a lil sisterly love! and alot less tv!

Aaron and i decided that our kids had over-all being watching way too much tv. so for a week we decided that the tv would break. I thought ashlyn would throw a fit...at times during the week i wanted to throw a fit but the results were amazing. My kids were sooooo much nicer to each other and found ways to play together...instead of just sitting there fighting over the prime couch spot to watch tv. And Aaron and I found we had so much more time to do the things that were truely important.Like spending time talking...working out together(kind of) and wrestling with the kids. Instead of us all just planting it on the couch. So needless to say we are seriously limiting the amount the tv around the bean household.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Valentine's day was a crazy one this year...filled with morning treats, school parties, and a doctor's appt.! Every year when the girls wake up i have a little treat for them, because they are my lil valentines! I was a little worried because ashlyn started making a list like it was christmas all over again. So i was a little afraid that she would be disappointed...but she loved what she got. Then it was off to the school party. Which would have been great minus alysse. who was into EVERYTHING!!! She had her fingers in the frosting at the cookie decorating table, she was eating the hersey's kisses for the bingo game....she thought she was part of the class during story time. And was spotted several times picking the foam hearts off the kids valentine's boxes. Needless to say she had a great time! I was exhausted. I must add... it was soooo cute! there is a boy in ashlyn's class that likes her and he saved up his own money and bought her a special valentine...and at the end of class gave it to her and asked if she would be his valentine. i thought it was soooo cute. She was so embarrassed!!! she wouldnt let me take a picture unil we got home! Then after 4 hours of partying with kindergarteners it was off to the doctor's office. which i thought was going to take about 15 minutes...but turned into an hour and a half long ordeal kids included. As we were waiting i was reminded of all the goodies that are located in an OB's office. So i had to keep alysse up on the examing table...which she loved because the paper made so much noise. She then proceeded to ripe the paper into tiny pieces and launch it off the table. In walks the doctor which scared her and she would not leave my lap so the doctor had to measure me and listen for the heart beat with alysse drapped across me. One good thing that did come out of the experience is i get my ultrasound in TWO WEEKS!!! So march 6th I will know what i am having. YEAH!!!! When then came home to heart shaped pancakes, eggs, and hased browns for dinner. It was a very busy day but all in all it was worth it....i think.

tents and tunnels...thanks to erica.

So with it being so incredibly blasted cold here my kids have about had it being indoors. And believe me so have i!!! So the other day erica (grover) anyone who blogs knows who she is...posted about her girls loving to play in their play tents and the tunnels. I thought what a great idea. My kids are constantly trying to build forts....but the senario usually plays out like so....ashlyn takes an hour or so ever so carefully building the perfect fort with blankets and pillows and couch cushions, and chairs, etc....and about one minute after she enters her masterpiece fort.... in comes alysse... who then in about thirty seconds trashs the whole thing...massive crying insues from both parties ashlyn because" she worked soooooo hard and dumb alysse broke it" and alysse due to bodily harm. SOOOOO i decided to get some tunnels and a few tents and see how it went. When the box arrived they could not wait to rip into the bad boy and played for hours. I took a couple of pictures before my camera died to document one of the single times my children played civily together!!! So thank you erica for the great idea.

it is never good when they are quite!!

Small explanation...we were watching t.v. as a family last night and aaron and I looked at each other and went "ummmm " where is alysse?" "she is being way to quite" And this is what we found. I guess she wanted a snack. My child has a fascination with bread she is always getting into it. she use to sit on the whole loaf so we moved it but apparently it didnt stop her for long.

some pictures of what keeps me going!

i have been really bad with posting lately mostly because we have not been doing a ton lately, due to me feeling horrible! But i am starting to feel better. YEAH!!! and so this last week i took some pictures of the girls that made me laugh. They really help keep me in good spirits as i am feeling so gross. So i hope you get a laugh out of them too! Small explanation...alysse has awesome bed head and the other morning it was exceptionally beautiful. and so was her mood. Oh ...and the weird face she is making in all the pictures...is her saying "chheeeessse" the only way she will let me take her pictures is by saying "say cheese" and she does. So i know it looks like she has to go potty but she is really being happy! Enjoy!

...and baby makes three!

I can finally tell everyone that we are expecting beaner baby number three in August. It was as big of a shock to us as it probably is to you, but we have come to grips with everything and are getting really excited now. I have been pretty sick the last couple of weeks but feel like i am finally starting to get back to normal. Ashlyn is totally excited as long as it is a boy. So needless to say we have had several long talks about it being heavenly fathers decision...not ours. Now i just have to give myself that talk because i am slightly hoping my hidden desire will play some role in the choice as well. I cant believe i am going to have three kids! Help!!!! what were we thinking...oh that's right...we werent!!!! Well here is to unplanned little bundles of joy!

wishing everyone a very merry christams!

This time of year seems to go by so fast I cant catch my breath! Does anyone else feel that way? Well with only five days left until christmas...at my house presents are all still not wrapped, and i still have people not yet even bought presents for! I am quickly going crazy. however before it was all said and done I wanted to take a minute and say merry christmas to everyone! And thank you for keeping me sane thru this whole bloggin' world we have created. i love keeping up with everyone's families. and feel so "cared about" that evryone actually takes the time to look at my weird blog! So i hope you all have a great christams, and a wonderful new year and i look forward to life getting back to normal come january!

Thanks for blessing our lives, the beans

our first snow!

We all get really excited for it to snow for the first time. Being from california and never having snow durning the winter, i love to have season changes. On monday we recieved our first snow here in michigan. Ashlyn was equally excited for it to snow and can not wait to build a snowman. And was quite disappointed when it kept melting...maybe next time! Alysse was so cute to watch explore the new white substance that was falling all over. Plus she just was happy i actually let her go out side again. Thank you mother nature. It didnt last very long but the girls both had a blast playing in it!

Deck the halls!

Ashlyn was especially excited to start the christmas festivies this year. And stupidly i promised her that on the day after thanksgiving I would get the tree out and all her ornaments and we would decorate the tree. Well i hadnt really thought about one small wildly curious monkey named alysse that would make the next month of my life terrible each day as I would have to try to defend the tree from her terror. So I decided to get ashlyn a little tree all of her own that she could decorate and put her special ornaments on. She was squealing and all but ripping my arm off on the way into target as we bought her very own tree. She was excited to pick out some decorations, and lights for the tree... and all by herself decided to go with a rainbow themed tree. My little themed OCD heart leaped as she picked a pattern and theme and wanted it all to match! So When we got home she decorated her tree and found the perfect place (out of alysse's reach) to display her masterpiece. She had a great time going thru all the ornaments that she had recieved over the years from "nanz" She calls my mom nanz...long story...but moving on. Each year my mom gets her an ornament that kinda represents what she was into that year. so we got them all out and she put them on her special tree. It was so cute to see her take so much pride in doing it right and carefully placing the ornaments in the exact right spot! It was a great way to kick off our holiday season!

Happy thanksgiving!

With tomorrow being thanksgiving and all, I just wanted to wish everyone A great and happy thanksgiving! As i sat getting things ready for christmas and cursing the season all together...and how fast the time flys during this time of year... I decided to sit back for a minute and think about all the things i have been blessed with this year!
I am so thankful for my husband how he always puts his family first. A husband who appreciates even if the house is kinda clean, and loves me even when i am in a dirty large t-shirt and my fav. sweats. (which seems to be the re-occuring theme at my house) I am thankful for my girls. i never realized the capacity in which you could love another person. Watching them as they sleep. I am SOOO thankful that my children are healthy, and have LOTS of energy. I am thankful that aaron was able to get an amazing residency...and I AM SUPER thankful we ended up with people we love. I am thankful for my bestest bella. who without her morning phone calls i dont know if i could make it thru the day! For having someone to call a friend that knows me, and loves me even when I pull a "candace". I am thankful for our families who are so incredibly supportive, and loving. I am thankful for sisters, and sisters-in-laws who make family vacations all the rave! I am thankful for my brothers who i love with all my heart. they keep me down to earth and explain to me all the time that i am not as cool as i think i am! I am thankful for my mommy...who is truly my closest friend and supports me even when she knows i am making a bad choice. I am thankful that she is always there to talk to in all hours of the night...and for several hours on tuesdays! I am thankful for the having the gospel of jesus christ in my life. Having that sweet comfort in my daughters lives and knowing that we will be together forever. I am thankful for a time of year when we can stop and reflect on all that we have in our lives...i hope you all have a wonderful thanksgiving....and thank you for being a part of ours!