Hunter and Guitar

So Hunter started taking Guitar this year at school. He has gotten pretty good.

He had his guitar concert the other night. They played 3 songs. Then they were done. It was the shortest concert I have ever been to. Kind of nice.

He is really growing up. I love hanging out with him now. It makes me sad though that my first baby is so big now...he is already taller than me. I know...I know... that isn't hard to do.

This is Hunter and his friend Tyler after the concert. Love this kid!

Memorial Day Weekend

Woo Hoo it's officially summer! Summer makes me really happy.

Okay so my kids aren't out of school for 3 more weeks. The pools are open and that makes for a happy Jessie.

So we had Sienna's birthday barbeque Sunday. All day she went around the house singing it's my party! It doesn't do it justice to read that though her voice was so funny...it's myyyy pardy....

I love how at this age they are just as excited to get something that cost 1.00 or something that cost 100.00....it doesn't last long so I am enjoying it. She loved opening her presents.

She got one of these cars (just like the one I got rid of when we moved..yep had to go and buy another one) she loves it though.


She had a ball jumping on the trampoline with her cousins and brothers. Her sweet cousins Paige and Jordan take such good care of her.



So then on Monday Conwey wanted to take the kids to Kings Dominion. For those of you not from around here it's a huge amusement park.
I really didn't want to go but he persuaded me and kept telling me Sienna would love it.
Well he was right (and you know I hate to admit that!)
She had a ball. All the kids did. Hunter and Cooper got to go off with cousins that were there too and do all the big roller coasters that I would have a heart attack watching them go on.
So sweet Jackson was such a good sport and went on all the little rides with Sienna. Notice his face in all the pictures. Poor thing looks so bored. Don't worry we took him on a lot of big rides too. They also have a huge water park there. It was fun. You really need 2 or 3 days to do everything.




























































Sienna couldn't believe she got to see Dora......she is a huge fan.












She thought the girl from Rugrats was cool too....



















We got Cooper back from his cousins and he loved helping Sienna too....
Although a bit embarrassed to be going on such little rides.
Mom please don't post this on your blog he says.....sorry Coop gotta do it. It's cute right. I will want to remember one day.


































I have a feeling these three are gonna big big trouble when they are teenagers...I can see it now.

Sienna is TWO!

I know I say this with each birthday but seriously where does the time go?

I can't believe Sienna is two years old.

I swear it was just yesterday that she came to our family........




Then all of a sudden she turned ONE!

Now she is Two.....it makes me so sad. Even though two is my absolute favorite age.

Our day started today going to the gym.....I know some of you are thinking that's selfish of Jessie to go to the gym on Sienna's birthday, but you don't understand how much Sienna loves it. She has all her little friends. Today she wanted to bring suckers for everyone there. They sang her Happy Birthday and even had presents for her. It was really sweet.



So then with a quick change of her clothes (because she wanted to wear a dress in the morning)
we were off to the park. Sienna requested to go to the park for cupcakes with her friends Samantha, Ava, Sofie, Brooke, and Craig. So that's what we did. She had so much fun.
She wouldn't get off the swings!



So we got her to come off the swings for some cupcakes.....



When I was putting her down for her nap I asked her if she was having a fun birthday. She sleepily nodded yes and then said..I wove you mom. She melts my heart I tell you....

So we are having her family party with all her cousins, aunts, uncles, and Conwey's parents on Sunday. So stay tuned.

Happy Birthday Sienna Maureen Casillas!

Can't Sleep......

Okay for about a week now I have been waking up at 4:00 in the morning. It's driving me nuts.

The first few nights I laid in bed trying to get back to sleep then I started getting up and wandering my house. Going downstairs, then back up...probably reading all your blogs....putting stuff in all my shopping baskets that I will never actually order......

One thing I will say though is I love how quiet my house is at that time. I also love looking out my bathroom window to this view and sunrise.....


I was telling a girlfriend at the gym about this....funny enough she said she was having the same problem. Hey I thought exercise was suppose to help you sleep!
Too much on my brain I guess. My problem is I go back to bed about 5:30...fall alseep at 6:00 and then have to get up at 6:30 to get the kids off to school.
Well even though I do love the quite and the sunrises I hope this doesn't keep happening! I love my sleep way too much!

Mother's Day

Mother's Day is my favorite day of the whole year. Even better than my birthday.

I get a day off from being a mom. (not that I don't love being a mom, but a day off once a year is really nice.)

My day started with what was my favorite breakfast... Fresh fruit (with a little added chocolate, and whipped creme) some soy bacon, a cold diet coke, some beautiful flowers and some of my favorite reading material......great start to a great day. Conwey worked really hard to make my day. Thanks Conwey you're the best!


My sister was able to spend the weekend with us because her husband was out of town. It was fun having her around.
We lounged in our pj's, we watched a movie called Atonement. We went to church...I always love hearing the boys sing for mother's day, then we had dinner with all of Conwey's family. The men do all the shopping, preparing, cooking, and cleaning up. It is so great! Conwey made a really good spinach salad, some yummy grilled asparagus, and he grilled himself and the boys some steaks....his one day to shop and cook and he picks steaks is that telling me something? Am I depriving him? :)
A few pics of the afternoon.....

Thought this was funny of Sienna asleep with her arm up

Sienna loves loves loves her cousins...this is Paige. The girls are so sweet with Sienna. Not sure who served that piece of cake for her, but I am sure they weren't the ones going home with her!


The gang... it was also Conwey's brother Nico's birthday so we were singing Happy Birthday.

Conwey's little sister Merry (she has the awesome plays I was telling about for kids with Down Syndrome) and my sister Rachel

My mother in law Jill...couldn't have asked for a better mother in law!


It's been three Mother's Days since my mom passed away. It is getting a little easier every year but man I sure miss her. I think of her everyday and wish I could hear her laugh.
I always seem to see things in a store and think...mom would love that maybe for mother's day....then I remember. It's kind of weird.
Anyway couldn't put a post up about mother's without remembering my own.

That's my mom and I laying on the floor together.

Some pictures of my mom and dad on their honeymoon.......



My mom...Maureen Milligan Hardie......miss you mom!

Sienna in Braids

Well the day has come that Sienna's hair is long enough and she let me put braids in her hair.
I have been waiting and waiting (13 years to be exact) to be able to sit on the bed and do hair. You all might think I am crazy but I love it. It's so fun.

Lucky Strike

Today the boys had an appointment to get their contacts at the eye doctor down by Conwey's office in D.C. so we went down after school.
After they were done Conwey had us walking downtown to go get dinner but wouldn't tell us where we were going.

We went to a place called Lucky Strike. Have any of you been there?

It's the coolest bowling alley (I know a bowling alley in DC may sound scary, but it was actually in the okay part of town) they serve dinner and it is smoke free. They also have tables you can eat at like a restaurant if you want and pool tables etc...
So next time we go I don't think we will bring Sienna. She is a bit of a pain these days to take out to eat. Those terrible two's are here that's for sure! (and she isn't even two for three more weeks!)

But she ended up having fun....

She and Hunter were best friends tonight.

They brought the food right to your little bowling table.


The food was actually pretty good too....






My three sons.....they are getting too big!


Sienna really wanted to be a part of EVERYTHING tonight!




Cooper couldn't understand why he couldn't get a dang strike!