I'm off to Canada!

So here is some of the fun stuff we have been doing over the past few weeks.

I thought Banks threw my little camera in the garbage but i thankfully found it last night.

I got to go and have a mini high school reunion with some of my best pals down in Orange county. We missed the ones who couldn't make it on account of Babies (you know who you are!)

I'm pretty sure that Nayvee wishes that she was in Mandy's family.

Nayvee has been taking Ballet Classes over the last 8 weeks at our church

It was definitely the high light of her life!

Did I mention I had a huge Cavity/Hole in my tooth!

This last weekend we headed to UOP housing for some crawfish.

My kids loved it! so thankful they aren't picky eaters.

Have a great summer everyone here in San Francisco,

and good luck to all those who are leaving us.

Crabbing

We headed up north to a place called Lawson's Landing in Dillion's Beach.

We were all first timers but were very successful in our catch.

I to this point had only had real crab once and wasn't the biggest fan, but right fresh from

the ocean it tasted awesome!

Nayvee was so brave and even held a live crab!

The kids had so much fun, as you can see Carter wasn't going to let a little cloud cover stop

him from playing in the water all day. The crazy part was even though we didn't see the sun

for one second, everyone got sunburned! Mostly John in our family.

Now for the crabbing. The boys would take cages bated with

fish fillets and drop them about 40 feet out from shore. We would wait about an hour

and then pull them up. To our amazement they were full of crabs.

Then they would bring them in and we would boil them up!

It was SO FUN!

We also learned a fabulous trick from our friends the Tarletons

Smores with Nutella...Delicious!

Banks is getting so big and is definitely starting to be able to 

communicate what he is wanting. He really loves to "help" me do my chores

and loves to give hugs and kisses.

He's a mama's boy, but cries his eyes out every morning when his dad leaves for school.

Jess Gordon ZoBell

My family likes to think of today as the day

Jess got to go to heaven.

I am so grateful for the knowledge and testimony I have 

that we are an eternal family.

BFF's

It was so fun to see The Fergusons on their trip to San Francisco.

I loved getting to know her kids and hubby better! We had a great time seeing them through

the week. Nayvee was in heaven having three fabulous playmates around.

The good news is that we are getting together again next week in So Cal but with 2 more friends

and their 5 kids! Can't wait!!!

I know some people would be happy to never remember high school again but I am not one 

of those. I had the most amazing group of friends growing up.

The best part is that when we get together we don't even skip a beat. Even if it's been a few years.

Maybe we were weird but our group was truly like sisters, we would slap each other's butts,

share gum....I don't know if we really did that, but I wouldn't be surprised. Anyways

while Mandy was visiting out of pure habit, I slapped her butt in my kitchen, and we both laughed

at how good friends never change! That's what i love about my girls.

follow the prophet...with a little spice!

I uploaded the pictures off my little camera that i keep in my diaper bag, and totally forgot about this little gem of a video. sorry it's a little shaky, banks was trying to steal the camera...enjoy!

Catch up!

Here's a little catch up for the first few pages.

I forgot to post the first two pages from when John's parents came to visit.

Oh and Linda if you see this I would still love to get the pictures from your camera as well.

This was my first time to visit the famous Mama's 

on the corner of Washington Square in San Francisco.

I had heard a lot about this place especially from the girls that moved away last year.

They were right, it was super tasty!

We went for a girls day out and combined it with Stevie Spillers wedding shower.

Way to get things done girls!

Nayvee was so excited to go the dentist for her first visit.

She wasn't allowed to see John, so the next best thing was  STEPHANIE!

Now for the most important post

Nayvee's 4th Birthday!

It just happened that Joy School fell on Nayvee's birthday, so we decided that it would be ok

if we did a lot of party'n and just a little joy school'n!

She has been waiting and waiting for it to get here. 

We went to Target the day before her birthday to get some party supplies

 and while driving around the store she says, "mom, do you know who's birthday it is in the morning?"

I replied with, "Yes, i do."

She then, acting really surprised and curious say, "You do, who's is it?" (like she really didn't know)

I then said, "it's yours!"

She got so excited and says, "it is! all my dreams really are coming true! I wished it would be my birthday tomorrow! Your dreams aren't coming true mom cause your birthday isn't for a long time!"

The lady in front of us starts cracking up over our conversation.

I seriously wish i could video tape her whole life.

notice on the top front cupcake a petal is missing.

Banks got on the table and stole it! little stinker!

We  hit free day at the Zoo.

When we were walking to the car afterwards it was so windy coming off the ocean

that the sand was hitting banks in the face so i had to walk backwards.

I was in such a rush to get the kids in the car that i hadn't noticed what was going on in the 

car parked next to mine.

I finally got in the front seat and took a deep breath and just happend to look to the right

There was two people in this little truck and the window's were pretty foggy,

I'll just let your imaginations go from there...crazy san franciscans! 

Tiffany Blasingames had this fabulous idea to start a strollercising

workout group! Best idea ever!

Last but not least!

On Saturday, the weather was gorgeous so we

decided to go and check out the new park up on Washington above our house.

Notice Banks' cute little ASU hat! John is so proud. 

I can't stand how fast banks is growing up.

I stared at him while he was sleeping last night, 

that's the only time he still feels like a baby I can't stand it.

Mothers

Joanie Babes!

I wish i was there to give you a gigantic hug

and tell you that everything I learned about being a mom

I have learned from you!

Thank you for always having a listening ear and 

great advice and instruction on everything

from laundry to that day's spiritual thought.

Thanks for always making us feel welcome and at home

at your house. We are counting down the days to get there.

Hope you have had a fabulous mother's day.

I know my opinion is bias but

YOU ARE THE

BEST MOM EVER!!!

love JULI

Mom (Linda),

    I owe most of the successes in my life to you (and dad) and the lessons that us kids were taught growing up in our little world in Joseph City.  I don't know if it was ever actually communicated, but we just knew what was expected of us as Linda and Richard Miller's children.  With that being said i realize that there were several occasions where I tested the boundaries of these expectations and i'm forever grateful that you guys hung with me and responded with love and encouragement.  I think of where i am at in life and it is hard for me to comprehend...although i still have a lot of growing up to do.  Thanks for teaching me how to survive out in the world (as i think back on our childhood i realize it was very Tom Sawyer-esque) and teaching how to laugh and make others laugh.  There are lots of laughs to come.  I love you very much and always look forward to my visits to the Joe C where i can get out of the rat race for awhile and remember my roots.  

John Fairbanks Miller (the 4th child)

I'm Finished!!!!

I know you are supposed to get worse with each kid but that is not the case for me.

These are my last few pages from Banks' Baby Book.

Now to start on Nayvee!

I was a little ticked at myself after working on these last ones.

I think I was having crazy mother mush brains and forgot to take pictures for like 3 months

I can't go back now but I can repeatedly SHAKE my head when i think about it.

yup, no pictures of any of our visitors! so if any of you are reading this and you have

a good picture of banks and yourselves or your children

I would GREATLY appreciate them!

This would be one of those moments when I am really shaking my head!

can you believe I didn't take of picture of Banks' in his outfit

that he got blessed in. Let alone a family picture... nope nothin!

This is a picture from the next day before Grandma and Grandpa left!

Yup shaking my head again as we speak!

Birthday Boy

We took John his favorite treat "pumpkin ecstasy" 

to school so the kids could see him

on his birthday!

Everyone kept asking Nayvee how old her dad was

and the response was

Super OLD!

29 Years Young!

Happy Birthday John

29 things we love about you

1.  you're hilarious

2. a fabulous father

3. incredibly smart

4. a Proud Mormon

5. GOOD LOOKING

6.  you Loves Sports

7. Musical

8. you try to make everyone feel important

9. American Idol Fan

10. Small town boy

11. deep thinker

12. you don't care that I don't iron

13. patient, patient, patient

14. hard worker (even at -30 C)

15. lets me put my ice cold feet on his warm legs

16. lets me stay at home with our kids

17. loves his family

18. Great Friend

19. Can Slam a basketball at 29

20. you love pumpkin anything

21. that you call us at lunch and on your way home

22. your random knowledge about EVERYTHING

23. That you let me visit my family and never complain

24. that you love ice cream

25. that you do the grocery shopping

26. that  you love to play with the kids

(especially hide-and-seek...that's from nayvee)

27. your deep voice

28. how happy we are when you can be with us

and last but not least...

29. How hard you are working to take care of us!

We hope you have had a fabulous day!

WE LOVE YOU TONS

Tiny Dancer

Nayvee has just started taking 

a little dance class

at the church.

She is just so stink'n cute

I had to bring her right home

for a little photo shoot.

of course it wouldn't be Nayvee

with out a little sass!

It's official

he's not a baby anymore.

He sports his hat and thinks he's so BIG!

Nayvee loves to blow bubbles

we don't have a yard to play in, so this is an

awesome activity that we can do right in front

of our apartment in the driveway.

Sometimes it's nice to just go outside to play

instead of lugging everyone up to the park.

Fever

So Nayvee was talking to my mom on the phone the other night

and my mom asked her if she had been sick. 

Her answer was, "I got the fever".

 My mom told her that she had better go and litsten to the fever song. 

So we have been rock'n out to it for the past few days. 

We decided we really liked the song
so we have added it to our playlist for your enjoyment.

 I will have to say that I have a day dream
that one day John will playing the upright bass 

and will be able to sing this song along with him. 

it's funny, at first i was thinking when i am old
 and number 30 popped into my head. 

Well since that is only six months away
we are gonna have to bump that old number up to 40. 

Which honestly lets get this straight...when i really think about it, 

80 is old 

and everything else is still on the more youthful side. 

 I have sisters in their 40's
and a mom who is edging ever so closely to 60, 

and i wouldn't for one second 

think that they are old.

Happy Easter

There is nothing better then General Conference Sunday 

except when it's on Easter Sunday!

I will admit that the kids would probably be a little more reverent

if we watched Conference at the church but

sometimes it's just nice to stay home.

We have had such a fun Easter week. On thursday we made

Hot Cross Buns a major Easter tradition in my family.

(you are supposed to make a cross with the icing but in my opinion 

the more icing the better, and you know how Mormons and Crosses go.)

 I was surprised to find out 

that most people had not tasted them before and

only knew of them from the nursery rhyme. 

Crazy! 

We went to an Easter party on Friday 

where we dyed easter eggs and had an easter egg hunt.

Nayvee asked this morning if we could have Easter again.

A Visit from Grandma and Grandpa

John's Parents came out to visit while we were on

 SPRING BREAK!

The weather is always excellent when they come 

and of course the rain returned they day they left.

John's mom has always wanted to go on a tour of 

the city so this time they made it happen.

We all had such a great time and it was a beautiful day.

Our tour guide Thadius was full of all kinds of 

weird information about san francisco.

It was a really fun way to see the city, especially downtown!

This is a taco place that John and his friends

 come to quite often and LOVE. 

It is amazing how unique

 all the different areas of  San Francisco are.

I'll post more from there visit when i get them finished.