Steimle kids Pics 2011

My Sweet Sweet Sister in Law Andrea decided that she wanted to take some pictures of the kids. I was more than thrilled to do it! We went down to the orange patch and took these gorgeous pictures! My kids are so gosh darn good looking!! Man I was really impressed as I always am, Andrea you seriously ROCK! I can't believe how grown up Kenidi looks in these pictures! Thank you Andrea, you are such a blessing in our family for more reasons than you know!!

Catching up

   I have been keeping very busy lately and as usual have a lot of catching up to do. I always start to feel like a failure when I get on to blog and see how many posts have been made from my fellow bloggers.  I seriously need some balance in my life. I have recently taken up felting and LOVE it! I have been making a lot of hair clips and headbands for the girls and purchased a little felting kit to make some more unique flower clips. I have been still trying to lose weight and have been able to drop a total of 15 lbs I did however gain a few lbs back:(  It is really hard for me to get to the gym and find that by the time I am finally ready to head out the door it is too late because the Amazing kids is closed by then. I have stopped by the gym a few times when we have been out and about just so the kids can get a free Mesa Public Schools lunch.

I really want to get an amazing dancers body! I have done some research of different studios in the valley that offer adult dance. Kenidi isn't taking her Combo (Tap, Ballet,and Tumbling) Class for right now but once school starts up I plan on getting her back in again. I hope that maybe I can take some classes at the same studio that she goes to. I am really bummed though because they dont offer Adult Jazz a Campbell's. I finally found a place way out on Ellsworth and Guadalupe! They said that I could just try it out for free and sign up if I liked it. I really did enjoy the class and the instructor reminded me so much of Rachel Murphy. I don't know if I can justify driving all the way out there though.

Britynn is starting to walk more! She took her first two steps on the 11th and took five steps today! I have really been trying to practice a lot more with her. I was beginning to wonder if everything was okay, she has had several ear infections and I thought that maybe her equilibrium might be off due to improper drainage. I am sure everything is okay though, she is a third child and unfortunately doesn't get as much attention that I gave to my other two at this age. I am excited for school to start so that I can have a little more one on one time with her. She is really taking off with her vocabulary. Just over the past week I have heard her say Cookie, Water, More, and Book! She has also started signing Please, It is really quite cute because she rubs her mouth in circles instead of her chest. I am so in love with my kiddos!! I have seriously been blessed with some great kids! Kaden is such a good little boy and is at such a sweet and lovey age.

Kenidi has been doing the summer reading program through Barnes and Noble and has read a total of 6 books now. We have really been enjoying going to the story time and crafts that they have on Thursday and Saturday. We have spent quite a bit of time hanging out at the Stapley pool and Kenidi is now swimming on her own. I am really quite impressed I didn't even know that she could do it but apparently I am not a very observant mommy:(  I always get so sad when I realize something that my kids have been doing for a while which is one reason I hate those first year book. I can never keep up with all the new things they do! Well I am trying my best though so I guess that is all that matters.

I am getting so excited to finally be a normal family and have a home! We don't know for sure when we will move to New York but I know that the time is quickly approaching! I am sure thankful for technology! We are so blessed to have the technology of telephones and Skype and cars and so many things the list goes on and on. Well I guess this is enough rambling for now, I sure do feel better though. I always get a sigh of relief when I take a moment to journal.

The DIET

    Have you ever wondered why they call it a DIET? Maybe it has something to do with the fact that you feel like you are going to DIE! Well I started my diet 17 days ago and have lost a total of 12 lbs!! Woo hoo! I am on the usual South Beach Diet and will probably always prefer it because I tend to see the results I want. I am always so impatient when it comes to diet and exercise though, I want to be fit and I want it NOW! I realize it is much healthier to loose the weight slowly and that is exactly what I have done this time around. I can't pin point what it is, either I had so much more to loose this time around or my body is just more sluggish.

   Well whatever it is I know it is not going to be as easy this time around. My goal is to be 130 which is my ideal weight for my height. I still have a ways to go but I am gonna keep on pushing forward. The gym is great but when I go every day it seems to eat up gas like none other, why can't the gym be closer? I know I shouldn't complain I get free childcare and the membership is free so it all balances out. I have been trying to run and bike at least 30 min a day but I just don't feel like that is enough for me so I think I will need to step it up here. I am very confident that I will be able to reach my goals, especially with the help my Sharee around the house. She is such a great work out buddy :)

Down Town Fourth Celebration

We decided to go to the down town Mesa Fourth of July Celebration and since Chris and Alaina have been in town we decided to all go together! They are in the process of moving to Lake Havasu which is where Chris's Dad lives. Chris got a job offer in Yuma so they are here to stay!! Alaina is such a Golden Friend! One of those friends that you will have for life, I can see our families taking vacations together and always

finding a way to visit.

We decided to wait until the sun went down since it was a very very Hot 116 degrees that day. It was really quite nice because we got close parking and the heat wasn't too uncomfortable. The fireworks didn't start until 9:30 so we decided to go to the Fallen soldiers memorial by the Mesa Arts Center.

             Here is a piece of the World Trade center it doesn't look too heavy but the beam weighs 1,500 lbs I had just been talking to Kenidi about war and what happened on 9/11 so she was very excited that she got to see and touch a piece of it.

   There is this neat little area just outside of the Mesa Arts Center where the kids all got to walk through and splash, we all ended up getting in, it was a great way to cool down.

 Kaden was cute, he was clinching his fists and concentrating so hard on the fireworks. He looks so funny!

 This is an old .75 Caliber Blunder Bust ( Pilgrim Style). They are collecting donations for the disabled American veterans and all of the proceeds would go to helping them, I bought one raffle ticket maybe we will win it!

                                                               Best Seat in the House

                                                        Replica of the USS Arizona

All Boy!

   Is it just my son or do all boys have an infatuation with poop, toots& Burps? I have been really trying hard to get my son to break this habit of talking about and laughing about things like this. I really knew that I was in for it when he was already laughing at his own toots at the age of 3 months!

   It seems like any conversation turns into some bodily function and he finds it absolutely hilarious! He is such a good little boy and loves to help out anytime he can especially when he surprises me with something I never asked him to do, but man he sure struggles with this particular problem. The primary made DVDs for all of the children so they can practice when they aren't in primary, it is really a nice thing to have when we are driving places. Of course whenever we get to the song I Love To See The Temple he will laugh at the part I'll prepare myself when I am young this is my sacred Duty! I have to keep explaining the difference between the two but it is still something that he continually laughs at. He is such a boy. I am solo on this one because whenever I talk to Adam about what has been going on he just laughs about it. Which is exactly where he gets it from.