Grace's baby blessing

Today at church Grace was surrounded by amazing strong uncles (Jared, Rob, and Morgan) caring friends (Brother Garrett and Brother Everett) and her Father. It is always such an emotional & special Sunday when one of my babies is given a name and a blessing. 

I truly feel that Grace chose her own name. I had hardly given a girls name a thought. I guess I just figured IF it was a girl we could come up with a name. (I really didn't worry too much about a girls name). But then out came this beautiful, calm girl and Mario right away just started saying different girl names. I was so happy to not be pregnant and to have the labor part over (plus I was really tired after being up for 24+ hours) he probably could've named her anything and I would've been ok with that! But we went through every name in one of those baby name websites and made a list of our favorites (with requirements like it couldn't end in a "ah", "ie" or "n" sound. haha I wanted some variety of names in our family. Mario didn't want it to sound too trendy and preppy (if that's the right way to describe it) we picked out about 10 names and narrowed that list down to 2 (Maya and Grace) Mario called her Gracie and she did one of those asleep half smiles and I knew she was Grace. 

We have been so blessed this last year and I feel so loved and taken care of despite difficult trials our family has and is going through. Grace reminds me everyday of how much Heavenly Father loves me and takes care of me. He sends me blessings that I don't even know I need, want and I'm not expecting (Grace wasn't really "planned", I'm a definite planner, she was a surprise). She is so sweet and calm, Mario even commented on her mild manners in his blessing to her. She is such a calming influence in our family. The older kids adore her and help to protect and take care of her. She has really been a calm to our crazy busy life and came at such a busy time (moving and baptisms and birthdays galore) but she just took her place and acts like she's always been around. 

I love you baby girl!!  

Easter!

 Better late than never right? After this post then I think I'm actually caught up (except I still want to take pictures of our new house so I can show before's and afters as I decorate!)

Saturday before Easter we colored eggs! 

food coloring

vinegar

warm water 

& Vegetable oil

that's the recipe for very bright marbled looking eggs. It was lots of fun and really messy. I'm so glad I moved our kitchen table over the vinyl (since it's normally over carpet) I think after about 5 minutes Devyn dumped a whole cup of color right onto the floor. Easy clean up and no stained carpet!

 This was Devyn's first time coloring eggs! She did great and the color came off her hands so she didn't have pink hands for church the next day. 

 Sunday

1. we went to church 

2. I threatened the kids to stay in their church clothes so I could take pictures after church

3. We took a family picture

wait we didn't get a family picture instead I got a huge blowout and a 2 year old with a burnt hand

After church & pictures we headed over to Grandma Cortez's for a little while where the kids got the first of their Easter goodies. 

After Grandma Cortez's we went to Grandma Rasband's where we had a huge egg hunt and the kids got way too much candy! (And I got lots of pictures, but no family picture )

 Elijah is finishing up 2nd grade, loves his new room and having all of his toys out of storage. He spends his time watching Avatar, X-Men, The Fantastic Four, & any other comic book cartoon. He's looking forward to seeing Avengers and loves to build cars and other stuff with his k-nex and legos. He's a pretty smart boy and tells me he loves to take tests. (I think he's a little crazy for liking tests so much) He also loves loves loves PE. He has some pretty creative coaches and they play fun games like crab soccer and a noodle game where they get to "tag" each other with pool noodles and they started learning about hockey. He's looking forward to 3rd grade and writing in cursive.

Ashleigh is also loving having all of her toys out of storage even though she'd spend all day playing play doh or coloring or doing whatever craft I'd let her get into. Even her teacher says she spends all day making things. She's very creative and loves playing momma and baby (or puppy and momma, or other variations) of course Devyn is always the momma! She's also looking forward to kindergarten and can't wait for next school year to start. I feel the same way!!! 

Devyn is our little comedian. She loves knock knock jokes and just being silly. Lately some of her favorite lines are "oops! I sorry mom" after doing something like pouring all the shampoo out of the bottle or coloring on the walls, or cutting holes in her clothes, or smearing paint on her face... I tell Mario that's what she'll say after wrecking the car when she's 16. "Oops! I sorry Dad" Her other famous line is "I just kidding" after throwing herself on the floor crying and kicking and screaming and after I threaten to take something away she suddenly stops crying and says "I just kidding mom". Yup she's a booger. But if you ever need some good entertainment you should come over and have a conversation with her. She's too smart for a 2 1/2 year old and says the funniest things.   

 Easter was a blast! The weather was perfect, the kids got to play outside with their cousins and got lots of candy. I can't believe it's already May and school will be over soon. Grace is getting blessed on Sunday so I should have some new pictures! Then our pool opens the 19th and we will be a swimming, laying out in the sun (running to basketball camps, swim lessons and scout camp) family until school starts again! 

Grace - 3 weeks NEW!

Grace Erin

3 weeks old

April 6, 2012

 I worried about having another girl. Ashleigh and Devyn are loud, busy, determined, and stubborn little girls. They have enough attitude for a whole country of little girls, but they are also sweet, funny and extremely helpful (or at least want to be), and very loving. They adore their new little sister and even Elijah is ok with her. All though I think his "helpfulness" (holding the pacifier in her mouth) is mostly just to keep Grace quiet so he can watch his shows. The kids have all grown and stepped up to being older siblings. Elijah helps with the dishes, he and Ashleigh set the table every night for dinner, they keep their rooms clean and pick up their toys, and Devyn was agreeable to being potty trained. I can't ask for anymore with a new house and a new baby!! 

Grace is cooperating also. She thinks sleep is a pretty great thing and tolerates the pacifier and even likes to hang out while I run on the treadmill. I love being a mom, I love being a stay at home mom! I'm so grateful for my husband and his hard work so I can stay home and take care of these angels. 

Don't you love the beautiful quilt my mom made (I may have been a little sick and tired of pink and purple! haha, but we also didn't know if we were having a boy or girl)

Elijah turns 8 & we added a 4th child (almost 2 months ago!)

So much has happened in the last 2 months. let's see if I can remember...
March 9 - Elijah turned 8
March 9-March 15 (waited for a baby to be born!)
March 16 - Grace Erin finally arrived, 4 days late
March 23 - Closed on house - moved couches in
March 24 - Baptism and birthday party, better late then never!
March 27 - Appliances arrive
March 28 - set up beds and officially moved in!!
 (There were also like 5 other birthday parties and moving in on its own took up the majority of March - talk about March madness, I think I've been recovering and adapting to our new life for the last month!)

 So glad things are finally settling down, so I can catch up Elijah is an amazing boy. His baptism was unforgettable (which is a good thing because I didn't get any pictures! come on I had just given birth a week before. I need a photographer to follow me around and take those important pictures for me, wait...what's that you say? I am a photographer? oh yeah, right. well... Maybe we can recreate it?) I did actually take these pictures the Sunday after his birthday! Not only is this boy smart and funny, but I think he's pretty stinking cute too (He's also just stinky!)

  

Then this little angel joined our family.

Grace - (aka "Gracie" "Gracie poo" "Graciela" or sometimes Devyn or Ashleigh)Erin Cortez

7lbs 9oz

19 1/4 inches

March 16, 2012

 we are all so happy to have her here. She is so sweet. I'm loving getting to know her and cuddle her.

I'm trying to relish every day and moment because they're gone so fast. So if it seems I'm a little distracted and absent it's because I am. I've decided my kids deserve more time with me, and I'm cutting back my time with the computer. It's been the best almost 2 months. I'm less distracted and grouchy and the kids are acting up less and we are having way more fun. My kids and my husband are the most important thing to me and I've realized that soon they won't want me to read books to them or they won't cuddle on the couch or let me paint their toes or tell me long boring stories... So I need this time with them as much as they need this time with me. I'm still taking pictures, just not as often. If you want to schedule a photo shoot send me an email and we can try to work it out, but for now mini shoots are still postponed I'm planning to set some up in the fall!

Our new home!

One of the things I enjoy doing the most lately is looking at home decorating blogs. Not like fancy expensive interior designer blogs, but "stay at home mom, do-it-yourselfer" blogs. I'm so hooked! I can't wait to get into my plain, white boring house and start adding my style to it. I've spent so long (1.5 years) living in a home that I felt like wasn't mine anymore. For more than a year when we had the house on the market and I either didn't want to change anything or felt like I couldn't "live" in my space anymore, and then the last 3 months we've been living with 98% of our stuff in storage. I'm missing my stuff!

But I love these blogs. and I love that these ladies let you into their homes and show you their rooms and how they live. So as I work on my new home I want to show what my plans are and the progress I make. So here's a start....

from the ground up!

I got caught sneaking a peek at the neighbors backyard

our view over Albuquerque (you need to come over and see it from the upstairs! I can't believe we have a view, hopefully no one builds anymore houses to ruin it!)



check out the baby bump. it's not so cute anymore. Oh to go back to the days when I could sit, or stand, or sleep or...




This was taken a couple of weeks ago. Since this picture we have stucco and dry wall. I need to go by and take some new pictures!

my favorite blogs lately
www.dearestsomeday.com
2littlehooligans.blogspot.com
www.danamadeit.com
www.makeit-loveit.com
www.theidearoom.net
iheartorganizing.blogspot.com
www.thehouseofsmiths.com
www.sadalewis.com
and of course pinterest!!!! hahaha

You'd think I'd be hooked on baby stuff right now, but that's so old and boring! I can't wait to start making things and decorating and ORGANIZING! (or just unpacking finally after 1 1/2 years)

Christmas (2011, eeeep!)

Is it too late to talk about our Christmas? haha.
Every year we set up luminarios for Mario's grandma and grandpa. The last few years the kids have been getting more involved. I love it! We've been using the electric tea lights and they are so easy to set up, but they're not as bright. This year when we went to clean up the bags someone had switched out our lights to candles. I guess we'll go back to candles next year. I can just imagine Elijah lighting the candles by himself. I'm sure he'd love that! (I guess I'll have to fold extra bags too!)



Those were our Christmas Eve pictures. That's all I took, and then I sat back and relaxed and enjoyed my family. (Actually I did take some video on my Ipad during our Christmas program. Devyn was singing and it was so funny. I should try and figure out how to share videos!)

Christmas morning! The kids were super spoiled again this year. We opened presents real fast then got ready for church (see Devyn's hair? That's what she looks like every morning!)

Cortez family update

I have a big secret to tell!

I hate Halloween!!!lol
I hate the pressure of finding my kids costumes (I won't buy them because I feel like it's a waste of money, but I also don't believe in spending all of October making them!) I tried this year. I got about half way before I lost focus.
I grew up putting together quick costumes Halloween night with whatever we found around the house.
I hate candy! I hate that everyone gives my kids candy and my kids think because someone gave it to them it's ok to eat it all.
I hate other kids coming up to me and expecting me to give them candy just because it's Halloween. (without even saying "trick-or-treat" seriously!)
I hate kids (and parents of kids) who stay out until 10 or later "trick-or-treating" on a school night!!!
I hate that when Halloween's over I have to start planning for Christmas and thinking of buying Christmas presents. (I don't like feeling like I have to buy presents for people and the pressure of coming up with the "perfect" gift in my price range is almost unbearable. I don't know how many times I've thought how nice it would be to spend Christmas out of town!)

The best part of Halloween is how excited my kids are. Even with their half finished costumes! I love that my sister has a Halloween party for the kids every year. With face painting, cotton candy, snow cones and lots of games. She's so sweet to do this just for fun. I kind of like the ward Halloween party. I even tried decorating my trunk for the trunk or treat.


Ashleigh is Tinker bell. The tutu turned out great. I tried to dye a shirt to match but it came out more olive, plus it was too big. Poor kid didn't have a plain white long sleeved shirt and it was a little too cold for short sleeves. But she was happy.

When I see pictures of Devyn I laugh out loud!! She's a clown. I learned this year to stay away from face paint that doesn't dry. She had it smeared everywhere 2 seconds after I put it on. My mom was practicing her face painting skills on Devyn. That's a butterfly between her eyes. Everything about her costume is just so Devyn. Messy!!!

Elijah is Harry Potter. I made the robe (about 50% of it, My mom did all the finishing work). I thought I was done with his costume until Tuesday I realized I never got him a tie or glasses and he had to have a wand so I quickly got on Amazon and ordered his stuff. Expected delivery was 10-31. I thought for sure it wouldn't be here on time. It got here on Friday! I love Amazon. Poor Elijah his scar looks awful. I didn't realize how bad it was until I looked at these pictures. And I love that he's wearing his addidas pants with a white button up shirt! hahahaha


I have more big secrets!!

but first here are my adorable kids (all cleaned up after Saturday's Halloween parties)
Last Sunday was our Primary Program. It was awesome! Besides Ashleigh crying during the first song because a little boy took "her spot" and the kids not being able to practice their lines at home because their "oh so together" mom lost their parts like the second they gave them to her.


Ashleigh's getting a little to big for me. Someone please bring back my baby girl!!!

I love Elijah's silly crooked smile in all of his pictures lately.


I absolutely love these kids soooo much. Which brings me to big secret (not so much a secret because I think we've told everyone!) We are expecting number 4 in March!!!
It's kind of more of a surprise to us! We weren't planning it. It's been a stressful time for me. With the house on the market for a year and not knowing when it would sell and where we were going to move to, having a baby was the last thing on my mind. It took me a while to admit that it was going to happen (I didn't take a pregnancy test for 2 weeks, and I didn't call the doctor until I was 12 weeks and I didn't have my first appointment until I was 16 weeks) We just had our ultrasound on Tuesday and found out that the baby is not going to let us know if it's a boy or girl until it arrives!! hurray for surprises!!!


We have more big changes coming in the next few months but I'll let you in on those as time goes!

Larsen family

My sister has always been a wonderful example to me. I hope I am as good of a mother as she is someday. I'm so lucky to have such wonderful brothers and sisters!