Escondido, Ca

Thanks to Pop and Granny, we spent another great week in Escondido at the Lawrence Welk resort. We hung out at the pool a lot and Payton was able to go on the waterslide this year, so that made him feel very grown up and happy. We went to California Adventure and Sydney Kate got to have lunch with the princesses at Ariel's Grotto. What a treat. Mike says I liked it more than the kids :) Thanks to Pop and Dama Dama for setting that up! We also got to spend time with Blake & Mikelle which is always fun. Thanks for the hospitality! The beach was fun as always. Now we are home and back in the saddle, so to speak. Sydney is working on using her new Dora Potty (she's 1/3 today, shucks) and Payton is helping me by doing his jobs. Hope all is well with you wherever you are. love xoxo.

Happy Birthday to my Mike...

Morton's for crab cakes, steak & chocolate godiva...it's becoming a tradition for Mike's birthday. This year was especially nice because we got to share it with our two wonderful friends Steve & Hailey who also have birthdays this week. It was a nice dinner together. Happy Birthday Honey!

Birthday gift

Ok, so I had to show the world Mike's most favorite birthday gift from his dear Granny. If you can't tell, it's a banana holder...a must have for everyone, I say! Simply Priceless!

My Pod

Just want to say that I love this guy. XOXOXO Dad.

Idaho 2007

Our trip to Idaho was a lot of fun! We caravanned with Schilds which was a lot of fun :) We had birthday breakfast for my mom at Kate's house and then we headed to Idaho. It was a fun filled week: Caroline & Sean blessed their sweet baby June, Bear World, Fishing at the cabin, lots of hamburgers & hotdogs, roasting marshmallows, playing with cousins, aunts & uncles, fourth of July celebrations, getting to hang out with the Schilds, Man vs. Wild, fireworks, hot tubbing, eating out, sleeping in the trailer at the RV Park, and spending time with our family. We had a great trip and even though I think Pop & Dama Dama are in debt considering the amount of "stuff" our kids took from their store, the kids absolutely LOVED it. We enjoyed ourselves and are thankful for our lodging & food at Amy's (seriously, thank you!) It is nice to be out of the car and home at last, even though I'm barely sifting through the laundry! love you all, miss you already!

Check out my Slide Show!

Two really is terrible :)

I mean it in the nicest way, but my daughter turned two and suddenly she's changing her ways. Which makes me think that the whole "terrible two" thing is really not far-fetched. She won't sleep in her crib anymore which throws a kink in naps and bed time...way too time consuming for me! Not to mention the getting out of bed 3-4 times. I guess I am just in denial that she's growing up.

We had a good weekend...spending time with friends, swimming, ufc fights :) Love you all, hope you are doing well in your parts of the world.

Happy Birthday Sydney Kate!

Oh my goodness...look at all her Ariel stuff! Thank you so much everybody!

Birthdays Galore!!!

I have to say this year was one of my best birthdays ever!!! My sweet husband surprised me with a fun gift: my sister Kate. It was a great gift (good job honey). We went to dinner with friends and it was one of the funnest nights I have had in a long time...my cheeks were hurting from laughing at you, Dallas. And all of you who remembered me on my day, thank you. I really did feel like someone special and I appreciate you all. And now I'm remembering how I felt 2 years ago around my birthday (besides fat & pregnant)...very excited for the arrival of my first baby girl. And what a joy she has been to our family. We were so happy to FINALLY have her much awaited "Ariel" party tonight. It was a lot of fun and she now owns every Ariel toy known to man! June is such a busy birthday month...and we LOVE it!

put my arms around his neck, hug him tight like this...

Celebrating fathers! Just a little shout out to the dads in my life. First, my bubba Michael. Life would be a lot less fun without you around. And what a wonderful dad he is. And I wouldn't be around to share in the fun if it weren't for my own dad...who I love very much and wish him the very best this week. As for the "in-law" dad or should I say Pop, I couldn't have asked for a better one! I just love you all and hope your father's days were wonderful. You sure are!

Bathing Beauty.

Yesterday we went to our little buddy Krew's first birthday party. I couldn't help but snap these photos of my little bathing beauty! She looked like she was posing for a commercial or something...what a sweet girl she is. And what a fun party, Krista!

Quick trip to Californ-i-a!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

What a quick, little, fun-filled trip we had to California. We got to see Bunkers and go to Disneyland with the kids. Sydney saw Ariel and that was her favorite thing...she waved and waved at her. And she got an Ariel phone! Payton was tall enought to go on the big rides, though the "dark parts" made him a bit nervous. I took him on thunder mountain and he yelled "I'm miserable, I'm miserable" pretty much the whole time. He was hilarious. He loved Pirates and got the gear to play the part. Anyways, lots of fun! What a fun place to spend time together.

Happy 80th Roger!

We had a wonderful time dancing the night away and celebrating "Neder Pop's" 80th birthday last Saturday. It was a beautiful night with lots of food and great fun. The kids couldn't keep their feet off the dance floor and we all enjoyed watching them. I think Roger really appreciated all the effort and it meant a lot to him. Payton sang "Happy Birthday" on the microphone and he was the hit of the show, that and Sydney's dance moves! Love you Pop!

So you think YOU can dance?

Ok, so Mike is probably going to kill me...but this is just too funny not to share! Blake was giving these boys a dance lesson one day out by the pool and I captured a bit of it on tape. It was just one funny little moment with a few funny, somewhat scary looking, boys. I love when Dallas comes in like, "out of my way, I can do this!" Hilarious. Hope you enjoy!

love & legacy...

I have been working on a little book for Mike's grandpa Roger's 80th birthday. Aunt Judy has given me pictures & these are a few among them. They are so wonderful! I just wanted to share them with any of you that might be interested :) Wasn't Granny a babe?

So They Say...

I can't tell you how many times I hear that my kids look "just like their dad"! And it is true...but I guess it's a good thing their dad is so good looking! I absolutely LOVE this picture! It sort of shows the sweet little love relationship these two share. How grateful I am for a husband who loves his kids.

payton loves preschool

Payt has had great teachers this year. He has enjoyed his Montessori experience and is looking forward to next year. Brad Bunker is a good friend and Payton loves to play with him!

crazy life & change...

Mike keeps telling me I need to update! So here I am...and I realize that I pretty much skipped Mike's graduation all together. It was such a great few days with family here and lots of friends for his party. I appreciate everyone's support, thank you. We are proud of him, for sure! And then Payton had his last day of school, he will sure miss it...he just loves school. It feels like life quickly changes and I am trying to adapt and stay afloat! Swimming lessons started this week, Sydney cried the entire time! But Payton did well and is in the same class as his friend Kaylee, so he is enjoying it. I, however, have to get in with Sydney and so I feel like crying the entire time! We are looking forward to a fun summer together.

The Road to Hana...

We took a ride on the wild side and went to Hana to day. The boys were skeptical of the long & windy road, but it turned out to be a great day with breathtaking views and memorable outings. I especially loved the red sand beach where we jumped into the most crystal blue water (yes, I jumped...but my heart was thumping fast!) and I should mention clothing was optional at that beach which turned out to be quite interesting :) The waterfalls and vibrant green foliage were so beautiful and Hana town was quaint and quiet. We enjoyed warm banana bread that we bought at a roadside stand. It was a long day, but quite well worth it. These pics show our busy day. I think it was one of the most beautiful places I have been! Love you all!

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Snorkel Addicts...

Seems like we have snorkeled a lot this trip! Today we had such beautiful weather and we spent it out on a boat in the sunshine! We snorkeled at Molokini crater and turle town. It was so nice and I loved swimming with the big turtles. Mike & Dallas went scuba diving and saw a 7 foot shark! yikes! We had a very fun day even if the Suns lost...bummer. We miss you all at home. Love ya and ALOHA!