SCORE!

Well, today we had our 20 week ultrasound.   On our way! I was looking forward to it for many reasons.  Mostly to make sure baby is growing and is healthy.  Big sigh of relief for that one.  It's been so weird not feeling the baby move this time around, so that ultrasound was very reassuring. We got a few good pics.  Is it just me or does that profile already look like a score baby?  The cheeks, the nose, the head that is not proportionate to the rest of the body. Haha! When it came time to find out gender, we looked away.  Not because we were waiting until the birth like we did last time (which I loved by the way and would have totally done it again if Jeff would have let me), but we decided it would be fun to do a gender reveal party with our family and friends.  I found this awesome idea online, pinterest of course.  And I thought it would be perfect for our family.  I wanted to do something that the kids could be t...

Right now I am feeling blessed.  Not because we just had thanksgiving.  Not because I am filled with the Christmas spirit. But because I had a little glimpse of how truly blessed I am. As you know, baby #4 is on the way (a major blessing in and of itself). I am also blessed with easy pregnancies.  Like, I feel bad telling anyone else about them easy pregnancy.  My biggest problems this time are leg cramps and acne - which is worse than a hormonal high schooler's I might add.  But really, I love being pregnant and especially now that I'm in my second trimester. This go around I also felt the baby move sooner than the others.  I assume it is easier recognize once you have experienced it before.  Anyway, all was going great.  But the past 2 weeks I have felt nothing.  Not that I was feeling it a ton before, I mean the baby is only the size of a bell pepper, but I was feeling it.  So when you go a full week of nothing, you start to worry...

This is the story about how we got an awesome, new clean, beautiful tent. But first I should tell you about the old, nasty, falling apart & moldy one. It wasn't always like that you know.  Up until this trip we used it for our annual backyard camping trip at the grandparents.  It used to be my parents tent and although it was very old, it was hardly used.  We figured we could use it for at least a few years.  So some of our friends planned a group camping trip on good old Mt. Diablo.  We were so excited.  Jeff was working late, or maybe even flying in from Minnesota, I don't even remember at this point.  I decided I would be an awesome wife, head up early and get camp all set up so he could just come and enjoy.  Yeah, the more I think about it, he was just getting back from MN.  Anyway, me and the kids get there.  Find a good place to set up, and get started.  Our awesome friends helped me set it up while...

Well,  its me again.  I have about a million other things I should be doing which is why in my blog drafts I still have titles including: Riley's Birth story Disneyland Cornmaze (2013 AND 2014) To name a few.  Seriously, all of those are over a year old and I have some that are even older!  I don't know why I get into such blogging funks.  When I look back at the things I have it makes me so grateful I wrote stuff down.  I kinda blame instagram for the past year.  Chatbooks have made it so I have a printed daily glimpse of our lives at virtually no time spent on my part.  Still, there is something to be said about the fact that I tend to be a photoaholic and extremely wordy.  And one sentence and one picture just don't seem to do it justice.  So maybe, just maybe I'll start this up again.  Busy season is just around the corner, so who knows what that will hold for me.  ;) Anyway, a friend of mine just did a major ca...

This little girl is 1. Uno. ONE! Can you guys even believe it?   I sure cant! I'm positive a year has never flown by as quickly as this year did. I still feel like it was just a few days ago that I was huge and trying so desperately to get this girl here.  Now I know why I was so anxious.  She is seriously the most delightful child I have ever met.  Still in awe of the miracle of life.   From belly to arms in a matter of hours. From day one she was a dream. Everyday since has only gotten better. Watching her personality develop over this past year has been so much fun. And oh how she has grown! Little did we know her name would be so fitting, Smiley Riley. I know I say it a lot but this girl really is my little shining beacon of happiness.  When I'm going all sorts of crazy I hide in a room with her and almost instantly I am happy again and ready to face anything. She makes me laugh everyday. And seriously, the...

In the warm California sun! Jeff had a week off around Memorial Day and we loved every minute of it.  We ended up spending the first couple of days working on the house and doing things for Em's birthday.  Although it was nice and felt great being productive we really wanted to get away at least for one day.  So we decided to head to Santa Cruz.  Not to far, but far enough and filled with tons of fun things to do. We started at the boardwalk of course.  Needless to say we were all pretty excited, especially the kids.  They thought it was the coolest place ever.  It didn't take long before they were walking around like they owned he place. We ended up getting the kids wristbands and got us a few tickets for the rides they needed us to go with them.  The kids seriously had a blast and went on almost everything they could go on.  Even Riley got to go on her first ride all by herself.  We weren't planning on it but the...