Miles and Caden got invited to a birthday party at Build-A-Bear Workshop. They had a blast. We have never taken the boys because it is so expensive. They had fun picking out their Bear's names and taking them home in their cool outfits. And they took a ton of pictures with their new best friends.
Miles with Miles Jr.
Caden with Fluffy and Miles Jr. and their take home boxes.
Alexandra had her 4 month check up on Wednesday, July 18th. She weighed in at 12 pounds 8 ounces (in the 20 percentile for her age) and was 25 inches long (the 75th percentile). She is healthy and doing great! She is rolling over both ways ... when she wants to. After her appointment, we went to Target to pick up some Rice Cereal.
I think she likes it!!!
Oh ... maybe not ... 
... I think she likes her fingers better!!
We drove to Utah for the family reunion. I hate making that long drive from California to Utah. But I do have to say on the way there the kids were SO GOOD in the car! Thank goodness for portable DVD players. How did our parents ever survive without them for those long car trips??
We woke up at 4:00 in the morning to leave for the beautiful drive that awaited us. We arrived Thursday night July 12th and stayed at my parents house for the evening, We were too tired to do anything else. Friday morning we got up and drove to Huntsville to meet up with everyone at Pineview lake. After being in the water and getting sunburned, we drove back to my parents house. We celebrated my mom's 50th birthday with a BBQ and some not so tasty Carrot Cake from Costco. Then we went and had a family picture taken with my family because the last one we had professionally taken was when Caden was about 6 months old. On Saturday, after Tim started to feel better from being sunburned ... We drove up to Hooper to Kim & John's house. We had a great time. The boys got to swim, go "fishing," and hit the Elmo pinata. They were good at talking some smack that night too. Their favorite thing to say around all the Utah cousins was:
Miles: "Who dunked on Kirilenko?"
Caden would respond with "Baron Davis!!"
Tim was so proud!!
Just in case any one forgot:
Our cousin Jessica also made this awesome video for the family reunion:
We had a great night, hanging out with the family. My favorite part was Rebecca cutting my hair ... with an audience. She did a great job!
Suzi & Alexandra: 
I think our favorite activity that night was playing whiffle ball amongst the horse poop and the llamas:
We stayed Saturday and Sunday nights in Layton. Sunday we went to church in Kaysville. Off the subject here, but I just have to say that I felt a little claustrophobic being in Utah around so many Mormons in one place. I was ready to leave church!! It makes me realize how much I love our little ward here in California. Anyway, so Sunday night we went to Stef and Gary's house for dinner. We watched the older cousins play some 3-on-3 basketball. They are all getting old and out of shape!!
We ended the night with some stories about Grandpa and Grandma Doll and talked about the Doll Family Genealogy. Monday we got up and drove back down to my parents house to do laundry and pack up. We decided to start driving back to California that night. After we went to the Salt Lake Bees game. We drove to Winnemucca before finding a hotel room for the night at 3:00 a.m. We ended up finally getting home Tuesday afternoon. I think I am still recovering from the drive!! It was a great, and quick weekend. It was good to hang out with family and cousins that we haven't seen in years.
This year the MLB All Star game was in San Francisco. I got free tickets to go to the All Star Fan Fest. (Haven't I said how much I love free stuff?) We got to go July 6th from 7 to 11 p.m. The boys had a blast. I think their favorite was participating in the Pitch, Hit & Run clinic on the big baseball field. I told Tim that this was a once in a lifetime experience!
These pictures are supposed to look like we are catching a fly ball just over the wall.
We went to the A's game on July 3rd. I like to go to the firework games because they are the best around. I guess I enjoy a good fireworks show where the music and fireworks are synchronized.
Miles thinks fireworks are too loud so he is plugging his ears.
Caden enjoyed the fireworks show. He is our little "tough guy." Isn't he such a cute kid?
Alexandra is waiting for the fireworks to start too. Doesn't she look great in her pink A's outfit? (Thanks Jeff & Tammy & Sophie)
Then on the morning of the 4th, we had a pancake breakfast and parade at the church. Tim's mom bought us all the Old Navy shirts this year. Alexandra got the "Grandma favorite grandchild" treatment that day. Linda decorated the stroller and made the blanket and headband for Alexandra, plus bought the "lil firecracker" shirt, the Capri's and the sandals (that didn't end up staying on her feet.) to complete the ensemble. Didn't she do a GREAT job? You can tell Alexandra loved it!! Thanks Linda!!
Later that day we went to Tim's parents house for a good old fashion BBQ. And the boys got to swim in grandma's backyard.
I just had to write that I get to go to my 10 year high school reunion. See our reunion website. I am so excited!! I was able to get some cheap airfare to Salt Lake. So the kids and I are going to fly out to Utah for 6 days. Unfortunately Tim can't come because of work and the paper route. But I am excited that I get to go!!
Saturday night we went to Lincoln Lopez's Baptism. Afterwards, Bishop Score came up to Tim & I and said we needed to talk. You never know what is going to be said when the Bishop asks you to come into his office to talk. {My heart starts to beat a little faster.} We first started with some small talk and he asked us what our callings were and if we magnified our callings. Then he started to say that Sister Dangerfield has been the Relief Society President for about 6 years and her husband isn't doing well ... So I am thinking to myself "Relief Society President, NO way, I'm not old enough." Then he says that they are not releasing her {Thank goodness} but they are looking for a new 2nd Counselor who happens to be the Home, Family and Personal Enrichment Counselor because Jen Munns is moving in a few weeks {Thanks Jen}. So Bishop extended the call me! I was, and still am, feeling a little overwhelmed. It is going to take a lot of time, and planning and prioritizing of my time and life.
The amazing thing to me is how quickly it happened. Friday was our Stake Temple Day. Bishop Score said he was at the temple praying for an answer to fill this position. He said my name was the right one that came to mind. He saw Tim and I Friday evening at the Temple and he had his answer before he even saw us. So he extended the call to me Saturday night, before he had talked to his counselors, before he had talked to the Relief Society President. He just knew it was right. That testifies to me that I know this calling, at this time in my life, is right for me. It is truly inspired, because I wouldn't pick it. The Lord knows I need it. WOW!
I have been online looking at blogs from some of my friends from high school. They all have CUTE blogs that they have designed using digital scrapbooking. So I thought I would try it out. This is my first page that I have designed. It's not the best out there, but I am learning on my own and hopefully I can get better.
Alexandra loves to play "Soooo Big!" Miles took the bottom picture. He did a great job!
Two Sundays ago (June 10th) we were driving home from Church and we were stopped at a stop light. On the corner of Clayton Way and Concord Blvd. there was a big desk with a sign that said "FREE." I said to Tim, "Look a free desk" more teasing than being serious. We drove passed it and and he called Chris immediately asking to borrow his truck to haul this desk to our house before anyone else took the desk. Chris and Tim went back, picked up the desk. They said it was heavy and big. They didn't know how to two of them lifted into his truck at all. Chris had to go somewhere. So Tim called J.M. and Max to haul it into our house. It WAS big! But it was free! 
Then on Thursday (June 14th) we were on our way to a park for a picnic with our friends. On the corner of Concord Blvd. and Denkinger there were about 20 school desks sitting out. Once again I said to Tim, "Look free desks." He said we would pick one up on our way home, if I really wanted him to. We got home and we forgot to get a desk, so I made him go back and pick one up. When he got back he had brought home 2!! One for Miles and one for Caden. They were so excited!! They put all their school supplies and books in them immediately.
What we learned: Concord Blvd. has sweet stuff for FREE!! Hurray for free stuff.
We were at the park Tuesday night celebrating Chris' 35th Birthday (he's SO old) and realized I had my camera so I took some pitures of our all babies who have been born since March. It will be fun to watch them grow up and be friends. Looks like little Tyler will be the "ladies man."
From left to right: Sophie McKissick ~ April 12, Tyler Cook ~ April 18, Lauren Jacobs ~ May 17, Alexandra Doll ~ March 12.
Here are all the mommies holding their cute babies!! Tammy & Sophie, April & Lauren, Hayley & Tyler, Me & Alexandra.
Last weekend was Memorial Day. So on Friday we took the kids to see Shrek the Third. We went to the re-opened drive in theater. I think we will do this more often. It was great! Kids 11 and under are free and you get to take in your own food. That was nice and cheap. Plus the kids can talk with out bothering everyone in the theater and I could wear my PJ's!
Saturday we took the kids swimming. We were at the pool for 4 hours. I even brought my camera to take pictures of Alexandra in the pool, swimming with Tim. She doesn't seem to mind the water. But we only keep her in for about 5 minutes.
Monday we went up to Mt. Diablo. The biggest "mountain" (it's more like a hill, compared to Utah moutains) in the Bay Area. We stopped for some Subway sandwiches and then had a picnic at Mt. Diablo. First we stopped at "Rock City" and climbed around the rocks. Then we drove up to the top and looked around. We could see Concord, Clayton, Walnut Creek, Martinez and Danville. Miles got a little scared being up so high. Alexandra was a trooper and survived the day. We went to Tim's parents' house afterwards for a BBQ. The boys swam in Grandma's pool/slide. Miles said that was his favorite thing he did that weekend.
I love my kids, even though they may drive me crazy! They can be so sweet, cute and loving! (When you find them in the right mood.) It looks like Alexandra is learning from her brothers how to make faces for the camera!
Caden "graduated" from Preschool today. (Even though he will still go to preschool again next year, he will just have a different teacher.) He couldn't say graduation, he kept calling it his "grad-u-ta-tion" day. Anyway, they all marched out in their little graduation "caps" to "Pomp and Circumstance" music. His teacher then called each child one at a time and received their "diploma". They sang the parents a couple of songs and then they got to play and eat. The teacher had a bounce house set up for the kids to play in. And everyone brought food for a potluck! He had a good time. His teachers were Miss Honey and Miss Nikki. He has learned a lot this year, including his numbers and colors and working on writing his name. The video below is him singing the crocodile song. He loves to sing! You can tell when he gets shy because he will stick his fingers in his mouth. He is such a cute kid!!
Caden with Miss Nikki and Miss Honey.
Caden had preschool graduation on Thursday. After they got their little diplomas, the class celebrated by doing the Chicken Dance. I have to laugh because my little brother danced to this when he was in kindergarten and about wet his pants because he was laughing so hard. So I thought Parker would enjoy this little video. (Caden is wearing the blue striped shirt.)
This is great to keep in touch with family and friend we don't get to see all the time! Now you can watch to see the little milestones that Alexandra hits. She is now talking and smiling!
We knew that Alexandra liked taking baths because the water is warm but ... Today the boys wanted to go swimming so I took them over to the pool and Tim met us there after he got off from work. I brought Tim's swimming suit and at the last minute I grabbed a little suit for Alexandra. The weather was only like 65 degrees and a little windy. But that didn't stop Miles and Caden. Tim decided to get in and so I put Alexandra's suit on her and Tim put her in the water. I was waiting for her to start screaming. She never did. Tim held her in the water and floated her around for about 3 minutes and then we got her out. She was very calm the whole time. Never cried but never smiled. I didn't take my camera or I would have a picture of the first time she went swimming. (If this doesn't make her part of the DOLL family, I don't know what else would.)
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