babies, babies, babies….

In the past year there has seemed to be a baby boom in my world.  All nine moms in my moms group in Huntington Beach have been pregnant or given birth in the past year, friends from church have expected and delivered and now two friends that I have known since Elementary school are pregnant with me.  All due within a month we got together to catch up and compare swollen bellies!!  Of course we ate too!!  (YUMMY Schooner or Later!!!)

Therese is due first, I think around April 2nd, with a little girl they will name Juno Marie.  I’m due April 8th with our first boy Caleb Jeffrey and Jenny is due, I think around April 18th, with a little girl Reagan Marie.  It was also great to have Jenny’s first born little Joshua there to join us and treat us to his adorable expressions.  

After lunch I couldn’t help but really think about holding onto water…. how it’s impossible to really hold onto time.  Slips through my fingers before I know it.  From riding bikes all summer and walking to and from school with my friends it is all going too fast.  Fall asleep a carefree kid and wake up to a husband, kids and responsibilities.  I do find comfort in the fact God is preparing a place for us where I can hold water in my hand and enjoy his blessings for eternity but for now I’ll continue to take mental pictures, journal and document through blogging the blessings God has given me on the earth.  Because no matter how hard I continue to try time keeps marching away from me.  And I know I was told a million times but didn’t believe it, that time goes even faster when you have kids.  SO TRUE!!

Had to throw this one in too!!  Kissing bellies!!  I do find it funny that I’m wearing pink and having a boy and Therese is wearing grey and blue and carrying a girl!!  Should have switched wardrobe’s!!  

So excited to meet all these new persons!!  

New Beginnings

It’s been too long since my last blog but with computer issues it was almost impossible!!  Now that they are all fixed I’ll have to do some catching up!!  Nothing monumental seems to have happened but there was a lot still going on.  First, we got a new addition to our house… a piano!!  Although at first it seemed we would have  more headaches than usual due to the pounding on the keys, I am pleasantly surprised how nice the girls tap on the keys!!  I am hopefully optimistic that this will lead to more music in the house and even future lessons.   

Next we are finally starting the remodel of our master bathroom… it’s only been two years since the mold issue!!  Even though it does seem like it’s never going to happen we did some shopping for fixtures and a bunch of other things.  Was so much fun to and the girls enjoyed the time at Lowe’s too!!

Picking out the toilets was Paige’s favorite part!!  Think she could have played with the toilet seats all day!!  

Here’s a little glimpse of Layla at the Apple store as we tried to figure out what was wrong with my computer.  Think we could take her there for a few hours and she would be happily entertained.  Not sure at 4 years old I could work a computer as well as she does.  Think sometimes I under estimate how much she understands and can do.  

 

Lastly we made a fun trip to Disneyland with Aaron, Olivia, Gramma and Boppa.  Not sure how I made it through the whole day without having to rest too much but I did.  For the first time the girls went on Pirates of the Caribbean and despite my memories of being terrified on that ride, the girls actually enjoyed seeing the pirates and the treasure.  They did both agree they didn’t like the water falls but I do think we will get them on it again ,which is great!!  Here’s a picture of the grandkids with Boppa and Gramma before going into the tikki room!!  

So excited for all this year has to offer.  Only about 6 weeks until we will meet our first son!!  Yikes, better get off the computer and start getting prepared!!  

For Adults Only

So as a way to remember all the fun things the kids say I have to add in Paige’s need for details about how babies come out.

While enjoying a relaxing Saturday the girls were patting my ever growing belly and asking questions about baby Caleb.  Of course the inevitable question was asked by Paige. “How’s the baby going to come out?”  Having discussed this already with Layla I thought the same approach would work with Paige.  I said the Dr. has a special instrument to cut the baby out or there was a stretchy hole God gave mommies to push the baby out.  With that Layla walked off since she had heard this before but for Paige that wasn’t enough.  She said, “Let me see it.”  I proceeded to say no, and that was a private part but she has not forgotten one detail and has shared it was many other children.  (Sorry to other moms/dads who might think this in inappropriate.  Decided long ago I would be as honest as possible with all questions.)

Unfortunately Paige also offers up information that isn’t even asked too so the following day at church when her teacher asked about her baby brother being born she proceeded to offer up the details except Paige doesn’t have the clearest speech.  When she said “stretchy” is sounded like ‘fuzzy”.   I guess either word is accurate but it made for quite an embarrassing moment that spread throughout church.  Gotta love Paige and God’s sense of humor!!

Raisin Toast

How do I sum up a year in one blog???   2009 was full of weddings, parties, birthdays, pregnancy, sickness, big laughs and inevitably some lows.  All in all I am preparing for a 2010 that is just as busy.  A new baby boy, an anniversary, my 30th (gulp) birthday, vacations and the unknown events that will pop up!!

As with years past Brian and I have decided to celebrate New York New Years Eve due to the girls and us not recovering well the following day.  This year along with ringing in the New Year we celebrated Christmas with my parents.  It worked out great due to the fact we spent Christmas day in AZ and my dad and brother-in-law work that day.  Sadly I forgot to get out my camera till the end but when we were toasting we got  a great laugh to ring in the new year. Everyone had a glass of cider in hand and as we toasted Paige got a little confused and must have heard raisin toast instead of raise a glass or make a toast.  Suddenly she thinks we are having raisin toast and is making sure she was on the list to get hers.  As we laugh Layla calls out “Raisin Toast for Everyone!!”  Well never forget that moment!!

This next year going to make more of an effort to record that great things they say to us!!  Sad to see 2009 go so fast but looking ahead to 2010.

Christmas 2009

So in an effort to spend some quality time for our last Christmas as a family of four we headed to AZ for the week of Christmas.  An added benefit to going was seeing Auntie Mel and Uncle Nick.  It was such a relaxing trip and we were even more fortunate that friends of Melissa and Nick,  Alice and Jim would be in Seattle for Christmas and they were letting us use their house!!  (It was an adorable house with an equally adorable dog)

One of the fun things we try to do on every vacation is hit up a Diner, Drive-ins and Dives restaurant.  This time we went to Over Easy, a converted Taco Bell with an adorable rustic feel.  Let’s just say all we ate was amazing too.  Cheddar Jalapeno biscuits with sausage gravy, Chicken Fried Steak with an egg and gravy, m&m pancakes, Chicken Fried Chicken and Waffles, and a dish called the Wolfpack…. will be going back there for sure!!! One evening we went to the Stillman and McCormick Railroad station to take a ride thru Christmas lights.  Despite the thousands of people we had only a short wait on a smaller train.  Layla was so excited to ride in the front row and Paige plugged her ears the whole time even though it was just Christmas music.  The indoor mini-train was the big hit and the added bonus was the building was heated and felt great!!

Christmas Eve and Christmas morning was a relaxing day just the four of us!!  We continued our tradition of opening one gift on Christmas Eve, which is always pajamas, and reading Luke 2.

Christmas morning consisted of Eggs Benedict and fun unwrapping and playing with gifts.  What a great feeling to sit back and watch the joy on the faces of the girls and remember the feeling I would have on Christmas morning.  Shear excitement.

The afternoon we spent the Melissa’s family and enjoying a fabulous meal her husband prepared of Prime Rib, Pork Tenderloin, potatoes and an few veggies covered in yummy salt and butter.

Have so much more I could write about but figure a few pictures will do just as well.

He’s got the whole world…

Living in America is harder than it seems sometimes.  Not in the sense that I don’t have what I need but I’m apart of a culture that forgets to be grateful for everything, I’m mean every little bitty thing we have.  I’m a person who gets caught up in anxiety about what is going to happen next and what the next month will look like. Thinking I am helping the future somehow by my worry, instead I find time passes and I forget to enjoy, really enjoy the now and I haven’t effected the future in the least.  This past weekend my parents had the privilege to be a host home for three adorable boys that belong to the African Children’s Choir.  They were the picture of grateful, content, love, respect and of joy.

Friday night, before I was even able to meet the boys staying at my parents house, I experienced a concert of 23 boys and girls from Africa that was precious.  The singing and dancing, drumming and clapping we’re captivating.  All the children didn’t stop moving for one minute.  They danced and sung their hearts out, with smiles across their faces the whole time.  Hearing stories of the tours the African Children’s Choir has done each year for the past 25 years with different kids was inspiring but left me with a tinge of sadness.  How could these children who most didn’t have a mother or father and had likely lost many family members to disease and genocide be so happy???   Then I realized that was my problem not theirs.  I wanted to give them all my kids had but that wouldn’t make them happy or better people, it would make me happy.  But maybe with having things comes worry.  Worry that it will be taken away or where more would come from. They were already happy and on the road to being successful people just by the fact they grateful for all they had. Wow, I’m spoiled.

Saturday we got together as a family for breakfast and there met James, Alex and Reagan.  With every please, thank you, may I and hug I was moved.  Seriously think American kids should go to Africa for a year and hopefully then they would come back with manners.

Think what I will remember most was the look on their faces when they discovered the song, “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands” was on the karaoke machine.  A song they knew well and enjoyed singing.  Even though they repeated it many times that morning and it was stuck in my head till late in the day it didn’t bother me, it was comforting.  Yes, I was a part of the world they were apart of but they had better perspective about who had control over it and it’s future.  God, not me, not America and not the wealthy.  God.  Hope I can remember to be grateful for every itty bitty thing and most importantly each moment no matter what might be coming on the horizon.

Snap Shot

Here’s a quick snap shot of some of the family photos we took for the Christmas card this year.  The one we chose I will leave out but here are some of the highlights.

Need to frame this picture next to the one we took the day we were engaged.  Or maybe not, might be too depressing.  Anyway, thought this was a good shot of the both of us!!  Crazy how this family started with just two!!

Really wanted to get a good shot of the girls touching their baby brother but this was the best we got.  Either you couldn’t see their faces or they had a strange expression.  Still thought it was worth posting!!

Love those two little faces!!  So different in every way!!  Wouldn’t change them for anything.

Have to give a special thanks to Dave and Diane for snapping some great shots and helping keep the girls attention.

What a difference a year makes.

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree….

So excited to start the holiday season!!  Always love to get the house all decorated and pull out some homemade memories from boxes stored all year long.  One of my most favorite things to do is get the Christmas tree.  Luckily it was pretty cold the night we ventured out so it added to the experience.  Love to put on a warm coat and search through piles of trees with happy people all around.

The girls had a blast running around.  Layla refused to look at trees with string on them so she narrowed our search pretty quick.  Paige just picked up pine needles off the ground and handed them to me.  We eventually picked out a perfect 6-7 foot tree and loaded it onto the top of the Acura.

If we weren’t so lazy we would have moved the girls seats into the truck and brought it home that way but we thought there would be no fun in that.  Brian showed off his manly skills and securely strapped the tree.  We even made it home the whole two blocks with no slippage!!

At home we (mainly me) let go of some control and let the girls place the ornaments on the tree.  (they placed them all in one spot on the tree but it was still beautiful) Brian and I sat back, ate dinner, listened to Christmas music and saw how much can change in one year.  Layla was helping her sister and giving her turns adding more decorations to the tree and Paige kept standing back to admire the tree and saying how beautiful it was.  Can’t remember details of last year but know it seems only a blink ago.  Always looking forward to the years ahead but really going to start taking more breaks just to watch and not worry about everything looking just the way I pictured it.  Seeing how the girls picture Christmas has proved to be better than I could have ever created.  Here’s to 2009 Christmas and treasuring every moment we have as a family of four.

Gobble Gobble

Had to add in a quick post of Thanksgiving.  Could go on for pages on all the wonderful things I can be thankful for but thought I’d just throw in a few pictures of the Turkey Brian prepared instead!!  Prepping the bird with loads of butter and herbs!!!  YUM!!

Posing next to the bird….

Into a nice bubbling bath..

30 minutes later pulling out a nice and crispy bird.

Love how holidays can bring so many family and friends together.  Also love the food!!   Something about all the fixings that seem to satisfy the soul in some way too!!  Again, can’t count all the blessings!!

More November Madness!!

In an effort to save some time I’m sadly going to combine a few fun things that happened into one blog.

First: Layla’s make-up birthday!!

Who would have thought I would be happy with the turn out of a Chuck E. Cheese party???  It was clean, not crowded and they were there to help me with anything I needed.  We also ended up with so many extra coins we had skeeball madness at the end just get rid of them!!

For having a really last minute party in order to not loose my deposit we had a great group of friends and decent food!!

The roller coaster rides seemed to be the favorites.  Constantly found Serena and Layla taking a ride!!

The second roller coaster was a little more intense, notice Layla and Olivia’s tight grip on the handles!!

Lastly we got an awkward show from Chuck E. himself.

Second: Ballet Recital

Let’s just say the recital started out well, the middle was a little wet and the end was great.

All the adorable little dancers found their spots and listened intently to Miss Kim.

In the middle of the recital I saw a concerned look come across Layla’s face and before I could jump up from my seat Layla had started  to pee on the floor.  I dragged the poor girl dripping pee all the way to the bathroom.  After taking off all the wet clothes I could without sending her back naked she was back to dancing.

Despite the accident the show went on and Layla was rewarded with her dancing certificate and by the end had forgotten all about pee incident!!  So proud of my little dancer and glad I caught the whole thing on video!!

Third (and for sure not least): Brian’s Birthday

Wasn’t the best birthday Brian has ever had but tried to make it some what memorable with great food!!  Eggs Benedict for breakfast in the morning.  A breakfast only served twice a year at our house, Dad’s birthday and Jesus’s birthday.  Jesus even gets homemade Hollandaise sauce.  Next it was off to Volcano Burger for lunch,  the best burgers and onion rings!!  Can’t pass up on the hole in the wall eateries!!

The rest of the day was spent napping, opening a few gifts and enjoying the time as a family.  And of course we ended the day with yummy homemade pineapple upside cake.  Not the best one I’ve made but certainly edible!!

Last: Layla’s Pony ride

Have to post a few pictures of Layla on a pony.  They took these at her preschool and they are just too adorable.  Wasn’t planning on buying any until I saw them.  Of course I then purchased all of them and the CD.