Beach Bums

Last weekend we decided to take the kids to the beach to celebrate Sage starting school the next week. Normally the kids are afraid of the water and Aurora is afraid of the sand, that all changed this time. The kids had tons of fun playing in the sand.

and building sand castles with kelp for the flags.

Sage then decided that we needed to bury Robert in the sand.

After seeing how much fun it was, Sage decided that he wanted to be buried in the sand.

Then much to my amazement Aurora decided she wanted to be buried. She flipped out though once she was completely buried.

After all that Aurora got brave and stepped out into the sand and never looked back. She finally realized what she had been missing.

It was a wonderful evening at the beach, full of firsts for the kids and lots of fun memories for our family.

First Day of School

The First day of School has arrived! I've been dreading and awaiting this day for months. I'm very excited for Sage but still sad to see my baby off to school. He on the other hand isn't sad at all and wanted nothing more than to be at school. I had to ask him three times to give me a hug.

Here he is on the deck this morning with him backpack and lunch box.

Here he is in front of his classroom.

Here he is reading book at his desk waiting for school to start.

I miss him so much! For the first 5 days he gets out early, so I'll be there waiting outside his classroom.

Forgiveness

This week my Young Women's lesson is on Forgiveness. I made up these cute little S'mores kits for the girls.

(click to enlarge)

The tag reads:

"And be ye kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another,

even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." Ephesians 4:32

We must forgive S'more & S'more.

Wicked!

This last Saturday a bunch of us Wicked Fanatic's went to go see Wicked. It was amazing! I only came home with the Souvenir Program, a Mug, Fridge Magnet, and Elphaba Keychain.

Me in front of the poster.

A map of OZ

I was bad and snapped a picture during the Popular Scene.

It was such a great show and I can't wait to see it again!

Family Beach Night & Adelle

We love the beach but don't get to go that often because Aurora is the Energizer Bunny and we haven't ever felt like chasing her down the beach. Much to our surprise she wanted nothing to do with the water.

Robert and Sage playing in the water

Aurora and Grandma Maxine hanging out.

Sage doing his goofy pose for the camera

My Brother Joey, My SIL Amy and my niece Adelle came for a visit last week. It was tons of fun and the kids loved having someone new to play with.

Sage and Adelle on the Trampoline.

Adelle and Aurora playing outside. Adelle already has a shoe obsession, she walk

ed around in Sage's flip flops most of the day.

Sage is 5! Part Duex

We had another party for Sage, but this one was just for family. We had a ton of fun with all the cousins from Escondido.

Sage, Katelyn, Jeremy bouncing in the astro jump

Sage's birthday Cupcake

Aurora shoved a cupcake in Jeremy's face, it was hilarious!

My cousin Will is such a spaz, gotta love him!

My Cousin Liz's little boy Nicholas swinging at the pinata

This Pinata was huge and REALLY strong. After all the kids got done beating it 4 times each we let the adults destroy it. It finally took my Cousin Will to break it open, here's a video of the shenanigans.

Hello World!

Sorry to be gone so long. I could make up a lot of excuses about why I haven't been blogging, but there isn't a good one. I just haven't felt like blogging lately. With all the adjustments I've been going through the past few weeks, I needed to take some time off. Now that I'm rested, I'm ready to jump right back into blogging.

Sage is 5!

My little boy isn't so little anymore. He's a big 5 yr. old now. I can't believe how big he has gotten, and while I am a little sad to see him growing up, I know that great things await him. Here's a little about him.

Name: Sage Landon Parker
Birth date: July 17, 2004
Current Weight: 36 lbs
Current Height: 3' 4"
Likes: Superheros, Roller-skates, Music, Dancing, Singing, Reading, Helping Grandpa Sugar & Daddy, Rock Music{just like daddy}
Dislikes: Peas, Getting in Trouble, Going to Bed & Country Music

Here he is in his new Roller-skates that he got from Grandma Maxine for his birthday.

The Astro-Jump we borrowed from a family in our ward.

Left to Right: Sage, Analia, Romeo, Alexandra

Eating yummy Spiderman Cupcakes

Opening presents.

Thank you to those of you who called or sent cards to Sage today. It really made his day! The birthday festivities will continue this weekend.

I Can See Clearly Now...

I can see clearly now, the rain is gone,
I can see all obstacles in my way.
Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind
It’s gonna be a bright (bright), bright (bright)Sun-Shiny day.

I think I can make it now, the pain is gone.
All of the bad feelings have disappeared
Here is the rainbow I’ve been prayin?for
It’s gonna be a bright (bright), bright (bright)Sun-Shiny day.

Look all around, there’s nothin?but blue skies
Look straight ahead, nothin?but blue
I can see clearly now, the rain is gone,I can see all obstacles in my way
Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind
It’s gonna be a bright (bright), bright (bright)Sun-Shiny day.

This song perfectly describes what I've been going through for the past 2 years. The light at the end of this dark tunnel I've been traveling is in sight. I've been suffering from Postpartum depression and been on and off meds since 2003.

Today I met with a fabulous doctor who can help me learn to overcome my issues. I've been put on an awesome treatment that will help me feel like the old me again, help me be a better Wife, Mother & Daughter. It will help me cope with all the new responsibilities that having a Son in Kindergarten will bring {including the PTA}.

I am excited about where this new road will take me and my Family.

Root Beer Cookies

A few months ago, I ran across this recipe. I finally got around to trying it today.

Root Beer Cookies : Makes about 4 dozen
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups light brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. root beer extract
3 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/4 cup water (optional–only use if dough is too dry)
Root Beer frosting (recipe below)

Cream butter and dark brown sugar until very light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the root beer extract. Whisk dry ingredients together. Add a little at a time to the creamed mixture. The dough should be slightly sticky. Chill for at least an hour. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease several baking sheets, or line them with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. Roll into small balls (about 1″ diameter). I like to use a mini-ice cream scoop so that the cookies end up evenly sized. Place them on the pan, leaving a bit of space between the cookies. Bake for 8-10 minutes, rotating cookie sheet halfway through.Let cookies cool for a few minutes on the cookie sheet before placing them on a wire rack to cool completely.

Frosting Recipe:
1 cup butter
3 cups powdered sugar
3 tsp. root beer extract
3 tablespoons hot water

Beat butter on high with an electric mixer until it is fluffy. Add a little powdered sugar and the root beer extract. Beat until smooth. Add remaining powdered sugar alternately with a little hot water until a nice spreading consistency has been reached.

Frost the cooled cookies and let stand for a few minutes to let the frosting set up. (It should dry a bit on the top.)

Here's the finished product. Sage & Aurora love them!

King Of Pop

Michael Jackson August 29, 1958 - June 25th, 2009

Today a great Man passed away. The world will not be the same without him. I thought I would post about him and the impact he had on the world. I found this mini biography at IMDB.

Birth Name: Michael Joseph Jackson
Nicknames: The Gloved One ,King Of Pop, MJ

American superstar Michael Jackson was born in Gary, Indiana in 1958 and has been entertaining audiences nearly his entire life. His father, Joseph Jackson, had been a guitarist but was forced to give up his musical ambitions following his marriage to Katherine (Scruse). Together they prodded their growing family's musical interests at home.

By the early 60s the older boys Jackie, Tito and Jermaine had begun performing around the city; by 1964 Michael and Marlon had joined in. A musical prodigy, Michael's singing and dancing talents were amazingly mature and he soon became the dominant voice and focus of "The Jackson 5." An opening act for such soul groups as the O-Jays and James Brown, it was Gladys Knight who officially brought the group to Berry Gordy's attention, and by 1969 the boys were producing back-to-back chart busting hits as Motown artists.

As a product of the 70s, the boys had emerged as one of the most accomplished black pop/soul vocal groups in music history, successfully evolving from a Temptations-like group act to a disco phenomenon. Solo success for Michael was inevitable, and by the 80s he had become infinitely more popular than his brotherly group.

Record sales consistently orbited, culminating in the biggest-selling album of all time, "Thriller." A TV natural, he ventured rather uneasily into films, such as playing the Scarecrow in The Wiz (1978), but had better luck with elaborate music videos. In the 90s the down side as an 80s pop phenomenon began to show. Michael grew terribly child-like and introverted by his celebrity. A rather timorous, androgynous figure to begin with, his physical appearance began to change drastically and his behavior grew alarmingly bizarre, making him a consistent target for scandal-making, despite his numerous charitable acts.

Two brief marriages -- one to Elvis Presley's daughter Lisa Marie Presley -- were forged and two children produced by his second wife during that time, but the purposes were obviously image oriented. Despite it all, Michael Jackson's skills as a singer, dancer, writer and businessman are unparalleled, and it is these prodigious talents that will ultimately prevail over the extremely negative aspects of his seriously troubled life.

His trademarks were, but not limited to: The Moonwalk, A Single sequined white glove and He always wore white socks with black shoes. I know that we was eccentric, but he was a VERY talented man who influenced and paved the way for many artists.

This what he looked like when I was first introduced to him. I remember watching Thriller on MTV when I was little. I even had the dance memorized.

This photo is Classic Michael Jackson.

So is this one.

Dangerous was the first album that I bought with my own money. I was so proud of myself and would play it all day/every day.

This Album is by far the best Greatest Hits Album EVER by any Musician or Band!!!! I love it! My kids even have an appreciation for Michael's music. Sage & Aurora love to dance to Thriller, The Way You Make Me Feel and Smooth Criminal, and they like to slow dance with me to You Are Not Alone. He will truly be missed by The Parker Family.

Happy Father's Day

I just wanted to wish my super sweet and AMAZING Husband a Happy Father's Day! He really is the best Husband and Father ever! He is the perfect compliment to my paranoia and OCD, and I don't know what I did right to deserve him. Sage and Aurora truly love him and so sweet to see them having special moments.

Aurora, was SO done with our photo shoot but one hug and talk with her Daddy and she was ready to keep going.

Sage was also done with the shoot, so Robert took Sage for a walk. They love to explore together. Sage's nickname is Robert Jr., he is exactly like his Father, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Thank you Robert for being one AMAZING DAD!!!

Flash Back Friday ~ Handmade Outfits

Anyone who knew me as a little girl knows two things. One, that every Sunday my hair would be in intricate curls and Two, that I had a new dress almost every Sunday.My Mother was a hairdresser and so she insisted that me hair be neat and curly for Church. We would start on Saturday night by washing my hair and rolling it into sponge rollers, then in the morning I would have hair like Shirley Temple.

She loved to sew and was always making me a new dress or outfit of some kind. She is the most amazing seamstress I've ever met. I wish she still had the energy to sew like she did then.