Family Fun Day - AZ Game and Fish Event

Another year attending this fun event, though this year the youth day was a bit overcrowded for our liking. 

The girls enjoy practicing their fishing, seeing all the reptiles and birds, and maybe getting a chance to touch a lizard or tortoise. 

I am so happy that David does this with us every year!! I know the girls love that too. 

Hello 21st Century!

I guess it was about time I made my way here....I had been fighting having a smart phone for years. Mostly because of hm utter disgust with how distracted people seem with them. However, running my business and my life has gotten a bit easier with it. 

My sweet husband bought me an iPhone and I will admit that it is awesome! I am blogging from it right now! 

I wish I took a photo of my awesome case that has my logo on it, which was designed by the talented Lindsey Black (prayforsantana.org)!

Hopefully having this app will make blogging easier so I will be back to it....then again the app does not create more time. 

Our Newest Addition

We are not quite ready for a puppy, but we decided to bless the girls with an adorable bunny!  They named him Vanilla Bean and he is starting to adjust to being a D'Amato. In the week we have had him he seems to have gained some more weight and his favorite activity is moving his "beer" house around.  

 "Bean" as Emma calls him really enjoys his night time love with Mayah.  It helps her relax and stay calm.

 Vanilla Bean with his toy

In his Shock Top Beer Box "home"

Gettin' Our Country On!

We gifted Chiara tickets to see Lady Antebellum for her 9th Birthday....she is so into music and loves country! She had on her new outfit we bought her, including her cowgirl boots, and off we went! 

She wanted dinner at Paradise Bakery....it was so-so, but she was happy.  Who wouldn't be with a cookie like that!

Hanging out before the two opening acts started.

My Beautiful nine year old and me. 

(I do want to add that my amazing husband bought me a gorgeous new belt and a buckle for the occasion!)

One happy girl with her Daddy

Lady A started with "Compass" we sang loud for Nanny to hear us!!!!!

There was a little platform about 5 rows in front of us and they sang RIGHT THERE!!!!!!  AWESOME!!!!!!

Chiara had no idea what an encore was or how cool it was really going to be.  Definitely a band worth seeing live.  Of course I split my time singing and watching Lady A and watching my sweet girl enjoy every moment!  The whole night was simply perfect.

Dissescting Owl Pellets

Having some home school fun completing a mini study on owls we did by dissecting owl pellets.  The girls enjoyed it and we found lots of different bones.  So glad David was here to enjoy the experience with us too!

 Leah's finding

 Daddy helping with Emma's pellet

 Chiara hard at work investigating

 Emma is mostly along for the ride, but always says "take my picture"

 Chiara found a fully intact pelvis.  Cool.

 Mayah enjoyed this investigation a lot.  She had 2 skulls in her pellet!

 Part of the skull Leah found

My scientists!

Happy 9th Birthday Chiara!!!!

There has been a lot going on in the D'Amato home lately....one of the big events is our oldest turning 9.  She is an amazing young lady.  Smart, silly, loves music, and dancing, helpful, thoughtful, and changing right before our eyes.  

For her birthday she spent the day at Luke Air Force Base with my parents.  She wanted to see the jets, helicopters, air shows, and just enjoy the day out alone with her grandparents.  I missed her so much all day, but I know she was having a blast.  

This year she had two girl friends go to the nail salon for manicures and pedicures with her.  I took the three of them out to lunch afterward and just took in all the girl talk.  I surprised her with a Chocolate Molten Lava Cake and the wait staff singing.  Smiles all around....tears for me! She received an iTunes gift card and a Rainbow Loom...does it get any better for a nine year old than that?!!?

Her family party was at my parents' house after their long day out.  We had told Chiara that as she gets older there cannot be a big party and a big gift...this year we decided on a big gift and she had no idea what it was!!!  Let the fun begin....

 Our Birthday Princess.

 Chiara wanted to make her own cake this year.  She made organic chocolate cupcakes.  I helped out with the creamcheese starawberry frosting since she was gone all day Sunday. Nanny bought this beautiful cupcake display and "9" candle.

 Blowing out the candle...

 Emma and Chiara have a very special relationship.  This is the card that Emma made for her oldest sister.  It said so many lovely things that only Emma could tell you.

 Leah picked out this Minion shirt for her sister.  Chiara loved it and Leah was all smiles.  major props to Daddy for helping the 2 younger sisters find Chiara's gifts!  I love how well he knows our girls and the things they like!  (Emma got Chiara a running jacket just like Mommy's)

 Best Friends from birth....they just don't admit it yet.  I took Mayah out to pick Chiara's gift....I always question my sanity when I take Mayah anywhere she has to make a choice.  It was a long shopping trip, but with two sets of nail polish and a vanilla cupcake scented hand sanitizer Mayah felt she had the perfect gift.  Chiara was geeked!

BFF

So, after all the gifts from Grandparents, Great Grandparents,  (a Great Aunt who was visiting), Cousins, and Sisters it was time for the BIG one!

In her card was a note that she had a special date with Daddy & Mommy.  She would need.....

A New Outfit

Some Accessories

Of course NEW SHOES

And somewhere to show it all off.....her FIRST CONCERT!  Lady Antebellum!  She was shocked and very excited!  It took a bit for it to really sink in though.  I really think it will not hit her until we are there and she sees and hears them on the stage.  

She had been asking for a jean jacket for months!  Thanks to "Nanny" we were able to bless her with this to really complete the entire outfit!

A couple photos from her time with her Grandparents.  

 

Her new Thunderbirds shirt!

Her butterfly face paint from her day out with Nanny & Grampy

We are so excited to see what God has in store for this precious daughter of ours.

Managing My Time

I could never have one of those blogs that "makes money".  Nope. Not gonna happen. I think about blogging every week and then I never get to it.  Life. 

Well, I am on another Facebook hiatus so I am hoping to set aside some time to capture, in words, what goes on around this busy household. 

Here's hoping....