My Super-Duper Average Life.

I've decided I have a pretty average life.  I do average mom things every day.  I feel so busy.  Just like everyone else.  I have been having super long days, which interestingly enough means short weeks...I haven't felt this busy in a long time...I got a planner the other day, because I simply need it.  I was good at blogging once a week, now the end of the day comes around and all I want to do is lay in bed next to my Scottie and watch an episode of Modern Family or House, or Grey's...last episode of Modern Family, I was laughing uncontrollably...because of "drop out" and "drop off"...ummm...yeah...that's me...YOU TRY SPEAKING IN ANOTHER LANGUAGE!!!! ha ha!!!:) You MUST watch Modern Family if you don't.  One word. 

HILARIOUS!

Among all of the busyness, I have been feeling grateful for everything I have...turning 30 and all...has made me realize that I am an adult now.  I sometimes, just can't believe it.  Once upon a time, I used to look at the sky and the stars and I would make a wish upon a star (it sounds cliche and you may laugh and I laugh at my self and my cheesiness...but it's true.)...as a little girl, I wished to have the life I have now and I am living the life I always wanted.  Scott, reminded me of everything I have, the other day, when I was shamefully throwing some sort of tantrum...sometimes wive's throw tantrums...(or may be I am the only one.)

The kids and I finally made it out to the Butterfly Pavillion on their free day at the Museum of Natural History.  It was fun and so entertaining watching the butterflies.  They are such beautiful insects.

My brother was able to come with us, which made it even more fun.  The butterflies are very friendly.

The kids got a magnifing glass and were inspecting the butterflies.

We also saw some bees, among other bugs.  Seeing all those bees gave me the heebie-jeebies!

We got done at the exhibit right around lunch time, so we headed to the hospital to surprise Scott.  He had no idea we were coming and it was such a fun surprise for him.  He just got done with his surgery rotation...thank heavens!!! Although, he really liked it and enjoyed all the surgeries, the hours were insane.  He was pulling 15 hour days. Not fun.  He started his internal medicine rotation this week and the hours are much, much better. 

After our nice little lunch at the GWU Hospital Cafeteria, it was time to say goodbye.

I had some sad kiddos.

...and I was just glad that I got to see my husband during the day...when we are both happy and not exhausted!:)

Our little friend Lilly and I have the same birthday.  Her mommy, Jenny is amazing and threw her the cutest party!

Lilly "winking" for the picture. :)

Lilly is such a hoot.  We love hanging out with her and her mommy...and isn't this the cutest little party? I LOVE the decorations!

My kids had such a fun time at Lilly's party.  In the picture above, Braden took it upon himself to make sure that he opened Lilly's present that we got for her, Lilly was just patiently waiting... She and Brielle are taking a ballet class together, after the class we take the kids swimming and the 3 of them have such a fun time! and I have a grand time talking with Jenny.  Brielle and Lilly are good little "mommies" to Braden.  It's cute to watch them. 

A couple of Sundays ago, I dragged everyone to go on a walk on one of the cutest trails, I have found here in Virginia.

My kids were tired of me taking pictures of them.

Braden got a little tired from all the walking...

Brielle, forcefully, tried to make him feel better...a very forceful smile wouldn't you say?

and then...my dear husband (who is a child at heart) saw this little creature hopping...

...and of course he had to catch it, just for a little while...

They were mesmerized...

...and froggy definitely wanted his freedom back...and so we gave him his freedom and went home...and I made sure they washed their hands very, very well...

I am a room mom for Braden's class this year (one of the reasons I feel so busy!) His class had a Fall Festival and I was in charge of making sure all went smoothly. 

It was a delight to see Braden, just being Braden.  He and the rest of his class had a blast!

Here, we are with his class and the other moms who volunteered.

My brother spoiled me and got me THE coolest lens for my birthday! a 50mm.

I'm in LOVE...

with my lens...and with this man...and

...with this little boy...and

...this beautiful little girl...who had her very first Primary presentation this last Sunday.  She memorized her part and knew it so well...when she went to say it she said it backwards...it was supposed to be...

"I can follow the prophet by reading the scriptures every day."

and she said "I can read the scriptures every day by following the prophet."

It was perfect...it was her first time...we were all so proud of her.

 Braden even memorized it too...he wanted to be part of it so bad...next year.

This picture makes me grateful for my super-duper average life.

{My kids LOVE saying super-duper.}

Cox Farms

Scott finished his surgery rotation last Friday and we headed to Cox Farms to celebrate! (Surgery is supposed to be one of the hardest rotations.)

Last year, Scott was so busy with school, he didn't make it to Cox Farms.  I've been talking and talking about it this whole time and we were all finally able to go with him. 

We had the BEST day. 

These big feet were so funny...

We honestly had non-stop fun from the moment we got there until the moment we left.  The weather was perfect, the kids were so happy to be with their daddy and I was beyond thrilled to have this fun day as a family.

There is so much to do in this place, so many cute little things for the kids to be entertained with.  Scott and I decided that one of the things we love most about this life is seeing our children have a fun and be happy.  

Braden made a few new friends and he had the time of his life playing with them in the hay.  Those big kids were so cute with him and he thought it was the coolest to be playing with the "big" kids.  

Brielle, as always, is completely unafraid of animals.  She will just go right in without any fear.  There was an area with goats and you could feed them...Brielle was doing her thing and all of a sudden one of the goats started chewing on her hair! She was so appalled that a goat would even think of doing something like that!!! We were all laughing and she could stop talking about it for the rest of the afternoon!

The kids rode on the tractors...

...even I did.

...and Scott thought this looked like fun.

Then came time to milk the cow! 

They all got into it.  

...and pump some water.

...and of course taking pictures by the pumpkins...what is it about those big orange pumpkins that make for such awesome pictures?

and then came some cheesy smiles...

Being silly.

I always hope that my kids will remember the fun times that we have together as a family.  

I can't wait for next year!

Thirty.

This was most definitely not the most awaited birthday of the century.  

Surprisingly, though, I feel good about it.  I realized, that 30 is good.  

Hi, my name is Denisse and I'm 30 years old.  

I have been on this earth for 30 years!!! and you know what? 

I am happy.

 I have a husband who during Sunday School this last Sunday whispered in my ear that he loves it that I'm 30 and that he likes my "mature" look...whatever that means...:)  

I guess I am now officially a woman! Like a real mature woman.

ha ha ha!!! I'm cracking myself up...

Everyone made me feel special that day...and I did, it was nice to get phone calls, texts, cards, facebook messages...The celebration started Saturday, since Monday was a working day for everyone...My nice brother watched the kiddos for a few hours while Scott took me to dinner.  It was nice to have a nice little date with my husband.  

When we got back the kids had fishing poles and had the best time with their tio Kem. 

As I always say Kemchu is such a fun uncle to my kids and such a good brother to me. 

On Monday, my actual birthday, I went about my normal day thinking we had already celebrated on Saturday...but Scott ended up coming home at noon from the hospital with a bouquet of beautiful flowers and kit-kats (my favorite chocolate)...it was such a nice surprise.  Scott and the kids made me cupcakes and cake and sang happy birthday.  Our friend Anna watched our kids and we headed on another date together.  

Spending time with my husband was the best present.

Then on Wednesday, my friend Alisha had a little birthday get together with our other friend Jenny who also had a birthday that week and a few of our other friends were invited, who I didn't get to see because I had to run to the preschool to help with Braden's Fall Fest (such a bummer!).

Brielle and Braden were in preschool, so they missed out.  It was nice to hang out at the park and chat.  These girls are such awesome friends. 

I have to admit, that turning 30 has been quite a strange thing for me.  My 20's were so dear to me.  I keep wondering how the 30's will ever beat my 20's...but like everything in this life, it's a matter of perspective. 

I am now in level 3, my friends...

Thirty, Flirty and Thriving.

(there, I go...is it on level 3 or in level 3???) "in" and "on", "off" and "out"...those prepositions in English drive me nuts!!! 

Playdough, Dance Moves & Life.

We just have been doing life around here. It seems like the weeks are just slipping off my hands and when I least expect it, it'll already be Christmas! From dropping kids off to preschool, taking them to ballet class for Brielle and swimming class for Braden, cooking, cleaning, folding, planning stuff for my calling, and more often than I'd like to admit, wasting time in front of the computer; I just don't know how it is the month of October already!!! ...and you know what that means...I will turn 30 in 11 days!!!!!! noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!

The kids are both happily adjusted to preschool. Braden got a name tag the first day of school and he wore it ALL day long!!! He insisted on keeping it on. He is happy and he is doing so well. He has been saying and doing the cutest and funniest things lately. Like the other day, he made himself a little "tent" all by himself and he actually feel asleep under it.

It was so cute.

I started the TOKEN SYSTEM with Brielle and Braden. They get a token when they help clean up, talk nicely and share. I am amazed at how well it is working for us, positive reinforcement, my friends!!! That's what I needed!!! I made Batman tokens for Braden and princess ones for Brielle. (If you are interested in the tokens I'd be glad to email them to you, just let me know!) Sharing is caring right?:)

I cut them up in circles and they put them in a jar every time they do the good behavior. At the end of the week, if they have gathered at least 20 tokens, we go and get a little toy for a dollar.

The other day Scott and were cleaning up some stuff in the living room and Braden says:

"I think you two are going to get a token today!"

We couldn't stop laughing...just the tone in which he said it...

I signed up to bring play dough to Brielle and Braden's preschool classes and since I had never made it before, I figured I better make it once before actually making it to bring it to school. It was super easy and my kids were in heaven. They were entertained for at least an hour.

I gave them cookie cutters and they went to town.

Braden was so into it.

As you can see from the pictures above Mr. Braden needed a haircut, he needed one badly.

So one morning, I decided to give him one. It wasn't perfect, but it'll do and it was free.

I was surprised at how grown up he looks with his hair cut. He definitely is not a baby anymore.

After a whole week of summer-like heat, I was so happy when it finally rained and it cooled things off around here. The kids begged me to let them play in our "sandbox" a.k.a. the patch of dirt in front of our building. I'm amazed at how much entertainment these two can find in that little patch of dirt...and what is a mother to do, when we don't have a yard. I just can't deny them the hours of entertainment! :)

A little while ago we found these masks at my favorite thrift store "Unique", I love that place! The kids were being silly one night before bed.

They were showing me their superhero moves!

...and another night they were showing me their dance moves...don't mind Brielle in her underwear...I don't know what it is with this girl and pants, she just hates them...hence, she very seldom wears pants when we are inside...

I have to pick my battles.

She has been saying funny things too. The other day she informed the family:

"I drank a lot of water and the water is in my bladder, turning into pee pee. It a big, huge bubble of pee pee!!!"

I think she is the daughter of a doctor-to-be!

Here are some videos for the grandmas:

Goodbye For Now.

I think humanity will forever be puzzled when bad things happen to good people. My good friend Holly, lost her husband Shane almost 2 weeks ago, he was 28 years old and healthy. You can read about what happened HERE and HERE. The knowledge of the Plan of Salvation gives us hope. Holly and I became friends about a year ago, when our wards went through some boundary changes. She has been one of my favorite friends, here in Virginia. Brielle and Braden adore Preston, their little 18 month old.

To say that my heart is aching is an understatement...Shane was a gentle man and he was a good husband and father.

There are no words of comfort to give, nothing, but to give love and say prayers...and hope that Holly and Preston have felt how much we love them and hope that Heavenly Father hears our prayers that Holly and Preston may be comforted and directed.

Holly and our little buddy Preston moved to her parents' house, not even a week ago...and I already miss them. Who is going to drop by my house unannounced now?:) (I LOVED that about Holly!) Who is going to drop me off little treats on Valentine's day? or randomly call me to go to the park?

Holly is good at creating a community around her. She's good at being a friend. We could just talk and talk and talk...She has a lot of people that love her and Preston.

The night before she headed to her parents', some of Preston's little friends and their mommies gathered in their empty apartment to say goodbye.

My kids can't get enough of Preston...and I think he loves them too.

We miss you Preston! He would always give me hugs and pull my hand to go wherever he wanted me to go.

While we were there, Preston got a hold of Brielle's doll...

...he was busy bending her legs.

This woman, Holly, she has been amazing through this whole thing...so gracious to everyone. I am simply amazed by her strength.

We love you Holly and Preston!