June in a Nutshell

June has been filled with so much already. I can't believe it's over and we are headed straight into July! Jamie and I had a lunch date with Isabella recently, luckily there was a flower to keep her entertained while we waited for our Chicago style pizza.

I love Izzy's blue outfit. It makes her eyes look so pretty. I also LOVE her new haircut. I will post pics as soon as I get some taken.

Christian was asked to give a talk on Baptism for his cousisn's Livi's baptism. He did such a great job! Jamie and I were both in tears from shock at his composure and confidence. He's such a great kid. After he finished he came up to me and said "Mom, I'm glad I did it. I think it was good for me." He was so nervous before and kept practicing. What a great experience for him. He will remember this for ever. Thanks Ben and Lisa for thinking of him and asking him to do this.

Our cute Olivia with her Daddy. She is such a kind hearted girl, I just love her!


....and yes, my very first midnight showing of any movie! Summer and Cassidy both came and were sooooo good while we waited in line. Lucky me, I was pregers, so I got to bring along a camping chair to sit in. It was such a life saver!

Team Edward or Jacob? Definately Jacob! Have you seen what Edward looks like in the movie? Not even a competition there.

My cute sister Elisa, Summer and I waiting and waiting and waiting some more. I've never waited this long...not even at disneyland!

The group of girls from my ward that came with. Teri was there with Cassidy, but I didn't get any pics of her. She's such a great mom to take Cass and hang out till 3 am!

Lisa Comes to Visit

My sister-in-law Lisa came to visit a couple of weeks ago and we had such a great time going to the pool, visiting and having sleepovers. Ben and Rio were such a joy to be with. It was fun to get the kids together after not seeing them for so long. Thanks Biba for such a fun few days!


Dinner at T's house. Those ribs were amazing!! Food at the Ogdens is always fabuloso....I need to learn to cook more like that.

Biba, Jamie and Crunch N' Munch, a family must have for the Townsend household.

Max, Christian, Ben and Rio-cousins having fun and enjoying life at the pool!

Baseball

Christian is playing on a baseball team and is doing pretty well. He's had a couple of games and loves going to practice which is a new thing for us. I normally have to push them to go to practice. Nico is also playing Tball, but we forgot our camera at his first game, so Jamie took pics with his phone, which I have no access to. Anyway, here are some fun pics of Christian's first bball game.

My company at the games. Izzy loves Christian, but when he's not around, Nico is the second best choice. She loves her brothers!

Fun Times with Isabella

We went to Elitch Gardens on Tuesday with Max, Cassidy and my kids. Isabella was being such a pill all the way there. She screamed in the car the whole way to the park (30 min drive). She kept yelling at the kids sitting behind her. Anytime one of them would talk, she would start yelling and gabbing at the top of her lungs. By the time we were there I told the kids, "maybe she'll loose her voice and then not be able to scream anymore even if she wants to!" They thought it was funny. Good thing they have a sense of humor. Then we get to the park and all the kid rides are being tested. Since we got there right when they opened, we waited for about 45 minutes to get on any of the rides that Izzy could go on. So, lets just say she was not happy. We end up waiting in line for a truck ride and she is not having any of it. She wants to go in NOW! So, she does what she does best and throws herself on the ground, starts kicking, yelling and rolling around on the hot cement of the amusement park. I'm pregnant and not about to pick her up in that condition, so I let her have her moment. Then this conversation occurs with a local spectator who probably had a very well behaved two year old:

Spectator: Gotta love those two year olds!
Me: Yeah, tell me about it.
Spectator: ...AND OH MY GOSH YOU'RE HAVING ANOTHER ONE!

Yes, at that very moment I was so thankful that my other TWO children where on rides and no where to be seen. I may be a freek show now, but just wait. Five years from now when the baby is five and christian is 13...no wait...Ten years from now when the youngest is ten, and Christian is off to college...no wait Fifteen years from now I'll be so glad I did it. Okay, so I have a long road ahead, but I wouldn't trade any of it. As hard as raising these kids may be on a daily basis, they are mine forever and I know that is the biggest blessing of all. Lets just hope that our next baby is much calmer than Izzy. I don't know if I can handle two of those!!!

Piano Recital

The boys had a piano recital in May. It was so much fun to watch them. The teacher told the students that she wanted the recital tob e casual, so she said no need to dress up. Nico wouldn't hear of such a thing, so he insisted on wearing his suit to the recital. I reminded him no need to dress up, but he was persistant. So I said "Nico, you will get so many compliments cause you look so handsome." he says "no mom, people are going to say Huba Huba!" Let's just say I made sure he got some "Huba Hubas" that day!



Christian waiting to play his song. He didn't care to dress up like his brother. He wanted to be casual.

Here is Nico so proud of himself. I love his cute smile and his funny personality.

and of course, our little miss trouble maker. She spent most the time out in the hall.

Our Last Vacation for the Year

Yes, we have been busy vacationing in the Spring. But, since I'm due in September, I figure no more going away from home for me. It's too much to travel with a huge belly and three kids. I'm happy staying home and trying my best to make summer fun for the kids, and myself of course!

So Jamie and I went down to Mexico with two other couples from our ward. We had such a great time. No kids, no diapers, no feedings, no schedules, no homework, no piano, no scouts, no baseball, no nothing! All we did was exactly what we wanted for one whole week. It was funny, but it felt so natural to be on my own, I wondered half way through if I would be able to go back home and deal with my crazy life. Anyway, we had so much fun with these friends (Fausetts and Ravstens). We will be vacationing together with them again for sure....at least that's what I hope they want as well! Here are some pics of us in Mazatlan....


At El Cid resort in Mazatlan. This was a pretty fun pool. We hung out here our first day and just RELAXED and decompressed.

The infamous shrimp platter for two...shared by Brad and Jamie.

We stayed in this condo that did not have TV or a phone, so we read all week. I got through two and a half books....the most I've read in the last 8 years since I had kids.

Our favorite restaurant on the beach. We ate here almost daily. The highlight may have been the lobster dinner jamie and I splurged on. I can't believe how beautiful it was.

I love spending time with Jamie. He's my best friend and I can't seem to get enough of him!