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Camping: Part 2

2011-09-12T21:29:00.000-07:00

Our campsite

We wanted to go to a "real beach" so we found one on our drive home. It was beautiful, but we also noticed a sign at the entrance that said something about the tide being deadly. Thinking they made the sign as liability for all the idiots trying to swim too far out, we kept walking toward the water. That's when David Hasselhoff showed up. We watched him repeat his warning to those daring to put their toes in the water up and down the beach. We did, however, get to see a very cool group of harbor seals (mommies and babies).

Day at the beach

Annual Camping Trip: Summer 2011, Salt Point State Park

2011-09-12T21:18:00.000-07:00

The girls spent 90% of their time collecting "wheat" seeds.

Awww...our sweet family, and what a view!

Picnic time

Hiking! Yes, Lily's first real hiking. She was such a trooper!

Preschool Graduation - One VERY special night!

2011-06-28T21:38:00.001-07:00

Lily finished up her 1st year of preschool with a BIG celebration with her classmates. SO much fun!! Next year we promise to invite grandparents to join us!!

Lily Turns 4!

2011-06-28T21:09:00.001-07:00

Another year bigger, another day full of fun with friends and family. Lily asked for a "repeat" of last year's princess party. So...here are the highlights!

2nd Haircut Ever!

2011-06-14T18:12:00.000-07:00

Lily's hair was getting pretty long...and the weather was turning HOT, so...

Lily got a haircut from Dad's haircut lady! It didn't seem like she was taking this much off, but when it got wet, it got really wavy and shortened up even more. Perfect for the Summer!

Spring School Fun

2011-05-03T22:10:00.001-07:00

Leprechaun hunt, where is that little green guy? And exactly how will this magnifying glass help me find him? Are leprechauns that small? Maybe she'll be a researcher like mommy :)

***

I've never seen this amount of concentration at home!

*****

Should I be making this big of a mess?

Easter Bunny (notice her and her best friend Aubo are wearing the SAME dress!

...and why, oh why, can't my mom get this silly blog to post my pics in an organized fashion????

Annual Snow Trip

2011-02-05T21:27:00.001-08:00

Lily was a little shy with the sled this year (wait...it's been like that every year!) WE had fun sledding though! Her favorite part? Ice skating with Dad on a nearby stream. It was a beautiful sunny day and a nice drive to the snow. We warmed up afterwards with hot chocolate in the car...YUM!

Dancing queen

2011-02-05T21:12:00.000-08:00

Lily LOVES to dance, especially in front of a mirror. This video is Lily at Gigi & Papa's shakin' her booty. (Gigi is shaking hers in the background too). I think many of her moves stem from Joe's school of professional dance (their specialty is hip hop & break dancing).

Why I love Fall...

2010-11-25T17:42:00.000-08:00

Trick-or-treating. This year I was Kiki from the Fresh Beat Band. I play the guitar and dance pretty awesome!

Dressing Up! This is my costume...mom made my hoodie (actually she just cut the arms off of a sweatshirt we bought at the thrift store :)

Getting into character...

Pumkin cookie party!

Decorating pumpkins...

Field trips to the pumpkin patch with my preschool. Aubo is still my fave friend to hang with.

My preschool pals.

Mom and Dad got to come on our fieldtrip too!

September

2010-09-26T08:05:00.001-07:00

Every year we meet Joe's grandparents for the Vacaville Jazz Festival. Here are some pics of the annual icecream feast at Fenton's that follows the music. This has been a tradition for 4 years! The 1st time we all went Lily was just 4 mos. old. This year we watched a military big band. They were great and ended with the most amazing rendition of American the Beautiful I've ever heard.

Lily AFTER icecream. She just crawled under our table and layed down.

Here are the 1st day of school pics I promised. Look at that BIG girl!

What a poser! Remind you of another Goldbronn?

I think this bathing suit has seen it's last Summer, though Lily still loves to wear it. Her little pot belly is so sweet.

Lily's 1st Days of Preschool!!

2010-09-16T20:31:00.000-07:00

Lily started preschool last week! There are 11 3-year-olds in her class. I've probably been more nervous about the whole thing than she has. She has been nothing but excited to go each day. This is the outfit she picked out at Target for her 1st day of school. Note: she has worn it every day since -"Mom, I have to wear my school outfit." I have better pics of her whole outfit with her new backpack...but Joe hasn't emailed them to me yet...so I'll post those later.

Lily, her friend Aubo and another friend (Lily won't tell me her name) outside the fire station.

The whole class outside the fire station. Don't they look cute in their little school shirts!

There's Lily and Joe and the rest of the group listening to the fireman talk about safety and such. I wonder if Joe had more fun than Lily? Here you can see her braid; she asks for me to braid her hair every school day.

The whole class on the fire engine. Lily had a lot of fun, except when the fireman put his mask on. Joe said one of the kids cried and then she got pretty nervous.

Summer Road Trips

2010-09-06T07:27:00.000-07:00

We had 2 long road trips in a row these last few weeks. I dragged the family with me to a couple trainings I did in Bakersfield and then San Luis Obispo. So smart to schedule those just a week apart. We are pretty tired of the car now! Of course we forgot our camera pretty much everywhere we went...but we have some fun memories still.

Road Trip #1: Bakersfield, CA

Yes, we visited Bakersfield on the hottest day of the Summer. I think it got up to 110 the day we were there. But, we got to visit our great friends, the Williams' family, who are now +3 in the kiddos department. Lily had so much fun playing with Emma (the gymnastics queen) & Cole (the computer whiz) and swimming in their pool. We also had fun getting to know their newest addition, Natalie. I sure miss my good friend, Tami. We've been friends since college. It's always nice to have another crazy mommy RD to chat with (no offence, Tami, you know what I mean, we are 2 peas in a pod :)

Road Trip #2: San Luis Obispo, CA

Lily LOVES hotel rooms! She gets SO excited to "live" in a new place for a few days. And finally, she sleeps really well in hotels now too (only took 3 years to get here :) After the boringly long drive to San Luis, it was such a pretty place to visit. We went to Avila Beach where the fog lifted just in time to let us enjoy a nice afternoon by the water. We walked the long dock and spotted a ton of sea otters out swimming. Then we came across a local guy fishing off the dock. He pulled up a HUGE starfish that he let us see up close. We also got to see a squid and watch it "ink." Then we went to the farmer's market in San Luis and it was lots of fun. Good food & music. As you can imagine, throughout this trip, Lily showed off her dancing & singing skills ("feel the beat, fresh beat...na na na na na na") for just about anyone around us. This kid is a performer to the core. Watch out!

Joe is officially an ironman!

2010-07-18T21:46:00.000-07:00

We had quite the adventure this weekend as Joe competed in Eppie's Great Race, Sacramento's local triathalon. That's right, Joe not only signed up for a triathalon, he completed one! And, he beat his goal time finishing all 3 legs of the race (run, bike, kayak) in 2 hours 14 minutes. Unfortunately Lily and I were so busy running/driving around being the "pit crew" that we didn't actually get any pictures :) but the race itself will be posting tons of pictures of everyone soon. It was exciting, fun and motivating!! I am thinking about recruiting members for my own Eppie's team for next year's race! Anybody want to run or bike or kayak with me???

YEAH JOE!!!

Goodbye, Milo :(

2010-06-21T06:18:00.000-07:00

Baby Milo

Our beloved dog Milo lost his battle with a sudden illness Friday. He was a very special dog and our first "baby." He was born at My Dad and Lori's house, so all of us have known him since his birth. He came to live with us right after we moved into our house here in Carmichael, 6 years ago. He loved playing Frisbee and tennis ball, anything that let him run. He was a very cuddly dog and had his little quirks too. We called him "scaredy cat" because he was afraid of EVERYTHING: balloons, loud noises, the wind, etc., etc., etc. When he was little and we would take him on walks, he would jump into the nearest bush everytime a car went by. He was always great with his human sister, Lily, and the past 2 weeks Lily was a HUGE helper with taking care of her Milo. We're so lucky Joe was home too, to keep an eye on Milo, and take care of him during this hard time. In Milo's last moments

he was loved and hugged by me (Jen), Joe, Lily, Papa Tom, Papa Joe & Gigi (Joe's mom), who made the last minute trip just to say goodbye. Milo's real sisters Bonnie & Tootsie are still close by. Tootsie next door :) and Bonnie at Joe's parents, so a part of Milo lives on. We will miss him so much, but pray he is chasing tennis balls somewhere in doggy heaven :)

Our Princess' Party

2010-05-02T07:59:00.000-07:00

ONE of her favorite gifts...ever the momma
Opening gifts...she had LOTS of help from friends for this part

Blowing out candles on her triple chocolate princess cake...a girl after our own hearts

"Patiently" waiting

The Los Feliz Way Girls

Party girl in her pretty princess dress (SHE picked out herself - her 1st shopping experience - watch out mom & dad!)

Not a lot of commentary to give today on the party...we're all pretty pooped, but it was AWESOME!!!!!!!

P.S. Thanks to our friend Christine for taking these fabulous pictures!

Timy Dancer - Part 2

2010-04-18T22:19:00.001-07:00

This is PROOF that Lily did indeed wear the tutu I made her...once in public. Dance class was very fun while it lasted, and gave mom quite the workout as well, but we had a little talk after the last class, and according to Lily, she would rather try soccer now than do dance again. So, this Summer, it looks like we'll be trying her 1st real sport! Soccer mom? Oh dear no...it's daddy's turn I think :) I'll watch from the sidelines sipping my iced tea.

2 weeks until D-day...or B-day!! Wow, our "baby" will be 3!
Get ready for a FABULOUS Princess (and Prince) Party!

Lily is one excited little (big) girl!!!

Spring at Fairytale Town

2010-03-29T20:44:00.000-07:00

First, this picture captured the mood of our 2-year-old this beautiful Spring day at Fairytale town. Luckily, her mood improved :) Actually, she was sad in this picture because on the horse next to her was a crying little boy that didn't want to have to ride the horse. She's still a sensitive little one.

First stop...the pirate ship, where Lily took hold of the steering wheel (after we pushed off some 10 year old boy. Hello - Fairytale town is for LITTLE kids)!

Probably the highlight of the day - running the cooked mile. This is Lily at the little crooked house. This year it was pretty fun because we we could read all the fairytales together and Lily really got the stories. She was esp. excited to see "Mary had a little lamb" and ride on Cinderella's coach.

Sliding down the beanstock.

Driving the "little engine that could"...with ATTITUDE (and sound effects)!

Wow, Dad looks BIG on the little engine! Is this a preview of Dad teaching Lily to drive?

All in all it was lots of fun...Lily and I were just recovering from stomach flu so still not 100%. Earlier in the week we were supposed to go to Fairytale town with our good friends, Trish and Reece & Bryce, so I think Lily was a little disappointed that it was just Mom and Dad for this trip :) It was nice to spend time together - just our little family :)

Tiny Dancer

2010-03-18T09:48:00.000-07:00

Lily started her 1st dance/gymnastics class last week with her friend Aubrey. We made tutus and everything...though Lily's tutu at least has not been worn to class...yet. Lily has loved dancing since she was a baby...private dancing at home. In public, she has been a bit shy to show off her moves.

Here is Lily practicing the dance moves she learned in class. She LOVES to wear dresses right now, especially this one from Gigi with princesses on it.

Practicing listening to teacher Allison.

Her FAVORITE part of class...the trampoline!

My 1st Valentine's Party

2010-02-17T21:44:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day! Yesterday I went to my first very own Valentine party with my church playgroup friends. I was so happy when I saw Aubo especially. We had fun running up and down the basketball court and playing with the soccer ball (practicing for Daddy & Me soccer in the Spring!) Then we exchanged special homemade valentine's with all of our friends. Summer made us each a very cute Valentine mailbox (mine was a kitty!) to hold our Valentine's. Then we shared pizza and treats. We played the piano and danced. I also got to hold Mady again :) Whenever I talk to Mady I use this almost ethereal little sweet voice (definitely not my normal voice). Mom was so proud of what I big girl I was playing with the smaller kids. Mom says I will be a GREAT big sister someday.

Coming soon: My 1st Dance Class!!

Welcome Mady & The Wizard of Oz

2010-01-20T21:57:00.000-08:00

One of Lily's favorite Christmas gifts was a Wizard of Oz dress-up box. Above Lily is playing the part of Dorothy. Below, Lily & I were lucky enough to meet and love Aubrey's new sister, Mady. This 1st pic is a little mischievious :)

Lily asked to hold Mady several times (like every 2 minutes while we were there) and was very loving to her, kissing her head and holding her fingers she would whisper sweet things to her. Maybe OUR BABY is ready to be a big sister. And now, over a week later, Lily talks about Mady daily. Tonight, she was walking around with "Mady" in her play carseat feeding her a bottle. Mady also went to bed with her tonight. One cool thing: Mady is so small that she fits in the palm of our hand, and we never misplace her because, well, she's invisible. Lily's imagination is in full bloom, and it sure is fun to watch! We have promised to go back to Summer & Aubrey's to get a real Mady fix soon though.

Snow Day!

2010-01-03T19:10:00.000-08:00

First taste of snow (above)...YUM! On the bunny slope below...Lily had SO much fun. It was a beautiful sunny day in the mountains while it was cold and gloomy in Sac.

Riding the intermediate slope with Dad.

The "black diamond" sledding hill. Joe took this one alone. It was steep and had a nice BUMP at the end that gave him some air.

Joe gets air...(Warning! You must turn your computer on it's side to watch this one! Don't ask.)

Christmas at Gigi & Papa's

2010-01-03T16:29:00.000-08:00

You wouldn't really know these pics were from Gigi & Papa's house because neither of them are in any of the pics!? After about an hour of avoiding eye contact (or face contact) with everyone at the party, Lily bloomed into her usual goofy self. She got this VERY cool horsey purse from Auntie Candie & Jenny. In the above picture that's horsey on Lily's head...where he spent most of the evening. Wait, there's Gigi's body to the right of Lily!

Here's Lily opening her dress-up box from Unlce Dave & Heidi. That gift was (and is) a BIG hit. Promise to post pics of her as Dorothy and the evil witch soon :)

This picture captures part of Lily's outfit on Christmas. On top she wore her beautiful Christmas dress, but underneath she wore the jeans (and shirt) that she had refused to take off from earlier....maybe she is a tomboy at heart because she also refused (I'm not dramatizing, you should have seen her when I tried to take her jeans off!!) to wear her tights or dress shoes. That's G.G. Ma & G.G. Pa, some of her favorite people of the evening (may have a little tiny something to do with the Dora sweatsuit and Calliou & Dora DVD's they gave her).

Overall, it was a relaxing and fun time with family. The day after Christmas everyone joined in a friendly game of bowling (everyone except me, Jen. I took a nap :)

Christmas Morning

2009-12-29T22:07:00.000-08:00

Let's go see if Santa came...

He did!!!! Lily asked for a bike, and she got her very own little pink and purple bike, just her size. She was SO excited!

Then she opened her gift from Mom & Dad next...as she opened part of the gift she exclaimed "oh no! Santa brought me pull-ups????" But no, it was just the food to go with her new little kitchen. Her favorite thing is to play Mommy right now. She loves to make us breakfast (donuts and fruit salad...in one bowl) or bake us pizza & fries in her little oven for lunch.

Here are a few pics of her 1st ride on Christmas morning. It was "OK". The poor child was pretty tired out by this point after being up sick the night before, but she wanted to try anyway. She road all the way up our neighbor Dennis' driveway to say Hi (? Maybe because he looks like Santa!?)

Bye Bye Crib, Hello Big Girl Bed

2009-12-29T21:48:00.000-08:00

Lily's 1st Christmas present this year was from Gigi, Papa Joe & Papa Tom. Daddy Joe & Papa Joe set up her new big girl bed a few days before Christmas. I admit to a little tug in my heart when we took apart the crib (guess my baby's really growing up). She loves her bed though, and has slept very well in it so far (BIG fingers crossed to keep that going) even though she has been sick.

Every year we get new pajamas to open Christmas Eve & wear on Christmas. Lily got to open hers a day early. Actually, she got to pick them out at the store. She had a choice between princess, dora, snowmen, etc., etc., but what did she choose??? Bright yellow Spongebob Squarepants Santa pajamas! OOOKAAY.

Christmas Eve this year was mellow. Picture me, Joe & Lily on the couch watching Chevy Chase's Christmas Vacation. Yep, I said Lily SITTING on the couch, yes for the entire movie. Why you ask? Because she was burning up with fever and alternately coughing/vomitting. No, we didn't get to Aunt Cherie's Christmas Eve dinner. We were sad, but also knew it would be hard to be at that party without my Grandma Mary this year. She was always the star of the show. Other than not getting much sleep that night, or the next one, it was a nice evening together.

Twas the night before Christmas...

2009-12-24T21:41:00.000-08:00

And no, none of these pics were taken the night before Christmas, but blogger is REALLY annoying sometimes, so here are the pics I was going to add after my little poem. First, our Christmas card photo shoot and then Lily helping Dad with the Christmas tree.

Now really:

Twas the night before Christmas

and all through the house,
a flu bug was rumbling,

and there were peeps much louder than a mouse.

We missed our Christmas eve party but we're saving our strength,

for a full Christmas day of immeasurable length.

The stockings were hung on the entertainment center with cheer,

hoping that Santa would find his way here.

Lily and Dad are all tucked in Lily's new big girl bed,

in hopes that we'll all get sleep sometime this year.

Milo & Cosmo are curled up in their bed/chair,

and Mom is sitting on the computer, new Christmas pajamas she wears.

A little pink bike sits in front of the tree,

how did Santa slip that one by me?
I really hope nothing happens that causes a "clatter",
or makes me spring from my bed to see what's the matter.

Because I asked Santa for just one holiday wish,

a full night of sleep and a nice christmas kiss.

OK, that's 2 things, but if I'm lucky my Santa Joe will give me both :)

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT!!

Hi, Santa.

2009-12-13T19:27:00.001-08:00

Now that Lily speaks English fluently (i.e., so that we can fully understand her) it just feels wierd to speak for her on this blog. So, for this post at least, I'm going to share a little story from the point of view of her loving mama, and as Calliou would say: that's me!

Lily met Santa today for the 1st time! It was AWESOME!

But first...ever since the day after Thanksgiving, we had talked about taking her to meet him at the mall, but to be honest, after envisioning waiting hours in line, with our VERY active toddler, knowing that the big red man would make her cry, just didn't sound like a fun way to spend an afternoon. We don't get a lot of afternoons together lately; I would much rather stay home! SO, Cosmo had a vet appointment today (Lily: WHY mommy? Me: Because we go to the doctor once a year to make sure we're healthy. Lily: WHY??? Me: Because...we DO?... In my head: Exactly when WAS the last time Joe or I went to the doctor for a check-up???)

So Joe, Lily, Cosmo & I piled into the car (Oh, pink baby was strapped in her seatbelt in the backseat as well) to drop Cosmo off at the vet. As Joe was signing Cosmo in, Lily got this really funny grin on her face. Then her mouth opened VERY wide and she said "Hi, Santa." I didn't think much of what she said because anyone that knows 2-year-olds knows that they have a lot of conversations with, well, anyone or anything. But, I soon caught a glance of a big red suit and a white beard. Santa was across the room setting up for the big "Bring your pet to sit on Santa's lap photo op" (huh?)

Lily began to flirt with Santa in the only way she knows how: by giving him her silliest grin with a finger hooked in each side of her mouth and her tongue stuck out. So, we really lucked out because Santa had just arrived and the animal parents hadn't even started lining up. As we exited the store, we went to say a close-up hello. Lily wanted to take her sweatshirt off to show Santa her reindeer t-shirt (she stuck such a proud chest out to Santa :) Lily was showing off by not answering Santa's questions, avoiding his gaze, and twirling around in circles for him. He finally asked her what she wanted for Christmas. She said "a bike!" Then he said "OK. I think I can fit one of those on the sleigh." She beamed.

Now THAT is Christmas.

I wrote this to remind myself how sweet this season can be...it's not about the cold rain, the long hours of work, the gifts, the food, the lines at the mall or the traffic outside. It's about the joy on my little girl's face. Merry Christmas my tweetie pie. Mama loves you more than you know.

Exactly how old is Lily?

2009-11-26T07:41:00.000-08:00

Evidence that Lily is going to be an AWESOME mommy someday: pushing stroller with one hand while holding baby in carseat (with one hand & over her shoulder, no less), beautifully accessorized with cool hat and necklace, cell phone in stroller for easy access, backpack with mommy essentials on her back, and a BIG smile still on her face. Wow! Where did she learn that juggling routine???

Trick-or-Treat, Smell My Feet :)

2009-11-01T19:25:00.000-08:00

I had so much FUN trick-or-treating with my friends from the block. We were all princesses! I loved going house to house and getting free candy. What could be more fun??? Contrary to my normal behavior, I was not shy at all! I ran up to each door, knocked on the door and said "TRICK-OR-TREAT!!!"

Somehow, Nana got my hair up in a ponytail (actually, it involved the promise of some M&Ms).

Nana & I right before trick-or-treating. Check out Dad's masterpiece of a pumpkin beside us! Oh! Mom didn't take a picture of MY pumpkin!! I'll have to have Mom post that pic later because it was very beautiful.

Happy Halloween everyone!!!

It was a VERY Happy Halloween!!!

2009-11-01T10:12:00.000-08:00

We've been a little bit busy this October, so we didn't get a chance to get to the pumpkin patch until Halloween day. But it was worth the wait! We picked out 2 pumpkins: a little one for me and a big one to carve for Halloween night.

We also climbed to the top of a hay bail tower, and I played in this hay bail house. I started the day with my princess costume on, but it got a bit hot with all the running around, so I stripped down to this.

We met (and I kissed!) some VERY cute baby goats and their mamas. I even talked to them in their own language-- maaaaaaaa.

We also got some exercise running through the corn maze. It was cool to see where corn comes from, and to play hide-and-seek with Mom & Dad.

Fall is in the air!

2009-11-01T09:12:00.001-08:00

The first raking of the season. Mom raked and I knocked over her piles...teamwork!

Apparently, my Daddy is quite the photographer! I've been spending lots of time with Daddy lately; I LOVE my Daddy. He takes really good care of me. We have lots of fun too.

This is the "Los Feliz Way Marching Band!" We walked up and down the street playing some very special songs. We went "touring" too and signed autographs. I love playing with the friends on my street.

Summer Vacation 2009- Part 1

2009-09-20T15:21:00.000-07:00

Part 1: Visiting the Williams family in sizzling Bakersfield!

Our first stop was visiting my Mom's friend, Tami, her Husband Craig, and my favorite: their 2 kids Emma & Cole. Mom & Tami had fun talking "shop" (Dietitian stuff). Mom loves to have another smarty pants to discuss that boring stuff with. We spent lots of time hanging out in their pool. We even went to a fun spray park to cool off on one of the days. I LOVED that! I think Mom & Dad were surprised at how crazy I ran around and how wet I got. Cole & Emma taught me lots of cool stuff like how to play doctor, make and serve playdough food, and take care of babies. I miss them. I cried when we left. I hope to see them soon...there are plans for a Yosemite trip next Summer!

Summer Vacation 2009-Part 2

2009-09-17T22:08:00.001-07:00

Part 2: Off to Santa Monica to meet Auntie Candie, hang out at the Santa Monica pier and in our swanky beachside hotel, cruise (stroller) 3rd street promenade, and then head down to the Long Beach aquarium.

This was my FIRST feel of the ocean on my feet!! It was exciting and I loved it! Maybe I will be a water baby like Mom.

We had a free day because the Noah's Ark exhibit we wanted to go to was closed for repairs :( so we explored Santa Monica. We must have walked 10 miles between exploring the pier and the 3rd street promenade. It was fun with lots of street musicians, restaurants and fancy shops. Mom & Dad even played table tennis at a wii promotion.

We were bad about taking pics, but I swear we spent some time with Auntie Candie and we met her sweetheart, Jenny. I thought she was pretty cool! We had a yummy french toast breakfast with them before we headed down to the aquarium.

Here are a few pics of me exploring the aquarium. I really like running as fast as I could around the exhibits trying to lose my parents. We saw the sea lion show (see my friend below!) and one of the sea lion's name was Milo! That leg, on my right, is Aunty Candie's. See we took pictures with her!

I was just dying to cool off with these two cute little blonde boys in the spray park at the aquarium. It was a HOT day!! Hey- if they can take their shirts off, why not I??

"Family" picture that SOMEBODY was not willing to participate in. We're standing by the shark tank. I wasn't scared. I just wanted to make sure the baby sharks found their mommies.

Is that Milo?

Finishing off the afternoon sharing icecream with Dad. Oh the things Dad taught me on this trip! More about that later...

This is a little wierd but I'm tired so stay tuned for part 1 of this vacation post...the first leg of our trip visiting Tami & the fam in Bakersfield.

Summer vacation 2009- Part 3

2009-09-17T21:35:00.000-07:00

Part 3: Off to Riverside to visit Setta & Kevin!

My first bowling experience! I had more fun people watching than bowling though. I was a little overwhelmed by how loud and full of people the bowling alley was. Pretty soon I was dancing around, playing drums on the candy machines, and having a blast...especially when Aunty Setta got me some reeces pieces out of one of the machines :) I'm a sucker for chocolate!

Here is a "group" picture. That's Kevin bowling, "crazy Nick" posing for the camera, Mom & I, and half of Setta's face. I guess Dad was taking the picture!

Our last excursion was a last minute, and probably one of the funnest times we had all week. We went to the Wild Animal Park near San Diego, which turned out to be just an hour from Setta & Kevin's house. So, all 5 of us set off in the Camry about lunchtime. It was a LONG, HOT day, but an experience of a lifetime! Here I am at the bubble-blowing exhibit (did me or Dad have more fun at that one?) and then looking a bit overheated. Luckily, this picture was quickly followed by a stripping down of clothing and a run through the spray water park (Mom & Dad, too!)

We also took a tram ride around the park (it's a very BIG park! We were there for 7 hours & still didn't see everything!) The tram ride gave us a closer look at the roaming animals. My favorite: the baby giraffes below. We also got within a few yards of the leopards below. They were babies too, only about 1 1/2 old, and triplets! Check out Setta & Kevin refusing to turn around for a photo op! We had so much fun hanging out with them though. I was sad to leave Setta when we left for home :(

New boo-boo phrase of the week

2009-08-27T22:54:00.000-07:00

"Ewww, yucky!!! Boo-boo pick my nose!"

This is actually quite disturbing, if you've figured out what boo-boo is...

Summer vacation is here!!!

2009-08-27T22:40:00.000-07:00

We're off on our annual Summer road trip tomorrow. This time to sunny Southern California. (Hey, times are tough in this economic climate!) So, wish my parents luck (and sleep). Here are a few recent pics to tide you over until we get back with many exciting stories to tell, I'm sure!

Let's play a game!

2009-08-14T21:30:00.000-07:00

Listed below are some phrases heard around our house this week. Can you guess who "boo-boo" is?

Boo-boo's love me.
Boo-boo's play peek-a-boo?
Boo-boo's go nigh-night?
Boo-boo's go poo-poo, too?
I say hi to Boo-boo's?
Boo-boo's tickle my nose (hahahaha)!
Boo-boo's are laughing, think that's funny (hahahahahah)!

Who is boo-boo???????

Family time and my special bed

2009-08-12T21:06:00.000-07:00

We were really lucky to spend a week with my Uncle Vince, Aunty Rosana, and cousin Emily who are now on their way to Boston...to live! We already miss them :( Also along for the ride was their good friend, Paulo, from Brazil. I really *liked* Paulo (insert dreamy smile). We spent a lot of time swimming and just hanging out (pretty hot outside that week!) We were also treated to some yummy Brazilian food. We felt really lucky to get so much fun time together.

Sweet cousins

Swimming at Nana's

This is my special big girl bed! I got to pick out the sheets and pillows myself. I got to decorate my wall too. Grandma's Betty's blanket and pillow complete the look just right. Next we have a special princess picture to put up from Gigi, and Mom wants to make me some curtains (that should be interesting!)

A Note from Mom: Oh...how my heart breaks

2009-07-19T15:59:00.001-07:00

The other day I got home from running errands. Lily had been hanging out at home with Joe. I sat down and Lily jumped up on my lap and said "Lily miss you when you were goooone!" She repeated this a few times, hugging me to her. Then she said later "Love mommy toooo!" without any prompting. We have a little joke going between us. I tell her I love her. She yells "noooooooo!" Or I ask do you love Mommy? And she says: "nooooooooo love mommy!" So this was a priceless moment. My eyes watered and I held her close. My first broken heart from this little girl, and surely not my last. These terrible two's aren't that bad after all...well, for today.

4th of July

2009-07-06T20:57:00.000-07:00

The 4th was pretty traditional this year, but I was a lot more of a participant compared to last year...well in some ways. In the morning Dad put the flag up and we went to the Carmichael parade down the street. The weather was beautiful so we walked over. Unfortunately they started the parade with a bunch of fire trucks and police cars with their sirens on, and I kind of freaked out. I just kept saying: "Daddy, hold me, hold me!" So he did...the entire time. Meanwhile Mom & Dad enjoyed the classic cars and mini go carts.

We walked back home, napped and then got dressed for a swim party accross the street at my favorite neighbor Mark's house. I kind of have a crush on Mark :) We swam for hours, visited with friends and I ate a ton of corn on the cob. YUM!

We had a very short break and then it was time for fireworks! Well, Mom and Dad tried to make this fun for me, but I still had PTSD from the parade sirens. So the first loud sound and I was out of there. Nana & Lou were there and I said: "Nana take Lily bed now!" We went inside and I went to sleep. There are many future fireworks shows I can enjoy when I am good and ready!

Summer Fun

2009-07-06T20:37:00.000-07:00

We had a fun visit with my Uncle Vince and cousin Emily a few weeks ago. We did a lot of swimming (which is my favorite thing right now!) and ate a lot of BBQ (just corn on the cob for thanks!) I had so much fun playing with Emily. We chased each other around the house and played dolls and playhouse outside. I sure wish they lived closer :( But we get to visit with them again in August before they move even further away to Boston.

Changing diapers on my big girl bed. Hey Mom & Dad, I'm not a baby anymore!

Biker Girl

2009-06-25T07:47:00.000-07:00

I really like to ride bikes. I like to try to ride my big wheel and I like to ride on the back of Mom or Dad's bike too. I really wanted all of us to go on a bike ride as a family. "Go on bike? Mommy too? Daddy too? Lily too?" So we rode over to the park to play. It was really FUN!

Supergirl! (and Superdad!)

2009-06-19T21:14:00.000-07:00

I love to swing on my new swingset that I got for my birthday. Someone else in the family (can you see him?) also enjoys swinging on my swingset. He's teaching me some pretty scary stuff (at least Mom thinks it's scary. I think it's pretty COOL.)

My favorite way to swing: on my tummy. It's just like flying and I can do it all by myself.

Dad Helping my practice "SUPERGIRL!"

More Birthday Pictures!

2009-06-19T21:06:00.000-07:00

Pin (tape) the monkey on the tree!!

Birthday spankings! I think they gave me more than 2!

Hiding behind my Dad as he tries to get me to blow out my candle...it was a BIG flame!

Party table. That's Aubrey trying to sneak a monkey cupcake :)

Overwhelmed by the excitement. Our house wasn't burning down; that was just the BBQ.

Thank you Summer for taking lots of great photos!

When I grow up I want to be a...

2009-05-31T22:01:00.000-07:00

Photographer!!!

My favorite subject? Why my cat of course! I run around the house chasing him saying "Kitty! Cheese!!!" (Poor Kitty :( You're probably wondering what I am using for a camera. Well, I found this rope thing that is actually part of our swing chair that Tootsie ate (another story) and I put it around my neck (yes, mom was present), look throught the hole and tada! Now that's imagination!

Yes, I'm still in love with Elmo. This is one of the Lily's we are going to plant in Mom's Lily garden out back.

Does this picture need any explanation?? I am silly. In fact, I like to call myself "Slly Lily!"

4 words to describe me? Silly, Sweet, Smart & Stubborn!

Silly: I like to lay down flat on my tummy and drink out of the Dog's bowl (sometimes with a straw) I also have a new phrase that I answer EVERY question with: "Um...Yeah or um...NO" (thanks Abo!)

Sweet: I like to hold hands with the little creatures on TV and in books. You might think this is impossible, but I like to try anyway. I also kiss them and feed them. I rock my babies to sleep in my rocking chair, change their diapers, and nurse them. I mimic mom and rub their backs and wrap them in a blanket like she does to me.

Smart: I can sing my ABC's all the way through! I can swing in a big girl swing.

Stubborn: Today, I had a stomping, screaming fit (alone because everyone left the room!) because Mom wouldn't let me have more than 2 vitamins. That woman is against me I tell ya!!

I MUST choose my own clothes and shoes, and I like to wear long sleeves, pants & socks to bed on 95 degree days.

Monkey Party Girl is TWO!

2009-05-17T10:21:00.000-07:00

My party was fun! Friends and family, BBQ, monkey games, and outdoor play (including water, of course!); what could be better??? Here are a few party pics to enjoy...

My Grandparents hanging out (yes, I'm lucky to have a lot of grandparents!)

My monkey cupcakes! They were YUMMY! I preferred the toppings and the frosting especially.

We had practiced blowing out my candles beforehand, but it was a little windy and the flame kind of freaked me out. So, Daddy helped. (See my monkey outfit :)

Me and my pals eating cupcakes. That's Zoe and Aubrey. I was SO happy to have my friends there.

Opening gifts. I was very distractable. So gift opening dragged on for quite awhile with play in between. I got some really fun stuff. Cute summer clothes that I really needed and a swing set (thank you Gigi, Papa & Great Grandma & Grandpa! Dad & Chris *started* building it yesterday.) My friends Aubrey & Summer made me a wooden doll that I can dress. I like to rock her to sleep on my shoulder and then put her to bed in the little doll bed Great Grandma Betty made me. Lots of cool stuff indeed.

This was Mom & Dad's gift to me. A sand and water box! I LOVE playing with water right now. Notice both Zoe and my cool hairstyles (a la sand & water).

Oh and one of the best parts of the day...SWING TIME!

Here is Aubrey and I!

Papa Joe and I. It got a little hot towards the end of the party and my clothes were a tad wet from the sand & water box. Who needs clothes anyway?

Papa & *Uncle* Chris pushing me in the swing. It was nice to have Uncle Chris & Simpson at my party. No offense to Uncle Chris but I sure wish his other halves could've been there too. We missed Violet & Elizabeth :(

Zoe and I swinging...what sweet smiles!

A note from Mama: Today my baby turned TWO! (sigh...)

2009-05-10T21:52:00.000-07:00

My friend Elizabeth was really sentimental about her daughter's birth when her little Violet turned one just a few weeks ago, and I tried to remember if I felt that way for Lily's 1st Bday. I did then, but now she's 2, I thought surely I wouldn't feel sentimental about her birth this far out! Well, about 8 this morning I realized that Lily was born just a few hours before that time, 2 years ago. I also realized that maybe she woke up this morning, about 4:30am, because she knew that was her exact birth time! She just wanted to celebrate! They say that you soon forget the years when your baby wakes up at night and you are sleep deprived...REALLY?

OK, enough of that, now about my baby. She is still nursing. No, I didn't plan to nurse a 2-year-old, but hey, YOU try telling her NO. With a 2-year-old you have to pick your battles! We are neck deep in the terrible/wonderful two's. I say this lovingly and literally. One moment she is a terror and the next she is the most sweet and amazing little creature. Makes PMS look silly in comparison.

My Lily loves to eat! When my cousin Megan was up visiting she couldn't believe how much food the girl could put down. And it's finally begun, Lily is becoming her Daddy's shadow. It's so fun and sweet to watch. She says fondly "Daddy, too?" whenever we go anywhere or talk about doing anything. Daddy is teaching Lily her alphabet, and she's pretty good at singing it. She really knows her grandparents and talks about them all the time. The other day she was saying "Papa Tom is pretty!" (??) I'm not sure what those two talk about on their Friday mornings together! I could go on and on...and I will when I post about her party. But for now, my baby is TWO, and no, I can't believe it's been 2 years since her birth. She is such an amazing little person. And as I think about the next 2 years (STOP your thoughts about a sibling for Lily NOW! Or at least hold on to them for a bit.) the memories of her birth will fade further (sad but also thank God) and my baby will start school! It's funny how you think "Oh, let's have a baby!" but don't really follow through the thought process to include "let's have a toddler!" or "let's have a teenager!" Hmm...

It was Mother's Day, and I asked for a few very small gifts. #1: Let me sleep in (hence Joe did the 4:30 am fun). #2: Take care of Lily's bedtime, the whole shabang. #3: Let me take a nap. Yes, sleep in AND take a nap. I now realize that for "Mother's Day" I wanted to take a break from my motherly duties. That's a little ironic. Uh oh, mother guilt is kicking in again. Oh, and today, while trying to nap, I thought about how my Dad's Mom is not around this Mother's Day, and how sad that must be for him, because it's sad for me too. See, Grandma Mary was always like another Mom to me. I always visited her and took flowers for Mother's Day, because she spent a lot of time mothering me too. She always called me her baby. When she was in the hospital this last time we talked about how I kind of was like her youngest kid, always around during my college years, living with her off and on. About 2 weeks ago, after visiting with her, I was leaving her room and she said "Bye Baby." That whole visit she hadn't been interacting with us much but when she said that I knew she was there. That's how she always said goodbye.

Monkey birthday pics coming soon! It was a blast!

2009-05-10T21:24:00.000-07:00

Finally, pics of my 1st Easter egg hunt!

2009-05-10T21:07:00.000-07:00

Stuffing M&M's in my mouth. My Gigi is such a multi-tasker, holding my egg bag, chasing me and drinking her glass of wine all at the same time!

Holy cow! They put the good stuff in these eggs! (Notice the opened, and empty eggs to the side.)

On the hunt...no rocks or walls or trees kept me away from those special eggs!!

I had a special strategy for my hunting. For fear that other family members might eat the content of my eggs, I would eat the entire contents of the egg (2 M&M's!) each time I uncovered an egg on my hunt. I really had no need for an Easter basket. Mom tried to expain how to use one, but I really didn't see the point.

My innocence is lost, I have tasted chocolate, and I will never go back.

In Loving Memory

2009-05-06T21:34:00.000-07:00

Me, about 3 days old, meeting Grandma for the 1st time.

This morning my Great Grandma Mary passed away. I was lucky enough to spend a lot of time with her in my 2 years of life. She was such a proud Mother, Grandma, and Great Grandma. She played peek-a-boo with me every time I visited and always had a cookie to share. I was able to say "Goodbye Grandma Mary" yesterday. Mom says she's in a better place now, at peace, and finally together again with my Great Grandpa Bud, her sweetheart. We will miss her so much, but are so lucky just to have know such an amazing woman. Her legacy is immeasurable in all the lives that she touched, including my Mom's and mine. Goodbye Grandma Mary. We love you always.

Do not stand at my grave and weep, I am not there.

I do not sleep.

I am a thousand winds that blow,

I am the snow on the mountain's rim,

I am the laughter in children's eyes,

I am the sand at the water's edge,

I am the sunlight on ripened grain,

I am the gentle Autumn rain,

When you awaken in the morning's hush,

I am the swift uplifting rush of quiet birds in circled flight,

I am the star that shines at night,

Do not stand at my grave and cry,

I am not there, I did not die.

--Mary Elizabeth Frye

1904-2004
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Keep watch, dear Lord, with those who work, or watch, or weep this night,

and give your angels charge over those who sleep.

Tend the sick, give rest to the weary, bless the dying, soothe the suffering, pity the afflicted, shield the joyous; and all for your love’s sake.

Amen

--Book of Common Prayer

Evening Prayer II

"Happy Birday, Daddy!"

2009-05-01T19:06:00.000-07:00

Easter fell right around my Daddy and Gigi's birthday this year. So, we celebrated with this yummy cake from G. Grandma Betty as our Easter dessert. I even got some practice blowing out candles and singing Happy Birthday! My BIG day is exactly a week away!

You're probably wondering what the coolest part of my Dad's birthday was. Well, Mom and I let Dad sleep in, and then when we went in to wake him up, I yelled "Happy Birthday Daddy!!" which actually came out more like "appy birday daddy!!!" and gave him a big hug and kiss. My Dad was pretty happy. Looks like he'll keep me around for awhile after all.

Should we name my next sibling Azalea?

2009-04-20T21:17:00.000-07:00

No, I'm not hinting at anything. Just trying to write a clever post title. Mom said she liked the name Zinnia, so I thought I'd throw in Azalea. We'd be a flower family!

Really though, I just wanted to share my birthday card picture. For those who wished Mom had printed it in color. Check out the azaleas in our yard. They are probably 50 years old. I love Sacramento.

The Easter bunny is so cool!

2009-04-20T20:59:00.000-07:00

There's this little thing I do after I finish my own dinner (2 min. max). I climb up on Mom or Dad's lap and steal their food (um...share their food). It never thrills Mom too much, but Dad's always a good sport. Mom thinks we look pretty cute feeding each other. So she finally took some pics of us.

Great Grandma Betty brought me my very own bunny cake on Easter! First, I had a few too many M&M's that day. By the time it was time for dessert, it was about 5pm, and I was a little crazy already, so we saved the bunny cake for the next day. Not that that helped; I finally fell asleep about 9:30 that night...but man, that bunny was yummy!!!

So, there is a bunny that brings me chocolate treats on Easter! How lucky am I? Easter was so fun this year; I was really into the egg hunt and had so much fun hanging out with my family in the back yard. Mom lost her camera that day (misplaced it really) so she has no pics to share save this one. BUT, Papa Tom and Great Grandma Betty took TONS of pics that we will share very soon :) For now...check out my pretty dress!

I'm a Monkey Party Girl

2009-04-09T13:06:00.000-07:00

I've decided to have a monkey party! Mom gave me the choice between Abby Cadabby and monkeys--I picked MONKEYS! (I think mom was a little relieved I didn't choose Abby because she's tired of pink!) Anyway, it will be a small party. Just my parents, grandparents, and a few friends because I'm a little shy right now with strangers, and just about anyone I don't see on a weekly basis is strange to me :) Wish my friend Violet could be there :( I'm going to miss her 1st birthday too.

My party stuff just arrived in a big box and it looks so fun! It's hard to wait a whole month before opening all the balloons and fun stuff.

By the way, being almost 2 is really hard. Mom says it's like living with a mini teenager. There is no mellow. I'm either mad, sad, wild, clingy, lovey, silly or annoyed. Who knew being 2 was so complicated? Well, off to read a book...studying up so I know the right terminology for these "feelings."

Just a comment

2009-03-31T17:27:00.000-07:00

Man this chicky background is WAY better than that pink one my Mom had up earlier, if you were lucky enough to catch a glimpse. Off to visit my Grandma Mary...promise to post some pics of that and more of our yard too in a bit. Mom is SO slow with this blog; what does she do at night anyway??? Says she's busy applying to Grad school...whatever that means?? Oh, while I'm commenting, let me ask: why do other mommies let their wild boys throw sand at sweet little girls like me?? OH! The ones that come to the park to RELAX and sit and talk on their cell phones and NOT watch their kids. OK. I get it. Good thing my Mom has a hawk eye.

Finally! A yard for me to roam in!

2009-03-22T21:40:00.000-07:00

This Spring is a very special one because we have grass!!! Our backyard has been "under construction" for awhile, but this Spring it's perfect for playing in. We have a cool wall that I like to climb...

...this is me just hamming it up to the camera. Yes, I'm quite the ham in our family :)

Posing in the fabulous grass. A rare photo where I am fully clothed I might add. I LOVE to run all around my yard and chase the dogs. I love being outside. You might notice one of my legs is a bit wet. Have I mentioned that I also love water? (More details to follow.)

Yep, that's ANOTHER dog. We babysat our friends the Campbells' dog Simpson ("Sissun") last week. I enjoyed him a bit more than Milo.

This is supposed to be photo #2 AFTER I studied Tootsie drinking from the water bowl. (Sometimes blogger just won't cooperate!!!!!!)Photo #1: Carefully studying her drinking technique, hashing my plan to try to get some water myself before Mom notices. Mission accomplished: see photo 2 above

Lily's World (March edition)

2009-03-22T21:27:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty much a potty pro now (as long as I'm naked). But some days are better than others! Sometimes you'll just find me sitting on the potty doing my thing, with my reading material in case I get bored.

I was trying to show you all of my teeth in this picture. I have almost all of them and even 4 molars (those were fun coming in!)

One of the things I learned when left alone with Dad for a few days. What did he call it? My homie pose? I'll do it on command if you ask me sometime. I've also learned to bow and blow kisses to the crowd after a performance (?) (I've also learned a dance called "the centipede") and if you burp in front of me, I'll call you a pig. I love my Daddy.

Pigtail Duo & THE Sweetest Picture EVER!

2009-02-24T12:33:00.000-08:00

True love between friends. Is there anything better? Aubrey and I took a bath Monday morning and then wanted to have our hair done. Hence, matching piggytails. So innocent and sweet, wait until I get home, Mom & Dad! Let me explain: I'm a little angel at Summer's house. I don't have tantrums, whine or anything. Now when I get home...watch out! I am a little drama mama. I want what I want, and watch out if I don't get it. I like to throw myself on the ground sometimes too, just for the added effect it gives. On the other hand, I've become quite the little lovey. I give lots of kisses and hugs. Life at our house is exciting for sure!

Thanks, Granny Lori! & My ABC's

2009-02-24T12:25:00.000-08:00

My Granny Lori made me this cool blanket. It has angel kitties & ABC's on it. When Papa brought it over the other day, Mom layed it out on the floor, and I immediately starting rolling all over it. What can I say? It's really soft! As you can see, Milo likes it too :) Speaking of ABC's, I'm starting to learn mine! I started singing the ABC song and have a particular fondness for "E". Dad practices saying the ABC's out loud with me too. I tend to lose focus around "M". My favorite show, Sesame Street is also helping me learn some letters and numbers. I can now count to 3!!

Dressing Up

2009-02-24T12:20:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite things right now is to play dress-up. This boa is my favorite accessory of all. In the picture below I'm also wearing one of my Mom's socks (?)

Superbowl 2009

2009-02-24T12:07:00.000-08:00

Finally, mom is uploading some new (well, newish) pictures! Here is me and my pal, Violet, on superbowl Sunday. We had the Campbell family over for tacos and football (well, some of us watched football :) Some of us just chowed on food and tortured the cat. See my Steelers shirt? That's right, I was on the side of the winning team that day. This shirt was courtesy of Papa Joe from a trip he took to Pittsburg last year.

My Buddy

2009-02-06T20:08:00.000-08:00

One day it was awfully quiet, and Mom discovered me...and Milo (??) in my playhouse. I look just a little guilty. No one knows who went in the playhouse first, and that's a mystery to this day. I love my dog and I like to say "Milo" (err "yell" Milo) all the time. As you can see, all kinds of treasures have piled up in my playhouse over time. Maybe someday Mom will vacuum
under there...or not.

"We Like to Nurse!"

2009-02-06T19:58:00.000-08:00

The title of this post comes from one of my favorite books, and it just happens to be a statement I strongly agree with (though I have to admit it sounds a bit like a chant at some rally.) So here I am practicing the art of nursing my favorite babies...Abby and Elmo.

Valentine photo shoot

2009-01-30T20:38:00.000-08:00

Just to compare, here I am around Valentine's Day last year! What a baby!

These pics are from a fun photo shoot we took with my friend, Aubrey. It was a challenge for our Moms, but we all survived in the end!

Happy Valentine's Day!!

A Letter to Lily

2009-01-24T17:42:00.000-08:00

Hi Lily, it's Mom. You just started calling me "Mommy" this week instead of "Mama" and you sound so grown up. You are 20 months old already. I just noticed that your birthday is on Mother's Day this year, which made me think about the day we brought you home from the hospital. That was Mother's day too, ironically. I couldn't believe we were taking you home. Your Dad was so relieved to get out of that hospital, but I was a little scared. Did they really think we could take care of you on our own?? I dressed you in a little red and white outfit and your Dad said you looked like a clown! One of the OB doctors came by to check us out and had brought a rose for each of the moms. Wow, I was finally a Mom! Quite a responsibility. You were so beautiful. You were worth the wait.

Love, Mommy

Friendship and I'm Growing Up Fast

2009-01-20T20:42:00.000-08:00

So, yes, my Mommy stole these pictures from my friend Aubrey's blog, but they were too cute not to share. Here is Aubrey and I, eating Elmo pizzas, watching Elmo's World (got enough Elmo yet?)

Here we are making the Elmo pizzas (which were such a great idea of Summer's that Mom and I have been making them quite a lot lately!)

When you ask me for a picture, I always give a BIG "CHEEEESE!"

Remember the famous mac & cheese feed at Fenton's? Well I ate 2 whole Elmo pizzas!!!

See, Auntie and Gigi, I love BOTH my Elmos.

An "after" picture from our Christmas cookie activity. Needless to say, flour was everywhere.

We're so lucky to have such GREAT friends :)

"I Jew" (AKA "I love you")

2009-01-03T19:53:00.000-08:00

Here is Aunty Candie, Dad and I. It was nice to spend time with Aunty because we don't see her a lot. BUT, we are going to road trip it down to her neck of the woods in the Spring. And she says I can come visit her alone as soon as I can make my own PB&J. (She has no idea that mom is training me to do just that as we speak. Mom & Dad need a good night's (err week's) sleep!)

The beautiful blanket my Great Grandma Betty made me for my big girl bed. It came in a really fun box.

The only picture of Mom and I that I could find. I am sheepishly opening presents. This is my look of excitement as Gigi just pulled my new little friend Abby out of the bag. Abby now joins me in my bed too (along with little Elmo, naked baby, baby 2 (cabbage patch), my water, and blankie.) Wooo! And to think that just a few months ago Mom was worried I wasn't attaching to a doll or blanket!

Dance, baby, dance! My cousin Kaitlyn and Aunty emily go t me this fancy dress for Christmas. So, I put it on right then and there and put on quite the show for the whole family. I looked like Ginger Rogers and moved like her too!

:) :) I LOVE YOU :) :)

Just in time for Christmas, I have 3 real "sentences" I've decided to reveal to my parents. I say reveal, because there is a lot more in my brain that I just choose not to say. My 1st sentence as Dad was cleaning out the gutters a month or so ago was "As my Da" (AKA "That's my Dad"). My 2nd sentence was for my Dad "Shut door." That ones pretty self-explanatory. I've saved the best for last. "I Jew" means "I love you" (or so we think?) The week of Christmas Mom was teaching my the sign for I love you, which I picked up pretty quick (who wouldn't? It caused such a great response when I did it!) The next say I started saying it as I signed it. I add a sheepish grin when I say it just to add a little extra cuteness.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

No pics from that. I was just trying to sleep through the neighbor's annoying illegal fireworks :)

THAT'S NOT ALL!!!

2008-12-27T22:28:00.000-08:00

...I'm just tired, and there are dozens more pics. I'll add more later I promise. Goodnight for now :)

Christmas at Gigi & Papa Joe's

2008-12-27T22:15:00.001-08:00

Again, here are some pics in a crazy reverse order that my Mom made up. This is my new Elmo from Aunty Candie, he giggles and dances and here I am rocking him in my chair. By the way, my favorite word is E-L-M-O and my favorite video is Elmo's Christmas and my favorite book is Elmo at the zoo.

Here is when I realized that this Elmo was for me!

At first, I just carried Elmo in his suitcase before opening it up to meet him. That kept me busy for awhile because I am a busy girl and I like to work!

Here I am sitting on my present. That was fun too. I had to test each one out for safety before opening it. My Uncle Dave & Aunt Heidi gave me my first cabbage patch baby, adoption papers and all. That's a lot of responsibility for my little 19 month old self! Do I have to wake up at night with her like Mom does with me? Uh oh! I did share some of my cookies with her though.

Christmas Morning at Home

2008-12-27T22:02:00.001-08:00

This is me and Mom and Nana and Granny opening gifts. Everyone came over for brunch (waffle bar :) and playtime.

Nana gave me this cool farm with animals.

Here I am enjoying my waffle with blueberries.

This was my Christmas morning surprise! (Not the cat :) I have my very own playhouse and slide!!! So far the slide makes me a little nervous, but I love the playhouse, as does my cat, and my Dad (see below). Don't ask how my Dad got in there (??) or how he got back out.

When I got up CHristmas morning we were in Mom and Dad's bed hanging out and then Mom reminded me that Santa had come the night before and probably brought me a surprise. Dad ran to get the video camera and I started getting very excited (patting the top of my head??) This slide/play house is what I found when I came out. I was speechless!

Christmas Eve

2008-12-27T21:53:00.000-08:00

So, my parents were kind of bad about taking pics on Christmas Eve. These were before the party pics. We had a good time at my Mom's Aunt Cherie & Uncle Dennis' house eating lasagne, playing with poppers and catching up with family. I was a little disturbed by some family members that arrived wearing reindeer antlers, but as soon as I got over that, I was running around the house (mostly following Papa). Their dog was as tall as I was! She was cool. I also got to have some conversations with my Great Grandma Mary. We got home late (by my standards) and so I had to get right to bed because Mom said Santa would not come if I wasn't asleep!

Christmas celebration #1: Papa Tom & Granny's

2008-12-22T19:35:00.000-08:00

I'm a lucky girl. Yesterday was my 1st of 4 Christmas celebrations. Papa Tom and Granny Lori served us up a YUMMY taco bar with all the trimmings and homemade blue corn tortillas that I loved :)

I got some really cool books that I've already read through and a soft gingerbread blanket. We went on a walk through candy cane lane in the rain where I was not shy about getting up close and personal with the Christmas light displays, especially the reindeer. I also sat by Santa and saw Elmo (!) I was so excited I just hit the top of my head over and over (??) I was pretty tired from opening all the presents and running up and down the hall at Papa & Granny's and slept the whole way home.

Good thing I have a few days of rest before the next Christmas...more excitement to follow!

Merry Christmas! A note from my mommy

2008-12-08T21:27:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas from our family to yours. We wish you happiness, love, and abundance in 2009!

Our little girl is growing up so fast. What an amazing year! She hits the 19-month-old mark in a few days, and is a ball of energy. This year she is really into Christmas. She can say and recognize "santa," her christmas "tree," and loves Christmas music (and dance time with Dad in her room with her boombox in the evening.) We're doing lots of crafty projects to help her learn all about Christmas too...which she mostly likes to eat, rather than create. She does have something popping up from her mom's side of the family...very curly hair. It's so fun to see your traits come out in your very own child. Other mom traits: STUBBORN, sensitive, runs like a girl. Luckily, it looks like she got some of her dad's coordination and energy :) I'm not sure when we'll be adding a sibling to the mix, but Lily will be a fabulous big sister. She has her own little baby that goes with her EVERYWHERE. Lily pushes baby in the stroller, feeds baby her food, lets baby nurse a little now and then, and even tries to bathe her. She's also really helpful around the house. She helps mom mop and sweep every day (even if it's only her doing the cleaning, not mom!) What delight she brings to every day (providing she decides to nap well that day.) Seeing the world through her eyes is a joyful experience (again, as long as we've all got a good night's sleep!) Smarty pants understands and repeats EVERYTHING we say...so watch out! Looking forward to another year of watching our baby grow :)

-Jen, Joe & Lily

Hi there, it's me, Lily.

2008-11-22T22:52:00.000-08:00

My Mom just figured out how to make the font on this blog big enough that people can actually read it! Maybe we will get some cool comments now??

My 1st Trip to the Zoo!!

2008-11-22T22:23:00.000-08:00

On "Fieldtrip Friday" mom and dad took me to the zoo. We got lucky because Dad got the day off so he came along too. We met our friends Aubrey and Summer there. We saw kangaroos in the outback...

Getting a little tired :) Sometimes mom and dad were more excited than me, but I still had fun.

We saw monkeys (my favorite!!!) I did a lot of "oo-oo-ah-ah" (that's my monkey sound).

We saw giraffs so tall...

and fish too!

What an awesome, FUN Fall day with family and friends!

:) Next I am going to post some pics of all the fun artsy projects I've been doing this Fall.

Halloween Day

2008-11-01T19:34:00.000-07:00

Halloween was a special day. Mom and I did our 1st baking project together. We made pumpkin chip cookies!! The dough was YUMMY.

Earlier in the day we made "spiders" out of crackers, peanut butter and pretzel sticks. My friend Aubrey came over to make them too. It was fun. Really Mom and Summer made the spiders while Aubrey and I sampled them. Pictures of those to come...

Lily is a trick-or-treating MACHINE!!!

2008-11-01T18:50:00.000-07:00

I love trick-or-treating!! After we went to the first house I had it all figured out. I go to people's doors and they give me cool stuff. What could be better?? Yes, that's me dragging Grandma to the next house. Behind us is Elizabeth and Violet (the dinosoar) and some of my favorite neighbors (I kind of wanted to go home with them.)
The neighbor at the end of our block had a BIG Halloween display. Here I am waving bye-bye to him. I held my pumpkin bag the entire time and kept my ears on. My Mom was shocked at how well I behaved. She kept calling me her "big girl."

This is right before we left the house to hit the streets. As you can tell, I'm ready and waiting for everyone else.

Mom and I were both black cats.

Trying to sneak a cookie off of the table.

Done for the night. Except that I wanted to keep going. Mom said I should save some candy for the rest of the little kids. We got home and Dad and I went through my loot. My next door neighbor Helen even made me a special cookie :)

A Day at the Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-24T19:29:00.000-07:00

Mom and I rode a big tractor. I was kind of tired because I decided to torture mom and skip my nap today. And my smart mom dressed me in my kitty outfit (head to toe black) and it was about 90 degrees out...I'm guessing she didn't think that one through. So if my cheeks appear red in these pics, I'm not bashful, I'm hot!

Violet and I climbed a hay bale. Well that's a little far fetched. Actually our moms placed us up here together. I would have climbed it myself but I was a little pooped.

But...I liked climbing/riding the pumpkins a lot!

2008-10-24T19:10:00.000-07:00

Guess what breed of cat I am! (One that's sensitive to the sun I guess.) It took me only about 2 minutes to figure out how to untie mom's double knot and take this stupid hat off.

Fall is officially here! I am 17 months old and one sassy number!

2008-10-13T19:08:00.000-07:00

Lots of new things in my world...

I love to play outdoors and spy on the neighbors...

I have my own cell phone...

I go "pee pee" on the potty...

This is my favorite baby. I call her "baby" and like to carry her around with me everywhere. I also like to carry my fancy red purse (actually mom's from her and Dad's wedding day).

Oh,

and I'm a climbing machine...

Mom just gave me my 1st haircut too. I'm not sure there will be a 2nd one though...

What does an Almost 16 month old girl look like?

2008-09-02T21:58:00.000-07:00

She loves Mom's chocolate pudding :)

She LOVES to climb and swing at the park...

She's got a new potty (pictures too embarracing to post :) and here, she's getting ready for her most favorite thing in the world...music class and a chance to show off her new moves.

She eats with a spoon...

...pretty cool girl indeed.

A Fun (HOT) Day at the Fair

2008-09-02T21:27:00.000-07:00

My first fair. Wow! It was awesome! We went to a show called "Bats, Rats and Cats" where I met a 20lb rabbit but didn't meet any bats (hmmm?)

My favorite part was the petting zoo for sure! I pet a deer, a baby goat, a sheep (to which I said "baaaa"), a little kangaroo, a pig and a donkey. They were all very friendly. One goat even tried to eat my dress! Maybe Mom should have spent the $2 on the feed for the poor guy. I watched cows being milked, but didn't try it myself (I have my own milk, thanks.)

I rode a pony in circles. It was OK. I was a little freaked out at first and then was more interested in waving at all the passerby's.

Then we ate BBQ and ran through the misters. Oh and visited the sea lion. The best part? Dancing to this acapella singing group who sang some fab oldies like Brown Eyed Girl by Van Morrison. They were these 3 HUGE Samoan guys with the most beautiful voices.

Overall, it was a perfect day! (Even though Dad got a tummy ache from his deep fried twinkie!)

Tom & Kim's Wedding

2008-08-21T20:09:00.001-07:00

I enjoy licking Dad's head. This was the end of the party and I had kicked off my shoes to dance.
Family photo. Too many people to write all the names. Just know that everyone was there!
My Grandpa and his brother & sisters and my Great Grandma Mary
Lunchtime...why always the pictures of us eating??
Tom & Kim

In case you didn't know, Tom would theoretically be my Uncle. My Grandpa Tom is married to his Mom, my Grandma Lori. (Does that make sense?) Oh, and he's a cool guy too.

Daddy daughter dance. We matched too, both in blue :)

GiGi and Great Grandma Betty telling me stories and feeding me crackers. By the way, all I do is eat lately. Forget 3 meals a day, I just graze all day long. AND, I was 22.5 lbs at my 15 month check. I was 75% for my ht. too! Maybe I have some Yaroch blood in me. I think I may have some Goldbronn blood too, like my Aunty Candie, because man can I throw a ball and kick and dribble a soccer ball too!

Adventures through Utah

2008-08-06T21:41:00.000-07:00

We took a BIG trip through Utah the past 2 weeks and it was awesome. We did a lot of hiking and sightseeing. Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon were magical. Part of the reason we went to Utah was to visit my Uncle Vince and family. We miss them a lot and had so much fun seeing them. Most important, we spent lots of time together as a family, which was really cool. I was pretty good I think on the airplane, Mom left her health freak foods at home and let me eat goldfish crackers to keep me calm on the plane. And when I got bored in the car, mom and dad serenaded me with The Wiggles as I clapped and danced along. We rented a Toyota Prius, which got great gas mileage and drove pretty nice. It just didn't have enough room for all my gear. Enjoy all the pics!

In the Canyon

2008-08-06T21:11:00.000-07:00

Our big hike down to the canyon floor of Bryce and then back up a very steep path to the top again. For some reason we got lots of crazy looks from people because of the stroller. We even got comments about how brave my parents were and were offered help as well. Crazy foreigners!
I made a little friend, the only one I could find smaller than me. Here I am trying to communicate with him, but he just doesn't get it. I even shared with him some of my PB&J.
My favorite spot in the hotel room. Yep, those are Mom's underwear on my head.

The "amphitheatre" at Bryce.

We hiked along the upper rim of the amphitheatre at sunset. It was beautiful...
...and so relaxing that I took a little nap.

In the canyon there were lots of caves, arches, and hoodoos. Hoodoos are those tall stacked looking structures. They were named after voodoo and formed by water and ice.

Bryce Canyon, Utah

2008-08-06T20:47:00.000-07:00

There's my crazy Dad...under the waterfall. Stop #4-Bryce Canyon National Park
These pics got a little out of order. This was the waterfall on our first hike at Bryce. We were surprised there was any water.

On the way to Bryce Canyon we came accross a little road block. I really liked the sheep and even tried to say "baaa" and saw a black sheep!
Our 1st hike at Bryce to Mossy Cave and a great waterfall.

I look pretty grown up here. I'm almost 15 months old already. I am talking a lot of my own special language and I love to run and climb. I am one active little girl!

The "Hoo Doo's" at Bryce Canyon.

Cedar Breaks National Monument

2008-08-06T20:39:00.000-07:00

The view from the top. Right before a thunderstorm.
The canyon.

Stop #3-

Cedar Breaks Nat'l Monument

Somewhere along highway 143, Southern Utah

I lOVE water, especially from the big bottle.

Utah Adventure Part 2

2008-08-06T20:25:00.000-07:00

Stop #2- Visiting Uncle Vince, Aunt Rosana & my favorite cousin Emily- Orem, UT

We sure look related :)
We swam in the pool together...
...Went on a walk up the canyon near where they live. It was beautiful!

"The Narrows"- Zion National Park

2008-08-06T19:59:00.000-07:00

Dad is pretty much a warrior. He only let my feet (and legs and butt) hit the water one time. The river got a little deep at times!

This is pretty darn good for an after hiking through water picture.
This was before we figured out we should wear our shoes on the rocky river bottom. Took about 1 minute to figure that out :)
See why it's called "The Narrows"?
Notice my two front teeth :)

"The Narrows"

Zion National Park

This hike was really cool. About 75% of it was through a river (which kept us all nice and cool.) I stayed dry though because I travel in style.

Utah Family Adventure!

2008-08-06T19:11:00.000-07:00

Stop #1: Zion National Park
Sprindale, UT

This is the trail to Emerald Pools. Mom likes any trail that promises water at the end, especially since it was about 105 degrees.

The view from the top of the trail.

The Emerald pools. I loved cooling off in the water and trying to catch tadpools with the other little girls around.
I had the best seat in the house for the uphill hike. My Dad looks pretty handsome with his buzz 'do.

I ended the day with a nice nap on the grass at the Zion lodge.

Happy Father's Day! So it's a month late, so what?

2008-07-19T14:35:00.000-07:00

By the looks of this picture you would think we were enjoying our lush backyard. What you can't see is that there is no grass left under our feet, just lots of dirt and dog poop. Dad has been working really hard to get the yard ready for new grass and sprinklers and maybe even a swingset for me! I can wait, I'm busy with other Summer fun, but my poor dog is another story. Meanwhile I've learned to play ball with him inside. I've got a pretty strong arm for a 14 month old :)

One last toothless grin

2008-07-07T22:32:00.000-07:00

Here I am on the 4th of July! This is my new cheezy smile, actually this was a tame one. Notice my toothless grin too (and majorly swollen gums-ouch!) because this may be the last time you see it! My two front top teeth are breaking through. I'm growing up so fast...I enjoy music class and dancing, storytime at the library, and swimming. We leave on our 1st family vacation on the 22nd!! Wish my parents luck on the plane ride and the hours of driving through Utah with sweet little me :) I sure am excited to go visit my Uncle Vince, Aunt Rosana and my favorite cousin Emily.

What I'm up to lately...

2008-06-28T20:17:00.000-07:00

So, I can't figure out how to get this text in the right space and I don't want to have to re-download all my pics, so you're stuck with this crazy format! (How about that for a run on sentence Ms. Elizabeth?!)

So I like to wear Dad's underwear on my head. My parents are not quite sure what that means yet, but I'm sure the picture here could be used for some sort of blackmail.

More cuteness...I've been trying on Mom's clothes lately. You can also spot me polishing furniture with my mom's special rag that cleans her glasses, mixing up some cereal with my bowl and golf club, or brushing (harassing) my cat. I'm a busy little bee indeed.

Oh, so you should probably click on this picture to enlarge it so that you can fully appreciate my hard work.
And I sure am proud of it!

So, Mom & Dad were getting pretty cranky after, oh about a year of not sleeping more than 4-5 hours at a time. I decided one day to give them a break. And, poof! (Haha, mom says it was lots of work) I started sleeping through the night. Now we are a well rested family. For those of you not living in our house the last year, you just can't imagine what a miracle that is!!

I need a haircut, but everyone is too afraid to hold me down and bring scissors near my face...wusses.

Hi ho hi ho...it's off to work I go!

2008-06-06T20:40:00.000-07:00

I like to carry Dad's lunch bag around and pretend like I'm going off to work too. I also like to watch Dad working in the backyard.

A Momentous Occasion!!

2008-06-06T20:18:00.000-07:00

I've graduated to pig tails!!!
But more importantly, I suppose, I am saying Ma-ma to my Mama when I need her, not just when I am mad.
She says it's the most beautiful sound in the world...like an angel's voice from heaven.

I also can anticipate my Dad's 5pm phone call. I run for the phone with my arms in the air saying Da-da and whining until Mom gives me the phone to "talk."

I can answer Yes (well, actually I say "ya-ya").
I also very adamantly shake my head "no" when I don't
want something (usually vegetables).

I am so smart!

2008-05-23T19:28:00.000-07:00

If you tell me "up," I will look up! It's like a fun game for me, especially in the cart at the grocery store.

This is how I sleep...

2008-05-23T19:22:00.000-07:00

I curl up on my tummy, with my feet under me like a frog, my head and elbows up on my pillow, my butt in the air. Comfortable? I guess so!

First Family Picture

2008-05-17T22:28:00.001-07:00

Mommy makes me laugh

2008-05-17T22:27:00.001-07:00

First Sweet Tooth

2008-05-17T22:19:00.000-07:00

Good Friends

2008-05-17T22:07:00.000-07:00

This is my friend Aubrey. She is 1 year old too. We are only 6 days apart in age. I play at her house a few days a week while Mom is working (at least that's what she says she's doing :)

This is my friend Reece, he will be 2 in June. I like to play at his house sometimes and we go to music class together.