Family Vacation

Why hello!  Can you believe spring is just around the corner!?  I have to admit, once Christmas is over, I am looking forward to warm, sunny days again.  Today was the kids' first day back to school after a week long mid-winter break.

We were lucky enough to have spent the last week at Disneyland!!  This was the first trip where the kids were old enough to remember and really soak in the magic of Disneyland.  My very good friend was getting married at one of the resorts, so we had decided we would extend the trip and turn it into our first real family vacation.  I think it is safe to say that all of us had an absolute blast!  Our trip started bright and early on Friday morning and we arrived in CA before noon.

Even though we lived in San Jose for a year and had plenty of palm trees, the kids obviously didn't remember because this tree entertained them while we waited for our Uber.

From there, we never slowed down.  We checked into our hotel room and then went straight to Disneyland!  We rode almost every ride in Disneyland and California Adventure, and rode our favorites 2-3 more times.  My Crohn's Disease has definitely put a damper on our lives even though I try my best to not let it get in the way of living and showing my kids a good time.  Luckily, Disney is very accommodating and after annoying Derek the first couple of days of having to find a bathroom at least 10 times a day, they set us up with a disability pass so we didn't have to wait in the long lines.  Do you know how awful it is to be right smack in the middle of a 50 minute wait time and need to go to the bathroom...now?   This was a total blessing as it made our trip a lot less stressful and we were all able to have a great time!

Lots of pictures to follow!

Braedon and Adilyn got to come face to face with a lot of the characters and expressions on their faces just made me melt.

We saw the California Adventure parade one night as well as the big Disney parade and fireworks show another night, along with a lot of the wedding party.

I had been wanting to take Braedon to Cars Land for so long considering he was completely obsessed  with the movie and characters for 3 straight years.  However, he's been over his obsession for quite sometime and has moved on to all things Star Wars, Legos, nerf guns, and video games so I wasn't sure if he would be as excited.

Luckily, he still loved it and wanted his picture taken in front of everything! I love seeing such joy on my kids' faces.

On Monday, Gina got married in her fairy tale wedding.  The ceremony was completely Gina and Jared and the reception was magical.  Her mom surprised her by setting up an appearance with Mickey and Minnie.  They came to dance, give hugs, and take pictures.

It was such a fun surprise for everyone!

Gina and Jared, I am so happy you two got your happily ever after!

After all the wedding festivities, it was back to business.  Hyperspace Mountain was a family favorite!

Tower of Terror was loved my some...and hated by others...

The days were filled with so much laughter and many smiles...

along with a few cat naps.

Overall we had a great trip!

Lately

...And just like that, it is 2016.  We had an awesome Christmas break filled with all sorts of fun!  But first, let me back up to pumpkin carving....because I'm pretty sure that is how far behind I am.

About a week before Halloween we spent the evening carving out pumpkins, and as always, the kids had a blast.

We had a very fun Halloween spent with neighbor friends and despite the crazy wind and rain, the kids still brought home buckets full of candy.

We were lucky to have Derek's parents join us for Thanksgiving weekend!  The kids had a great time with grandma and grandpa and they even got to join in on the Christmas tree fun!

I wanted to go for a Charlie Brown type Christmas tree this year for something different.  I think I was the only one excited when i found "the one."

Adi spared no emotion...

Could she BE more disgusted?  Braedon cried and then spent the rest of the time hunting for a different tree.

After they pulled themselves together, we were ready to put on some Christmas music and decorate!

It was a total blast.  I mean can't you see it all over the grandparents' faces? ;-)

There.  That's better.  No, Braedon's mad about something...hold on...

There!  See, we had a blast!

But seriously, we had a great Thanksgiving weekend and really enjoyed having grandma and grandpa and some of our good neighbor friends to enjoy the special holiday with!

Fast forward a couple weeks and Derek and I spent a fabulous night out at his company Christmas party.  I drug out the only dress I own from like 7 years ago and actually took some time to put on some make up, he dusted off his suit, and away we went.  We had a lot of fun!

Miss Adilyn has been loving her dance classes and she had her first recital this December.  She danced to Miss Suzy Snowflake with her class and it seriously was one of the cutest things I saw all year.  This girl loves to dance and perform.  There is not one ounce of shyness in her body.

Right before the recital started, we noticed that most parents had flowers for their kids.  All I thought was....oh crap.  I kinda dropped the ball on that one.  But hey, at least I remembered the camera, and her dance shoes, and the time I was supposed to have her there.

Luckily daddy saved the day and snuck out after her performance to get her some flowers.

Dang, Adi is going to be able to read this one day.  Scratch what I just said.  Adi, we had it all planned out.  We would never have forgotten something as important as flowers for your big debut.

Braedon also spent about 2 months this fall practicing for a school Christmas play/concert.  He loved every minute of it!  I don't think there is anything more fun then being a parent and getting to watch your kids perform something that you know they have been working so hard and practicing for.  Unfortunately, I forgot the camera.  But I remembered the flowers.  Just kidding.  I didn't bring those either.  Sorry Braedon.

We spent most of our Christmas break at home with the exception of a little getaway to grandma and grandpa Wilson's house in Portland.  The kids, as usual, had a great time with the grandparents and playing with their cousins.  Derek took the week off between Christmas and New Years and it was so nice having him around!  We spent Christmas Eve and Christmas evening with our dear friends from across the street.  The kids got to try out ice skating for the first time and we all have season passes for skiing this year!  Braedon is doing awesome and Adi is starting to get the hang of it.  It is so nice to be able to enjoy this activity as a family now!

Until next time....hopefully not next year.

Fall!!

Oh fall.  You are my favorite time of year.  How could you not be with the vibrant changing leaves, the crisp days, the cozy evenings in front of the fire, the sound of crumpling leaves on an afternoon walk, the bountiful collection of leaves picked out by my favorite littles?

Or how about the comfort food, pumpkin everything, warm coffee in the afternoons while coloring or crafting? 

Also, just the anticipation of the holiday season!  Yes, fall you are my favorite by a landslide.

And with these two, it has gotten even more fun.

Every adult must experience the changing of seasons through the eyes of a child.

For if you don't, you might miss out on that one, special leaf in the middle of the pile that is so uniquely different from the others.  You might forget how good apple cider tastes after picking out the best pumpkin in the patch.  You might not have fully embraced the cool, crisp days and muddy boots.

You might forget what pumpkin guts feel like and how good freshly roasted pumpkin seeds taste.

Yes, the days do get shorter and the nights longer.  That just gives more time for evening cuddles under a blanket reading stories and watching movies.

Drinking hot cocoa and playing games.

Bundling up and going for a walk.

And I'm going to say it again.  Yes fall, you are my favorite.

The Little Things...

With Braedon back in school, I have found myself missing him so much.  Maybe it's because I just think he is the coolest, most amazing little boy and I can never get enough of his little voice and the stories he tells.  Maybe it's because of the fact that he is already 6 years old and I feel like time is going way too fast and I'm afraid that the next time I blink he will be in high school.  I just want to soak up every little bit of him and I'm so afraid that I'm going to forget the way his little voice sounds right now or the way he smiles when he thinks he has played a "trick" on me.  I'm afraid I'm going to forget the way his hugs feel when he completely wraps his whole body around mine and squeezes with all his might.  I can't help but think that one of these days will be the last time he goes to grab my hand when we are walking home from the bus stop.

I feel like my bond with Braedon is a bit different than the bond I have with Adi.  Don't get me wrong, I obviously have just as much love for her as I do for Braedon.  She is my girl and I couldn't imagine my life without her.  Braedon was our little surprise.  We had him when I was younger and not quite mentally prepared for.  Because of that, when I look back at these last six years with him, I feel like we have grown and learned together.

There is a point to this little post here, I promise;-)

When we lived in Ithaca, NY the first two years of his life, I had no family or friends close by.  Derek was in grad school and most of my days were just Braedon and myself.  That first year I had many times where I felt totally overwhelmed, but Braedon and I had one thing we did that totally soothed my soul.  Every morning, we would bundle up and just walk through almost the whole town of Ithaca.  He loved it, and I loved.  I would spend the walk just talking to him about everything, people probably thought I was a little crazy.  After those walks, I felt totally reenergized, even though he couldn't talk back.

On Saturday, Derek took Adi to the dog park and Braedon and I walked the trails and neighborhood around our house for about an hour.  This was the first time in a long time that the two of us have spent quality alone time together.  While on our walk, I couldn't help but think about all those walks we took, just the two of us, while we lived in Ithaca.  Braedon talked non stop about school, Mine Craft, Legos, soccer, and anything else that probably came to his mind.  I remembered how I use to talk to him on our walks 6 years ago and now he was the one doing all the talking.  It made me a little sad thinking about how grown up he seemed, just walking and talking.  It also made me feel good too.  For being so overwhelmed the first year or so of his life, worried about doing things, 'right' and being in that moment of our trail walk while he was talking to me about everything going on in his world right now, I felt a sense of accomplishment.  I know I am far from perfect and that my kids are far from perfect, but there is just something that makes you feel so good when you have those little moments with your kids that make you feel like you've done something right.

It's those little things in life that I treasure the most and don't want to ever forget.  It's that little walk with my boy on a Saturday evening.  It's all those times he's reached for my hand to hold.  It's those big hugs and those cute smiles.  It's all those little things that happen on a daily basis that one day will start to happen less and less.  It's all those little moments that may not seem all that big at the time, but it's those moments that you want to remember forever.

First day of preschool - year 2

And now it's Miss Adilyn's turn.

Just like that she is 4 years old and headed off to her second year of preschool.

My princess lovin little girl has the left the house.  For two hours, three days a week, I won't be hearing her little voice singing on and singing on.  There will be no story telling, belly laughs, or dramatic screams. Nor will there be role playing of Anna and Elsa or hearing her feed her baby whom she has named Holland.

The dogs may be rejoicing, but this house will be a little too quiet for me.  We love you Adi!

First day of first grade!!

Happy first day of school!

My boy and his dog.  I can't believe Braedon started first grade today!

These two are the sweetest.  I can't even put into words how much I love my B man.

He is missed so much during the day, and not just by me.  That little brown pup standing right there next to him loves and misses him too:-)