Thanksgiving weekend, and The Bakersfield Christmas parade

For Thanksgiving this year I decided to throw out the whole traditional turkey and stuffing... and we went to DISNEYLAND instead... we had gotten our free tickets from volunteering.... It was so much fun... we went with Kam's sisters and cousins and 2 other families from our ward here in Bakersfield.... the day was perfect and it wasn't too busy... the one complaint I have is that it was freezing at night so we couldn't hold on til midnight... even the kids were ready to leave by 9:30... we had corn dogs for thanksgiving dinner... and they were yummy.... I didn't get any pics of the older kids because they went off by themselves.... we just had Josiah for the day... but we had a lot of fun taking him on the little kiddy rides.. and and going into toon town... his favorite part would have to be the parade.. he was in such aww to see all his fav. movie characters in real life... there is a pic down below where he is on his daddy's shoulders... that was pretty much his expression through the whole parade...

on friday Josiah had tickets to the yo gabba gabba concert, that my mom had gotten him for his birthday... Tyler my 17 year old wanted to take him... so he, josiah and I drove up to L.a while the rest did some black friday shopping.... I dropped Ty and Josiah off... and I went to the L.A. temple to see the new visitors center.. It was amazing ... to go on my own and just walk through... it was so neat inside and out... I love it!!

on Saturday morning we went to take the kids to the cemetery to see Kam's grandma, grandpa, and cousin.. the kids were a big help in cleaning the headstones.... it was a nice moment with the kids. we then went to visit with my dad, Carmen, grandma, aunt and cousin... we had a big feast( which made up for the lack of on thanksgiving... it was so nice to just sit and talk and hang out.... and get full..LOL..after that we had to head home... it was a great weekend...

On Thursday this past week we had out Christmas parade here in town, and for the 2nd year in a row my daughter was in the parade with her girl scout troop... they won 2nd place again this year.... they made a train float and wore their jammies for the polor express.. it was a lot of fun for her...

P.S. DOES ANYONE KNOW HOW TO CHANGE THE FONT COLOR ON BLOGGER... I CANT FIND ANYMORE... IF YOU KNOW COMMENT ME HOW TOO... THANKS

Let's ride the rails ......

On Sunday Josiah turned 3 and he loves chuggington, it's on the Disney channel and is about trains... For about a month he has been talking about having a chuggington birthday and.. he has been walking around telling everyone that his birthday is coming on oct 24 and he is having a chuggington party... Well this was a little challenging for me 1 because they don't sell any chuggington party stuff yet, and 2 I wasn't going to have a party for him.... but how could I break his lil excited heart.?? so I had to get a little creative...We invited his lil friends to the park and have cake and ice cream and a train pinata... it was a low key, fun lil event... and he was a happy lil guy.... now he can't stop playing with all his new toys and sleeps with his new trains... LOL...

Josiah with all his chuggington trains
my daughter and I came up with this cake... im sure I could have been more creative... but he loved it...


On another note... Josiah and Beckett(the little boy I babysit) got ahold of my camera and decided to have a little photo shoot... I just found these when downloading his birthday pics.... LOL

short but oh so sweet!!

I am officially eating for two... due April 16th... so bring on those baked goods.. I shall eat, with absolutely no guilt.... LOL... I'm having an overwhelming craving for anything pumpkin......

Haven't posted in a while......

Where do I start.... so much has been going on here in the Manu household... especially since school started... it just keeps us all just busy busy busy..... Tyler started his senior year.. and I am just having a hard time dealing with it... oh how I wish he was that lil kindergartner again...LOL.. there is alot that goes into preparing your child to graduate... Sat's, ordering cap and gown, senior pics, class ring, year book... and so on.. and they waste no time having you do all that at the beginning of the year.... Tyler is in concert band this year and is on the chess team so he is having fun with that... As for Kala she is doing great excelling in school as always... she is trying out for the volleyball team and doing lots of other fun stuff... like chorus,playing the flute,and piano lessons... she is a Cadette in girl scouts.. and is having fun with that earning patches and awards... Jayden ..where do I start with this boy... he had a horrible year last year at school... and wasn't the kid I once knew..well lets just say he is back on track... and doing great... he took the gate test, but unfortunately didn't pass... I told him it is o.k. because he is doing other stuff like chorus and playing the trumpet.... and trying out for the school football team.... he recently had an accident and had to get 5 staples in his head... he had me so scared.. his head was bleeding a lot... it happened to be the night that he was to perform the Haka at a luau... and he insisted on still performing.. so we took him to the E.R. after... he is amazing.... LOL.. Josiah is growing like a weed... he is 43 lbs.. and is the pickiest eater ever... he loves fruits and veggies and doesn't care to much for meat... except for popcorn chicken that's it... he is talking up a storm.. and is very smart... and has a great memory and always keeps us laughing with his over the top personality... so on to the ones who hold the fort down... Kam recently got his truck stolen, what a shame huh? so we had to wait to see if it got recovered before getting a new vehicle... lets just say it is super challenging with one car..sigh.. but we made it work....and they never found the truck, so we got a new truck.. He is currently a supervisor and has been working crazy longs hours.. at one point he worked 21 days straight.. he never complains and we are grateful for him everyday.. I have been busy in school once again... but just taking 3 classes this semester... it definitely keeps my busy....I have also turned into quite the party planner.. my calling at church is the activity chair person.. its fun planning activities, I recently helped plan a luau for 700 people.. it was a lot of work.. and I was exhausted after words.. but it was worth it...Kam and the boys performed the Haka at the luau and it was so fun to watch them.. I was def a proud mom and wife seeing them up there.I took my van in to get a lil t.l.c.... lil dumb things have been happening to it the trunk broke, and then one of the side door handles just fell off.. could it be I have 4 rough kids who treat my van like a punching.bag..LOL.... anyways there is the update on the Manu family... not much different.... just living life....=0)
Jayden with the staples in his head....at first he was embarrassed and wore a beanie.. but after the first day.. he said mom ' I don't care what people say" =) that's my boy

a mixed emotional first day of school!!

Yeah for the first day of school.... because me kids get to get out of the house and go back to a routinely productive day.... sad first day of school.. because I kissed my son goodbye on his first day of school... for the last time.... I just can't believe we have a senior.... I remember as if it was yesterday... that I was walking Ty to kindergarten with his rugrats backpack in tow.. I mean really does life go this fast....?? I just can't believe he is all grown up... so hard for me to comprehend... on a lighter note.. I am so proud of him... he made sports editor for his school newspaper.. and is taking a very challanging class .... he make me proud... Kala is all ready to get straight A's this year.... and thinking about running for pres.. or tres. she is has many goals... and loves achieving them. Jayden has started school with a very positive attitude... he is wanting to stay out of trouble this year.. and not talk so much...LOl.. he is also very excited to take the gate test... and is very proud of him self.. as I am extremely proud of him and the rest... here is to a new school year.... =)

feeling sorry for myself

Is that o.k. every once in while... or should I toss the pitty party and man up...LOL.. I sit here tonight feeling a little sorry for myself.. first of all I have noticed I don't blog nearly as much as I used to... and need to get back in to it... tonight I was looking back at videos of josiah when he was a little one... all the funny and firsts ... and I couldn't help but get a little sad.. thinking that in about 5 months we would have had another lil one in the house... and all the firsts, and the chunky legs... etc etc.. etc... I wonder what he or she would have looked like, was it a boy or a girl.. stuff like that... I know that whats meant to be is meant to be... and some time life gets ahead of you and you don't have time to mourn, or be sad.. but tonight I had that moment... and I'm not going to lie it hurts.. dont get me wrong... I love all my kids in all their own unique ways... but there is just something about a lil one.. that make your heart melt... well that was just the beginning of my pitty party... then this evening .. my husbands cousin ( that we barely found out they were related .. and we are neighbors.. well they came over tonight.. and we just chit-chatted for a few hours.. and I loved it... it was so nice.. like I didn't want it to end... I miss not being be family... my kids don't have cousins to play with, no sunday meals together, no afternoon lunch dates, or shopping trips... all that stuff... I miss all our family... and wish they all lived closer.... it's so nice to know that we have a lil family here .. and have been doing stuff with them.. tonight was great .. and hope we can do it more often.. anyways.. I am feeling better,, maybe I just needed to vent... I have been searching lately for family... because I was never close with certain family but always new they were out there... I found some 1st cousins... that didn't even know about me... it has been great to come and contact with.... I am hoping to find more family... anyways it's late.. so im off to la la land.... nite blogger world... =)
P.S. any mis spellings I blame on the time....

my silly little boy sleeping to music... hmmm I wonder what he was listening too.... LOL

Buzz and Beiber

Yesterday Josiah and I tagged along with Kala's girl scout troop to Hollywood....we left at 7am and didn't get to Hollywood till 11am due to a major accident which involved to big rigs... it was a horrible sight... anyways we got down there just in time for a backstage tour of the El capitan theater.. followed by the screening of Toy Story 3 in 3D.... what a cute movie... after that we walked over to Hollywood high school to play in the toy story fun zone.... it was so fun .. and toy story themed... all the toys, rides and all.... Josiah was in aww... to shake the hand of his fav... buzz light year... all the girls ran around and had fun.. after that we went to dinner at the soda fountain.. which is the restaurant at El Capitan... I was surprised to find out that they serve dewars ice cream!! after that we took the girls to the car where they opened a gift it was a personalized beiber shirt.. letting them know at that moment they were being whisked away to the Justin Beiber concert...how fun!! they girls were screaming with excitement... we headed to the Nokia theater... it was nuts... 2 hours of non stop girls screaming there heads off... LOL... and can you believe Josiah slept through the whole thing...LOL... it was so funny because .. everytime he would do a dance move... or put a hat on.. the girls would scream louder and louder.. I was like was I that crazy....?? of course I was....!! LOL.. so after that we went to a late night dinner at Dennys.. then headed home and got home at 2am... it was a great fun day.. for the girls, Josiah and I