Mexico

We had such a great time in Mexico this year! We arrived on Easter Sunday and Natalie's wedding was on Monday, so we had a busy first few days. After the wedding, we spent the rest of the week relaxing and having a blast!

The majority of our time this year was spent between the beach and the swimming pool. We didn't end up going into downtown Puerto Vallarta, but we did visit the infamous walmart. :-) We were able to go into the cute little town of Bucerias to shop on Wednesday, and we spent Friday afternoon in Sayulita.

While in Sayulita, Riley was able to get onto his feet surfing this year! I'm sad I didn't get a picture or video of it. Max was more brave this year and ventured into the ocean with dad and grandpa a few times. I still couldn't get him to go in with me.

During the trip, Sam became a huge fan of bread, tortillas, french fries, croissants, and cake. He loves eating REAL food! He also discovered his love of dum dum suckers on the airplane (which is a fabulous idea! Thanks Tesla!). Both boys did amazing on the flights! Max grew up so much on our trip. He was such a great big brother the entire time and he became so much more independant.

The week passed far too quickly and we were all sad to come home. Max wanted to get "reservations for life" (and I must admit, if it were possible, Riley and I would do it). It was so nice spending an uninterrupted week with the family.

Natalie and Craig's Wedding!

Sorry this post has taken me so long. I didn't want to post pictures of Natalie in her dress until after the reception, so now that it's all over, here goes!

Natalie and Craig's wedding was PHENOMENAL! It was a gorgeous day on the beach and the bride and groom both looked amazing. Craig's dad married them and he gave such a great speech before the vows. Dad giving away his baby!

Nat and Craig. So Sweet! The KissOne of my favorite pictures.

Max and mom walking down the aisle. Max was the cutest little ring bearer. After he realized that Natalie was now married and would be moving out of grandma Colleen's house, he had to fight his tears. He's such a sweet kid.

The family. We had so much fun!

After the wedding, we were able to just hang out for a few hours while Natalie and Craig were photographed. Everyone was hungry, so we headed over to the buffet and stuffed ourselves with chips, salsa, guacamole, and the best sopapia's I've ever eaten!

Dinner was served on the beach just after sunset. Max entertained everyone with his killer dance moves. The food and company were fabulous! It was such an amazing day.

Congratulations Natalie and Craig!

My Baby Sister is Getting Married!

My sweet baby sister is getting married! I am so excited for Natalie and Craig. I can't wait to see what the future holds for the two of them!


Natalie, you are the best sister and friend ever! I feel so lucky to have such a tight bond with you. You are such a beautiful, fun and happy person, I'm so glad that you found someone who brings out the best in you. You are such a cute couple. Congratulations Natalie and Craig!

Kangaroo Zoo

Max chose Kangaroo Zoo for his birthday party this year. It was great! I was so glad that we chose a weeknight so that it wasn't crazy busy. The kids had a great time playing while the parents enjoyed catching up. I was very impressed that we were given a party host who entertained and played games with the kids. She was an amazing server too! Thanks to all who came to help us celebrate Max's birthday!

Trying to Crawl

Sam is trying so hard to crawl! He is getting so close, and he's so frustrated that he can't make himself move forward. He is getting great at scooting backwards, turning around on his belly, and rolling to where he wants to move. Any day now!!

Happy 5th Birthday Max!

Happy Birthday Max! You are such a fun boy, we love being your parents. We hope you have an amazing 5th birthday!

During this past year, you have grown and learned so much! We love how inquisitive you are about everything. You have such an excitement for life and the things going on around you. We love that the answer "because that's just the way it is" isn't good enough for you, you always want to know WHY.

This year your love of reading has grown immensely. You are now reading on a 2nd/3rd grade reading level and loving it. It is so fun watching you pick up books and read them to us, and we also still love reading to you. We love that you have to carefully study the pictures on each page before we can go on to the next.

We told you you couldn't grow up and become a 5 year old, but despite our best efforts, here we are! We love you and can't wait to see what this new year brings!
Love, Mom and Dad

Sam's Stats

We finally took Sam in for his 6 month check up. As usual, he didn't really mind his check-up, and I think Max was more worried about the shots that Sam had to get than Sam was. It has been a rough couple of days for Sam since the shots though, with fevers and irritability. I think he may be getting teeth too, and he has a bit of a cold, so that isn't helping matters much.
Here are his stats:
Length: 28.5 inches (95%)
Weight: 18 lbs. 13 oz. (75%)
Head: 44.5 cm (75%)
He's getting SO big! I just love his cute baby thighs and kissing cheeks!

Impressionable Youth

Max is at a loss for what he wants for his upcoming birthday. (He isn't spoiled or anything!) Everyone keeps asking him what he wants and he usually responds by asking me to tell him what he wants, or to show him toys on the internet that he can "choose from". He seems to also be soaking up the commercials on TV too. . .
A few days ago, Natalie asked him what he wanted. He responded, "I want the Smoking Man who can't stand up!". She thought the answer was strange, but just brushed it off until she saw the commercials. When she told my mom and me this story, we got a good laugh! Guess he didn't get that the Smoking Man WASN'T the cool superhero. So much for ANTI-tobacco advertisements. :-)

My baby is 6 months old!

Sam continues to be an absolute joy. He is such a happy baby and so much fun. He is currently trying to crawl and getting very frustrated that he can get up on his hands and then his knees, but not both at the same time. He also has yet to figure out how to move forward, but is getting pretty good at turning on his belly and rolling all over the place. He has started to figure out how to scoot backwards a little bit too.He is learning to like his rice cereal and oatmeal, and he loves his fruits and veggies. He also decided (thanks to a very stubborn mom) that he likes bottles now. In fact, he was fully weaned a week ago (6 months is mom's limit)! After the initial bottle battle, it was a fairly easy transition and has turned out to be great for both of us.
Sam is a great little sleeper again. I put him down between 10:30 and 11:30 each night, and he sleeps until about 7:30am! Heavenly. :-) He doesn't like to take many naps though, so I guess that is my trade off.Sam loves to play in his jumperoo and hang out in his "toy chair". He likes having a toy in his hand and/or mouth all the time. He also loves to play with and chew on his feet. He loves it when I take his socks off so that he can suck on his big toe. Gross, I know. He loves watching Max play and he will try to join in whenever he can get to him (he's becoming a great roller!). He is full of smiles and giggles. I know I say this a lot, but I seriously cannot believe that he is 6 months old! The time has gone by so fast, and we have loved every minute of it.

And it Begins!

Now that Sam is semi-mobile (by rolling and scooting where he wants to be), he likes to go wherever Max is playing. Max has been pretty good about things so far, only occasionally trying to roll him back over or yelling for me to come and intercede.In fact, Max has been very willing to share K'Nex he isn't playing with. I think he's kind of excited to have someone at home to play with, especially now that Sam has started to show interest. This is what I found the other day while Max was playing. In an attempt to "share" with Sam, he brought over a bunch of K'Nex and started piling them on! I can only hope that the "sharing" continues. :-)

Pennies

Max (the oh-so-super-observant one) came home from school after his President's Day lesson and told me that Abraham Lincoln is on the front of our pennies because he was such a good president. He then ran upstairs and got his K'Nex and started building. He came to me with this and said "Mom, here's what's on the BACK of our pennies."

My Little Mario

Who knew that the hat I made Max for his Halloween costume would end up being part of his daily attire? He could care less about what he's wearing, but he loves to have the Mario hat on. Gotta love it!

Sam's First Swimming Experience

We took Sam swimming for the first time a few weeks ago. I wasn't sure what to expect, but he loved being in the water and kept wanting to float on his back (like the tub I guess). It was so fun to swim with our boys and our friends!

25 Random Things About Me

I've been tagged (love ya Amber!). Is it sad that it's hard to think of 25 random things about myself? I'll blame it on mother's-after-baby-absentmindedness. :-)

So here it goes. If you are tagged by me, then you must do the same thing on your blog (and/or facebook) and tag 25 people also. Enjoy

1. I love ice cream, especially strawberry. I'll take a strawberry shortcake serenade from Cold Stone any day.

2. I tend to be obsessive about some things, I just wish I could channel this part of my personality into cleaning my house. (I'm sure Riley wishes this too) :-)

3. I love playing video games, especially Nintendo.

4. I had to get glasses when I was 2. My farsightedness reversed itself by 9th grade. I love not having to worry about glasses or contacts anymore.

5. I love Mexican food. I could eat bean and cheese burritos for every meal.

6. I am a nail biter. It is a horrible habit.

7. I love shopping online. I watch mamabargains.com far too frequently.

8. I am addicted to too many TV shows.

9. I really enjoy cooking and baking. I didn't really learn how to cook until I quit teaching Jr. High. I never imagined that I'd be good at it, or even like to do it. Amazing what having some time at home will do to someone.

10. I love digital scrapbooking.

11. I am really nervous to send Max to Kindergarten. The bus thing scares me too. However, he is very excited about it, and he can't wait to ride a bus. I know I am a totally annoying and overprotective first time mom. :-)

12. I think Daylight Donuts was heaven sent.

13. I hate the cold. If it weren't for my family and friends, I would move somewhere warmer.

14. I don't like being alone.

15. I have a phone phobia. I have a really hard time talking to people outside of my "comfort zone" on the phone. It really bothers me (and Riley). I know it's irrational, and I am really trying to be better about it.

16. I love teaching. My current job is awesome.

17. Mexico is my paradise. I usually wish I were there.

18. I could go to Disneyland every year. I love it there.

19. I also love Las Vegas.

20. My husband is the greatest man alive. I am so lucky to have him.

21. My boys are the cutest. :-)

22. I am very competitive. And stubborn.

23. I am a pack rat. Another thing I'm trying to be better about.

24. I sing preschool songs through my house all the time. Max gets really annoyed with me. I can't decide if he's sick of the songs, or if it's just my voice. :-)

25. I can't wait for spring because it means that we're that much closer to summer!

Riley says too many of these have to do with warm weather. What can I say, I am sick of the cold!

I tag: Natalie B., Tesla, Cat, Rebecca A., Shannon, Laci, Emily H., Natalie H., Heather B., Christi C., Amber G., Stormy, Ashley C., Amber M., Heather W., and anyone else who hasn't yet done this but wants to!

My Chunky Monkey

We went to Sam's 4 month check-up a few days ago, and he's getting so BIG! It's funny that he started out a pound smaller than Max's birthweight, but has now passed Max by over a pound at 4 months. He's definitely a chunky monkey. His stats are:
Weight: 16 lbs. 3 oz. (75%)
Height: 27 inches (+95%)
He continues to be so much fun. He is always happy and smiling, especially if his belly is full. He is becoming so active, he likes to be moving all of the time. He gets his little legs going so cute when he's excited. He's such a strong little guy too. He loves to make himself rock when he's sitting on my legs, and he thinks standing (supported of course) is great. This week, he learned how to roll and he loves to be on the ground rolling, especially if there is a toy nearby to put in his mouth. He is really close to sitting on his own too!Sam loves watching everything Max is doing. He also loves watching Max's cartoons. If you are not paying attention to him, he yells and grunts to get your attention. He LOVES "talking" and "coo"ing to everyone. He makes the cutest little sounds. He loves to click his tongue too.
No more sleeping through the night for Sam. He likes to wake up around 5am thinking he's starving. I am hoping that I get my nights back soon! I had hoped that rice cereal would help, but not so far! He is not a fan of rice cereal. He makes horrible faces when he is being fed. I thought with how much he loves to eat that he would love his cereal, but no. He's all about his milk. He has started to drool A LOT, no signs of teeth yet though.It seems like he is learning something new (and getting bigger) each day, and I am having a blast watching him...I love being a mom!

Happy New Year!

We had a great time celebrating the New Year at my parents house. We had a yummy dinner (steak and shrimp), played games, and chatted the night away. Max got to play his first game of Mario Party with his own controller, and he was so excited! He even made it until midnight, and then we all went outside and made some New Year noise and watched some fireworks.

As far as new year resolutions go, I haven't really made any. . .I don't think I ever really have, at least not one that I've really followed through with. Rachael has a great idea, so I think I'll steal hers. I hope that this year I am able to slow down a little bit and just enjoy life with my sweet family. 2009 is gearing up to be busy, and through it all, I want to make sure that I take time to stop and enjoy.

Happy 2009!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas! I hope your day was as amazing as ours!

He's Independable

A few days ago Riley and I were watching the Daily Show before he left for work (as usual). Max was playing in his playroom, and when he came downstairs, Riley and I were laughing at something Jon Stewart said. Here is the conversation that followed:

Max: "Mom, that president is saying funny things."

Mom: "He's not a president, he's just a guy telling us the news."

Max: "Oh, then he's a Democrat, right?" (We have obviously watched a lot of election news coverage this year) :-)

Mom: "I'm pretty sure he is a democrat, but he's also a news guy. (Now I decide to play with him a little bit) Are you a democrat Max?"

Max: "NO!"

Mom: "Are you a republican?"

Max: "NO! Hold on a second and I'll show you what I am."

He then went upstairs and Riley and I continued to watch our show thinking he just went back up to play. He came downstairs a few minutes later dressed in his cop helmet with all of his cop gear and said:

Max: "I'm not a democrat or republican, I'm a cop!"

Mom: "Oh, very nice. So you're probably also an independent."

Max: "Yup."

Later that night we went over to my moms. He walked in the door and yelled, "Grandma, I'm a cop and I'm Independable!"

Cuz it's almost Time for Christmas!

I love Christmastime! I am getting so excited for Christmas this year. I have almost all of my Christmas shopping done and all of my decorations up. It has been so nice to get things done quicker this year so that I can enjoy the holidays with my sweet family. A few of the fun things we're doing this year:

The Nutcracker: My mom's dance studio does the Nutcracker every year. This year it was on Dec. 1st and 2nd. It was so fun to watch. Max loves the battle scene and asked Grandma Colleen this year if he could be the Nutcracker next year. :-) He would love to fight the Mouse King!

Festival of Trees: We went on Thursday night and it was very fun to see all of the creative trees! I have never been before, and we had a really great time. I can't believe I forgot to take my camera in, there were some AWESOME trees!!!

Polar Express Day at preschool: Was on Friday. Max and I had a great time dressing up in matching jammies and boarding the "Polar Express" for a day. Max was so excited to get a "magic" bell from preschool. He keeps telling us to pretend we don't believe in Santa for a minute so we can't hear his bell.

Breakfast with Santa: I've never been before, but heard it is great, so we're going to try it out. Thanksgiving Point usually doesn't disappoint.

Decorating our gingerbread houses: We just use the costco kits, but hey, it's still a lot of fun and easy enough for everyone to enjoy themselves--especially Max. He loves "making progress" on his own gingerbread house.

Christmas Eve dinner and a movie: We love this tradition. Each year we get together with my family and Riley's family and go to dinner and a fun movie. We haven't decided on the movie yet, but I think we'll probably see "The Tale of Despereaux" because "Bedtime Stories" doesn't come out until Christmas Day.

Max's Christmas Program: I love to watch the sweet little preschoolers sing and "act". I can't wait to see Max do his speaking part this year!

Max's friend party: YEAH! Max loves doing this every year with his best little friends. Cat is an amazing hostess! :-)

A few other things we're hoping to do this holiday season: drive through the lights at Thanksgiving Point, and while we're there, check out Santa's reindeer, have a few mario parties with family and friends, get some pictures in the snow (if it snows before Christmas...I won't be sad if it doesn't), make some yummy sugar cookies for Santa, drive around town and look at all of the decorated houses (Max says all of the houses are starting to look like gingerbread houses), and spend time with family and friends.

What are you doing this Christmas? What are your favorite holiday traditions???