A Quick Trip

We decided to take one last trip to Utah since Kevin starts his job next week and we won't be able to go anywhere for a while. We couldn't stay long just a few days, since Lizzy and Nellie were missing school. Kevin's family was having a family reunion and we thought this would be a good time to go and see everyone. We hadn't seen Sandy in over a year and Kristi even longer, but unfortunately Kristi couldn't come, but we did get to see Sandy and that was a lot of fun. Even though the drive is over 10 hours, it really wasn't so bad since we all got to drive together and it wasn't driving halfway across the country. We stopped at Burger king for and the girls thought the crowns were the coolest things ever.

Gotta love the urchin looking children. We you drive all day it seems the kids get so dirty and gross. Janie really liked her little crown.

When we got there we stayed with my sister Chanelle and her boys happened to be having a star Wars party. They were nice enough to let the girls join in. This is the girls being Jedi's. This picture makes me laugh because the girls look like they are so lost among all this boy stuff, but it really wasn't the case, they did have a lot of fun.

The little group watching the clone wars. It is good for my girls to get exposed to boy stuff.

We went to the reunion the next day and had a lot of fun. Nellie and Conner were best buddies and had a lot of fun playing together. Lizzy and Brinlee were so excited to see each other, but I somehow didn't get a picture of them together.

Nellie really was just all about the junk food. Shocking I know. They really got all hyped up on sugar that day, but sometimes you just have to let it go and realize every once in a while is not going to kill them.

The kids got to take turns with the pinata. Janie was so cute taking a swing.

Nellie did pretty good too. The girls have been playing baseball with their daddy lately. (who says you need boys.) they have been loving learning how to hit the ball.

Lizzy really took it out on the pinata. I didn't get to see, but I guess she got super intense over it. I have no idea where she would get that from. ;)

I love how Nellie and Conner were holding hands. It was so cute.

The two monkey babies licking their suckers and getting sticky.

All of the little grandkids together. Such super cute kiddies. They had a lot of fun together even if it was only for an afternoon.

On the trip home Janie got super nasty. She pulled out her pony tail and then poured punch all over her hair. She was nasty and sticky. Pictures never do full justice to how bad stuff really was.

We had a fun little trip and were so glad we got to go.

First Day of School! First Day of School!

Lizzy started Kindergarten this year. So sad, I am not ready for my kids to grow up. But seriously she was the most excited kid to start. If we had lived here in California last year she would have started then because the cut off date is December 1st, but she will just be one of the oldest in her class, which I am sure she will love. Lizzy is one of the most outgoing social people I know and I love it! I wish I was more like her. She wasn't at all nervous to start and every day for the first couple of weeks when I would pick her up she would say, "I made a new friend today!" She is doing amazing and even though she will probably have to switch schools in a month or two when we move into our own house, I am not worried about Lizzy at all. We told her and she just said, "I will just make more friends!" She wanted to dress extra special so for Lizzy that means a skirt or dress. She would wear a dress every day if I would let her.

We found the coolest preschool for Nellie to go to. The teacher is amazing and all the activities they do are awesome. They have farm animals and a garden they grow and a million art projects. I was so happy that we found it. Nellie's preschool didn't start until the next week after Lizzy's school started, which was hard for Nellie. She was so excited to start and sad to say so was I. I was hoping that school would help Nellie to be more happy, because she had been so unhappy for the last couple of months. Sure enough everyday that she goes to school she is like a different kid. She is so happy and cooperative and kind and sweet. I love it. She wishes school was everyday. She is so good at school too, her teacher adores her, so that always makes a parent feel good. At least she is good for other people even if she isn't for me.

Do you like the Jaguar outfit? Nellie really wanted to get a skirt because Lizzy had one, so I took her to the store and wouldn't you know Nellie spotted this one first thing (jaguar radar I am telling you!) I didn't even see it at the store, it was hidden behind a bunch of stuff. But she of course saw it. Then I was in JCPenny glancing through the clearance and found this shirt, green and jaguar, couldn't be more perfect.

I have such mixed feelings about my kids getting big. They are so fun now and I love the big girls they have grown into, but I am sad they will never be those cute little toddlers again. Oh well, we just have to enjoy every single day.

Nellie is 4!!

Poor Nellie, her birthday really just fell at the wrong time this year. We were in the middle of packing everything up and were were so busy that I sort of talked her into celebrating her birthday later. So I made her just a plain cake, (green of course) for her birthday at home and told her as soon a we moved we would have her jaguar birthday party that she was really wanting. She wanted a bike for her birthday so we decided to wait until we got to California to get it. She did get money from Grammie and Papi so she got herself a Diego leapster game, which she of course loves. So she wasn't totally deprived. Nellie has always loved Diego and green, but lately she has been really into jaguars, even more than the other two things. She thinks that any kind of leopard print is jaguar and she goes absolutely crazy over it. Grandma spotted this jaguar furry vest and just knew that Nellie would love it, well, she brought it home and it was in the trunk, and Nellie came outside so my mom hurried and covered it up so that Nellie couldn't see it, but Nellie comes walking up and says "Grandma what is that Jaguar thing right there?" You could barely see a little part of it, and only if you were really looking, but we say that Nellie has jaguar radar because she spotted it first thing.
As you can see she was just a little bit excited to open it up and try it on.

Here are the dang jaguar cupcakes that I was dreading making for months. I kept trying to talk Nellie out of them but that was not going to happen. They took really long to make , but I had some helpers, my brother Joseph and nephew Chandler helped me do some of the assembling so it didn't take an eternity to make them.

I made the one on top with green eyes for Nellie and she came down while we were decorating them and said, "I know which one I want to have, that one with the green eyes." I hadn't even told her about it yet and of course she noticed that it had green eyes.

Muir Beach

The first week that we were out here it was still summer break and my sister Erica and her family were here so we decided to go down to the beach. If you know anything about going to Northern California beaches it is that you dress warm. We packed a lunch and dressed warmly, but we did bring the girls swimsuits. As soon as we got there we realized it was even colder than I was expecting so I thought for sure we won't need the girls swimsuits. Well I was wrong, because even though I wanted to be wrapped up I was so cold the girls ran first thing down into the water and drenched their clothing so we got them into their suits and they had a blast. It is so funny that a swimming pool can be a tiny bit cool and the kids will say how cold it is, but they get to the beach and the water is ice cold and they are just having a great time. Too funny. We even got Janie into her suit because she loved getting in the water. We had to watch her like a hawk though because she loved having the water come up on her feet, but as soon as it started to recede she would go running farther out to get in the water and then a huge wave would come and take her out. I was just too slow a coupe of times and she got taken out a few times. The funny thing was you would think that would be enough and it would scare her, but not our little water bug she only got sad when she got too cold.

After about three times Janie was done. Poor baby couldn't stop shaking. And because I didn't think they would drench their clothes I didn't bring any extras, so we stripped her down to her diaper and wrapped her in Kevin's jacket and I just held her until she stopped shaking.

The other three girls had a blast playing in the waves. Lizzy is too funny she sees me with the camera and she has to pose.

The girls were thrilled that we got to go to the beach. It was a fun day, and now we can go a lot more often.