First Family Photo Shoot Since 2006!

We haven't had a family photo shoot since February 2006 (3 weeks before Ariana was born!)Yes we've had a few random shots here and there but no real family picture day. Isn't that sad? Two weeks ago the amazingly talented Angela Salazar took our family pictures. Here are a few of my favorites:

My Trip to Ohio

March 12-19 I was able to take a trip to Ohio all by myself. What's in Ohio? My best friend that I've known for over 20 years, Sarah. Sarah lived in San Diego close to my parents with her husband Dan. I've been able to visit them frequently over the past few years until last summer when Dan started his first semester at Case Western Medical School. When Dan and Sarah moved Justin promised that I could go and visit Sarah out in Ohio. I asked him if he understood what that meant, a week long trip without the girls for me and a week off work for him to watch them. He said he did so Sarah and I made our plans for my trip during her spring break. I'm so glad I was able to go and that my sweet husband was up for the challenge of me being gone for a week. I had such a great time! The weather was really nice while I was there although it was a little funny because I got to Ohio right in between seasons. Everything was getting ready for spring but it wasn't there yet so Vegas was greener than Ohio! Here are some pictures of my trip:

My First Night in Ohio, eating at Aladdin's.

Johnson Farm

I loved going out to the Johnson Farm. The history, stories, beauty were amazing. It also made me grateful that I don't have to spend all day cooking!

Kirtland Temple

Sarah and I were also able to go visit the Kirtland Temple during our trip. I loved being able to go inside this first temple and see with my own eyes the work of my ancestors.

Lake Erie

The craziest thing I saw while in Ohio was Lake Erie. It seriously can not be a lake! Its huge!!! It was still covered in snow and ice and looked like Antartica. I couldn't resists throwing rocks at it. : )

Ariana is 4!

My baby turned 4 on March 4! Its just so hard to believe how fast time has flown by with her.

This is Ariana right when she woke up on her birthday. I was really worried about her turning four because she's been obsessed with turning five so she can go to school. I want her to be happy about her current birthday so I was really relieved when she seemed happy about being 4.

Ariana's Birthday Celebration!

Alexis and Ariana decided that they wanted a joint birthday party this year so for Ariana's actually birthday celebration we let her take one of her best buddies from preschool, Isaac on a lunch play date to McDonald's.

Aren't they so cute? Ariana absolutely LOVES Isaac!

Alexis enjoyed Ariana's birthday celebration too!

BIRTHDAY CAKE AND PRESENTS!

Ariana still loves giraffes and her Aunt Catrina crocheted two cute little polka dot giraffe's for her. We also gave Ariana a new shirt, piggy bank, and game.

I love you Nana Bear, Happy Birthday!

Melt Down

Today I attempted my first freezer meal baking day with my sister-in-law Catrina. It went really well except for a little "melt down". Tuesday was Alexis and Ariana's birthday party and Justin got to stay home from work and helped in the clean up process. He warned me once not to turn on the oven because he put the dirty big plastic serving trays in the oven that I had used on Saturday for Catrina's baby shower. I remembered on Tuesday but today when I went to preheat the oven for baking wheat banana mini muffins I totally forgot until the oven started smooking! Ariana started off yelling an emergency song I taught in preschool "Emergency, Emergency, 911!" and when Justin got home and saw the melted trays stuck to the oven rack in the back yard told him, "Mommy baked it." Opps : )

Grocery Smarts Class Tonight @ Heather Gabaldons

Tonight (Wednesday March 3) I am going to be teaching a Grocery Smarts class at Heather Galbaldon's house in Henderson @ 6:45pm. If you would like to come we'd love to have you. If you need directions give me a call or send me an e-mail. 553-2080 or lvsavingmadesimple@gmail.com

I'll be teaching how to shop smart by understanding the stores sales cycles, using coupons the right way so you are spending the least amount of money possible at the store, how to organize your coupons in 5 minutes or less a week, and how to use the free website grocery smarts that takes all the work out of finding the best sales and matching up your coupons to the sales items.

Our Little Princess

Ariana is a little princess. She can be soo cute and charming but her she has a royal attitude that really comes through at times. Ariana has been sick for about a week and she is finally almost over it but I didn't want to risk her getting anyone sick at church so she stayed home with Justin. While she was downstairs playing PBS kids.org she yelled up to Justin:

"Daddy I've decided that I'm ready for you to make me lunch."

Toy Monster

I wish I had before and after pictures of my girl's room. It has been a total disaster, ridiculously messy for a long time. We'll help them get it clean and then its messy again in a day. We have a toy monster that comes and takes toys that don't get cleaned up. Justin has been warning the girls for days now that the toy monster is coming soon and that they better pick up. Well the toy monster came today while we were at church. Their room looks awesome I can't believe how clean and toy free it is. While I took a nap Justin and my sister-in-law Catrina heard quite the funny conversation between Alexis and Ariana. This is how it went:

Alexis: "Our room is so clean! I like it when its clean!"
Ariana: "That's because we didn't have to do it!"

(They hadn't realised yet that toys disappeared)