Zoo-time!

While our husbands were gone on their snowboarding trip, Heather and I thought it would be a fun idea to enjoy this gorgeous Arizona spring weather and take the kids to the zoo for the afternoon! It was Tyler and Allie's first time at the zoo...which was pretty much lost on them :-) I found it especially funny that even among all the wild animals we were seeing, Tyler nearly jumped out of his seat in excitement every time he saw a small bird on the ground.

We just enjoyed walking around and getting some fresh air, and Bella loved everything she saw. Or maybe she just loved the fact that her mom bought her cotton candy at 10:30 in the morning ;-)

But it was quality time I got to spend with my best girlfriend, and Bella just adores being with her sweet God-mother, so it was a morning much enjoyed!!

Ice Princess

John and I are definitely suckers for our little girl.

We pretty much find ourselves doing any activity that we think will make her happy and giggle. She's such a girly-girl, and she has this favorite Barbie movie where Barbie ice skates, so we thought it might be fun one night to take her to the ice skating rink during their Disney Family Fun Night. It was her first time ever on skates, so she was wobbly at first, but then she took off! She had one of those "skate walkers" of course, but she still did awesome out there.

So we took her again recently and she did even better. She was just beaming out there and it was hard to get her to even stop to get a drink. I just find myself enjoying watching our kids explore new things and I love the look on their faces when they find something new to try and enjoy. Bella is such a spunky little girl and I really admire her eagerness and her little adventurous spirit. Here are a few pics, but click here http://picasaweb.google.com/Bri.and.John/LifeOfA3YearOldOctoberToRecent# to see a few more pictures in her album.

Quality Time

Em and I had such a great time with each other this weekend; it was sad to see it end! We went on bike rides, played with the kids, went out to eat at some of my favorite places, saw a movie and even did a little apartment hunting for her just in case she ends up out here some day! :-)

But of course, at the end of the weekend we realized we had barely taken ANY pictures. That always happens to us! But then we figured it was just a testament to how much fun we have together. There just isn't any thought or time into taking pictures along the way. Thanks for coming out to visit Em, love you!

P.S. Next time we will bring fishing poles to our secret spot!

Arriving tomorrow.... :-)

ObI coban't wobait!

Just a little "sister" humor. See you soon emmy-lou!

Shout Out!

Well, I tried to make this cute collage of a few pictures of "the girls", but my blog won't allow it to be shown in a bigger size. Anyway- you get the idea :)

I realized how much I brag on and on about my adorable kids and fantastic husband, that I have failed to mention how blessed I am to have five other incredible women in my life! These girls have seen the ups and downs, and have stood by each other with prayer, compassion...and maybe a few bottles of wine when we need it most! ;-) We have seen each other through times of crisis, pregnancies, miscarriages, deaths in the family, cancer, family drama, losing jobs and finding new ones, ...oh how the list goes on! Its actually kinda depressing to see all of those things written, but that's just life. I believe God gives us the strength to get through times like those- and he brings just the right people into your life to help you through it.

So here's my public shout-out to you girls! I love you very much.

Sunny Days and Big Smiles

Helping search for sea shells, teaching Isabella how to make sand castles, playing at the park and watching my son discover the feeling of sand at the beach...just a few memories that I have tucked away in my mind and heart. Hopefully, someday I'll be able to close my eyes and remember these days when my kids were so small and their world looked so big. Anyone know how to actually keep them this small?

PS. This picture just makes me laugh to myself when I look at it....Ty just isn't sure if he likes the wet sand on his feet. So expressive :-) For a few more of our family trip pictures, go here: http://picasaweb.google.com/Bri.and.John

Storytime with Papa

If there is one treasured tradition that I hold dear to my heart, its reading with my kids. Bella is at the age where she memorizes the story and eagerly anticipates the next page..or next line. She can recite "Pinkalicious" like its nobody's business :) And she's already picking up all the words to "Purplelicious". When we were in San Diego, she disappeared into the other room with Papa to "read" him a book. She picked up a book of Emily's that was sitting there and proceeded to make up a great story that she read out loud to Papa as her captive audience. I snuck in to take a few precious pictures...to capture the moment and to relish in listening to my little girl use her imagination.

Meet Mr. Casey Hughes :)

Ok, ok,...many of you have heard me go on and on about my sister's new boyfriend...we just love him so much. He's an incredible guy and he makes my sister so happy, which is the most important part to me. He's funny, smart and really easy to be around. He makes us laugh all the time, and John is super excited to have another basketball player in the family to hangout with! So without further ado...I introduce to you- Casey!

Riolo Family

Last weekend, during our trip to San Diego, we attended a beautiful ceremony where my parents renewed their wedding vows. They married when my mom and dad were only 20 and 21 and they were not Christians at the time. As the years went by and they became Christians, they always talked about renewing their vows and saying those words again, but this time- with the knowledge of Jesus Christ behind the meaning of those vows. So, in front of a close group of friends and family, they said those words again- and we all got to enjoy it with them. It was a wonderful party and we are so blessed to have parents like them as an example for a strong Christian marriage. I'll post more pictures of the cermeony soon!

"Sistah" Love

I have had the absolute joy of getting to see my sister a lot recently. She came out to visit, and then I went to San Diego for a while, so we've been around each other a lot more. There is some sort of unspoken bond that continues to grow deeper the older we get. We understand each other more, we communicate better, and we share in each others joys and sorrows like no other friend can. I never have to "explain" anything to her, because we just know what the other means. So here are a few pictures to show off my beautiful little sister! Love you Em!

PS. One more year until we can dominate "Amazing Race"!!

I'm Back!!

I know, I know- I haven't "blogged" in forever. We have been so busy in our family, and we were gone in San Diego for a week. Needless to say, we came home to a hectic week ahead of us. So now I have a ton of unpacking, cleaning and organizing to do :( but I promise that I will be posting some stories and pictures soon! My goal is to get caught up today- and I will be back at my normal routine in no time!

Happy Tuesday everyone. :)

Hmmmm...Self-Reflection?

Ok, so when this first happened, John and I were cracking up in the car. The story is a little embarrassing on my part- so I almost didn't want to share it,.....but I have a good sense of humor, especially about my adventures in parenting! :)

So we were in the car the other day, and I was really frustrated about something. The day just wasn't going right, and John and I were debating where to go and the order in which our errands needed to be run. We had both kids in the car- so of course, as John and I were trying to talk, the kids were making a loud racket in the backseat. Finally, the noise and my frustration level was hitting a high note, so I let out a huge frustrated "Ugggghhhhhh!!!!" You know the sound I'm trying to describe? That frustrated noise you make when you are overloaded and have had enough and you want everyone to be quiet??

Anyway, my outburst must have started Bella......and apparently freaked her out a little bit when she heard that noise come from her mom....because the car fell silent, and I heard her little timid voice ask,

"Mommy, are you being a monster?"

I guess that's the noise monsters must make when they are frustrated.

*Sigh*

Anyone want to nominate me for mommy of the year? Anyone?

Not Me! Monday (Night)

Has it really been a week since I last posted? Sometimes I can sit at the computer a lot, and sometimes I barely get a chance to sit at all. So here is my confession for today's activities....enjoy!!

1) I did not eat a cold piece of pizza for breakfast this morning....with a cup of coffee- no less :)

2) I did not cancel my dentist appointment for no good reason other than I simply don't feel like going!

3) I did not secretly really enjoy watching my TiVo'd episode of "17 Kids and Counting" on TLC. **(By the way- does anyone else out there watch that show?? Its bizarre, enthralling and exhausting to watch- all in one!)

4) I did not forgo all my morning chores and opt to instead have coffee and girl-chat with a girlfriend at my house this morning. (PS- Thanks for the impromptu visit! I love any excuse to ignore the housework and laundry!)

5) I did not recite (word-for-word) the entire book of "Pinkalicious" with Bella tonight. I've read that darn book with her too many times.....

....and finally....

6) I did not get a little sad today when Ty kissed me and the thought flashed in my mind that little boys only kiss their moms for a short amount of time. *Sniff* That adorable little man just breaks his momma's heart.

Not Me! Monday :)

OK, so quite a while ago someone told me about a mom's blog that I should read. Since then, I've seen or talked to so many women who have also been followers of this woman's blog. Her nickname is "MckMama", and the story of her life and her 4 kids is inspiring. She really relates to wives, mothers, sisters, daughters...just plain women in general. One of her fun ideas is to post a "Not Me!!" blog every Monday that talks about things that she absolutely did NOT do.....

I've jumped on the bandwagon.....so here is my "Not Me!" Monday tidbits......

1) I did not hear our son crying at 6:15 this morning and ignore him (pretending I couldn't hear him) until 6:45.- when I was finally forced to wake up because Bella jumped in our bed and therefore woke me up for good.

2) I did not bribe Bella with a gigantic gumball at the mall today so that I could get her to stop talking for a few minutes and get my errand run in peace.

3) I did not forget to buckle Tyler when I put him back into his stroller after lunch,.....and I did not start to run him over before realizing that he was slipping out the bottom!!! Not me!!

4) I did not just look down at my arm and realize that I still have a half-worn fake Cardinals tattoo on my bicep from yesterdays football game (ok, so I don't have much of a "bicep", but what else can I call my upper arm?!) Who hasn't showered yet today? Not me!

5) And I certainly did not spend my precious free-time, while the kids were napping, eating my lunch on the couch and flipping through my People magazine. I'm much more productive than that.

So there you have it. Stay tuned until next Monday...and jump in if you want to deny the things we all know are true...and funny :)

NFC Champions!!!!

Who would have thought??!!

We were so incredibly excited to witness history for Arizona today...and sitting in the 9th row, we had an amazing view of 2 touchdowns by Fitz right in front of us!! The entire stadium was on their feet for over 4 1/2 hours.....and you know its loud when you can feel yourself screaming at the top of your lungs, but you can't actually hear yourself :)

The tailgating, the pep rally and of course the game itself- made for an amazing day. With only a few seconds to go in the game, we actually looked at each other in disbelief thinking, "is this really happening?!!!!" And some really large man hugged me- ...but given the circumstance, I'll let that go :)

Watch out Superbowl 43.....here come the CARDINALS!!!!

See our pictures from the game by clicking this link: http://picasaweb.google.com/Bri.and.John/NFCChampionCardinals#

The Difference Between Boys and Girls.

Everyone told me they would be different...but its just hysterical to watch how different Isabella and Tyler truely are. Bella is ultra feminine and just wants to twirl around all day with her Princesses and in her dress-up clothes.

Tyler just wants to dump things out and destroy things. If Bella puts together one of her Princess puzzles, Tyler will happily mess it up in a matter of minutes. If Bella is playing with her Barbies, Tyler will take one when she's not looking and dunk it in his basketball hoop as if the Barbie was a ball. You get the idea.

So today Bella was playing with all her Princess Barbies- lining them up on the playroom steps, and over in the other corner, Tyler had dumped all his legoes out of his dump truck and he was trying to figure out a way to climb inside. I thought the picture of the two of them was so hilarious, so I grabbed my camera to demonstrate the difference between my two munchkins :)

First- here is my girl playing with her dolls....

And here is my little man- trying to climb in his dump truck :)

Once he got in...he got stuck, and freaked out a little bit...

So his big sister came to the rescue and pulled him out of the truck :)

The whole scene was quite hilarious.

I'm sure this is just the beginning of discovering how different they will be! We have some fun years ahead :) .........

In The Beginning God Created the Heavens and the Earth...

We've been having some amazing sunsets lately!!

As a native Californian- born and raised- its been difficult at times to adjust to the new landscape and culture of Arizona. Although Scottsdale is as close to SoCal as you can get outside of California- I still sometimes miss the deep colors of all the landscape and vegetation in good ol' Cali. But just when I start to miss certain things about home, God surprises me with a gorgeous sunset, and reminds me that He delights in me and still wants to "woo" me with His amazing creation. Let me tell you- I'm not always that delighted with the prickly cactus and dessert greenery around here, but God has great plans for our family here, and He keeps surprising me with things like this beautiful sunset to enjoy.

I took this picture right outside our house in our cul-de-sac after dinner one night. Isn't is gorgeous??!

Couldn't have done better myself :) But isn't that the point?!

Christmas Pajamas

Every Christmas Eve since I can remember, my parents would tell Emily and I that we could open "just one" present (we had a tradition of opening presents Christmas morning- so to us, this was a big deal). We always got so excited as we ripped open our own box. But excitement soon turned to disappointment when we saw what lay inside.....matching pajamas. Now, let me just say that although it is very amusing to parents to see your kids in matching pj's, it's not cool when you are 14 and your 8 year old little sister is matching you. But we eventually got over it- and actually started to look forward to what mom came up with each year.

Did I mention that she makes the pajamas?! That's right. Homemade matching pajamas...even better :)

As the years have gone on, mom has added to her project. When John and I were engaged, he spent his first Christmas with the Riolo family- and got his first pair of homemade pajamas. I don't have any pictures- but lets just say she wasn't quite sure how to sew pants for someone 6 foot 8. And the the following year, she tried to correct the mistake by making pajamas for someone 8 foot 8! Finally, 7 Christmas's later, she has perfected his size.

Anyway, now our kids are the beneficiaries of the pajama tradition. So here's this years' pj's....good job mom! :)

Tiny Dancer

Well, it was exactly what we had anticipated...not as much dancing as it was standing around nervously lifting up her tutu :)

Bella had her first dance performance this morning, and call it first-time jitters or just stage fright- the poor thing was scared out of her mind. We got some great pictures, but the video is even funnier. Click on this link to see a photo album of the performance: http://picasaweb.google.com/Bri.and.John/DanceRecital#

Nevertheless, I'm still so proud of her and I thought she looked gorgeous in her bright yellow costume. Maybe next time will be better! We love our little ballerina.

My Boys.

"The father of a righteous man has great joy; he who has a wise son delights in Him".

Proverbs 23:24

For no reason in particular, I just had to share this picture of my two boys. It touches my heart and makes me smile when I look at it- ....I even wonder if God has it in His plans for Tyler to have a son of his own someday..... Thank you Lord for these two wonderful blessings in my life.

My Angel.

Here's a quick snapshot of my precious angel before our church's kids Christmas performance. The three year olds had to wear white since they were the angels....and angel she was indeed. :)

Hectic Life

"Life is what happens to you when you are busy making other plans."

-John Lennon

I know I haven't posted a blog entry in forever...but I blame it on the busyness of our family's' everyday. But lately I have felt convicted to slow down and enjoy the little things that are zooming by around me.

Work, raising kids, keeping up with the house, bible studies, outings with friends, dinners out, date night with my husband, church activities, holiday parties, Christmas shopping....augh! The list goes on and on. Even as I sit here and write, I'm feeling guilty because the kids are napping, and there are at least 5 more productive things that I could be doing. But before I started writing this blog, I saw the picture posted above, and it made me pause and smile. It kind of represents how our family is going down our path...keeping busy...but to stop and pause for a quick kiss or to enjoy each other is what I look forward to the most. My kids may never remember how hard I worked to keep our house clean, meals prepared and everyone on schedule- but I hope they look back and remember that mom and dad always had time to love them......and maybe steal a quick kiss :)

Family Snuggle Session

We recently had some family pictures taken, and a small sneak peek is up on Kimberley's blog! When we get our full CD with all the pictures, I will post them right away- but for now, enjoy a few snapshots of our little family! :)

http://www.kimberlybee.com/blog/

Tyler John...forever my little boy.

I don't know how it happened, but an entire year has gone by since I had my little baby.

Tyler John Anderson officially turns 1 this evening, and our family is all the better because of him. I've come to realize after having my first child, that the years go by too fast...so with Tyler, my resolution has been to soak up every minute I have- because one day he'll go off to Kindergarden....then off to gradutaion...college...and someday- another woman (sniff). I have such a limited time to teach him so much....but with a lot of prayer, I am confident that he will be an amazing man someday.

There is an old sign that hangs in the Neonatal ICU where I work, and sometimes it catches my eye and I stop and think about its meaning and how true it is for me....it reads:

"The cleaning and housework can wait till tomorrow,

Because babies grow up, we've learned to our sorrow.

So quiet down dishes, and dust go to sleep.

I'm rocking my baby, and babies don't keep."

One Year Ago.....

Ok, so I can't help but get a little mushy and emotional as I recall what happened to our family one year ago....

Most of you know, but one week before Tyler was born, we got a earth-shattering call from John's dermatologist telling us that the biopsy of a mole that John had removed had come back positive for malignant melanoma. Here I was- 9 months pregnant and getting nervous about the new baby...when I felt the earth just drop beneath my feet. What could happen to my precious husband? Would the cancer be in other places? Could it had spread to his lymph nodes? How could I have this baby when everything seems so uncertain??

But God is good. So good.

He provided us with a fantastic surgeon, who happened to be a friend of the family and strong Christian, and He held our hands as He helped us walk through a very dark week of tests, surgery and the agonizing few days of waiting for results. In the end, all of the melanoma was removed and the lymph nodes they had taken out were clear and free of any cancer. We cried, laughed and celebrated the night we got the results....and little did we know that our precious baby boy would be arriving the very next day.

That was a year ago yesterday- and I thank God every day for getting us through that terrible time- and for the most amazing husband that I appreciate every day. He's the best father, husband and friend I could ever ask for...I love you so much John! :)

Captivating

"The King is enthralled by your beauty." -Psalm 45:11

My girlfriends and I are currently reading the book Captivating, by John & Stasi Eldridge, and I am completely taken aback by some of the powerful statements they make about the essence of being female. One passage in particular really made me smile in its truth.....it reads:

"Remember twirling skirts? Most little girls go through a season where they will not wear anything if it does not twirl (and if it sparkles, so much better!). Dime store beads are priceless jewels; hand-me-down pumps are glass slippers. Once dressed, they dance around the house or preen in front of a mirror. Their young hearts intuitively want to know that they are lovely. Some will ask with words, "Am I lovely?" Others will simply ask with their eyes. verbal or not, whether wearing a shimmery dress or covered in mud, all little girls want to know."

I loved this passage because I remember twirling around the house in my prettiest dress-up dresses and pretending to go out on dates with my dad. Why is it that little girls long to be the princess of some great fairy tale? Because (as the author puts it)- "we desire to possess a beauty that is worth pursuing, worth fighting for, a beauty that is core to who we truly are."

I snapped this picture of Bella as she twirled around her room, totally unaware that I was following her and watching her dance with joy. She is so beautiful to me- and even more beautiful to her Creator. I pray every day that Bella will see the true beauty that God has created inside of her.

To me, she is breathtakingly captivating.

Ladies and Gentlemen-...we have a walker!!

Well, we finally caught some walking on video, so I will try to post in as soon as John can help me download the video. Being the overly-proud mom that I am, I was so excited when Tyler took 13 consecutive steps the other day! (Yes, I counted- don't laugh). He even paused for a minute in between steps, and then just kept walking! Last night we saw him pull himself up on the coffee table, then let go and walk over to John all by himself! Yay for Tyler! He still knows that crawling gets him places faster, so sometimes he just gets frustrated with walking and goes back to crawling...but he just looks so darn cute when he walks! Just like a little man :)

Our Little All-Star

Tyler is getting so big these days..... he turns one this month and I'm already sad that the days of holding and snuggling my little guy are almost gone. He still loves to snuggle with mom- but it never lasts as long as I want it to because then he'll see something fun to do, and off he goes! He can take 4 or 5 steps by himself, and he just recently learned to roll the basketball back and forth with us. Of course we take this to mean that he is destined for basketball stardom :) He has a little work to do to fill out that jersey he's wearing though....

There is something about having a son that really brings to life God's sacrifice for me. Allowing his Son to die for all humanity is completely unfathomable to me- and when I look at Tyler I just shudder to think of ever allowing anyone to hurt him. I am excited to watch Tyler grow to love the Lord and I am so proud to be his mom.

"This is my Son, whom I love; With him I am well pleased." Mathew 3:17

She's All Girl....

So John just left for work and took Bella to drop her off at preschool, and I start my usual routine of picking up the house, having a cup of coffee and cleaning up after breakfast. I really love my mornings when it's just me and Ty because we get to just hang out together when the house is all quiet...just me and my boy. Anyway, I had already made Bella's bed earlier in the morning- complete with her favorite doll sitting on top- Princess Aurora (Sleeping Beauty to those of you who do not know your Disney Princesses). But as I picked up her room, I noticed Bella had added her own special touch to her princess.....look closely......

Yes, Princess Aurora is wearing one of Bella's favorite "diamond" necklaces.

She must have put it on her sometime before she left. I just had to grab my camera and take a picture because this completely epitomizes my little Isabella....so girly and feminine....and she knows that every outfit isn't complete without the perfect accessory. I love our little princess!!

"..and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people."

Mathew 24:11

Enough said.....

Ugghh....Just One of Those Days....

I just need to vent about my day so far....someone please tell me I am not alone in having days like this! .....

1. The house is a disaster today. I'm trying to be more casual about my cleanliness lately- but today I actually saw a clump of hair and dust bunnies float across the floor. Yuck.

2. Tyler had a major blow-out in his pants and it managed to seep out of his diaper and onto the back of his tee shirt- which I did not notice when I went to pick him up! Double-yuck.

3. We have NO groceries in the house...I've been putting off grocery shopping because I hate it- but I seriously need to make a list today. Does anyone out there actually make a "meal-plan" when they shop? Kuddos to you because I'm trying it and it's already frustrating me.

4. We were late getting Bella to her cooking class....I don't know why, but I just couldn't get it together fast enough today.

5. Bella made Pumpkin Mousse in her cooking class today...which was actually quite delicious! But then she offered her cup full of mousse to Tyler when we were in the car (unbeknownst to me).....and when I looked back at him in the mirror, he had orange pumpkin mousse all over his face, clothes and brand new big-boy car seat.
*on a positive note: my car smells like Thanksgiving!

6. At home, both kids refused to eat the lunch I made them- so everyone is cranky and probably hungry.

7. My hair increases in size and frizz with stress- so today I look like Diana Ross.

But one thing that made me smile to myself.... when I went to check on Bella after she had fallen asleep for her nap, I found her in her bed with about 15 stuffed animals and dolls lying with her. She also had her jewelry box laying on her bed open...and every doll or animal was wearing a necklace. :)

Sigh. I don't know whether to laugh or collapse with exhaustion. Just one of those days!

PS- Stay tuned for a picture of Tyler's pumpkin disaster that I took with my cell phone.....

"Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone; and you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost."

-John Quincy Adams 6th US President

My Little Homecoming King and Queen

For Halloween this year, Isabella was a spirited little cheerleader that was cheering on her quarterback little brother (John says he's a wide receiver- but whatever!). The two of them looked so adorable and they wore their costumes to our church fall festival as well as out trick-or-treating last night. Tyler wasn't too thrilled about the helmet- but he was a good sport about it.

Bella's preschool class had a costume party...the pictures are hilarious. Click on this link to see her photo album, and scroll down to the bottom to see the recent pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/Bri.and.John/LifeOfA3YearOldOctoberToRecent#

Click on this link to see Tyler at the fall festival: http://picasaweb.google.com/Bri.and.John/Tyler1011Months#