A New Career

I have been asked a lot lately when or if I will be going back to work. I have been on a leave of absence since little Raylee arrived and after much praying and thinking I have finally decided to change my career path. It was time to turn in my corporate career badge for the awesome title of "Full-Time Stay-at-Home Mom". Now, instead of being paid with a paycheck, getting a bonus or salary increase, receiving words of "job well done" or just the satisfying feeling of completing a project I am now rewarded with cute hugs and kisses (sometimes with snot included), lots of crying, the satisfaction of seeing my babies do something new for the first time (or many times thereafter), a gazillion dirty diapers, cute little smiles and giggles, temper tantrums, the silence during nap time, loads of laundry and dishes, adorable little bare bums during bath time, dirty, dirty floors (thanks to having a toddler who insists he must eat all on his own), cuddling in my bed in the morning reading books, and did I mention dirty diapers?? It has been a big change and adjustment, but I feel so lucky to be given the opportunity to be a mom and I just don't want to miss out on these precious years. The days are certainly challenging and I am learning patience like I never knew I had, but I know that my home is where I need to be and my kids are who I need to be with. They are my everything and I look up to all you moms that have made the decision to give up some of your dreams, so your children can have theirs. I think being a mom is one of the single most rewarding, yet challenging responsibilities, but my Heavenly Father helps me everyday and I know that even though I may not see the full rewards now, I will be blessed in the life to come. He has entrusted me with some of his most special little children and I want to give them back to him, knowing that I did my best.

Bradock and Raylee-

I love you so much and want you to know how much your Heavenly Father loves you too. You are so special that he sent you to live in our home and feel all the love that your dad and I have for you. You have such an important mission here on this earth and I hope to help you fulfill it. Your smiles light up my world and I hope that we will make lots of good memories in this life. Please forgive me, if I am sometimes cranky or impatient, but I am working on my weaknesses. Both of you, including dad, are my favorite things in the whole wide world and don't you ever forget it. I can't wait to spend an eternity with you.

Love,

Mom

Flaherty Family Trip

Last Wednesday afternoon, we packed up half the house again and headed to Flagstaff for a nice little getaway with the whole Flaherty crew. Mindi, Kiley and I squished are six kids into Mindi's suburban and made the crazy drive up. Bob and Terri followed behind in Bob's truck pulling a trailer full of bikes, strollers, luggage and anything else you can imagine. It looked like we were moving, but what's a vacation without everything you own? All of the spouses had work or school, so they didn't come up until Thursday evening. It's a little scary to be so outnumbered by kids, but we had a fun time. The best was our little pit stop to the Chevron in Black Canyon City. That had to be the dirtiest, scariest gas station I have ever been to and of course, my son just had to touch the inside of the toilet in the bathroom and stick his hands in the floor drain...disgusting!! Luckily, we made it safe and sound and were lucky to enjoy Flagstaff's gorgeous weather. I guess we got super lucky because the week before it was freezing cold....hallelujah.

Mindi got some great pics while we were up there. Thanks to camera tripods and the timer button we actually got one of the whole fam.



While we were in Flagstaff, Little Miss Raylee turned 3 months old. I can't believe how fast the time has flown. Raylee is such a good baby and loves when you talk to her. She has the cutest smile and laugh, especially when Grandpa Flaherty takes her hands across his scruffy face...she thinks it's hilarious.

Mr.B turned 18 months old while we were there too...yeah Nursery time!! My timid little boy has disappeared and this daring, crazy little boy has come out. He loves to play outside and climb on and over anything. Within the last couple of weeks, his little vocabulary has gotten bigger. Some of his favorite things to say are: mom, sista, car, more, chicken, hi, yum, keys, vroom vroom (he says that when he sees or hears a motorcycle) and make animal noises. He loves books, coloring (especially on my walls, which I will have to re-paint now), sliding down slides, swinging, giving Raylee hugs and kisses, and especially hanging out with dad (he cries histerically when Brett leaves every morning for school...so sad).

Grandpa Flaherty is famous for loading as many kids as he can and taking them all for a bike ride. I think the most I have seem him carry is 5 and that's with only 2 kids in the trailer. You really don't want to know how he does it...let's just say it's completely unsafe, but the kids love it.

Bradock was starting to fall asleep on the bike ride and Avery was just petting his little head to sleep. It was the funniest thing.

My little daredevil riding a big boy scooter down the driveway.

Here is some of the gang about to go on a bike ride. The cabin we stayed at was amazing and was located in an area where the roads were all up and down hills. That was one of the hardest bike rides we all had been on.

Here's Raylee and I at Sunset Crater Volcano. It was so cool to walk around and see where this once active volcano once erupted.

We also saw some amazing indian ruins and pueblos at Wupatki National Monument. I had no idea Flagstaff had all this cool stuff to see. The kids loved playing in the ruins.




These were my favorite pics. I loved Bradock poking his cute little face out the window.






This pic is a little decieving. We look like we are having a nice, relaxing ski lift ride up SnowBowl, but I was a nervous wreck. I am a little afraid of heights and to make matters worse, Bradock decided he was sick of sitting still and decided to become Evil Kinevil, trying to jump out of the chair lift anyway he could.


After what seemed like the longest ride of my life, we finally made it to the top. It was freezing cold, with the wind blowing, but the view was unbelievable. I think Raylee was the warmest of us all because I had her bundled nice and warm...love the baby bjorn.

It was a fun trip and I am glad we got to spend some time with all the Flaherty gang. It's so fun for the little cousins to play together. Thanks Bob and Terri for making it such an enjoyable trip and memory.

October Fun

Since, we live in AZ I would have to say that my favorite months of the year are October and November. I love the weather, the fun holidays, General Conference, the State Fair, the feeling that there is change in the air. This month we have had lots of fun, busting out some more home projects and having a little fun too.

My crafty little sis brought over Raylee's bedding all finished and absolutely as I pictured. I really do wish she would send some of that creativity floating my way. She also made matching curtains, so I just bought some rods to hang them. I will definately get more pics once the room is complete...is there such a thing?!

I am in love with the whole shabby chic look right now, so Raylee's room is going with that theme. Terri, my mother-in-law, got this great idea for painting Raylee's room and took her artistic skill to work. I can't believe it turned out so cute. I am still looking for the perfect comforter for the king bed in her room. I don't exactly know what I want, but I keeping buying comforters, bringing them home and then taking them back because they're not quite what I want. Maybe one of these days I will make up my mind and choose one. Terri still has some more great ideas up her sleeve for Raylee's room, so I can't wait to see how it all turns out.


Last night we headed to opening night of the AZ State Fair. If you got there before 7pm, admission was only $1. That's right...I am all about a cheap, fun night. Raylee got to hang out with Grandma and Grandpa Flaherty, while we took Bradock and our nephew Grady. I didn't even realize how much fun the state fair is with kids. We didn't even have to spend any money on the rides because they loved all the livestock, petting zoos and fun, free kid areas. Now that's what I'm talking about!! I did have to splurge on some kettle corn, which by the way, I bought there largest bag and Grady was dying for a vanilla icecream cone...Yummy! Gotta love fair food.







Grady and I just had to get a pic of us standing next to the giant pickle...so funny. Isnt' Grady the cutest 6 year old around?

The best part of the night was driving home and looking in the backseat to these adorable little sleepy heads. All that Fair fun sure konked them out.


Best part of October is all the cute little halloween outfits, pjs and costumes. Isn't she one cute little daddy's ghoul?

More Raylee Pics

Yesterday, my friend,Camille, watched my kids for me and when I got home I got an email from her with these adorable pics attached. I have been raving to everyone I know and meet about how amazing Camille's photography is. Well, since she's my best friend I think she is amazing in more ways than one, but she is so talented with a camera. Camillian-thanks again for watching my kids and taking such cute pics of Raylee. By the way, anyone who books and completes a photo session with Camille in the month of October will get 25 Holiday Cards included for free with their session. They are adorable!! Check out Camille Gould's blog on my Flaherty Friends list.

New Accessories

A couple weeks ago, we headed to the mall to get Raylee's ears pierced. I have been dying to get them done. In fact, I went when she was like 7 weeks old, but you have to have documentation of your baby's two month shots to get them done. So, now Miss Raylee is all decked out in her cute, new earings.


Raylee just loves to shove her whole fist in her mouth and goes to town sucking as hard as she can.