on. So there was lots to do. Sydney got a goodie bag, along with a her name from the banner, and a cute softball cookie. Jeremy also took the Webelos Scouts on a hike and Katelin went to help out. Plus Austin had a baseball game later on too. Talk about a busy crazy day. We even got a date night too!!! what a day.

Day 133: Chorley

Age: 155 days old

Day 132: Messy Face

Austin LOVES pasta.. and he is usually pretty messy when he eats it, though he's not too messy any other time he eats. We went to Vince's for dinner, and this kid was in heaven over the pasta, and couldn't get enough. He gladly accepted the bib and began eating. I couldn't resist a picture from the mess maker.

Day 132: Chorley

Age: 154 days old

Day 131: Austin's After School Routine

Ever since Austin started school this year, he does the same thing every time he gets out of school. He runs over to us, with his backpack on, and tries to tag me, before Sydney can get him. Most of the time, him and his friend run out together and try to derail Sydney from tagging Austin. It's just kinda been their thing, and I wait under the same tree every day, it's fun to watch him.

Day 131: Chorley

Age: 153 days old

Day 130: Sitting Together At the Game

One thing Jeremy and I almost never get to do... is sit together at Austin's games!!! Whenever Jeremy is here, he usually sits in the dugout and helps with the boys. On the weekdays games he is usually at work, so we never get to sit together. But today, he was working from home and they had enough help to cover the team in the dugout, so we ACTUALLY got to sit together.. Funny, but it's a big deal to us and I miss sitting together.

Day 130: Chorley

Age: 152 days old

Day 129: Heart Attack

The night before, we got heart attacked!!!! Maybe not what you think, but we came out to our yard covered in hearts!!! Some of the hearts had numbers and letters on them, and it was a code to figure out. When you placed the hearts in order of the number, the phrase read "I think You're Pretty". The heart attack was for Sydney!!! She doesn't quite know who it is, but I do:) She was pretty excited, but drove her crazy she didn't know who it was.

Day 129: Chorley

Age: 151 days old

This picture was sooo cute, she fell asleep while sitting in the corner, playing with some toys. Just flat out asleep... sooo sweet.

Day 128: DMV/ 5 Months

Well it's official, or at least we are official.. we finally have CA drivers licenses. I was super nervous because you have to take a test to get your license, even if your out of state one hasn't expired yet. I got the book, and Jeremy and I studied the night before. I was super nervous and studied extra hard. That part paid off, because I got a minus 0 the first time I took the test!!! you had three chances. They even let me take Chorley in there with the stroller, since Jeremy and I were taking our tests at the same time. Jeremy didn't do too well the first time, and had to take it a second time. Well, we both passed and are good to go. I don't like my picture, but what can ya do?

Day 128: Chorley

Age: 150 days old 5 MONTHS

Day 127: The Korean Friendship Bell

On Sunday afternoon, we decided we just needed to get out of the house and go for a drive. That is the nice thing about having early church. So we headed towards San Pedro and went over the Vincent Thomas bridge, one thing the kids have been wanting to do for awhile, and me too, since I haven't been on it in a long time, and it's where they filmed part of Gone in 60 seconds... my fave movie!!! So we ended up in Long Beach, and drove around a bit. Then we headed back to San Pedro, and Jeremy showed the kids the high school that he went to. Jeremy then said that we should go up to check out the Korean Friendship Bell. I've never been there to see it, and it was really cool. I had no idea it was there. The kids had fun, and the whole park overlooks the beach, with an amazing view!!!

Day 127: Chorley

Age: 149 days old

Day 126: Sydney's Game/ Mini Golf

Today was one of Sydney's last games.. This girl was ON FIRE today at her game. She came up to bat THREE times and hit off the pitcher ALL three times, one was a double!!!! She was amazing up at bat. Really, it's only her first year playing and she has really improved and done great. She's the only one of her team to hit off the pitcher every time up to bat in one game!!! I was sooo proud. Even though the girls didn't win, her team played really hard and it was a close game. She really ended the season with a bang!!

Later that day, since it was Sydney's birthday earlier this week, she invited her best buddy Marley to go to miniature golf with us. We went to Mulligans. We all played two rounds of mini golf. The kids climbed the rock wall twice and then played for some tickets in the arcade for awhile. They had lots of fun, and Chorley was having a good time while we mini golfed too.

Day 126: Chorley

Age: 148 days old

Day 125: Student of the Month

Austin brought home a note earlier this week, saying that he was going to be picked from his class as one of the students on the month!!! He was sooo excited, and we were too. It's been a hard year for him. It's been quite an adjustment, grades and learning wise from what he was doing in school last year to this year. CA was much further ahead in math, then in UT, and they were already doing a monthly oral report, 2 big reports for the year- one on a president, and one on a state, and a science project. We went from having maybe an hour of homework to several hours of homework. So it's been an adjustment. Austin has a great teacher at school, and she always has the nicest things to say about Austin. So when I heard he was getting this award, I was sooo happy and excited for him. I went to the flag ceremony where they give out the awards, they go through each grade, each teacher picks a student, and after they get their award all the kids say "(name of kid) YOU ROCK" so it was pretty cool to hear all the kids says "Austin YOU ROCK!!"

Later that night we went to El Paso Cantina and they had a pre-Cinco De Mayo poster out in the lobby that we all took turns taking pictures with, which was kinda fun:

Day 125: Chorley

Age: 147 days old

Day 124: Recycle

One thing we have gotten back to doing since we moved her is recycling.... We take all our cans, plastic water bottles, and any glass bottles we have to the recycling place. The kids like to go, and I usually let them each have a bag to put into the machine. It's nice because then we get a cash coupon to use at Ralphs, and we figure that usually one full bag of cans and bottles is equal to one gallon of milk, and we usually got when we have 2-3 bags of recycling, so that totally helps on our milk purchase.

Day 124: Chorley

Age: 146 days old

Day 123: In the Car

Today we were in the car for 5 hours!!! seriously, 5 hours!!! Talk about a loooong day. It started about 3:45 when we took Sydney to softball practice, then ran Austin over to his baseball game (baseball fields at the edge of Torrance), back up to Sydney's practice (near PV), watched her practice for a bit, then went back to Austin's game, luckily we got to get out and watch for an hour. The kids ate dinner at the baseball field- cuz really... there was no other time to fit it in. Then back in the car to run Austin to Scouts at 7 and it went till 8, Sydney had Activity Days at the church also from 7:30 to 8:30. So while I waited, Chorley and I just hung out in the car and I read whenever she slept.By the time I got home, it was 8:45 pm!!! totally exhausted and sooo ready to not look at a dashboard anymore!!

Yup this was my total view all day:

Day 123: Chorley

Age: 145 days old

This is how happy Chorley is whenever she wakes up!!! LOVE seeing this little smile when she gets up!!

Day 122: Sydney's 9th Birthday

WOW!!! last year for single digits for my little baby!!! I can't believe she is already 9!! Where has time gone? ahhhh. One of Sydney's first presents was a new outfit, which she loved and wore to school. I also got up and did her hair in a cool fun hairstyle. At lunch time, I went and checked her out of school and took her to Chick-Fil-A, her choice, and ate lunch. After school, she came home to a new banner in her room with her name on it. She choose where we went to dinner, which is her name favorite place, Soup Plantation. We came home and opened presents, and had a homemade chocolate cake, with chocolate frosting, and chocolate chips in the center, this was totally Sydney's choice. Grandma, Grandpa and Katelin were all there for the festivities and we had a fun time. She is sooooo excited and felt extra special and on her big day.

Here's the cake:

Day 122: Chorley

Age: 144 days old

Day 121: Baby Food

Someone is starting solid foods!!!! Well, baby food at least. Chorley had her first round of some rice cereal today. She was a little unsure at first what to think and do with it, but once she got the hang of it, she ate the WHOLE bowl of it, and really wasn't too messy!!! We were kinda excited, she did so well. Kinda reminded me of Austin, he just ate it all up and went for it. Though she did make some pretty funny faces!!!

Day 121: Chorley

Age: 143 days old

Day 120: Utah Report

Sundays seem to have turned into research day whenever there's a report, science project, or oral report that needs to get done. Austin is working on his 5th grade state report and we got.... Utah!!! Talk about super excited. So it's nice that we know ALOT about Utah, but there's still plenty of research time that is needed to go into this report. So Jeremy is the report & projects guys, I'm the nightly homework leader.

Day 120: Chorley

Age: 142 days old