Family Time

We decided to do a last minute weekend getaway with the kids over President's Weekend and make some fun family memories. It's so cute to hear how EXCITED they get when we say we are going to stay in a hotel! The whole drive down to San Diego Ella and Avery would ask, "are we still in California?" Ella couldn't contain her excitement and made the cutest faces as she'd say, "I can't wait to go to San Diego!" So we headed down and stopped for a visit to see great grandmommy and daddy in Poway and even got to see aunt Kelly and uncle Ryan while we were there. Then we checked into our hotel and picked up CPK takeout for a fun family Valentine's Dinner. The girls loved sleeping on the sofabed in the living room of the hotel and playing hide and seek in every little spot they could find in our little 1 bedroom unit. We went to Balboa Park and took the kids to the science museum, walked around in the rain at the outdoor mall, fed the birds, ate at restaurants and just enjoyed being together. It was a fun Valentine's Weekend!

Balboa Park

Hide-n-seek

Ella and Daddy were a team and Avery and Mommy were a team

(can you tell how surprised Ella was to find Avery in the kitchen cupboard!)

Ella in the top of the closet under pillows

The BEST hiding spot of all!

Be Mine!

Leaving for school with all their Valentine's to give out and so excited for the Valentine's Day Parties!

xoxoxoxox

I LOVE YOU!

Happy Birthday Logan!

I can't believe my little baby boy is 2! He is the little man of the house and we absolutely ADORE him! He definitely keeps us busy, just yesterday he went through 8 different DVDs in about 1 hour watching about 10 minutes of each one and then taking it out and putting a new one in (over and over again.) I have to put all of the DVDs up high now since he knows how to do it himself. Why do boys have to be so busy ALL THE TIME?
We celebrated today at the park with a "CARS" birthday cake and all of the cousins. Logan loves "happy cakes" and gets so excited to sing happy birthday and blow out the candles. He is talking so much lately and saying such cute things that I need to write them down so I don't forget. When you ask him "Logan how old are you?" His reply is "good!" If you ask "what does Lightning McQueen say?" He says, "vroom, vroom."
More favorites: "mommy no what?" Do you know what?
"push play" previews are over
"I watch Woody" I want to watch Toy Story
(yes, he LOVES to watch movies)
"I'na hold it" When I'm on the phone he wants to hold and talk to whoever it is.

Happy Birthday Logan! We love you little monkey!

(Still a little drugged up after my C- section can you tell?)

Our Oregon Christmas!

We spent Christmas in Oregon this year and had a blast! I took so many pictures while we were there that I had to post tons. The kids were in heaven spending time with grammy and papa everyday and Grammy always had an activity for the kids. We went in the hot tub, made Christmas cookies, went to Chuck E Cheese, watched movies, went miniature golfing, (Avery even got a hole in 1), went and stayed on a real golf course overnight in a big fun house, went up to a cabin in the snow over New Years and went tubing, (yes...me and my pregnant belly even went down a few runs, not saying that I could get out of the tube when I got to the bottom.) We had LOTS of great food, relaxed and enjoyed being with family. Here are some pictures of our adventures starting off with the Christmas Nativity where Ella was the angel, uncle Logan was Joseph and Avery was Mary riding on uncle Ryan as the donkey.

The angel

Carrotts for Santa's reindeer

Avery and Grammy

Santa brought American Girl Dolls!

Ella's doll even has glasses like her!

Logan LOVES Buzz!

Christmas morning!
Christmas cookies!

The kids went in the hot tub almost everyday!

Ella loved going down the hill on the tubes!

Logan, not so much!

It was FREEZING!!

Remind you of Ralphie's little brother on the Christmas story?

This was Logan's sledding style!

Family pic.

Logan watched lots of movies!

Ella wore her earrings & necklace and brought her lipgloss to golf!

Papa helping Ella

Avery's hole in ONE!

Kristen, Logan, Kelly and Avery golfing

Uncle Ryan and Logan eating pizza and watching football!

golfing in the rain

We were so, so cold!

The kids stayed up to bring in the New Year and I laugh when I see this picture of Ella waiting for the popper!

Happy New Year!

Thanks mom and dad for a fabulous time in Oregon!

Christmas Fun!

I know it's mid January already and I haven't even posted all of our fun Christmas activities! Here are some fun times we got to see Santa .... well, Avery and Ella had fun.....

Our 1st attempt to let Logan meet Santa....

Another attempt a few days later.... no luck!


Happy Girls!


Enjoying the Christmas parade with friends

Ella has a secret for Santa

Logan was safe with mommy from the scary guy in the red suit

It's a ................

GIRL!!! Our best Christmas surprise today was when we opened a present that told us we were having a girl! At my appointment last week my doctor wrote down in an envelope what we were having so that we could wrap it up for the kids to open with the family on Christmas. I have to admit that part of me thought I was for sure having a boy since I was so sick this time. It took me awhile to really believe it! All I could think was, Logan will be surrounded by GIRLS! We are so excited and we just LOVE our little girls! If you asked Avery and Ella what mommy was having they would always say, "a girl!" So, we are happy to have another beautiful baby girl and Darren is getting used to the fact that the boys are very out-numbered!

I am back!

Finally..... I am actually beginning to feel normal again, although I have a belly much larger now. These past few months have been long and I am just so grateful to not be nauseous as much anymore. So, I am going to try and remember what I have missed although it will be a huge post. I just want to go back since this is my only journaling these days. Hopefully I can get on the ball and start posting more often.

Playing in the sprinklers in October

Our trip to Tanaka Farms was one of the hottest days ever!

Avery was Hannah Montana this year, she even carried around a guitar.

Ella was Sharpay from High School Musical (look at the pose)

Logan LOVES Toy Story and he became a huge fan of trick or treating this year!