Our tree

This year we trimmed our little aluminum tree with old glass ornaments from the goodwill.
They are so delicate and sweet.
I'm sure a few will be lost for the cause this christmas...but I'm gonna enjoy them while they last.

Ayden wasn't very excited about having a "short, silver tree."
I guess it's not really christmas in our house because our tree isn't green.
Don't you love when your little ones speak their mind?
It's pretty funny the things they come up with...
and I only wish I could speak my mind half as much as him!

I love this time of year!

Parade

Redlands has a Christmas Parade every year,
which is honestly one of my favorite things to do during the holidays.
We get to sit outside, drink coffee and say Merry Christmas to just about every person that walks past.
It's awesome.
And it reminds me of how much I love living in this town!

This year though was even more special...
because Brandon played his Sax in the elementary school marching band! I have never been more excited in my life!

When I saw the band coming, I started taking pictures like a mad women in hopes that I would catch one of him & my camera was being slow as dirt. I was so afraid I'd miss this moment!!!
But when I went thru the photos at the end of the night I got the sweetest shot of him and I'm so grateful for it!

'

Searching

SO I'm reading this new book,

and it's weighing so heavily on my heart.

Exposing so much of who I think I am, and how much of this person I don't recognize at all.

It's amazing what you start realizing about yourself when you start looking inward...

where your priorites lie and well, mine are pretty upside down.

I dream of a person who is completely selfless,

so full of love it shines out of me like the sun...

and as I read the words in this book I realize how far I have to go to get there.

 

Thankful

I'm pretty convinced I don't deserve this life,
or these sweet little faces that I get to hang out with everyday.
Reason to be so thankful.

31

Well, I turned 31.
Officially "in" my 30's.
I still can't believe it when I say it or when I have to punch my age into the elliptical machine at the gym.
I really do feel like a goofy teenager ...
Just with a lot more responsibility.

And so this year, we kept it simple.
I got my yearly birthday tattoo.
Ate lunch at Panera.
And then dinner at my mother in laws.
It was simple.
And very nice.

So long Spartacus...

This is Spartacus (aka Jason).

He is our friend and he left us to fight some unfriendlies in a distant land far far away in the middle east.
We love him dearly. He is like family.
And so we celebrated with a pretty amazing going away party.

We are so proud of him.
And it makes what is going on over there so much more real!

So if you remember him in your prayers, we'd love it if you'd be so kind as to say an extra one for him.
He needs to come home safely, he has 3 sweet babies waiting for him when he get back.

Thank you so much!

Love us.

Saturday was our anniversary.

We have 2 anniversaries each year...have I told you that?

November 5th is the day we got married by our Pastor in his office with no one around but us.

It was something we wanted to do before the actual wedding day...

which was in May the following year.

We acknowledge our May anniversary,

but we really celebrate in November.

I feel so lucky to call him husband.

He's my favortie person in the world,

and I feel like I'd explode if he wasn't around for me to talk too.

He just is it for me.

My life & my future.

I couldn't ever imagine my life without him in it.

Happy Anniversary Husband!

Thanks for loving me so much & taking such great care of our family!

You are the best.

Even when you're grumpy :)

Happy Birthday Lucas!!!!

We had our family over for a small birthday party for Lucas.
He turned 2 on Sunday.
And I really can't believe it.
But I say that every year as they get older and I imagine I'll be old & wrinkly looking at them thinking where did the time go someday...it's what parents do.

So onto the birthday!

Lucas loves the Happy Birthday song.
He's a singer.
And so we started singing it everyday during the week...

So when everyone began to sing him THE song, he lipsinked the whole way thru until he blew out the candles which he did like a champ! 

Lucas we love you!

You keep us all on the edge of our seats.

You are tough as nails,

but as sweet as can be.

I thank God everyday that he let me be your mommy!

Happy Birthday!!!

Zombies & Exterminators

Halloween was pretty awesome.

We always dream up really cool ideas,

and I totally look forward to making their costumes each year.

Ayden decided he wanted to be "Billy the Exterminator."

He was the best Billy I've ever seen, minus the mullet which he refused to wear.

Brandon begged for a costume from the store...insert: Scarecrow...but at the last minute he decided that my zombie costume was a way better idea. Agreed.

And Lucas was a bat.

I found it at the thrift store for $3...and couldn't pass it up.

We walked Olive Street as we do each year with our friends & their kids...

it's always jam packed full of people, but it's just not Halloween without it.

I hope your Halloween was great!

H-town Party

This year we had our own little Halloween shin dig at our house.
It was spook-tacular (sorry, I had too)!

We ate mummy wrapped hot dogs, we drank dragons' blood, ate brains & bones dipped in chocolate & coffin chocloate cupcakes for dessert.

We played Halloween music (which is pretty much is The Ghostbusters Theme song, Nightmare Before Christmas and the Monster Mash) and danced in the kitchen.

Then we closed the night with The Haunted Mansion with Eddie Murphy.

It was hands down the best Halloween party I've ever been too. Kids party WAY harder than adults.
I was so tired by the time the night was over.

(look at this kid. His hair is really this crazy...!)

Mountain Music Festival

There are a few shows Kyle plays that I really love!
And the Mountain Music Festival is definitely one of them.

It's in Oak Glen at this amazing park, where you're surrounded by seniors and kids. Which in my world, is an excellent combination.

And there is something so awesome about being outdoors listening to blue grass and watching people take it easy, laying on their blankets with their shoes off.

It's a pretty sight.

Cocktails (Photo Overload)

After we got back from our weekend in Palm Springs, I really wanted to have all our friends over for a retro cocktail party.

We've never had a "big kid party" at our house...
and it's way over due.
Plus it gave me an excuse to pull out all my pyrex :) 
And to dress up.  
For the drinks, we decided on making just one kind of cocktail, which was the one we had in Palm Springs called the Orbitini.

Here is how you make it:

2 shots of Sake
3/4 cup of cranberry juice
1/2 cup of orange juice

Serve over ice with an orange wedge!

(It's delicious)

We all had such a fun night!