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Fun Adventures with the Kiddos

2012-01-25T23:05:00.002-05:00

How do the Gilbert kids spend all their time? This post is my attempt at catching you up on the last 4 months of play. We've beside playing around the house, we go to Bounce O Palace, Folsom Zoo, Sac Children's Museum-- a new favorite! Local parks with friends, Library story time, Sutter's Fort, Riding slot-rides at the Outlets, and bike riding on Folsom's famous bike trails. Enjoy!

Greatest Valentine Craft Idea!

2012-01-23T19:37:00.000-05:00

A Homemade Valentines Mail Box!

I was in Michael's - browsing for Valentines craft inspiration and I noticed that there were bins with Valentines-like stocking stuffers. Hmmm... and then I saw they also have little foam mail boxes (like $6.99) and I realized how fun it would be to use up my cardboard boxes in a useful way that the kids could enjoy.

So were are going use up our oatmeal, cereal, Kleenex etc boxes and make something like this.

Some people are really into ADVENT CALENDARS for other holidays, so why not use your child's Valentine's mailbox and deliver them a special note, treat or game each day leading up to Valentine's day?

Or, why not give them a special delivery of treats that they can open Valentine's morning? So many uses.

We are now inviting our friends to make a mailbox so we can have a valentine exchange party! Why should kids who go to school have all the fun?

So yes, I am excited about this mailbox revelation, and I realize kids have done this in classrooms forever but its exciting to bring the fun home and do it at an earlier age.

Agent003 Is 15 Weeks Old - in Utero, Anyway

2012-01-23T19:03:00.001-05:00

Our baby has a due date-- Agent 003 will be arriving sometime close to JULY 16th 2012. I know the suspense was killing you all. So now you know!

Above, Agent 003 is upright, head in center, facing down, spine to the right, legs and arms tugged and curled underneath.

Oh Yeah, That Whole Anniversary Thing

2012-01-20T18:51:00.002-05:00

So we celebrated 6 years of connubial bliss over December. It came and it went intermingled with the blur of the holidays. One of the obvious cons of a December wedding are definitely those forever, December anniversaries-- how do you guys make a December Anniversary special in the midst of Christmas mayhem?

We went to dinner at Sequoia Restaurant in Placerville on the Dec 30th, and get this-- it will be closed forever as a restaurant. We literally showed up, with a giftcard, on the last possible night to eat dinner there-- as of the New Year, they do only weddings and banquets. So that was lucky for us!

They threw in free beverages because we had to wait a little at the bar, and they threw in a free Bananas Flambe because of our anniversary-- talk about going out in style!

Also, my parents kindly agreed to watch our kids so this night could happen. Super wonderful.

And speaking of watching our kids, some wonderful people in our ward were willing to watch ours last weekend so we could have a little anniversary get-a-away! It was heavenly, we stayed at the Hyatt, I got to order a scratch made omelet in the morning and have all the french toast and juice I wanted. Justin got to catch up on football. We got some rest and were able to enjoy several meals in a row with out children making messes or demanding bites off my plate. Made me appreciate the little buggers when we got home though!

Seriously a treat! Thank you friends, you know who you are!

Pregnancy Update

2012-01-06T04:09:00.000-05:00

So the fun part is... I'm not sure how pregnant I am. I started calling doctors and coordinating insurance groups in December and an appt just didn't happen until mid-January. So that is when a doctor will first look me in the face and confirm "Yup, you're pregnant".

The real mystery is how pregnant am I. Don't ask why I don't know. I'm kind of irregular and a little 'careless'. I didn't keep the best track of "things". So I think I am somewhere between 8 weeks and 16 weeks. Seriously. I had a negative pregnancy test initially that throws some additional mystery into the whole thing.

On other fronts, ANOTHER SISTER is expecting another baby too! She might be more pregnant than me, she doesn't quite know either. Who is having the next grandchild?

If I could show you a photo of her waist and one of my, middle--- I think it would be obvious that I am looking "further along". But things aren't always as they should be and having a tall, model skinny sister who carries her pregnancies like a designer handbag is one of those things I get to experience in life. Side by side, growing more pregnant -- er-- together.

Side note. Justin likes to tease me almost daily that he doesn't have enough proof that I'm pregnant.Ha. ha. ha.

New Year at Church - New Sunbeam and New Nursery Babe!

2012-01-06T04:02:00.002-05:00

We had a double Inauguration on the first Sunday of the New Year! Jackson joined the ranks of the Sunbeams and Peyton was drafted into Nursery. Their new Christmas clothes made the debut all that more speical! Check out my 3 piece suit little man! Don't you just want a poster of him?

I got a fabulous report from Jackson's teacher, who is also our neighbor from around the corner. Apparent he sat during it all and obeyed like a golden child.

The little lady had me just as excited. You could tell she knew it was a special day, she sensed the excitement all during Sacrament Meeting. I was subbing in nursery class that day, so I was looking forward to being in on all the fun of her first full class. She looked just like a princess in her fabulous new dress. We played toys, had a diaper change, I had to step out for a bit and she didn't whine or fuss in my absence.
I must've been gluttoned for punishment for obsessing over her outfit that day, because girlfriend got a little too excited about the blue Playdough, swallowed some, gagged, and threw up all over her pretty dress and the nursery carpet. Watch, next week I'll bring a potato sack dress and nothing will happen. Good thing it was washable!

My kids are really growing up! Wow

New Years Thoughts and Goals

2012-01-06T03:26:00.000-05:00

I've had some interesting objectives during past New Years. Learning a language. Aggressive Diet Plans. Getting back into Music Lessons. Well laid plans that for the time, that were not to be.

I love the New Year. I'm a compulsive list maker and goal setter. I love filling out my desk calendar and putting goals in the margins. I have columns and columns of lists on note pads. "Save for this item". "Update kids wardrobe". "Visit east coast". I love future planning with hope and optimism, even if the execution never comes to pass, its so fun to plan.

I didn't rush to my notepad this year. I have been feeling more thoughtful. We have had an incredible past few years. Very intense, full of changes, new children, new jobs, in and out of school. I am feeling blessed and sort of calm--- instead of feeling Rah- Rah-Roaring to go chase down a huge ambitious list. Maybe I feel this way because we went through SO MUCH CHANGE over the last year alone.

I give you:
The BEST and the WORST of 2011 - Gilbert Family Style

Some unpleasant things, like Emergency Room visits, went down last year. Other changes, like moving to our first good sized home since having kids, have been wonderful.

WORST

JAN - FEB 2011 Justin was studying to take the CA BAR. It was intense because he needed to be gone, mentally and physically. I joined a Moms Club to help me pass the time.

WORST and BEST

MARCH - MAY 2011 We awaited the BAR results. Painful, but rewarding in the end.

BEST

JUNE and JULY- Justin has two job offers, we said goodbye to El Dorado, prepared to move to BAKERSFIELD CA. Picked a house. And at the last moment felt it best to accept a job offer in Sacramento instead.

WORST

AUGUST and SEPTEMBER.... Peyton got into some RAT POISON (at a camp ground) in August. I wasn't sure how to post about that. She and I spent an afternoon in the hospital while they gave her charcoal solution mixed with chocolate and tested her blood a few times.They wound up having to draw the blood FROM HER HEAD. Luckily it was just the one rat pellet I removed from her mouth and they found zero toxicity in her blood stream. That was a brutal day. About 4 hours later, we were better safe than sorry.

WORST
... I went to emergency room in August too. I had a horrible skin rash thing on my hands and it was so out of control I couldn't sleep, wash my hands, hold the kids. It was a short visit to the ER but definitely a signal to me of needing to take better care of my self.

BEST and WORST

...In SEPT 2011 we moved to Folsom. Great move. Awesome house, yard, terrific neighbors and fun ward. Medically, about a week in, I had a horrible discomfort in my right THUMB. Random! It turned out to be an infection from a splinter or a thistle from when I had brushed against some weeds. It caused a ton of pressure and my thumb was throbbing. I couldn't hold the kids, clean, type on the computer. When I went into Mercy Folsom ER, they gave me antibiotics. Another random physical breakdown of the body which signaled to me I need to be more aware of my health, my surroundings, getting rest.

WORST
AUG-OCT 2011. I had major sleep issues. Once Peyton was sleeping well through the night, I still wasn't. I would wake up for hours and just lie there. And I'm a 9-hour a night gal when it comes to optimal functioning. I know people where 6 hours is plenty but I need 8-9. So I was really suffering with the sleep stuff, somedays feeling like driving down the road wasn't safe. Had conversations with friends where I would forget what I was saying, where the conversation was supposed to go. Pregnancy, recovery and Sleep Deficit really did a number on me. The short end to the story is I tried everything from sleeping pills, NyQuil, homeopathics that didn't work. And finally my dad recommended "GABA" and it changed everything. Its a homeopathic supplement that helps the brain relax but doesn't force your body to sleep. It felt life changing to start to get some sleep again!

BEST

In AUG I also lost 11 lbs. It was a big one for me. I was making NO PROGRESS in working out and typical dieting. I finally bought an Isagenix cleanse and it did wonders for me! With my sleep in balance again my hunger remained in control and I felt like my cravings were manageable.

BEST

OCTOBER 2011-- This was my golden month of the year. I felt like I was in my prime. I was my lowest weight, but I felt like I had tons of energy. My sleep was restored. We had completed our move and everything was unpacked. We were entering a new social circle in our Folsom community. I was getting into the Halloween spirit. We had 2 parties. A Dessert Night, for young couples in our ward, and a rocking Kids Halloween playdate, which I hope to make an annual thing.

In October we bought me a newer car! A 2008 Toyota Highlander - love it

BEST

NOVEMBER - DEC 2011 - We had a joyful Holiday season. So much fun planning, decorating and being together-- I couldn't ask for a better finish to our year. It was truly great.

????

We almost ended the year with a New Years Party. I've always wanted to be the New Year's house, I detest the idea of watching cheesy celebs and sub-par musicans escort me through the count down and ring in my new year. We almost celebrated with a house party but had to pull the plug when the holiday craze became overwhelming, and fatigue and cold symptoms began to set it.

So what are my goals? Still trying to pin them down.

1. I like this one -- Give my kids baby massage at bedtime. Someone suggested this to me last week and the idea has just stayed with me, and last night each of the kids got a 5 minute massage with lavendar lotion and they were so still and content and it relaxed me too. Surprising! And I'm pretty sure the kids went to bed easier too.

2. Get more rest. I think seriously trying to go to bed by 9:30 is a great goal. Hoping to add more naps into my weekends. Having rest always gives me a lift to my day!

3. More Gospel centered living. I definitely need the strength and comfort and power that a strong testimony of the gospel gives. I feel like I have been coasting too much in this area and I feel the need to do more reading, pondering and relying on the Lord.

4. Read More- Reading is my escape that trumps all other escapes. I'm planning to try reading some completely new authors this year and open myself up to new experiences this way.

5. Memorize some Great SOUP recipes and make them often! Soup makes me happy, and homemade can be incredibly healthy and tasty. Worth a go.

6. Bust out a GARDEN. I don't love to garden, I never really had the desire to care for plants. To weed and nurture and check on it all... but we have a terrific yard, and it would be such a waste not to have flowers that shout out the colors of spring. And a little weeding out front keeps the yard looking fresh and tidy. Definitely needs doing. Finally, we have a great empty side yard and I think some tomatoes, cucumbers, and zuchini would be a real treat to eat fresh this summer.

7. Have a good pregnancy. I'm about to have 3 children walking all over me starting mid-year (June/July), so smooth sailing until then would be a treat.

I really want to impress everyone with lofty, sophisticated goals, but honestly, I can't top my desire to just live in the present for the time being. Eating, resting, reading, being present. Adding more quality into my life. Being more centered in my life, balanced, happy. I think it will be a great year. Happy 2012!

Christmas Day - "The Bounty" and "The Booty"

2012-01-06T03:24:00.002-05:00

This photo is to show that my Christmas breakfast is everybit as good as Kaari's .. and I ate leftovers for a week to prove it! Add to that, Cinnabon - make-em-at-home cinnamon rolls! Perfecto.

The kids were extremely satisfied with their simple stockings -- they found candy canes, and would've been happy with just that. But they also found new animal slippers, marshmallow santa pops, assorted puzzles, mini-bead mazes, jewelry and purses for peyton, Jamba gift card and robot puzzles for jackson, mittens for both-- like I said, they just wanted to eat their candy canes.

What do you mean " did you wake up like that?" of course, dude

Awaiting the present opening-- love 11a.m. church! A nice and easy morning.

We had a clothing and gift card christmas....

The wrapping paper aftermath photo

... The Grandmas gave some wonderful things

The TOYSRUS Giftcards.... from Grandma Corinne -- greatest ever! Scored us all these!

About 40 new pieces for Jacksons train set-- still keeping him entertained 2 weeks later. Glad we enhanced a toy he already had!

Christmas Celebrating - Christmas Eve Dec 24th

2012-01-06T03:21:00.001-05:00

It was a mellow Christmas eve, the Gilberts enjoyed a leisurely spaghetti lunch! Followed by kiddie naps. Thank you very much.

While the children were nestled all snug in their beds, Justin put a log in the fire for me and it burned all afternoon while I read a book and toasted my toesies! Delightful.

Around 5ish, the Sellers family came to scoop us up for our outing. We drove down to Orangevale and walked Dovewood Court as a family and then went out for Chinese at Rice Express, a family tradition of flavor and savor. And Wonton soup -- the best ever!

The disney house -- blurry picture, but very cool!

Christmas Celebrating! Dec 23rd

2012-01-06T02:12:00.001-05:00

(So these last months I've mostly been facebooking all my photos and neglecting the blog. But I am posting about our holidays anyway! I'll just pretend most of you haven't seen these on my FB account already!)

On the 23rd Day of Christmas, The Gilberts headed to the annual Sellers Family Christmas Party -- historically held on Christmas Eve, but more recently it has leaned toward to 23rd, so as to make room for extended family to have their own tradition on the actual Chritmas Eve.

The BOWS! From Justins mom, matching the outfit - love it!

The GRINS - Mr. Jackson is willing to play along with photo taking if mom catches him in a good mood. :O)

The Cuddles - lots of snuggles from uncles, aunts and grandparents

Sweet eats! I couldn't stay away from the Cranberry goat cheese spread form Costco

My mom's famous Christmas Beef Stew with Vinegar. Muffins, dips, treats on the side. Yum!

This TOP SECRET cheesy toast recipe is a major party tradition for us! We forget our manners and just snatch 'em off the plate. And while we are nibbling, we are asking when the next batch is coming out-- they're that good.

A Great Tradition - Christmas Stripey Pajamas from Hanna Anderson- Thanks Mom!

Jackson and Max, Peyton as herself

Love this of my Dad, Grampa Glen, and Peyton - Granddaughter #1

Love the kids poses here

Great Grins for Grampa!

Theis library ladder was worth the effort to keep the kids on it -- photo heaven

Jackson, Peyton, and Cousin Max Guerrero

Looking like little elves that live in the book shelves or something -- cute 'ems

Thanksgiving Throw Back

2012-01-06T01:41:00.000-05:00

It took longer than I expected for my predictable FB uploader brother to load the awesome collection of photos detailing our Thanksgiving Festivities. Here is my Thanksgiving ThrowBack Post

We headed to my parents for the great traditional meal. Notably my Grandparents, Aunts and Uncles were present. All the local Sacramento family were in attendance. It was great to see everyone.

Playing around, killing time before the meal... a lot of time

Can't resist the adorable smile here!

I have a new perspective on Thanksgiving this year-- its just no picnic with little KIDS. period.

I loved being there, but I honestly felt like I was chasing kiddos nonstop. So much for kicking back on the holiday. Someday, someday...

I remember feeling very skinny and chic in my outfit when we headed up to my parents'. I knew there would be photographs, I took time with hair and make up.

I had to head out to the car several times for kids supplies, diapers, fresh pants for mr. potty training. There was a light drizzle, so my pretty curled hair was all wet and limp after about 45 minutes.

I love my parents. But they said Thanksgiving would food be served at 2p.m.. We arrived about 12ish. No naps. My Dad did something special with "brining" the Turkey, plus he didn't want to cook it too early, and have it get dry while waiting. So the result was - the meal wasn't ready until after 3p.m. You're thinking, no big deal -- but it was T-Day so we made an effort NOT to eat lunch so we would be fully hungry for the big meal of the year. So waiting an extra hour beyond what we expected, was hard. And being a pregnant person, my blood sugar levels can be a little unpredictable. Made it that much harder. Let me add that the kids had not napped and also, had not had a real lunch and we were all a but antsy for the meal to now come and be over so someone might nap afterward.

The meal was lovely. Beautiful spread. Great space. My mom did a great job setting everything up. My task was to make Jello Pretzel Salad. It wound up taking me over an hour to prepare and costing me $26.00 with about 10 ingredients (I made a double size batch). Being a little on the frugal side lately, a part of me wished I'd been asked to bring a vegetable or a pie. A bag of potatoes is $5.00. I'm really good at making mashed potatoes. lol.

Both Justin and I enjoyed our food, but we had to seriously eat in shifts. I think I overate because I had to cram the food in before the kids needed me for something. Once I ate I reluctantly let Justin know so he could get his rotation in. I chased the babe and kept her away from the marble maze structure on one side of the room, the DVDs and CD collection by the TV, and from pushing and dropping objects down my parents' very steep stairs. Add to that her napless state. I attempted to give her a nap, but the excitement and noise of the busy house made that project into a Mission Impossible.

After we had eaten, I realized I had spilled food on my white blouse. Also, I was wishing I hard worn pants with elastic because I was certainly stuffed.

The men folk enjoyed watching football! I'm glad, cuz Justin could get his fill, he doesn't have time to watch much at our house. Jackson was enthralled and interested. Peyton, not interested, was digging up trouble.

After football, board games and happy adult entertainment ensued... for most. For me, I chased the baby, held the baby, tried to lay down with the baby. Fast forward to 8p.m. and I was done. I had to break up a Settlers of Kattan Game but the kids were seriously cranky and I was with them.

So, family is a joy. The food was lovely! I have much to be thankful for! I just want to know how you all are able to sit down and enjoy this "sit down" holiday when your kids are little. It seemed like an impossible feat. Aggravated by the fact that everyone else around me seemed to be having a relaxing evening. *sigh*

I killed a lot of time posing the kids for pictures

Jackson at the kids table

Caroling Party, Cookies and GingerBread Houses

2011-12-05T23:47:00.001-05:00

We gathered tonight with about 5 other families for cookies and caroling. The gang met at our house, we sipped cocoa and exchanged cookies; additionally, we also created 4 platters for us to deliver to families in our ward. It was a blast. We brought jingle bells and santa hats and fussy kids or not, we delivered and caroled our hearts out. Jackson and Peyton loved getting out of the car and running up to the doors. The loathed being loaded back into the car, until they recognized we were just going to another fun house.

So I'm a lame-o-- I neglected to take photos of the beautiful platters or my pretty table spread! But my friend Jessica snapped a picture of us caroling so I will ask her to send it for my post.

Can't wait to carol again next year. Maybe even next week with some other friends ....

Earlier today, we decorated these gingerbread houses with some of Jackson's playmates. We should be getting some cute photos from my friend Lindsey soon. But here's the raw version of the structures I made last night--- Hot Glue! Not taking chances on the kids' emotional states pending a house collapse ;O)

A Little Glance at the Holidays

2011-12-03T22:48:00.001-05:00

We have been busy. Listening to Pandora Christmas music, Decking the Halls, getting our Christmas Tree and Lights all in order. Reading Christmas books in front of the cozy lights.

Here's a little photographic trip of the 1st Days of Christmas for us Gilberts.

Historic Folsom Christmas Craft Fair

Snook's Ice Cream

Our first official stop at the fair was Snook's Ice Cream and Chocolate Factory. A double scoop of Pumpkin and Peppermint Ice Cream and we were ready for more Craft browsing.

An open sleigh for photographs-- I'm pretty sure I sat in this sleigh as a kid... all aboard!

Nativity Expo

The Granite Bay Stake put on a Christmas Nativity Display with 400 creches from all over the world. The kids favorite party was the costume room, where they could do the inevitable -- and be adorable at it. Here are Jackson and Peyton with our friend Brenden who came along for the fun.

The Tree

Our lovely tree-- between Dolds Tree Farm and Michaels clearance decorations, I think it came out rather lovely! I got tired of the same red and gold bulbs and wanted to do a fuscia/blue twist on the tree this year. I'm glad I did! Our wreath came out pretty cute too!

We have traditional red and green colors in the family room and all over the mantle, some things are just classic.

"Bountiful Harvest" - And Other Autumn Decorations

2011-11-15T13:27:00.001-05:00

Step 1: Turned leftover Halloween Pumpkins and Vinyls into Adorable "modified" 6 Be's

Steps 2-5: Add Fall $5.00 Florals to the Vase, Paint Stencil Letters on Leftover Scrapbooking paper, cut into circles, loop adorable circles onto .75 cent ribbon from Walmart. Hang Last year's store bought wreath. Voila!

Steps 6-8: Reuse mini-Halloween pumpkins, placing in mini crates and wagons on mantle. Add adorable custom stencil banner under family portrait. Call MICHAELS again and demand to know why my pre-paid custom Matte for the family portrait still has not arrived after 4 weeks of waiting, and our fam picture is just sliding around the frame, waiting... grr

3 Years of Jackson - Awesomeness!!! Birthday Boy that I Love!

2011-11-14T19:45:00.001-05:00

We are so excited and grateful that he's our boy and we get him for KEEPS. I remember 3 years ago when I brought Jackson McKean Gilbert home from the El Camino hospital. I was scared by how much I loved him. It terrified me that any pain or fear or damage could happen to this incredible little creature-- this baby that was now mine to raise and protect love and to teach something about LIFE. I remember sobbing to my mom and just never wanting to leave the HOUSE. Something might happen. Life was changed forever.

Fast Forward to today. He is now THREE. He is a gorgeous, blonde, Brown-eyed, all-American boy with a tender heart, and a baby sister to boot. He has survived over a year of having a younger sibling. I still worry about him, how to be a Mommy-- but when I reflect on the things he has learned and picked up, the love that he seems to attract to him everywhere, I feel more confident and happy with the future of this fun-loving boy. He is a GIFT. He is a CUTIE. He is LOTS OF FUN!

After our Halloween kids party it struck me that I didn't want a big crazy birthday party this year. I knew it made little difference to him how his birthday is celebrated-- he just wanted to open a gift or two and blow out his candles. That was what excited him.

So, we had a family dessert night party (Yo-Ho- Pirate themed), and my parents, siblings and my Sellers' Grandparents could all attend.

His gifts were fun to open. He got some clothes, books, a Radio Flyer Wagon from my parents-- which we will use constantly, and a Powerwheels Dune Buggy-- something I have been saving up for, for months. I have been dying to give him this present. And I got it on Sale, $60.00 OFF!! We have a spacious yard it just seems like the perfect toy to drive all over and take full advantage of the space.

(*Also, if anyone cares, the PW Dune Racer just happens to be on the the TOYS R US Hot 15 Toys this year, and that helped me get it on sale. The fact that it is listed this year, confirmed my good opinion of thius product, which I developed after reading tons of great reviews. It goes 2.5-5mph and so its a toy that can grown with an active boy. Its spacious seat has room for two people so this is not an object of jealousy for Peyton. She is a happy passenger and Jackson seems to enjoy carting her around. Anyway, I can ride it it! It can carry up to 130 lbs. So my tween sisters were both riding it after Jackson had his turn.)

So here's shots of the Family Party on the 12th:

And Today, we met a few close buddies at the local Bounce House place during an OPEN PLAY session. We basically had the place to ourselves for 2+ hours. We wined and dined on McDonalds Nuggets, Fries and Juioce boxes. The kidsw were all tired out when it was over. For me, It was DIVINE. Jackson asked for his nap when we came home. Such a fun gathering and such cute friends we have to play with!

Happy Halloween 2011

2011-10-31T11:19:00.001-04:00

Its been quite a month! I have enjoyed getting out all my spooky and festive decorations and have had a desire to enjoy this Halloween "season" like never before. We have had such a bumpy year in terms of surprises and it has been so nice to plan out our month, week by week, and do pretty much all the activities we wanted!

*Just in review, it was October last year, we found out we were moving away from Santa Clara and up here to Sacramento! It was a crazy time, we had ward activities to complete, Jacksons birthday, saying Goodby to friends, and Our Move to Placerville to keep us incredibly busy and frazzled. This month has been just what I hope for. The first week, we watched LDS General Conference @ my parents! Always a great inspiration in terms of goal setting and figuring out where my weak areas are to improve.

In addition to playdates and buying costumes, the second week I decided to begin my State Registration packet to become a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapy Intern for CA. (It wound up taking 3 weeks to get all my paperwork completed!)

The second weekend, we had our family portraits taken! Sarah Danenhaur of Shingle Springs came down and did a fabulous job, in spite of my kids refusing to cooperate and hold still. Our full family shots were pretty tricky-- but I looove the results. Thank you Sarah!

On the 11th and 12th, we got to enjoy an awesome visit from our San Jose friends, Kaari J and Kristine G, and kiddos. The Gray twins have been Jackson's little buddies and we have managed to keep in touch. Blakely J and Brayden G were born in the months following Peyton and so the three babes were well suited to play. We enjoyed an afternoon playdate at our house Tuesday, delicious Costa Vida for dinner that night-- and on Wednesday we headed to Jackson's most requested hangout-- Fairytale town, followed by Funderland to ride the kiddie amusement rides. It was a memorable day! So awesome to share it with good friends and to catch up on their cute kiddos. See photos below and Kristine's cute post here!

That weekend Justin and I enjoyed a culinary date night experience, we had scored free tickets to attend the Taste of Sacramento - restaurant sampling expo. I don't know what I pictured-- but I think it was along the lines of sitting down while I ate buffet style from various restaurant counters. Instead, you walk in, they give each of us a wine glass and a plastic tray thingy to hold our plates, and we stand in line for various venues to get a Costco style sample of curry or mini cupcakes, salads, pulled pork, sorbet, gourmet cookies, sconesa, muffins... and of course, Lots and Lots of WINE. Which we were ineligible to enjoy-- shall we say, since we do not drink ;) The tickets were not cheap and the $$$ went to charity, the Oakland Raiders and local newscasters were there---- so it drew a lot of people. It was all enjoyable food, but a "Taste" is quite literally what it was.

I arrived hungry, expecting to stuff myself on food and I believe I went home and ate something after it was all over. Also, several counters, like the cake pops and specialty desserts RAN OUT of all their samples with in the first 2 hours-- it wasa 4+ hour event. That part was a bummer. I did enjoy going into down town on a beautiful night, mixing and mingling with people from the city, chatting with some of Justin's coworkers who attended, and being escorted by my handsome date. That is what made the night memorable, more than anything else.

Week 3 of October I had the Spooktacular Spectacular! It consumed my entired weekend prior and it kicked off Mon Oct 17th! Essentially a Halloween Entryway Decorate Off!

There were some fabulous displays, mine was more on the elaborate side-- but I truly enjoyed the tasteful simplicity of some of the smaller displays. I got something from everyone else's ideas I wish I had tried. So there were 9-10 contenders I think, in some ways, I don't even know if it was a real contest, to be honest. Justin to me-- "maybe you're the only one who thinks this is real-- everyone else seems to be joking around and having fun..." this had not occurred to me! I was in it to make a stand, to be a contender-- Kaari, The Mostess, and Ashley, the contest host via her blog-- had natural traffic to their blogs related to the event, I didn't expect much by way of votes and my friends and family surprised me by showing their support! With out sounding like a whiner-- I will say, I had several people say they voted (by commenting on ashleys blog) and I didn't see them anywhere. Several of my friends voted twice because their vote didn't post initially, and finally, there were those who tried to vote, but didnt have a google email and couldnt log into the blog site unless they took the time to register with Google, etc. So all in all, I got some good votes, I was even ahead of the pack for a bit, and got to be a contender! I finished 2nd place. That was a good feeling. In the end, The Mostess had more than double my votes, and possibly 10 times the votes of most other entries. She's means serious business,and as a fellow contender-- I respect that ;) * A side note-- as the contest was heading to a clear win-- some of the other entries handed off their votes to the Mostess as well. This, I did not understand-- I do not think the Mostess wanted that at all, she had her own votes. I was surprised they didn't form some superperson and combine their votes together. But I did think it was a little odd that they felt The Mostess needed to win by an even bigger margin that she had! :O) Oh well. Perhaps its all really a big joke on me and the contest was more symbolic than anything. It was certainly an exhilirating race, just the same. My housework and children suffered slight neglect over the whole debaucle! lol Moving on!

I decided to host a kids Halloween Party on Monday the 24th, partly because I wanted to get together with all our buddies, but also because I suspected that all these mommies want to get as much mileage out of their kids costumes that they can. We had an awesome turn out! Kids from the neighbordood as well as kids from 20+ miles away came and partied with us. A special shout out to my co-hostess, Jessica Spieth. She was a life saver in terms of getting the food going and hosting several games. She's also my visiting teaching companion and just told me she is expecting her first baby, so I am excited for her, and doubly excited to have had her help. We had a Musical Cookie Walk, Haunted Obstacle Course, Haunted House, Mummy Pumpkin Toss, and Haunted Fishing Game, and we decorated our Treat Bags. People brought great food. The big finish was my favorite-- we had a Trick Or Treat DASH-- the kids lined up in the backyard and we spread a huge bag of treats all over the lawn, and the kids rushed in a filled their treat bags. It was fun!
See pics

*Also, Justin's dad, Glenn Gilbert, visited us this weekend and helped me set up for and clean up from the party. He stayed the previous weekend with us. We hadn't seen Glenn in almost 5 years, he has been living and working in Thailand and doesn't travel to often to the US. He took a special journey out West to meet his grandkids and to see what Justin and I have been up to!

Thanks for coming out, Glenn!

Last Friday we had a thrilling evening at a Halloween party hosted by Amanda G and Lindsey H in our ward. The kids had a blast. There was awesome food, decorations (Amanda had her whole Halloween village set up) and the costumes were fun. Jackson got an honorable mention for his pirate costume and he couldn't have been prouder!

Saturday night was our Ward Trunk or Treat! The Gilberts bought FreshMex Express - burritos, ate them on the church lawn, along with our fellow members of 3rd ward. There was a haunted house, and I took both kids in alone-- they were very brave, and Jackson only cried afterwards, but didn't want to leave... he was pretty fascinated. During Trunk of Treat, Peyton and I passed out candy and Jackson and Justin made the rounds.

Truly a fun night!

Today is the BIG DAY, Halloween. We have taken to walking the neighborhood, checking out all the spooky decorations and I think the kids will do fine tonight. My family are coming down from Placerville to eat dinner and Trick or Treat with us. My mom offered to hand out candy while we make our rounds. I'm excited because our neighborhood is perfect for Trick or treating. Our cul-de-sac branches off of a big loop and it will be the perfect size for the kids to just go around the loop. I'm curious to see if they will last longer than that. Happy Safe Halloween to you all! Hope its a good one.

Display Off SpOOkTacular!!!! Something WICKED--

2011-10-17T02:25:00.000-04:00

A Couple of San Jose friends have been battling it out with competing Front Entry Home Displays for the changing Fall/Holiday Seasons. A few of us wanted to join in the Halloween "Display Off" -- so now its a full fledged competition with numerous contenders.

Justin and the kids have felt a little neglected this weekend. I have been like a woman posessed. I started to put my main display together Saturday and was getting really excited about how cute it was becoming. "I just need to add a few more things..." I kept saying.... several trips to several stores and many man hours later--- Voila! I hope you like my entry. If you want to check all the other entries, please view Ashley's Carters blog to VOTE, and if you like my display BEST-- please share your comments on HER BLOG first, then feel free to comment here :).

My Theme: Something WICKED This Way Comes! All About Witches. I love the purples, blacks, oranges and greens and I unintentionally evolved with this theme after finding so much cute witch stuff browsing about town. I'm also proud to say, about 75% of the pieces I already owned and everything else I found was pretty much @ your bargain shopping centers.

ENJOY!

YOU NEED FLASHPLAYER TO VIEW THESE!
If you want larger pics-- just double click the slide slow, let me know if there are problems! Main Display - SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES Little Witchy Details - Poison apples, Skulls, my "Just add Water" melted witch, signage - love, Green crates and stools, Witches Bouquet - candles and creepy things Dark, Creepy and Crawly Details - giant spiders, bats, WITHCES CURTAIN, ghost tree and grave yard, crash landing witches Haunted Pumpkin Tree, Yard Display, Lighting and Spooky Ambiance - I think my "Piece De Resistance" is that my display creates an EXPERIENCE, from street view to door stop there is a fun energized, spooky yet fun attention to details and allows you interact and be SWEPT IN. Hope you Agree!

My latest PDR submission-- I hope you'll agree they are the best addition to this display!

Our New Pad

2011-09-10T01:58:00.013-04:00

Serious blogger hiatus folks, sorry! We have been busy, like all of you-- I really haven't been motivated to spend time on the computer. Thats a good thing, right?

Why waste time on words? I am so happy. Even tough days are wonderful with the right environment. The kids, Justin and I are feeling settled and content with life in our new home, ward and neighborhood.

Already we have had so many friends come visit us and admire our place. I think we really chose well. Single story was definitely the wise move for us. Enough said, here's some pics:

This is where to find us!

I love living on a cul-de-sac! Its like a play yard out front too! Awesome

View of entry- love the arches in this house

Master shower-- we are all shower people anyway!

Master

Master bath

Private stall! Preserving romance :)

Justin's walk in closet

My own double closet - a necessity

entry to office/guest room

great book shelves- office

work space

There is a wood bedframe collapsed under the mattresses - it is big and sturdy when it is set up-- pretty cool use of space considering this is an office most of the time.

Adorable - colorful-- Jacksons room

Cute bedding and toy storage from Ikea!

apparently his bed doubles as a club house-- he loved to hang here with his friends/sister

Jacksons sailing painting -- my fav

view of kitchen

Peytons Place -- a little stuck on her room, not sure to add a few things or leave it the way it is-- I am replacing the blue curtains with something soolid and soft--- and definitely some shelves, new signage and some little girl chairs

Busy blue butterfly curtains-- replacing these guys

glad her furniture is already white, although we may pant the drawers green for a change-- what do you think?

half of the living room, dining area not pictured, is basically below this lamp:

Kids, Guest bath

Blue and white, adding some decor soon

Kitchen/ dining

I polled several people about having a dedicated playroom (family room). I love it. We play all day with toys anyway, why not just make a room all about that, which means the rest of the house is less cluttered. This room is still evolving, needs some decor on the walls...

The backyard playhouse is a hit with all our little friends, but especially these two important people!

Its Finally Here: Move Day This Sat

2011-08-23T12:58:00.009-04:00

The latest news: We are moving to cute single family home in Folsom this week. Its been a process finding the right place for us, a place to stay for a few years of family growth, a place to finally put down some roots- since we will have moved 7 times in less than 6yrs of marriage.

We met up with the ward on Sunday and it was lovely. I'm excited to get in and get settled.

We may have an internet gap upon moving in, so I will need to wait a bit to post photos of the place. But here are two links 1, 2, (you'll need to zoom in), that I grabbed off the internet-- note the backyard, its huge!

Such a dream come true for our little ones. The lot is almost 15,000 sq feet! I was told it is the biggest lot in Natoma Station. I really feel glad about this, some of the houses out there have something like an "alley way" they call a backyard, and the prospect of renting one of these was pretty upsetting. Here, my kids will be able to run and explore and have space. Such a blessing.

Here are some basic specs, I will fill in the rest once we get settled.

Bedrooms: 4
Bathrooms: 2
3- Car Garage
Sqft: 1,903
Lot size: 14,810 sq ft / 0.34 acres
Property type: Single Family
Year built: 1993
Around the corner from a top rated elemary school!

Beating the July Bug

2011-07-30T18:22:00.004-04:00

This month started of with July 4th, Peytons birthday, and a new job. It was hectic, and I got pretty worn out, and pretty much have had my body break down on me this month. Since July 1st, I have has a bad cold, pink eye, a skin outbreak/rash thing, 2 days of flu, a persistent 2-3 week cough, and finally another full on cold. So, health wise, I have felt blah, blah, blah....

Seeing how it is the 30th, I think it is safe to say I have been sick with something for a full month. My body is hopefully gearing up for some incredible immunity or something because I cannot remember being plagued this long will illnesses with out a break. I'm pretty dang resilient, usually.

In addition to health blahs, I have had a hard time plotting and planning my "get fit" strategy lately. Since Peyton is now a year old, I feel that the clock has ticked and its been time for me to get back to the "old me". I decided to try a Juice cleanse that helped me a lot in my college days.

Enter Isagenix . A 9 day or 30 day cleanse that helped me get back on track. I have experience with the product so I opted for the 9-day, very intense cleanse.
Today I feel so good. In 9 days I have lost 10 lbs and all with out exercise. This week I am eating my regular meals and working at keeping it off, adding exercise routines, etc. Granted I'm not hitting the buffet or candy store to offset the effects of the cleanse, but I feel in control and my appetite for sweets is greatly reduced. Another side effect, is that it dried up my congestion and is helping get my energy back faster.

I may post some pics soon, but I just wanted to share my good news. As of today, I'm 5 lbs from my goal weight and that feels really terrific.

We Couldn't Be Happier--- With This Little One

2011-07-14T15:00:00.004-04:00

Peytons One-year-old photo shoot went a little something like this:

A HUGE Thank you to Sarah Jukes Danenhauer for the beautiful photoshoot experience! We highly recommend her if you are in the Sacramento area.

And Then She Was One

2011-07-11T19:12:00.020-04:00

Can this little girly-girl of mine really be a year old?

Peyton turned 1 on Friday the Eighth of July. This date was previously dubbed our "move day" to Bakersfield. I was going to hold off on her birthday celebration, naturally-- until we settled in our soon-to-be-new town. With all the changes related to us now staying in the Sacto area --- I quickly switched in to party planning mode!

We had a gorgeous Saturday for swimming, games, tasty treats and visiting with friends.

Our theme : "Peytons Peppermint Place"

A make-your-own-goodie-bag 'Mint' Themed Candy Bar

The lawn was transformed into a Circus play area

The family firepit-- was temporarily converted to a "Fishing Hole" complete with rods and fish

Little fish for our game (thanks to KS for the tips of this fun fishing craft)

The kids spent about 80% of the party in the pool, searching for treasure-- thanks for the idea, JW!

The life guards

We ate a light summer luncheon - Pretty Bow Pasta and Rainbow Fruit Salad, Lemonade

Bring on the Princess CUPCAKES!!!

Peyton, a very experienced cup cake consumer-- wasted no time! (I'll spare you the 30 photos I took of each phase of her consumption)

She sure showed IT who was boss.

I guess little sisters who throw great parties with yummy goodies and friends, can't be all bad...

A huge Thank You shout out to my sister Megan, who helped with all the little details like the adorable birthday banner! She's become quite the Party Queen out in Provo with all her Costume parties, Bakeoffs and decorating know how-- I know she's going to be a hit when she starts her party business someday! Thanks Meggers :)

Surprise!

2011-06-29T21:17:00.006-04:00

This has been a crazy June. First we have cold rainy weather, then we have blazing days in the 100s. We just took a trip to Southern California. We have been checking out homes, leases, moving vans and HOA rates for Bakersfield, almost everything was in its place...

and now --

We are staying in Sacramento! Justin received a job offer from a large litigation firm in the city and we are pleased and excited. Great firm, great benefits, lots to look forward to. We are bewildered and in awe of Gods plan and how it unfolds before us.

More details to come.

Love and Hugs to you all.

"... When You Marry in June"

2011-06-06T00:25:00.004-04:00

A page in the history books has turned.

My dear friend of 8+ years has found her prince and they are now so happy, married this weekend in the Sacramento LDS Temple, for time and for all eternity. Truly a Royal Wedding Experience.

Although there was rain outside, IN JUNE, there was a tender warmth about them as they conducted their nuptuals among close friends and family, and later greeted their array of guests at the reception.

Congratulations to Eric and Samantha (Hall) Wiscomb!

Sam's cousin Marie and I got to visit-- she now lives in Virginia!
My date for the reception, Justin being in L.A. this weekend.
I liked the floral style, so woodsy and trendy.

Souveniers from Europe

2011-05-31T02:07:00.003-04:00

My parents opened gifts for us today, from their travels.

We received a Paris scarf and Christian Dior perfume for me, and Dior cologne for Justin. Just what we wanted.

Natalie and Katy pose here with their clothing and bracelets.

May Days and the Fling of Spring

2011-05-30T23:44:00.030-04:00

Its sooo easy to get behind these days-- what is it with 2011? I check out friends blogs and notice a general lag--- no offense, I think we're all just busy.

So APRIL was like this:

The first week we watched General Conference and visited with family.

On the 2nd week, 4/11, we headed to Lake Tahoe and then Reno to stay @ the CircusCircus hotel with our little family. We needed a little us time. The lodgings were fine, the kids loved the acrobats and the trained animal shows. We wandered around the Midway, playing Ring-toss games, collecting prizes and snacking on treats. Jackson was obsessed with the "shuttle/tram" which he called "the train".

They had a delicious International Buffet and our kids went a little crazy with the selection of food. And made a horrible mess on the floor. Ahhh, restaurant eating with kids-- need I say more?

The next day we drove Wild Island amusement playground and spent most of our time doing High Ballocity - a indoor play center on speed, it allows you to climb, slide, shoot balls through air guns at the other participants. Initially, this freaked Jackson out, especially when a swarm of pre-schoolers showed up. We played with him in the baby play area for like 45 minutes--- eventually, he got warmed up and was running around shooting his dad with balls and getting into everything-- the perfect thing to tire our kids out before the scenic drive home.

We stopped @ the Reno Temple and admired it for a few minutes. There was no visitors center. And surprisingly it was closed on a Tuesday, but we enjoyed taking in the view before the rest of our drive home.

My sister Ivy and our nephew Christian came to visit from Virginia. We went to Fairytale town, the kids gym, and did lot of other fun things with the little boys together. I think it was 10 days but it went fast and we hope they can come sometime again, after the VA Bar is over for Shane.

My sister Megan and the Guerrero clan and overlapped the Larsens for a few days. More cooking, visiting and little boys playing. What could complete our little reunion better than some group photos of the grand kids all together- Jackson, Christian, Max and Peyton-- getting bigger, cuter, more love able all the time!

April is the mother-lode for birthdays in the Sellers' clan, Natalie, Ivy and Mom and all had birthdays the last week of the month, add that to Easter, several Easter parties, following quickly was the fast arriving Mother's Day- which made for a serious whirlwind season of cards, gifts, candy eggs, chocolate, and birthday wishes.

(BTW- I've thought about Mother's Day and decided (not bitterly, but realistically) that its almost too hard to really be celebrated as a mom with young kids-- if you've got the super-dad husband that wants to spoil you crazy-- go for it, live it up-- but as grateful as I was for my husband making it special, to me it is just one busy weekend with the inevitable housework, church, caring for 2 kids, trying to do nice things for my mom/ grandmas... it was more effort to think about it as "my day too" than it would be to just focus on others-- I like to imagine when my kids are out of diapers that they will wake me with waffles and shower me with hand made cards, and my spouse will be able to sit and bask in their love with me--- but until then..... ????

MAY has gone like this:

Peyton-- 10 months-- walking, taking up to 12 steps, stops to pivot, sometimes just makes a U-turn and comes back to me, if you can believe it. Working on catching herself with her hands or slowly lowering from mid-walk back to the floor.

She says -- da-da, na-na, babababa, ma-ma-ma, nanana, burrrrrrrs with her lips, blows air in my face, makes a variety of unintentional animal noises- lions roar, arff like a dog, hisss- like a cat-- pretty funny, oooh, and grunts like a pig, I suppose. All to communicate.

Jackson - 2 1/2 years - wow. We have begun potty training. I began with 2 days using Mickey Underwear and him sitting on the little potty in the living room, drinking juice and watching TV all day, and then I realized, at least for me-- this isn't the slightest bit reflective on real life...

I wouldn't normally be jamming him full of liquids and just leaving to sit all day-- so right now I am trying Pull-ups and we have a potty break every hour and our goal is to wear 1 Pull-up for the whole day and keep it dry. Right now we are averaging 2-1/2 Pull-ups per day. If he goes #2 in the toilet only, I feel like we are making progress. Feel free to advise-- this is my first time around and I'm really sensitive about him having accidents in my parents house and on their nice furniture, so I think Pull-ups are a must right now... we'll hopefully transition back to underwear soon.

Talking sentences is the normal thing now. I guess there's no point in listing words or phrases, he says new things around the clock. He likes to repeat everything we suggest with NO mixed in there somewhere- even if the eventual answer is YES. "Mac N Cheese? NO, Mac N Cheese- Mac N Cheeeeeeese!" It fun for us as parents since we already know how to speak Jacksonese- hopefully others are catching on that reverse psychology is very effective with this kid.

Nursery class is a joy and he looks forward to it every Sunday. He also sits through Sacrament meeting very well (75 minutes of adult church) and knows how to use his quiet voice when talking to us.

Jackson is fond of his little sister. They tend to have a nightly shower together and he sticks all the foam alphabet letters on her back and arms where she can't reach-- he thinks its pretty hilarious. He also enjoys stealing her blanket in the car but is otherwise entertaining her during our family outings.

We have had fun this month, going on playgroup dates with our new friends and meeting up with old friends from highschool!

Megan and Max Guerrero cam back for a second visit (while her hubby Davey is working in Alaska) and when she did, she insisted we watch the Royal Wedding and I was actually drawn in and enjoyed myself. Surprise! (until I read later than Kate and William have been living with each other for several years, which definitely took away a lot of the magic for me).
Megan made me a headboard for our bed! and she was making several other crafty projects with she was here-- she is definitely always creating a project.

This month we have been babysitting for my parents while they journeyed to Europe for 3 weeks- they took a Cosmos Best of Europe Tour and they got back last night. In other words, The Gilberts were in charge of an additional 5 human lives, 3 cats, 1 dog, a large garden/yard and a passel of chickens in their absence.

Babysitting went fairly smooth. We attempted several times to organize pool parties with friends but we were treated with cold 60-70 degree weather and rain throughout this month, including most of the weekends. My brother Dylan had his Varsity end-of the year - pool party, as scheduled, only everyone was wearing hoodies and huddled around my parents' fire pit instead of swimming-- I suppose summer is going to get here in JUNE? Just a guess-- we're been expecting it for 2 months to get hot in CA and I don't see any sign of it yet-- this has been a real peculiar year for weather here.

We did manage to host a Couples Pasta Night the first weekend of May - there were 10 of us in all, we played games, gorged on yummy Italian food and dessert, and went hot-tubbing at the end. So nice to have some adult enjoyment with fun people!

On May 13th, as most of you already know-- we learned that Justin passed the CA Bar Exam!

So No more of this:

Or This:

We have been thrilled ever since, and of course, he is busy sending out resumes galore. (If reader happen to have any useful contacts in CA for associate law jobs, please feel free to share with us).

We were planning on going to Disneyland this week-- it almost happened, but with job hunting and a few family events, we have decided to post-poned our first Disney sojourn for the Fall -- hopefully before Jackson's 3rd birthday in November, so he'll be free!

My good friends the Thoriegs have a new baby. I was 7 months pregnant when we moved away from them, for California, and I have been awaiting them having a baby ever since! Aviana Elise was born Sunday. So excited for them!

My dear friend Samantha Hall is getting married this Saturday in the Sacramento Temple-- I am so thrilled I get to be there and share in her moment. Maybe she will have to start a new blog, as Samantha Wiscomb...??

So that is a wrap. How are you doing?

Justin and His Baby

2011-04-13T10:57:00.003-04:00

These two are thick as thieves, they have a special bond. Peyton has many smiles and expressions that she saves only for Daddy. They have their little games that they play and its all very fun to watch.

Kiddos MARCH Action

2011-04-06T03:37:00.005-04:00

Ahhh the bliss of mealtime with 2 kids.... As cute as he is here-- He has become (or I have allowed him to become) a picky eater. Ugh! The thing I tend to loathe in other children... Dinner time has become a bit of a power struggle and I have a million excuses for his behavior, we're working on it...

She had a rough start eating solids, but has gotten more into it. Still, her favorite thing is to self-feed, she pretty much likes to eat what Jackson and I are eating and, like Jackson, has very little trouble swallowing chunky textures Jackson with some new friends @ our little St. Pattys Day Party...

So totally expressive and communicative, she pans for an audience and gives them her biggest grins and coos! I get a bad-mommy report card on this-- Jackson has discovered candy and is always trying to get some, and sometimes I am in a mood where I just don't care! Here a bunch of of my brother's gumballs fell off the shelf... *tsk *tsk

And she is cruising! Peyton is almost 9 months and has been cruising for some weeks now. She has also mastered the "official" crawl technique. The lady can certainly bust a move. Video soon :)

And finally, she is getting her 1st tooth this week, I am suffering 3 nights now with sleep interruptions due to her discomfort, but that little tooth is finally coming through!

A Bedroom Refresher

2011-04-06T03:26:00.004-04:00

Nothing says "Happy Birthdday, I Love You" like the gift of CASH these days-- to go buy what I most want for myself. My loving family gave me just that to celebrate the big #27.

I decided to analyze the best possible impact of my b-day purchase(s)-- massages? clothes? nails? Hair color? Toys or clothes for the kids? (yes, this was a serious consideration--sometimes my greatest pleasure is just buying something I have been longing for THEM to have, almost like a big RELIEF for ME)

In the end, I decided to make my bedroom closer to a sanctuary than it has been in a while. NEW BEDDING! My former red, gold and brown bedding hues have seen better days. In short, I looked @ some of the Dwell Studio items and picked up a refreshing, clean and soothing bedding set. Voila!

Room refreshed!

Birthday in Photos (Chelsea's 27th)

2011-03-10T22:53:00.007-05:00

I'm sorry to report, I've lost a little interest in my blogging. This post is way over due ! Its an appreciation shout out to my family, especilly my "chef" sister Megan- who made my bday so memorable! A Bright and Happy MENU - of my delicious breakfast awaiting me omelettes

lemon cream crepes

les fraises au chocolait

We also went out to CHINESE @ Rice Express-- our family favorite!

Love and Daffodils- A Springy Photoshoot

2011-03-09T17:12:00.005-05:00

I shared these on the FB a while back, but wanted to get them on the blog. Heaven!

I like My Birthdays Every ONE

2011-03-07T01:59:00.009-05:00

Okay, not really.

I haven't really been in the birthday mood for the past couple of years. Its wonderful to have the family and friends say sweet and thoughtful things, but I have a busy life with the kids and there are no "go and relax" days in my near future. I will be 27 years old on Thursday. Hmmm..

I tend to be very contemplative on, or around my birthday. It like a 2nd New Years resolution window. I love lists. I love goals. If I haven't reached my goals from last year, there can be some frustration... but mostly on birthdays I like to forge ahead with a new list of eager goals to keep my personal "bar" high. It makes looking ahead a lot more purposeful for me.

I think about 27 and I wonder if I'm where I "should" be in life. I think about missed opportunities, bizarre or strange events that lead me to where I am now. I think back several years. I feel grateful for some of the good choices, like choosing to marry Justin, and choosing to take my education seriously; these are decisions I can reflect on with satisfaction.

I have 2 wonderful, adorable kids. I feel like a lot of that is luck. I didn't choose their genders, their looks, their characteristics, their health circumstances. I made adjustments in life to allow for children, but I never knew just when conception would take place, whether pregnancy/motherhood would go smoothly, I have little to no control over their unique problems like sickness or temperament. I'm just, plain, grateful for them, without exactly feeling like I can take credit for the great kids they are.

My passions. Music, The Arts,Travel, Networking, furthering my interests in the Family Therapy profession. These are areas in which I am always eager to develop myself, my scope and awareness. I'm setting some goals to pursue these more this year. They have taken a backseat in recent years due to the novelty and necessity of adjusting to law-school and children. Our family is turning a page and I feel like these passions are worth investing in, they light something inside of me, make my world more colorful and bright, add excitement to an otherwise dull or draining routine.

Work, living situation, family and financial stressors. These are tangibles that have caught me quite off guard this year, and in past years. I have not had control over these. Its hard. Control is a big thing in my life. To let circumstances take their course and just try my best to understand and go with it has been a huge challenge.

I'm not quite sure how to wrap up this post. I suppose I will just add that I feel like I've learned a lot this year. I've been stretched, challenged, wanted to give up many times, in many moments. And then, this great thing happened. I got through it. I would wake up one morning and realize, my stresses are not over, but I'm still here, I made it through.

Boy do I have faults. Boy am I weak. I don't want to compare my strength to others. But for me, my own inner growth has been the most significant, and when I think about what I have accomplished this year, the result is-- a stronger, somehow better, version of myself... with many good things in view.

February Happenings - With ME

2011-03-07T01:49:00.006-05:00

Well, some interesting things happened-- like a Blizzard Type Snow Day the 2nd Friday in Feb....

and the Following weekend, a predicted 2-DAY Record Breaking Blizzard Weekend that turned out to be no more than wind chill and rain...

I signed up for the Foothill Moms Club-- which, ironically is made up of 90% LDS moms attending the Bass Lake Ward, in my Stake. There are weekly park days, field trips, Moms Night Outs, a good way to get more social!

... I auditioned for the Stake Musical and got a fun part! I'm far from stellar in my singing, but I'm so glad I did IT-- I've always wanted a chance to perform in a musical type show, and when this opportunity came along, I grabbed it-- it was fun and I definitely hope to get into more performing! I was in two different numbers, so hopefully I can my hands on a good taping of the second song.

I found a HAIR STYLIST that fits me! She is mobile, afforable and a totally fun person! I got a much needed hair color session right here in my own house while the kids were napping, I am feeling much better in the hair department :)

Also, trying to do some running. I have been stretching the "tired mom of a new baby" thing out a bit, Peyton is 8 months on TUESDAY and there is no longer a plausible excuse for any body blubber-- she is sleeping fabulous and is coming along with the baby food so I'm determined to get into gear! (I'll spare you all the spandex laden photos!)

February the BLUR -- Train Rides, Sac Zoo, Fairy Tale Town Adventures

2011-03-07T01:41:00.011-05:00

After a week of Jackson asking for a "choo-choo" ride, we got a call from our buddies the Websters, to join them again @ Folsom zoo.

All these pics below are from the Sacramento Zoo and Fairy Tale Town

Aunt Katy, Uncle Tanner, Peyton and Jackson

So crafty, Peyton grabbing my hair

The Crooked House

Little explorer

Flamingos!

Sliding down the Bean-stalk

Katy, Dad, Tanner, Mom and my kids in the stroller

Dad, Tanner, Mom, Katy

I loved the Lion! He seeemed so close, so magnificent

He sees the Lion-- yay!

Jackson as Butterfly

Little Peyton enjoying the view from her special seat I couldn't resist the pose, the carriage just spoke to me

The Prince & Me

Sliding down Mother Goose's lap

King Arthurs throne- Katy and Jackson

Old Woman's Shoe Slide

My Mom and Peyton

7 Months - Peyton

2011-02-11T14:09:00.015-05:00

This girl has mastered sitting up and has begun talking and crawling-- check her out! (sorry for all the background noise! )

Zoo, Train and Folsom City Park

2011-02-11T14:09:00.011-05:00

We had such a nice day doing to the Folsom Zoo! We met our friends Wendy and Eliza and saw Tigers, Black Bears, White Wolves, Red Foxes, Coyotes, Llamas, and many smaller animals ... For only a few bucks-- this zoo is extremely convenient and we get to see the animals close up.

Following that we rode the train -- twice, because Jackson was so enchanted and its been a while since we've done this sort of thing, so I was happy to ride again. (Only the train conductor physically lifting him out could persuade him that the ride was over).

I wish I had pictures of the park afterwards. Its Wild West themed, its designed with a make believe saloon, hotel, a large pioneer wagon-- pretty cool, and a big map of Old Folsom back in its "wild west" days. Super fun! Anyway we soaked up the SUN and chatted with a bunch of other mommies and then went home to perfect naps. Ahhhh.

Kiddos Lately

2011-02-10T20:46:00.004-05:00

An IKEA Date

2011-01-30T00:52:00.003-05:00

A Fun Monday while in Virginia, I met up @ Ikea with my older sister Ivy and Cousin Darla and their young tots, Christian and June. So cute and adorable! We enjoyed the food and browsing the latest Ikea had to offer. Check out these cute photos:

June-3, Christian -1, Jackson -2

Jackson REALLY not into hugging-- sorry Christian, and while I'm at it-- sorry to all of Jackson's friends who have come up to hug him and have to deal with his whole "no touchy" thing.

Good lookin' little spuds -- I like their blonde 'dos

Darla and I + plus 3 kiddos
Darla and Ivy

Happy New Year!

2011-01-07T16:48:00.003-05:00

All the BEST New Year's Wishes to our FAMILY and FRIENDS - from Jackson, Peyton, and the rest of those GILBERTS!

I'll be in Virginia -- for Christmas

2010-12-26T16:00:00.007-05:00

A Very Placerville Christmas 2010

2010-12-26T15:40:00.004-05:00

I like this photo because it captures the ambiance of the room!

Some more decorations

My little monster

Demonstrating "excited faces" for Jackson

All Peyton wants is wrapping paper---

About to open our gifts...

Enjoyng the Jump-a-roo

Peyton cuddling w/ Grampa Wiley

Jack-Jack and Pey-Pey

2010-12-07T03:08:00.004-05:00

Two peas in a pod? Yes, indeedy. After 5 months of practice with each other, Jackson and Peyton are becoming more and more fascinated with each other and seem to enjoy seeking the other's amusement they get the chance.

Jackson lowers his head over Peytons tummy and rubs her belly and she grabs his ears and hair and squeals with delight. When he's across the room, she grunts and coos until she gets his attention. Peyton is always panning the room for her big brother. Sometimes when she fusses in her swing, Jackson will run over to her and talk calmingly to her before I reach her.

Such a sweet bond I look forward to see ripening over time... lets hope!

All in the Family - Sellers Clan 2010 Cancun

2010-12-07T03:05:00.009-05:00

Xel-Ha and Other Cancun Memories -- Pure Tropical Magic

2010-12-07T03:04:00.006-05:00

Nothing like community bathing-- luckily these all boy cousins didn't seem to mind!

More shots of Xel-Ha

Eating out--

Grandma and Peyton on a perfect beach-- ahhhh

My little spud and I on the beach

A lazy cruise down the river @ the Xel-Ha Play Resort

YES. We ate like this every night-- Whew!

The Birthday BOY- Jackson's Big TWO

2010-11-29T22:44:00.025-05:00

JACKSON IS TWO.

How did this kid do it, grow and develop into a little man that runs around and spouts off sentence after sentence? It makes me chuckle to think that I used to try and keep track of his "words", "skills" and day to day adventures. This kid now does everything, says everything and will try anything once. He's predictably unpredictable. Insatiably curious. Outrageously obstinate. Yet he's so sensitive, charming and loving that he invariably melts my heart, day after day.

Well we had to do something to celebrate this guy. Its funny, I started thinking about kids birthday parties and it occurred to me while planning that children's parties, especially at this young age, are often more about the parents trying to make "an impression" than about the kids they are celebrating. Jackson would have been happy if I had presented him with a cardbord box full of newspapers, he was no more aware of his birthday than he is aware of where Santa's toys come from.

So now comes the fun part. I've never boasted myself a cook, a decorator or a crafty event planner type. I love parties, I just don't have the natural knack or budget to run around and create them the way people seem to breezily throw together parties like they are being photographed for a magazine. I looked forward to celebrating with Jackson and his friends and making it a memorable event for them.

Although this guy is a November baby, we shot early for October, and went for the Halloween theme, which cut me some slack on finding a different theme and decorations. Plus, I LOOOOVE Halloween and costumes. I also hoped parents would get a kick out of getting some extra mileage out of those adorable outfits they slaved to acquire for their little kidkins this year.

I wanted so badly to have a backyard birthday party. We had our new trampoline and swing set, and with the right staging-- some tunnels balloons, and craft table-- I thought we would be set. Mostly unstructured. These are 1-3 yrd olds, right? Just utter, organized chaos, and food and it should be a hit.

But it was not to be. Little hitch in my plan, totally volatile weather predictions all week. I was glued to the weather report and finally, it showed rain on the party day. Yikes. And since our family was set to move in November, I was glad I had the inspired thought to do this in October, but now, there was really was no wiggle room in rescheduling.

Long story short, I got the "A-OK" to move our party into the church gym around the corner from our house.

I know what you're thinking: tacky pants. Super old school lame, like a Utah-gymnasium wedding in December. But we made it work, borrowed a few of our favorite and familiar "props" from the Nursery, our friends didn't complain, and the kids had fun.

So, my little plan had to be flipped upside down and modified. I'm glad that my birthday guy was happy, we got to visit with our favorite peeps and their awesome kids, and I didn't have a melt-down or otherwise wig out too much. Heck, I had fun.

THE SET-UP

THE INCREDIBLES

THE BLOW-OUT

Jackson, unwilling to blow candles on queue--- RKaz saves the day with an assist

THE SPREAD: The post feeding-frenzy shot.

Cupcakes, Dirt Dessert, Monster-Toes, Barbeque Brains and Real Barsotti's

Apple Cider rounded out the feast nicely

LOOKS LIKE A THUMBS UP FROM THE BIRTHDAY BOY--

A LITTLE FREE-PLAY WITH DAD

AND A LITTLE POUTING a la TOO MUCH PHOTOGRAPHY ON MOMS END

SOME SPECIAL GUEST APPEARANCES MADE THE WHOLE EVENT WORTHWHILE:

PIRATES... Aaaarrrrg Matey!

LAW ENFORCEMENT kept things under control

SUPER HEROES

An assortment of fuzzy CRITTERS

Curious George and "Man with the Yellow Hat" were a crowd-pleasing hit

An Adorable FRANKENSTEIN

A Cow-rustilin' COWGIRL

Some Halloween WITCHES sportin' orange and black

TINKERBELL and PETER PAN made an adorable pair...

Even a friendly GHOST joined us!

SOME OF MY FAVORITE RANDOM SHOTS

TIME FOR THE BIG FINALE-- THE CANDY DASH!

The Celebration Continues on his REAL Birthday - Nov 14th, as we enjoyed a leisurely Sunday dinner, followed by apple pie a la mode and opening a mountain of presents @ my parents house.
Digging in---

He likey, likey

But even after all the fuss and planning----

I suppose he would've been satisfied with a few lolipops...

and complete access to Moms Camera -- yowsers!

Vacation Time! Cancun Beach Photos, Poolside shots

2010-11-29T22:44:00.007-05:00

The Sellers Girls - count 'em: SIX

Grandparents willing, kids were "done"

Jackson and Christian solidified their "cousin bond" during this trip

Little charmer for the camera

Gilbert Fam Thanksgiving 2010

I loved our cool red hats

Peyton Lately 4-5 months

2010-11-29T22:43:00.005-05:00

Checking In: Changes, Moving

2010-11-18T01:36:00.002-05:00

Here is our new address for those pesky Christmas card lists, or if you're thinking about a visit to Tahoe/Folsom and want to meet up! We'd really love to stay in touch.

The Gilberts
3300 Greenwood Lane
Placerville, CA 95667

See pictures of where we are living here.

Sending you wishes for a Happy Thanksgiving from Mexico! Pics from our last Cancun trip, here.

Love from Chelsea

The Gilbert Moving Curse

2010-10-18T00:59:00.002-04:00

Mclean, VA. Haymarket, VA. Bristow, VA. Wilmington, DE. Cupertino, CA. Santa Clara, CA. and now... Placerville, CA. We'll be staying with my parents for a while until we get settled with a job. In Sacramento.

We are moving 3 hours away and its the Gilbert moving curse. We have never lived anywhere for more than 14 months, since we've been married. Its a curse. Either school or housing or work stuff has needed to change. School is now out. Housing can be figured out. Just trying to get going on the work stuff.

We have some prospects that seem bright in Sacramento, and meanwhile Peyton and Jackson are about to become the most spoiled kids alive with their Granparents and Aunties who love them and will get to see them all the time. Uncles too. Did I mention my parents house has a 20-foot slide off their deck?

So, San Jose-- we will miss you. You've been good to us. We get to enjoy 4 more sweet weeks...

Our Internet Stinks

2010-10-18T00:57:00.001-04:00

We have the free Wifi Santa Clara internet and sometimes its great. Suddenly, like since October, it is so stinkin' slow. I can't upload all my cute photos to blogger, it just dies instead. I think I will be forced to take my kids to McDonalds tomorrow and use their fast internet. Plus Jackson will enjoy the playing. Hopefully soon my stuff will be up!

All Quiet on the Sleeping Front

2010-10-07T01:17:00.002-04:00

Sleep. Sleep. Sleep. Its on my mind right now. I can't believe when I was first married, and even in college, I would need all 9 hours. What has come of those days???

Justin has been sleeping as early at 830 at night and goes to the gym at 530am... I can't even wind down until 10pm, and then this week I will lie in bed for hours (4hrs on Mon night, just laying there!) unable to shut down the brain. ugh.

I'm not looking for a solution from the masses, but just sharing the facts of life for me these days.

I've been trying to do some sleep training with 3 month old little Miss "P" - during her 2nd month she was needing me to "comfort her" from 3a.m. until wake up time, either with cuddling or extra meals to keep her chill. It was really taxing me, so these past 10 days I have been putting her in her crib asleep, and letting her cry a bit in the night. She would go 4, 5 hours before needing food, sometimes 6,7, then 4, no real pattern. This has been messing me up a lot too because really I'm glued to the baby monitorworrying or I'm checking in on her, re-swaddling, you name it.

Last night we did 9 hours! She whimpered in the night, but no full on "hunger cry". It turns out she had been a) throwing off her blankets, and b)scooting (at two months!!) across her crib with her strong legs (while sleeping) and would bump her head on the crib bars. I put some padding there but still she would scoot, get stuck, and cry. Last night I put her in her warm slippery fleece sleepdress and put on her slippery fleece sheets and she had no friction, could not travel and Voila, great sleep! Still in place where I left her the night before, warm and cozy. Lets hope a pattern emerges.

Meanwhile, I am trying not to fight the weird sleep stuff with me, last night I read my current novel for hours, until my brain wound down enough to rest. I try to get a nap every day to offset my late bedtime, and I seem to be gettin by for now. When Peyton is really sleeping well on the regular, I might try a sleep aid to help me re-set my clock.

Peyton's Baby Announcement

2010-10-04T14:54:00.014-04:00

We would've loved to send one to each of our friends but soon enough everyone will be getting our Christmas card, so I am posting this on the Web.

(And yes, you caught me-- this is a photo of a photo, but I'm too lazy to hook up the scanner, okay?)

Summer - Fall 2010 in photos :)

2010-10-04T14:43:00.009-04:00

As you might imagine, our summer has been non-stop action followed by a blitz of mad-crazy activity preparing for our move... New baby, Bar Exam, Jackson's birthday, The Move, two holiday trips to plan for... plus our calling as Ward Activties leaders kept us solidly busy from July through November.

So finally, I have a little time to post these photos of this busy time for us.

Hayride @ the El Dorado Ward Halloween Activity

Peytons 2-3 Months

2010-10-04T14:29:00.006-04:00

So many changes! She such a smiley interactive girl. I think she's catching on to the social a bit earlier than Jackson. I am loving her chubbiness all over-- her cheeks are so big and emphasized when she smiles. Adorable, and we love her so.

Some changes these 2-3 months--

Very strong neck, does well with tummy time (10 mins, no complaints), will happily sit in her baby swing alert and smiling, pans the room for mommy, daddy and Jackson. Watches Jackson intently for 10 minutes or more. "watches tv" - very sensitive to sounds and voice intonation. She got a bumbo seat to help her sit up, but prefers to wiggle on the ground, rolls from side-to-side, LOTS of TALKING!! She gargles and coos so much and its so fun to hear... again, seems to do this more than Jackson at this age. She has a very cute girly squeal which I try to capture on video whenever I can, she's very aware of the camera and acts differently when I have it out. :)

Some Changes at the Gilbert House

2010-10-04T14:26:00.007-04:00

Mr. Fix-it came to visit and we love it when he does! haha Seriously, I have always loved the Home Depot-- that what we did Labor Day was home improvement stuff and I loved it. So satifying. Some little changes we have been enjoying...

Just like when mom wasa kid

Lovin' the tramp

Our livingroom has been upgraded to a gym. Minus the treadmill.

Do you Need a Good LAUGH? I needed one. Enjoy!

2010-09-27T12:27:00.007-04:00

We are staunch conservatives but we can have a sense of humor about politics... I promise! This election season will have us on the edge of our seats, but for now, some things are to be enjoyed. This guy is too funny. He went viral all over YouTube and will be a name you will hear in the future. If you want to laugh louder-- watch this clip.

Presidential ad:

By the way, he did not win the election.

First Campout with our Kids

2010-09-22T02:35:00.008-04:00

Had a blast at our ward campout last weekend. But for starters, I was soooo exhausted by Friday of last week, and Friday I spent all day packing the car and getting ready to host our ward camp out...

I was tooo tired to really look forward to it, I needed about a 5 hour nap to get functional. However, we packed up and headed to Camp Lehi and I got my 5th wind once I saw the beautiful grounds and started greeting our fun friends from the ward.

Would love to camp again with the same people only not be "in charge" of the event. What I mean is, when everyone was chilaxing, Justin and I were calculating each person and timing each segment of the activity (when to start the fire, make cocoa, get up for breakfast, calculate clean up) and it would be nice to have been more carefree.

But it was still wonderful. And people in the ward helped out, which was very much needed. Our friends held/ watched Peyton and Jackson at different times when we needed to do something really detailed or heavy duty.

But you don't want to hear all that. I can report that the kids slept great, although I was up for hours after Peyton angelically fell back to sleep after our 2a.m. feeding. could hear lots of critters scampering about outside. I couldn't stop my thoughts from churning, and get this-- eventually fell asleep to a nightmare of Llamas attacking us at our very tent on that very night at Camp Lehi. So... not very well rested.

We had a campfire w/ s'mores Friday and Saturday after the crazy breakfast, we enjoyed some wonderful hiking around with the many families that were there with their young kids. We were with great company when it came to that.

So here are some enjoyable shots, hope you like them too:

The kids playing ring around the firepit...

and here's a few shots of my little lady from the weekend: isn't she so big?

I Really Am In Love....

2010-09-22T02:20:00.006-04:00

... with being my kids' mom. (and being married, but more on that later)

I'm not a big blog sharer of personal thoughts and feelings, I need more practice to get it right, so here's one:

I have been, what I will call... deliriously tired... not sure if I should be driving tired... like someone else is controlling a robotic remote moving me about tired. But in these tired moments over the past few weeks, I get some of the most wonderful insights about the value and worth of my kids. How much I love them, How special they are. how cute their cheeks, dimples, are -- I find myself taking a few extra moments to try and seal in my memory the sound of Peyton's babling or Jacksons high bursts of laughter. I don't even grab the camera, I just try to enjoy. Its amazing, when I have more energy I fill the day with busy-ness, sometimes omuch busy-ness to "enjoy" these moments because I want to 'control' my day. But... time is fleeting, they are changing fast-- I'm just holding on to the little bit I can.

This is my attemp at tasteful, bathtime photos-- I love bath time with the kids so much! Time just slows down during bathtime.

Of course my favorite shot has a random line through it...

Typical shot of Jackson, always trying to "help" his sister along...

Sorry Peyton, its gonna get crazier than this...

Are you picking up on their personalities from these shots?

Welcome Back Sister Hall!!

2010-08-31T16:14:00.004-04:00

Sam and Peyton

One of my BESTEST Sacramento (and recently Bay Area) friends just returned this month from an 18-Month LDS Mission to Omaha, Nebraska. She makes me want to go out there and eat some steak-- sounds like it tastesmuch better there.

We had to content ourselves with some In & Out Burger-- like only us California girls could appreciate. So glad you're back Samantha!

Wiley Reunion

2010-08-26T17:36:00.012-04:00

The 2nd weekend of Aug, we went to my parents in Sacramento for a Wiley reunion. I was especially excited because there were two new babies - Peyton and Adeline, to share in all the attention and fun. Additionally, Justin and Jackson were in VA for last years reunion, so I was super glad my full family was represented!

It was a quick 2.5 days @ my parents house-- and with their 8 bedrooms-- there was amazingly enough room to house the entire Western Wiley clan. (I say Western b/c most Wileys are out East).

Our visit in photos:

Cousin Eve holding Peyton
The major hi-light besides seeing family-- my Wiley Grandparents surprised all of us with our our own copy of these Heritage-Makers books (history all about our family!) Grampa included many photos, stories about our ancestors, and a nice family tree to reference. Truly a wonderful gift-- something we can all treasure for a long time!

Adeline Jones

My mom, Grandma Amy, holding Peyton

Grampa Bob Wiley - holding Great Grandaughter Peyton and Grandaughter (my cousin) Adeline at the same time-- sooooo precious! I had to get several shots in.

Gramps looking at Peyton

.. and Adeline

My handsome brother Tanner giving me his biggest smile

Adeline in her sling

Good looking brother Tim, Gramps, Aunt Laurie

Grandma Pat Wiley

Uncle Scott, representing the Wileys from WA State

Dylan checking out his Heritage book...

Cousins Katy and Andrew

My little lady in her yellow bow

1 Month Checkup for Peyton

2010-08-26T17:22:00.004-04:00

Goodness, the weeks are flying by! Our Princess is now 7 weeks old, this is a post about her 1 month check up on Aug 9th.

Peyton was able to skip her two weeks exam because she was doing so well as of her 1 week and the doctor told me she thought I was fine cuz this is my second baby.

Height: 21 1/4 in 50%

Weight: 9.8 lbs 75%

Head: 37 in 50%

Her 2 months is very soon. Its nice to have these check-ups. And Jackson hasn't been a problem during her appts either, which is a blessing.