Insect Play With Ava As A Ladybug...

Ladybugs.  I have been listening to Ava sing about ladybugs and other insects for the last couple weeks.  She's been practicing.  She had to practice since her play was this afternoon.  It was her first play and she was so very excited to perform in it.  She was so excited for Marc and myself to attend.  She was even more excited to see that we video recorded it.  For the last few years, she has always attended Liliana and Dillon's school plays always asking when she would go to school and perform in a play!  Today was that day!  Smiling ear to ear as she entered the gymnasium, she took her spot in the front row.  Marc recorded the play while I took pictures.  She even waved to us a couple times!  Ava did AWESOME! 

Justin and Mandy Tie The Knot...

Well it's official, Mandy is no longer a Simpson and instead a Nelson.  We are very happy that their special day went as planned!  It was a beautiful wedding and we are so glad we were part of such a memorable day!  It was an outdoor wedding and with 80 degree "Arizona winter weather" it couldn't have been more perfect!  Uncle Jeff built the arbor.  Mandy and Aunt Donna designed and made all the decorations!  It was such a cute "ranch themed" wedding.  Their engagement photos were everywhere.  On rustic frames, inside mason jars, and even in their wedding guest sign in book!  Their cake was 3 tiered made to look like a tree trunk with their initials carved into the "bark".  The colors were white and a deep pretty purple.  They managed to get several Simpson's onto the dance floor.  For those of that don't understand that statement let me explain... Simpson's don't dance!  Given the age of our kids we didn't stay all night but did manage to take a few pictures.  Enjoy...

I told Justin I would be watching his face as he got his first look at his soon to be bride. I managed to snap a picture despite the bad angle I was at. He smiled and his eyes definitely were glowing!!

Uncle Jeff "officially" giving Mandy "away"

Picture of both sets of parents as Justin and Mandy are announced as husband and wife!

Marc was the videographer, he had not 1 but 3 cameras!  Should be an interesting video when he gets all the editing done!

Pick your glass!

Table Assignments!

Relative Memory Location (Very sweet)

Very theme appropriate cake!

My two older girls!

       

Liliana and Grandma Simpson

Marc and Liliana

Simpson Siblings

Grandma Simpson and her babies!

Grandma Simpson, Matthew and Jason

Bride's Parents (Uncle Jeff and Aunt Donna)

Grandma and Papa Simpson with Garrison (ignore Uncle Pat and his attempt at bunny ears!

My Little Rosalia!

Liliana and Uncle Jarrod!

Yah, we got them to dance!

And we even got this lovely couple on the dance floor!
(Aunt Deanne and Uncle David)

Congrats to Mandy and Justin on their marriage!

George Washington For The Day...

For the past couple weeks, Liliana has been working on a history project at school.  Most of the work had to be completed at school because the students had to take the information on their famous historical person and put it onto 20 slides.  When their day came, they had to dress as their famous person and do a 3 minute presentation to the class.  Liliana missed several days of school when sick with croup.  She had to go into school an hour early for a week straight before finally catching up to her class.  She worked so very hard on this project.  She doesn't ever seem to have an issue completing the work given to her.  However, the presentation to her class had her very stressed out.  For some strange reason, she wasn't too worried about what she would wear.  3 days before her presentation day, she began reminding me that she needed a costume!  Lucky for her, our house is full of craft supplies.  Lucky for her, she has a family full of creative minds.  Lucky for her, we whipped something up!  Her "hair" was made using a painter's cap and cotton coil, her collar was something I made using up some old white fabric which she wore over a plain white shirt, and her black "pants" were just long pants I cut and sewed elastic on the bottom worn over her white stockings with black boots.  Her costume was the most "homemade" of all her classmates.  Here she is cooperatively allowing me to snap a couple pictures!

32 weeks...

32 weeks have passed.  Bed rest sadly is here to stay as are the contractions.  Good news is that Maia is growing at a very healthy rate.  She is just under 4 lbs in weight.  Fluid levels look great.  Organs look perfect.  She looks perfect!  The goal is 5 more weeks!  Baby bake for 5 more weeks and then she an arrive whenever she wants!  So with that goal we chug along!

30 weeks...

Marc decided to keep me from being bored, he would attempt taking some maternity photos of me today.  He told me to go figure out what I want to wear, how I want to "pose", and meet him downstairs where he would set up all my photography equipment.  After snapping a couple pictures he said "this isn't as easy at people make it look".  That comment made me nervous to see how these pictures were turning out.  Although today he didn't get full body (including my face) shots he did a pretty darn good job!  He says he wants to take me to a local park for some outdoor shots.  I'm game!  I am so picky on how someone takes my photo that the thought of spending money makes me so so nervous!

Crochet Busy...

Since being put on bed rest, I have been trying really hard not to be bored out of my mind.  I have also tried really hard not to rely on technology 100% of the time to keep my attention.  So out came the yarn!  Marc ended up having to buy me more yarn on 3 separate occasions because I ran out of colors I needed.  What a good husband!! 
Here are some of the projects keeping me busy...

 Kindle Cover for Mom

 Closed view of cover

 Elf Hat for friend's baby

 Kindle Cover for friend

Double Pom Pom Hat for friend's baby

 Bobble Blanket

 Rose

 Flower Skinny Strap Headband

 Chunky Headband with Rose

 Double Pom Pom hat for Maia

 Another Pom pom hat for friend's twins (I made two but only took a picture of 1)

 Diaper cover

Elf Hat for Maia

How Garrison Says Rosalia...

Obviously Rosalia is a mouthful so when Garrison first began saying Rosalia it came out "A-lia"! She has been called that for months now but in the last few days he has changed her name to "baby licious"! Every now and then Marc calls her Rosalicious so I'm thinking that's where Garrison got that from. What's really funny is that Rosalia totally responds to being called "baby-licious"!

Maid Marc...

Back on January 30th, I came down with strep throat.  Two days later I visited my OB Doctor for a routine maternity check up.  Thankfully the strep was on its way out of my system thanks to antibiotics I received from our family Doctor.  However, with strep on it's way out I was now beginning to battle a chest infection.  This infection came with a nasty cough which caused me to cough so hard that I began contracting.  Contractions weren't coming in any set pattern but given my pre-term labor history with the other pregnancies the Doctor put me on complete bed rest. 
Yeah I know me on bed rest... a joke!
Marc took the rest of the week off and the following week as well!  He knew me on bed rest = him having to do it ALL.  Marc is fully aware of how busy one can stay when caring for 5 children and a house this size but what he didn't realize was how tired he would become.  He knew he could do it.  As did I. 
Cooking, cleaning, vacuuming, laundry, diaper changing, bathing of children, girl hair being tamed (or at least attempted), errand running, grocery shopping, taking kids to after school activities, and nap times.  You name it...he has had to do it. 

He is surviving.  Lucky for him this upcoming week he gets to escape on a work trip to San Diego, while Grandma Simpson comes to visit and help out a bit.  Until then we are all thankful Marc has survived the last 8 days home doing it ALL!