Alexa's in preschool!

Here's pictures of Alexa on her first day of preschool. I can't believe how quickly she's growing up! She picked out this outfit even though it was a pretty hot day. She loves purple and wanted to wear her cardigan and kept it on the whole time. What a cutie!

Ashlee's first day of 2nd Grade

Here are some pictures of Ashlee's first day of 2nd grade. We really missed her today - things were really quiet with just Alexa and Aislyn at home. I can't believe how fast she is growing up. It makes me a bit weepy. :)

Just an FYI . . . Dell was a part of this morning's festivities, although it doesn't look like it. He just got back from jogging so didn't want to be in any of the pictures! :)

Sun Lakes & More

We had a fun weekend getaway with the Mollotte side of the family over Father's Day. We left Thursday morning and got home Saturday afternoon. We had a ton of fun biking, swimming, visiting and of course eating!

Alexa loved riding around on Launa's bike. She can go quite fast!

My three beautiful daughters. Oh how lucky I am!

Almost all of the 8 Mollotte girl cousins.

Mark's two are in front (Launa-3 & Kate-9 months)

Rich's girls are in the hats (Haley-8 & Mya-4 1/2)

Aislyn enjoying herself in grandpa & grandma's pool for the first time.

She's 3 months and Evelyn (Lindsy's baby) is 7 months.

Notice Aislyn's tongue. She sticks it out ALL the time!

I finally finished Aislyn's room. I was waiting on the name and had to make several trips to Michaels to get all of the letters. Needless to say I'm finally done. I mod podged the letters and am really happy with how it turned out.

I think I've blogged about our new addition before. At first her name was to be "Honey" but that didn't stick and she is officially known as "Cutie Pie Anderson". Cutie has been roaming our yard for the past three months digging holes, ruining plants, chewing up everything in sight, and killing our grass. We decided enough is enough (or I did rather) and she finally has a nice, new home on the rocks penned up. Horray for dog pens! I told our girls she can be free of the pen once she's a little older and can behave herself. Until then welcome home, Cutie!

pictures and a video clip

Ashlee in the ready position.

Aislyn enjoying her big sister!

Congrats to my beautiful sister, Kylee. She graduated last week.

Aislyn giggling. Kinda long, but cute.

Just a quick update

Here's a quick little blog about each in our fam:

Today Aislyn is 3 months old. I can't believe how fast the time flies. She is a great baby. She is always super happy - doesn't cry much - and is a great sleeper. Oh how I love her!!!! I have no complaints!

Alexa is adjusting more to having a new baby sister. She loved it at first - then got over the newness and had quite a hard time. Now she is doing a lot better. She is such a cutie and still runs everywhere she goes. Sometimes I'm amazed!

Ashlee finished up her last day of 1st grade. She will also finish up her last game of tball tonight. Swim lessons start for her next week and she's excited about that (although she's already got in quite a few swimming trips at Grandma's! :)

Me: Some days I feel like three kids is pushing me over the edge and I'm on the verge of exploding. Isn't that nice? I also went brunette and surprisingly like it . . . this is what happens when you feel frompy. I'm also realizing it's harder to get that 3rd baby weight off . . . luckily my sis-in-law is helping me get some motivation and for the first time I'm actually exercising on a regular basis . . . I still don't love it!

Dell is getting busier and busier. Work, clients and mutual take up most of his time. He's a real trooper about it all though. We're hoping that all this hard work will pay off really quick! :)

Our summer of fun is about to begin. We're looking forward to trips to Sun Lakes, Utah, Sanpoil and Lubbock, Texas just to name a few! I'll post pictures when I'm not feeling so pressed for time!

A dream come true!

Ashlee's dreams have finally come true . . . she has her very own, ALIVE puppy (I've been buying her stuffed animal dogs for awhile to see if that'd appease her - it hasn't). She's been wanting a puppy FOREVER and we've been stalling. After we got our fence put up last spring, I ran out of excuses. So for her birthday we decided to get her the dog. Her birthday isn't until May 2nd, but my brother, Mark, knew some people wanting to get rid of their pups and we decided now was as good a time as any.

Her name as of now . . . . HONEY. She is adorable and already loves Ashlee like no other. Alexa is not as comfortable with her as Ashlee is, but she is still enjoying this new adventure of being a dog owner. I on the other hand, after picking up endless amounts of poop for one day, have still decided that I am no animal lover - no matter how cute!

Our Precious Girl

Here's Aislyn's story:

I had an appointment on Monday, March 15th, my due date, and found out that she was looking good but I didn't look any closer to giving birth than a 38 weeker! My ultra sound tech told me the baby was gonna be 9 1/2 lbs (which I didn't believe) and that her head was rather large. The stress test showed that in 15 minutes I only had one contraction and my check-up showed I was at a 3. So needless to say induction was at the top of my mind!

I've been induced both times before so was really wanting to go on my own to get the whole experience. I didn't know what contractions felt like, on their own, and from past experience knew that being induced is hard on your body and I always have the girls in the middle of the night, which leads to two solid days of no sleep. Anyhoo my Dr. told me to call in at 5 p.m to see if there was a bed available. I called right at 5 and they told me they'd either call back by 6 p.m. or for me to call back by 6:45 p.m. if I hadn't heard anything. So at 6:45 p.m. I called in again and they said they had a spot and for me to come in.

Meanwhile we took our girls over to my brother's house and I was feeling a lot of tightness in my stomach, but no pain. When we got there and I got all hooked up to the monitor it showed I was having contractions every 2 minutes, was at a 4, and was in labor. I was shocked and so happy to be doing it on my own. I told the nurse I didn't know THOSE were what contractions felt like and that I'd been having THOSE for quite awhile. There was no pain with them though - just uncomfortable and tightness. So basically they got me all ready, gave me an epidural, broke my water, at the end gave me some pitocen to get things to speed up, and the baby was born at 1:07 a.m. It was overall my best experience. They do a new thing called Kangaroo Care when they're born, where they put the baby on you, skin to skin, for the first hour after they're born and it was really neat. Very emotional and very natural. I guess it's supposed to be less trauma on the baby and is the best way to regulate her body temp and blood pressure. Anyways I didn't know they were gonna do that, but ended up really loving it.

Both Aislyn and I are doing well. She isn't a crier at all so far and is so very pleasant. Our girls are thrilled that "the baby is finally out" as are Dell and I. She looks just like her Daddy - or so we think.

Oh and you pronounce her name with the strong A sound - in case you were wondering! :)

Aislyn Rebecca Anderson

Aislyn was born on Tuesday morning at 1:07 a.m. She weighed 8 lbs 8 oz and was 20.25" long. She's healthy and is a great baby. She has a head full of black hair, like her daddy! We're thrilled that she's here and will share more later!

I will post a picture later when I get them downloaded to the computer . . . slow poke mom, I know.

Ear Piercing

Alexa has been coaxing for awhile to get earrings and we found a good excuse to get it done yesterday. My niece, Launa, had an experience with scissors and unfortunately the scissors won sooo my sis-in-law wanted to get her ears pierced ASAP to make her look more like the cute little girl she is!

We took them to the mall yesterday and they chose cute little flower earrings. Launa went first - Ashley didn't want to give her a choice to change her mind . . . I took Alexa on a little walk so she couldn't watch. When we came back Launa had earrings and a tear on her cheek, but was no longer crying. Alexa sat up on the chair like a big girl and was really excited. That excitement quickly turned into tears and she felt the pinch of new earrings. Both Ashley and I felt badly. The girls recovered quickly and played at the playland for quite awhile and then got some ice-cream as a "treat" for their suffering! It looks really cute and I'm glad they got to do it together.

Alexa turned 3!

So with all of the excitement of the baby, I failed to post a VERY important event. That is the birthday of our current baby, Alexa. She turned three on September 26th and we had a little family party for her. This year she is really into Mickey Mouse so we had a Mickey themed party. She picked out the matching everything and her own cake and would ask for days if it was her birthday yet and she'd say, "I so excited about Mickey Mouse party. I want Mickey Mouse plates, and cups, and Mickey Mouse cupcakes." Just randomly, out of the blue. She knew which day on the calendar was her big day, and we'd frequently talk about it.

Well the big day arrives. I had the party at 2 p.m. Not the best decision because it was late enough that she needed a nap and either went without it and would be unhappy or took one and would wake up unhappy. Not a win - win. We went with the nap and she woke up as expected, just as people were arriving.

The video clip is priceless because she was crying the whole time we sang to her. She did NOT like being the center of attention with everyone looking at her. She didn't enjoy her big day very much at all. She pulled her hair out, typical of her, and didn't want to even look at her new toys and clothes until everyone left. I didn't get any good pictures of her because she was hiding her face in all of them so the one with her Mickey Mouse loot is after everyone was gone and she could continue being herself!

Some things about my Lexa:

Alexa is such a good, sweet little girl. She loves her big sister and follows her everywhere so goes. She gives the new baby a kiss everyday and gives her "big hugs". She loves playing with her best friend and cousin Launa and talks about her daily and prays for her each night. She is very excitable (at home anyway). She's shy out in public and even around family if too much attention is on her - in that case she hides behind my leg or wants me to hold her. She's a very fast runner - I attribute this to the fact that she runs everywhere she goes and always has . . . even in the summer wearing platform flip flops! She loves to read books and likes playing with her little people that go with her doll house. She loves watching Dora and Cinderella. She's a very good eater and tells her dad to "bring her treats" when she talks to him on the phone. She loves nursery (odd since she's shy, I know). She likes to pick out her own clothes, especially panties, and always wants me to put bows in her hair (which is odd since they only stay in for a maximum of 5-10 minutes). She loves to have her nails painted and typcially chooses pink (shocking). She is still a cuddler and loves to be held. She tells me almost daily, "Moma I want hold you." So precious! She loves her blanket and won't go to sleep without it. We love her dearly and are so glad she's a part of our family!

Drumroll please . . . .

We had our ultrasound this morning and found out that we're having a . . . . . . . . . . . GIRL! Apparently we are destined for a family of daughters. I was just sure we were having a boy and was really eager to call my brothers and rub it in. For our family this is 8 granddaughters in a row and I wanted to be the one to break the streak. The Lord had other plans! Ashlee's reply was, "Mom I think Heavenly Father sent us a girl because girls are easier." I think she's right - until they become teenagers! :)

We are truly very happy about this baby and having another girl will be a joy. My sister and sister-in-law just both had girls too so this baby will grow up with two girl cousins and they'll all be in the same grade so that will be so much fun for them and for us.

Everything looked great on the ultra sound. She's healthy and growing like she should. Her heart beat is strong and all is well. She was just kicking and kicking throughout the whole thing. The ultra sound tech had a hard time getting still shots of her so we already know she's a "kicker and a mover" . . . she'll fit right in!

Our big news . . . .

So our big news is that I'm expecting! I am 15 weeks right now so have a due date of March 15th ish. I guess I really don't know who knows and who doesn't so this is our way of making sure that everyone who cares, now knows! We're super excited and will find out in a few more weeks if it's a boy or girl. I'll keep you posted!!

First Day of School

We had a hard time with the sun while taking pictures so she's in my shadow. I love this picture because she's showing all 6 of her missing teeth. She had a busy summer (so did the tooth fairy)!

Ashlee was so excited for her first day of First Grade! This would mean school all day long, hot lunch & 3 recesses! She was nervous about her bus ride - and I made things worse by discovering we were going on the wrong bus - it was like 5 blocks away from our house. So on day 2 she had to go to a new bus stop and start the worrying all over again!

We got her on the bus and then followed her to the school to get her settled. She met up with friends right off the bat and was excited to be reunited with the playground toys. We left her happy and confident . . . that's not how she returned to us.

No kidding I was so anxious for her to get home and see how her first day was and I got what every mom would expect (from a boy maybe) one word answers such as: good, ya, fine, okay. I was totally disappointed. We get home and I run to the school to find out about the bus schedule and so the girls are home with Dell. When I get back Ashlee is crying and Dell says she's been like this since I left. She was mad that "I made her wear these fancy pants (skinny jeans) and these shoes that gave me blisters." I'm just the meanest mom ever because I didn't let her wear shorts and a lot of other kids, or ALL the other kids according to her, wore shorts. To make a long story short she was pretty much a beast the rest of the evening. No kidding she was crying, pouting, just being a pill. Dell and I just couldn't believe it because that is SO not typical of her. Much to my relief day #2 was much better. I got her off the bus and she told me story after story about school and was happy as a lark. I said, "wow I sure like this Ashlee a lot better than yesterday's Ashlee." and she said, "I know mom, yesterday I was just really tired." I guess the first day of all day school, hot lunch and 3 recesses really took it's toll. But rest assured she adjusted after one day, and as long as she gets to put shorts on as soon as she gets home, I'm no longer the meanest mom!

I'm a slacker

So I am self-admittedly a slacker. You'd think I could update my blog at least monthly! Here are some of the things we've been up to:

- Ashlee started and finished her first season of TBall.
- Alexa potty-trained (horray for this one . . . this was back in April, I think)
- My city league slow-pitch team started up again and we've been in full swing (no pun intended!)
- I was called to teach the 11-year old primary class and am also over activity days for the girls 8-11.
- I went to Girls Camp all week as a tent mom.
- We spent a week with my side of the family at our annual Sanpoil camping trip.
- Ashlee tried to waterski with help from Uncle Rich.
- Dell had his first Sandcastles class! (this is a program he became certified by M. Gary Neuman for in teaching children how to cope with divorce). http://www.supportingchildren.org/
- Ashlee started swimming lessons.
- Alexa changes outfits 5 times daily and pulls her hair out even more times than that (I give up, I tell ya!) So if you see me in public, like today for instance, don't judge me on her appearance. You have to pick your battles and she's winning these ones. There's only so many times I can redo her hair and make sure she's matching!! :)

A Recap of Events

A lot has happened since my last post. Here'a a quick recap:



Ashlee and all the other girl cousins (my only nephew is 13) get to enjoy the latest toy at Grandma & Grandpa's house. Dell was uncertain about it and decided the only way to justify it is if we bought a helmet. $60 and one wear later we've decided that was sure worth the money! :) The girls cruise up and down the canal bank and have created their own little race track in my parents' yard.


All the grandkids in their Easter outfits - we love to get matching everything!


Ashlee turned 6 years old


We finally purchased and put up our fence. I did a lot of the work while Dell was at work each day. We also had a friend help us out that knew what he was doing. After watching me digging post holes and putting up boards Ashlee told me, "Moma that's a boy's job."




My baby sister went to Prom and the whole family was there to watch (the next day was Mother's Day so we got a two-for-one deal). Her poor date . . . there were like 6 cars in the driveway and 25 people there when he pulled up.


We celebrated Mother's Day in Othello. I'm so lucky to be a mom to these two girls!

As easy as riding a bike

Can you remember your first time riding a bike - it wasn't so easy. I remember my first time. My cousin, Jennifer, got a new purple bike with a long banana seat and as soon as I saw it I knew I had to learn to ride. She, being a year older than me, was ever so kind in teaching me. My 5 year old cousin held on to the back of that seat as we rode from my house to her house and back over and over until I mastered it. Kids now days have it easy . . . I learned on gravel with no knee pads or helmet of any kind - thank heavens! I don't think I'd have wore them even if they had them! :) I remember that night not wanting to go to bed for fear I'd forget how to ride in the morning and woke up first thing and jetted over to her house to prove I still remembered.

So I've been waiting ever so patiently for my eldest to learn how to ride. I was 4 when I learned so thought she should be just as eager. To my dismay she wasn't. We tried last summer without success and Ashlee found she loved her scooter and didn't give her dear old Princess bike another thought. This year I decided it was time. She's going to be 6 on May 2nd so I wanted to get this accomplished before that. A 6 year old that doesn't know how to ride . . . that's just not acceptable!

So here it is, Spring Break, and I told her we're gonna get this thing done by the end of the week. Today was our first try and to my amazement she took no time at all. She's still a little unsure and I have to remind her to "pedal" as she seems to forget - she sure doesn't forget that brake though!

A word to the wise . . . . don't teach your children how to ride bikes with flip flops on. I did and wouldn't you know somehow the toe nail on my big toe got ripped half way off. This is the toe that I just had surgery on and just got the nail looking normal again. Lucky me!

Oh, FYI the video is a little long. Dell didn't pause at all during it so I couldn't cut it down. I made him video since I was the one that taught her earlier . . . I wanted the credit for future reference. ;) Her accomplishment benefited us all as a trip to Chuck E. Cheese was the prize (I do bribe my children - and it works!)

Winter Basketball

5 years old

Ashlee has been playing basketball for the past few weeks each Saturday. We signed her up last year and she really liked it. They basically just teach fundamentals to the kids. How to dribble, pass the ball, shoot etc. I could see big improvement this year compared to last year. She had a hard time shooting last year - wasn't quite strong enough to get it up to the basket. This year she had no problems and made a lot of her shots. The video is one of those times.


It was also fun to visit with Wendy Beus each week. We planned it that way - using our kids to be able to spend more time together! It worked out well for us all. Here's a picture of Kaden and Ashlee

Action shot! Apparently I'm not a good picture taker. I tried to take a ton of her shooting and this was the best looking one I got!