dinner time

Its been so much fun having Julie, Taylor and Dominic here. Feeding time is always fun. Here they are at the beginning of last night speghetti and meatballs...I wish I would have taken a picture afterwards with all the red sauce!

school picture

Sams first school picture!

The Hodges

Yesterday afternoon, Julie, Taylor and Donimic came for their first visit. Julie and I met in Lamaze) Taylor and Samantha are around 3 weeks apart (Taylor being the older one) and Dominic and the twins are about 8 weeks apart. The kids are in heaven. (Except poor Sydney is sick with the stomach bug) I am so happy to have Julie here too. we have a fun few days planned out. Thankfully my parents are here so Syd will be hanging out with them.

Samantha and Taylor slept on the blow up bed at the foot of my bed
they got up this morning and watch a bit of tv

now they are outside playing in the sand!

dolly

All the girls have sure been loving their dollys lately!Here's Syd and one of her dollys. This doll freaks me out because its so life like. There have been a few times especially when the babes were younger when I thought Sam was carrying the real thing...

Railfair!

We were trying to figure out something to do yesterday that didnt cost us an arm and leg. I've heard some great things about this park in Scottsdale called "the Railroad Park" So we headed on over there. It was super crowded because it was the annual 'railfair' so there was a bunch of tents set up with peoples elaborate train sets. They had bounce houses and face painting all for free! The park itself was really cool too. It has a neat train that went around the park and a merry go round too (which the twins again didnt like)plus a couple play areas that the kids ran ragged on. We ended up staying way past the twins naps...so after a quick trip through the McD's drive thru they were alseep. But by the time we got home they had only slept for an hour and would not transfer.

Sam getting her face painted
while Alyssa, Daddy and the twins waited they ate cheetos!
So Beautiful!


Sams favorite thing to do.

The bounce race course was fun for all...Sam was so fast her pictures were blurry!

Sam rode in the 'cattle car' all by herself when we went for the train ride (well she had dolly with her so technically she wasnt by herself!


Sam wanted to ride on the 'stagecouch' on the merry go round because she said it looked like the carriage in Cinderella!

Last night was opening night of the Phoenix Coyotes hockey teams season. we got tickets and went with Jim and Jill while Alyssa watched all the kids. She had a hard time with Samantha, she sure is showing signs of being 3. Alyssa gave her 'princess plate' to Courtney and all hell broke loose! But she must have got it all worked out because when we got home everyone was fast asleep. The game was great and they won 3-1!

west valley mall

We headed over to the West Valley Mall today. The only times I have been there is at night. It's where the staduims are (Football and Hockey) It's more of a Food mall. Lots of really nice restaurants, hardly any shops. So we had some ice cream for lunch (a nice healthy lunch I know) and headed back to the car...where I had locked my keys in. I called Jon to come help us. Before we left we were going to go to the Desert Ridge Mall and he didnt here me that we went to the other. Good thing I called to see what was taking him so long, he was going to the wrong mall. Sam wouldnt let us leave the car so we sat in the parking lot for about 45 minutes, waiting...Alyssa taught Sam the word "freakin'" so she kept saying 'its freakin hot' it was funny but probably not the most appropiate thing for a 3 year old to be saying.

sister hug