My TINY Dancer ~

Hailey is a BEAUTIFUL Ballerina ~

She had her VERY first Ballet class today and she LOVED it! A good friend of mine in our ward let me know she was going to have Dance Classes. I was excited to go home and let Hailey know, and when I told her she was going to be a ballerina she just smiled from ear to ear and told me "We better go get me a tutu." Well; we got THREE ballet outfits, but she picked this one out herself... BRIGHT pink tights and all! :)

As you can tell in the pictures the girls had a GREAT time!

THANKS Miss Wendy!!

My BIG Pre-School GIRL!! ~

Today was Hailey's FIRST day of Pre-School!!

I know... I know...

So What? Big Deal? It's Only Pre-School!

Well HELLO!! This is a HUGE DEAL at the Bird House!

Momma gets THREE hours TWICE a week with just ONE KID!!!

"Heaven... I'm in Heaven..."

This Momma celebrated rather than crying!
I took Landon to Target and let him play with the toys...

Here are the pictures of my BIG girl ~

 YES, she dressed herself ~
(Princess Shirt, Princess Pink Skirt, Princess Purple Shoes AND Princess Backpack)

 She is SO sweet and was SO ready for her first day of school...

 But not before she picked up some snails and jumped off the rock in the front of our house...

OR before she helped me make and eat some Minnie Mouse Pancakes ~

"Look at me Mom ~ I am ALL ready for school!"

It started off GREAT! We went to Miss Lori's House. When I told her this was her school she said "Mommy, this is not a school, this is a HOUSE!"

So through giggles I said "Well guess what, YOU are so special that you get to go to school at a HOUSE!" to which her reply was

"Oh Mommy, I LOVE IT!" She walked in and said goodbye without ANY TEARS from ANYONE!

When I went to pick her up Miss Lori said she did wonderful!! That is until the end when it was time to clean up; she was not done painting, and had a fit because I was coming to get her soon. (apparently she did not want to leave) Then she was sad about leaving her painting there; it was the first page they were making to put into a special book for pre-school projects, but besides that it was

THE BEST DAY!!

So happy for my Little Girl to Explore and Grow!!

Now ~ Let's see how THURSDAY goes...

Clovis Family Night Out ~

We just LOVE the community we moved into.

It has a "small town feel" with all the great things a "big town has to offer" 

A friend of mine let me know about the "Clovis Night Out" this last Saturday. Our family has been a little bit under the weather with a cold, so it was nice to get out of the house and get some fresh air...

We were able to walk down the street to Clovis High School and attend this wonderful Community Event.

There were Bounce Houses as far as the eye could see, vendors selling everything and anything you could want; (Uhm ~ HELLO Kettle Corn)... they had police cars, garbage trucks, and firetrucks for the kids to explore and learn about... and that is just what we did...

 Here I am telling Hailey and Landon that they can help "put out a fire" with the fireman hose...

 Are you at all shocked that Landon walked right up and pulled the nosel on the hose!? He LOVED it!

And here is Hailey IN the Firetruck... she loved talking with the earphones on!!
We saw some friends, jumped in some bounce houses, slid down some HUGE slides and stayed until it got too dark to walk home...

THANK YOU CLOVIS!!

WE LOVE YOU!!

Everybody working for the weekend...

MAN yeah we sure are! This week has been a CRAZY HOTT mess!! We had plans every night and YES we made it through the week!!
We went swimming and out to eat Monday Night with our dear friends THE BAKERS! We checked out this Thai place in Fresno... can I just say ~ PINEAPPLE RICE IS AMAZING!! I forget what the restaurant was called; it was on Shaw near the Fashion Fair Mall... I was not crazy about the prices, luckily we had a 25$ gift certificate from restaurant.com that helped make it OK. However, the company was great so that made it amazing!! We did a little shopping at the mall after and I fell in LOVE with this place ~

Charming Charlie

THE MOST ADORABLE PLACE FOR JEWELRY EVA!! They have TONS and TONS of jewelry!! In every color you could EVER WANT!! The displays had me in SHOCK! I was walking around looking at prices and I was in LOVE all over again! It is across from Cheesecake Factory (another guilty pleasure of mine) at the Fashion Fair Mall... YOU NEED THIS STORE!!

We had the kids and hubbies with us, so Lauren and I decided we need to go back ALONE for sure... GIRLS NIGHT ANYONE??

(I am sure there will be a future post dedicated to THIS place)

So then Tuesday Night I had an Arbonne Party. I went to a party a few weeks ago at a friends house and was offered a FREE Firming Body Cream just for having a party. After seeing THESE pictures of before and after stretch marks I was SOOOOOO ready to try it!!

We did Facials and Foot Soaks. It was SO NICE!! We ate and gossiped and had a great time!!

So then on Wednesday Night my friend Lauren had HER Arbonne Party for her to get her free STRETCH MARK CREAM... Let me just say TWO nights of foot scrub relaxation was AMAZING!!

So next comes Thursday Night... BABY SHOWER FOR LAURA FIELD. I went to her baby shower a few weeks ago that her family threw. This party was thrown by some ladies in our ward. It was fun to chat and watch her open cute stuff yet again.... Ahhhh makes me want baby number three....

THEN comes Friday Night... after cleaning and taking care of crabby kids, I was SO ready for Date Night. And what better to do for date night then take the boat out and go wakeboarding!!?? We invited Josh and Kimmy Sorenson and James and Kresta Kraucyk. MAN was it a great night out! Everyone was able to wakeboard ~ meaning that we all got up and I would say kinda enjoyed it... then we did TUBE WARS 2011. Husbands VS. Wives was fun. The Kraucyk's tied, and Kimmy Sorenson beat her husband Josh for sure! Since Matt and I are the drivers of the boat; we did not get in on the spouse action; however Matt and Josh did a little tube war while I drove. I have to admit I was trying to throw Matt, so that may have been why Josh won, but Matt did have fun jumping onto Josh's tube and pulling him off. Then I decided all the girls needed to just have a relaxing run on the tubes so we did this...

Kimmy on one tube, ME straddling both tubes, and Kresta on the other tube...

We tried to all stand up at the same time, but it did not work out as we had planned it. Somehow straddling two tubes does not work when you try to stand up. The two girls were standing, but the second I stood the tubes separated... We still had a BLAST!

It sure has been a NICE LONG week.

Hailey Starts Pre-School AND Ballet this next week... wish us luck!!

I am a little annoyed...

So yeah, Blogger is not letting me comment on some pages and I am getting a little annoyed. I read things and want to comment to my dear friends then blogger is dumb and blocks me from making my amazing comments... anyone else having this problem??
I can type the comment and when I submit it something comes up saying my soccerbarbie03 account does not have access to do that action... really because I did before!! DO I need a gmail account or something now?? UGH... anyways... that is why I am not commenting on your blogs friends, blogger won't let me...

I love being a mommy...

REALLY I do...
I mean, it is not the easiest thing I have ever done; but it is the most rewarding AND the most funny...
Take last night for example...
I had just finished watching one of my new favorite shows THE GLEE PROJECT, and it was the season finale. After it was over I was SO excited about who had won that I called up my sister Sharon and my Mother to see if they were as happy as I was. They were just starting to watch it, and so I told them to call me back after they saw it. When I got off the phone I was getting Hailey ready for bed. Her room was a mess so I was helping her clean. I went to pick up her suitcase to put it away and noticed it was heavy and had something in it. I opened it and to my surprise I found this...

 When I saw this I giggles and said "Hailey what did you pack your bag for?" and she replied to me while brushing her teeth upside down on her bed "I am all ready to go an see Shar Shar and Grandma." I laughed and called Matt in to see what our daughter had done. As I was unpacking her bag (because we are not going to visit for another two weeks) I laughed so hard I started crying and THIS is why...

The Contents in Her Suitcase:

1 pair of Christmas Snow Man Panties

1 Orange Elmo T-Shirt (her FAV, it has a rainbow on it)

1 Blue and White pair of shorts

1 pair of jean shorts

6 pairs of Pajamas

and her KaiLan Toy Doll...

REALLY HAILEY... One pair of panties?? I guess that is how "She Rolls"

SO ONTO my next good laugh... my son Landon...

He has been showing signs of being ready to Potty Train for a while now. After I found this cute little "Potty TRAIN-ing Kit" and after we were going to be settled in at home for a while I decided TODAY was the day to start. The kit has a Potty Video, a Potty Book, Potty stickers, a Choo Choo whistle, and a Parents Manuel on how to train your kid. After reading the Manuel, I took the kids (yes Hailey helped me) to the playroom to watch the Potty Video...

We watched it twice then headed back to the bathroom for some WORK. We read the book, sang potty songs, blew the choo choo whistle, ran some water, had sister give us a potty demonstration... and after about 20 minutes he FINALLY went PEE on the potty!! Insert Jumping for Joy and Squealing with delight here. "GOOD BOY, YOU WENT PEE PEE ON THE POTTY! What a BIG BOY!" we reinforced how excited we were, gave him his sticker and candy, washed his hands and were on our way. We did this a few times, but because I kept putting on Pull Ups he would have an accident. I thought stripping him down naked might help him remember to go on the potty... we tried one last time, then I decided we needed to get lunch going. So we all headed to the kitchen to make lunch. The kids wanted eggs so I started making them. I ran and grabbed the potty chair for Landon to have JUST IN CASE he needed it. I ran back to the eggs, cooked them up and put the on the kids plates. I was heading to the kitchen sink with the empty pan in my hand and to my dismay I slipped, fell to the floor on my bottom and SAT in my sons pee.

AWESOME RIGHT? YEAH.

As I am getting up Hailey asks me if I have a boo boo. I say I am OK then I look at Landon and ask him if he peed on my floor; he just smiles and puts his head down... It is then that I decide to laugh rather than get upset and both kids just sit laughing with me about the whole situation.

And then I remember something REALLY nice...

A little while earlier my sweet friend Kimmy Sorenson had left this plate

(minus one; I may have eaten one before I took this picture) of

PINK LEMONADE CUPCAKES on my doorstep "Just Because..."

KIMMY, you made this day THAT much better! YUMMMOOOO!

And if you are local Check out Frosted Cupcakes ~ I promise you will not be disappointed.

THIRTY ~

Today I went to the DMV to renew my licence.

Today I realized my birthday is coming up and I am turning . . .

DUN DUN DUNNNNNNNNNN

Some would be in SHOCK...

Some would rather skip this day all together...

However THIS GIRL is in "A Good Place"

I have been telling myself;

There is NOTHING wrong with turning 30 when you have all the things you wanted accomplished at this age.

I have a wonderful husband.

Two sweet little kiddos to love and adore.

A house that is our HOME... 

I am SO at peace, NOTHING can make me feel 30 is a bad thing...

BRING IT ON ~

October 1st Here I come READY OR NOT!!

The DMV lady let me keep my weight the same it has been since I started driving at 16...
I asked her if I needed to update the info and she said "Only if you want to..." I decided to leave it be; this will be an early birthday present to myself... YEP STILL 111 ~ haha!!

My Dad is the BEST man I know...

 Seriously... HE is...

I would have done this post ON his birthday,

but because we were SO LUCKY we got to be with him on that special day. 

So the BIRTHDAY WISHES are a little late in 'Blog World'.

 I have to admit being there in person to celebrate was WAY more fun... 

His birthday fell on a Sunday this year, luckily he had to go to early church meetings so we were able to clean up the house and make a HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD~PAPA!! sign.

And get a little bit of the meal prepared...

We had a LOVELY dinner and dessert of his choosing and he opened his presents and loved

EVERY SINGLE ONE...

Hailey was helping him open his presents...

The next night my oldest sister Tiffany was in town with her kids so we decided to celebrate

Dad's Birthday OUT ON THE TOWN!

We went to CHANG'S... ALL OF US...

Mom, Logan Ray, Preston, Dad, Evan Ray, Tiffany Ray, Kimberley Ray...

Kim (again) Crystal, Sharon, Landon, Me and Hailey (Owen Ray not pictured)
We had FAMILY STYLE Dinner and it was AMAZING!!
After I got my pictures for my blog; Hailey decided she wanted to take a few pictures of her own...
Here are the ones that KINDA turned out ~

She is SO going to be just like me; capturing every moment she can. It is nice to get together as a family and celebrate our loved ones. I am beyond thankful for my wonderful father. I love him more and more every time I get to see him. He is truly the BEST man I know...
Here is an ODE to my Dad ~

This is for my hero, my Dad

The best father a kid could ever have

You laughed a lot and kept me happy

Even if some of your jokes were kinda crappy...

You were always there for the important things
And really helped me find my wings
I appreciate the love you have shared
And I always know how much you have cared.

The words THANK YOU are just not enough
And finding the words to say is tough
To try to express the way I feel
It really is something I need to reveal.

So I guess all I can say is this...
I really do not want to miss
The opportunity to share my true
thoughts and say; DAD ~ I LOVE YOU!

Thank you Dad for being AMAZING!

Happy Birthday LOVE the Birds ~

P.S. I hope the new Tool Bench is everything you ever wanted and MORE! :)

No one likes this . . .

My friend had this link on FB, and I LOVED it.

I am constantly trying to figure out how to deal with the rude people at the store; staring me down like I am the WORST mother ever...

also my GOOD and BAD friends observations of WHY my children are the way they are.

AND dare I say it... YES even FAMILY with what I like to call "SAYING THINGS BEFORE YOU THINK ABOUT WHAT IS COMING OUT OF YOUR MOUTH CONCERN"...
ANYWAYS this was helpful...

(and I in NO way am singling any one person out... I am SURE I have offended others in the past, and I looked at these things not only for myself to remember to keep my mouth shut, but also to remember that SOME of these comments come from REAL love and I need to just take it as that...)

HOW TO HANDLE ANNOYING PARENTING ADVISE

Graceful ways to handle unsolicited parenting advice, even if it comes from your family

By Barbara Rowley
As a baby, my daughter Anna refused to wear her shoes or socks. Not a big deal if we lived on a sunny beach. But we live in Montana -- and she was born in late October. So the first line of the mother-daughter battlefield was drawn: I put her shoes and socks on, she worked them off. If she was lucky, she'd push them off when we were in transit and they'd be lost forever. Score: Anna 1, Mom 0.
Then one day, while we were on vacation, a stranger wandered into the crossfire. She was older, better rested, better dressed, and apparently a self-proclaimed authority on baby podiatry. She took one look at Anna in the hotel lobby and screeched, "Ooooh! Look at the tiny little baby with the cold feet!"
"They aren't cold," I said, instantly defensive. "Feel them!" I thrust my daughter's feet, dangling from my chest as she hung in her front carrier, toward the woman's hands. Her parting shot as she cradled Anna's darling little tootsies: "They're like ice!" I turned and left, holding my daughter's (warm, I tell you!) feet and feeling pretty ridiculous.
Almost every mom has a similar story about when someones criticism made her fume. The trigger can be anything from an idle remark -- for instance, your mother-in-law wondering aloud why you have to nurse so often -- to comments that seem specifically designed to hurt (the mom who declares within earshot that she'd never let her child have formula, right as you give your baby a bottle). In fact, people don't have to use words at all -- a disapproving stare from your sister as you turn on the TV for your toddler can speak volumes.
Of course, in the immortal words of my own mother, what does it matter what other people think? Well, it shouldn't, but too often it does. Here's how to manage meddlers, well-meaning or not:

Stranger danger

From the moment you're visibly pregnant till (I can only imagine) the time your child becomes a teenager, people you've never laid eyes on before will feel compelled to question your parenting skills. Their input should be the easiest to dismiss -- you don't know these people, right? On the other hand, they don't know you! So how can they presume to say these things?
This is precisely why Brynn Dessent can never forget the woman who stood behind her at the bank one day. "I was holding my five-month-old and talking about how I had to go back to work and how hard it was," remembers Dessent, a Los Angeles based post production film supervisor. "This lady said I was making a big mistake -- that her own son had never forgiven her for working." The worst part? "She didn't know my financial reasons for working, or my emotional struggle with it all," says Dessent.
Jennifer Salerno, a mom of four, has learned to give strangers who are a little too free with their advice a low-key lesson in the fact that she's someone who knows what she's doing, thank you. "I just say, 'Oh, yes, that worked with my other three at home' or 'Yes, but this is nothing compared to what his older siblings did,' " she says. "That just shuts people down."
Even if you have just one child, humor can work wonders, says Leah Hennen, of Oakland. Initially, whenever her daughter, Laurel, had a tantrum in public, strangers' reactions made her want to scream, too. "People asked, 'Aww...is she having a bad day?' " Eventually, says Hennen, "my husband and I would say, 'Not really -- you should've seen her on Sunday.' " This gave people the gentle message to let her handle it.

Relatively rude
Getting unwelcome input from people you don't know is annoying. Yet it's somehow even worse to hear it from people who know you well, since their remarks can pack an extra punch.
Lisa Fry* of Birmingham, Alabama, learned this the hard way after she asked her in-laws not to let their dogs lick her infant daughter's face. They acted as if the request was "ridiculous," Fry says, adding, "Now, when I visit, they say things to the dogs like 'Don't give kisses to the baby now, Lisa's here.' " And they continue to insist that dogs have sanitary mouths.
Right now, she just ignores their comments. But she admits, "I'm trying to figure out a way in which I can tell them that there are certain things that I believe, and that while they can believe differently, they need to respect what I think and want."
Figuring out what you can ignore and what's nonnegotiable is key. Fortunately for Shannon Rebolledo, the Wichita, Kansas, mom of 3-year-old Raef, her in-laws offer advice only from afar, since they're in South America. "They wanted me not to breastfeed my son for the first week of his life because I'd had gestational diabetes. They said I'd give it to him, something I knew was medically incorrect," she says. Her response? "I just said, 'Okay.' " Then she went ahead and nursed her baby.

Meddling mom friends
Since they're so often the victims of unwanted advice themselves, you'd expect other moms to think carefully before they speak. But sometimes they can be the worst offenders -- maybe because they have so many of their own experiences to base their opinions on.
When my friend Alice Smith* had her daughter Jenny* five years ago, strangers would occasionally comment on how the tip of infant Jenny's tongue often protruded from her mouth. "I didn't think it was a big deal," says Smith, but because other people kept mentioning it, she shared her concerns with her friend Mary*. Rather than reassuring her that Jenny was fine, "Mary went on and on about how her sister had the same problem as a child and had speech problems and eating issues, and ended up needing reconstructive surgery on her mouth!"
Jenny's tongue eventually retreated into her mouth without any intervention at all. It took years for Alice to come to understand why Mary (who has given her less than supportive advice on a few other occasions) had upset her so much. "I finally realized that she has the best intentions and is only trying to share information that she has found useful," she says. "She just doesn't stop to think that what happened in one case, or what worked for one person, doesn't necessarily apply to me."
Kate Cook, a Palo Alto, California, mother of three, had a similar problem with a friend whose older son suffered from several health problems. "She would just give me so much advice based on what happened to her and her son that it would send me into a tailspin," Cook says. "I've come to see that this is just her deal -- not mine. My kids aren't the same as hers."
Another strategy: Depending on the relationship you have with your friend, be honest.
Tell her you're sharing your worries because you want a sympathetic ear, not necessarily advice, and certainly not criticism. Chances are she'll respect your wishes.

Caregivers who care too much
There's a fine line between being super helpful and super annoying, and even the best sitter or daycare provide may not be aware when she's crossing it and butting in. Parenting contributing editor Denene Millner, an Atlanta mom of two and step mom of one, remembers the time her nanny was concerned about her daughters' colds and wanted Millner to rub a Mentholatum ointment on their chests before bed. "When I didn't, she acted like I was trying to make them suffer," she says.
Millner didn't want to fire her nanny for caring too much, or lose her in anger. So she did what any good manager would: She delegated, asking her husband to talk to their nanny about it instead. "It preserves the equality in my relationship with our nanny by letting my husband be the boss and deal with the misunderstandings that arise," she says. "It also keeps the relationship between her and me healthy while still letting me blow off steam through a third party."
Of course, if you don't have a person ready to play the bad-cop role in your household, you'll have to address your concerns with your caregiver directly, which can feel uncomfortable to consider but empowering to actually do. I've done it myself, and it was in just these situations that I found my voice, and perhaps even my identity, as a mom. This is, in fact, the good-news part of handling unwanted parenting advice. Deal with it and you may just see your confidence grow.

SO, yeah... good luck with that and may the force be with you... haha
LONG story short... we all need to think before we speak. Easier said than done huh??

I am reminded of a GREAT movie I watched once that teaches us how to behave...

Thumper: He does not walk very good does he?
Mrs. Rabbit: THUMPER!
Thumper: Yes Mama?
Mrs. Rabbit: What did your father tell you this morning??
Thumper: (clears throat) If you can't say something nice, don't say nothing at all.

DEEP!! Whoever said watching Disney movies was a bad thing did not watch Bambi...

RIO ! ! !

Cutest Movie EVA!!
We took the kids last F.H.E. out to the $3.00 HOLLA movies with our friends the Hardens...
We had hoped the kids would like the movie we picked... RIO... Ugh, they more than liked it. They sat and watched it, and LAUGHED, and Danced to the music... it was a GOOD TIME HAD BY ALL!!

Needless to say, we bought the movie when it came out,

and the kids have watched it AT LEAST once a day!!

It is an adorable movie about TWO Macaw Birds. First Blu is a domesticated Macaw who never learned to fly, living a comfortable life with his owner and best friend Linda in a small town in Minnesota. Blu and Linda think he's the last of his kind, but when they learn about another Macaw who lives in Rio de Janeiro, they head to the faraway and exotic land to find Jewel. Her owner wants Blu and Jewel to keep the species alive, but all Jewel wants to do is escape...
I don't want to give too much of the story away, so I will stop there. It is a MUST see, beautiful colors and wonderful music!! I have to admit I don't mind peeking my head in for most of the parts!! It comes from the makers of Ice Age; one of Hailey's favorite movies, so we KNEW it would be a hit!!

My SWIM CHAMPION!!

We KNEW that we would want our kids to take Swim Lessons ever since we bought our first boat WAY before our kids were even born... Having a Boat is alot of FUN, but not as much as it COULD be if you were not constantly worrying (like I did) that the kids were going to fall out of the boat...
SO, this was the year we had planned on getting the kids into Swim Lessons. We were just waiting for the perfect time to take them, and we figured after our New York trip would be best. We knew the PERFECT place to take them already ~ Jan Thomas Swim School. This place has been around for over 50 years, and Matt's parents HIGHLY recommended it to us. (Thanks MOM & DAD for all the help) PLUS anyone who is anyone in Fresno told us this was a GREAT place too!! We went in a week after our trip, and LUCKILY for us we did because they were only open for another 11 days to teach lessons. A full set of lessons is 10, so we needed to get started RIGHT AWAY!! We asked alot of questions, and decided that we would only sign up Hailey for this year. They thought Landon would benefit from watching his sister and being a little bit older to actually "learn to swim, and be comfortable in the water." We were not upset at all, now we had a year to save up the money for Landon's swim lessons... (NOT CHEAP) So my home away from home for the next three weeks became the Jan Thomas Pools...

On the day of her FIRST lesson we talked about her learning to swim. Her response was always "Yes, I want to swim!" so I thought this was going to be a piece of cake. We got the the lesson, and Hailey started to get a little worried. As you can tell by the above picture she was really trying to take it all in... I reminded her that we all need to learn to swim so we can go out on the boat. They called her name I took her over to her teacher. Because we came near the very end, she had three different teachers. Her first teacher was Tori. She asked me to watch the lesson from behind the clear wall near the walkway; that way we were out of sight our of mind... So we did. They teach the kids basic swimming skills. We were warned that the first lesson would be tough. There would be LOTS of tears and LOTS of dunking...

Here Matt and Landon are enjoying an ice cream from our special spot behind the clear wall. We could hear and see Hailey having a tough time with the lesson, but after about 5 minutes she gave in and started to swim. The lessons are 30 minutes long, and the teachers are great at building a good relationship with the kids. Lots of high fives and hugs after being dunked and swimming for life... when the lesson was over I went to get Hailey and she was FULL ON TEARS. "Mommy I missed you." I was fully prepared for the teacher to tell me she was horrible, but she said she did great! Tori told me that all kids fight it, and Hailey was no exception. She also told me to not even mention the next swim lesson; just put her suit in a bag and bring her to the lesson, dress her in the bathroom; and once you force her into the pool the worst is over. As we drove up for the second lesson Hailey started saying "No, I don't want to swim" and REAL tears came down her sweet sad face. I kept telling her we all need to learn to swim and forced her into her swim suit and into the pool... her second lesson was a little better than the first...

 For her second lesson her teacher was Brooke. In this lesson there was less dunking and more learning how to kick her feet with her face in the water. She really did a good job listening, and got the swimming concept pretty quickly. Before I knew it she was swimming across the pool!!

 For her Third, Fourth, Fifth and Sixth lesson she had Melissa. She learned how to jump off the side of the pool and turn around and swim back. She also learned how to float on her back. There was LOTS of practice and LOTS of praise. By the Fourth Lesson as we drove up, Hailey was excited to get her suit on and go swim! SUCH A RELIEF!!

Anyone who REALLY knows my daughter; knows she lives in her own world. She would rather play alone than with friends (unless it is her best friend Haley Harden, THEN she loves to play with friends) She also does not talk to people she either A) does now know, or B) does not like. So seeing her interact with these girls made my heart SO happy!!

Every once and a while she would get my attention before she did a jump or a slide and give me the "thumbs up" sign. PROGRESS... I think so!! One of her favorite things to do was go on the ducky...

 They would put the kids up on the duck, sing a song as they went around (the songs were so cute) and then the kids would push off and swim to the teacher at the end of the song. Hailey LOVED it!!

 By the end of the fifth lesson Hailey could start at the short end of the pool, swim then turn over and float to get air, the turn back over and swim to the other end. The teachers had to give her a little help with the turn over, but she was doing SO good and it was always so fun to call Matt on our way home and tell him how good she was doing!! The last four lessons Brooke was her teacher again, and she just reinforced the things she had learned. On the last lesson I was able to get in with her and learn the things to say and do for her. Little did they know I was TOTALLY TAKING NOTES THE WHOLE TIME!!

 Here she is with Brooke (who we found out is in our Stake at church. We are in Clovis 3rd and she is in Clovis 7th ~ SMALL WORLD HUH!?) on her last day. She got her Medal and a Ribbon for being such a good SWIM CHAMPION!! We could not have been more proud of our little girl!~

Hailey was SO proud of her Medal. She keeps in on her bedpost to this day. And WE are so proud of her too. Almost on a daily basis she says to either Matt or I "I want to go out on the boat!" and I just laugh and say, "Oh yeah, lets see what Daddy wants to do when he gets home..." Needless to say we have had a few days out on the boat and she loves to jump in the water and swim!! She is my little swim girl and I love it!! THANKS JAN THOMAS SWIM SCHOOL!! We will see you next year for sure! ~

A few Videos of her Learning ~

The Last one was Me and Hailey in the pool!

GREAT TIMES!~

TIFFANY!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

to my SISTA

from the SAME mista...

Can't wait to see you next week!

I hope you had a BLAST when the hubby took the kids and left you...

(it's not at ALL how it sounds; that was a PRESENT)

Now where are the picture of all the things

 you got done with the short lived empty house???

Extreme Makeover ~ Princess Edition

Hailey has been asking "Mommy will you paint my room?"

So I asked "What colors do you want to paint your room?"

And she would always respond "Princess Pink Please!"

Then one day I got a call from my mom that she found the most

ADORABLE Princess Wall Boarder.

I told her to pick it up and we let Hailey know her Princess Pink Room was definitely going to happen...

She was SO excited!!

BEFORE

 The walls were just plain white...

We did not want to put the princess boarder on a slant because of our vaulted ceilings, so I decided to use two colors and put the boarder at Hailey's Height in the middle. I asked her what other color she wanted and at first she said "green"... LUCKILY I was able to talk her into "purple". We had a gallon of each color from our previous house. The purple was the color in her Nursery, and the pink was the color of my downstairs Bathroom and Laundry room. Let me just tell you ~ It worked out PERFECT!!

AFTER

FIRST we used the Purple for the bottom portion...

 Then we painted Pink on the Top...

Then we had to wait 72 hours before we could put up the boarder. This was the hardest part, only because Hailey would come in and say "Oh, my room is not done!" It was funny when I was painting the purple part and had her come in to see it after she said "Oh Mommy, you need to paint faster..." meaning I had missed all the area we were reserving for the pink paint. After explaining to her what we were doing she was OK with it and wanted to get out the pink paint.

So MORE than 72 hours later we put up the PRINCESS BORDER...

 It matched PERFECTLY with the colors on the wall...

Then we changed out the light sockets to white and put the room back together.

OHHH, and as a special surprise for her we added a Princess Castle...

 And she LOVES it!!

At Big Hat Days here in Clovis we found CUTE framed name pictures for the kids rooms.

Hailey picked hers out. The letters in her name have the Disney Princess' in it.

Grandma Andersen made this little sign for her on her first birthday...

 We plan on hanging pictures on this wall sometime... maybe...

It feels SO good to have one room DONE!!

LANDON'S room is next!

HINT: We are looking for FRESNO STATE STUFF...