The Hazar Family

The stockings are hung...

2010-11-27T15:20:00.000-08:00

Hands down, this is my absolute most favorite time of year; in fact I seriously go into a mild depression when it is all over. My family has always referred to me as "Carrie Christmas" (Christensen is my maiden name) and I usually tend to go overboard but nothing makes me happier then seeing my house all dolled up with Christmas decorations!

My girls are Christmas diehards too so last weekend we decided it was about time to start getting in the spirit. We blasted the Christmas music throughout our house, the girls put on their Santa hats, and we were ready to go. Needless to say our entire storage unit is filled with Christmas decorations so it is quite the big undertaking. We have not one,

not two,

but three Christmas trees to decorate.

Yep, when you have 3 girls, you have one tree completely dedicated to princesses! We finished up the day watching our favorite movie “Elf” and putting the last finishing touches on the princess tree. It was the perfect day. Hope you all have a merry and bright season too!

like mother like daughter

2010-09-29T19:22:00.000-07:00

Yum- one of my favorite treats- Twizzlers!

Mackenzie found my secret stash hidden in the diaper bag

Apparently she has a sweet tooth just like her momma!

Sleeping Beauties

2010-09-25T18:49:00.000-07:00

Do you think my girls are spoiled?! TJ does for sure....My girls have been so funny lately with their sleeping patterns. I about lost it when I went in to check on them and sure enough, Madison was wearing her eye mask and dead asleep. I just couldn't resist the photo opportunity. I don't even know where the eye mask came from but I am pretty sure it goes to one of their dolls.

This is how I find them most nights...they actually don't share a room, but apparently they should. Every night this summer they had sleepovers and it has been a hard habit to break once school started. Even if they start in their own rooms, by morning they are snuggled up with each other. I guess that is better then them waking me up!

Let's hope we can break her of this! Sweet dreams!

Off to School

2010-09-24T09:11:00.000-07:00

Cali walking her sissy to school. I am not sure who was more sad to see Madison off, me or Cali. We both get so excited when 3 pm rolls around and we get to go get our Maddie!

I absolutely hate when summer comes to an end and I have to send my kids off to school. I get this horrible pit in my stomach of nervousness and dread but they were both SO excited this year. Madison is now in 1st grade at Wildfire and has an amazing teacher, Mrs. Yancy, so I couldn't be happier.

Neighbor Friends: Arden, Madison, and Audrey off to school

Cali is in her last year of preschool and now goes 4 days a week to La Casa de Cristo. Her teachers are cute little grandmas that are so loving...the perfect combination for preschoolers!

Cali was all smiles for her first day!

I am so grateful for my darling husband who gives both of our girls the most amazing blessings before the school year starts. They look forward to their special blessings and individual promises and you can feel the Spirit so strong in our home during these times. The blessings are great reminders of the love that our Heavenly Father has for us. I hope everyone is having a great year so far!

Our First Day of School Treat, not a #2 pencil, but a #1!

Dancing Queens

2010-09-21T14:51:00.000-07:00

Both Madison and Cali had their big dance recitals in June and did fabulous! They had a great time and soaked up all the attention. They loved getting ready for the big performances by coming to the "Mommy Salon" and getting the works done with curls and a little make-up. Here are some pictures of the photo shoot I put them through before the shows. As you can tell, Cali was a little more into it then Madison!

NO MORE PICTURES MOM!

Cali danced to a few songs from the musical "The Little Mermaid" which was perfect for her and Madison danced to Hannah Montana's "Girls Just Want to Have Fun."

Daddy always comes through with flowers for his girls and they keep them in their rooms for weeks!

The adoring fans!

Don't mind the curlers in Madison's hair...she was performing that night! I must have gone through 3 bottles of hairspray that week and burned myself 10 times on the curling iron! They both had 2 performances, a dress rehearsal, and tech rehearsals! I was exhausted...not really sure what I am going to do when I have 3 of them dancing! TJ just may have to learn how to curl hair!

The two cutest fans: Mackenzie and Kate!

They were troopers to last through the 3 hour performance!

Happy Happy Birthdays!

2010-09-19T12:20:00.000-07:00

Since my last post, all my girls have turned one year older and wiser too (a tear just rolled down my cheek!). Here is a little summary of their birthday celebrations, which in our house seem to last all month long.

Cali turned 4 in February and needless to say, there is never a dull moment at our house with her around. She makes us laugh and smile each and everyday and has such a cute personality with an angel face to go with it. She is obsessed with playing all the time...it doesn't matter what it is (Barbie’s, ponies, kitchen) but if Madison stops even to take a potty break, she immediately flops to the floor and throws a 4-year-old size tantrum. She is so fun to go on little dates with and will talk your ear off about anything and everything that goes through her mind. One of her favorite things to do is blare Justin Beiber's "Baby, Baby" song or Taylor Swift's "Today Was A Fairytale" in the car and belt out all the words together. If she can tell you are having a bad day or are stressed out, she will randomly and unexpectedly come up and give you a big hug and say, "Mommy, I love you." It’s priceless!

For her party, we went and rode the "ponies," aka the carousel, at the McCormick Railroad Park. She loves My Little Ponies so we did our best to pull off a great Pony Party!

We rented out the train car and they played all sorts of fun games with the kids.

Good thing we had Cousin Tyler to lead the team!

We headed inside the train for Pony cake and ice cream! Yum!

And finished off the party with a ride on the train and a Pony ride on the carousel.

Pure Bliss!

Madison tuned 6 in April and wanted a Mermaid Swim Party, not to be mistaken for “The Little Mermaid.” Apparently she is way too mature for that! We were so excited to finally use our new pool that we had been simply looking at for months because it was too cold to use. We heated the pool and hot tub and let the mermaids loose.

The Mermaid Cake

Make a Wish!

The celebrating was definitely not over...we had a family party....

A birthday dinner at Outback.....

And a Tea Party at the English Rose Tea Room!

It was decorated so cute and they had a treasure chest of antique hats to try on and wear during tea.

Even Mackenzie joined in on the fun and actually kept

the hat on the whole time. Thanks Candace for such

a fun afternoon with the girls!

Despite of all my efforts to keep her a newborn,
Mackenzie had her big 1st birthday in July.

We had a family celebration and BBQ at our house and

she was surrounded by darling cousins who always give

her so many loves and hugs!

The girls had fun stunting with Uncle Chad!

What do you think...future BYU cheerleader??

Dig In Kenzie-Cakes!

We turned her around and gave her a big girl car seat for her special day, only to learn at her doctor's appointment that the new recommendation is to keep them rear facing until age 2! Sorry baby...but look how happy she was even if it was short lived!

My Spring Resolution

2010-03-09T15:00:00.000-08:00

One of my New Year's resolutions was to stay caught up on my blog and, well, here it is already March so I have decided to make it my "Spring resolution" so I don't feel so bad about myself. Let's see what the Hazars have been up to the past few months...

In October, Mackenzie and Mommy took off to Fayetteville, AK for a girls weekend with my college roommates, aka the BYU Luv Shack ladies. We had 3 newborns all under 3 months old so there was a lot of breastfeeding and not a whole lot of wild nights out on the town, but it was an awesome weekend and so refreshing to have some girl time. We did manage to get out to see the farewell performance of Riverdance, which was an amazing show! It was inspiring to see them all as mothers and what incredible women they have become. I just love those gals! Until next year...

Mackenzie's 1st airplane ride...she's all bundled up for the cold weather. Michele, Kristin, Erin, Amy, and Me!
We made it back just in time for all the Halloween festivities to begin with cousins & friends.

This year we had a pretty witch(She wouldn't even let me paint a wart on her nose! Big surprise!),

a darling little ladybug, who tried relentlessly all night to get that darn hat off,

...and a moody Little Mermaid with attitude!

In November, our pool was completed, just in time for the weather to turn too cold to use it! We did spend many nights in the hot tub though which was so fun for the girls. We can't wait for summer to come!
Thanksgiving was spent up in Pinetop at our cabin with the Hazars and Chad & Michelle's family. We kept the kids busy with lots of nature walks and decorating our "gingy" bread houses

and Mackenzie was just happy to be along for the ride!

In December, we not only got a visit from Santa at our house, but also from the TOOTH FAIRY! That's right, Madison lost her first tooth and they have been falling out like popcorn ever since. To date she has lost a total of 4 teeth!
We then headed off for a long weekend at...

SeaWorld!

The girls loved feeding the seals, petting the dolphins, and their favorite part was of course, the Shamu show. It was great to be there during the Holidays and we even ran into Santa Clause at the North Pole.

While in San Diego, we took a day and ventured out to Coronado Island and had lunch at the famous Hotel Coronado. It was a cold and windy day but still beautiful! I could definitely stay here someday!
The rest of December was jam packed with holiday activities; from winter dance recitals, going to go see the gingerbread house display at the Desert Ridge Marriott, Holiday parties at school, a special date with my girls to see the Nutcracker ballet, and just hanging out with cousins, I felt like we did it all! And with the big day just around the corner, we celebrated Christmas early with my Mom and Deloy.
On Christmas Eve, we had a special visitor take time out of his busy night to come to the annual Hazar Christmas Party. We had so much fun this year celebrating Mackenzie's 1st Christmas. Christmas morning was exciting as ever and the girls were all smiles with their presents from Santa. Mackenzie was thrilled, although she had no idea what was going on! Santa did bring her some rice cereal this year...he really went all out!

We of course fit in the nativity story and Cali was promoted to Mary, with Justin playing the role of Joseph. She took her part very seriously and only dropped the baby a few times!
For New Years, we all headed up to Pinetop for some fun in the snow. The kids spent hours with Grandma and Jido building an entire snow family (Jido is exceptionally talented at this). TJ, Chad, Michelle, and I admired them through the window, while sipping our hot chocolate in front of the fire. Grandparents are priceless! Jido, as tradition, insisted on being there for Mackenzie's big milestone of the first bite of rice cereal. Without fail, he always tries to sneak in some sort of red meat or vanilla ice cream into the mix!
In January, TJ & I headed back up to Pinetop due to a record amount of snowfall this year. We stepped off of our back porch and it literally went up to our waist. We almost lost the girls a few times. TJ had fun building a snow cave, but unfortunately, none of his girly girls would sleep in it with him. I personally don't think he would have survived the night either! If you are still reading this, then you must really love the Hazars. Sorry for the lengthy post but I resolved to be better this year!

Baby Mackenzie's Blessing Day

2009-10-08T16:08:00.000-07:00

On September 6 we had the opportunity to bless our new darling little girl at church (I know...I am only a month late but that is the story of my life these days! You should see my pile of laundry!). We were so lucky to have so much family here to support her and have the most influential men in her life included in the circle. Mackenzie was a little fussy but once she heard the sound of her daddy's voice, she immediately calmed down and was so peaceful. My brother-in-law Chad, who is a far more eloquent writer then I am, wrote about the experience here at http://chadinazdesert.blogspot.com/2009/09/my-nieces-blessing.html. Mackenzie is lucky to have such a sweet daddy who is so in tune with the Spirit and was able to call upon the heavens in her behalf. He gave such a beautiful blessing and it was an experience like no other. Somehow, the heavens don't seem that far away when he exercises his priesthood. We had a great weekend enjoying Dave and Nabby's family and we are so thankful that my Mom and Deloy made the long drive from Idaho just to be here for Mackenzie.

Her blessing dress was absolutely gorgeous on her...thanks to Grandma Candace and Jido for giving it to her. What a special gift and a beautiful keepsake for her. Hopefully she can use it for her daughter someday.
The proud parents...another beautiful daughter...how blessed are we?!
The whole Hazar-Christensen group

Here is Mackenzie just "chillin" after her big debut! It was a really special day for our family and we couldn't love this little angel anymore!

Words of Wisdom

2009-09-12T16:12:00.000-07:00

Today Cali explained to me that while she was jumping on the trampoline, she heard a boom sound. She then went on to tell me that it wasn't thunder (which she is absolutely petrified of) it was just the man in the moon tooting! Hummmmm....something to think about!
Once I composed myself from that comment, I asked Cali, "Where did you come from, little one?" and Madison simply said, "England."
Our conversations are quite entertaining these days and very informative.

First Day of School...AGAIN!

2009-08-29T20:35:00.000-07:00

This week Cali had her 1st day of school at La Casa, the preschool that Madison went to. She was absolutely thrilled to go and thinks she runs the school already. She has been going there to drop off her sister for the last two years, so she is completely comfortable there and already knows all of the teachers. The first day we walked into the classroom where all of the other preschoolers were crying and having a hard time and Cali puts her hands on her hips and asks in a very sassy voice, "Where is MY cubby?!" She didn't even look back at me as I left and I hardly got a kiss goodbye.
GOOD LUCK SISSY!

I can't believe she is in preschool already..she seems too little to go but is so ready for it. Here she is with her teacher, Mrs. Schaffer, who I just ADORE (Madison had her too)! Cali will certainly keep things interesting and lively in her classroom this year.

We are so proud of you Cali and know that you will have a wonderful year!

Adventures in Pinetop

2009-08-29T20:18:00.000-07:00

About a month ago, we decided to squeeze in one last trip before the summer ended and were able to spend a week up at our cabin in Pinetop, AZ with TJ's parents and Chad and Michelle's family. It was great timing since Mackenzie was only a few weeks old and we were so home bound in Phoenix anyway. The kids absolutely love it up there and we just let them run around outside all day and then hosed them off at night. It is seriously great and they get to have outdoor adventures that they would never get in 110 degree weather in Phoenix. Here are the top ten highlights from our week spent in Pinetop:

1o. Getting baby Mackenzie all dolled up to go to church for the 1st time.

Only 2 1/2 weeks old
9. Riding bikes outside without becoming severely dehydrated like at home.
8. Making multiple trips to Walmart to get more and more crafts to entertain the kids...here they are painting rocks. It seriously kept them busy for hours, priceless!
7. Hours and hours of "playing house" with cousins...they are constantly pretending and talking in valley-girl voices. The girls are wearing old tie-dye shirts that TJ, Michelle, and David use to wear up at their cabin when growing up.
6. ATV rides with Uncle TJ. The kids were lining up for their chance to ride and squealed the whole time! Madison and Julia
Justin and Cali

5. Bonding time with "sissy."

Best friends for life...
4. Baking biscuits with Grandma Candace, after being hosed off, of course!
3. Photo shoot in the new tie-dye shirts that we made... Even Grandma Candace made a matching shirt!
2. Free pony rides (It sure looked like a horse to me though)

1. Doing Yoga with Uncle Chad...I believe this is the reverse triangle pose and then he ended the session with a little meditation and chanting. Namaste Uncle Chad!

Our Little Heartbreakers

2009-08-29T14:26:00.000-07:00

I was informed by my friend, Nikki Taylor, at church that Madison and Cali have boyfriends but they don't even know it yet. Her boys, Mac and Brody, refer them as their "girls" and are always talking about going to pick up their girlfriends, etc. I personally think this is hilarious, so I had to document it (for the record, TJ does not agree with this post).
Nikki caught them in action one day while the girls were over for a play date with her boys. Cali refused to be in the picture here because she was dressed in a bright yellow chicken costume, not her usual princess dress! They have a houseful of boys so what does she expect?! Madison is so girly that when she dressed up in his costume as batgirl she insisted on still wearing her bracelet and necklace (look closely) so she still looked like a girl. I love the tight grip that he has on her around the neck...classic! Heartbreakers already...should we be nervous for the teenage years?!

We Made It!

2009-08-17T22:03:00.000-07:00

Both Mom and Madison survived the first day of Kindergarten! I was lucky enough to get to go with her to school today and stay all day to make the transition easier for both of us (I think mostly for me!). Madison is now officially a Wildfire Firebird and had a great 1st day. She LOVES her teacher, Miss Johnson, and is especially excited to get to eat in the big lunchroom.

We met up with all her neighborhood friends, Arden, Sydney, and Audrey, and walked to school. It was so precious to see them all walking together with their ginormous, empty backpacks on. I can't believe I now have a Kindergartner!! I am going to keep this post short and sweet because I am already tearing up just thinking about the day and the fact that she is leaving me again tomorrow!! Good luck Madison and I know you are going to have a fabulous year!

Welcome Mackenzie Candace Hazar!

2009-07-11T11:10:00.001-07:00

Mackenzie Candace Hazar joined our family on July 9, 2009 at 7 pm and is absolutely perfect in every way. Here is her story:

Third times a charm, right?! I think I am ready for this, a face full of excitement and extreme nervousness...can you tell?
After about 7 hours of labor, Mackenzie arrived as healthy as can be. My heart always stops until I hear that first little cry...pure joy! When she came out, they immediately laid her on my chest and she fell right asleep. Hopefully this means she is going to be my mellow baby. So far, she is just as sweet as can be and a true miracle.
She weighed in at 7lbs 6 oz and 20 inches long. She seems like such a little peanut, but is my biggest baby so far.

TJ got to finally hold his 3rd little girl...I love the expression on his face as they meet each other for the very first time. He has no idea what he is in for...She already has him wrapped around her little finger.

The proud grandmothers...

Right after we were moved up to my recovery room, I had two special visitors come who had been waiting to meet their little sissy for a VERY long time...they came dressed in PJs and all!

The NEW and IMPROVED Hazar family...

Cali was so funny with all her questions...she asked me if we were really going to keep the baby and then asked me if I was sure that the baby was a girl, not a boy. She also wanted to do an exam my tummy.

Madison is SO sweet with the baby and already wants to hold her all the time. If anyone else is holding her, she gets a little protective and wants her back immediately. She is taking her role as the big sister VERY seriously...

Cali, not so much...She is still "in training."

Mackenzie finally got her first bath and is ready for a good night sleep...hopefully!

Day 2: Mommy and me

Thankfully, we were able to leave the hospital early, just a little after she was 24 hours old and I couldn't have been more ready to take my daughter home and sleep in my own bed again. Mackenzie is all tucked in her car seat and ready for the monumental car ride home.

Welcome home Mackenzie!

Off to sleep in her bassinet...
I feel so blessed to be her mother and I can't believe Heavenly Father sent us another angel as a daughter! The whole experience of having a baby is an absolute miracle and I am blown away by it each time. I couldn't be happier and there is nothing better then holding a newborn baby so fresh from Heaven.

The Countdown is On!

2009-06-28T19:40:00.000-07:00

We are finally ready for the big arrival of this little lady and are officially on a daily countdown.
5-12-09: Front view of the face

The nursery is all set-up...
Cali has been moved into her new ballerina big girl room...

with her very own bathroom...

Now lets see how the newest Hazar princess has grown...
12/9/08: Just a little peanut

1/6/09: Side view of baby girl Hazar sucking her thumb
1/28/09: Three lines...it's a girl!

2/12/09: Front view of the face with a little hand waving (a little alien-like but still cute)
5/12/09: A shot of her little foot...it's official, she has the Christensen big toe!
A side profile...it looks just like Madison's ultrasounds with full lips and a cute little button nose.
We can't wait to meet you baby girl...please come soon! XOXO

A Few More Pictures...Dance Recital 2009

2009-06-18T06:29:00.001-07:00

I don't mean to go overboard with pictures but I got some cute new ones from my sister-in-law, Michelle, and couldn't resist posting them. Madison's best friend and cousin, Julia, was in her class this year so all the girlies just kept posing together backstage. They just all love each other so much and I am so excited that Michelle is having a girl too so we can have another duo grow up together!

Dance Recital 2009

2009-06-16T23:38:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we were consumed with the big dance recital that the girls had been working on for a few months now in their dance classes at Arizona Sunrays Dance Studio. It was a big deal at our house because it was the Cali's 1st recital (Madison is a pro at performing by now!) and I was a little nervous about how she would do in front of all those people. Cali's costume was hilarious and she looked like she just walked off the Las Vegas strip. She did a tap number to "Rockin Robin" and was a blob of yellow feathers and glitter. Her favorite part of the whole dance was the beginning, where her back was facing the audience and she got to shake her tail feathers, or as her Jido likes to call it, "shakin her booty." She did a great job and we were so proud of her...although daddy was not too excited about seeing her in makeup, but the show must go on, right?!

Here she is in all her glory:

She is getting ready to shake those feathers! The big finale off the stage! Madison back stage warming up for her tap routine!
Madison was part of the Sunbeams group this year, which is her first year of company, and she competed in several competitions throughout the year. At the recital she performed a tap number and a jazz routine and loved every minute of it. Going to dance class was always a highlight of her week and she made some great friends this year and it really built up her confidence. She loves being up on the big stage, but her favorite part is getting the flowers from all her fans and the end! Congrats to both of my girls!

Thanks Grandma for the beautiful flowers and for coming to support us!

Bless You Cali!

2009-05-26T21:01:00.001-07:00

I have been meaning to post about this other little Cali story for a warning to all you mothers out there so listen closely. For the past week or so Cali has been acting like she has allergies...sneezing, itching her nose, and breathing funny at night. I even called my pediatrician to find out what over the counter medicine I could give her. Then, a couple of Fridays ago (the day after the hair cutting incident), Cali was sitting on the potty, sneezed and out popped a button. That's right...a button flew out of her nose! I was so mortified but still couldn't stop laughing for about 10 minutes. She finally fessed up (if you can believe a 3 year old) and told me she had put it up there about a week ago when we were at a store...and sure enough, I thought back over our week and realized the only place she could have picked up the button was a Target about 5 days earlier! GROSS! I guess I am not going to win any mother-of-the-year awards, at least not this year!!

PS. Actually, my day got progressively worse due to this button. It must have upset her entire system because later that day she fell asleep on my chest (very unusual) and when she woke up, she proceeded to throw up all over me about 10 times in a row. I was dripping, literally, from my hair down to my toes. To make matters worse, I was in the hospital waiting room when this happened, waiting for my sister-in-law to come out of surgery, and we pretty much cleared out the entire room. Everyone was looking at us like we had the swine flu! Needless to say, I had to wear my sister-in-laws clothes out of the hospital and we went straight home!

(Don't let looks be deceiving...she's not that innocent!)

If I had a dollar for every time I have been thrown up on as a mother.....

I Love This Man!!

2009-05-18T17:30:00.000-07:00

Just A Little History...

Freshman year...1995: 14 years ago!

The night of our first kiss...1997: 12 years ago!

Our first official dance together...1997!

Our Wedding Day...May 18, 2001: 8 years ago!

2009...and still going strong!

Happy Anniversary to my darling husband! We have had 8 wonderful years together and eternity to go. I love you more than ever!

This is what happens when mommy works out at home....

2009-05-14T09:34:00.000-07:00

This morning I decided to use my elliptical machine at home instead of dragging the kids to the gym like usual. Unfortunately this left Cali unsupervised and it suddenly dawned on me that it was VERY quiet. I went to go find her and the bathroom door was shut and locked...NOT A GOOD SIGN. When I finally got it unlocked, this is what I found.....

A mother's nightmare!

I asked her what she was thinking and she told me she was just trying to "look pretty" and then followed it up with, "Can I still stay in this family?". Oh well, I guess hair does grow back eventually and it will make for a good story to tell at her wedding.

This gene must run in my family because my brother Marc gave my other brother, Brad, a similar haircut when they were younger!

She looks like she feels really bad about it huh?! I can hardly stand to look at her. In case you can't tell, she cut a chunk out of the side of her hair....I wish Nabby was here to fix this!

There's No Place Like....NEWPORT BEACH

2009-05-07T23:28:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, we took one last family "hurrah" before our new bundle of joy arrives and hung out at the Newport Coast Villas in California. "Breathtaking" does not even do the resort justice and we had a wonderful weekend spending quality time with our girls.

The girls were pretty excited when we finally arrived at our "hotelo", as Madison calls it. She actually looks like she is preparing to do a cheer stunt with Cali here...like mother like daughter, right?

They were pretty fascinated with the Koi fish and are now begging their daddy to get them each a fish for their bedrooms. The poor fish wouldn't stand a chance with Cali around...

Just hanging out on Laguna Beach! TJ swears he saw Spencer Pratt drive by!
All Madison wanted to do everyday was go to the beach to build sandcastles...she even choose that over going to Disneyland one day! I guess that means we have officially spoiled them with too many Disneyland trips!
Until next time...How is daddy going to keep up with 3 little girls?

Happy Birthday Madison Beth!

2009-04-15T23:58:00.000-07:00

Madison Beth turned 5 YEARS old today and I am a little emotional about it. TJ reminded me this morning that we only have 13 years left with her in our house and that got the tears flowing. She truly has been a joy to have in our home since the day she arrived and I feel so honored and blessed to be chosen to be her mother.
When she was sent to us from heaven, we were truly sent an angel. I love this picture of her and my dad...he was SO excited to meet her and was smitten with her from the moment she was born. They immediately had a special connection and bond and losing him was really hard on her. She still talks about her "Bampa" several times a week and always wants me to tell her stories about him. She brought him so much joy, especially when he was sick because she would sit by him for hours just looking at books or playing with toys while he rested. It just brought a smile to his face to know she was near and she got so use to seeing him on a daily basis. She has a very sensitive spirit and I believe that she still feels that strong connection with her beloved Bampa, who I know is watching over her and so proud of the little girl she has become!
Madison is such a good big sister and being the oldest in a family of girls is the perfect calling for her. She will be a wonderful role model for her little sisters. In fact, I had to take a picture when I came downstairs yesterday morning and found Madison holding Cali on her lap, teaching her how to do puzzles. She is ecstatic to have a new baby around and is constantly kissing my tummy and talking to her.
Madison has always had a love affair with her daddy and the highlight of her day was meeting TJ for lunch and getting a dozen PINK roses from him and a princess balloon (I have a feeling that TJ will be buying A LOT of roses for all his girls throughout his lifetime!).

Her heart is so full of love and if you ever need a hug or a snuggle, she is your go to girl! I am amazed at her testimony of the Savior and how spiritual she is at such a young age. I have been sick for a couple weeks now and I told her yesterday that I feel like I will be sick forever. She gave me a hug and said, " Don't worry mamma, Jesus will heal you."
Madison had a great day celebrating with her cousins and grandparents and thank you to everyone who made her birthday a special one. Madison-We are so proud of all your accomplishments and love you so much!

April Fool's!

2009-04-01T19:23:00.001-07:00

Madison thought the concept of April Fool's Day was so silly and tried to play little jokes on me all day long. Most of them didn't make much sense, but this one was quite creative. She drew and cut out all sorts of spiders and hide them in our bed to scare us. Very tricky and quite scary...look at that face!

Weekend Getaways

2009-03-30T09:55:00.000-07:00

Disneyland

As most of you know, this year we have been Disneyland fanatics (don't worry, we don't all have matching mickey ears with our names embroidered on them or anything, but the thought has crossed our minds!). We got season passes last summer and have definitely gotten our money's worth. We headed over on New Years Day with Chad and Michelle's family. According to TJ's great research, the day after New Years is dead and is the best time to go. Well, I don't think we will trust TJ's judgement anymore, because I have never seen it so crowed before! In fact, we overheard a worker even say that she had never seen it so busy! Oh, well...the kids still had such a blast and we took in all the Christmas festivities. I love Disneyland during the holidays...if you have never been during Christmas, it is a must!

Isn't Minnie Mouse the cutest little elf?

All the cousins...they have this Disneyland thing down to a science!

Cali was a little unsure about Mickey getting so fresh with her!

We also headed over to Disneyland again with TJ's parents and Chad and Michelle's family at the beginning of March for another weekend adventure.
It was quite amusing because Jim rented us a wheelchair so we could use the wheelchair entrance and walk right on all the rides (he always knows how to work the system!)...it was kind of legit though because Candace did just have surgery a few weeks prior. We got some questioning looks when we pushed her up and asked if all 11 of us could get on! It worked like a charm though and we got so many rides in that we had never even tried before.
She was a trooper and played the part well!
Madison had to go on every ride with her daddy...he always says he feels like they are dating and are definitely a couple! I didn't mind too much because Cali is such a mommy's girl still.
Thumbs up while waiting for the High School Musical parade to start!
The weather was beautiful during the day but we had to bundle up at night...just waiting to ride King Arthur's carousel.
We finally made it to Pixie Hollow to see Cali's favorite...TINKERBELL!
Cali was full of smiles as we took a spin in the teacups...not a good idea while pregnant. I almost lost it!
Madison and Julia...future movie stars, just waiting to be discovered!
Justin and Cali loving their Jido (that is Lebanese for "grandpa")
All the girls got to go have dinner with the princesses at Ariel's grotto. They loved dancing with their favorites and got time to talk to all of them...a dream come true for any little girl. Thanks Grandma and Jido!

Chicago

In January, we snuck away, kidfree, on our first ever trip to Chicago with TJ's parents. I must say we were a little crazy to go at the coldest time of the year, but we got a taste of what an amazing city it truly is. We came back with a new found appreciation for AZ weather and vowed to never move away! I came to the conclusion that I would NEVER survive in true winter weather and can't really fathom how I even lasted during my college days in Utah!

TJ and I in front of the WICKED theater...we tried for two days to get tickets by entering their lottery, but had no luck. It was the last weekend it was playing in the city so it was the hot ticket!

We did get tickets to see Jersey Boys one night, which was really a fun show with great music. It tells the story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons and if I hadn't been so cold, I would have even gotten up and danced to the music!

Here we are in front of the famous bean sculpture in Millennium Park, which shows the reflection of the city in it. I know I look like I live in Alaska, but I absolutely could not get enough clothes on me. I put on everything I could fit and was still freezing. I think with the windchill, it was like -15 below O! Who lives like that???!

We made it to the top of the Hancock Building, which is 100 stories high (the Sears tower has 108 floors) and had drinks (hot coco) and enjoyed watching the sun set over the city. Even parts of Lake Michigan were completely frozen over!

We still enjoyed shopping on the miracle mile and dining at all the amazing restaurants. Hopefully, we can make it back there someday, preferably in the summertime, so we can get the full Chicago experience!

Happy Birthday Baby!

2009-03-16T16:42:00.000-07:00

Our sweet little girl, Cali Christine, turned 3 years old on on Feb 13! As you can see from this picture, she is such a fun gal to be around and always keeps us laughing and on our toes.
She had a great day celebrating and typical of the Hazar girls, her birthday lasted practically all month long. One of the highlights of her day was her daddy surprising her at gymnastics class with a princess balloon and a rose. The minute she spotted him watching her, she got the biggest smile on her face and it was difficult for her to concentrate on the rest of her class! He truly is her real life Prince Charming!

That night we took her to one of her all time favorite places, Peter Piper Pizza, and we were joined by the Cherrington cousins, Grandma and Jido, and Grandma and Deloy. Her favorite pastime is riding on merry-go-rounds and that night she was definitely not disappointed.

Finally, it was time for PRESENTS!

The one and only thing she wanted for her birthday was "red hair, purple boobies, and a tail." After being slightly concerned, I figured out that she wanted an Ariel costume...the one princess dress that we didn't have! Well, we couldn't find the red hair, but she was still thrilled and kept saying, "This is what I asked for and I got it!" She does make an adorable Ariel!

The girls' main birthday present this year was the in ground trampoline we just put in our backyard. It only took me about 2 years to convince TJ that this was practical and a necessity for our girls. I think once he realized we were having another girl, suddenly things like princess costumes, trampolines, and tutus seem like quite practical purchases! It was finished in time for us to have a little Birthday BBQ for Cali with friends and family.

Our good friend, Lisa, let us borrow her bounce house for the little ones and a good time was had by all! Cali thoroughly enjoyed her cupcakes and rubbing the blue frosting all over her hands and arms like lotion! It only took me about 3 days and 5 baths later to get the dye off her hands. We love you Cali and couldn't imagine our family without you! You truly are a blessing in our lives and there is nothing better then when you squeeze my checks and tell me how much you love me. XOXO!

It's a...Girl! (ps I'm pregnant!)

2009-02-18T17:14:00.000-08:00

We found out a couple weeks ago that we are having another precious baby girl (and for those of you who I haven't spilled the beans to yet...I AM PREGNANT!). The girls are thrilled to have a baby girl to dress up and take care of and TJ came to grips a long time ago that he was going to be very outnumbered in our house (even our Golden Retriever, Sandy, is a girl!). I thought it was so sweet though because the night we found out, TJ said he felt pretty honored to be trusted with 3 daughters of our Heavenly Father to take care of. What a big responsibility that is! The teenage years will be quite interesting for me with all those girl hormones around, especially since I grew up in a house full of brothers, but it will be fun sharing and fighting over clothes and make-up, I'm sure.

Merry Christmas...in February??

2009-02-18T16:16:00.000-08:00

OK, So I am officially 2 months behind on my blog, but that is true about my life in general...I have to admit that I am running a little slower these days! I almost skipped over the entire holiday season but I just couldn't resist doing a little Christmas summary since we really got in the spirit of things around here with our two little elves. It was such a magical season because the girls were amazed by everything from the decorations to the Christmas books that we read to them nightly. It was pretty hilarious to hear them sing their favorite song, "I want a Hippopotamus for Christmas," in perfect harmony on a daily basis and to hear TJ read them that book EVERY single night before bed. I finally had to hid the book by mid-January!

December seemed to fly by faster then ever, but we did get to fit in most of our favorite Christmas traditions....

Making the famous sugar cookies although I think the cooks ate more of the frosting then they actually put on the cookies!

Madison's annual Christmas Concert and party at her preschool. I think she was the luckiest girl in the class because she got to have both of her grandmas there to support her. She is pretty spoiled!

Our gingerbread house decorating competition with Chad and Michelle's family. Again...I think more candy was eaten that night then put on the houses!

All bundled up to go look at Christmas lights...we found some great houses. One even had an actual stable full of animals that the kids could pet.

We went down to Mesa Temple lights with our good friends, The Redds, and enjoyed walking around the temple. I know it doesn't look like it, but Cali thoroughly enjoyed it!

Matt, Sarah, Jack, and baby Ella
This is apparently Cali's new smiley face...she is pulling this face in most of my pictures from the past two months!

Our annual neighborhood Christmas party with a special visit from Santa! Madison looks like a little angel and Cali is trying to be funny again. I actually had no idea she pulled this face until I downloaded the pictures. What a stinker!
This is how we do snow in Arizona...it was about 80 degrees outside! Most of the kiddos were playing in it in shorts.

On Christmas Eve we celebrated with Scott and Jenny at my mom's house where the kids put on their special Christmas concert. I must say, it gets more and more interesting each year and the gifts are getting more and more creative too...don't ask!

We then headed over to the TJ's parents house for their annual Christmas Eve party where we had a special visitor make a quick stop by on his busy night.

Cali is just contemplating whether she made the naughty or nice list this year.

Christmas morning was a little sad at our house. The girls ran into our bedroom to wake us up in the morning and at about the same time as I wished Cali a Merry Christmas, she proceeded to throw up all over me! We had to cancel having my mom an Deloy over for breakfast and we took the morning easy. She rested and bounced back in time for us to head to the Hazars to open presents. We finished the day by seeing the movie "Marley and Me," which was a great family show. The kids loved it and according to my niece, Julia, it taught us about "the circle of life."

We continued celebrating Christmas for about another week while TJ's brother, David, and his family visited from Utah. We went to the Phoenix Zoo for Zoo lights and just enjoyed watching the cousins play together.

All the Hazar girl cousins: Julia, Clara, Madison, and Cali
On New Year's Eve the kids acted out the Nativity. Madison had to be some sort of princess and refused to be a stinky barn animal, so she made up her own part as the angel's sister.

Here she is proclaiming the birth of Baby Jesus!

We ended the night with a "feats of strength" competition, which included various physical challenges (thanks to Chad), but it actually was just a big ploy to get Candace to try to see if she could still do the splits. Quite impressive, I must say and look at that smile...she hardly looks a day older then her high school cheer photo!

We loved celebrating the season and teaching our girls about the true meaning of Christmas. We are so thankful for this time of year where we get to reflect on the life of our Savior and all He did for us. We love you all and wish you a wonderful New Year! We are already counting down the days until next Christmas...

Love Letter to the Birthday Boy!!

2008-12-11T21:08:00.001-08:00

This past Tuesday was TJ's 29th Birthday and I decided it was about time to roast and toast him. He has finally caught up to me so I don't feel like the OLDER woman anymore. We hope he enjoyed our little tradition of making a heart-shaped cake for the special day. The girls were so excited to sing to him and even hid little notes around the house for him to find.

When we were dating in high school, TJ made me a list of 100 things he loved about me. Well for the sake of time, I decided to narrow things down a little and give him his own list...

Top Ten Reasons Why We Love You!

1. You are such a "girl" daddy, what can I say? Nothing melts my heart quicker then seeing you interact with your daughters, who think you are not only the strongest man in the world (which of course, you are!), but also their handsome prince who they get to marry someday (let's hope they continue to think this for a LONG time). You are so kind and loving with them and treat them like the princesses they think they really are. I hope and pray that they end up with a man just like you someday.

2. You are such a wonderful provider for our family and have made it possible for me to do my favorite thing in the world...be a mother. I am grateful everyday for all of your efforts!

3. You are an excellent kisser...need I say more? Just look at the expression on Cali's face...she is blown away!

4. You make me feel so loved and beautiful everyday...even when I am still in my pjs and it is already dinnertime.

5. You have a secret talent in the kitchen and are a wonderful cook. I think someday you should go to chef school...maybe in retirement. It is comforting knowing that I will never have to cook my own turkey on Thanksgiving!

6. You are so funny...the girls think you are just the silliest person ever. I know you think we ignore all your jokes, but they don't go unnoticed...we are laughing on the inside, I promise!

7. Needless to say, you didn't inherit a "natural" dance ability or love for dance (I could probably count the number of times we have danced on one, ok, maybe two hands), but you are pretty impressive shaking your hips playing Dance Dance Revolution on the Wii...just like it says in the game, "nobody moves like you do!"

8. Your entrepreneurial spirit...you are always trying to come up with new inventions or business ideas. I love that you are so driven to succeed in life. You have already owned two of your own businesses, and I am sure there are many more to come in the future!

9. You are a great TV partner. I have never seen someone able to control the remote as effectively and gracefully as you...a very useful, lifelong skill, I know. I also love that you watch all my shows with me, from Gilmore Girls to Lipstick Jungle...I am not sure who is a bigger fan, you or me!

10. You are mine...I feel like the luckiest woman in the world every night when I get to fall asleep next to you.

Hope you had a wonderful day and know that you are so loved and cherished in this house!

XOXOXO,
ALL your girls!

Our Dancing Queen

2008-11-23T14:44:00.000-08:00

This weekend Madison had her first official dance competition. She is in the Sunbeams class at her dance studio, which is their first little "company" team. It was pretty amusing but the girls looked so cute and little up on that big stage, that I honestly got a little emotional watching. They performed a jazz routine to "I Love Lucy" and actually took first place in their division (I am not quite sure how many were in her division, but we will take it!). She was so excited to get a trophy and a ribbon and really enjoyed performing. It was a long day waiting for the awards ceremony, but well worth it! We are so proud of you Madison!

Getting ready backstage...I just love the hats on them. It completes the outfit!

Madison gets to take dance with her cousin and best friend, Julia, which is so fun for them. I am so glad that they get to share these experiences together!

And the winners are...Arizona Sunrays!

Viva Las Vegas

2008-11-21T09:11:00.000-08:00

Last weekend TJ and I ran away to Las Vegas, kidfree, thanks to the team effort of the grandparents (THANK YOU both so much!). He had a work conference there and he was sweet enough to plan a little getaway for us before his conference started. He is always so good to plan fun little trips for the two of us and I feel so blessed to have such a thoughtful husband. We really just have so much fun being together and it always makes me feel like we are back in our dating years again!

We stayed at the Venetian, which is an amazingly beautiful hotel and enjoyed just walking around the canal shops and eating at all the fun restaurants there. We always love the Grand Lux Cafe and they have such a yummy breakfast.

The gardens at the Bellagio were spectacular, as usual, and all decorated for fall. They even had this cool talking tree that my girls would have thought was so silly.

The last night we were there, TJ took me to a fancy Italian restaurant and then we were off to see The Phantom of the Opera. It is always a touching show, but it was especially exciting because they had a few empty seats so they upgraded us to the 8th row, center stage. Pretty lucky...I guess we should have hit the casinos more!
TJ thoroughly enjoyed all of our meals...I should have photographed them all because they were pretty impressive (for those of you who don't know...my husband has quite a hearty appetite...he is a Hazar, what can I say!).

Thanks for a wonderful weekend. It always goes by too quickly, but there is nothing better then coming home to my girls. Back to reality....

Girls Just Want to Have FUN!

2008-11-17T20:59:00.000-08:00

The first annual LOVE SHACK REUNION took place at my house on the weekend of November 7-9th! For those of you who aren't familiar with the term "Love Shack," it is the silly name me and my college roommates gave ourselves when we moved into our first house at BYU. Six girls all under one roof...hence the name "love shack." Anyway, we finally decided to make it a tradition to get together once a year and it only took us about 8 years to pull it off. The girls, Amy Hirschi (Perkins), Becca Danguy (Long), Michele Drewery (Tingey), and the Texas Twiners, Erin Spencer and Kristin Cranney (Gluth), came from Missouri, Florida, Oklahoma, Texas, and Tucson to spend the weekend in warm sunny AZ. We had so much fun together and it was like no time had gone by at all. We spent the weekend pampering ourselves with pedicures, shopping, working out, eating out, and catching up on old times. I think we all realized that we weren't 20 anymore...staying up until 4am every night wore us all out. I think I was sick for about a week after those all nighters! How sad!

Thanks to all the hubbies for stepping up and taking care of the kiddos for us. I feel so blessed to have such great friends in my life. The BYU Love Shack girls have turned out to be amazing women and mothers and I fell so blessed to have them in my life. Until next year...(maybe if the hubbies behave themselves, we will invite them sometime!)

XOXOXO

Trick or Treat

2008-11-01T23:11:00.000-07:00

Halloween was so FUN this year and very eventful at our house. The day before Halloween we had a cute little party with our neighborhood friends...this was a good trial run for the costumes.

Madison was Little Bo Beep and Cali is suppose to be Mary Poppins (it turned out to be a cross between "Poppy" and Betty Boop)...she absolutely LOVED this dance costume we already had so I tried to make it work. She was darling, whoever she was suppose to be!

All the kids lined up for a photo shoot!

A picnic pizza party!

Bobbing for apples...the kids were a little unsure about this activity!

Halloween day was jammed packed. Madison had preschool in the morning and they had a cute monster party with disgusting treats.

Here is Cali saying goodbye to her "sissy." This is Cali's first of 3 costumes, just on Halloween day. It was so exhausting but somethings just aren't worth fighting her over. Every time we stopped at home, she ran upstairs and came down in a different outfit. I am just relieved she decided to be Mary Poppins for the trick or treating!

After preschool, we headed to Madison's dance class, where Cali appeared as Sleeping Beauty and Madison had to wear her favorite fancy dance outfit in honor of Halloween.

Halloween night, Cali finally appeared as Mary Poppins...I love that little face! Madison always says that she thinks Cali has the cutest little face. I agree! My Little Bo Peep doing her model pose!

TJ made his famous root beer again this year. He calls it his "witches brew" and hands it out to all the kids. They all love it because it is made with dry ice so it is all smokey and spooky! It is so yummy and a fun tradition...good job daddy!Our neighborhood is so festive and there are a ton of kids. We always have a block party on our street and everyone brings food. This year one of our neighbors was even the DJ. We then headed out to trick or treat.

We had a little party at our house and Grandma and Deloy came to join in on the fun.

Madison looks like she is already in a sugar-induced coma!

Our good friends, Sarah and Matt, came over with their little goldfish (Ella) and scary shark (Jack). She is hating her mom right now for putting her in this costume!

Chad and Michelle came over too with their little baseball players (Tyler and Justin) and their beautiful princess (Julia). All kids went around trick or treating one more time because we, of course, needed some more candy! It was a great night and we loved having everyone over. Thanks to everyone for making this another great Halloween!

Fall is in the Air

2008-10-28T23:47:00.000-07:00

Actually, not really here in AZ...it was still in the 90s today, but we are pretending like it is fall here. Last week at Madison's preschool, she had her annual country fair and Cali was allowed to join in on the fun with her preschool class.

Madison and Taylor...best buddies!

It was so fun to see all the kiddos dressed in their country best. Here is Madison's entire class with her teachers, Mrs. Bauer and Mrs. Norton. She is having another really great year at La Casa de Cristo Preschool!

This past Sunday night we had Chad and Michelle's family over to carve pumpkins...Grandma Candace, Jido, my mom, and Deloy were also there, but they all claimed they were "retired" from the pumpkin carving stages of their lives and were no help at all. Luckily the boys were pretty into it...

I think the boys scared the kids a little with the knifes and the grunting. It is hard work making a masterpiece!

Even Michelle got her hands dirty and cleaned out the pumpkin goo...a job nobody would volunteered for.

The kids waited patiently for the pumpkins to be cleaned out and the carving to begin...

Madison helped me pick out the pumpkins at the store and, of course, we came home with not one, but three pumpkins for her daddy to carve. He said he was done after two, but was a good sport about it. Surprisingly, TJ has a hidden talent as a pumpkin carver and takes it pretty seriously. Every year he tries to outdo his pumpkin from the previously year.

Tyler, the pumpkin man...we had fun trying the pumpkin face on the kids..surprisingly, it fit Chad's head perfectly. That is the beauty of signature Cherrington head though!

We had to see how our finished products looked all lite up...let's hope these pumpkins make it to Halloween night. Thanks to everyone who made it such a fun night!

Disneyland or Bust!!

2008-10-28T22:45:00.000-07:00

We just got back from another successful Hazar Family trip to Disneyland (well it has been a couple weeks now...I am a little slow at this blogging thing!). It is by far our favorite place to go on vacation right now with our girls being ages 2 and 4 because they just think it is so magical. They eat it all up! As we were walking in, Madison turned to me and ask, "Mommy, is this a dream?" She couldn't believe we were actually there! That little comment made the whole trip worth it.

We drove over on Thursday and just couldn't help ourselves but to head to Disneyland that night for some fun. We have never been there before at Halloween time and it was so festive. Everywhere we turned it was decorated with candy corns and spooky things. Even all the characters were in costumes! Here is a shot of the entrance decor...

We immediately went on Cali's FAVORITE ride...Dumbo...I think we must have ridden that one at least 5 or 6 times that weekend.

Then we headed over to Madison's favorite ride...the TEACUPS. Actually it is TJ's too but he doesn't like to admit it. The girls squealed the whole time!

The girls were amazed by the crazy farm that was growing candy corns. They both inherited their mommy's love for sweets so they thought this was heaven on earth! Madison's face says it all!

Madison loved keeping an eye out for characters and enjoyed posing with them. Cali was a little unsure about the whole idea.

The best part about our trip was getting to spend time with the Hazar cousins. The kids had so much fun together and I am so glad that they are all such great friends. I am so grateful to Jim and Candace, who always put forth such an effort to get the whole family together. They are helping to create such a wonderful childhood for my girls and all the grand kids so THANK YOU so much! Your efforts do not go unnoticed!

This picture cracks me up because Madison and Julia were insistent that they could ride Midway Mania together with no adults to help them. The point of the ride is to aim and shoot at different targets on screens. At the end of the ride, I looked over at Madison's score and it was 0 and Julia's score was a 10. (Just for a point of reference, TJ scored like 150,000). They were just laughing and giggling at each other in the 3-D glasses the entire time. When we got off, Madison informed me that she taught Julia how to play, hence Julia's high score!

They were pretty proud of themselves!

This is our somewhat sad attempt to get all the grand kids together and smiling at the same time. Baby Alvin (David and Nabby's baby) was not too crazy about this idea. He better get use to the picture moments, especially being a Hazar! Thanks Grandma Candace for the cute matching princess shirts!

There was even a petting zoo all set up for Halloween with sheep, goats, and cows. Both my girls absolutely LOVE animals, but they thought it was little stinky so they kept their distance.

Cali wasn't afraid of the pumpkin scarecrow though!

In just one day, Cali insisted on several outfit changes. She went from being Minnie Mouse, to wearing her princess shirt, to actually being a princess. I wonder where she gets this from?? She makes packing a little challenging.

Cali and Grandma Candace posing with Winnie the Pooh outside the infamous "buzzy bee" ride. Ever since Cali was stung by a bee at our cabin in Pinetop, she is petrified of the Winnie the Pooh ride because there are bees on it. She was adamant that we skip this ride...maybe next time!

This was the highlight of the trip for my girls, once again! They loved taking pictures with the princesses and wearing their princess dresses for the princess coronation ceremony.

Even Minnie was dressed in her princess best!

At the ceremony they taught all the little girls a dance and they got to dance with Cinderella, Snow White, and Sleeping Beauty.

Every time we do the Princess Extravaganza at Disneyland, TJ mutters something under his breath about needing to have a boy. Maybe someday honey...keep dreaming!

It was such a fun and exhausting weekend. We even went for a couple hours on Sunday with Chad and Michelle's family before we gave in and drove home. What can I say, we are die-hards! Thanks to all the Hazars for some great memories.

Cali's a BIG GIRL!!

2008-10-22T23:51:00.000-07:00

Last weekend TJ finally made me take down Cali's crib and set up her "big girl" bed. It was very traumatic for me, but Cali was so excited and ran around all weekend talking about how she is a big girl now. I always hate taking down the crib, because it makes me feel like I am really losing my baby! I was seriously depressed all day and even got a little teary packing up her sweet crib linens. I loved her nursery so part of me is hoping for another girl someday so I can use all her things again...TJ thinks I am jinxing us!!

One final jump before Daddy tears it down!

It's official..she is a BIG GIRL and proud of it!

The girls love snuggling together right before bed time, which is usually followed by a couple of monkeys jumping on the bed, and then a pillow fight with Daddy. Now that Cali's bed is set up, they always run into her room to say prayers together and then they want me to "tell them about tomorrow." They like to hear the play by play of what we are going to do the next day.

The finished product...made for a princess!

...and she is out! She looks like a little TJ when she is asleep!

Cali did great the first night and then I gave her a stool to climb in and out of bed easier and she realized that she could come and go as she pleased. It always freaks me out a little when I find her wandering around the house in the middle of the night. We are working on it though...love you Cali!

Cali's New Do

2008-10-08T22:49:00.000-07:00

I just bobbed Cali's hair yesterday and took 2 1/2 inches off! That is a big step for me. She is just going through a phase where she hates to get her hair done and I was tired of fighting her. Our typical morning included chasing her down, wrestling her to the ground, finally getting a ponytail in her hair, and then 5 minutes later, her ripping it out. What can I say, it is now short and sassy, just like her. I think it fits her little personality perfectly. She has been running around, flipping it with attitude and checking herself out in the mirror all day long!

I just love that little face...I could eat her up (I don't know why she is poking out her tummy- she looks nine months pregnant)!!

Oh What Did We Do In The Summertime?? Part II

2008-10-08T22:24:00.000-07:00

July 2008

The 4th of July is a miserable holiday in AZ so we usually try to get away and LOVE to spend it in Utah. It is always so festive there and the weather is beautiful in the summer. My girls just enjoy spending time with their cousins and actually being able to play outside without melting! We had a great time visiting my brother Brad and his family for a couple days...we even humored Brad with a day of "Christensen Olympics" and played in the 1st annual Christensen softball game, which was pretty pathetic, but entertaining. I realized that I don't think I have ever seen my mom run before in my life. Weird...needless to say, I didn't see her run that day either?!

We then headed to Provo to spend some time with TJ's brother David and his family. TJ's whole family came up for the weekend for the baby blessing of David and Nabby's newest addition, Alvin Mitchell Hazar. The highlight of the trip was getting to go to the Stadium of Fire at BYU starring Miley Cyrus AKA Hannah Montana! It was a pretty big deal to Madison and she and Julia even wore matching Hannah shirts to show their excitement. Madison loves Hannah and knows almost all of her songs. I have to admit, I was pretty excited too!

Julia, Tyler, Reid, and Madison pose before heading to the Stadium of Fire on the 4th of July!

Madison was warming up just in case she was called on stage!

All of the Hazars and Nabby's parents on Alvin's blessing day

All of the cousins, except Alvin...there are now 8 of them! What a cute group!
Hope everyone had a great holiday!
August 2008

The highlight of my August was the trip TJ took me on for my birthday to San Francisco for the weekend. I had come to the sad realization this year that birthdays just aren't as exciting as they use to be and it is not really that fun to get older anymore! How depressing...but this trip was a blast and it made my birthday month memorable. TJ had never been to San Francisco before so it was fun to show him my roots (that is where I was born).

We took a break from shopping to pose at Union Square

The highlight of TJ's trip was on Saturday morning, we went down to the Ferry Building across from the Embarcadero Center, where they have a huge farmer's market and food and craft fair. He was so happy here that I had to snap his picture. He said this was the best hot dog that he had ever had, which coming from TJ, is quite a compliment.

The highlight for me was riding around the city on the trolley cars...we were so fascinated by them that we even went to the trolley car museum on Sunday to learn about their history...don't laugh!

On Saturday afternoon, we headed down to Fisherman's Wharf area and Pier 39 for dinner. We stopped to walk down Lombard Street, America's crookedest street. I remember driving down this when I was a little girl and thought it was amazing...it still is!

On Sunday we were able to meet up with my best friend Becky, who is currently living in San Francisco working on her doctorate degree. She took us over to the little artsy town of Sausalito for the afternoon and then even entertained me by letting me out of the car to walk across the Golden Gate Bridge. She thought we were a little touristy but I know deep down she loved it too. It was so windy and cold that day, but it was breathtaking to look out over the city and Alcatraz. What an amazing city San Francisco is...I now understand the saying, "I left my heart in San Francisco."

Thank you TJ for a wonderful weekend and for always spoiling me on my birthdays! XOXOXO

Oh What Did We Do In the Summer Time??

2008-10-04T08:45:00.000-07:00

We had such a fun summer and since I really meant to start my blog months ago, I feel obligated to do a little summer recap. So here it goes...

June 2008
We started out the summer with a monumental trip to CA to meet up with all my brothers and their families for a Christensen Reunion. It was quite a group and a lot of chaos, but the cousins had such a blast playing with each other. There are 21 of us when we are all together (that includes 12 grandkids, thanks mostly to Brad and Melanie HA HA!). We stayed at the Newport Coast Villas, which was incredibly beautiful.
Fun in the Sun

We posed while playing at Laguna Beach for a girls photo!

Madison and Coleman spent all afternoon "chasing" the waves. They would try to out run the waves, belly laughing the whole time.

They are quite good little buddies and Madison always talks about what a little "jokester" Coleman is (he is Brad and Melanie's 3rd boy).

Maddie and her daddy
Mommy's girl- Cali was a little unsure about the sand...she didn't even dare to take off her cover-up!

My handsome brothers: Scott, Marc, and Brad...They still got it after all these years!!

My crazy brother Brad- He will do just about anything for a laugh!

Uncle TJ & Baby Rachel- This was the first time we got to meet Marc and Chrissy's little girl. She is a doll, of course!!

"Grandma-Grandma" and Madison- My girls always call her "Grandma-Grandma." We think it is just because she is such an exceptional one!!

TJ and Cali practicing her back floats. She is surprisingly buoyant!

We wore them out every night. There is nothing better than catching our sleeping beauties spooning together!

It was special to all be together on the 2 year anniversary of my dad's passing away and I am sure he was looking down and so pleased to see his family all together again. We need to make this a tradition! Love you all!

Here Comes the Bride

We ended our trip with a wedding! Most of you already know, but my mom got married to an old high school boyfriend, Deloy, whose wife had also passed away from cancer. The wedding was small and intimate with all of the grandkids running the show, but everything went beautiful. I never thought I would be the maid of honor for my mom...talk about role reversal!!

My girls

Katelyn, Cali, and Madison were such darling little flower girls. They did a great job, but they were so focused on walking in sync down the isle and smiling at the same time that they forgot to throw any rose petals! Once they got up to the front, they all realized it so they just dumped out their bags where they were standing. It was classic!

Here is Coleman giving the rest of the groomsmen a pep talk. I told you he was a jokester, just like his daddy!

The ceremony was performed around sunset and overlooking the ocean and a golf course. What could be better?

Katelyn being escorted by Tanner and Kyle. What handsome groomsmen!

Our little family

The Bride with her kids

The Whole Christensen-Paskett Group

Congrats!
Before we headed home, we spent a couple of days in Disneyland with TJ's parents, who were so supportive and met us in CA for the wedding. My girls truly believe it is the happiest place on earth and they couldn't get enough of Disney princesses, of course! Madison was finally tall enough to go on splash mountain. She was really brave but said one time was enough for her!

This was so hilarious. The girls were so excited every time they saw a princess so we waited in several lines just to get a chance to talk to them. All day Cali had been a little shy with them, but Belle really won her over. She ran up to her and just gave her the biggest hug and wouldn't let go. I'm not exaggerating when I say she hugged her for about 5 minutes. You can see in this next picture that she even got a little fresh with her (look at her right hand placement), but Belle was SO cute with her that she is now her favorite princess!

Once we finally tore Cali away, she immediately ran to the back of the line to wait to see her one more time. We were all laughing so hard that we just let her go, so here is her second intimate moment with Belle.

Daddy even enjoyed watching the princesses dance almost as much as the girls! You can tell he is the daddy to little girls, huh?

The Grand Finale

And they are out for the count!!

The next morning we left CA around 4:30 am to get back in time for Madison's big dance recital that she worked all year long for. She did great despite being tired and said she loved being up on the big stage. This is her with Ms. Carolyn, her dance teacher for her tap, ballet, and broadway kids class. We just love her!!

A Little Insight...

2008-09-30T23:27:00.000-07:00

TJ and I have been married for 7 years now and, as corny as it sounds, are more in love with each other with every passing day. Who couldn't love a man who can look great wearing a princess crown and costume jewelry?! We met in middle school and have been best friends ever since. We recently sold Huddle, the business that has been in my family for years, which was definitely bitter sweet, but in retrospect, I know it was the correct decision for our family and especially for my darling girls. I now have more time to do things like blogging…Ha Ha! Ironically, now that my world is completely centered around my lovely little girls, I am busier then ever and loving every second of it.

Madison is now 4 1/2 and just started her second year of preschool and thoroughly enjoys it. She loves learning and I am amazed at how much information she absorbs. She has such a calm, sensitive, and caring personality, which is a nice compliment to Cali (which we’ll get to in a second!). She always tells me how much she loves me just out of the blue, which makes motherhood so rewarding! She constantly wants to help me do things around the house, like cooking, cleaning, and folding the laundry so I can’t complain too much! Madison is involved in dance for the second year and just started gymnastics. I think she loves it so much because of the pretty outfits, but she is starting to become a good little athlete. She is my little “crafter” and will sit for hours coloring until her picture is perfect. Maybe she got her artistic gene from her Grandma Candace. The best is when her daddy and her color together …I have to admit that he can color quite a beautiful princess, a talent only a daddy of two girls should have! Unfortunately, Madison inherited her sweet tooth from her mom and enjoys pink ice cream with sprinkles on it. Madison’s favorite story is Repunzel and claims that she is never cutting her hair until it touches the floor (seriously, she hasn’t let me even trim it for months now)! It is half way down her back and she is quite particular about how she wants it styled everyday. Some days she likes 3 braids, other days, she wants curls and sparkles in it. It is quite stressful doing her hair! She is just a perfect big sister to Cali and they are the best of friends. They are so lucky to have each other!

Cali Christine is 2 ½ and truly believes she was born as one of the Disney princesses. Most days she is Aurora, otherwise better known as Sleeping Beauty. I constantly find her pretending to curl her hair for her wedding and getting ready for her “Prince Charming”, who is actually her daddy…lets hope it stays that way for a LONG time. She is such a happy child, which is funny, because she came into the world so mad and stayed that way for about 6 months! I always find her singing to herself, especially the lullaby song from Island Princess. It is actually really sweet and melts my heart every time I hear it, which is multiple times a day. If I don’t give her the reaction she expects, she will sing it louder and louder, until she is practically screaming. She has this cute little accent, kind of a cross between a New York taxi driver and Mary Poppins (which is her favorite movie of all time). She will actually be starring as Mary Poppins this Halloween, or “Poppie” as she likes to call her. Cali has the funniest personality, which makes it so hard to get mad at her…mostly because she laughs when I put her in time-out or try to discipline her and is extremely stubborn. She usually wins! I think we are going to have our work cut out with her but at least I know it will be an entertaining ride! Cali believes strongly in an all-dairy diet at the moment and eats yogurt, cheese, and milk in some form or the other for every single meal. Occasionally she will mix it up with spoonfuls of ketchup. Like I said, she is stubborn but has brought such joy to our lives at a time when we really needed to laugh.

I Finally Did It!!!

2008-09-29T00:20:00.000-07:00

OK so I finally gave in and made a Hazar Family blog. It has been on my to-do list forever and this is exactly why it has taken me so long to do...it is 12:30 am and I should be sleeping! I have enjoyed reading all of your blogs out there for so long so I decided to join in and be better at keeping in touch. Here is goes....welcome to our little peice of heaven on earth.