Mia Sara Jia Lovell

Ride Em Cowgirl!!

2012-02-15T18:53:00.005-07:00

The kids were all invited to Zoe's 3rd birthday party this past weekend at McDonald Ranch in Scottsdale. They loved the petting zoo, but all went nuts over the 'neigh neigh' rides! Mia also got a chance to practice her 'roping' skills, and was screaming with excitement when she actually caught the dummy cow around the horns... It was so much fun to see them all enjoying themselves so much!

Big Boy Cowboy!

2012-02-15T18:51:00.001-07:00

We were really surprised to see Big Boy hop up on the horse and ride away with a smile! He's usually so timid and shy... It was great to see him trying something new!

Aubs Riding!

2012-02-15T18:50:00.001-07:00

Crazy Aubs was not to be outdone by her siblings! She looked so little & sweet up on that horsey...

Happy 5th Birthday Mia!

2012-01-29T15:00:00.002-07:00

It's hard to believe that our little angel is already turning 5 years old!! In honor of her big day, Momma created basically a week long celebration of everything Mia... Here we are hosting a birthday / Chinese New Year celebration for her class. It was so fun to watch her proudly wearing her birthday hat and being the center of attention at school! We're so lucky to be a part of her childhood. She truly is a special child...

Animal Themed Party!

2012-01-29T14:56:00.002-07:00

Mia has finally reached an age where she wanted to plan her own party, from event venue to theme. She chose a local indoor amusement park and insisted on an animal theme. Of course Momma was all too happy to oblige and the party was a blast! Then, just to top things off, on the actual day of Mia's birthday Momma had an ice cream truck show up at the house and invited all the neighborhood kids over for some fun!

Favorite Gift!

2012-01-29T14:46:00.001-07:00

As always, Mia got loads of amazing gifts from overly generous friends & family. However, her favorite gift of all was her new 4-wheeler from Mommy & Daddy! (Emphasis on Daddy...) She couldn't wait to go pick up her friend Easton and cruise up and down the street. The best part was watching how excited Aubrey got jumping up & down going on rides... So sweet!

Sick Kids!

2012-01-29T14:43:00.002-07:00

Brandon kicked off a week of sick children in the Lovell household... On Monday night he projectile vomited all over the house, many times! It was so sad how sick he was, and how horrible he felt! Then, by Wednesday, Mia was vomiting repeatedly and Mommy wasn't feeling so hot. Thankfully Aubs didn't succumb to the nasty bug. Happily there were all heathly by the weekend, just in time for Mia's birthday celebration!!

Tough Day at School...

2012-01-29T14:39:00.000-07:00

Big Boy's sleeping habits have become a running joke with his teachers! They have even emailed us videos of him passing out on the table in the middle of lunch, while the other kids poke & mimic him... Here he was taking a mid-morning nap. The other kids were happily playing while he crawled over to this bench and thought he'd grab a few zzzz's!! He's my boy...

Shalom Shabbat!

2012-01-29T11:57:00.002-07:00

On Friday morning Mommy & Daddy went to the kid's school to participate in their Friday morning Shabbat celebration. After reading books to Mia's class, lighting the candles and sharing some Challah bread, we ventured down to the twins room. It was really something else to watch the teachers trying to herd a class of 2 year olds into some assemblance of an organized Shabbat. Of course Aubrey was all too happy to eat her and Brandon's Challah... Here's a moment with my sweetie! She's likely to try and bite my nose off momentarily!

Big Lovers!

2012-01-29T11:27:00.002-07:00

For all the craziness & chaos between these two, there are some really sweet tender moments as well... We generally get to witness the hair pulling and knock downs. However, their teachers have told us that on the playground they both focus on finding each other immediately! Big Boy just loves to give kisses, and is clearly the more tender of the two... Tubby time is an exceptionally fun time for them, as witnessed by this little display of affection!

2012-01-23T12:44:00.003-07:00

No picture this time, just thoughts... It gets tougher & tougher to keep up with the blog because we're now just playing defense all the time! It's an absolute blast, and we had no idea that raising children could be so fun & rewarding, but we also had no idea it could be so tiring. In fact, I'm fairly certain Stacy is going to change her middle name to 'laundry'!

The kids keep things pretty consistent. It’s pretty much feed them, work to be able to keep feeding them, and then put them to bed! It is crazy to see how quickly they are growing though. Mia won’t even kiss us on the lips anymore, and she hasn’t even turned 5 yet! We thought we’d be dealing with this stuff when she was like 10 or 12. It really is amazing to watch her growing into such a strong, beautiful little girl. She’s amazing. The twins, on the other hand, are still just as freaking crazy as always. They are so sweet & loving, but destructive and chaotic. They all have developed their own crazy little personalities with very specific wants & needs. What's amazing is that their little actions & gestures as such a young age already give signs of who & how they'll be in another 10, 20, 30 + years!

Mia is turning 5 this weekend and it is beyond crazy how tall, mature and sweet she is. We want her to be our little baby forever, but like all parents, we're torn with the joy of watching her grow into such an amazing person, yet wishing she would stay tiny & cuddly forever...

Brandon & Aubrey are the opposite of what we expected early on. Aubrey is so sweet & sensitive, yet she's also very aggressive & fearless. We expected Brandon's rambuncious nature to manifest itself into boyhood aggression, but he's actually very docile. If there are new kids or a big slide or swings present, Aubrey dives in head first, while Brandon runs to Mommy or Daddy and buries his face. All kidding aside, he really is an amazingly sweet & loving little boy. He's very considerate of his sister, while she is just as happy to snatch a toy out of his hand or trip him! Poor little B...

This birthday season we're heading into is interesting as we've finally reached an age where Mia knows exactly what she wasnts. In fact, she's pretty much planned her next 4 or 5 birthday parties at this point... More details to come as we proceed through the next few weeks of birthdays! One thing is for sure, these kids won't be wanting for love or gifts. They are surrounded by an ever expanding group of family & friends who lavish them with love & attention. Our challenge, like all parents, is to provide balance & structure. We're trying...

Sick Kids!

2012-01-09T22:31:00.004-07:00

The twins are going through some serious growth spurts. They've got teeth tearing through their gums in every which direction, are getting taller by the day, and boy is it wreaking havoc! Their sleep schedule gets screwed up because they get so cranky they don't nap well some days, and then the fatigue lowers their immune system and they get sick. Wow, it's really a fun cycle to partake in! Here is Aubrey passed out cold around dinner time after refusing to nap... For all their crazy, chaotic phases, they are so sweet & such amazingly cuddly little lovers! It helps that they've got a great Momma who sacrifices her own health to make sure they are fed, nurtured & deeply loved.

Happy Birthday Monkey Boom!

2012-01-09T22:28:00.002-07:00

Mia woke up the other morning and announced that it was her monkey's birthday! So what was a good Momma to do but arrange for a party... By the time I got home from work, I found that Momma had gotten cupcakes and candles, and arranged a party for the whole family!! Mia was beside herself with excitement and went to bed happy and cuddling her monkey, aka Monkey Boom! Lucky little girl...

Quality Time!

2012-01-09T22:24:00.002-07:00

Life with our expanded family is so crazy & chaotic. It used to be such a joy to sit down every day or two and post to the blog. Now, it's something we have to remind each other to accomplish as we're so tired by the time the kids are down... It seems equally difficult for Mommy to get quality time alone with Mia. So over the long holiday weekend Mommy & Daddy got a sitter for the twins and we spent the day with Mia. It was like old times! We had a long picnic in the partk, smelled roses, fed the ducks and played on the swings. We absolutely love the twins, but it sure is nice to get quality alone time with our little Chinese angel!! A wonderful day...

Happy New Year!!

2012-01-09T22:22:00.002-07:00

Happy New Year from all the Lovell midgets! This was the first year that Mia was old enough to actually understand and celebrate the holiday with us. We stayed home and invited a few families over. The house was absolute chaos with children screaming and running in every direction... And that's exactly what made it so enjoyable! Big Boy donned the requisite party hat and blew his horn to bring in the new year. Albeit a few hours early!

First Cocktail

2012-01-09T22:20:00.001-07:00

Mia got to enjoy her very first cocktail on New Years Eve! A delicious sparkling apple cider... All of the older kids toasted the new year, and then promptly passed out!

Prepping for Santa!

2011-12-26T10:46:00.004-07:00

On Christmas Eve Mia & Daddy prepped for Santa's arrival. We baked fresh M&M cookies for Santa, and left them by the fireplace with a note. Mia then set carrots on the front patio so that Santa's reindeer would have a snack while they waited on Jolly Saint Nick to shimmy down the chimney... She was very excited to find that all that remained on Christmas morning were scraps!

Christmas Morning!

2011-12-26T10:43:00.001-07:00

Can you tell someone really liked their gift?! Mia got a lot of great gifts from all of her loving family, not to mention partaking in multiple holidays! Still, Christmas morning was something special... She got a guitar that she had been wanting, and she now formed a band with each member of the family playing a different role. I must say, Aubrey takes her back up dancer routine very seriously, generally spinning until she falls down... Christmas with kids is the best!

Sharing Gifts!

2011-12-26T10:39:00.003-07:00

For all the fighting and craziness, Brandon & Aubrey have really learned to share & love each other. Christmas morning was definitely a time of learning to share... The excitement in their eyes was truly amazing!

First Night of Hanukkah!

2011-12-26T10:35:00.003-07:00

Mia has learned so much this year about Judeism that she couldn't wait for the first night of Hanukkah! She's actually reciting prayers and singing Hewbrew songs that Mommy & Daddy have never heard... She was adamant about taking lead on lighting the Menorah. As much as she understands the logic & beliefs behind it all, make no mistake that she rushed through everything to get to her favorit part, the receiving of gifts! She's very big into Transformers this year... Go figure!

Hannukah Program!

2011-12-26T10:30:00.003-07:00

Mia's class staged a program for the parents last week. Each student got to read a section on the history of the holidays, and then they all sang together. Our little angel was quite the performer!

Twin's Hanukkah Party!

2011-12-26T10:28:00.000-07:00

The twins had a Hanukkah party at school with tons of sweet snacks! As you can tell, our little eaters weren't shy about shoveling down the traditional latke, followed by some frosted cookies & chocolate doughnuts... These kids sure do love their food!

Happy Puppy!

2011-12-26T10:22:00.002-07:00

Mia's school has a big Hanukkah Festival every year that the kids love to attend. This year Doug & Heather were visiting, so their daughter's Zoe & Lilly got to attend with us. Mia had her face completely painted like a great big puppy dog! She was so proud, and had so much fun with her friends...

Mia's Prince!

2011-12-26T10:18:00.002-07:00

Mia still spends a great deal of time playing with our neighbor's son, Easton. They've had a crush on eachother for the past few years, even picking out the home in our neighborhood that they plan to purchase and raise their family in... However, it wasn't until this picture that we realized how much he really means to her. You see, Mia hates the color pink, and is always the King, never the Queen. Yet on this particular day she dressed in pink and allowed him to be the King! What progress... :)

The Hanukkah Bush!

2011-12-19T21:26:00.004-07:00

Being the greedy family that we are, we celebrate Hanukkah, Christmas and just about any other holiday that invovles excessive eating and the receiving of gifts! I mean giving... Mia absolutely loves picking out a tree, setting it up and loading it with decorations. With Hanukkah falling over Christmas this year, she's certain that the festivities will never end! She's certainly our little angel...

Growing So Fast!

2011-12-19T21:18:00.005-07:00

The kids are growing so fast it's scary... When Mia falls asleep in our bed and I pick her up to take her back to her room, it amazes me that she's slung over my shoulder and her feet are hitting my legs! Our Meezers is quickly become an opinionated little girl who learns and knows things that continually amaze us. It's such a great experience! The twins are growing like weeds as well... They're starting to talk quite a bit more, and definitely know exactly what they like, and more importantly, what they dislike! Big Boy could set records for his ability to sleep anywhere, anytime, and for excessively long periods of time. In fact, you might notice he's asleep at the dinner table in this picture. Aubrey continues to be the sweetest little thing, with a ridiculous attachment to Momma! Well, that pretty much goes for all three of them. They sure don't lack for Momma love... The level of effort involved in raising these little weazels borders on absurd, but we wouldn't change it for the world!

Holiday Cards!

2011-12-19T21:15:00.002-07:00

Mommy decided that this year we were going to take out one of Daddy's old cars, pile the family in, and take our holiday card photos! Well, the plan didn't go exactly as Mommy had hoped... Almost immediately we decided to remove the adults and see if that might help to get the kids focused. Nope, that didn't work either! We snapped several hundred photos, literally, and came away with some great pics of Mia. Any great pics of the twins you ask? Not so much... Oh well, maybe next year!

Rudolph!

2011-12-09T08:36:00.004-07:00

Mommy bought cute little antlers for all the kids, that actually light up & blink! As usual, Aubs is the ham who wears them around smiling and posing... She is such a ham! But darn cute...

Holiday Lists!

2011-12-09T08:33:00.003-07:00

This is the first year that Mia can fully appreciate the benefit of being a kid during the holidays! She has been busy making her Christmas & Hannukah lists for months... In fact, we can't get through a TV program without her rewinding to make sure Mommy & Daddy know that she absolutely must have the toy on the commercial she just saw! She's also taking her catalog shopping quite seriously... Here she is perusing catalogs with the support of her twin siblings!

LA Adventure!

2011-12-09T08:27:00.003-07:00

This past weekend Momma & Mia had a girls weekend. They went to see Chrissy & Sascha in LA, while Daddy stayed home with the twins. Sascha is two years older then Mia, but they have a very tight bond. In fact, Sascha was the first little girl we met when we were exploring adopting from China. Unfortunately, Russell & Christine moved back to LA earlier this year... So now it takes a little more effort to see them, but you can tell by the smiles in the pictures that it's worth the effort!

Sleepy Sisters!

2011-12-09T08:24:00.002-07:00

The girls never stopped all weekend long... Between cupcake decorating, petting zoos, trips to see Santa, and of course the random performances coreographed by Sascha, the girls were exhausted. Well, at least Mia was... It's so cute that even at almost 5 years old, Mia still sucks her middle three fingers when she gets absolutely exhausted. She sure slept well the night she returned from LA!

Santa Visit!

2011-12-09T08:17:00.003-07:00

The girls even got to visit with Santa during their big LA weekend... Mia was sure to let him know that she wanted a puppy, which is never going to happen if Daddy has anything do do with it! So she settled on a Transformer toy... It's always cute to see a couple of Jewish Chinese girls sitting on Santa's lap!!

Fashion Queens!

2011-11-30T20:37:00.004-07:00

One of Momma's girl friends is launching a clothing line and asked if Mia & Aubrey would be in her launch runway show! They were so cute all dressed up in tutus, butterfly wings and pigtails. Only problem was that Aubs was clearly against anything that involved instruction or supervision... So, Mia of course stole the show and worked the runway like a champ. Daddy's little cuties sure are something special!

Computer Geek!

2011-11-30T20:33:00.002-07:00

Mia has become quite the little computer geek as of late! Ever since Daddy brought home a new tablet computer and loaded some children's games and websites, Mia is loving technology. She loves the math & reading apps, and it's surprising how much she is actually learning... Now if the computer could just teach her to pick up her toys!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-30T20:28:00.004-07:00

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving! We stayed home with the kids this year and had Grammy & Papa up for a few days of relaxing family time. They were extremely helpful as always, and the kids love having them around. In fact, when Papa walked in the house, Aubrey ran up to him and blurted out, "Hi Papa!". We were all shocked, as talking is a relatively new thing... We were joine by Aunt Cathy & Uncle Ryan, as well as some of our friends who just moved to Arizona from Israel. Great food, a relaxing day, and crazy loving kids everywhere!

The Place Setter!

2011-11-30T20:23:00.004-07:00

Mia was the best helper this Thanksgiving! Her school had the kids each make a place setting template to assist in setting the table. It was a really cute idea, and Mia took her job very seriously! She was setting out her plates, arranging silverware, and extremely focused on making sure it was all correct. So sweet...

Horse Show!

2011-11-30T20:21:00.001-07:00

One of Momma's friends is a horse veterinarian who was kind enough to invite us to a big horse show they hold each year in Scottsdale. Mia heard about the horse show and made certain we planned on attending... It was the first time the twins had been around horses in person, and they had a blast! We watched a few horse jumping competitions and watched Mia fall in love with horses. Plus, she learned about horse camp...

Cowgirl...

2011-11-30T20:18:00.002-07:00

Aubrey is quickly turning into the biggest ham I know... Here is her best impersonation of a gun slinger!! Pretty scary, huh?!

Riding Camp!

2011-11-30T20:06:00.003-07:00

Mia was so excited by the horses we saw at the show that she begged us to send her to horse camp! It just so happened they were offering a horse camp over the long Thanksgiving weekend. So.... Who are we to kill a kids dreams?! After shopping for a new pair of cowboy boots, Mia was off to camp! It's so amazing to see how confident she is at such a young age. We dropped her off at the farm, and she happily ran off with the other kids, yelling "See you later!" over her shoulder... When we picked her up she had all sorts of stories to excitedly share about trotting her pony & horse safety, and wanted us to be sure we knew his name was Leo. Now let's hope she discovers some cheaper hobbies! Her smile makes it all worth it...

Nay Nay!

2011-11-30T20:00:00.006-07:00

The twins were mesmerized by the horses at Mia's riding camp! When we dropped her off for camp, they ran straight over to the horses and gazed in amazement... Gotta love their cowboy get up of jammies and Ugz!

Crazy Girl...

2011-11-20T22:01:00.001-07:00

I'm not even going to try and explain this one... Suffice it to say this girl is crazy! Between the hair & the goggles, she's quite the spectacle. We love her, craziness and all...

The Puppet!

2011-11-20T21:58:00.004-07:00

I still can't quite figure out why Brandon is so obsessed with an older sister who absolutely torments him... She clearly loves him, but continually tortures him! This was her response to Daddy asking her to give Big Boy a hug for the camera. Shortly after this photo was snapped his face began turning red... Even when being strangled he was smiling with love for his big sissy!

Rare Pose...

2011-11-20T21:55:00.003-07:00

Brandon is such a boy... It's gets harder every day to actually get a picture of him! Aubrey will stop and say cheese the moment she sees the camera. But Brandon? Nope, he immediatley hides his face or runs away... He's a goof! But when we do capture a photo, the handsome little man never seems to fail to impress with his winning smile & beautiful blue eyes!

Happy Girl...

2011-11-20T21:51:00.002-07:00

Boy, it's amazing what a few months can do... Before Aubs could walk she was really frustrated and cranky. Now, she's just a ball of joy and happiness! Here she is proudly displaying that she was able to undress herself right after Momma had just gotten her dressed... Yes, the dressing of children can take close to an hour with Momma chasing children in every different direction. It's rather entertaining!

Sunday Morning Football!!

2011-11-07T20:58:00.004-07:00

Yes, we all look a little rough, but isn't that what Sunday mornings are all about?! Daddy makes it to the couch, gets a little football going, and shortly thereafter finds himself engulfed with lazy children looking for a little cuddle action... It's really very sweet! Big Boy is either chewing the leg off a chair, or searching for the love of his life, Momma!

Mr. Tantrum!

2011-11-07T20:54:00.003-07:00

Here's Big Boy doing what he does best, throwing a tantrum! It's so funny to watch the various phases they go through. Thankfully, the twins seem to trade their quirks back and forth, rarely being trouble makers at the same time. Now that Aubrey has been walking, she's happy as could be and it's Brandon's turn to be whiney and needy... Funny thing is that their personalities are the exact opposite of what I expected. He is so aggressive and rough, and she is so sweet and dainty. However, when it comes to any kind of new adventure or daring ride, Aubrey can't wait to partake, while Big Boy runs to the safety of his Momma's arms and whines... He's quite the sissy, but we still love him to the moon!

Rain Dance!

2011-11-07T20:52:00.003-07:00

The hot weather has finally subsided, and we've been rewarded with cool days, and even a few rain showers! Aubrey got very excited the first time she saw her big sister singing in the rain, and immediately got her rain coat... She's such a happy little girl and thoroughly enjoys every new experience!

Happy Halloween!!

2011-11-03T22:55:00.002-07:00

Wow, it's hard to believe that this year was already our 5th Halloween with the midget! Every year is more fun with our little angel... This year Mia insisted on being a scary dragon. She was quite proud of her tail. As usual, Momma cooked about 10 gallons of her famous taco soup, and we hosted a party for the neighborhood. The big difference this year is that Mia was quite a bit more focused on accumulating maximum candy! After trick or treating a bit with all the kids, we put the twins down and Daddy & Mia went back out for some serious candy collecting... Mia was chasing her friends around in the driveway long after the trick or treating festivities ended. It's pretty impressive what sugar will do to a child!!

Candy Time!

2011-11-03T22:52:00.003-07:00

The Twins got to trick or treat in style! Momma loaded them up in their cars, and Daddy pushed them house to house... I'm not really sure they had any idea of what the whole night was about. They were just happy that every neighbor on the street put candy in their Elmo buckets! Brandon got a chocolate sucker from his cousin Amanda, and spent his entire trick or treating adventure trying to figure out how to tear through the wrapper!

Mrs. Elmo!

2011-11-03T22:51:00.001-07:00

The Twins are both obsessed with Elmo right now, so Momma hooked them up with some matching costumes! Sweet little Aubrey was so happy to play the role of Mrs. Elmo...

Mr. Elmo!

2011-11-03T22:47:00.003-07:00

Big Boy was quite proud of his masculine Elmo costume! He looks like a character off the 'Sponge Bob Square Pants' show... That cute little face was smiling all night!

Pumpkin Carving!

2011-11-03T22:41:00.004-07:00

In preparation for the holiday, Mia insisted that we carve a very intricate skull & crossbones pumpkin! She lost interest after about 3 minutes and left Daddy to do the hard work... Good thing she's so cute!

Disneyland!!

2011-10-25T18:36:00.003-07:00

It's become a family tradition that we take Mia to Disney every October, as Halloween is her favorite holiday! This year Grammy & Papa were kind enough to arrange a trip for the five of us. Thankfully, Grandma & Grandpa were willing to drive in from Colorado and stay with the twins so we could enjoy our time away with Mia! It was an amazing weekend... We were in the park with Mia until after 11 pm on both Fri & Sat night!!! That is late for a little girl who normally goes to bed around 8 or 8:30. She was an absolute trooper! Long days of playing, leisurely mornings and incredible memories with our little angel. Momma spends so much time caring for all the kids these days that it was especially great to see her getting to relax & love on the midget! We had an absolute blast, but sure missed the twins... Thanks to two wonderful sets of grandparents we made some incrdible memories, and one little girl is extremely happy!

Quality Time!

2011-10-25T18:33:00.003-07:00

It was so nice to get some quality time alone with the midget! We absolutely love & adore the twins, but sometimes miss the closeness of when it was just us and our little angel... Next year the twins will definitely be old enough to enjoy Disney with us, so this was sort of our last hurrah. What an amazing weekend of quality time for all of us...

Scary Dragon!

2011-10-25T18:30:00.004-07:00

On Friday night they shut the park down early and reopened at 7 pm for a special night of trick or treating! Disney does an amazing job of decorating Main Street for the festivities, and they give out loads of candy all over the park... Mia has been anxiously anticipating the chance to wear her 'scary dragon' costume for months! She is expecially proud of her tail... Frightening, huh?!

Ketchup & The Dragon!

2011-10-25T18:24:00.002-07:00

Mia & Papa got into the mood at for a little trick or treating at Disney! Needless to say, Papa was a celebrity for his inventive costume... Mia loved his enthusiasm!

Fire Station Visit!

2011-10-18T20:09:00.002-07:00

This weekend we drove out to Globe, Arizona to take the kids to 'Apache Days'. This is an event where all of the remaining Apaches in the state come together for tribal dancing & singing. Mia was mesmerized by the festivites and is still talking about the outrageous tribal head dresses they wore for their ceremonial dances. On the way home we happened upon a fire station that was having an open house. The kids got to climb into a fire truck, and here they are aboard a helicopter! The high light for the children was watching the helicopter take off... It's such an amazing experience to expose the children to things they've never seen before.

First Day of School for Aubs!!

2011-10-18T20:04:00.003-07:00

Well, the day finally arrived for our last child to begin going to school... She was a little slow in getting started walking, but boy is she making up for lost time! Aubrey hasn't gotten down and crawled a single time since she stood up and began walking a few weeks ago. Now that she's walking, it was time to join her siblings at school. And boy was she ready... She marched into that school with lunch bag in hand, ready to take charge. The best part was that she is so short that she had to drag her her lunch behind her! I'm happy to report that she had a fantastic first day and loves going to school on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Handsome Devil...

2011-10-18T19:52:00.003-07:00

Usually it's Mia's beauty that I'm espousing on this blog. However, I think this handsome young man deserves a little respect for his devilish way... What a cutie!

Nap Time!

2011-10-18T19:48:00.001-07:00

The other day we were all playing in our 'family bed' during the mid afternoon. One minute we were all wrestling, the next minute Mommy & Big Boy were cuddled up and fast asleep... We crept out of the room and let them catch a badly needed cat nap! Aren't they sweet together?

The Fish Queen!

2011-10-18T19:42:00.002-07:00

Mia is obsessed with gold fish. So much so that sometimes she dumps them all over herself! Ok, not really, but she sure enjoys those little crunchy things... Here she was right after she spilled a bag all over herself!

The Gang!

2011-10-12T09:19:00.002-07:00

We are now clearly outnumbered by this roving band of crazy kids! Mia is the de facto leader, and makes certain to lead them towards trouble whenever possible... The twins are quite happy to defer to her, and in fact do their best to emulate her at every turn. They sure love their leader! So do we...

Intellectual Boy?!?!

2011-10-12T09:17:00.003-07:00

I'm not sure who Big Boy is trying to fool, but we Lovell boys aren't known for our overwhelming intellectual prowess... Perhaps he'll be the first to change that! He sat down at Daddy's computer the other night and threw an absolute fit when anyone tried to prevent him from doing his work. What a ham this kid is!

Aubs Kisses!

2011-10-11T08:05:00.003-07:00

Our sweet little angel just loves to give kisses! Only problem is that unlike her brother who gives sweet little kisses, she tries to shove her tongue in your mouth... She always finds her own path!

The Yarmulke Queen!

2011-10-11T08:03:00.002-07:00

We all know how much Mia likes to pretend that she is a boy! Well, she took it to a new level last week at services. When she saw them passing out Yarmulkes to all the men & boys, she decided she absolutely must wear one... Who am I to ruin a little girls dreams?! So here she is sporting her beanie with her best friend Easton! Too cute...

Happy Holidays!

2011-10-11T07:55:00.004-07:00

For the High Holidays we took the kids to Temple and then had a Tot Shabbat party in the auditorium. Mia had a blast dancing and singing along, while the twins... Oh yeah, they slept through the whole thing! You can see Big Boy lounging in his stroller above, next to his sister! It was amazingly loud in that room, and they snoozed through the whole thing... Those kids can sleep through anything!

SHE WALKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2011-10-02T19:55:00.003-07:00

After a very long 19 months, we are excited to announce that Aubrey is fully walking!!!!! For several months she's been taking a few steps here & there, and then quickly going back to her routine crawling. But this past week she finally stood up, started walking, and hasn't stopped... I know this may not sound like much, but it is huge for us! We're very proud of our little Aubs!

Mia's Fort!

2011-10-02T19:51:00.002-07:00

Mia has been wanting to build a new fort lately. So Daddy & Mia spent some time at Home Depot designing a new fort, and gathering the necessary materials. Then today we spent the whole afternoon cutting & assembling the new fort. We used painters drop cloth for the walls and roof so that the kids would be able to 'grafiti' it. They were so exicted to take markers to the finished product and do exactly what they are always told not to do... It really turned out great, and Mia was very proud of her finished product. There's pretty much nothing she enjoys as much as working with tools, except maybe eating chocolate!!

Brandon's Baby?!

2011-10-02T19:49:00.001-07:00

Brandon is clearly surrounded by too many women! He is now taking 'Honey Bear' for walks in his stroller... Good lord, we need to save this boy's dignity and manhood!

Daddy's Little Buddy!

2011-09-20T22:43:00.002-07:00

We're very lucky to have three healthy kids who we love very much! It's always a treat to get a few minutes alone with each of the kids. It's also very rare... Big Boy has blossomed into the happiest, most laid back and easy going little boy. He's a total ham and just loves to win people over with his smiling and flirting. He's definitely Daddy's little buddy!

Stunning!

2011-09-20T22:41:00.005-07:00

Every now & again I see a picture and am reminded of Mia's absolutley stunning beauty! Both inside & out this little girl is just plain special... It's hard for me to call her my midget anymore, as she's grown about 3 inches this summer and is no longer smaller than her classmates and teammates.

So Close...

2011-09-20T22:36:00.004-07:00

Aubrey is so close to walking! She can walk 10-15 steps when she chooses to, which isn't very often... Mommy had the great idea of buying her a shopping cart last week and it was almost magical the transformation. Aubrey literally spends hours per day pushing her cart around the house. The upright action is strengthening her legs, and has brought her right to the brink. Any day now we expect that her crawling days will be history!!

Juice Box Obsession?!

2011-09-20T22:33:00.003-07:00

Did I mention that Big Boy sure does love the rare treat of a heavily sugared juice box?! This is the look of utter juice box protectionism... Very focused!

Autumn Moon Festival Picnic!

2011-09-20T22:30:00.002-07:00

We celebrated the first day of the Chinese Autumn Moon with a festival in the park. We had a family picnic, which the kids absolutely loved! I'm not so sure it was the quality family time they enjoyed as much as the rare treat of juice boxes. Big Boy pretty much hyperventilated at the first sign of sugar... Aubs must have been crawling off towards trouble during this picture!

Dress Up!

2011-09-20T22:27:00.003-07:00

Daddy came home from work the other evening to find that the twins had played 'dress up' with Mommy for the first time! Big Boy was very proud of his costume, although we're still not sure exactly who he was supposed to be... Perhaps he was Super Fisherman?! Either way, they were both awfully darn cute!

Family Tubby!

2011-09-20T22:23:00.002-07:00

This week Mommy bathed all the kids together in the big tub for the first time! Mia was so excited to have the twins join her... She was adamant about bathing them herself. It was so sweet to watch her shampoo their hair and soap them up. She really is a great big sister! Big Boy looks a tad bit overwhelmed by the whole thing...

Go Bucks!

2011-09-11T13:59:00.001-07:00

Big Boy would like to officially welcome you back to college footabll season! More importantly, he'd like to wish The Ohio State University the best of luck. Go Buckeyes!!

Soccer Starts!

2011-09-11T13:27:00.003-07:00

This week was Mia's first soccer practice! She's been waiting patiently for months to start her first league... Baseball was fun, but I think this is much more her style. She hopped right out there and ran circles around the little boys!

Blue Thunder Rides Again!

2011-09-11T13:17:00.002-07:00

After the longest, hottest summer in recorded history, bike riding weather has finally returned! That means we dipped below 100 degrees... On Saturday morning we tuned up our bikes and the whole family rode to the Tavern for breakfast and some Ohio State footaball. This was the first time that Mia had a chance to go for any kind of distance ride, and she did absolutely fantastic!! It's really amazing how well she rides for her age & size. Here she is busting up her best cool pose!

The Twins Trailer!

2011-09-11T13:15:00.002-07:00

The twins aren't exactly used to taking bike rides, so it's quite an adventure for them to get loaded up in their trailer and head off on a ride... As usual, Brandon was snoring before we got to breakfast! On the way home, Aubrey passed out with her head snuggled into her brother's shoulder. It was so sweet...

Shabbat Parents!

2011-09-11T13:11:00.002-07:00

Every Friday a different parent volunteers to join the class as Shabbat parents. This means we read a book to the kids, light the Shabbat candles, join the children in their prayers and have some challah bread together. It's really fun to see how excited the children get to have their parents visit. We had so much fun, and Mia was an absolute angel as always!

First School Day for Aubs!

2011-09-11T13:07:00.002-07:00

Since Mommy & Daddy were in Mia's class for Shabbat, we thought it would be the perfect opportunity for Aubrey to join her brother in her future class and see how she did... The school was kind enough to let us drop her off for an hour. Thankfully, it happened to be snack hour, so Aubs felt right at home! We all know how Aubrey feels about food... She never met a morsel she didn't like! When we came back after an hour, this is how we found her. Pulled up to the table, eating and singing along with the guitar playing teacher. I'm pretty sure she'll be just fine! Now if we could just get her to walk, she could actually go to school...

She's Crafty!

2011-09-11T13:03:00.003-07:00

Mia is in a massively crafty stage! She spends hours per day sitting at the kitchen counter drawing, cutting, pasting and painting... Her most recent project was to create a likeness of herself, as evidenced above! The cutest part was how adamant she was that we find some Ohio State material to use for her shorts. That's right, the girl knows her college sports!! It's also interesting how all of her family drawings reflect accurate eye color, hair color, etc. By the way, note her Woody pajamas from 'Toy Story'. She & Daddy bought those on a recent Date Night trip to the Disney store, and she immediately changed into them and ran all over the mall. So fun!!

Chaos!

2011-08-31T22:29:00.002-07:00

Big Boy may be sweet and gentle, but make no mistake about his level of commitment towards achieving whatever he sets his mind to... Today he decided to clear all of the toys off the top of the storage shelves in the play room and climb on top! While Momma made it clear several dozen times that this is unsafe and unacceptable, he continually climbed right back up with a big happy grin! Nope, he is not to be slowed down... Look at the big ham!

Sweetie Pie!

2011-08-31T22:26:00.002-07:00

While Aubrey isn't sharing in the excitement of sleep overs or going to school, she certainly is making her presence known! We like to think she expresses herself in a creative manner... By creative I mean biting, screaming, throwing tantrums, and body slamming her brother!! Sadly, I'm hardly exaggerating... This sweet little angel who we are madly in love with has already made it clear that she isn't going to coast through life with a smile and a laid back nature. Nope, she's going to be our challenge! That's ok, better to be obstinant than passive, right?!?! Come on, humor me.

Mia's First Date!

2011-08-31T22:20:00.003-07:00

This past weekend Mia announced, very seriously, that she needed to put on a pretty dress! This sounded quite strange coming from a little girl who shuns dolls, the color pink and any mention of the fact that she is not a boy... So when questioned, she proudly announced that she had her first date with Easton tonight, our neighbor boy, and she needed to look pretty for him!! What?!?! Good god, already? So after playing all day and into the evening, Mia convinced Momma to allow her to have her first sleep over! Surprsigingly, it went very well. They built a fort at the foot of our bed, slept soundly and enjoyed sharing chocolate milk for breakfast! I'd say that was a pretty solid first date...

Zonked!

2011-08-31T22:18:00.003-07:00

Big Boy is growing so quickly that he still needs some serious nappng time! His teachers have told us on several occasions of him falling asleep as they were giving him a hug... Here he is about 90 seconds after he got into Mommy's van after his first day of school. Wow, he sure was tired after all the excitement!

Big Boy at School...

2011-08-31T22:07:00.002-07:00

Brandon really seemed to enjoy his first day of school. In fact, he has fallen so hard for his new musical teacher that he is thrilled every time he gets to school... Note his tie t-shirt Momma dressed him up in! He's such a happy, sweet little boy, that his teachers have really taken to him. He sure likes to work his magic!

School's Back!

2011-08-23T06:55:00.004-07:00

School started this past week! I can't hardly believe it, but this is Mia's 4th year at Chanen Preschool and she's going 5 days a week now... She is officially in Pre-K now, and is very proud to let everyone know. She's also very proud to have her little brother joining her two class rooms down! Brandon started on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but we were forced to keep Aubrey out until she is fully walking. This actually works out good, as it gives Momma some quality one-on-one time to work with Aubrey on her development. It's amazing how much time we had to work with Mia, and how little time we get with the twins for anything other than bathing, feeding, changing and keeping them safe! It's frightening to think that Mia will be in Kindergarten at a real school next year... Brandon has done fantastic! One of this teacher's was formerly the school's music teacher. His name is Aris, and he is from Israel. He carries around his acoustic guitar all day, and sings to the children constantly. Brandon is absolutely smitten! Brandon isn't fully talking, but he clearly understands everything you ask of him, and is gaining words by the day. His favorite word of the moment is "Melmo!". That translates to Elmo... Our angels are sure growing quickly! We love them so much... Note Mia's new 'Cars' backpack that Grammy got her for back to school. She was very proud, as she's obsessed with Cars!

Crazy Girl...

2011-08-23T06:53:00.003-07:00

Tell me this picture isn't hilarious! Aubrey & Brandon are both growing hair at a rather remarkable pace... The other morning Daddy woke up to find his little cutie with these big silly piggy tails!! For all her stubborn, whining, driving her parents craziness, she sure is a cutie!!

Chocolate Lover!

2011-08-23T06:49:00.002-07:00

This past weekend we took a little trip down to Grammy & Papa's in Tucson! Mia was very exctied to make her very own batch of brownies. Although I think she spent more time taste testing the batter than actually mixing... She sure has grown fond of chocolate! Gotta love the chocolate mustache.

The Obstinant One...

2011-08-16T22:14:00.003-07:00

Our little Aubs is finally progressing through her milestones. In March she started crawling, but she still isn't walking at 17 months! Thankfully, we've completed just about every type of test imaginable, including an MRI, and all results lead to one conclusion: the girl is simply stubborn & obstinant! Finally, last week she stood up and took 10 steps. Then she promptly sat back down and hasn't walked again... The doctors say it's no big deal since she was born 3 months early, so really her 'corrected age' is more like 14 months. Either way, it's a relief to see her progressing and to see her little personality developing, which allows us to realize that #3 is simply going to challenge us for many years to come. Life happens the way she wants it to, not based on anyone else's expectations! Great, never seen that from a Lovell before... :)

Angel?!?!

2011-08-16T22:12:00.004-07:00

Apparently Big Boy has decided he is an angel, or butterfly or some other strange creature that a little boy should not be impersonating! Truth be told, he really is a sweet little angel. He's growing so quickly these days... He's running to keep up with his big sister, learning his first few words, and has developed a very sweet and happy dispostion. He's our butterfly boy!

Family Vacation!!

2011-08-13T18:17:00.003-07:00

We just got home from an absolutely fantastic family vacation in San Diego! Mommy & the kids spent a week with Aunt Caren, Uncle Pat, and Mia's cousins. Then Daddy joined in and we all spent another week along the beach in Carlsbad. It was so fun to get away as a family and enjoy quality beach time and lounging, not to mention escaping the AZ heat... We had BBQ's with friends, made giant bubbles, learned to fly a kite, and found some great restaurants. The kids are at such fun ages and just want to cuddle and play. It was so nice to be able to enjoy non-stop time with them...

Legoland!

2011-08-13T18:12:00.005-07:00

During the first leg of our trip we took the kids, along with their cousins, to Legoland! Mia & Hadley had their faces painted, as you can see by this scary picture... The kids really enjoyed all the Lego exhibits, and it's always great to see how much fun Mia has with her cousins!

Beach Time!

2011-08-13T18:07:00.003-07:00

We got loads of beach time on our vacation! We learned that Brandon likes to roll around in the sand, and occasionally eat it as well... The kids had loads of fun burying themselves under mounds of sand!

Feeding the Squirrels!

2011-08-13T18:05:00.003-07:00

During our vaca we paid a visit to Balboa Park for an afternoon picnic and a ride on the vintage Merry Go Round. Sandy's kids, Tanya, Justin & Sarah, were so sweet playing with Mia and helping care for the twins. Mia found a squirrel family and spent the better part of the afternoon hand feeding them peanuts... It was so sweet!

Sea World!

2011-08-13T18:01:00.004-07:00

Anybody recognize these two cute little butts?! During our California trip we paid a visit to Shamu. Brandon & Aubrey love the seals! It sure was a lot of work having the twins at Sea World. Wow, they want in the stroller, out of the stroller, to walk, to be held, to eat... We don't mind though, those little cuties are definitely worth the work. We had a blast, and Mia loved all the sea life!

Aubrey & the Marine!

2011-08-13T17:49:00.005-07:00

While in San Diego we spent quite a bit of time with our good friends Frank & Sandy, and their beautiful children. Frank is a Lt. Colonel in the US Marine Corps, and it's apparent that Aubrey was a bit smitten jwith this soldier... She's such a flirt!

Monkey Boom!

2011-08-13T17:43:00.002-07:00

It is with a heavy heart that I announce the demise of Mary Bear... After several years of deep love & affections, Mia has supplanted Mary with Monkey Boom! He's quite frisky and, being much smaller, is easier to take along with us wherever we go. Welcome to the family Boom!