Living the Life

Busy Busy Spelling Bee

2011-05-13T21:37:00.000-07:00

Ryan's class had a super cute Spelling Bee.

Craig and I worked it out so we could walk over

and catch a little glimpse of our super speller.

His teacher, Mrs. Oppenlander, had prepared several

rounds ranging from 1st-3rd grade words.

(just a stretch)

Unfortunately, I had to leave and get back to class, but before I left,

I said to Craig, "As long as he doesn't get the word usually, I think he'll do fine."

Well, sure enough, he did. And yes, he forgot how to spell it. I think I jinxed him. :)

He lasted until the bitter end though and got second place.

We were so proud of him!!

He was disappointed because he has turned into quite the competitor

but I know a word he'll probably never forget how to spell! ;0)

All the kids did a great job!!

Winter Gymnastics Show

2010-12-08T19:02:00.000-08:00

Ahhh the official team uniform.

Jordyn got to wear her official long sleeve team

leotard for the first time for the Christmas show.

She looked beautiful and athletic!

She also got to show off her newly acquired trick

of a round off back handspring.

She pulled it off perfectly.

And lastly, we had a very special guest show up...

Ryan's 1st grade teacher, Mrs. Oppenlander.

He was SO EXCITED!

And lucky her, she won a game basket in the raffle!

And soccer season begins...

2009-08-18T22:51:00.000-07:00

Coach Daddy is at it again.

First practice of the season and the kids are

ready to go.

Looking tough!

Ryan's team color is a nice ocean blue.

After practice they decided their team name

would be the "Sharks"

Jordyn's team color is red.

Tonight they decided to be called,

"Wildcats"

Looks like we're off to a great season!

Happiest Place on Earth

2009-08-18T20:59:00.000-07:00

Summertime is a great opportunity to

see our old friends.

We haven't see the Rose family

in awhile so we met up with them

at Disneyland.

Dumbo ride is always a favorite

Ryan loves making it go up and down

trying to make me sick! :)

And of course we had to get a yellow one!

Abbey and Jordyn are so sweet and fun together

They're like two peas in a pod!

In all the lines, they sang,

Lemonade...crunchy ice

beat it once,

beat it twice,

lemonade, crunchy ice

turn around, touch the ground,

kick your boyfriend out of town...FREEZE!

(yes they said boyfriend!!)

I'd say the day was a success!

Camping with the Oliveira's

2009-08-15T22:39:00.000-07:00

A quick getaway with our friends to Lilac Oaks

was a great time.

Something about the outdoors always

brings big smiles!

The kids loved hiking around in the woods,

climbing rocks and trees

Another adventure was to try to catch a fish.

Two kids I know quite well were pretty determined.

Just playing in the water with a stick was fun too.

Even though the kids were determined,

the fish saw things a different way.

Daddy came to the rescue by trying to take them out

in the pond to see if they'd have better luck.

The ride was fun, but still no fish! ;(

This is about the only thing we saw swimming around

in the pond

In the end, no fish were caught but it didn't matter,

fun was had doing other things.

It was the first camping trip with our favorite Oli's

and I'm sure not our last! :)

Just Clowning Around with Proud Gramps

2009-08-09T23:32:00.000-07:00

Every year our family participates in a Fantasy Football League

that we call,

"The Family Feud"

The two top teams go to the Super Bowl, while

the two last place teams face off in the Toilet Bowl.

The ultimate "Loser" must

dress like a clown

and wear a shirt that says, "I Suck"

This year, team "Proud Gramps" won the honor of the ultimate loser!

All the grandchildren got a kick out of painting his face and dressing him up.

Proud Gramps was such a good sport

and wouldn't have done it any other way.

By the way, I forgot to mention who won the Super Bowl...

Team "Memaw's Mashers"

(That's Memaw ;0)

Team "Big Mama's House" was the reigning

Super Bowl Champs (Craig and I)

This was our trophy from 2008

Very fun family times!

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

2009-08-08T21:43:00.000-07:00

What a treat...

We were invited to Asia's 5th Birthday Party

going 1st Class no doubt!

Mommies were probably way more excited! LOL

The limo was loaded with so many goodies for both

mommies and daughters

First stop was Hollywood...

Fashionology LA

The girls got to design their own shirt and bling it out

Their shirts turned out so cute!

Then it was back to Irvine for a cooking class at

Young Chef's Academy

They made their own personal sized pizza

in any shape they wanted

For dessert, they made California Rolls

candy style

Time to eat

I don't think Jordyn will ever forget the Limo Ride...

what a great memory

Happy 9th Anniversary!!

2009-08-08T19:20:00.000-07:00

Woo Hoo!!!

A weekend for the Mr. and Mrs.
(Thanks Memaw & Grandpa!! ;0)

Vegas sounded like the perfect place
to go to have no Mommy & Daddy duties!

Even though we didn't have kids,
we picked a hotel that would have
a real fun pool area...go figure!
It's a water slide that goes through a shark tank.

Craig's feet!

A little stroll downtown

Went walking through the hotels and shops.

We didn't go on the Gondola (maybe next time)

But it sure was fun watching while

enjoying a very yummy cocktail!

More sightseeing...

It was a beautiful night.

I can't believe it's been 9 years. Wow!

Not too bad for some old timers! ;0)

Next year...HAWAII!!!!

Nature

2009-08-01T10:33:00.000-07:00

There are friendly cute critters...

and then there are these critters that I think are cute

until they turn around and look at me as to say,
"I'm about to eat you for lunch!"

So exciting to see a bear though!!!!
It really made our trip that much better!

It was only later that I realize how crazy I was to follow the bear
as closely as I did.
I'm used to Teddy Bears!! ;0)

Rainbow Falls

2009-07-30T08:50:00.000-07:00

Here's another amazing site that not too many people see.

It's not in the park itself but wasn't far from where we camped.
Not too many people know about it so we pretty
much had the place to ourselves.
We didn't quite know why it was called Rainbow Falls until
the jumpers in our group decided to take a leap.
(It's a big leap too)
and Splash...Rainbow!
So awesome!

Well I couldn't let the men out do us women right?
I thought I'd check it out...
They didn't think I'd actually jump

and then I went for it.

Well Jordyn couldn't let the adults out do the kids right??

yep...she went for it too!

She had Mark at the top to help her and Daddy waiting
for her in the water.

Ryan was content playing in the water! :0)
He's the smart one in our family!

Rafting the River

2009-07-29T19:23:00.000-07:00

Talk about a lazy river full of beauty.
What a great way to see all the waterfalls and landmarks.

Ryan is our captain of the raft

and Daddy is the motor of this operation!

Here's Yosemite Falls on the left in the picture

Halfdome of course

And to conclude on this wild and crazy ride, Jordyn and Lauren
take a pit stop to jump off the bridge.
Where Jordyn gets this from, I don't know!
(ok maybe her Daddy!)and this jumping is only the beginning to what she does next...
to be continued!

Teamwork

2009-07-29T15:12:00.000-07:00

What a team...
Everyone was helping everyone
no matter what
Big or small
Weak or strong
Such a great bonding experience!

So beautiful...

2009-07-27T22:39:00.000-07:00

Yosemite

Wow...always takes my breath away!

Such a beautiful view!

First BIG road trip with the trailer.
We made it through the windy roads.
Daddy took us a different way to TRY and avoid
as much windyness as possible.
Long route but much appreciated! ;0)

Here's a little stream next to where we camped!

At night, the kids really enjoyed playing miniature golf
with the Toney family.

I have so many pictures to come...
this just scratches the surface!

Always a TWINS fan first

2009-07-24T07:53:00.000-07:00

Yes we are at Angel Stadium,
but we call it a Twin Game!

(Daddy does not like the Angels...long story)

Every year we try to make it to the Twins vs. Angels Game

Papa is a big Minnesota Twins fan too!

Jordyn definitely likes baseball games.
She's a good cheerleader!

Notice how she's the only one cheering?
I don't think all the Angel fans around us were too happy! ;0)

Since Papa was there sketching, both Ryan and Jordyn
wanted to sketch too. They actually did a really good job.

But here's the thing that caught Ryan's eye...
he's waiting for the wave to come his way!!

Whoo hoo!!!

So here's how I got Daddy to where an Angel jersey!
Tori Hunter was a former Twins player.
He's also our family's baseball hero!
Funny how he got traded to the Angels of all teams!

Always a good family night spent at a ballpark!

we "heart" newport beach

2009-07-23T19:14:00.000-07:00

Minus how crowded this place can get, we absolutely love it here!

It's crowded for good reason!

The sand is so soft, the waves are kid friendly, it's not windy,
and the water is shallow 25 yards out.
Boogie boards are a must!

Ryan always seems to pick up a nick name wherever we go.

At the beach, we call him, "sand crab"

After going in the water, he will literally roll
around in the sand to warm up.

Always digging too!

Here are a couple shots of Jordyn that I love!

Lovin the Daddy & Daughter bond! ;0)

Here are some action shots of Kevin
I love these pics too!
Are those eyes piercing right through you or what??

So much fun today!!!
We always leave the beach so happy!
Except when I have to clean up all sand when I get home! HA!

sweet slumber

2009-07-23T11:39:00.000-07:00

Jordyn was in hog heaven!
The Ancich's were staying the night...woo hoo!
It was a blast!

Looks like the hit of the night was Build A Bears.

Avery had so much fun dressing up this dog.
It was Too cute!

The pyramids were super fun too.
These kids have such a fun chemistry.
I LOVE IT!

Favorite memory of the night was at when Avery shouts out at
10:00..."Let's get this party started!!!"
Oh, I love her!!

splash...finally tall enough

2009-07-21T17:21:00.000-07:00

Last summer, Jordyn was really sad because she was

an inch too short to go down the water slides at Splash.

A year later and now she's good to go!

Even if Ryan was tall enough these slides are more his speed!

I think Jordyn still likes them too!

Jordyn and her friend Kalista went around

the lazy pool so many times that I lost count!

I really like coming here and watching the kids play!

We may have a pool, but we don't have a huge pirate ship
to drive! :0)

Havasu Day 3

2009-07-19T22:55:00.000-07:00

Just a couple more cute pics I wanted to blog...

We didn't go out on the boat today, we just took the
golf cart down to the lake to play.
The kids were determined to skip rocks on the water.

I really think my kids are part fish!
Look at those fish lips! HA!

Our last family pic for the trip!

Hitting the road home we found a must stop!

Mommy and Daddy both had fond memories of Bob's as kids
The shakes are still GREAT! ;0)
Off to another adventure next week!!

Havasu Day 2

2009-07-17T19:58:00.000-07:00

Day 2 heading out to the lake.
The weather was nice and calm
Looks like it'll be a nice, uneventful day.
So we thought...

Adventure always seems to find us...

For Craig it's his fascination with climbing and jumping off
very high things!
Copper Canyon could not pass him up!

He tells me how there was a huge rock
to the right so all he could think about was
to jump left. Good thinking eh??

This crazy bravery comes from their Daddy's side.
(well maybe a little from me too!)
Jordyn and Chloe decided to go tubing again today too!

I love this crazy hair picture!

Fun wasn't over yet.
It was time to drive the boat.
She did such a good job!
(That's Scott our neighbor)

Ryan was still enjoying his "dip stops"

Ryan got a shot at driving the boat with his Daddy!

He looked like the Mayor of Havasu...waving to all the girls!
It was hilarious!

We really enjoyed ourselves on the boat.
We're so happy we went!
Can't wait to do it again next summer!

Havasu Day 1

2009-07-16T18:59:00.000-07:00

HOT, HOT, HOT

No not us, the weather! Ok we're pretty hot too! Ha!
The adventure begins today.
Going to Havasu and getting the river experience
was a little out of our comfort zone.
Not for long though. We adapted to river life real quick!
Ryan's favorite thing to do was to make "dip" stops.
We'd constantly stop the boat and we'd all take a dip.
Jumping off the side of the boat into the nice cool water was heavenly

Even Mommy got into it!

Soon enough, the innertube started calling Jordyn's name.
I was so nervous for her but I forget what a dare devil she is.
She did fall off once but she swam straight back
to the innertube to get back on!

Holding the flag was more Ryan's speed!

To add to our adventure, we ran into a monsoon.
The wind was so strong that we were bouncing around like crazy.
We were pretty far away so we decided to wait it out.
After 45 minutes or so, Craig says, "What if we just put the
pedal to the metal?" So we get back on the boat and did just that.
Funny thing was that Scott (our neighbor) decides to let Craig take
over for awhile! Yikes! Right in the middle of a storm???
Luckily everything went fine!
(It was his first time driving a boat!)

Notice Jordyn! She was so wiped out that she fell asleep
just like that as she was tucking her head in her life jacket
to protect her face from the wind and splashing water!
Too funny!

By the time we got back, took showers and went to dinner, I started feeling
like I was still on the boat. Turned out to be an early night for me.
Just a little sea sick! :(
Loved day 1 though.
What a great new experience for us!

How much longer??

2009-07-14T23:28:00.000-07:00

Ever since she was really small, Jordyn has always

loved being thrown in the air by her Daddy

I'm not sure how much longer Craig's gonna be able to
do it but it's still so much fun.
They love it.

bonding at the beach

2009-07-14T18:53:00.000-07:00

Throughout the summer, a group of families from Scott Ave. have
been getting together for various summer activities.
Today was beach day!
It has been so much fun watching the kids grow closer
by making these wonderful memories!

Wii Challenge you Uncle Ronnie

2009-07-13T23:06:00.000-07:00

What a treat. Uncle Ronnie came to spend the night!

Right away the kids started talking smack about Wii
It was on...

Ryan's sizing his competition up here

Uncle Ronnie wasn't too bad!

He didn't know the secret trick was to stand up
and give it that extra kick! ;0)

Ryan's trying to take out his competition

Ryan had 3 strikes in a row which is called a turkey.
So he decided to act like one
(more like a chicken)

Turned out that Jordyn beat them both!

Mon, Wed 3:30-5:00

2009-07-13T22:42:00.000-07:00

Jordyn's been working really hard on a couple last

tricks in order for her to move up a level.
The crazy part is that in the next level, she'll be competing.
Whatever happens...happens.
We just love to watch her do here thing out there!

She got to go on the high bar for the first time.
She wasn't scared at all!
We were!!

She handled in like a champ!
Here's she working on her back handsprings.
Most pictures are blurry because I can't use
flash and she's obviously moving...sorry!
I kinda think it looks cool anyway!

2 Wheelin' Time

2009-07-11T19:00:00.000-07:00

Here we go...

Time for mom to be on hand with bandaids and neosporin!
This little guy prefers to dive down to the street rather than
put on brakes and put his foot down!
The good news is that he's hasn't gotten hurt (yet!)
There were plenty of opportunities!

Someone was getting a little frustrated! HA!
And it wasn't Ryan!

Regardless, he got a couple really long rides in with lots of smiles.
(and he managed to look at the camera and smile too!)

I think Ryan surprised himself!
He was so happy and we were so proud of him!

We'll keep the bandaids handy though! :0)

Boogie Board Babes

2009-07-10T20:48:00.000-07:00

It's a good thing Santa got Jordyn a half way decent camera
because I didn't have one today!!
I missed so many good shots, but there are some
gems in here too!
We had one of the best beach days here in Newport Beach!

The waves were just perfect for the kids!!

Soooo much fun!

We got Perry's pizza right on the strand and finished
the day off building sand castles!
We can't wait to go back again!

The beach is their happy place!

Little Mozart

2009-07-08T11:41:00.000-07:00

Well here's something we haven't tried!

It's summertime...what a great opportunity to
try something other than a sport!
Keeps the brain active too!

Mrs. Oertel and Jordyn jumped right in.
I can't believe how much she learned in one day!

One of the best things is getting scratch and sniff stickers!
It's a crack up watching them smell each one!

Jordyn's loving her new adventure.
I'm loving how much she loves to try new things!

4th of July Fun

2009-07-04T22:53:00.000-07:00

Following the parade, it's definitely time to cool off.

Daddy and Ryan love to do the helicopter!

As the day progresses, the kids all gather around to play
and get ready for the fireworks!

We had quite the gathering of kids this year in the cul de sac!

Gotta have a sparkler!

I love this picture!

It was quite the firework show!
We're so lucky to be able to have fireworks still!

4th of July Parade

2009-07-04T12:26:00.000-07:00

We love our neighborhood parade!!

The kids get so into decorating their bikes and inviting
the neighbors to come watch.
The best thing is that they come!
When the kids are riding around they get such a kick
out of seeing everyone.

It's especially fun to be able to ride your bike with so many of your friends.

Always a great way to kick the festivities off for the day!

3rd of July

2009-07-03T23:32:00.000-07:00

One of our favorites holidays is here!!
Ryan was extra excited this year for the firework show!
I think every year it gets better and better for them as they get older.

Before the firework show we always need some park time!

Then it's time to load up on the glow sticks, crawl under a
blanket and get ready for the show!

I think Daddy is explaining "how" fireworks explode to Ryan.
He always asks those questions that I have to refer to Daddy for the answer!
I just take the pictures!

Great show this year.
Next year we might bring the camper!

Summer Swimmin' with the Ancich's

2009-06-29T20:14:00.000-07:00

It's always a treat to have friends come over and swim!

Oh ya Avery, we need to plan our sleepover!

Davin's got some hop in those legs!

Hunter's practicing for the diving team!

Both mommies were practicing to be on the next Hawaiian Tropic
commercial...no pictures to show though! :0)

Bolsa Chica with Friends

2009-06-29T19:09:00.000-07:00

Kaylie and Ryan playing in the biggest sandbox together!

It was windy...check out Ryan's hair!
Or maybe that's just bedhead!

Jordyn and Ashley looking cute as usual!

We didn't stay too long because it was windy and cold.
Long enough for the back of my legs to fry though.
We all headed back to our house to swim and the Neel's
house to BBQ. It was a fun day no matter where we were!
Happy Birthday Stephanie!

Summer Fun with Brooke

2009-06-25T11:15:00.000-07:00

This is one of Jordyn's friends from Kindergarten.

They are so funny together!

They spent hours in the pool. They only got out to eat pizza!

Looking forward to more fun days like this together!

There's a new Sheriff in Town!

2009-06-24T22:44:00.000-07:00

And he's hungry!

Not too sure how Maggie feels about this!

Needless to say, the dog food is IN the house now!

First Summer Project!

2009-06-24T20:14:00.000-07:00

Looks like the Anderson household is getting a facelift.

Not without a little help of course!

Not too bad big guy!

Going with the same colors but just a little darker.
It's starting to look soooo good already!
YEAH Craig!

Disneyland with the Three Musketeers!

2009-06-23T21:37:00.000-07:00

For our neighbor's birthday, we all went to Disneyland!
Jordyn, Ashley and Ryan are like the three musketeers!
They LOVE to be together as much as possible!

On this trip, we were able to get a fast pass for
Indiana Jones. Jordyn was so excited to ride it
for the first time. Afterwards, she was a little
scared but I know she'll go on it again.

Did I mention how they like to be twins! :0)

This was the whole crew. We all had a fun time!
Trent, Dylan, Ashley, Jordyn and Ryan

We'll have to do this again when were not blocked out anymore! :0(

Father's Day Fun

2009-06-22T10:45:00.000-07:00

Traditional morning breakfast was made for Daddy followed

by cute gifts the kids made for him at school!
It means so much more when the kids make presents.
They couldn't wait to give them to him!

Then we packed up the trailer and headed to the beach for the day.
My favorite is to ride bikes on the strand!

Mimi and Papa joined us down their for a family dinner.
I love this picture of the 3 generations!
What handsome Anderson boys!

Jordyn decided to break out her Connect Four game and challenge everyone.
Funny story was that Papa let Jordyn win a couple games in the
beginning. After that, he couldn't beat her whatsoever.
He was wishing he didn't throw the first couple games after all.
It was so much fun to see them all play together.

Even Mimi!!

What a great day!

Happy Father's Day

2009-06-21T22:15:00.001-07:00

I couldn't ask for a better partner in life!
You are the one of the most dedicated Dad's I know!
These two kids love you with all their heart and so does their Mommy!

Happy Father's Day to all you wonderful Dad's out there!!

(especially mine)

So loved!

Goin' out Luau Style

2009-06-18T21:21:00.000-07:00

Jordyn's end of the year party went out Luau style!

These kids had so much fun. We got so lucky with the weather too.
I woke up that morning and heard the forecast was light showers
and possible lightning. The weather was actually perfect.

Their class started out with a little Limbo...

Then they played a team game of filling an empty bucket with water by
squeezing water out of a sponge from another bucket.

But the best part was when they were able to run through the sprinklers!
What a great idea!

Jordyn and Kalista making the most of it!

I was so lucky to be able to be at so many of these events!
It was such a great year.
Next year both Jordyn and Ryan will be at the same school!
I either need to enroll myself as a student or just get a job there! HA!

Ryan's Pre-School Graduation

2009-06-18T17:39:00.000-07:00

Oh so cute I could eat him up!

Ryan has been singing his heart out with such
wonderful songs he's learned throughout the year.
In fact when we put him to bed, we'd often walk by
his room and just hear him sing to himself.
Today they sang 8 songs for us.

Then it was Diploma Time!

After they got their diploma, the director asked them,
"what do you want to be when you grow up?"
Ryan replied, "A veternarian!"
Nice!

Quick shot as he walked up the aisle

Ryan's Teacher!

His best friend Savanah

Proud Grandparents!

Proud family!

Lunch afterwards at Red Robin

In all honesty, if you ask Ryan what the highlight of
his graduation was, well he'd say "Memaw!!!"

In a Blink of an Eye

2009-06-13T15:43:00.001-07:00

Things happen quickly, we all know that.

So the other day we all went out to pull some weeds in the backyard.

After awhile the kids found their way over to the swing set.

I'm still not paying too much attention until suddenly in the

corner of my eye, I see this...

I say, "wait, when did you learn how to swing yourself??"

Ryan says, "For awhile!"

Kinda like, "where've you been MOM??"

He then wants to show me from start to finish how he can do it.

His trick he says is to keep your eyes closed because it makes

you go higher!

I was hysterical!

He's so serious about it too!

Ugh, I'm really wanting to slow down time!

Anyone figured out how to do that yet??

Scotty Olympics

2009-06-13T11:56:00.001-07:00

The 3rd annual Scotty Olympics were finally here.

It was quite a wonderful event. So exciting to see all

the kids fired up to compete in 6 events representing their country.

Jordyn's class represented Argentina.

It was so fun to see everyone cheering for each other!

The events consisted of Long Jump, Obstacle Course, 50 yd. dash,

Basketball, Soccer and Shot Put

What a great event! It was definitely a highlight of the year!

Happy Campers

2009-06-06T08:40:00.000-07:00

After a year and a half of this trailer sitting in our driveway,

we finally pulled it together to take it for a spin!
As most of you know, I am pretty afraid of towing the camper.
Craig was kind enough to find a local place that we could
go that didn't require windy roads to get there.
Silverwood Lake here we come!

This was a quick turnaround trip. We packed like we would be there for a week!
We set up camp and then went venturing down to the lake.
The kids couldn't wait to go fishing...big hit with them!

Jordyn just loved casting. She'd cast and then real it right
in just so she could cast again.

Jordyn's style of fishing!

Catching the big one! HA!

Eventually Ryan figured that making a "Water Trap"
was more fun!

Craig bought a 2 man inflatable boat. It worked out perfect!

For trailer entertainment, Jordyn was challenging everyone
to Connect Four. I think she beat her Daddy this game! :0)

And of course, we had to roast marshmallows

Ryan had way too many!

I think we left with two very Happy Campers
We can't wait to go again!
Anyone want to go???

Preschool Open House

2009-05-25T20:26:00.000-07:00

I knew we were in for a treat this night.
Ryan has been trying real hard to keep all the secrets
of what they've been up to in class.
He'd tell me, there are no scarecrows in our class.
Nope none! Oh course I had no idea what he was talking about
which made it real funny to me. Anyway, it was a real special night.
His special book, "All About Me" made me laugh, cry, but most of all,
it made me proud!
We got to meet fluffy too.

The room's theme was "Around the Farm"
Look at Huckleberry Ryan!

Mrs. Scott would ask the kids questions and then write out
their responses on either their frog, pig, cow etc. etc.
I think the question here was, "if you could ride a duck,
where would he take you?"
Ryan's answer made no sense but I thought it was cute anyway.
He said, "super fun, I would be imagining
I was on top of my Dad's shoulders."
For fun his frog would go to Huntington Beach and his
pig would go to San Diego.
Ryan's funny! :)

Ryan loves his Mrs. Scott too. He runs to class every morning.
I love her too. She's a crack up!

Preschool Open Houses are the best!

When you talk to a Monkey!

2009-05-24T07:38:00.000-07:00

Jordyn was selected to participate in the Poetry Festival at school.
She told me from the get go that if she did get selected,
that there was no way she would do it. I told her that was fine
and that it would just be an honor to be picked.
Well sure enough, she got picked! Soon the dilemma followed.
She told her teacher that she needed to talk to her mommy about it first.
After a few discussions, she finally turned to me and said,
"I think I'll do it because I might not ever have the chance to do it again!"
I felt so proud of her at that moment just for saying that.
I didn't push her at all because I know that I would be scared myself!

The setting was real cute.
It was a tea party and all the kids got dressed up.
The kids sat in tables and waited for their turn to recite their poem.
Jordyn wasn't too nervous.
Her friend (in the black and white dress)
was very nervous so I think she was trying to
help her out.

OK maybe she's a little nervous!

Here she is....
When you talk to a Monkey
by Rowena Bennet

proud Mommy of course...she was perfect!

and two very relieved girls that it was over!
Although I think Jordyn is starting to like the stage! HA!

Mystery Reader #2

2009-05-15T20:55:00.000-07:00

We've been waiting for this day for a long time.

Ryan had no idea that Memaw was coming to be
the mystery reader at his school.
Keep your eyes closed Ryan...no peeking!!

Surrrrrprise!

The funny thing was that Ryan acted quite normal in class.
But once we got outside, he started bouncing around
like he had a Tigger tail!

Memaw did such a great job interacting with the kids.
(If you know Memaw, this comes as no shocker)
They all wanted to tell her a story.

I'm thinking that Memaw was enjoying herself too!

Thank you SO much for coming...

you made one kid so, so very Happy!!

All Star Girl

2009-05-13T09:44:00.001-07:00

Today was a special "All Star Game" for all the girls

who were moving up to the next age bracket.
It's a big jump from T-Ball/coach pitch to the Girls U8.

Regardless, I can't believe the season is over.

What a way to end the season though...

Today this girl played like no other.
Offensively, she got two doubles and a single.

Defensively, she made 6 outs, including a double play.
She caught a pop fly and then tagged the girl out at first.

The coach kept offering Craig tissue for all these proud moments!
Too funny!

When the game was over, Jordyn was named,
Player of the game!!!

I can't believe we almost didn't sign her up!!!

Mother's Day Delight

2009-05-11T08:35:00.000-07:00

I love seeing the kids so eager to do something for someone else.

On Saturday we went out to my Dad's to see Memaw for Mother's Day.
Of course there isn't anything they wouldn't do for her.
(That's because the feeling is mutual)
I suggested that a car wash for her was in order.
They couldn't wait to get started.
Not only that,they washed my car too!

The next morning was the Official Mother's Day.
I was told to sleep in and relax...hmmm

Here comes my two rascals....

Looks like I had the Royal treatment coming my way!
Jordyn and Ryan were just absolutely adorable. I got a French
toast breakfast with bacon, eggs and coffee.
We laid in bed together, read cards and looked at all their
little crafts they had been working on and hanging all over
my bed.
We read the book they got me. It was pretty funny!

Then there was the mystery box that Ryan had been
working on for like a week. He obviously found lots of
goodies to put inside.

Soon we were off to Mimi and Papa's house. Even though
our jacuzzi isn't hooked up yet, I did get some spa time in theirs.

There's nothing more I enjoy in life than these two guys
who I love with all my heart. I am so thankful every day
that I've had an opportunity to be their mother!
The love in my heart for them is like no other!
I hope everyone had a wonderful Mother's Day.

Happy 66th Birthday Mom

2009-05-05T21:36:00.000-07:00

You know, she was too young to leave us.

It definitely was so hard to take (and still is) because I was just
starting to feel a real good mother-daughter relationship coming along.
I loved watching her with Jordyn and Ryan. She loved them so much.
I'm sure she loved all her kids the same but living between
two different continents couldn't have been easy for her.
I really really do miss my Mom. I know she's looking out for us,
but I just wish she could be here to see her grandkids grow up.
She would get such a kick out of them!
Today I did my best to have a good day for her.
And in her memory, I sit here writing this blog
with a margarita in my hand.
If she was here, we'd be having one together.
Cheers Mom.

Ocean Research Report Take II

2009-04-29T20:47:00.000-07:00

Tonight went a lot better than last night.
Jordyn really worked hard to get all her homework done so
we could concentrate solely on her report.
She even asked to break out my scrapbooking supplies.
We all know I have plenty. I was so excited!
It lead to side drawings and other things to distract us from the report,
but that's another story.

We had lots of fun creating her report together.
Final project soon to come!
(and yes that is an Easter basket that hasn't been put away yet!!)

Got Sleep?

2009-04-29T07:53:00.001-07:00

I don't think I have to explain this one!!!

Poor baby! Last week she had no homework because they got assigned to do
an Ocean Animal research report due in two weeks. Well, you'd think
we'd take advantage and start our report.
The week came and went and now
we're doing regular homework on top of her report.
I know, I know, bad Mommy!

Sweet dreams baby!

Easter 2009

2009-04-15T20:34:00.001-07:00

The morning started with two very anxious egg hunters.
They were peeking out the windows spotting a few eggs to get a head start.
Once we opened the door, the hunt was on! This year Ryan was non stop.
I couldn't get him to look up for a second to get a picture.
Jordyn on the other hand was much more open to posing for the camera.
(Thanks Jordyn!)

Mimi, Papa, Auntie Trish, Hailey and Roger came over for Easter Brunch.
After we ate, Jordyn and Ryan wanted to play soccer.
We started noticing how aggressive Ryan has been playing
against his sister for some healthy sibling competition.
But it was nothing compared to father and son once
Papa and Daddy started playing.
Those two needed to take it to a real field! HA!

Eventually Ryan just figured it would be easier to take his competition out!

Next, it was time to do the traditional Latvian Egg Fight.
Two people hold their egg pointy side up.
Then one person taps their tip of the egg on the
other person's tip of their egg and only one egg will crack.
If your egg doesn't crack, you win.

Mimi's eggs came out so beautiful this year.
They're dyed with onion skin.

The girls and boys squared off against each other so that way the
final would be one boy versus one girl.
Wouldn't you know it, it ends up being Jordyn versus Ryan.
I lost to Mimi, and Mimi lost to Jordyn.

Jordyn is just a little excited that she won!! :)

So here they are going face to face. This is serious business you know!

Jordyn's excited, but she actually lost.
I'm not sure if she thought she won or if she was just happy for Ryan!
Turns out that 3 seconds later she busts out in tears
so I think I got my question answered!

Ryan enjoyed his victory to the tilt.
He wanted to make sure that no one ate his special egg!

Afterwards, Papa comes to Jordyn's rescue and let's her
beat him in some more egg fighting.
Of course this was after a good sermon on how it's ok to lose.
Papa is always good for the life lesson! :)

Easter was nice and mellow filled with good family time spent together.
I'd say it was a perfect day.

Ryan's is already planning next year's Easter! :)

Our Eggs are Marbled

2009-04-13T09:01:00.000-07:00

This year, our eggs ended up a little different than usual.

We opened up our egg dyeing kit and realized, there's no dye &
no cups to dip our eggs. Just packages of what seemed like paint.
Stinky paint too.
Well, it was different, but the eggs looked pretty after all.

It's so funny how serious egg coloring could be!

Fortunately I think we only cracked one is the process
Hopefully the bunny won't crack any when he/she hides the eggs.

Happy Easter Everyone

Our Lil' Rascal

2009-03-28T15:49:00.000-07:00

Ryan had quite a game for himself!

He was hustling after the ball...

He made great throw ins...

He was flat out going for it!

He was even heading towards the net to possibly make a goal!
But after 3 defenders,

He went down!
Oh, we were so proud of him though!

So back to handstands in the back fields he went...

Seriously though, I think he's starting to get it.
He's lovin' it! Thats what's most important.
He wakes up Saturday morning and throws his
uniform on. He can't wait for the game to start!

YEAH RYAN!!!

Ding Dong Ditch?

2009-03-26T17:43:00.000-07:00

Five minutes ago (had to blog immediately) I experienced
one of the most sweetest things. Craig and Jordyn
left to go to softball practice. I was sitting on the couch
in the living room trying to finish up a scrapbook page.
Ryan goes out in the front yard. I hear the back yard gate
and I see him walking around with something green
in his hand. I just kept cutting away because I really
wanted to put all my scrapbooking stuff back.
Anyway, I hear a knock at the door. A pretty strong knock,
so I figured it was our neighbor wanting to play
with Jordyn or it was a sales person.
I kinda take my time to get up to answer the door.
When I get there, no one is there. I figured I took too
long to answer the door so they left. So I stand there for
a couple seconds, and then I looked down.
Tears immediately filled my eyes!!!

Then out popped Ryan with the biggest smile on his face.
He had gathered flowers from all around the house, filled up
a greeen plastic egg that he got from a neighbor (as he was
collecting flowers) and found a pink piece of paper and left
it all for me as a surprise. I think the pink paper was a grocery
list. He didn't know what it said but he knew it was my favorite
color paper and that it was a note of some kind.
He then told me he left me all these things because he loves me!
Awwww!!!!!

I feel so darn lucky to have a son like Ryan!!!

Zoomania

2009-03-25T06:42:00.000-07:00

If Ryan could move right now, he'd move to San Diego.

He just loves it there. Last year we went to Sea World
so this year it was time to go to the zoo.
We went with Auntie Kerri, Uncle Yannis, Zoie and Aly.

The biggest thing for the kids was to see a real live Panda.
Both Jordyn and Ryan are real into Panda's lately, especially Ryan

We had to wait in line...I thought Ryan was going to jump out of his skin.
It was so worth the wait..

This panda was soooo cute!

Elephants are always a favorite too!

What I found amazing this trip was the hippopotamus.
He was huge!

In the back ground there is a Koala Bear. They sleep 20 hours a day.
Guess what? They were all asleep!

The orangutans weren't. It's scary how human all the monkeys look!
Since Grandpa told Ryan about the bad habits monkeys "could" have, he was
hesitant to even see them! :)

We hit up the petting zoo too.

Just a cute picture of my boys!

We had lots of fun in our hotel too. It's become tradition
to get "hotel" food. Hotel food consists of hot tamales,
Mike & Ikes, and pringles. It's also a new tradition to do
a little jumping on the bed! Shhhh! :)

Mommy & Daddy love the hotel jacuzzi! :)

Super fun weekend. We got passes now so I can't wait to go again!
Thanks Mimi & Papa!!

Bend it like Bubba!

2009-03-20T08:23:00.000-07:00

It's here...Ryan's first soccer game.

R: "Mommy, was Jordyn nervous about her first
soccer game?"
M: "I don't know, why?"
R: "Because I'm a little nervous"
M: "Oh, I'm sure she was"

Of course, the first quarter he's the goalie!!
No pressure at all there!!
Luckily, the whole quarter was spent with whistles
blowing because the ball was constantly out of bounds. HA!

Overall, he did pretty good. He's the team favorite of course because he's
so small and cute. The mom's are wrapped! Surprise Surprise.
No one could be as wrapped as his own mom though! :)

It's so awesome that HE gets to run through the tunnel
now and that he gets his own snack at the end of
the game. Well that's why they play the game right?

Catch me IF you can!

2009-03-18T08:38:00.000-07:00

Jordyn had her first official project for school. All first graders had to design

a trap to see if they could catch a leprechaun. After lots of brainstorming
and 3 projects later (long story!), we came up with the
Shamrock Olympics! How could a leprechaun resist trying
to win a Gold Medal?

Here's Jordyn getting straight to work...

And here's the final project.
When the leprechaun
landed from his attempt at winning the goal in the
long jump, he would land on top of a trap door!
Bam! Leprechaun caught!!!

So traps were all set in her classroom the night before
St. Patrick's Day. Apparently the leprechaun was
too tricky to get caught. He was a nice leprechaun though
because he left all the kids chocolate gold coins.
Oh, after he made a mess in their classroom!
I was corrected by Jordyn ;0)
Hope everyone had a fun St. Patrick's Day!!

Denny's for Dinner??

2009-03-13T07:45:00.000-07:00

Game 3---
Batter Up, Bases Loaded...

Last pitch...hit down the first base line...

And how does anyone celebrate a grand slam???
With a Grand Slam dinner! HA!

We are really enjoying watching her play softball!

Game on!

2009-02-28T19:29:00.000-08:00

Today was opening day for softball.

The girls looked adorable.
Their banner was sooo cute!

Most of the girls on Jordyn's team have played before.
Basically she's the newbie on the team.
It's their first game and our team is batting first.
So guess who's the first batter? Geez, no time
to figure things out eh? Not only that, when we
go outfield, the coach puts her at first base!
She did fine. It's just her neurotic mother who
got all nervous!

Here's her proud Daddy watching her first at bat!

She was quite focused. Too bad the coach pitched
the ball too high so she did have to use the tee.

She played first base, right field, and catcher.
It was so hot that day, poor thing was sweating wearing
all this gear!

Well she had fun and that's all that matters.

Our Singing Scottie

2009-02-24T20:37:00.000-08:00

Jordyn's school was celebrating Founder's Day for PTA.
All the first graders sang Disney songs. I thought it was adorable.
They practiced everyday for at least a month.
Jordyn was singing these songs all around the house.
Her favorites were "We're all in this together"
from High School Musical and "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious"
from Mary Poppins.
Ya I still can't say it! I had to look up the spelling too!

Also, she got selected to say a special part on the microphone.
To our surprise, she wasn't nervous at all.
At that age, I would of been heading for the hills.
It was so nice to see her confidence.

She was real happy through the whole performance.

And real into it...can't you tell??

Look at those sassy boots. I love it!

Another proud moment for us.
You were our star tonight Jordyn!!!

IT'S-A-R-O-B-O-T PARTY

2009-02-21T22:43:00.000-08:00

Ryan's Birthday seemed to go on forever!!!

Well he's been talking about it for months, yes...I said months.
So finally he tells me he wants his decorations to be robots.

Sounds easy. Not! Thank goodness for the internet.
Oh and all he wanted was a jumper.

Can you believe I found a robot jumper too?

It's so hard to take pictures of the kids in the jumper.
This was one of the better ones.

I really love this picture. We're missing Kevin,
but these are Ryan's really good friends

It was so cute to watch Ryan's friends enjoy his presents
as much as he did. Most of the time they had to
explain to him what they were. Yeah for boy toys!!!
Although he knew exactly what this present was...
Mario Cart from Memaw and Grandpa!!

Someone was happy!!

Cake Time!

By the end of the day, we were all exhausted.
I was real happy how the party turned out.
Ryan had a blast!!

Ryan's now "Officially" 5

2009-02-20T21:29:00.000-08:00

Ryan was actually born at 8:41 p.m. My family had a time pool going.
I think my dad won. When Ryan was born, everyone said, "Ya ya but
what was the official time?" We're not a competitive family right?

So tonight at 8:41, I grabbed Ryan to take his "Official 5 year old picture"

I just love Ryan's hugs!!

My baby is getting big!!

It's your birthday...let's go to Disneyland

2009-02-20T21:05:00.000-08:00

Ryan was so excited that it was HIS birthday and that

HE gets to pick the rides we go on.
At this point, Ryan's interest in rides is much different than Jordyn's.
But to our surprise, he wanted to go on Soaring over California.

Jordyn and I had been on it before so she was excited
but I was a little nervous for him.
Shoot I get a little freaked out on that ride.
I love it but I feel funny inside sometimes.
Anyway, the big thing is that he's tall enough so he wanted to go flying.

While we were in line, he couldn't stop talking about the planes
and jumping up and down with excitement.
It was real cute. Of course we were in line for an hour!!!

He had so many questions about the planes.
Too bad Daddy wasn't there to answer them all! :)

Well, he loved it and wanted to go on it again.
I said maybe next time, I wasn't about to sit in line for another hour!!
Oh and he also wants to go to San Francisco to see the real Golden Gate Bridge!

Happy 5th Birthday Big Guy Ry...WOW!

2009-02-20T07:30:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Ryan!!! Today is going to be jammed
packed with activities and surprises.
First of all, Daddy took the day off work to help get the house
in order for tomorrow's party. Then Mommy will be bringing
cupcakes to the class for everyone.

Looks like the cupcakes turned into a big hit

Then came the big surprise...
On Fridays, Ryan's school has a mystery reader.
All the kids hide their eyes while the mystery reader comes in,
sits down and gets ready to read the kids a story.
No one knows who it is until
they open their eyes.
Let's see who the mystery reader is today...

It's Big Sister Jordyn!!!
I was planning on doing it, but I decided to ask
Jordyn that morning if she'd do it
and she gladly accepted the challenge.
What a win-win situation.

And boy was she a hit with all the kids. We were so proud of her.
She wasn't shy at all. She read slowly and clearly with lots of emotion.
She loved acting like a teacher, showing all the pages as she read.

The kids loved her...especially someone special in the audience.
I think he was quite proud of his sister too.

I think Jordyn made her brother very happy on his Birthday!!!

Sledding the day away

2009-02-15T09:19:00.000-08:00

To my surprise, on Sunday morning I wake up to the kids in
snow clothes with Daddy packed and ready to go sledding.
I thought ugh, I don't want to go...

"where's my coffee?"
Once I got my wits about me I changed my tune.

I called up some supporting troops (the Wille's) and got myself in gear.

How could I not right?

Here's my first ride with Jordyn. I don't know how I stayed on the sled

It was a rough landing but it was funny. I landed on top of her.

When I went with Ryan, we went even faster with more snow in the face

Now when the two little ones went together, they were flying

And of course they loved it.

Here's some more cute pics...

We had a blast. Sometimes you just have to get up and just do it.
That's how memories are made!!!!

Valentine's Dinner for Four!

2009-02-14T22:22:00.000-08:00

I think we got Valentine's Day plans down now.

On the 13th, Mommy and Daddy go out alone to celebrate together
(oh and to avoid the madness of people at Restaurant's)
and on the 14th we celebrate our love as a family.
This year, these two decided they'd make dinner.
Of course it's something they like AND know how to make.

Some of the cheese actually got on the pizza!

How cute is that?
Our "love" pizza!

Our dinner was a perfect end to our day.

Struck by the Love Bug!

2009-02-14T13:54:00.000-08:00

Hope everyone had a wonderful Valentine's Day!

This year the boys sure were "charming"
to us girls!

Yup, Mommy got the pretty Tiffany blue bag.

I've never had one before

Wow, my bracelet was so beautiful. Someone
else was getting a bracelet too!

We were feeling quite special. Jordyn and I love being twins

Thank you Daddy for always making your girls feel so special!
We love you!!!

Watch out Sports World, Here Comes Ryan

2009-02-12T08:14:00.000-08:00

Finally the day is here...Ryan is entering into the sports world!

He is revin' and ready to go.

It's all about the cleats right now!

Everyone knows that cleats make you run faster right?

Well since it is Spring Soccer, Ryan got placed on a co-ed team with kids that tower over him.

Fortunately, I don't think he minds the girls one bit.

It will all work out and be a real kick to watch him play. I can't wait!!

It's official...She's 7!!!!

2009-02-11T07:23:00.000-08:00

OK, wipe the tears Mommy...I just can't believe she's 7!!

Seems like yesterday this girl tried to come into this world upside down!
We should have known then that she'd be in charge eh?

I'm looking through baby pictures of her and seeing how

little she's changed. I could look at a picture of her as a baby

and see the same looks. Or how she sleeps in the same
position with the same expression on her face.
I see the same sassy sparkle in her eyes.

This is a picture that I've never paid too much attention

to yet it's so funny because that is Jordyn still at 7 years old.

She was 2 in this picture

Well my baby girl, you have made your mommy and daddy
very proud parents. Even though I still see the baby
in you, you have grown to be one fantastic little girl with
so many things to offer this world.
Keep up the positive, competitive, spunky attitude!
Mommy and Daddy love you with all our hearts!!

Happy 7th Birthday!

Lace up your skates to Celebrate Jordyn's 7th B-Day Party

2009-02-09T11:45:00.000-08:00

We did it!!

I must admit, as Jordyn's birthday party was

approaching, I was getting nervous that maybe

things weren't going to work out as planned.

But to my surprise, everyone did an awesome
job and a good time was had by all!

I am so proud of each and every one of them.

Let's take a look to see how they did...

They all got a 20 minute lesson to help get them started.

They were all so serious trying to learn something new!

Soon enough everyone was up and skating like they were pros!

I give them all credit for trying their best
and sticking to it.
Even Ryan enjoyed himself.

According to the birthday girl it was the best day ever!

Thanks to all of Jordyn's friends and family who
made this day extra special for her. She loved her party!

Go Pink Panthers!

2009-02-05T07:19:00.000-08:00

New season, new sport to try out. It just so happens that it's one both
Mommy and Daddy are pretty passionate about! I think Jordyn's excited
that she's doing a sport that Mommy played too.
She just looks like a natural to me.

I'm predicting a successful season!

And of course, her biggest fan is here wondering
who's bringing the hot dog and cracker jacks!

The next couple of months are going to be very busy.
Someone else is about to try his skills at a sport too!
I'll keep you posted!

Swimming in FEBRUARY???

2009-02-04T15:08:00.000-08:00

"Yes it's been hot, but no you can't go swimming."

I've been sounding like a broken record.
So are the whines that follow the answer NO!
So today I thought, fine, go ahead, they'll see how cold it is
and then they'll stop asking everyday right?

Yep they realized it was VERY COLD! But, will it stop them???

Jordyn is testing the waters so to speak but I'm thinking
she's going to come right back out.
Ryan is just being cute so I really don't think
he'll be brave enough to actually go for it!

I know everyone knows where this is going. You'd think I'd know
my kids a little better too! Sure enough, Jordyn does (to me) the unthinkable.

I'm getting goose bumps looking at these pictures. Our pool
is freezing right now. Well to most of us humans that is! :)

Well monkey see monkey do...

At least he looks a little more cold and shocked than Jordyn.
Yet, the smile was soon to follow

For the last two years they've asked to have their birthday parties
be a swim party. Were they just trying to prove a point to me??
We'll keep the swimming parties for the summer time because
I'm not jumping in to rescue anyone in this water!
Well you know we're anxious over here for the real summer
to come! :)

My New Gardener

2009-02-03T19:48:00.000-08:00

Today Ryan wanted to plant seeds. I bought a couple of those all in one, pot,

soil pellet and two bulbs for the kids to have some fun.
So we broke them out to set them up.
Well that lasted all but two seconds.

Then he wanted to plant more seeds in the pots for the playhouse.

Well that wasn't good enough either.
He wanted to move on to the weed infested planters. Ugh!
Now a project has begun!

Ryan kept asking, "Why do weeds grow all over!"
(I wish I had the answer!)
I said, "I don't know but I sure could use a
gardener to pick all these weeds for me."
He said, "I'll be your gardener."
And off he went, by himself for like an hour, planting
more seeds and pulling weeds.

I wonder if I ask him tomorrow if he wants to pull weeds what
he'll say. I think he'll be ready to cash in on early retirement
as a gardener. If not, we'll add this to our weekly routine too!! HA!

"Shave" it aint so!

2009-02-03T14:05:00.000-08:00

On Friday Ryan not only had Pajama Day at school, but he also got to "shave!"

And to think I was just complaining about how time is flying by! He He
Well someone was so over the top excited.
He pouted while I was taking a shower because
I took too long and he was going to miss his party! :(
Ya he was excited! Needless to say, we were there early!!

I was smart, I volunteered to take pictures of everyone so I could
stay and see everything. I never want to miss a moment.
So I snook inside to see everyone sitting for circle time
with their stuffed animals.

Now it was time for the Shave...

At first I think he was not too sure about it
but soon after he liked it.

I had to control my laugh because he was soooo serious.

I think this swipe would of took off his nose!

It was such a fun day to spend in his class. They had french toast,
sausage & hot cocoa for snack.
I think someone was feeling real special like his Daddy!

Remember this...

2009-01-29T19:23:00.000-08:00

Ryan is taking his morning tubby, and calls me over as if he made

this huge discovery.

R: "Mommy, mommy, LOOK!!!"

M: "What?"

R: "I'm as big as the tubby!"

M: "Wow, you really do fit perfectly!"

My thoughts were going back and forth.

First I was remembering when he was too small

to even be put in a tubby. Then I was thinking

how one day he'll be so big that he'll barely fit in the tubby.

Time is just moving so fast isn't it?

Happy Birthday DAD!!

2009-01-26T06:00:00.000-08:00

I know this technically isn't a so called "milestone" birthday,
but in so many ways it is.
Four months ago not many people thought you'd see your next birthday.
As for me, I never let my mind wander that way because I had to focus my
energy on the positive. Looking back now, as I often do,
I can't express enough, how proud I am of you.
Why some might ask? Because I watched you have the fight of your life.
I saw the fear and the struggle you were faced with.
It was your strong will and your love for your family that kept you going
because you knew it wasn't your time to go.
And yes, it WASN'T your time to go.
I was not ready to lose my father, my friend.

I love you DAD!

And for me, this is the Happiest of Birthday's!!!

Weights to help build back your legs and arms of steel! :)

The kids made their special cards and got him some special cologne...Old Spice!

Happy birthday Dad, you truly are my HERO!!!

Typical Weekend Sleepover

2009-01-25T08:41:00.000-08:00

Every weekend the kids want to have a slumber party.
It changes every week where they end up sleeping.
It's either Jordyn's room, Ryan's room, living room, or family room.

They look forward to this every Friday.

This time it was Jordyn's room

Yes Smokey joins the fun and so does Maggie
but she's sleeping in the bean bag on the floor.
They're one big happy family

I love how they want to be together.
I know it won't last too long so we enjoy every minute that we can.

Beach day in January???

2009-01-24T19:06:00.000-08:00

Only in California right?
We miss the beach so any opportunity to go is fine by us.
We literally spent the whole day there.
We started the fun with some family football.

Jordyn & Ryan vs. Daddy

First the boundaries had to be made...

That part was easy. It was the catching of the football that was hard

Maybe it's because you have quarterback Daddy firing the ball at you! :)

So Ryan moved on to hiking the ball. Much easier!

Well kinda!

What was Mommy doing? Trying to catch some rays!!!
(and taking pictures of course)

Unfortunately I don't have pictures of the actual game because I video taped it.
Funny footage let me tell you. The score was a million and twenty five to zero.
Hmmm who was keeping score?
I didn't think the kids would want to go in the water too!!!
It's freezing...why don't kids care?
I don't get it. BUT if I wanted pictures, guess who had to go in too? YUP!

So what's a beach day without sand play?
Can you guess what Ryan's making?

Waves of course. He's so creative!

To add to our fun, Kerri, Yannis, Zoie and Aly joined us. Cousin picture time!

We ended up walking around Main Street and taking in some of the fun 3 day holiday spirit.
In other words, it was crowded!
The sunset was beautiful though.

Oh I love this picture
Ryan was done by now with pictures!

I can't believe that the next week it rained!!

Jordyn & Mommy's Beauty & Shopping Day

2009-01-23T16:40:00.000-08:00

Finally, much awaited haircuts for us both!!

December is such a tough month that things like getting my hair done seem to get pushed way down on the priority list. We couldn't wait any longer!

So here she is enjoying every minute...

Oh the massages they give here are always so good.
Jordyn was all smiles the whole time

This is Donny. He's been cutting my hair for like 10 years!

And finally we were done. I never like the way they blow dry my hair!!

So on the way home we end up going to Brea mall to "return" something. Well two girls in the mall and no boys to bug us, we kinda took advantage of our situation. So we ended up with a few packages...we deserve them right? :) In fact, we closed down the mall that night!!! I tried to tell her that we don't have to tell Daddy everything we got and she said, "We kinda do!"
Yikes! In time she'll learn! HA!
Back home we took another picture because my hair was a little too wacky for me.

I think cool cuts might not be so cool for little Miss Sassy Pants now.
She might be trading in the twisties for the curls.
Doesn't she look adorable??
I love Mommy and Jordyn days!!!

What's for lunch??

2009-01-23T07:37:00.000-08:00

After picking Ryan up from preschool, his first words (once we get in the car) are always, "I'm hungry!" My usual response it, "OK what would you like?" He always says, "I don't know." But today was different. To my surprise, he says, "can I make our lunch myself?" I thought, hmm, this is a nice break from the usual routine, I'll take him up on that offer. I'll even let him pick the menu....

He says, "First, we'll have "healthy fruit" (he's real into being healthy!) :)

Then of course a sandwich. "That's all we need!"

He must of been real hungry because he was caught tasting the food along the way! :)

He was sooooo proud that he made Mommy Lunch!

It was such a beautiful day so we went outside to enjoy the sunshine and our wonderful "healthy" lunch. Ryan took a picture of his Happy Mommy!

I think someone else was pretty happy and proud of what he did!

I love you little Bubba!
Thanks for a wonderful afternoon together!

Hoo's Ready 4 Story time?

2009-01-17T21:05:00.000-08:00

Week 2 play date with Jeremy was at Story time at the library. Sounds perfect. Well the deal was even sweeter. The Story time was all about owls. I thought it was so cute especially since owls are my new found love.

The librarian had the kids fly like owls...

Then they looked through their owl glasses

And finally, they got to make their own owl craft!

Let's not forget playtime

I think we found our permanent Thursday activity. Ryan loved it. Next week's theme is dinosaurs. Can't wait!!