As Good as It's going to Get for Awhile

We have been keeping really busy this summer, I just haven't been very busy documenting our adventures with photos. My excuse is that I have three little ones to worry about, and I simply can't afford to waste time with a camera, right? I managed to pull it out this afternoon when we met up with some cousins at the water park. Unfortunately, I only had it out for a second and didn't get pictures of everyone. I'll get the whole gang next time we get together, but for now, these few shots are as good as it's going to get. The only thing missing from our fun-filled afternoon was Ryan. One more month and we get to see him again!

Natalee and Ike heading up to the slides. Ike and Maddie are really lucky to have older cousins that are so good to them. 

Isaac zooming down the slide with Carson.

Does it look like she's having a good time? She giggled nonstop every time I took her down the slide. 

Spinach Pasta Salad

My sister introduced me to this salad shortly after moving to Utah and I absolutely love it. It is especially delicious in the summer. I will try to post a picture of it the next time I make it, but if you are a pasta fan and a spinach fan, you will like this one. 

Spinach Pasta Salad

 8 oz. baby spinach
12 oz pkg pasta, cooked (I like to use Rotini)
3 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped (Rotisserie chicken works great as well and tastes amazing)
3 tbsp seame seeds
1 cup cashews
1/2 cup sunflower seeds

Dressing:
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp ginger powder
1 tsp sesame seed oil
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp rice vinegar

Combine all ingredients for dressing. Shake well. Mix all other ingredients together. Pour dressing mix over salad mix just before serving. 
When I made this salad I added a tablespoon of fresh grated ginger to the dressing and it was awesome! I highly recommend it.

Catching Up

First of all, I have to apologize for the lack of attention given to the blog in the past month. By the time I put the kids to bed at night, most of the time I just don't have the energy to think coherent thoughts, much less write about them. But here is my feeble attempt at writing a few thoughts before I head off to bed for the night.

Ryan started his 4th year rotations for podiatry school at the end of May, which is when all three kids and I moved to Utah to be closer to family.

I love being close to family. It is wonderful.

I hate being far away from Ryan. It stinks. What can I say? He's my best friend and I am a better person when he's by my side.

That being said, I think we are handling the distance the best way we can. We have so much support from family and such a great set up here at my parents' house that the only thing I can think of that is missing is Ryan.

Isaac has struggled the most with having his dad gone, but he is doing much better. Ryan was able to visit for a week at the end of June and I think it was really good for all of the kids, but especially for Isaac. The other night when I was putting him to bed, Ike and I had the following conversation:

Isaac: "Mama, what are we going to do tomorrow?"

Me: "Hmmmm, I'm not sure. What would you like to do?"

Isaac: "I want Papa to come and play cars with me!"

So do I, buddy. So do I.

Thank goodness for cell phones and web cams.

Isaac is still into cars and Lightning McQueen and anything that goes. And his favorite color is red, "because Lightning is red." I would probably be a lot more sane if I didn't have to find that tiny matchbox car at least once a day! He took swimming lessons with his cousin, Fischer, in June, and they had a ball together.

Maddie is still our little miss sassy pants. She loves to sing, and thanks to a dear friend of mine, has just learned how to sing "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" in Spanish this week. She has a major crush on her 11 year old cousin, Jake, and will follow him around whenever he comes to visit. Just yesterday I finished putting her hair in pigtails and she looked at me and said, "I wanna go show Jake my hair!" She walked over to him, and without saying a word, tipped her head down so he could see her blond locks. All of her cousins are so nice to her, but there is just something special about Jake.

Davis is growing like a weed. I'm pretty sure he weighs as much at three months as Maddie did when she turned one. I love my fat baby boy! I just started putting him in the Bumbo, and his legs are so fat that I can barely pry him out of that thing. I don't think he'll be falling out of it any time soon like his brother did. He is easy-going most of the time and smiles at anyone who gives him a little bit of attention. We gave him his first haircut while Ryan was in town and he was not a fan, but I love his new buzz cut.

 Could that little face look any sadder?

Happy Father's Day!

We love you and can't wait to see you! Only 6 more days!

Two

There's a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow that starts out like this:

"There was a little girl, who had a little curl
Right in the middle of her forehead,
And when she was good, she was very, very good,
But when she was bad she was horrid."

Ryan's mom is convinced that this poem is written about a two-year-old girl. I think she's right. Our spirited little Maddie turns two today. I have been thinking a lot lately about her and how I would describe her personality.

• She is definitely full of life. Whenever we are apart and she sees me again (even if I've just gone down stairs for a few minutes), she raises her hands in the air and shouts "Mama!" as if I've been gone for days. I love it. 
• She loves attention. She will often say hello to strangers as we pass them in the grocery store.
• She doesn't take long to warm up to people or to voice her opinion about how she feels in any given situation. For example, just the other day she was playing on the slide in my parents' backyard and took a little spill. A neighbor was over and saw the accident and rushed over to help her up. "NOOOO!" she squawked to the man she had never met. She did not want his help.
• She is still one tough cookie. Just today she fell off her chair and did a somersault, landing on her back. She popped back up in a split-second and didn't blink an eye.
• She is very independent. Heaven help the person who tries to aid her in buckling her seat belt.
• She might possibly be the world's pickiest eater (what happened to my baby who loved guacamole, hummus, and just about anything else within her reach?) Every night I place dinner in front of her and every night she looks at me and states, "NO! I no want it!" 
• Whenever I sing her a song she tells me, "Good job, Mama!"
• She has become my little shadow over the past week or two. I think it's her way of coping with all of the changes she has been through lately. 
• She loves to chase Isaac anywhere and everywhere and I am so glad they enjoy each others' company
• She loves to play "Name that Tune." Isaac usually hums a song and Maddie tries to guess what it is (more often than not it is the theme song to one of their favorite cartoons. I'm embarrassed to admit that they know a lot of theme songs...). The other day during nap time I put Davis and Maddie to bed at the same time (they share a room here at Grandma's). She started to play Name that Tune with Davis only she was the one doing all the humming. He didn't play back. 

Maddie's my little princess and I can't imagine my life without her. I am so proud to call her my daughter.

Feliz Cumpleanos Princesa! 

All photos courtesy of Miss Chrissy Jo.