10 yr anniversary

This was so much stinking fun! We celebrated our 10 year anniversary in Hawaii this year. It was in September and we couldnt have done it

without the amazing help of parents! Thank you to Andy for sacrificing mom for a week and helping us book the flight! The kids got to stay with my mom (Nana), then Grampa Don. I just learned today that my poor dad thought that Lola was potty trained when he accepted the babysitting assignment. He told me he got her to use the toilet once or twice, then realized that we had a lot of diapers, and that maybe she wasn't potty trained after all! I was a bit jealous because today I have been working on potty training and have had very little success. Why do I do this every time? I KNOW BETTER THAN TO START BEFORE THE EVE OF THEIR 3RD BIRTHDAY!!!! yet Every time I have to try early. We fail, there are accidents, it's frusterating for all of us, and then we pack up those little panties and try again. Anyway, back to Ben and I...We had a fabulous time. I love that guy so stinking much! Every day there is just more to appreciate and adore. He's the best Daddy ever, and I couldn't of dreamed up a better husband. He is cooking up some birthday surprise for me this weekend...I am so curious! It keeps getting more and more mysterious. Hmmmm....now what to wear? Brookie is turning 5 next week! I can't believe how big they are all getting. She's had asthma problems the last few days, it always happens after she holds puppies. I think we have all learned our lesson! Poor kid. She is taking dance now and it is so fun to watch her. She looooves to shake her little hips when the dance calls for it. Its like that's the move she's waiting for the whole time:) Emmaline finishes another season of soccer this Saturday, and is now beginning ballet. I was a little disappointed because I signed her up for ballet, but when I got there, they were calling it lyrical. What the heck is that? Poor Emmaline fell victim to her ADD mother again. This morning we are on time for school but on the 'we are in a hurry' side of on time, and I decided that she absolutely needed a haircut. So we trimmed off 4 inches, and still got her there in time for announcements. Why am I so last minute with the weirdest things? Is it pregnancy or am I always like this? Like right now it is 15 minutes till midnight, and I decided I haaaad to post right now. Weird.

updates

Howdy y'all! We have been in Texas for over a year now and no one has actually said that to me-I am somewhat disappointed. Y'all is dropped like "and" and "the" but sorry, "howdy" is only actually used by other states referring to Texas.

I am the new ward activities chair person in our ward. We had our first party last night-the Fall Festival. It was so much fun! I am so relieved to have it as a good memory rather than something to look forward to, if you catch my drift.

We are expecting another baby! We don't know if it's a boy or a girl yet, and I am due May 8th. I forgot how sleepy and nauseated i felt the other times. This pregnancy stuff is hard work!

Ben is loving dentistry. We bought the practice a few months ago and it keeps us SUPER busy. He doesnt mean to work on Fridays, but usually ends up down there taking care of an emergency or someone that couldn't fit onto the schedule.

Emmaline is playing soccer again and getting pretty good! Yesterday she had 2 games, and I wish you all could come see her play. Ben and I are coaching her team.

Brooklyn has started preschool 5 days a week! I was never a big believer in preschool outside the home, but Brookie will be an older kindergartener the way her birthday falls, and was in tears when we dropped Emmaline off at school. She would cry, "Where's my classroom?" So we enrolled her in a little school that is 3 hours a day (kindergarten will be all day next year) and we pull her out 1 day a week for home-school preschool with our friends. She has a knack for learning new words. A month ago, in front of my friend, she said, "Mom, I freaking hate this stupid sand" so I pulled her aside and explained how pretty princess girls just don't use those words. Then clear as a bell she replied, "ok d@mmit". We are giong to have our hands full with that one!

Lola is 2 1/2 now. She is very determined, and loves to introduce me to strangers. She says "what name?" then they reply and she says "I'm Lola. Dis Mom." All over wal*mart. And in Texas you pretty much have to NEVER be in a hurry, because the public loves to chat. And in a small town, someone knows you, or are a patient of Bens, or our kids go to school together, so there is even more to chat about.

Here is poor Brooklyn after a cashew. We took her to the hospital in Sherman, and after a lot of epinepherine, steroids and benadryl she fell asleep and we got to take her home. It is scary having somethin

g so common basically be poisonous to our baby! Everything else is going pretty well, we like the ward, we are meeting great friends, and it is hot as a sauna! Last night I was walking with my friend Misty and we saw an armadillo run across our path! It was the weirdest little animal. We are on our way to the library today and for the life of me I cant find like 3 books. Why? it kills me.

And the winner is...TEXAS!

Ellie & Lola (my dear pal Gina's daughter)
me and Amy:) date night with our hubbies at pf changs

our big girl!

Santa Anita race track! Too bad we didn't bet because I asked Emmaline and Brooklyn and Ben who their favorite horses were, and they picked the first, second, and third place! (my horse came in 12th)

Ben and Lola at in-n-out!

We were almost sure it was Washington.... Ben went out to TX last month and fell in love with the area, and a practice, and met some wonderful friends, and after praying about it we feel like it's where we're going! It will be so hard to be far away from family and our dear frineds here. Luckily we'll be just North of Dallas, about an hour from the airport so we can visit often. Plus house prices there are AWESOME so we'll get one with room for visitors.

Speaking of visitors, we had a great time seeing my cousin Shane and his sweet little family! They came to Disneyland and we got to go out to dinner with them. My kids asked about their cousins for days!

Ben has completed all of his requirements and has the dancing congratulations sign on his USC page to prove it. Has anyone seen that? funny! Anyway, Emmaline lost her first tooth! And then her second. Grandma and Grandpa Duffin came out to visit and we had such a nice time. Emmaline wanted Grandpa to pull out her tooth, I highly recommended him as being able to pull out teeth practically painlessly. Ben applied topical anesthetic (I know, we are totally spoiling her) and Dr. Duffin pulled it! So funny because (and I am sure all of my Duffin cousins will back me up) usually Grandpa is so eager to pull baby teeth that you really didn't want to let him wiggle yours, it ALWAYS ended up in his hand. But this time Emmaline had to beg him! I think some grandkids after me must have put up quite a fuss (I think it was Anna) and he didn't want to be the bad-guy.

And ahhh...there's Brooklyn. This spunky little girl keeps me hopping constantly! She is so funny, I just wish I could push pause and enjoy the humor in the bottle of shampoo being dumped into the tub, or the 1.5 hours it takes to feed her a meal...she wants to run around after each bite. We are truly raising a princess! Lately she runs up and kisses my hand, then asks "Mommy, did you feel my love tingle all the way up your arm?" I love it!

Lola is getting very mobile. She is pulling herself up onto things and peoples legs. She is as smiley as ever and now likes to hiss with a big grin on her face. this kid likes to smile so much that you can even get her to do it while she's crying.

I have been having fun with highlights. With my dear friend Gina as my tutor and guinnea-pig, I am really having fun playing beauty-shop! I did my moms hair yesterday, and it's pretty fun:) I just got released from my church calling as the enrichment leader. I had a lot of fun doing that and getting to know the women in the ward better. It's weird to not have a calling, but SO NICE to be able to concentrate on all the things we need to do to get ready for the move. We are flying out to TX next month to look for a place to live, and check out the schools, and finalize the details on where he will be working!

The problem with blogging...

Is that when you get behind, it feels impossible to catch up. And then, oh, what to write. Ben is almost DONE!!!! Can you believe it? I am so proud of him, and proving all of my confidence by sitting in his chair this Friday. I grew the perfect cavities for him to fill for 1) an upcoming test, and 2) to be his boards patient. Both of his Boards patients really. It was a difficult task but with the help several pregnancies and avoiding dental floss, I was able to do it. This really is a big deal because if you can't find this, you actually have to buy your patients, sometimes it is several thousand dollars. I won't bore you by posting my x-rays, but really, they are beautiful. I did however post a picture of my guy with a few of our girls and their cousins at the much anticipated wedding of Michael and Jenae! It was perfect, She looked amazing, and I would be hard pressed to find a more happy couple. Congratulations Mike and Jenae!

halloween 08

Halloween was a blast this year! Nana, Papa and Madelyn joined us for trick-or-treating, and then watched our kids while we went to a party dressed like this...

We are Captain Hook and Mr. Smee, courtesy of my mom the costume designer! I forgot how much fun it is to show up in one of her costumes! It was always one of my favorite holidays growing up because of her artistic enthusiasm. My poor kids always end up store-bought. They are still pretty cute though...if I do say so!

Emmaline is enjoying kindergarten and spelling everything in sight! I am now having to tell secrets in the super secret language of double-dutch instead of the spelling method. I broke the Duffin woman law and taught it to my husband so that we could communicate in front of our kids/friends in front of our kids/friends. Ben insists that I am not as sneaky as I think, but if you have never heard it I think I could confound the cleverest of linguists. Try me. Anyhoo, I am so excited for the elections this week! My parents watched the kids for us this morning so Ben and I could deliver fliers to protect traditional marriage. I have never been so passionate about an election before, it is exciting, but I am also looking forward to my blood pressure slowing down on November 5th.

it's been forever since I have posted, but life is so crazy now! How am I supposed to keep my house clean and read the latest Stephenie Meyer novel, watch the Olympics, and entertain fun sibling visitors? Anyway, that's why I'm slow to post. The girls are getting big, Emmaline is into the Taylor Swift song "our Song" and sings it at the top of her lungs. I love how she sings about the "slammin green door" instead of the slamming screen door. She takes after me. I love to sing along to whatever the ipod plays, and I only know about 30% of the lyrics of any of my favorite songs. Doesn't stop me! Brooklyn is obsessed with trolls right now. Apparently they eat poop. It's great because if she ever gets hurt, we ask her if a troll did it, and she says yes and comes up with a wild story about her injury. I love her imagination. This morning she woke me up by running into our room naked, holding up the pull-up that was completely soaked up to her ear saying "look at my phone mom. HELLO??? HELLO???" Sick. Lola is a happy little girl, we are enjoying her so much. She loves to smile, and the girls love to entertain her. She is our biggest so far at 4 months weighing in at a whopping 18.1 lbs. Ben just finished up another semester!!!!! This means he is officially a senior, and will be graduating in May of 2009. I am so proud of him! He has worked so hard, and I am so relieved that he is doing so well in school...after all, he will be my dentist for the rest of my life:)

Thanks Gramma Lynda!

We were on our way out the door the other day, and of course I am running late after looking for a headband for Lola. We open our front door and lo and behold there is a package with matching headbands from Gramma! We love them! And as you can see, the girls look adorable (oh I do hate to brag...) We went to the Arboretum in Arcadia and had a great time. Lola is laughing now, last weekend Papa (my step-dad) was holding her and making her laugh, and he asked if she was always that happy. We couldn't believe it! We hadn't been able to get her to laugh yet! We grabbed our camera and ran to capture the moment, and my little brother J.R. piped up and said,"I didn't know that was a big deal. She was laughing like crazy last week." So funny...especially if you've met JR. That kid is hilarious!