I know, I know, I know... It's been almost a month and a half since I've posted anything new... It has been busy not only since school started for Emma, but getting ready for our major family vacation to Southern California this year. It was SO much fun getting together with everyone that I really am aching for more. It went by so fast I sometimes wake up wondering what we did.
It all started with a promise 2 years ago to our then 3 year old Emma; We'll go to Disneyland when you turn 5. Ever since then, she has NOT let us forget. So, we figured we HAD to live up to our promise and take her. Well, what started out as just a fun mini family vacation ended up being a HUGE extended family vacation. Everyone in my family was able to come and it was better than I had hoped. My mom, Brett, Bonnie and their 4 kids as well as Brady and Gretchen and their little 10 month old girl, Lucy came for the full week. Nate, my dad, Kaleb and Jordan showed up Thursday night to enjoy Disneyland together. We decided since we were going to be there for a week we would rent a house. It was ok, not what I expected, but would def. do a house again (just a little more room than we thought we were getting). Just a few highlights shots I got in between travels (it did have a beautiful pool; the weather just didn't allow us to swim at ALL as it rained a majority of the time. It did brighten up at the end of the week and so made it nice and HOT at D-Land.) The kids enjoyed the pool (throwing their toys in it)...
The boys couldn't resist bringing the WII and at night relax a little to some games..
The boys having a little TOO much fun...
Day 1: The beach. What is Southern Cali known for other than their most GORGEOUS CLEAN beaches? Even though their first beach visit was to Santa Cruz boardwalk a few years ago, the girls didn't skip a beat running after the waves.... as well as AWAY from them. They were so giddy and so hilarious!! I took advantage of my new lens and totally wanted to get some fun family shots as well. Here were just a few of my favorites...
The boys couldn't resist bringing the WII and at night relax a little to some games..
The boys having a little TOO much fun...
Day 1: The beach. What is Southern Cali known for other than their most GORGEOUS CLEAN beaches? Even though their first beach visit was to Santa Cruz boardwalk a few years ago, the girls didn't skip a beat running after the waves.... as well as AWAY from them. They were so giddy and so hilarious!! I took advantage of my new lens and totally wanted to get some fun family shots as well. Here were just a few of my favorites...
This family came walking by us with their rather large dog (I thought it was a pony) and Mae Mae just had to pet him...
Claire couldn't resist a little snuggle either...
Claire and Lilly were SOAKED at the end of our visit. We should have brought their swimsuits, but we weren't expecting to get in that day... oh well, they had fun.
Lucy (my niece), got a stuffed Koala; we'll just say she was in love. At 10 months, she was such a trooper what with being completely off schedule and hardly any naps during the days. She was so great and LOVED everything we did that week!!
Lilly did ok at the zoo. She loved the monkeys (her being one herself), as long as they were a STATUE. She had to make sure it wasn't real.
Here she's getting attitude with the mommy monkey telling her what to do... bossy little thing; wonder where she gets it?
As you can see, the kids were just dropping like flies.
Besides the SLC Temple, the San Diego Temple has GOT to be my next most favorite temple in the whole wide world. We got to stop off for a little bit on our way back from the Zoo and take in some beautiful shots of this magnificent temple. I love how you can see it from the freeway. It is just so breathtaking...
Claire couldn't resist a little snuggle either...
Claire and Lilly were SOAKED at the end of our visit. We should have brought their swimsuits, but we weren't expecting to get in that day... oh well, they had fun.
We then spent a day at the San Diego Zoo where we really enjoyed seeing a ton more animals than I had ever seen at any other zoo. We, did not plan well and so didnt get enough time to see all that we wanted to; which actually worked out best because by the time we were done the kids were dropping like flies.. they were so tired!!
Em and cousin Mae Mae find a bug... uh, girls, there's animals you won't see anywhere else, drop the bug. You can see those anywhere..
Lucy (my niece), got a stuffed Koala; we'll just say she was in love. At 10 months, she was such a trooper what with being completely off schedule and hardly any naps during the days. She was so great and LOVED everything we did that week!!
Lilly did ok at the zoo. She loved the monkeys (her being one herself), as long as they were a STATUE. She had to make sure it wasn't real. 
Here she's getting attitude with the mommy monkey telling her what to do... bossy little thing; wonder where she gets it?
As you can see, the kids were just dropping like flies.
Besides the SLC Temple, the San Diego Temple has GOT to be my next most favorite temple in the whole wide world. We got to stop off for a little bit on our way back from the Zoo and take in some beautiful shots of this magnificent temple. I love how you can see it from the freeway. It is just so breathtaking...
Universal Studios was very interesting. It rained, it closed earlier than we had anticipated thus we only got about 4 hours of fun in. We enjoyed going on the Universal Studios Tour which is really what they are known for. The girls enjoyed Shrek. Couldn't even get Lilly on any other ride for that matter, and Em did NOT like the Simpsons; even though she was yelling pure joy the whole time she was on it. Funny little thing.
We were on the tour and we got to the Jaws scene where it comes popping out of the water right next to the tram, and Emma happened to be on the side it pops out of the water... Enough said. (Wish I would have gotten a picture of her face; she traded me spots immediately after.)
We did spend a day at Sea World, my camera's battery died thus I had to wait to get my charger when Nate came that Thursday night. It was fun to see Shamu (Lilly, Claire, Bonnie and I sat in the soak zone; we didn't get soaked as I had hoped but did get wet. It was so much fun. We got to pet the dolphins (they are so SILKY SMOOTH!!).
We had a great 3 days at Disneyland. Emma had a wonderful time having lunch with the princesses at Ariels' Grotto (great place to get a TON of princesses' autographs btw..). Lilly did ok on some rides, but other than the princesses didn't like any of the Disney characters. She flipped out when Goofy surprised her by poking his head over the stroller and saw him pearing down at her (flipped out is not even the best way to describe how she reacted). The girls first visit to Disneyland went well and Em is now telling her friends, "We went to Disneyland and saw Ariel for my birthday."
Sucha little poser!!
Emma said, "Mommy, that's the letter 'A', just like the a in my name!!" I had to get a pix.
Emma and Morgan had such a great time going on rides together.
Lilly did NOT like toon town very much. So this was the only spot in Toon Town we could get her to be comfortable enough to get herself OUT of the stroller. The last day we were there, however, she saw from across the park she saw Goofy and Donald running and bouncing into eachother (putting on a show for the kiddies that were watching and surrounding them). Lilly started FREAKING out and ran into Nate's arms. (Poor thing is scarred for life).
Em and Lu and a couple of their cousins...
Lilly, Em and their cuz Lucy.. they were so cute with her.
Daddy and Emma had to persuade her to get on Dumbo with them..
One of the VERY few rides Lilly would actually go on.
Emma said, "Mommy, that's the letter 'A', just like the a in my name!!" I had to get a pix.
Emma and Morgan had such a great time going on rides together.
Lilly did NOT like toon town very much. So this was the only spot in Toon Town we could get her to be comfortable enough to get herself OUT of the stroller. The last day we were there, however, she saw from across the park she saw Goofy and Donald running and bouncing into eachother (putting on a show for the kiddies that were watching and surrounding them). Lilly started FREAKING out and ran into Nate's arms. (Poor thing is scarred for life).
Em and Lu and a couple of their cousins...
Emma was SO enchanted by each princess. She would ask them questions (have no idea what she was asking them; she was too quiet about it). She was so star struck!! It was so much fun to watch her and Lilly as they got their books autographed.
Lilly LOVED the princesses as well, but did not take to any of the other Disney characters.
Lilly, Em and their cuz Lucy.. they were so cute with her.
Daddy and Emma had to persuade her to get on Dumbo with them..
One of the VERY few rides Lilly would actually go on.
Can we spell T-R-O-U-B-L-E?
Alice was such a great baby... She was so happy and content sleeping in the stroller.
Me and my girls... Poor Nate is so outnumbered.
Alice was such a great baby... She was so happy and content sleeping in the stroller.
Me and my girls... Poor Nate is so outnumbered.
Ok, so our day begins with a fun breakfast full of Em's favorite; pancakes and chocolate milk. She was so excited about going off to school she kept asking, "Is it time? Do I go yet mommy?" I had to just laugh at her. I thought to myself, "This isn't going to be so hard. The kids been in pre-k the last 2 years and those were just a few hours a few days a week, how hard can sending her off to Kindergarten be, really? It's about the same thing, right?" Yah, little did I know what awaited me at school. We get to school and Em immediately gets into line behind the rest of her class as "photography mom" goes NUTSO taking pix. I was doing great, no tears, so strong. Then, Em's teacher (Miss McGary) says to the kids, "Ok, boys and girls, say good-bye to mommy and daddy because you won't be seeing them for quite a few hours." That was it, I lost it. Tears were streaming as I turned and walked towards my car. I passed a few mothers who were apparently feeling the same thing. (Luckily I had my sunglasses on, otherwise I'd REALLY be embarrasing myself with black cat eyes). The whole way home I was just crying and thinking "How in the world did my mom do this? Now I totally know how all my friends who have older kids felt sending off their first to school." To top it all off, I don't know how I'm going to do when she actually starts FULL day next year. (One step at a time, right?)... Anyhow, needless to say, when Em got home from school that day she was so thrilled that as soon as she hit the door she was playing make believe Kindergarten Teacher, mommy, and child with Lilly and I (Em being the mommy, Lilly being the child going to kindergarten and me being the teacher). It was so cute and I was so glad she had a great first day...
I found a few pix on my camera from the trips we took this summer. We went down to Arizona and saw Brett & Bonnie for their baby blessing as well as up in SL with family for my cousin's wedding and our own baby blessing.
(Can you find Kaleb making his "traditional" family photo funny face? When Kaleb was about 10 we had a family photo done and it was during the time that digital wasn't quite up and running yet... well, good ole Kaleb had his tongue sticking out on a majority of the family photos, thus picking out a "good one" was impossible. So that's how we remember him and that's what he'll pose as for family photo ops. By the way, any girls that are the least bit interested, I can't say whether he'll take descent photos or not for engagement or wedding, so good luck).
She even managed to smile at the Dr.
Other adventures Alice is taking on are starting to arch her back sideways and ready to roll over (not quite all the way, but her feet are super strong so she ends up pushing her whole body upward, thus leaving it hard for me to leave her anywhere unguarded). She LOVES smiling and "talking". The best part is she is sleeping for sure thru the nights (going down at 9:30 and waking up at 6:30 is pretty good sleep to me). When she wakes up she smiles and just jabbers for a bit and then is finally hungry. She loves her swing and takes a few long naps in her crip thru out the day. Not all is hunky dori however. She does have her moments of wanting to just cry and whine; but for the most part, we are doing really well (considering). Emma is back home and loving every minute she has to get to hold her baby sister. She and Lilly are back to role playing princesses and having their on-going sibling moments.
For the 4th of July, we (minus Emma; she is still in Cali w/ Nana and Papa & the boys) decided to spend it down in Arizona (crazy I know... what with how HOT it is down there). We went and spent the weekend with my bro & his fam. It was a ton of fun. We left Thursday and stopped at a historic Navajo Bridge along the way... it was overcast that day and thus made for GORGEOUS pix taking along the way. It made me think of how grateful I am to live in such a beautiful country and the freedoms I have that most don't. 
Lilly & cousin Claire had a great time cooling off in the backyard in their blowup pool. As did the rest of them once they saw what the two mischief makers were doing...
The kids enjoyed spending 4th of July at a park where they provided free water rides for everyone to cool off in (what a novel idea!!). The kids enjoyed just a few rides as the lines were SUPER long (did I mention it was free?). We later enjoyed food by the carside as we watched the parks fireworks show. The kids enjoyed it (Lilly & Claire had to get used to it from the safety of the car and Morgon and Mae-Mae had to cover their ears at first (thinking it was going to be TOO loud). (I didn't get a pix, but Morgon ended up falling asleep during half of it, it was too funny). 
Claire & Morgon were the only ones really to get into the free water rides... Of course, they all got into a little mudhole (below)...
And of course little Ali & her cousin Gi-gi enjoyed relaxing in the stroller. (Bonnie and I went shopping Friday and I had our double stroller with the 2 babes in it; people thought I was toting around twins (yah right!!)...
Hope everyone had a wonderful 4th of July!! 
