Toddler funnies...

Sara, Zach, and Jackson went to Maui for Zach's cousin's wedding. They left on non Sunday, leaving Aidan with my mom and dad for the week. Jackson did well on his very first plane trip. Sara called me on Monday and told me all about it. I think he actually slept most of the way! When they got to Maui, they got the car rental squared away, and then decided they needed to get some food for the condo. Luckily for them there was a Costco almost in the parking lot of the car rental place. They got everybody buckled in for the short drive. Upon arrival at Costco, Jackson looked up at the Costco sign and said, "But I wanted to go to Hawaii!"
I thought this was hilarious...almost three -year -old'sare so funny!

Go Angels...or should I say Angles?

We have had a super busy, but fun weekend. We were able to go to the Angels game on the 5th. Shannon was able to get tickets from work, so we trucked four adults and two babies to enjoy America's favorite pastime. Emma had a great time eating her hot dog and her ice cream, as well as chewing on her rally monkey. She could be heard yelling, "Go Angels!"

Unfortunately the Angels lost to the Blue Jays, but Emma got a Chone Figging jersey, and danced her heart out.

We also learned a lesson on the importance of knowing how to spell...

July fourth weekend fun...in pictures...

Backyard BBQ...

On Saturday, June 28th, we went to my Aunt Steph's house for a family barbecue. My dad's side of the family (from Bakersfield and Apple Valley) was there,, which was nice because we don't get to see them very often, as well as my grandparents, and some of Rich's family. The weather was perfect for the event, and we had a great time chatting, watching the kids, and best of all eating! My favorite was the strawberry dessert Aunt Steph made.

The kids had an awesome time playing on the tree swing Rich installed, however Emma did manage to fall off, even under close supervision. Luckily it was over the grass, and she fell the best possible way. It just scared her. She got right back on a few minutes later, so no swing trauma, thank goodness. The kids also played with bubbles and ran themselves ragged in the water sprinkler that Rich put out for them. Emma could drive Nascar, as she is really good at going in circles to the left!

The only crummy thing that happened was that, upon departure, my Uncle Scott realized they had a flat tire. They had to drive all the way back to Apple Valley on the spare. By the time they realized the problem, all the tire centers were closed! Ugh!

Emma was asleep before we hit the freeway!

Thanks to my aunt and Rich for inviting us over and for the great time we had! It was fun!

Party animal...

On June 22, Emma and I went to Mason's second birthday party. Mason is the son of Shannon, whom I work with. We had an awesome time! Emma was able to go swimming, eat yummy chips, and hit a pinata for the first time. She had no fear running into the fray after the big kids knocked it open. She saw the candy and was off. She managed to get a sucker open on the way home. Thanks to Shannon and her family for a fun day!

In the grand scheme of things...

I decided to clean out Emma's bins of clothing that I have been accumulating since day one of her life. I did it very systematically and organized them by size and season. I then had the grand idea that I was going to sell them on EBay. I put up my first five lots last week, which closed on Friday. After EBay charges, Pay Pal charges, and shipping costs, I ended up making five dollars. Not entirely worth my time and effort, however. I have now decided to offer them up if anybody would like girl's hand-me-downs from three months to 24 months, I have plenty to offer. Let me know. My dreams of becoming rich on EBay are obviously not going to come true, so I would be happy to share Emma's clothes with others.

No small feat...

On Friday, May 30, we trekked down to the Aneheim Convention Center for the 2008 UOP graduation. We ended up parking in the Disneyland parking structure and taking the trams over to the crossing. This thoroughly confused Emma. She couldn't figure out why we didn't actually go to Disneyland. She is still questioning us, but she knows that Grandma graduated. Chris' mom received her teaching credential and master's degree. No small feat after two years of work, school, losing her husband, and then her father. We are very proud of her. She stuck with it and accomplished one of her life-long goals. After graduation, the group of 14 there to support her, headed over to Storyteller's Cafe in The Grand Californian Hotel. We had a great dinner! On our tram ride back to the parking structure, Emma came to the realization that Disneyland wasn't going to happen that night. She was out like a light as soon as the car started rolling. Congratulations Bev!

Summer is almost here...

With this weekend being hot (and it being 87 in our apartment at 9:00 AM, Chris and I decided we needed to go to cooler ground. Basically that meant going to my mom's house to sit in the air conditioning! We took Emma's swimsuit after Sara called and told us that she was setting up a pool in the backyard. Emma and Jackson had an absolute blast splashing around in the pool, purposefully falling down, and bouncing off of the sides. Luckily for us, Emma was so entertained, Chris and I went to see a movie! Needless to say that by the end of the day, Emma was completely exhausted!

Strikes, Spares, and Gutter Balls...

Taking two and a half year old children bowling is an adventure! Adam won a corporate bowling party at Saddleback Lanes, so the whole family decided to go. Every time we pass a bowling alley now, Emma wants to stop and throw a few balls. She had a wonderful time bowling with Bubba, drinking an Icee, and making new friends. Jackson loves bowling so much, he wanted it to be his turn every time! They both loves the fact that Katie had a "fire ball", which they had to use, even though it was way too heavy. We were there almost two hours, and didn't even make it through ten frames. Between trying to keep Emma from running after the ball as it went down the lane, and making sure the ball didn't get stuck, due to lack of speed, we were pretty exhausted by the end of the night. I think we are definitely going to wait awhile before the next bowling trip!

Crafts and visits...

I thought I'd post a picture of some of the other others items I can make. I love making these baby burp cloths to match bedding sets, or parents taste. They turn out soooo cute. I think a lot of that has to do with Chris' sewing skills. My eyes are SO bad now that I can't even see to sew. I also tried my hand at custom flip-flops, and I really like how they turned out. Unfortunately they are still way too big for Emma. Darn!

My Aunt Cheri came to visit on Monday, so Emma stayed with her at my mom's house overnight. She had a ball. She got to spend time with her Great Auntie and her Bubba. What more could a girl ask for? It could have also been that Auntie Sara persuaded her to stay with the promise of donuts. Emma knows what is good!

Within my capabilities...

So I have been creating pillowcase dresses for friends, and I love doing it, so now I am sharing. I design, Chris sews (what a guy!) and I would love to make some for the special girls in your lives. You tell me what you want, and I can make it for you. I included a picture so you can see what they look like. I can make shirts to go with jeans or capris as well as dresses in sizes 12-18 mos to a 6. They are fun and cute and perfect for summer!

Out of my scope of capabilities...

So Chris has asked me to change the picture that appears in the header. He doesn't like it. I actually think it is good. Oh well, I'll change it. I am working on getting a different layout put together, but I am struggling with setting it up. Eventually! I lack the time needed to sit down and mess with it properly. There are about 10,000 things that I would like to sit down and do!

New things...

So after seeing it work for several friends, I have decided to jump on the blog wagon. I think it is a good way to share information and keep everyone updated on what is going on with the fam. I am intending for this to be a site not only for us, but for the other important people in our lives that we love and cherish. In retrospect, I should have started this when Emmas was first born. Better late than never. I sincerely hope you will enjoy visiting this site as much as I have enjoyed creating it.