the larks

Cosette's First Bath

2011-09-09T15:09:00.000-07:00

Our nurse Christine was heaven sent. She had the brilliant idea of waiting to bathe Cosette so that Bennett and Scarlett could help. Of course Scarlett wanted nothing to do with it, but sweet Bennett loved every minute of bathing his new baby sister.

Hospital Visitors

2011-08-19T14:15:00.000-07:00

Cosette was loved by so many from the day she was born. She was greeted in the hospital room by most of her aunts, her Mema, her Gigi, and of course her parents. The next few days in the hospital, she had lots of visitors and we got pcitures of most of them, but not all. Thanks to everyone for showing your love and support to our sweet baby girl.

the night Moranda came, she practically saved our baby girl from gagging

cousins stella & jude

Briley :: Isabelle

Sweet Briley and Cosette

Aunt Erin, Jude & Cosette :: Baby girl in her hospital hat

Skousen Girls

Elsie :: Hailey

Annie :: Kiley

Maicy :: Papa

Brittany, Lori. Jenn, Katie, Nicole, Suzanne & Shannon

Mema :: Aunt Amy

Gigi :: Bennett (and Scarlett)

Other visitors not pictured: Aunt Brookie, Aunt Shelly, Aunt Katie and Uncle Steve, and Papa Lark

Snapshots from Cosette's Birthday

2011-08-17T12:47:00.000-07:00

Leaving for the hospital

Mommy taking a rest :: Excited to meet our new baby

my awesome nurse Christine :: getting ready to push

Mommy meeting Baby Cosette for the first time

baby girl came out screaming and did so for about 30 minutes

sweet thing finally calmed down

mommy daughter time :: waiting to hold Cosette

sweetest big brother around

sisters

Cosette brought Bennett a Green Lantern mask, and Sissy a Belle dress

family of five (best photo we could get)

Cosette's Birth Story

2011-08-01T13:25:00.000-07:00

I have been enjoying our sweet new arrival, but decided that after a month off it is time for me to blog about our sweet little thing, Cosette Isabelle Lark. We chose Cosette because we have liked it since Scarlett was born. Isabelle is my great-grandma's middle name, my grandma's middle name, my sister Erin's middle name, as well as Erin's daughters first name. After we decided to use it, we also found out that Andrew has a great aunt named Isabelle. So this baby girl has a lot of women to live up to.

If you follow our family blog, then you probably know most of the details of Cosette's birth since Andrew did his usual updates as things progressed. I just wanted to document a few things from my perspective before I forget them. I had been dilated to a 3 for almost three weeks and this baby girl still did not want to come out. So on June 29th at 7 am (her actual due date was June 27th) we headed to the hospital to be induced. My doctor offered to induce me on my due date, but we were in the middle of moving and weren't able to move into our new place until July 1st. So I opted to be induced on the 29th. That way I would be released from the hospital the day that we could move into our new place. I was pretty stressed about all of this working out, but Heavenly Father held onto our baby girl for just the right amount of time. It also just so happened that June 29th is Andrew's Aunt Jamie's birthday. She passed away about a week before Bennett was born. So it was a pretty special day.

Now back to the details. We arrived to the hospital at 7 am and Dr. Kaminskas broke my water about 7:30. I got my epidural soon after and the anesthesiologist was incredible. Not only did he do an perfect job putting it in, the epidural was just the right amount. Soon after that our crew arrived. This time we had my three sisters, my sister in law Shelly, Andrew's sister Katie and both of our mom's. Sadly, the rest of the ladies couldn't make it. My contractions were pretty inconsistent for the first couple of hours. My nurse Christine said this was due to the fact that Cosette was sunny side up and was attempting to turn around as she defended into the birth canal. I was on pitocin for a short amount of time and then finally baby girl was in position. It took about 2 hours to go from 4cm to 5cm, but then it took less than an hour to go from 5cm to 10cm. I was ready to start pushing, but we were waiting on our doctor. She was just about to walk in the door, when another one of her patients two doors down was also ready to push. She was a 4th time mom and was screaming a lot louder than me, so she won. I had to breathe through quite a few contractions (about 40 min.) and had to try really hard not to push. Finally Dr. Kaminskas came in and suited up. I pushed about 3 times and Cosette was here.

Overall it was a pretty simple delivery and I loved our stay at the hospital. It was so nice to take it easy and bond with my new baby girl before heading home to the chaos of moving and being a mother of three. I came home July 1st, went to my sister's house for a few hours and slept, and by the time I woke up everybody had pretty much moved us in. I can't even express how grateful I am for our families and all the work that they did. Andrew's mom was a lifesaver and organized our entire kitchen. It is more organized now than it ever has been. My sister Erin did the same for our bedrooms and the boys moved and put together all of the furniture.

Needless to say I am trying to take it easy, and enjoy our sweet little family of five.

I am still in shock that are family went from this...

to this...

with the arrival of this sweet baby girl

I am so thankful to the talented Ashlee Raubach and the amazingly beautiful moments she captured during the delivery. Check out the birth story here, the maternity session here, and the newborn session here.

Update pics

2011-06-29T14:18:00.001-07:00

Mommy time

2011-06-29T13:34:00.001-07:00

Baby is here!

2011-06-29T13:18:00.001-07:00

13:06
7 lb 14 oz
19.75 inches

Mom and baby doing great!

Baby is here!

2011-06-29T13:07:00.001-07:00

Update 16

2011-06-29T12:56:00.001-07:00

Dr. is here!

Update 15

2011-06-29T12:55:00.001-07:00

Dr. should be coming now....

Update 14

2011-06-29T12:41:00.001-07:00

Doctor had to stop by another room and deliver a baby. She is heading over any time

Update 13

2011-06-29T12:14:00.000-07:00

Doctor is coming in now

Update 12

2011-06-29T12:06:00.001-07:00

Last pic with that bump! Doctor will be in within 20 min to start pushing.

Update 11

2011-06-29T12:01:00.000-07:00

Katie has arrived with the room decor

Update 10

2011-06-29T11:58:00.001-07:00

Completely dilated! Baby at a +1

Update 9

2011-06-29T11:55:00.001-07:00

Nurse says "contracting on her own beautifully"...and she's going to check her again soon...

Update 8

2011-06-29T11:44:00.001-07:00

Pit turned off, then contractions slowed down to every 5 minutes. They may turn on Pit again but they're going to ask the doctor first.

Update 7

2011-06-29T11:21:00.001-07:00

Fun fact: we are in the same room that Scarlett was delivered in. Katie delivered Harper and Amy delivered Elsie in this same room too. Kind of cool!

Update 6

2011-06-29T11:11:00.001-07:00

Dilated to a 5 about 20 min ago. Kicked the party out while Ashly gets some rest before the real party begins.

Update 5

2011-06-29T10:48:00.001-07:00

Just waiting. Contractions are every 2-3 minutes. Pit is now at lowest dose (1). They will check her again soon...

Update 4

2011-06-29T09:59:00.000-07:00

Party is starting. PIT is in. Contractions every 4 minutes.

Update 3: the waiting game...nap nap time

2011-06-29T08:57:00.001-07:00

Update 2

2011-06-29T08:18:00.001-07:00

Epidural is in. Dilated to a 4

Update 1: water broken!

2011-06-29T07:48:00.001-07:00

Heading to the hospital...

2011-06-29T06:58:00.001-07:00

Heading to the hospital

2011-06-29T06:52:00.000-07:00

Baby time :: countdown

2011-06-28T19:41:00.000-07:00

Ashly is being induced tomorrow morning. Her due date came and went yesterday, and now we are just getting everything ready for tomorrow morning's 7:00am induction appointment. I will be updating the blog in the morning for anyone who wants to know when Cosette finally joins us! Wish Ashly luck!

Easter Weekend Extravaganza

2011-06-07T10:59:00.000-07:00

I figure I better get caught up on my blogging before this baby girl gets here. We had a fabulous Easter weekend filled with egg hunts, egg dying, family parties, and more egg hunts. First up on Saturday, we headed to a neighbors house for an egg hunt/breakfast in their amazing backyard.

Next up, was egg dying. We headed over to Andrew's parents house, and Ryder joined in on the fun.

Easter morning we woke up, found Easter baskets, then got ready and headed over to the Hawkins house for an Easter breakfast with family and another little egg hunt.

Then we headed to church to celebrate the real reason for the weekend, the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. I love the Easter holiday and am so thankful we get to celebrate it every year.

32 weeks

2011-05-02T08:56:00.001-07:00

Here I am in all my glory at 32 weeks. I feel like this baby is growing a fast rate. I have my 32 week appointment today and can't believe I only have 8 weeks left. This really has gone by so quickly. I am getting so excited to meet this baby girl and am so curious as to what she is going to look like. For some reason, I keep picturing her to have dark hair and look more like her big brother. Considering the fact that Bennett and Scarlett don't really look alike, it is hard to say. She moves a TON and her kicks are getting bigger and bigger every day. We already love this sweet baby girl so much!

East Coast Extravaganza

2011-04-29T10:57:00.000-07:00

Andrew and I decided to take a last minute trip to the East Coast as sort of a Baby Moon before our third little one arrives in June. First we flew to NYC for two days, then took a $15 bus to Boston for the rest of our stay. Our friend's, the Johnston's, were kind enough to let us stay with them and they even let us borrow their car so we could take a little road trip up the coast to Maine. It was a perfect, low-key trip that mostly consisted of eating a lot of delicious food. It was also a perfect way to celebrate my 28th birthday. Thanks Andrew for a fabulous week!

Easter Printables

2011-04-22T11:18:00.001-07:00

Be sure to head on over to the kidlark blog to download your free Easter printables!

Sweet & Sour

2011-04-21T11:01:00.001-07:00

Pretty sure this girl of mine could not be cuter. Yes, I am a bragging mother. She has turned into such a cuddle bug and she has some incredibly sweet moments these days. Don't worry, she is still feisty as ever and often beats up her big brother. It's amazing how she can be so sweet one minute and so sour the next. Such is the life of a two year old I guess!

27 Weeks

2011-03-27T22:31:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that I am already 27 weeks along. I am due exactly 3 months from today. This pregnancy really is flying by for me. I think I am just so busy with my other two crazies, that I don't even have time to think about the baby girl growing in my belly. I LOVE to feel her crazy kicks and Bennett and Scarlett are getting more and more aware that she is in there. The other day we were at Target and Bennett was just standing next to me, rubbing my belly, saying hi to his baby sister. Scarlett also blesses baby girl in her prayers and gives her kisses each night before bed. Hopefully when this girl gets here, Scarlett will still like the idea of her! Bennett is so excited to learn how to change her diapers and to feed her, etc. I feel great considering my growing belly. The heartburn is really starting to kick in, and when I eat large meals it feels like my skin can't stretch any further. Oh the joys of pregnancy!

Sweet Scarlett

2011-03-21T15:30:00.000-07:00

{Story behind the photo: We were out to lunch and Scarlett was playing with my phone.

I told her to say cheese so I could take a picture of her.

Instead she did this, and thought that she was taking pictures of me. Love her.}

Today I had to teach Bennett's preschool class. It was a little tough with Scarlett running around, thinking she was one of the big kids. So, I called my sister Amy to see if Scarlett could go over there to play for a little while. (One of the advantages of having your sister live just down the street) When Scarlett came home from Aunt Amy's house, she ran right up to me, hugged my legs, and said "Mommy, I so miss you!" I said "You missed me pretty girl?" and she said back, "Yes Mommy, I miss you". Melted my heart, and made my day!

Bennett's Camping Party

2011-03-03T11:48:00.000-08:00

Bennett really wanted a camping birthday party. He had been talking about his birthday since before Christmas and was so excited. So we invited about 15 kids over for a little campout at our house. The kids all brought their sleeping bags and we watched Scooby Doo Camp Scare (Bennett's fav show at the moment). We also had hot dogs for dinner and did a little fishing. It was definitely a success! To see his invitations, go to the Kidlark Blog here.

Bennett Turns FOUR

2011-02-25T10:17:00.000-08:00

How is it even possible that I now have a FOUR year old? I seriously can't believe how big my baby boy has gotten. He really is the sweetest boy around. His little sister is constantly beating him up, and he has never done anything mean to her, he has never hit her, taken a toy from her, said mean things to her or anything. Now Scarlett on the other hand, well we can't say the same for her. Bennett's due date was Valentine's Day but he was born the night before. He has always been our little Lover Boy and that name suits him perfectly. I couldn't have asked for a sweeter, more loving son to make me a mommy.

Harper Meadow Hoffman

2011-02-25T07:43:00.000-08:00

Andrew's sister Katie had her baby girl on February 22nd, Harper Meadow Hoffman, and she weighed 8 lbs 12 oz. She was a little stubborn getting here and they had to do a c-section. Ends up she was posterior. She is precious and has the best chubby cheeks and neck. Being in the same hospital where I had Scarlett, and holding that sweet little newborn, sure did make me baby hungry. Good thing we only have a few more months until we have our own brand new baby to love up on. Congrats Katie & Steve. She is beautiful.

somehow we managed to get scarlett to sit still for 20 seconds to hold the baby. she wasn't all that impressed, but hopefully that will change in the next 4 months (Im not counting on it though)

can you even handle that chubby little face....chubby babies are the best

Baby #3

2011-02-24T10:50:00.000-08:00

Somehow I managed to neglect posting our exciting news on this here blog. I think it is because I was so dang behind on this thing and was working on getting caught up. Whatever the reason, it sure is a shame because we are SO SO SO excited to be adding another Lark to our family. Baby #3 is a girl and is due to join us on June 27th. I am amazed at how quickly this pregnancy is flying by. I guess when you are chasing around two little ones, you don't have a whole lot of spare time to think about this little growing baby in your belly. The first trimester was a little rough, but I am feeling fabulous now minus the constant pelvic ligament pain. We had our 20 week ultrasound a few weeks ago, and everything was perfect. Baby girl measured according to her due date and all was well. Those 20 week ultrasounds are always a little nerve racking for me, and it's always such a relief to find out everything is going according to planned. We went and got an ultrasound at 14 weeks and was told it was a girl, so I was a little nervous that they were then going to tell me it was a boy at the 20 week(Andrew would have been ecstatic I am sure), but it was still a girl. Bennett is so excited about having a baby sister, and Scarlett, well that's another story. It will definitely be an adjustment for her.

San Francisco

2011-02-20T10:26:00.001-08:00

A few weeks ago Andrew and I spent the weekend in San Francisco with two of our favorite couples, The Claytons & The Fieldings. It was a quick trip, too quick in fact. We flew there Friday morning and flew home Saturday night. Back in the fall, Southwest was having a killer deal on flights so we decided to go. It was such a fun trip and we managed to stuff our faces in the short time that we were there. We also managed to see some old friends from college as well.

dinner at Hunan with the Crandall's {the best chinese meat pie EVER}

nightly hike up to Coit Tower for Johnny {I thought I was going to die}

at our cute little boutique hotel, with the best location {Hotel Abri}

yummy breakfast at Tartine {we pretty much ordered one of everything, but the croque monsieur was to die for. Believe it or not we followed this up with ice cream from Bi-Rite}

met up with our old friend Ashley Munns for a day tour of Hayes Valley {such a fun area}

of course it wouldn't be a trip to San Fran without a pic on a trolley car

Dallas

2011-02-18T13:20:00.001-08:00

Andrew had to work in Dallas for 3 weeks, so one weekend I decided to join him for a little visit. It was my first time to Texas and it was so much fun. My fabulous parents stayed home with our kids so we were really able to enjoy our weekend together. We even got to spend some time with our good friends from college, the Treese's, who live out there. We ate yummy Texas BBQ, visited the JFK museum, and did a little shopping at our favorite baby store Buy Buy Baby. {When we lived in NYC, we went to this store almost every weekend because it is like the mecca of all baby stores.}

New Year's Eve

2011-02-18T04:11:00.000-08:00

We made it back to CA a few days before New Year's Eve. We decided to get a babysitter and go out with friends. It was a little last minute so we had to scramble to find a place to eat. We decided on Alessa in Laguna Beach and surprisingly it wasn't too busy. It sure was delicious. After dinner we decided to come back to our place, send our babysitter home, and play a few rounds of the name game. It was a fun night out with fun friends. I am usually not a fan of New Year's Eve because I feel like it is always hyped up and I feel let down every year, but this year was actually a lot of fun.

Sixth Anniversary

2011-02-17T16:14:00.000-08:00

Andrew and I celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary on December 30th. My sister and her husband also share the same anniversary. So we headed to Ruth's Chris for a joint celebration. The food never dissapoints and the company wasn't all that bad either.

Collins Christmas

2011-02-14T14:27:00.001-08:00

Christmas 2011 was a long awaited one. It was the first time in 6 years that we were all together for Christmas, and it was my mom's dream come true. We started off the festivities with a Christmas Eve EVE talent show and program.

Then Christmas Eve was spent getting ready for Christmas day followed by a more Christ-centered program that night. The little kids acted out the nativity, the older kids also acted out the nativity using my mom's marionettes, we sang a few songs, watched my mom's always-touching Christ slideshow, ate a traditional Collins Christmas Eve dinner, got a visit from Santa, and opened PJ's.

Christmas Morning started bright and early. Every inch of the house was packed with kids opening presents. We spent the rest of the day just lounging around, playing on the Wii and having air soft gun fights. It was a FABULOUS holiday!

Collins Christmas

2011-02-14T14:27:00.000-08:00

Lark Christmas

2011-02-01T16:05:00.000-08:00

This year we spent Christmas in AZ with my entire family. The Sunday before Christmas we joined Andrew's family for their annual extended family Christmas dinner. We also did our Lark family gift exchange that night. We all loved opening our gifts, especially since we still had actual Christmas day to look forward to. Everyone was spoiled and loved all of their gifts!

Bennett was so excited to open his box

Next was Andrew's turn

Bennett wanted to help each of us open our boxes

Sissy opened her box after she woke up from her nap.

After dinner the cousins exchanged their gifts

Christmas Sunday

2011-01-31T14:43:00.000-08:00

Visit to Santa

2011-01-25T13:18:00.001-08:00

So we took the kids for their annual visit to Santa. We paid for a picture on CD, and when we got home and put the cd in the computer, we found out that the lady put the WRONG picture on our cd. Hence the picture where neither kid is looking at the camera. Oh well, at least you can see how excited they were to sit on Santa's lap!

Thanksgiving 2010

2011-01-19T11:56:00.000-08:00

This year we spent Thanksgiving with Andrew's family. It was a mellow day with delicious food. Debbie made a fabulous spread even without working ovens. She had three roaster ovens going as well as a toaster oven. Pretty amazing that it all turned out. I made a pecan pie as well as creamed corn. The kids had a great time coloring at their table and eating their little owl treats while the adults enjoyed their time in the other room at the adult table.

Halloween 2010

2011-01-18T09:59:00.001-08:00

Yes folks, I am just getting around to posting about Halloween. I am aware that it was 3 months ago, but better late than never I say. This year it felt like we had so many different Halloween get togethers. First off was Sawyer's Halloween birthday party, trick or treating at Andrew's work, then our ward trunk or treat, then actual Halloween night. We weren't planning to go trick or treating on Halloween since it was on a Sunday AND I was all treated out. So we headed up to my sisters house for dinner and cookie decorating. Then some of the kids decided they wanted to go trick or treating after all. My kids did not have their costumes, so we grabbed some dress up clothes and they were good to go!

Sawyer's Birthday Party

The Magician and His Bunny

LOVE

Posers

Man I love these two

Trick Or Treating at Daddy's Work

Trunk or Treat with Mema and Papa

Decorating Sugar Cookies

Our Makeshift Darth Vader & Princess

It was a great holiday!

Scarlett Turned Two

2011-01-04T22:55:00.000-08:00

On Scarlett's birthday, I wanted her to have a special day with lot's of attention. So, we dropped Bennett off at my mother-in-law's house and headed to the mall. There we met my mom who picked out a little something for the birthday girl from Zara kids, and then treated her to her first build a bear. This girl was in HEAVEN and loved every minute of it. After that, Scarlett and I headed to meet Andrew for lunch and of course a ride on the carousel. It was so fun to have some one on one time with our sweet little birthday girl. We sure do love our Sissy girl and her wild and crazy personality. She definitely has a lot of spunk and I am so lucky to be her mama.

my favorite picture of scarlett...EVER. it captures her dancing around with excitement and her spunky personality

waiting to assemble her bunny

a little help from Mema

she insisted on putting 5 hearts in her bunny

giving a little love

bathtime for bunny

Mema & the birthday girl

me & my girl

one of her favorite things

loving her life

so happy

Ruby's for lunch

loving her pink cadillac

daddy & the birthday girl

BYU Alumni Soccer

2010-12-29T10:54:00.000-08:00

The following weekend we took a much longer roadtrip up to Utah for Andrew's BYU alumni soccer game. Our brother in law Ryan also played soccer at BYU, so they headed up for the weekend as well with baby Curren. We loved being back near our alma mater and visiting all of our old stomping grounds, houses, etc. We also loved staying with my brother and his family and visiting with old friends. Of course we had to stop by Art City Trolley for a delicious salad and hot wings with Mauri. It was a great time, although I did have to make the ten hour (more like 12 hour) drive home by myself with both kids. That was rough...not gonna lie.

From soccer2

San Luis Obispo

2010-12-21T23:29:00.000-08:00

The beginning of October we took another weekend trip, with our travel buddies The Clayton's. This time we talked them into driving up to San Luis Obispo for the Jimmy Eat World concert. This was concert #2 for me on their tour and concert #3 for Andrew (he saw them 4 times total). Johnny and Marsha stayed with our kids for the night while we went to the show. The next day the boys scouted out a surf spot while Marsha and I explored downtown SLO with the kids. It was a beautiful day and we LOVED it there. We will definitely be going back there again. Such a cute little town and a beautiful area.

Coronado Island

2010-11-24T09:48:00.000-08:00

Man oh man, I can't believe how behind I have gotten on this blog. Things are just crazy busy right now and I don't think that is going to change anytime soon. Regardless, I need to catch up. So, a few months ago we took a last minute trip down to Coronado Island. Andrew's aunt Nancy had a time share down there and was heading home a day early so she offered the place to us. Of course we couldn't pass up a free place to stay. Johnny and Marsha joined us for the day to walk around the island, go swimming, and go to dinner. None of us had ever been so it was a fun little weekend activity. Thanks Aunt Nancy for thinking of us and thanks to Johnny and Marsh for always loving our babies!

kidlark :: holiday cards

2010-11-05T13:18:00.001-07:00

Our holiday cards are up over at thestore. The listings at thestore are only for electronic files. We are also offering the option to have your cards printed. I have not yet added those to the store. I will list the printed card prices here on the blog. If you are interested in printed cards, please review the pricing below, then send an email {kidlark@gmail.com} with the number of cards you would like, and we can send you a paypal invoice for the amount. Happy holidays, and happy shopping!

Printed Card Pricing:

Scarlett's Fiesta

2010-10-27T13:54:00.000-07:00

For Scarlett's 2nd birthday party, I decided to do a little fiesta. My husband speaks spanish to our kids, so I thought it would be fun to incorporate that into her party. Yes it is October, and yes it was cloudy and about to storm during her party, but it was still a great time! We had mini bean and cheese burritos and mini taquitos from one of our fav restaurants, homemade salsa by Papa Phil, cupcakes made by yours truly, a darling mini cake made by Gigi, and an awesome pinata filled with candy straight from Mexico (my brother in law just so happened to be in Mexico earlier in the week where he picked up a pinata and a bag of candy for the party.) We are so lucky to have such great friends and family who came to celebrate our crazy little two year olds special day. I am especially grateful to have a talented photog friend to take all of our pics. Check out Tiffany's work here. These pics are straight out of the camera and haven't been edited, and they are still beautiful. I will share pictures of her darling invitations tomorrow.

**Thanks again to Tiffany Garfield for taking these pictures!**

Scarlett Turns Two

2010-10-18T01:08:00.000-07:00

I can't believe my baby girl is two years old today. She is growing up way too fast and I would really like for it to slow down...NOW. In the last month her vocab has quadrupled and she says everything. She has even started to say a few Spanish words, like Quiero Mas (especially when asking for more food). Our little Sissy LOVES food almost as much as she loves her big brother. They are best friends and anytime he is not around, she is constantly asking me "Mommy, where's Bennett?" If I had to describe Scarlett in one word, it would definitely be FUN. She is seriously so much fun all of the time. She is always happy and she wants to party with anyone and everyone. She's definitely not shy, and she is quite the social butterfly. She is also VERY feisty and likes to beat up on her sweet big brother, and sometimes her mommy. It's just so hard to get mad at her when she laughs every time she hits. Even though she can be mean, she can also be very sweet. She loves to cuddle and pat my back and gives hugs and kisses freely.

Everyone that knows Scarlett, loves her. We are so lucky to have such a fun, happy, and loving spirit around us, and I am so happy she was born into our family two years ago.

Happy Birthday Sissy Girl. We Love You!

MONTHS 1-12 of Scarlett James Lark

journaling blog

2010-09-30T23:51:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I read this post on stephmodo, and realized I also wanted to document the daily things my kids do and say. So this week I finally started a new little blog, mostly for myself (and for my mom because I know she will appreciate it), where everyday I write one thing my kids do or say. I am excited to have this little journal that one day I can hopefully bind and give to my kids.

Sissy Lark

2010-09-24T07:45:00.000-07:00

I love the way this little girl of mine has stolen everyone's heart. She is such a ham, and loves attention. It's a good thing too, because she sure gets a lot of it. I think I am in denial that she is already almost two years old. How is that even possible, and what happened to my tiny baby girl? I am not sure, but I do know that this little chunk has won me over whole heartedly.

Preschool 2010

2010-09-23T13:39:00.000-07:00

Bennett had his first day of school a few weeks ago. I am doing a co-op preschool with a great group this year and I was the first to teach. Bennet LOVES school and especially loves being with friends. I love how social he is, just like his daddy (and mommy too I guess). Scarlett thought she was one of the big kids and wanted to do everything they were doing. I guess she really isn't too far behind them in age.

the getty

2010-09-22T00:55:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago we headed up to the Getty Museum for a free concert. I had never been before and it was amazing, especially since everything was free. Unfortunately, because of the lovely traffic our time was cut short, but we still had a great time with friends.

I sure do love this guy of mine

one of the best girls i know :: the boys watching the show

the ladies :: the gents

hawaii 2010

2010-09-19T20:37:00.000-07:00

Andrew and I took a trip to Hawaii last month with his family. The Hawkins, the Hoffmans, Taylor & Alyssa, Andrew, Me, Debbie, Craig, Aunt Nancy, Grandpa Lark and cousin Alyssa. It was one of the best trips I have ever been on. My parents were awesome and watched our kids the entire time we were gone. I didn't have to worry once about how much they were being loved by my mom and dad and by the Skousen's too.

taylin & brinley :: andrew & ashly

pearl harbor

delicious Leonard's bakery for malasadas (thanks Mele for the recommendation)

made a stop at the dole pineapple plantation for a tasty treat

posing it up at the pineapple plantation

visiting the sea turtles on the beach

best lunch ever at Ted's bakery

shaved ice everyday, usually at waiola's

the LDS temple :: polynesian cultural center

lost territory

family photos - beach week '10

2010-08-30T09:02:00.000-07:00

Every year at beach week, we have to take advantage of all being together and get some family photos. I love to compare them to the previous years and see how everyone has changed. Last year Sissy was so tiny, and the year before that she was in my belly.

beach week '10

2010-08-23T16:51:00.000-07:00

Beach week '10 was another success. The only bummer this year was that Andrew was gone for most of it. He had to travel for work, and it just wasn't the same without him. Even though the weather was a little cold, we still had a great time at the beach. Of course we had our annual Collins family talent show, as well as our nightly bike rides to the pier. I love that no matter how old we all get, or how enormous our family gets, we all still love to spend time together! Thanks mom and dad for another fabulous year!

we celebrated jane's 3rd birthday

we also celebrated Bryce's 11th birthday

we ate lots and lots of yummy treats

Bennett discovered paper airplanes for the first time...he was obsessed

Sissy snuggled with her mommy and her Nammie, and danced with her cousin Kiley

we played with bubbles

we watched movies with cousins

we showed off our talents

we had a dance party

and we rode our bikes to get late night treats.

**Check out Beach Week '09 Pics Here.**

Beach Week 2010

2010-08-05T16:12:00.000-07:00

More pictures to come from the Collins family annual beach week.

In the meantime, enjoy this gem of a pic.

Ellie's 1st Birthday

2010-07-26T21:49:00.001-07:00

My good friend Katie threw together a darling party for her daughter's first birthday. You would never know that it was totally last minute! We especially loved it because they served our fav mini bean and cheese burritos. The kids were in heaven with all of the candy, and the pink lemonade cupcakes were to die for. Not to mention, that little Ellie is pretty dang sweet herself.

the darling decor

i helped Katie with a few labels for the table setting

posing for the camera

love my girl

cute little ryder boy

4th of july weekend

2010-07-23T14:36:00.000-07:00

This year we had a wonderful 4th of July weekend. My sister Erin was here with her family so we got in a lot of family time. Saturday we spent our day at my parent's house and the beach.

the kids making their sand village

sissy & daddy :: bennett boy

Sunday, little miss Elsie Kate was blessed.

dressed in red, white, and blue for church

getting a pic of these two is impossible

just practicing their prom pose

blowing on her pretty flower

twinners in their matching suits

the crew

the skousen family

We then had a 4th of July lunch/dinner and then headed to our annual tradition of fireworks in our neighborhood with my family and Andrew's family as well as lots of friends. They seriously put on the best show.

daddy & bennett :: mama & sissy

loves

my attempt at a pic with my girl

scooter time

man i love this boy

my silly niece :: with my pops

July 4th has become one of my favorite holidays. I love the warm weather and just relaxing while spending time with family.

afternoon playdate

2010-07-15T20:35:00.000-07:00

We spent the afternoon with our friends, Chrissy, Naomi and Grant, in Laguna Beach. First, we hit up the park and then we had lunch at BJ's pizza. The kids had a great time together since Chrissy's two little ones are the same age as my two. Grant and Scarlett even looked like twins sitting in their high chairs next to each other, and I am pretty sure Bennett has a huge crush on miss Naomi. Why wouldn't he?...she is quite the stylish little looker! Chrissy and I had a great time too, chatting away. Thanks Hansen's for a fun afternoon playdate, and for getting us out of the house. We needed it!

{I guess all of the fun wore out the kids because they were both asleep by the time we got home}

Father's Day

2010-07-14T12:44:00.000-07:00

We had a fun day celebrating Andrew. We were a little lazy this year and didn't wake up to make him breakfast in bed before our early church. Instead we made him a yummy lunch after church. We headed over to Andrew's parents where he watched the World Cup. Then my mother in law and I made dinner for the dad's and the rest of the fam came over for dessert. We sure are lucky to have such a fun-loving husband/dad.

*I love how crazy all these pictures are. They would not sit still for one second.*

so happy

2010-07-13T20:37:00.000-07:00

I think this is the best picture I have ever seen. I mean seriously, look at the sheer joy on her face.

Pretty sure life could not be better for her at this very moment...cupcake on her face, swinging away!

my guest post

2010-07-13T15:39:00.000-07:00

Head on over to Style Files to see my guest post. Caitlin asked me to name 5 of my fav things, and I had so much fun doing it. Thanks Cait for thinking of me, and thank you for the sweet things you said...you really are too kind!

*P.S. I promise I will get back to posting about my family pronto! No more biz talk on here!*

kidlark giveaway :: a lovely lifestyle

2010-07-08T23:07:00.000-07:00

Head on over to A Lovely Lifestyle to be entered into a kidlark giveaway.

Also, don't forget to get your July desktop calendar over at our kidlarkBLOG!

strawberry pickin'

2010-07-06T17:37:00.000-07:00

For Bennett's last preschool field trip, we joined the other co-op group for a day at Tanaka Farms. We went on a tractor ride where we learned about and tasted the different fruits and veggies they grew. Then each kid got their own basket to fill with strawberries. I am pretty sure I ate 20-30 strawberries myself. They were the tastiest strawberries I have ever had. Who knew that warm strawberries were so much better than cold ones. I made sure to dress my kids in dark colors, and good thing I did because they were filthy by the end.

B is for BOY

2010-07-06T00:02:00.000-07:00

My friend Tiffany was having a boy, so some friends and I decided to throw her a shower. After I saw this party over at Twig and Thistle (one of my fav blogs), I knew I had to do something similar. I loved the whole idea but also loved the idea of using a very simple white onesie design. So this is the invite I came up with. I also made these wrap around address labels for the envelopes. I should have taken a picture of the finished product. Bummer.

My friend Jenn made the yummiest/cutest little banana pudding desserts. Other friends made smores, pasta salad, berry salad, mini homemade oreos, and orange brownies. All of the food started with the letter "B" of course. Katie M and I decorated "B" sugar cookies for the party favor and then sealed them in clear bags with a matching label. I made a few different games: a fill-in-the-blank baby song sheet, and a ribbon to guess the size of the mama's belly. We got so into visiting, that we didn't even have time to play the games. The decor was very simple. We made a bunch of tissue pom poms in blues and whites, and then I punched out a ton of circles in different sizes in blues, grey and white, and then sewed them into a 20 foot garland that we strung all over the house. The "B is for BOY" banner is just printed off my computer, cut, and sewed together.

Party Planners, Guest of Honor, & a few Party Peeps

lily's puppy party

2010-07-02T14:33:00.001-07:00

My niece Lily loves all things animals, but especially loves puppy's. She has been telling her mom for quite some time that she wanted to have a puppy party. So a puppy party she had. Of course, we had to take Penny Lane to the party as a guest of honor. Everything turned out really cute and the kids had so much fun eating their puppy food cupcakes and playing all of the puppy oriented games.

memorial day

2010-06-28T14:16:00.000-07:00

We spent our Memorial Day at the beach with lot's of friends and family. The kids had a blast and Bennett even fell asleep in the shade and slept for hours. I couldn't believe it because he NEVER does that. He must have been really tired. Now if only I could have gotten Scarlett to take a nap there, that would have been perfect! It really is such a treat to live so close to the beach and so close to family as well. I love getting together and I love that my kids get to grow up close to cousins from both my side and Andrew's side. We had an adventurous ending to our beach visit. We lost the keys to our car so that was awesome. It was still a fabulous day nonetheless!

may birthday celebration

2010-06-21T15:27:00.001-07:00

We got together with my family to celebrate all of the may birthday's. The Flake's hosted a fabulous bbq as always. It's always fun to go to their house because they have a nice yard for the kids to play in, and Matt is likely the most talented BBQ'er I know. He made the yummiest tri-tip. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. To top it off, we roasted marshmallows and made smores in Matt's homemade firepit, and Brookie made pies. It was a perfect Sunday evening.

the kids having a picnic

jane :: sawyer :: kiley

lily :: porter :: carter

annie :: bennett :: scarlett

maicy :: hailey :: gwen

fun on the trampoline

scarlett was LOVING the tramp

roasting mallows

most of the crew

the birthday boy

amy's birthday

2010-06-17T21:23:00.000-07:00

My sister amy's birthday is just a few days after Andrew's, so we celebrated her with a little sushi date night. We left all the kids with my older niece and we didn't want her to be too overwhelmed, so we took the two babies (Scarlett and Elsie). Scarlett was in heaven with her rice and ate two bowls. We had a great time eating, talking, and watching the Suns vs. Lakers game. Too bad the Suns didn't pull through for their loyal fan (my brother-in- law Jackson). All in all, it was a great night with family.

me and my girl ( i can't get over how stinkin cute she looks in these pics)

more cute pics of my cute girl

amy, jackson & elsie :: brooke and matt

watching the end of the game

andrew & ashly

our little tagalong

birthday boy

2010-06-14T07:34:00.000-07:00

I wanted to do something fun for Andrew's birthday this year, so I planned a night out with friends and family. We started off by eating dinner at Portillo's (yummy Chicago hot dogs/sandwiches in Buena Park), followed by a killer bowling session at Lucky Strike. So many people turned out for the partay and it was one of the funnest nights I have had in a long time. Thanks to everyone for coming and making it a fun night for my special guy.

these hot little mama's were getting picked up on by drunk men

me and the birthday boy

birthday boy :: prego mama

my great form :: johnny & andrew

party animals

craig, katie and steve :: andrew & his mommy

steve, andrew, taylor :: andrew & his parents

the girls

the boys

this girl impressed us all with her ability to celebrate her bowl by doing the splits

movie date

2010-06-13T22:30:00.000-07:00

On opening day, I took Bennett on a little date to see the new Shrek while Sissy napped at Gigi's house. Some of our friends also met us there and at the last minute daddy joined us as well. After the movie the kids had a great time destroying this movie display. The movie was cute and we had a fun little afternoon.

father & sons

2010-06-08T20:09:00.000-07:00

Andrew took Bennett on his first father & son's camping trip with our church. I wouldn't say they were roughing it, since they were about 10 minutes away from home and they were camping at the beach. Either way, they had a great time sleeping in the car and playing with friends and cousins.

new friend

2010-06-02T18:42:00.000-07:00

Bennett was sick on Mother's day and then Scarlett had a little fever the following day. Thank goodness she didn't get the throw ups like her brother. We spent the next couple of days at home, taking it easy. The kids were happy just sipping their bottles. (No Bennett does not usually have a bottle, but he was sick and wanted one like his sissy and I couldn't say no.) They were also happy to have a new little furry friend to keep them company. Yes we are now dog owners to a Yorkshire Terrier named Penny.

desktop calendar :: june

2010-06-01T17:09:00.001-07:00

June's desktop calendar is up and ready over at the kidlark blog. Check it out!

a day of mother's

2010-05-21T12:29:00.000-07:00

This mother's day was truly a day as a mother. I woke up to Bennett throwing up in our bed, having to jump up and rush him to the bath tub to clean him up. Andrew stayed home with the kids while I went to church since B wasn't feeling well. I must say, it was actually a wonderful mother's day gift, to be able to sit through church and actually listen...fabulous. Even though Bennett was sick, Andrew still spoiled me with breakfast in bed and a new swimsuit that I LOVE. We spent the rest of the day by having dinner with my mom and dessert with Andrew's mom. It was so fun to have both of our moms close by to celebrate with them!

sister eating uncle matt'y yummy homemade salsa

my handsome boy

our attempts at a cute photo...not happening

sissy and her shoe obsession :: porter, annie & kiley :: sissy again wearing someone's shoes

father & daughter

me & my mama :: me & my honey

maicy & i posing it up for the camera (i love how we totally accidentally did all of the same poses)

ashly, mom, amy, brooke (missing ernie again)

some awesome poses

brooke's facial expressions are classic

my mama's birthday

2010-05-20T12:32:00.000-07:00

I just realized I never posted these pictures from my mom's birthday. My parent's are living in SoCal for the next year, and we are loving every minute of it. We especially loved that we got to celebrate my mom's birthday with her at Crab Cooker, a Collins family favorite! It was a girl's night out plus dad of course. We missed our other sissy Ernie though. It's just not the same without her!

mom & amy :: brooke & ashly

the girls minus erin

dad and daughters

dad, ashly, mom

new york state of mind

2010-05-12T14:22:00.000-07:00

I didn't take one single picture in new york, so I had to get some pics from my sister in law Katie. Hence the delay in posting about our trip. I joined Katie, Debbie and Craig on their trip to NYC for Katie and Debbie's half marathon. Much to my surprise, Andrew showed up in our hotel room the next morning. I had no idea, and I was so glad he could come and join us. It was a fabulous end of busy season celebration and it was so much fun to be back in our old neighborhood. We even stayed at a fabulous hotel just around the corner from our old apartment. We spent our days shopping and eating and spent our nights eating and socializing. We got to see some old friends and my uncle Trace and we had a great time. Thanks Katie Lady for the pics!

lunch at cafe habana :: shopping at bloomies

lunch at patsy;s :: lunch at shake shack

these two were so hyper with eachother...it was hilarious

the doorman at our hotel hooked us up with a sick limo to the airport..ha ha ha.

happy mother's day

2010-05-09T14:31:00.001-07:00

my life as a mother

2010-05-08T21:34:00.000-07:00

Tonight as I was putting my kids to bed, I couldn't help but reflect on my life as a mother. I found myself being a little more patient tonight as I realized just how grateful and lucky I am to be a mother to these two beautiful little people. Honestly, there is nothing better and nothing that makes life more worthwhile. I am so thankful for my own mom and the example that she is to me. She has always been my number one fan and my best friend. I am so lucky to have such a sensitive, sweet, tender-hearted mother who I know would do anything for me. My children are also the lucky duckies to have a Mema who loves them to death. I am also thankful for such a loving mother-in-law who was an amazing mother to Andrew and is such a loving mother-in-law and Gigi. Here are a few of my favorite pictures of my life as a mother.

my first picture as a mother :: my first day home from the hospital

plenty of visits to the park, just me and my boy

snuggling with my babies is one of the best things in life

i love that bennett it sitting on my prego belly, bonding with his sissy

believe it or not, i actually enjoy being pregnant and miss it sometimes

one of the best parts of motherhood, is meeting that sweet new baby for the first time

and watching my two babies fall in love with one another

i also love smooching on my babies

especially when they smooch back

but i am pretty sure the day to day stuff is what really makes being a mother so rewarding

even though it can be incredibly exhausting at times

it's definitely worth all the blood, sweat, and many tears

because being a mother to these two, is a dream come true

desktop calendar :: may

2010-05-05T22:47:00.000-07:00

sorry for the wait. may totally crept up on me and next thing i knew it was already cinco de mayo. in honor of that festive holiday, i decided to make may's calendar nice and colorful. visit our kidlark blog to check it out.

My Green Eyed Girl

2010-05-02T22:38:00.000-07:00

I love that my baby girl shares the same eye color as me. One of the few things that we have in common. I think this girl is 100% her daddy. She sure is a cutie. Thanks Nikki D for the cute photo. I love it, especially since I don't have many pictures of me and my girl.

Announcing Elsie Kate

2010-04-28T14:26:00.000-07:00

We attempted to take some pictures of Elsie when she was just a few weeks old. We tried in the morning, but didn't have much luck. Then we tried that evening and ended up with some cute shots. My sister in law Shelly made her headband and I used that for inspiration for the baby announcement. I thought it would be cute to do a sort of patchwork look based on the fabrics of the headband. I also printed the pictures with a mustard yellow border. We put the pic behind the card and the yellow poked out from behind. Then I tied the pic and card together with some green and white baker's twine. I was so pleased with the way they turned out. I need to take a pic of the finished product. Until then here are the images.

lazy day

2010-04-20T17:43:00.000-07:00

I am off to NYC in the morning with my mother in law, sister in law katie and my father in law. I can't wait. Today has been spent cleaning and packing and getting ready to leave my kids with my parents for a few days. Man, getting ready for a trip sure is exhausting. I am so excited to go and so ready for a break, but I know I am going to miss these two little crazies. These pics are from Friday. We spent the day being lazy and it was amazing.

Scarlett was napping and Bennett was having quiet time in my room, watching Star Wars (or Star Whores and he calls it). I

looked up from the computer and saw him lying there still as can be. I got up to take a closer look and found him sound asleep.

after naps the kids did a little jumping on B's bed

Bennett did a little free fall action

Amazingly, they played in Bennett's room for hours. I walked in to find every toy we own on the ground.

This house was mine when I was little, and the kids LOVE playing with it.

Bennett loves my Mapletown Toys figurines and house

I love this girl and her chubby belly

It was a good day.

Family Birthday Party

2010-04-18T20:54:00.000-07:00

Saturday night Andrew planned a fun little birthday party with our families. He even took care of getting a cake and ice cream, and presents from him and the kids. He knows that I love my birthday, and he definitely made it a great one, as did everyone around me. I can't believe I have to wait until next year for another fun birthday week!

Futbol

2010-04-16T18:28:00.000-07:00

Our little boy is officially a soccer player. He had his first practice/game last Saturday. Because he still only 3 years old, it's a very informal league where they basically do drills and then have a little game at the end. He was so excited to go and did pretty well. His buddy Beckett is also on his team so he loves that. As I'm sure you can imagine, Andrew was one proud daddy.

Argggg Matey

2010-04-15T23:59:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Bennett and Scarlett also attended a birthday party for their friend Royal. It was a pirate themed party complete with pirate ship bounce house. Britni did an amazing job with the decor and the food, and the kids had a fabulous time. Thanks to Gary for sharing his pictures with me since I only got three pics before my battery died.

Fancy Nancy

2010-04-13T08:47:00.000-07:00

Bennett and Scarlett's friend Naomi had a very fancy 3rd birthday party last week. It was a busy week of birthdays and birthday parties, but we loved it. Chrissy did a fabulous job at making everything fancy for the little ones. Scarlett loved her pretties (necklaces and bracelets) and bennett loved his top hat and tie. Thanks Naomi for a fabulously posh soiree.

Birthday Girl

2010-04-12T15:29:00.000-07:00

I celebrated my 27th birthday last Thursday and it was fabulous. The celebrations went on for 3 days and I am still doing a bday lunch with my sisters this week, so the fun keeps a comin' (just the way a birthday should be). Thursday night Andrew had to work late, so the girls planned a little birthday dinner and movie. Andrew surprised us all and showed up at the end of dinner. It was a great night. Thanks to everyone who made my day so special. Aren't birthdays the best? I sure think so.

*more birthday pics to come*

blessings and sunday best

2010-04-07T14:20:00.000-07:00

Since we had general conference on easter sunday, I decided to dress my kids up in their Easter outfits the week before. That day also happened to be our nephew Curren's baby blessing. We were in a hurry and didn't have time to take pics of the kids before church, so this is what we ended up with after church. Looks like I will be getting them dressed up again, and taking new pictures. Oh well.

i would like for everyone to please check out my nasty roots in that sunlight. i am now back dark because i saw this picture and freaked.

of course they can't look at the same time

sister looked so cute in her easter dress and clip

not wanting to get his picture taken AT ALL

After church we headed over to the Hawkin's house for a nice little brunch in honor of baby Curren. The food was delish and Stephanie did a fabulous job.

the delicious spread

my handsome guy :: chugging her choco milk

the guest of honor :: bennett and curren

Easter Sunday

2010-04-05T18:35:00.000-07:00

We had a fun-filled Easter Sunday. Andrew's parents were out of town so we were house sitting over there. First the kids found their baskets from the Easter bunny and did a little egg hunt for the eggs that he left. Then we watched the first session of conference, baked and crafted. After the AM session, we dyed eggs. Then we watched some more conference and got ready for our Easter feast. Surprisingly, all of our family was out of town so it was just us, The Skousens and the Hoffmans. I made my favorite Martha Stewart chocolate cake and scalloped potatoes. The Skousens were in charge of the ham, and the Hoffmans made a delicious salad with homemade rolls. We ended the day with a walk to the park. It was a perfect day!

easter baskets :: note from easter bunny

waiting to start their egg hunt

sisters first egg hunt

hunting

such a sweet brother

best picture we could get

enjoying their candy

dying eggs

all ready for dinner

the spread

eating

Happy Easter

2010-04-04T14:21:00.001-07:00

Counting down the minutes until our Easter dinner. In the meantime we are lounging around, watching general conference. I hope you all are having a very happy easter. I am so thankful for the atonement of Jesus Christ and the real reason for celebrating this day!

desktop calendar :: april

2010-04-02T15:45:00.000-07:00

April's free desktop calendar is up over at kidlark! So go get yours NOW! Have a happy easter weekend everyone. I for one am so excited to watch my little kiddies go nuts over their egg hunt and I can't wait to lounge around all weekend, while watching conference and maybe doing a little crafting as well!