wall art, 2nd edition

sofia had fun with a pile of napkins she found in the pantry. she does seem to enjoy displaying her art as much as she likes to create it. this is what i found on the wall just the other day. each flower or design is named after her friends from school. too cute to pass up a photo op!

we {heart} cub scouts!

I obviosly don't know how to use my camera...I took the first two pictures and a friend took the second two. my flash and i do not get along! congrats to jacob for earning his bear patch! he wrestled a bear that night and came home with a fierce bear claw around his neck. we, i mean he is now working on his webelos. FUN times.

audiences are great!

I was in the kitchen making dinner and I heard Jacob ask Isabel to watch him play a game. When I walked into the room this is what I saw. I love the arm around his shoulder.

grapefruit anyone?

Since I came to live in Mesa, I have always wanted citrus trees, but have never had them. I was so excited to have some orange trees when we moved into this house. I thought there were three orange trees. The middle tree was just in bad shape and didn't produce any fruit last year. Just a few weeks ago I noticed big yellow grapefruits hanging on the tree! A grapefruit tree. I was so excited. I love grapefruits! I think that since I've been irrigating since I moved in the tree has had water and decided to produce this year. It is still a pretty ugly tree and needs some serious love, but on the backside of the tree are tons of grapefruit. Sofia will go out, pick a grapefruit and some oranges, come in and snack on them. How convenient! Now if I could only take care of the trees, but I have zero yard tools, zero citrus tree knowledge, and zero time.

I keep finding reasons to like Mesa...it is starting to grow on me. Citrus off the tree in the middle of winter is a huge bonus! dead in front, full of grapefruit on the side near the wall.

A palm tree that has just popped up among the trees.

YUMMMMY!

Couldn't leave out the oranges. They are also delish!

whoo-hoo sofia!

Sofia used to chew her nails down to nothing! It drove me crazy. I told her that if she could quit biting her fingernails for at least a month I would take her to get a pedicure and manicure. Of course I thought it would be hard for her to do. So I totally bribed her with something she had been asking for, thinking I would never have to actually pay up. Well, the girl stopped biting her nails within 2 weeks. That was about 6 months ago. At first I wanted to make sure that she had really kicked the habit, but then time just passed and I kept forgetting my side of the deal. This last weekend, I took her. She was thrilled. She loved the whole process. I did tell her that this was pretty much a one time thing, for super special occasions. I am proud of her for quitting a bad habit. Next time I will think twice before I offer any kind of reward! They did charge me quite less because she is a little girl, so that helped. I'm super proud of her!

double digits.

I'm having a bit of a time accepting that I have a 10 year old. It has gone too fast. I'm feeling old. Jacob had a great birthday this year. He was able to celebrate it over two days. His grandma and grandpa Wessel were in the valley on Saturday and brought presents. It was good to see them and he loved the remote control cars and lego toys he received. I took him, his sisters, and cousin to the movies that night. We watched the chipmunk movie (ugh!), and then went to burger king. They had a super time. On Sunday, his actual birthday, we had family over and opened more presents and had yummy triple chocolate cupcakes. Jacob is such a good kid, I'm happy he's mine!

Turned 10 on the 10th...pretty cool!

cousins

Tierney, Jacob, Sofia holding Coco, Avery and Isabel

Same kids, minus Jacob, who had a meltdown regarding picture taking and was excused, plus me and my sister Gaby.

The meltdown is beginning...can you see it? (stinker with a capital S! but I love him!)