The Parmas!

yoga

2012-01-18T13:48:00.000-08:00

We've been home sick (esp Liam and Cali) so we've had long, boring days at home. The girls found some hand-me-down leotards and asked to do gymnastics ... so we compromised an a yoga video.

puppet show

2012-01-12T16:57:00.000-08:00

Bria created a puppet show.

Trying to start.

the show. (warning: long...) Liam is crying in the background because we had to shut him in the girls' room so he wouldn't destroy the puppets.

Then Cali gives her version.

The after-puppet show party.

bubble bath

2012-01-05T10:10:00.000-08:00

Liam's first bubble bath.

merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T18:25:00.000-08:00

Wishing you a merry merry Christmas, and a happy new year! We enjoyed our Christmas at home, dinner with friends, new jammies, stockings, a beautiful musical Sacrament meeting, lots of presents, playing and snacking!

Thank you, thank you for all the love sent our way. Our very best to you!

snuggling with a blankie made by Grandma Blanchet

Christmas Eve

decorating sugar cookies for Santa

{at least she's wearing panties}

opening presents together

the hello kitty model

Cali's bike

{Liam helping}

bria the photographer

adidas outfits

check out the adidas kicks

hello kitty clothes too!

he loves anything with wheels.

fashion show

2011-12-22T10:45:00.000-08:00

Bria participated in a "Fit Symposium" for JCPenney corporate. The JCP girls design team evaluated the fit of 5 slim and 5 regular pants, and they prompted girls and parents for their feedback. Bria tried on several pair (all of which were ill-fitting, and I told them so!), made new friends, ate Cool Ranch Doritos (at 9 in the morning) and earned herself a $25 JCP gift card. She was a very cute model with stinky Ranch breath!

gingerbread cake houses

2011-12-11T15:02:00.000-08:00

We had a glorious time with friends decorating both gingerbread cake houses and graham cracker houses! My very talented gf made the cake houses with a darling cottage-shaped bundt pan. (Did I mention they were made-from-scratch gingerbread pound cakes? yummy!) There was tons and tons of candy, frosting, sprinkles, and very creative decor and candy landscaping skills! I agree with Bria, as she emphatically declared, "This is the BEST gingerbread house day EVER!"

Many thanks to my wonderful mother who made this tradition for us as kids. You don't fully appreciate all the effort (and clean up!) required to make Christmas magical until you're the grown-up doing all the work!

CANDY!!!

dominated.

our gingerbread cake house, in the nude

Christmas lights

2011-12-04T18:05:00.001-08:00

We went to the Gaylord Texan resort with Aunt Amy and Erik to check out the festive lights, life-size gingerbread house, a gingerbread house village and miniature trains. We had a great time! We love Christmas season!

Cali turns 3

2011-11-13T06:00:00.001-08:00

Cali had a FABULOUS 3rd birthday yesterday. She loved every minute of it. Balloons, Barbie cake, playing, family lunch out, PRESENTS!, pizza, and lots of attention! ... We are so grateful that she's in our family, whole and healed and beautifully recovered from her lymphangioma. Thanks to all who were so sweet to our Cali-boos on her special day!

The festivities!

{Now that her birthday's over, what are we going to talk about every minute of every day? Christmas!}

Here are some past photos of our little Cali. Starting with her birth day ...

T-minus 3 days

2011-11-09T11:50:00.000-08:00

Cali is so excited for her 3rd birthday -- she's been talking about it for months! Every few minutes she'll burst out with, "I'm so excited for my birthday!!" and ask me for a countdown of how many days away it is. And you may notice that she's following Bria's lead with the Barbie obsession.

Happy Halloween!

2011-11-01T07:13:00.000-07:00

The kids are in seventh heaven with their bucketfuls of candy! They were so excited about the Halloween decor, pumpkin carving, festive storybooks ... and I must say they were the darn cutest trick or treaters!

life, gluten-free

2011-10-30T07:08:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, I was diagnosed with Celiac disease about a month ago. It's an autoimmune disorder, as is Type 1 Diabetes, and so they're inter-related and affect each other.

Life this past month has been a challenge, to say the least. Besides living a strict, gluten-free diet (and gluten is in SO many foods) it's had reaching effects on my blood sugars, hormones, mood & energy. Treating Celiac is so much more than just "not eating gluten;" it's a lifestyle change. Again. It's dealing with symptoms and listening to one's body.

I've been feeling extremely yucky for a while ... and it seems my list of "Emily-friendly" foods keeps getting shorter ... But I'm trying to see it as an opportunity to learn and try new things. I already know how to eat healthy, how to cook from scratch, how to invest thoughtful action & energy into my well-being. I'm trying not to let it get the best of me!

And I've celebrated several small successes, which give me joy.

Take these gluten-free banana muffins, for example. Made with gluten-free flours such as gf-certified oat flour, rice flour, tapioca starch and xanthan gum. Other baking successes include pumpkin spice pancakes with maple vanilla syrup, lemon zest cheesecake with sugar cookie crust, and flourless chocolate lava cakes with homemade brown sugar ice cream.

I want to prove to Celiac (and myself!) that I can still make and enjoy delicious foods that won't make me sick. Sure, I can't eat pizza or doughnuts, but with a bit of extra planning and effort I can still have a yummy life.

So if you see any gluten-free news or recipes, send them my way. Thanks for your love and support!

the Destroyer

2011-10-19T12:57:00.000-07:00

Liam has officially entered the Destroyer Phase.

I remember when Cali hit it, too. Hard. Dumping, breaking, unrolling, clattering, foraging, slamming, and more dumping. All the while spreading their greasy chicken nugget fingers and nose drip all over freshly cleaned items.

But I have to admit, it's kind of cute. I still grimace when I reach for my Charmin and it's unraveled across the bathroom floor ... or when my house looks like a tornado wreck 24/7 ...

They're learning, they're exploring. And they're making more work for mommy, which, for them, is very gratifying.

{This pots and pans cupboard was Bria's favorite hideout, too.}

Dallas Arboretum

2011-10-09T17:11:00.001-07:00

The kiddos went with Daddy and Aunt Ceci to the Dallas Arboretum for the "Pumpkin Festival." They had a blast!

happy 5th birthday, Bria!

2011-10-03T08:25:00.000-07:00

Personalize your own picture collage

birthday morning

an interview with our new 5 year-old

the Parma girls

Bria and her new rollerskates

morning walk

2011-10-01T08:45:00.001-07:00

So we took a family walk ... to the doughnut shop.

We are so excited for fall!

. bathtime .

2011-09-30T14:10:00.000-07:00

muncherbots

2011-09-29T08:06:00.000-07:00

We are planning on swimming in our backyard today since it's supposed to be 97 degrees. This is a naughty bunch!

PS - We call each other "muncherbots" as a term of endearment/annoyment.

the Parma girls go to Disneyland!

2011-09-25T12:55:00.000-07:00

We Parma girls had a grand adventure at Disneyland this past week. We played hard at the parks, 3 days in a row, in beautiful weather with fun family (Grandpa Don, Auntie Dani, Chris & McCall and their cute kiddos).

.the cousins.

Here's an interview with the girls (Cali has a cold so she's quite subdued)

Cali's favorite ride was Winnie the Pooh (Uncle Christian Morrison rode it 5 times with her on one day)

Bria's favorite ride was The new Little Mermaid ride. We rode it a dozen times!

Other highlights include:
* the FIRST thing we did when we entered Disneyland is get the girls personalized pink Minnie ears. They wore them the whole time, every day.
* taking Reese on It's A Small World (she was dancing and pointing and giggling the whole time)
* enjoying salad in bread bowls waterside at the Pacific Wharf, all together under cabanas, and FINDING Dani's Rayban sunglasses that accidentally got tossed in the garbage can
* cotton candy!
* seeing Aladdin and Jasmine fly on their magic carpet, singing "A Whole New World"
* riding a Ghost Galaxy Space Mountain and newly revamped 3-D Star Tours
* the Soundsational Parade with all it's music, color and costumes. The girls nearly passed out from excitement when a float full of ALL the Disney princesses rolled by!
* riding the Grizzly River Run with Dad and Chris ... and not getting too soaked!
* Dani (and Grandma) supplied the kids with fabulous goody bags containing fruit snacks, coloring books, and candy!
* the Finding Nemo submarine...a fun ride for everyone
* baby Reese discovering the joy of Dum Dum suckers
* Grandpa Don getting the high score in the Toy Story ride
* watching the girls dance in the Disney Jr show--seeing all their favorite shows (little Einsteins, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Jake & the Neverland Pirates) come to life as puppets

Wish we could've ...
* brought Liam (and Grandma, and Aunt Becky!)
* gotten an ice cream cone on Main Street
* ridden Pirates of the Caribbean (closed for refurbishment)
* had another day (or week)!

our Little Man at 1 year old

2011-09-17T06:43:00.001-07:00

{I had to add a bum picture. BTW, he wore SPF 50 all summer and he still got a great tan.}

Happy 1st birthday to Liam!

2011-09-15T19:42:00.001-07:00

Happy 1st birthday to Liam!

Per Cali's request (for the past several months now) I made Liam a "Cars 2" cake, which he dominated within 5 minutes! He was a little sad just before cake time (hence the red eyes) but I think he had a happy day. He's growing up so fast.

Finally, some boy toys!

Playing trucks with Grandpa Don

Liam's birthday cake

Eating the cardboard.

We did Liam's little early celebration while Grandpa Don and Uncle Christian were here (for the BYU game). We loved having them here and spending time together.
http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

P.S. Bria helped blow out Liam's birthday candle, but in doing so {follow the link for the video} she seriously believed that she had turned 1 again. We tried to convince her she was still 4, but she was on the verge of tears. So we lit 4 candles in her piece of birthday cake, which she blew out ... and to her great relief she turned 4 again. Wish you could've been there. Hilarious.

spoon feeding

2011-08-24T13:38:00.000-07:00

I can't wait until the spoon feeding phase is over. It takes a half hour and I don't even think he gets any into his tummy. We go through 3 outfits a day (he rips off the bibs from his neck). And he thinks he's SO funny.

dress up!

2011-08-16T16:20:00.000-07:00

The Parma girls LOVE to dress up! Seriously, this summer they've worn dress-up costumes 50% of the time, swimsuits 40%, and 10% "real" clothes. While they're wearing their costumes I'm only allowed to call them by their Princess' name, i.e., Princess Bria Rapunzel or Princess Cali Snow White. {Cali wore her last Snow White dress so much it was (literally) ripped to shredded rags.} Oh, I love my little girls in princess dresses! (thanks to Auntie Dani for the fabulous shoe collection!)

tgif

2011-08-12T08:16:00.000-07:00

Just hanging out on a Friday morning ... watching Aladdin, wearing costumes, building forts, and drinking homemade "Jamba Juices." So the weekend has officially begun. As Bria says, "Let's get this party started!"

Their "pink princess castle."

(P.S. - We recently enjoyed the company of Aunt Monica, Aunt Julie & Uncle Gabes. Thanks for the good times! We need to get more photos next visit ;) )

(P.P.S - Liam turns 1 in only 5 weeks!! crazy!)

caught playing

2011-07-31T19:25:00.000-07:00

the girls snuck on their swimsuits (at 7:30 pm) and were playing so cute in their backyard pool ...

... and then when I finally coralled the girls into the tub, Liam wanted in on the action. He loves playing tubside, but his FAVORITE new hangout is the toilet. We have to remember to keep the lids shut because he'll swish his hands in the water and also drop items into the pot. And then there's his girly little yelp! He's had that since he was brand-new in the hospital.

(For an extra kick, listen to Bria's dialogue.)

10 months!

2011-07-18T06:24:00.000-07:00

"Looka Lawka" Liam turned 10 months-old yesterday! He is 18 pounds, and actually measuring tall with a small head (all my kids have small heads). He's crawling like crazy and loves exploring and dumping anything he can.

While I was getting the girls their breakfast this morning, Liam was MIA. Here's where we found him. In the flour.

fun at the lake

2011-07-10T14:33:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed a marvelous weekend with our close friends at their family lake house. We enjoyed boating, skiing, yummy food, playing games, chatting, relaxing ... Bria's favorite part was "swimming in the lake," and although Cali was scared of the boat she loved the water and playing with the doggies. What a blast!

this tube is known as "The Throne of Power"

{david & the girls}

cruisin'

{the boys}

{the girls}

(up on my first try! oh yeah!)

happy 4th of July!

2011-07-04T18:18:00.000-07:00

What a loaded weekend! The Parma family celebrated our Fourth of July holiday by watching fireworks at a minor league game with Grandpa Ricardo, then we had a pancake breakfast and bike parade with our ward, then went swimming and bbq'd at Aunt Amy's. Happy 4th! PS ~ Cali is recovering well from her repeat sclerotherapy treatment last week. She was a trooper at the hospital. It no longer hurts her to touch, and the swelling subsides daily.

Ode to Stupid Phones

2011-06-23T08:47:00.000-07:00

Around the time I began courting Emily I had to make a decision – a big decision. No not “the big decision” rather, should I sign a contract with Sprint, Emily’s cellular provider, so I could save on minutes (granted, this was when cell phone minutes were higher in price). So I made the plunge. The service was better than AT&T and less expensive as well. I didn’t even use texting this was so long ago – we actually talked on the phone. I even gave a thankamony about how cellular phones helped me to connect more with my family since I was so far from Cleveland.

On I went from around 2005 to 2009 with flip phones and no land-line- although I do miss the old rotary phone my grandma used to have (it had a cord too). I did finally give in to texting. It was cumbersome at first – but then I adjusted once t9 came out. It’s hard to imagine but now I have been averaging around 1,000 texts a month.

On the eve of my birthday 2 yrs ago I went with Emily to the Sprint store to renew my contract and was interested in getting a blackberry type phone, but without the internet, I didn’t want to pay the premium. So I bought a “wantaberry” – Sanyo SPC- 2700– it looks like one but lacks the functionality. I learned to like it. The buttons were great for texting and it even predicted what I wanted to text. I also used the calendar for planning, so much so, that I said good-bye to my Franklin planner.

But times have changed and I have been delayed in changing with them. Shoot - I still have a fat screen tv when everyone else has a flat-screen. And although life is possible without texting, gps-ing, and internet surfing on a phone I am happy to finally receive the benefits of a smart phone.

On my birthday I will be upgrading to the HTC EVO 3D.

So long stupid phones, hello smart phone. I’m welcoming myself to the party!

• Brilliant 4.3-inch QHD screen - experience 3D without glasses
• 2 5.0 megapixel cameras capture pictures and video in 2D & 3D
• Superfast 1.2 GHz dual core processor
• 3G/4G speed with unlimited 4G data
• Preloaded with Android™ 2.3

nine months

2011-06-18T09:05:00.000-07:00

Liam turned 9 months old yesterday. I can't believe how fast my baby's growing up! It seems like just yesterday he was born. We can't imagine our life without him!

Liam loves to ...
swim, swim, swim
crawl around, climb up
snuggle with mommy
laugh at his sisters
eat baby food bananas & watermelon
read books

So far he has ...
1 tooth [on the bottom]
received 6 haircuts
wears size 3 shoes, 12 m clothes, & sz 3 diapers
weighs about 17 lbs

farewell, Elder Morrison

2011-05-31T17:47:00.000-07:00

We were so lucky to see Elder Brady Morrison during his layover at DFW airport! It was wonderful to visit a bit. Best of luck to him as he preaches the gospel in Brazil!

a day in the gardens

2011-05-26T18:49:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed a wonderful day at the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Gardens with Aunt Ceci (also our talented photographer). The girls also enjoyed a day here with Grandma Rena. We couldn't have asked for better weather: clear, sunny skies and only 83 degrees. I couldve posted 100+ pics everything was so beautiful!

lily ponds

wall of water

GIANT Hibiscus

froggy fountain was fun for splashing around

this flower is nicknamed "sparklers"

Picnicking on the shaded lawns next to White Rock Lake (thinking of the Puget Sound!)

the beautiful Bouganvillea, reminds me of my stint in Mexico where it grew adundantly

bamboo "jungle"

Liam boos

2011-05-16T16:20:00.000-07:00

Little Liam underwent surgery this past week. We are so thankful that the operation went went, and every day he is feeling better and better.

Pre-operation

Recovery

Getting his haircut from daddy

Thanks for the grandma time!

2011-05-16T16:19:00.001-07:00

six years and counting!

2011-05-07T18:12:00.000-07:00

For our 6-year anniversary, David surprised me with a night away (kid-free, thanks to Aunt Cecilia and Grandma Rena!) at a hotel, with a nice dinner and a pedicure the following day. Wow, has it been 6 years? What a wild ride!

happy easter!

2011-04-24T06:50:00.001-07:00

Wishing you all a blessed day!

Egg decorating! (Bria anticipated it for weeks!)

Cali was loving an "egg-spinning" dye tool. Gotta loved her "dyed" shirt!

preschool Easter party

2011-04-20T12:18:00.000-07:00

Bria loves preschool and adores her teacher, Miss Michelle. At her party today she and Cali decorated sugar cookies, ate pastel mini-cupcakes [our contribution], and hunted for easter eggs. Lots of fun!

morning cuddle

2011-04-20T05:51:00.000-07:00

I didn't realize how dark it was! You can't see much of anything, but it's fun to listen to.

loo-ka law-ka

2011-04-19T08:53:00.000-07:00

7 months old! Some of Liam's nick names include:

"loo-ka law-ka" [given by Bria]
L (David)
Mister Moos (Emily)
Liam-bot
Liam-boos
Lia Lia [also given by Bria]
Slobber-bobber
Muncher-bot

family photos

2011-04-16T19:42:00.000-07:00

So today we had our first professional family photo session.

Here are our jeans, all in a row. I thought it was cute.

We will share the pics once they arrive!

um?

2011-04-10T06:39:00.001-07:00

Look what I found Liam wearing this morning:

Guess who?!

. measurements .

2011-03-31T14:25:00.000-07:00

We were all measured today at the doctor!

Liam is long & lean! 27.5 inches (90th percentile for height), 15 lbs (10th percentile for weight)

Cali: 34 inches, 24 lbs

Bria: 42 inches, 33 lbs

San Antonio!

2011-03-22T19:36:00.000-07:00

The Parma family (including Aunt Cece) took a mini-vacay to San Antonio. Some highlights included the yummy Gristmill restaurant in historic Gruene, playing in the stream at the Austin Nature Center, seeing the Austin hippie, the SA Zoo, the Alamo and riverwalk, Disney puzzles and swimming in the hotel pool. A trip like that, as fun as it was, reminded me just how wonderful our own (separate) beds are ...

{ps. thanks to Cecilia for being our photographer!}

Swimming in the hotel pool (Liam's first swim!)

The Alamo

Playing in the stream at the Austin Nature Center

Hippos at the San Antonio Zoo

Cheetohs!

David and Bria being silly

{Contrary to popular belief, the Rhinoceros really exists!}

Auntie Dani

2011-03-22T19:30:00.000-07:00

What a fun visit we had with Aunt Dani! She was able to hang out with us Parmas here in Texas ... we enjoyed the zoo, frozen yogurt, shopping trips, dollar movies, yummy food and fun times! Thanks again for the awesome visit. I wish my mom and sisters lived closer -- We miss them too much!

hi hi

2011-03-07T17:34:00.000-08:00

Here's a whole lot of nothing!

Aunt Becky's visit and birthday

2011-02-09T12:57:00.000-08:00

We enjoyed a wonderful visit with Aunt Becky! Thanks to her and all my loved ones for giving me a special day!

Dallas Museum of Art

Making Valentine's crafts

Whoa... that's a bright cake!

Snow day!

2011-02-09T12:39:00.000-08:00

We have had a snowy January! The girls especially enjoyed sledding on garbage can lids and plastic bins.

four months

2011-01-17T08:44:00.000-08:00

Liam ...
• Got his first haircut yesterday by mommy, a trim off the top
• Squeals and giggles high-pitched and loud!
• Loves taking a bath
• Thinks Bria is hilarious
• Laughs when daddy tickles his tummy
• Still wants to be held—all the time
• Is growing so fast!
• Hangs out in the Baby Bjorn, the play mat, his rocking chair and bumbo seat

{ his first haircut }

mr. chatterbox

2011-01-07T13:13:00.000-08:00

holiday visitors

2011-01-07T13:06:00.000-08:00

We enjoyed nice visits from both Papa Parma and Uncle Gabes this holiday season!

Liam's baby blessing

2010-12-26T12:52:00.000-08:00

A beautiful blessing by David. Liam wore the same white outfit that my brothers and nephews wore.

Christmas morning!

2010-12-26T07:33:00.001-08:00

A belated Merry Christmas to all!

Their new silky blankies)

adidas outfits

2010-12-26T07:31:00.000-08:00

Carrying on the David tradition ...

christmas pjs

2010-12-26T07:29:00.001-08:00

ICE! show

2010-12-26T07:23:00.000-08:00

We returned to the Gaylord Texan to see the ICE! show themed, "Charlie Brown Christmas." We rode ice slides and enjoyed sculptures in 9 degree temps. (It's funny that Texans pay lots of money and wait in long lines to stand in freezing temperatures.) Cali kept trying to get lost and Bria actually DID get lost in the crazy crowds. Thank goodness some nice worker found her and linked me as the frantic searching mom since, "She looks just like you." Thanks to Papa Parma for the nice outing!

graham cracker houses

2010-12-26T07:20:00.000-08:00

Carrying on a Morrison family tradition ...

80 degrees

2010-12-26T07:18:00.001-08:00

We all took a walk outside since it was 80 degrees on Tuesday! (it's now dropped to the 40's) Then David raked leaves from our neighbor's huge tree and the girls had fun jumping. Then mommy got to vacuum and sweep up millions of leaves from inside the house.

12 weeks old

2010-12-10T06:30:00.000-08:00

Where does the time go?

Gaylord Texan

2010-12-09T07:08:00.000-08:00

In true Texas-fashion, the Gaylord Texan is a huge resort decked out in Christmas lights, a life-size gingerbread house, miniature trains, gingerbread villages, not to mention the every day waterfalls, bridges and artificial riverwalk. We look forward to visiting again this season!

good morning

2010-11-28T07:03:00.000-08:00

The girls snuggled up next to Liam while I was getting ready. He gets a lot of love.

christmas lights

2010-11-27T05:15:00.000-08:00

We enjoyed visiting friends, eating dinner and viewing Christmas lights at the park afterward. The kids loved them!

pre-thanksgiving

2010-11-24T19:29:00.000-08:00

We enjoyed a yummy pre-Thanksgiving dinner together on Sunday. Wishing all of you, our dear family and friends, the very best Thanksgving. We are grateful for you!

Cali's second birthday!

2010-11-12T18:28:00.000-08:00

Cali had a very happy 2nd birthday! In the morning she woke up to see balloons and her rainbow birthday cake, plus tote bag gifts for her and Bria. Then we all went to play at bounce houses and enjoy Costco lunch. In the evening we opened presents, sang Happy Birthday and ate birthday cake and homemade Twix icecream. What a great day!

frosting!

Liam wasn't too happy about the birthday hat

She had to throw away every scrap of paper ... opening presents took awhile

birthday morning

it's november ...

2010-11-10T11:31:00.000-08:00

almost 2

2010-11-10T06:51:00.000-08:00

Cali is almost 2! She has been growing leaps and bounds, especially since this summer ... She is so cute but so naughty sometimes!

the dentist

2010-11-06T08:06:00.001-07:00

The girls had their first dentist appointment -- they were both very well-behaved, although Cali refused to open her mouth for a while. And the best news is: No cavities!! The did chastise me for giving them chocolate milk and failing to floss their teeth. I say white milk is gross and who has time to floss their kids' teeth, let alone their own?!

almost 7 weeks ...

2010-11-04T08:23:00.000-07:00

Liam LOVES being held (ALL the time), warm baths, music, watching his sisters...

He can't stand being put down (EVER!), poopy diapers, and his carseat.

a fun halloween

2010-11-02T19:18:00.000-07:00

We had a fun Halloween! We got to visit daddy's work party, trunk or treat, carve pumpkins, and eat lots of candy! Bria was a "ladybug princess" and Cali was a random recycled "kitty leopard princess." (David carved the pumpkins.)

good morning boring video

2010-10-21T05:58:00.000-07:00

4 weeks old

2010-10-15T07:34:00.000-07:00

Crazy how time flies! Liam is growing fast (he has an appt on Monday; we are anxious to see his measurements)! He loves being held and carried on the baby Bjorn. He's still trying to figure out his days and nights. The girls adore him!

[PS - Who do YOU think he looks like? We can't figure it out ...]

Texas State Fair

2010-10-11T15:37:00.000-07:00

A crazy Columbus day at the Texas State Fair! The girls LOVED seeing all the animals!

exhausted.

NOT exhausted.

happy 4th birthday, Bria!!

2010-10-01T20:37:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Bria's 4th birthday a few days early ... Playground, pizza, presents ... We had a blast!

We're in love!

2010-09-21T12:37:00.001-07:00

Little Liam is so adorable, so fun to cuddle! Here are a few photos of our adventurous first days together.

The Parma girls in their giant wheelchair

Riding home from the hospital

Liam's first bath - screamed the whole time!

He loves having his arms in "field goal" position. Even in my ultrasounds his hands were always at his face.

Liam David Parma

2010-09-17T09:44:00.000-07:00

What an eventful day! Up around 4:30am to get ready, at the hospital around 5:30am and surgery performed 7:15am.

Liam was born at 7:36am weighing 8 lbs. 13oz. (picture is second measurement, 8/12) 20 3/4 inches long and a full head of light brown hair (similar to Cali). Lungs are great but his blood sugars have started out low. Emily is in recovery mode and David is exhausted :). Enjoy the pictures of the eventful day!

newborn pics

2010-09-14T17:35:00.000-07:00

We're gonna have a new baby in 3 days!!!

I decided to copy my sister-in-law's blog and post our girls' newborn pics...

Cali ~ 7 lbs 2 oz (emergency c-section)

Bria ~ 7 lbs 9 oz (Bria had a long, rough ride through the birth canal)

Happy Labor Day!

2010-09-05T18:50:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed time together at the Fort Worth Children's museum, hanging out with friends, a nice date night, and a day of swimming!

I don't think David realizes there's a dinosaur behind him ...

Mommy made Bria a birthday hat--she's already so excited for her bday she'll talk to anyone who'll listen about her plans for October fourth

FC Dallas

2010-08-24T10:02:00.001-07:00

This past weekend we scored some free tickets to the FC Dallas soccer game. Lemon chills, fireworks, 95 degrees at 9 pm! We had a blast.

NW trek and the Pt Defiance Zoo

2010-08-06T07:39:00.000-07:00

Some of my favorite places in the whole wide world are the Pt Defiance Zoo and Northwest Trek in Washington. Here are a few belated photos from our recent visits!

Pt Defiance Zoo (we also spent a nice afternoon illegally feeding ducks and admiring the flower gardens)

Northwest Trek

snowbird

2010-08-02T10:53:00.000-07:00

We just returned to Washington from a wonderful week in Snowbird Utah! Emily & the girls drove down 14 hours with her parents and brother, Brady, and enjoyed time in the little Cottonwood Canyon. It was great to spend time with everyone!! Beside visiting with family, highlights include playing games, swimming, nature walks, playing on the bounce house and with cousins. Good times!

The girls (and a pouty Bria)

Bria and her cousin Cash

Cali and Uncle Brady

Bria wearing a butterfly balloon on her back

summer adventures

2010-07-11T18:41:00.001-07:00

Very early Tuesday morning, the Parma girls will be leaving Texas for summer adventures. They will spend time with Emily's parents in Fircrest Washington, one of the most beautiful places on earth ...

And will also drive down to Snowbird Utah for a mini family reunion ...

Fun fun! more pics to follow

(On a side note, baby Boy Parma looks happy and healthy in the ultrasounds, currently weighing in en-utero at a little over 3 lbs. Emily is very ready not-to-be-pregnant. But the c-section will still have to wait 'til mid-Sept.)

more photos

2010-06-21T06:07:00.001-07:00

photo shoot

2010-06-15T18:17:00.000-07:00

Our friend took some pics of the girls. These are just a few I snapped ... Our girls are sure cute but they're not picture-posers!!

The Sleeping Beauty

2010-06-15T16:19:00.001-07:00

David scored major husband points by taking his wife to the ballet! We saw The Sleeping Beauty performed by the Texas Ballet Theater in downtown Dallas. The sets and costumes were gorgeous, the dancing incredible, and we loved Tchaikovsky's score!

floatie rings

2010-06-07T10:25:00.000-07:00

It's been upper-90's/100's here, so we swim often at the gym pool or our plastic pool. The girls love swimming, and Cali especially loves her floatie ring!

"Ode to Mitsy" by David Parma

2010-05-17T08:20:00.000-07:00

In the cold winter of 2003 Mitsy (Mitsubishi Galant) was purchased in the mountainous state of Utah. It was the first car David had ever purchased. She was taken in with such joy and delight: she was the car that would ultimately aid David in his search to find a mate. She wasn’t jealous in helping this worthy cause because David would wash her every week helping her to be sparkling clean.

Once David met Emily in the spring of 2004 Mitsy knew Emily was special. She took David & Emily on their first date to ‘La Dolce Vita’ she also took them there the night David proposed.

She then took them and pulled along their belongings to Chicago in the fall of 2005. She took Emily to work and David to classes. She was bruised and battered from all the parallel parking. She was ever so happy to help bring Bria home from the hospital and protect her from the cold.

And since she didn’t prefer the cold she took David, Emily and Bria to the warm state of Texas in the winter of 2007. Along the way to Texas one of the worst storms to hit Oklahoma had put many cars into the median- but not Misty, she stayed strong and protected David. She was happy to be in Texas, but not too happy since she had to do double duty on commuting since she was the only Parma automobile. She was also partially abused by Bria with her constant spilling of drinks and food--but David would try to clean her and make her happy. Mitsy ultimately didn’t mind since she got to watch Bria grow and even heard one of her first words ‘duce’ or translated ‘juice’.

The double commute was hard and for Bria’s safety/well-being and for Mitsy’s own health she allowed for the Parma’s to buy another vehicle. A bit of jealousy ensued because David drove the other car and neglected to wash her as often. A moment of joy returned when Mitsy was there to pick up Cali from the hospital at her birth. Mitsy was also happy since she remained the car of choice on date night because of her comfort. With her age she began to make a squeal--we took it to be a squeal of happiness.

But soon Mitsy could sense things were changing. She was neglected and infrequently washed and once she started to take Emily to the doctors for her third child she began to realize she doesn’t have the space or safety for 5 people. So in the spring of 2010, David, Emily, Bria & Cali gave her her last cleaning. Emily vacuumed and wiped. David fixed her door and trunk. Bria and Cali attempted to wash her and she was happy.

Then pictures were taken and posted on Craig’s list. A buyer, the same age as when David bought her, came from a far to purchase her, Mitsy--the loyal and trusty car that was there for so many special moments. We told the new owner her name and said she was special. We took the cash and handed her over and with some tears of sadness we said good-bye.

We wish you well Mitsy on your new chapter. Thanks for the great memories!

Help us name baby Parma #3!

2010-05-16T09:52:00.000-07:00

Here's a head profile of our cute little boy at 20 weeks. He was sucking on his fingers during the ultrasound.

So help us name him! Vote for your favorite of the boy names below. Make sure to comment with additional name ideas! {Due to recent difficulties with my first poll, I've re-created it. If you haven't been able to vote yet, please do.}

baby Parma #3
Anthony
Liam
Andrew
Owen
Eli
Damian
Ethan
LeBrontwan

View Results

Create a MySpace Poll

fishing

2010-05-08T08:53:00.000-07:00

David made up a Fishing game for the girls -- wooden fishing pole, paper clip hook, and random goodies as bait. The girls grab the fishing pole as soon as he gets home from work.

disneyland!

2010-05-07T06:51:00.001-07:00

What a trip! We had perfect weather and lots of fun. Bria was very brave and rode both Splash Mountain (aka "the waterfall ride") and Haunted Mansion. We will miss Auntie Becky!

Per Bria's request, we rode It's A Small Word 6 times and Monsters Inc. 7 times. Every time I got on Small World the baby would start kicking like crazy in protest of the song.

it's a boy!!!

2010-04-23T09:34:00.000-07:00

As you may know, the Parmas are expecting their third kid ... and it's a boy!! Baby Parma #3 will be joining us in early- to mid-September via c-section. Emily has had a rough pregnancy so far with the diabetes, morning sickness and placenta previa. But the baby looks healthy and very active! [We'll try to post ultrasound pics when we can get them scanned.]

ketchup & disneyland

2010-04-22T10:53:00.000-07:00

Emily & Bria are going to Disneyland the first week of May! We are so excited!

little miss naughty

2010-04-06T09:17:00.000-07:00

Cali has been so naughty lately! Pushing chairs to forbidden drawers to find candy. Teasing her sister. Stripping off her clothes. Good thing she's so cute!

happy easter!

2010-04-04T08:26:00.000-07:00

Coloring Easter eggs

Bria was quite the egg-hunter

Cali applauses her sister's finds

the Loot

the Easter bunny found our house

yummy peeps!

april fools!

2010-04-01T12:45:00.001-07:00

One of the many cute holiday traditions my mom did for us: On April Fools' day she'd make us "dirt & worms." Here's our yummy re-creation!

white trash fun

2010-04-01T12:38:00.000-07:00

To fit in with our weedy backyard, the girls played outside with a bucket of cold water and measuring cups. And they had a blast.

what a cute bum!

pretty purple

2010-03-28T19:59:00.000-07:00

Beautiful lavender Easter dresses! (Couldn't get the girls photographed together because Bria wouldn't get out of the bathtub.)

Mommy made this bow

My 2nd haircut: a stacked bob! How cute!

Not listening to you anymore, mom.

pink cuties & a tinkerbell cake

2010-03-14T17:37:00.000-07:00

Here are our cute girls in pink.

Bria's friend recently celebrated her 3rd birthday and, as a gift, we gave her a Tinkerbell cake. Here it is:

good morning

2010-03-12T05:38:00.000-08:00

Bria tells us some of her favorite things.

Cali is 16 months today. Only 2 months til nursery!

miss peg leg

2010-02-23T09:27:00.000-08:00

making Valentine's cookies

2010-02-13T19:55:00.000-08:00

Bria rolled and cut out [most] all the heart-shaped sugar cookies. Yummy yummy! I
love cute pink treats!

I wonder what the Great Valentine will bring to the doorstep tomorrow?

Snow day!

2010-02-13T19:44:00.001-08:00

This week the Dallas area saw, quite literally, record-breaking snowfalls. Texans are so funny about snow: the world ENDS. But you roll with it and take a day off!

Chocolate party

2010-02-13T19:33:00.001-08:00

This weekend I hosted a "Chocolate Soiree" for ladies in my ward. Yummy food, fun friends! I forgot to take a picture of my tissue paper poms in brown and red which I hung from the ceiling--they looked so good!

My favorite favorite chocolate fountain dipping item is a marshmallow.

My favorite chocolate baked good is a buttermilk brownie made by my mom.

My favorite chocolate candy depends on my mood. I love me a good, pure Dove chocolate. And I LOVE See's Nuts 'n Chews (which they don't sell in Texas!)

What's your favorite chocolate stuff?

In case you were wondering ... a tissue paper pom