The Thrill on BerryHill

Trick or Treat

2011-11-03T14:31:00.000-07:00

Here we are :)
Jake cried about being Elvis for the church party, but then when I gave him a choice for Halloween, he replied, "Mom, I wanna be ELVIS. And I'm not gonna cwy about it this time."

Kate, with her friends Halle and Addie

Jake with his buddy Bryant

The Girls

Luke, feeling like he is right in the middle of the action, I love it!

checking out the loot

Learning the tricks of the trade

If only he tasted what was inside :)

Enjoy!

There's no way you are eating all of it!

Are You Making Eyeballs?!

2011-11-03T12:50:00.000-07:00

That was the question I got as I stood in the kitchen smiling to myself as I stabbed these little eyeballs onto their forks. "Yes! That is exactly what they are!" I was so thrilled that the kids knew what they were :) We had a spooky dessert night for Jake's preschool co-op over at our friend's, the Webb's home. We were spoiled with Loriann making everyone a yummy dinner and then the kids had the time of their lives making their dessert choices: ghosts, pumpkins, witches brew, eyeballs, goblin hands, among other things. Here are the older sisters taking center stage.
We got home and realized that Halloween was the next day and we hadn't carved our pumpkins!! So, Sunday night, we went to work. Here's what we came up with:

Luke was fast asleep by this point. I think the kids ended up going to be close to 11pm. Lovely. But memories were made :)

Wilderness Wimps??

2011-11-03T10:00:00.000-07:00

Call it what you will.Joe and I LOVE the outdoors. Getting outside and doing a little exploring is one of our favorite things. We are this way because we were both brought up doing it. So, comments from the peanut gallery complaining that legs are tired and "where's the snacks?" were a bit annoying. "Are we raising wimps??!!" We asked to each other, horrified!!!!!!!!!!

(and then I began wondering...was I like that???)
We were so adventurous with numero uno. With numero dos, things slowed down a bit, and when numero tres came along, life outside of our normal routine almost came to a halt.
(Is that why this darn baby weight hasn't disappeared???)

So, a new resolution for our family: get out on some trail and do some exploring at least one weekend a month.

In October we went about 15 minutes from our house to a trail over in Livermore and we hiked 4 miles. Kate made it the entire way and Jake got a piggy back ride briefly. Luke enjoyed luxury the entire trip. We were cruising at a speedy 45 minutes per mile but the kids loved looking for birds, acorns, and running after butterflies. Joe and I have high hopes that our speed will increase.

For now though, we were thrilled that we didn't hear, "My legs are tired," until the last mile; and we got some fresh air in our lungs :)

Spontaneity

2011-11-03T07:55:00.000-07:00

"I'm coming home on the late bus." I read the text and thought, "Alright...maybe something really EASY for dinner." As I started opening up cabinets and peering into shelves, I heard bursts of excitement, papers shuffling, drawers slamming and the the sliding screen door being left open...they were up to something but I didn't have the energy to stop it. I continued cooking. I found Jake trying on one of his many costumes (thanks Jeri) and stomping to and fro chanting silly things... "MOM! It's time! Come HERE!!!!!!!!!" I followed their happy voices to the back door and found this.Apparently Halloween had come a little early and we were going to celebrate.
All of our indoor Halloween decorations were taken outside and used appropriately to create a nice ambience.

They decided that it was only appropriate to eat outside for the party. There was even a special seat decorated for the "queen herself."
I was told I was the queen.

We ate dinner, played "pin the witch hat on the rocking horse," told ghost stories and even trick or treated. They planned and executed the entire thing.

Thanks for shaking our routine up a bit, kiddos. I think we all needed it :) I needed arms about 4 inches longer to get Luke's face in this one! At least his forehead is accounted for :)

The Pumpkin Patch

2011-11-02T21:56:00.000-07:00

Every year we make sure to head over to Half Moon Bay and bask in all of the Fall Fun-ness. We decided the weekend after getting home from Hawaii was a good time to go. It definitely didn't feel like autumn and coming from palm trees and warm breezes, we weren't feeling very fallish either, but we did our best to manage having a great time :)
If we allowed it, our kids would jump at the chance to have these cute little furballs be a part of our family. They LOVE bunnies and loved hanging out with them at the Pumpkin Patch.

I include one of these every year. Had to do it again. Although, for some reason, Jake was a little more timid this time...not sure why! Luke's first trip down the bouncy slide seemed to go relatively well. His "chill" attitude didn't falter.

We headed over to Barbara's to get a little clam chowder in a bread bowl and take advantage of the reason we pay so much to live in California :) The weather was simply perfect.

Always love Half Moon Bay with my family

Aloha

2011-11-02T08:35:00.000-07:00

It feels like our Hawaiian trip was already eons ago...I'm ready to go back and I think everyone else feels the same way! I'm finally getting around to posting the pictures (check the slideshow above) :) We tried something new this year and went in September which was WONDERFUL! No crowds!!! The only sad part was that we weren't complete. Mom decided she really wanted to go to culinary school and the program began before our trip ended. So we REALLY missed her. But we are so proud of her for getting out there and doing what she loves. Although, I don't know how you can perfect perfection when it comes to cooking :) Chris and Kalei are busier than ever in their first year of dental school, so we aren't expecting them to be able to join us any time soon...but when they do, it'll be a happy day. With the Merrills in Oahu

Let's see, what did we do? Relax, swim, eat, read, hike, visit with good friends, play, sleep, exercise and did I mention eat?! Hard to come back to reality after such a wonderful trip. I feel so blessed to have the family we do. Hard to get sick of each other... and I know that's rare :)

Rodents Among Other Things...

2011-09-07T23:37:00.000-07:00

We had a mouse situation that was literally driving me crazy for the past month (even though they weren't around for that long--Comet and 409 have been my best friends as of late). At least they weren't rats is what I kept telling myself. Still...

Kate came up to me a few days ago holding one of her many pieces of art with a big smile on her face. I was expecting rainbows, flowers, butterflies and Kate and me...her usual preferences. Instead, I saw this:

I LOVE the mouth. I laughed so hard! Apparently I've been letting my thoughts become vocal one too many times lately :)

Not to be outdone, Jake came running up to me and said, "Ya, Mom....this is me. And I'm mad because my hair is so long!" Thanks for keeping it real, Jake.

Glitz, Glamour and Giggles

2011-08-24T23:24:00.000-07:00

Kate turned 6 years old on August 12th. Six. Wow. When she realized we were actually going to be home this year for her birthday, she was so excited, she planned her entire birthday party before we even agreed she could have one! About 50 kids were on the list...wish we could have worked that! Some beautiful maidens graced us with their presence and we simply had a BALL. We played a few games including Kiss the Frog, we got our nails painted and our faces done up, we made bracelets and put on tiaras and loads of jewelry, we checked our appearances in some really silly mirrors, we had a tea party, a pinata castle and truly felt like we were the real deal.
Happy Birthday, Katie Pie. So glad we could do this for you. You made a dramatic entrance into this world and some things never change :) I love every single inch of you and all that comes with it.

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

2011-08-24T23:11:00.000-07:00

We did something that I'd definitely do again. For the Fourth of July, we went to see the Giants play. Instead of driving across the Bay and dealing with traffic and parking, we decided to take the ferry across. It made the trip an adventure within itself! The best part? It drops you off right there at the entrance to the park.

Lovely

So great having Kalei's Mom with us!!! We love Bernie!

Kate and Gracie's eye's were HUGE when we told them we'd be taking a ferry to get to the game. We realized an explanation of "fairy" and "ferry" was needed :)

On the Ferry

A beautiful day. Would have been even better if the Giants had won!

Summer Daze

2011-08-24T22:08:00.000-07:00

I heard the school bell ring bright and early yesterday morning. That can only mean one thing--school has begun again here in Pleantanton. I have to admit, I'm grateful I don't have to deal with the stress of trying to get everyone out of the house so early in the morning every single day. A perk of homeschooling I guess, because we can wake up and have a great breakfast together, do our chores and get started with school right at our very own kitchen table! Although, summer for us wasn't much different that the rest of the year-- we still did our schoolwork every day... ok, not EVERY day...I'm not that mean! Here are some of those fun moments from the past 2 months in no particular order:

Another mini Duke reunion! We ALWAYS love it whenever we can manage one! The Thompsons were heading off to Angola in a few weeks for 3 years, so we wanted to get together for one last hoorah until they return. Metheny's came down from Sacramento and we had a great time as always. We got to meet the latest additions to all 3 of our families, which was wonderful! Love you guys! Thanks for making the trip and we'll awaiting news from the African Continent!

The first toy that Luke has really shown interest in. I was doing the dishes and handed him a cup. He was more fascinated with it than any of his noisy chew toys! I didn't realize this until he started wailing as it dropped to the floor and he saw it slowly roll away, out of his grasp. As soon as I picked it up and handed it to him, that cute smile immediately appeared. Good to see a little personality developing :)

A spur of the moment trip to Marine World! We had free tickets sitting in my pile of papers from a few months ago. I got a call from my sister and she said that the tickets expired "today!" I had no idea. You can't waste free tickets! We packed up and headed off to see lions and dolphins and whales and of course a few rides and a little cotton candy :) What fun!

At the park with the Borges

Just cute. I found them all in Luke's bed one morning when I got up.

I don't think he was put out ;)

First try with cereal, just a few days after his surgery. Kate and Jake were like ravenous monsters as soon as I introduced food to them-- it always shocked others to see them open so wide! I expected the same from our third. I guess I shouldn't have such expectations. He choked, gagged, made awful faces and I think we even got a few dry heaves. Maybe he wasn't ready :) We waited 2 weeks and thankfully that mouth began to show some interest.

This is how Luke sleeps at night with his favorite blanket. He'll even pull it over his head completely sometimes! Freaks us out when he does that, but who doesn't like to be cozy?!

Mixed Emotions. You know when you are THRILLED for someone because of opportunities presented but thoroughly depressed for yourself because it means they're leaving you? This is one of those times. We met our friends, the Merrills, 3 years ago when we moved to Pleasanton. They had moved here right about the same time and we just clicked. The adults clicked, the kids clicked... there was a lot of clicking going on :) We've loved our times together and so when they shared with us that they were moving to Hawaii because Jeff got on as an art professor at BYU-Hawaii, I screamed with excitement and then called my sister and dejectedly told her they were leaving. So.... we had the boys over for one last playdate. We can't wait to see them and hear of their exciting new adventures in just a few weeks when we head over there for vacation. Love you and Miss you, Merrills!

Where are Your Cap and Goggles?!!!

2011-08-22T15:16:00.000-07:00

Do you think I got tired of hearing myself say that this summer? :)

Our second season of swim season was even better than the first. We had some fantastic friends join the team that made us look forward to those all day swim meets! Kate and Julia
The 6 and under girls relay team (the only 4 girls in the age bracket)--Our absolute favorites to watch :)

The girls find so many ways to pass the time while they wait to swim at the meets

Kate and one of her coaches trying to get her pumped up at Champs

our cutie-- so proud of her--she improved so much this year

Claire and Kate

Love my family

The Man

Kate wasn't the only one who swam this summer. We decided since Kate was swimming at one end of the pool, we should put Jake in lessons at the other end during her practice! Genius! Why didn't I think of it earlier?!Working on his back floats. Jake had the biggest grin on his face at every lesson. Jake acting like it really wasn't a big deal that he was in the pool just like his big sister :) I love you both. I can't get enough of your little bodies in your suits...really...I just can't get enough of YOU.

Think of a Wonderful Thing...Oh! And don't forget the Pixie Dust!

2011-08-21T21:41:00.000-07:00

Kate finished her third year of dance at her third studio. We've finally found one that she loves and that all has to do with Miss Shelly, her beloved teacher, at Livermore School of Dance. I knew we'd found the one as I watched Kate's face as she pranced around the studio with that smile on her face and that sparkling gleam in her eye. It's been a great year. The season ended with a HUGE performace put on back in June-- Peter Pan. Kate and the girls in her class were the Pixie Dust. Jake, sporting his cute grin, on the way into watch the show.

During the show.

Meeting her public after her grand 5.... maybe 8 minute perforance :) (The show was 3 hours long--- way tooooooo long if you ask me-- amazing, but not needed! A note went out that they would be changing it next year to 1 hour. Yahoo!) Seeing that look on her face makes it all worth it though!

Kate and BG

I was SHOCKED that Jake and Luke made it through the entire thing. Luke slept most of the time and Jake sat with a lollypop among other treats, that I kept feeding him, and was the best 3 year old in the house. I'd say he even ranked higher than his Uncle Chris and Aunt Kalei who slept through half of it, even with the bag of chocolates I gave them :)

What a dude!

No, really, we were sooooo thrilled that Momo and BG and Chris and Kalei could come. What sports! Major points earned that day :) Kate felt so much love. It really meant a lot to us that you would make the trip to support her! You guys are the best! Grandma and Grandpa had tickets and were planning on being there too, but Grandpa got Shingles. Just Awful!!!!! We love you two and know that you were sending your love as well!

Kate and Elise-- they met at the very first studio we tried and have stuck through them all together! So cute.

Back in the Hospital??

2011-06-26T02:55:00.000-07:00

Not for long. But it brought back a lot of memories from his first few weeks of life. I noticed a bump on Luke's forehead 2 days after he was born. It continued to grow and we discovered after meeting with Dr. Daane at Children's Hospital that it was a dermoid cyst and it needed to be removed. Sure, when should it be done? We expected to hear "at 2 years of age" or maybe even later. "As soon as possible," was his reply. Because Luke was a preemie, we had to wait until he was 6 months old. So, the day after I took those cute pictures, he went into surgery. June 9, 2011. What a trooper. He was the best. He couldn't eat anything after 4 AM, so as we waited to get him prepped for surgery, we expected tears. What did our little guy do? He fell asleep in Joe's arms. It made it a little bit easier to hand him over to the WONDERFUL staff. They actually sent us a thank you card and everyone who was involved with Luke's surgery signed and wrote a little note to him. They were incredible.
Luke in his hospital gown right before he fell asleep

The doctor came out into the waiting room much earlier than we expected. "It's done. The surgery went excellent. The cyst was much bigger than we anticipated. He did great. You can come see him."

That little body in such a big bed (and that's a child's bed!). It was hard to watch him wake up out of the anesthesia, but after he calmed down, he was back to his normal, happy, self. I fed him when we got home and then he fell asleep in my arms. We both slept for a good 2 hours. I didn't realize how nervous I was until it was all over.

We were told to expect his eye to get "ugly." It never did. We were told he'd probably be cranky. He never was. We love you, Luke. Heavenly Father sent angels to watch over you. I'm sure of it and I thank Him for it.

2011-06-26T02:49:00.000-07:00

Father's Day was coming up. I had to get a cute picture of the kids. it's what Joe wanted. So that was my goal. I didn't have much time because Luke would be heading into surgery soon. I scheduled an appointment and took the kids in. I told the photographer my whole goal was a good group shot. Then, if we got it, I could take Luke's 6 month shot. 6 months! Where did that go?? Anyway, I'll have to get those posted. They were hysterical. They were no good. I had to do something! We came home and I took them to the backyard and grabbed my camera and the blue sleeping bag and began telling them a story. I got 3 smiles. I was thrilled.
I even got a great 6 month shot. Joe's office wall is going to be happy :)

Who's the Man?

2011-06-26T02:38:00.000-07:00

Dad's the Man. We have had 4 sightings of this snake in our backyard in the last 2 years. Every time Joe has not been home. I've tried to be the brave, fearless, mother who can do anything, and catch the snake. But each time, it has speedily slithered out of my grasp and I have screamed like a wild boar.

This happened to be Saturday, two weeks ago, and we were working in the yard. I went to pull some weeds and suddenly there it was, inches from my face. Now you'd think a girl who has grown up with snakes wouldn't have blinked an eye. Well, it would have startled anyone, I promise. So I validated a slight yelp. Everyone came running and proclaimed, "Catch it!" Joe did the honors. I love him. Thank you Joe for not letting the kids down the 5th time.

We played with it, watched it, took pictures and then I recommended we take it up into the hills and let it go. Joe's response was, "Boo... this'll eat mice and rats!" I made him put it right back in the bushes in our backyard. Go get 'em snake! We'll let you live in peace.

Spontaneity

2011-06-26T02:32:00.001-07:00

You gotta love it. It was a Friday around noon and a beautiful day. "Wanna go to Half Moon Bay for lunch?" We went to Sam's Chowder House right on Highway 1
(You've gotta try it)

And spent a little time afterwards enjoying the view...but mostly each other.

Times like these when I LOVE the fact that we are flexible homeschoolers :)

Thanks for a great afternoon, Mom and Dad!

Wedding Forecast for May 18, 2011

2011-06-26T02:10:00.000-07:00

Rain...Snow...Hail... ohhh and how about a little wind??? Let's be honest. It was beautiful. It was freezing.

I'm so happy that my brother found someone he loves so much
and that she is someone so easy to love.

I love this one. Can you believe the elements???

Our fortress from the wind in between pictures :)

the man

the little manWe love you Chris and Kalei.

Can't tell you how thrilled we are to have you close!!!

All Because Two People Fell in Love...

2011-06-26T01:23:00.000-07:00

...we got to go to Utah

We headed out to Utah for Chris and Kalei's wedding back in May. It had been far too long since our last visit, so we decided to make a little trip of it. We drove into Salt Lake and literally drove straight to Cafe Rio to meet my Mariah and her boys. What a perfect way to kick it off! Sad we didn't document it with a photo, but soooo grateful they came down to meet us.

Then we went south to stay with my college roommates whom I love dearly. Our kids had never met and they behaved just like perfect little angels...

Ok, not really. They were hysterical. They were like best friends for the 48 hours that they spent together.
They actually reminded me a lot of us :)

We had the BEST time. THANK YOU so much Sun for opening your home to us and Ambs for coming up to be there. I loved every single second of our time together. Let's not go so long next time!!!

We showed the kids the Salt Flats

We made homes for dinosaurs at Thanksgiving Point

We even got to see our Utah Berryhills who we have missed so much!!!

We wore the kids out and we hadn't even been to the wedding yet!

2011-06-26T00:53:00.000-07:00

Kate was in time out for being snotty. I left her in there for quite some time and she began yelling, "Is time out almost ever?!!! It's been a LOOOOOOONG Time!" How much longer will I be in here???"

To which I ignored. She kept repeating herself and I still ignored. Jake was playing with his cars at my feet. About the 5th time of her ranting, he yelled without skipping a beat:

"THREE YEARS!"

Perfect.

May and June will be updated shortly :) Goodnight!

Let's Be Brief

2011-06-26T00:38:00.000-07:00

He did it. I'm so proud of him. Couldn't open his race track until he peed in the potty.

Cried about it for 24 hours and then did it. And that was that. Jake is officially a man in briefs.

He feels pretty cool about being in his "underwears"

Yep. He's truly gained big boy status.

( I had to post this again. It kills me.)

Of course, he came in the other day from "helping" Joe in the front yard, with his pants and underwear around his ankles. Joe had gone in the back to get some tool and when I asked Jake what happened, he said as nonchalantly as can be, "I peed on the tree."

"What???" Sure enough, our front tree had a big wet spot on the trunk. Our wonderful neighbors across the street have their parents visiting from India for 6 months. They love to sit and watch the world pass by their front window. Imagine what they were thinking this fine day.

Love It

2011-06-26T00:15:00.000-07:00

Sometimes amidst the chaos, I have to do what the host on "The Bachelor" always said and

"Take a Moment." I wish my moment could last forever.
Check out Luke's "progress" :)

one month

three months

five months

When did those legs get so long???

Happy Easter

2011-06-25T23:56:00.000-07:00

I know... it feels like Easter was AGES ago. How the time flies...

I've gotta catch up on the last few months.
Luke looks like he's really enjoying this, doesn't he? It rained again this year on Easter morning. Didn't stop the kids from running out to see what the Easter Bunny had left. They found his pawprints leaving our house and wondered why his prints didn't continue on to all of our neighbor's houses. Noted.

We hurried and had our hunt so we could get to church and truly celebrate Easter :) I kept asking the kids while they were opening their eggs if this was really what it is all about and Kate piped up immediately and said, "No, Mom. Easter is about Jesus. He died so we can all live again."
Eat on, my dear chocolate lover.

2011-06-25T23:38:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you've just gotta get it done...

I have a LOT of catching up to do.

Learning to Fly

2011-04-11T22:27:00.001-07:00

I was in our room changing Luke's diaper, and out of my window, I could see the chains to the swing really moving..."Glad the kids are having fun," I thought. And then I heard it, "Mom!! Come quick!!!" I ran outside and saw this: "I'M PUMPING!!!" Now, first of all, our family conversations revolving around "pumping" as of the past 4 months, have only referred to me and the machine. "Mom...are you pumping AGAIN?!!" But when I heard these two words come out of her mouth and I saw that smile of freedom spread wide across her face, I was THRILLED. "When did you get it?!" I asked! We'd been working on it for months and the rhythm was not coming.

"Well, remember yesterday when I asked you to push me on the swings and you said no?" Nice. "I went outside and I just started pumping!" That gleeful giggle made me forget my feelings of lameness for not going out and pushing my daughter on the swing. I was so proud of her. She's out there every spare moment she has--enjoying her new found freedom. Of course... I've still gotta push this guy :)

Here's A Good One For You...

2011-04-11T22:05:00.000-07:00

We got home from church yesterday and Joe immediately had to run off to meetings. I immediately had to sit down and feed Luke and the kids had to immediately change and run outside. I sat on the couch with my little snuggles in my arms and watched as the kids played with their beloved bubble machine...they were so mesmerized with what they were doing, that they completely forgot I was within eye and earshot.

Suddenly, Jake felt the need to dump ALL of our giant bubble bottle onto the ground...making it incredibly slippery, which caused Kate to wipe out. At least 3 times. This caused extreme anger in Kate, and she proceeded to tell Jake that he needed to learn his lesson. While she reprimanded him, he grabbed the hose and when her back was turned, he pulled the trigger and a jet stream of cold water hit her back with extreme force.

A scream of horror/shock/laughter rang through our neighborhood and that's about the time Luke finished up, so I could actually do something about the scene outside my screen. Forcefully, Jake was grabbed from the area and brought into his room to change him from his soaking wet clothes, as well as begin the time-out routine. As I'm pulling on his new shirt and pants, he looks at me and says,

"I wuv you, Mommy."

"Thank you, Jake. I love you too. I need you to be a good listen--" (I never finished)

"Mommy, you're beautiful."

The Hunger Games

2011-03-27T23:17:00.000-07:00

Have you read them??!! I just spent the last three days reading the 3 books in the series. All I can say is," Wow!" All Joe can say is, " I think The Hunger Games caused a hunger game at our house!" Ok, so I'm a little low on food and Jake didn't have any clean jammies last night because I've used all of my spare time indulging myself in a little reading... no wonder I only read on vacation! They were great. Completely sucked me in. I guess I need to get back to reality tomorrow... thanks for putting up with me, our mac 'n cheese for dinner tonight, and the messy house, love. You truly are the best. Can't wait until you start them ;)

Fowler Farewell

2011-03-27T22:47:00.000-07:00

We got an email from some of our close friends from Duke, the Fowlers, letting us know that it was time. They were heading off to China for 2 years. The good news was that they would be stopping in San Francisco for a couple of days...could we get together? OF COURSE! So Wednesday night we headed up to the city and met them and the Thompson's for a mini reunion (It'll be a complete one when Metheny's, Rushton's and West's join us :) ) The kids had a blast as did we! Kate and Scottie spent their first 2 years of life together and here they are again, still loving every moment spent together.

In fact, here they are at the beginning...

I heard Scottie say while we were together, "Mom, Kate's my same age but she's a girl and she's taller than me!" I think she's going to get a lot of that growing up. Good thing her mom knows how to handle it :)

Sad to say goodbye. Kate was ready to jump on the 14 HOUR PLANE RIDE with Scottie and his brothers. Hope it went ok, Doug and Christine! We were thinking about you!!

What a wonderful way to spend a Wednesday Evening! Can't wait to do it again when you are coming home :)

Happy Birthday Big Boy!

2011-03-27T22:21:00.000-07:00

I can't believe little Jakers is 3 years old. When he woke up on Tuesday morning I asked him what he wanted for breakfast. He could have ANYTHING he wanted. What was his request? Cereal. Thanks for making my life a little easier, buddy! I did get powdered donuts anyway because I knew he'd love it :) You can't just give a kid cereal on his birthday!!! Jake's been fascinated with the movie Cars... so I thought I'd try making a cake that would fit his obsession Momo and BG surprised Jake (and his parents!!!) with a truck for his big day. Can you tell how excited he was?! All I can say is you two better be around when he's old enough to really drive and he starts asking for a bigger red jeep... it won't be coming from us :) haha!I think we'll just avoid letting Kate get her drivers license altogether.

Thanks, Mom and Dad! We are going to have a blast with this!

A little too much Fun Dip perhaps???

Joe getting Jake's bike all set to go. Too bad it's been pouring all week! Jake has been itching to get out there and use his new toys!

Ben and Jake spending a little QT changing his cars from his cake different colors

I love all of the heads in this picture!

Jen knows just how to get the perfect smile out of Luke every time!

Earlier that day we took the cousins to Super Franks to check it out. I think it was a success.

We couldn't find Gracie and found her here-- perfect form... I think Jen should be worried!

The boys

Love you, Buddy! I'm so glad you have a fun day!

Another Rainy Day Picture Attempt

2011-03-22T02:35:00.001-07:00

I wanted to get Jake's 3 year old pictures taken and Luke's 3 month old pictures. So I scheduled the appointment, and of course, when the time came to leave, the wind and the rain were so strong I wondered why I even try :) The same thing seemed to happen last year.

So here we are. I'm so glad Joe was with me because I almost passed this one up. He looked at it and just started laughing. It captures the EXACT personalities of our kids.

We definitely deserved another Wetzel's Pretzel run it was all over.

Worth the Wait

2011-03-22T02:24:00.000-07:00

We've had to wait a bit longer to enjoy things like smiles and giggles from Luke than we did with our other kids. He's developing right as if he would have been born in January...I kept wondering when we'd see a little personality shine through.

Then one day it happened... and all I can say is...

It was worth the wait!

Que Sopresa! Not Really.

2011-03-22T02:11:00.001-07:00

Alisa, my amazing sister-in-law, turned 40 at the beginning of March. We couldn't let it just slip past her :) So Maryanne and I decided to throw a little something together.
It was supposed to be a surprise, but somehow she had an inkling as to what was going on.

That was OK though, because really-- we just wanted her to feel the love from everyone who adores her. After dinner, the kids ran off and had a little battle...Does Jake seem in his element?? I think Kate was feeling pretty stylish in the shades.

Four Generations of Berryhill Men...How cool is that?!

Happy Birthday, Alisa!

Luke's Baby Blessing

2011-03-22T02:00:00.000-07:00

Just after Luke turned 2 months old, he and I finally braved coming back to church. We wanted to keep him away from all of the colds and germs of winter until he put a little meat on his bones...plus... it was doctor's orders :) So, on February 6th, our family that was able to come, joined us as Joe gave him his baby blessing. He was so peaceful--not a peep out of him until "amen" and then he spit up all over :) We are so grateful for our family and their constant love and support. It was a BEAUTIFUL day.

Luke at 2 Months

2011-03-22T01:40:00.000-07:00

I love you little man. It hurts to think what life would have been like without you.

You are heaven in my arms.

Wanna Feel Good About Yourself Again?

2011-03-22T01:30:00.001-07:00

No... I didn't take pictures of my messy house this time....I took them of my car. It amazes me HOW FAST that car gets destroyed when we have errands to run. It was literally clear of clutter only the day before. All it takes is one crazy moment when I am yelling for everyone to run and get buckled because we are late, and it ends up looking like this at the end of the day.

The kids were banned from going inside until we got things straightened up. I know they didn't care one bit if the car was clean or not...but it made me breath easier :)

Friendly Moments

2011-03-22T01:09:00.000-07:00

I get so excited when I open my email or listen to a message and find that a dear friend is heading into town and can we get together. A week after Joe's birthday we got to see Tyler and Rachael, our good friends from Duke, and meet their new addition Lucy. She and Luke ended up being born with 2 weeks of each other, and you could definitely tell that Luke was a preemie, because that cute girl was ALL SMILES the entire
time she was at our home. We loved it! We are so thrilled that Rachael's parents live relatively close because we know there will always be an excuse to get together :)

Then I got an email from Meliss, my girlfriend going on almost 30 years. Hard to believe!!! She came up with her kiddos to visit and wow did we all have fun. I think Jake loved having a boy to do some sword fighting with and Kate was in heaven with Ashlyn and Sadie giving her makeup tips :) We had so much fun catching up and could have talked for 10 more hours....the time went by too fast!

Happy Birthday Joe!

2011-03-22T00:57:00.000-07:00

January 18th. Wonderful day
Wonderful husband and father...we love you sooooo much.

Ok, Luke took a little bit of the limelight, but can you blame him?

Brett is a natural...what a great babysitter he'll be ;)

I'm so blessed.

Captured Moments

2011-03-20T23:59:00.000-07:00

In no particular order... some of the pictures that put a smile on my face from the end of December to the beginning of February

"Every baby needs a white blanket for his blessing," is what my friend, Kristin said when she brought over this beautiful blanket that she made for Luke. Thank you so much for all of the time spent. I love it.

Completely content in my friend Leah's arms

. This kid is all boy. His 3 favorite things right now are his Superman shirt and hat and of course...his sword. Always tucked safely in his shirt-ready to use at a moments notice.

Throw in his Buzz Lightyear gun and he is in heaven!

One of the many notes Kate taped up for Luke on his cradle. She ADORES him.

On our way home from Target after purchasing the helmet...it was tough to get the thing off without him waking up!

Bag Ladies... At least they have an imagination, right?? They came up with this one on their own. Can you tell I like Target??

Luke at 1 1/2 months old

First pair of jeans a few weeks later

I think he likes them!

Luke will always have a fan

What a Difference

2011-03-20T23:33:00.000-07:00

January 4, 2011 --Luke's original due date.

We had to celebrate Luke on the day he was supposed to be born. It was so strange... it seemed like he had been with us for so long when January 4th rolled around. The kids wanted to make a birthday cake for him...notice the "K" is smeared? Yes, I believe they both have evidence of frosting on their faces...

You've gotta see this though. I was shocked as I looked back on the pictures that we've been taking over the past couple of months. Look at Luke during his bath. This was taken on December 27th-- 1 month and a day after he was born...And here he is on February 28th-- 2 months later!!!

I don't think I can call him a preemie anymore!!! In fact, as I type this, Luke has already been in for his 14 week check up. When I took him out of the carseat and the pediatrician took one look at him, he just started laughing. "Um, I don't think you need to be supplementing your milk anymore!" Yeah, I stopped that a LONG time ago. Haha!

Let's Just Add to the Chaos Because We Can

2011-03-20T22:40:00.001-07:00

I believe that kids instinctively know when you are unable to intervene...like when I sit down to nurse Luke or am on the phone with the insurance lady and it doesn't appear that I'll be getting off any time soon. This was one of those moments. I had given Kate her art lesson on texture and she was supposed to replicate Van Gogh's Sunflowers using paint to create her masterpiece. It was decent outside, so of course the art project moved outdoors to cut down on the cleanup at the kitchen table. Jake wanted to join in, so I got them all set up and then went inside and called our insurance to discuss some bills...

Yes, this is what I found as I peered out the backdoor while still talking to the lady on the phone.

What do you do?! I finally was able to get off the phone and of course Luke woke up and was crying...

There was no way they were coming in the house like that! It was starting to get a little chilly. I did the only thing I could think of in a hurry. Yes, it was January (but we live in CA), I made them strip down to their skinnies and I squirted the hose right at those kids until they were decent to enter the house. It was cold water and boy were they screaming! But you know what? They haven't done it since :) I had a warm bath waiting for them as soon as they got in the house. I'm not THAT mean.

OUTNUMBERED...

2011-03-20T21:52:00.001-07:00

AND FEELING IT!!! This kind of sums up why I haven't been blogging as of late :) I almost completely threw in the towel because I figured I just didn't have time to do this anymore...not that Luke is a hard baby...he is actually one of the most peaceful babies ever and just loves to snuggle... it's the turn of events with numero dos while recovering and trying to homeschool numero uno that almost did us in. But I realized I blog more than I write in my journal, so this needs to continue!

There's really no other way to put it. Jake has been SOMETHING ELSE! When we finally returned from Luke's great arrival, Jake suddenly for the very first time in his life, started waking up and coming into our room 5-6 times a night... refusing to take his naps, he turned into something of a wild creature, and really blew us all out of the water. Thankfully there were no hard feelings towards his little brother... let me just give you a couple of examples...

One evening while putting dinner on the table, I called to the kids to come sit down and eat. It took a few calls to get Jake to come on over and when he finally did, he had his sword stuck in the back of his shirt with a scrunched up nose and a hand on a hip and exclaimed, "This bad Lamanite is NOT hungry!" Don't know what a Lamanite is? Let me know. I'll get you a copy of The Book of Mormon-- another testament of Jesus Christ.... it'll change your life.
How 'bout when I found him with scissors cutting up a perfectly good book. When I looked at him, he said with a smile, "I'm cutting the book."
Or what about when he pooped in his diaper and instead of coming to tell me so I could change him, he decided it'd be more fun to run around naked in his room... you can imagine how fun that was to clean up.
Speaking of diapers, when we told him he's a big boy now and shouldn't need diapers anymore his reply was, 'I'm not a big boy. I'm widdle. I'll poop in the potty when I'm older." Clearly if you can say that, you are ready.

Hmmmm.... the list continues but that's good for now. We are down to him only getting up usually once a night now (the baby is already sleeping through the night, so something is backwards there!) But he's getting more rest 9and so are we) so things are looking up!

Just the other day we were going to Target to pick up some baseball mitts and helmets and bats for the the kids. I was explaining the difference between baseball and softball to Jake. Later that day, Jake decided to share this new info with one of his friend's mom. He began by telling her what we bought and then with this cutest expression he said, "Yeah, GIRLS play softball." I asked him what boys play and he said, "LOUD BALL!!!" Gotta love it.

Tiny Little Moments at Home

2010-12-23T00:46:00.000-08:00

Kate mentioned the other day, "Mom, you know what I want for Christmas? Luke and my Mommy and Daddy and Jakers. That's all I want." I'd have to agree. Wrap a bow around our little Luke and he is our perfect gift. How blessed we feel to have him home in time to celebrate another's birth...our Savior, Jesus Christ. Here are a few moments at home:

Do you think he's getting enough love???

We Didn't Forget About Them...

2010-12-23T00:36:00.000-08:00

Oh yeah! Our other kids :) Kate loves sleepovers, and boy did she get her fill! She and Jake spent their first night at their cousins and then moved over to Momo and BG's house to be spoiled for the next 2 1/2 weeks. Bubble baths, movies, toys, cookies, treats and more treats...hugs and kisses from Momo and BG! They loved it.

Can you tell??

THANK YOU Mom and Dad for helping us so much during this time. We had loving babysitters, 3 meals a day, laundry service and a cozy home to stay in while we went through this emotional ride in the NICU. We have felt and continue to feel such an outpouring of love from all of our family and friends. Thank you for all of your prayers, support and service!!!

Kate's first time holding Luke. She hates to let him go. She's attached to his hip if that's possible!

Jake's first time really seeing Luke. He came once into the NICU while I was there. He looked at Luke and said, "Does he walk? Does he talk?" Then I handed Luke back to the nurse and Jake got a quiver in his voice and said, "Why is she taking him away from us?" It broke my heart. He has been protective ever since and doesn't like people he doesn't recognize to hold Luke.

Luke is better than any baby doll you can buy at the store...Kate is in love. So are we :)

IV's, Wires, and Amazing Nurses

2010-12-23T00:20:00.000-08:00

I never knew how hard it would be to change a baby in an isolet or feed one with so many wires and iv's attached to him...we got pretty good at it...after I was released from the hospital, we were back 3x a day to hold and feed and check on Little Luke. We celebrated the day he was able to regulate his temperature well enough to be in an open air crib!

We absolutely loved the nurses in the NICU and knew each of them by name. They made it the most pleasant experience possible. Julie (what a coincidence) was one our favorites. She loved Luke and took such good care of him. We were so grateful for all of the nurses and doctors who helped him gain enough strength to come home.

Sunday night, December 12th, we got a surprise call from one of the nurses. We could take Luke home. They gave us special permission to bring in the kids (the rule is 2 at a time) so we could take our first family photo.

I couldn't have been happier to get the little guy into his carseat and take him home ot my parents house where we would stay for a few more days, just to make sure he was stable.

A Thanksgiving Suprise

2010-12-22T23:38:00.000-08:00

My official due date was supposed to be January 4, 2011. The day before Thanksgiving I went in for a normal checkup and everything looked good except for the fact that I had gained a whopping 15 pounds in the last 2 weeks. Yes, you read that right-- I was so swollen I barely recognized myself. Joe wondered if I could get any bigger... Thank you, honey. Just a huge baby? A possibility... As I was about to leave, my doctor asked me how the baby's movement was. Actually, I had noticed that it had decreased in the last week...but I had been really busy, so maybe I just wasn't paying attention. He wanted to do a non-stress test on the baby, so I went ahead and did it and then left. I figured he'd call me if something didn't look good. I got the call while I was driving home. "I don't like the looks of that test." He told me to count the baby's kicks after dinner that night. He needed to kick at least 5x within an hour after eating. I was sick... I was scared... I knew something wasn't quite right. I got the 5 kicks but then felt nothing until 4AM. The doctor told me if I had any doubt, to go to the hospital. I went the day after Thanksgiving and never left. Apparently the baby's tracing was no good. His heartbeat was strong, but he was not moving inside of me. The hospital is about 40 minutes away from us. I love it there. I delivered Kate and Jake there and really wanted to stick with them even though we had moved to Pleasanton. My mom happened to call while I was in the hospital getting checked and I told her where I was, but she didn't need to come down, because I was doing fine. I really was calm, and there was a part of me that really believed they would check me and send me home. Then my doctor arrived and a Stanford perinatologist. When they said this was serious, I began to shake and I wished I had told her to come down (they are only 10 minutes from El Camino Hospital). I didn't want to be alone. I was terrified. I called Joe and told him he needed to get the kids to my sisters house because I wasn't leaving. The next thing I knew, they were wheeling me into another room to do more tests...as the nurse and I turned the corner, there sat my mom, dad, and Chris--I wasn't alone. I cried as my mom explained that she had a feeling they needed to get in the car and come down to the hospital immediately. I cried even more when Joe arrived. I could face whatever was coming with my family by my side.

After plenty of tests, the doctors looked at me and said, "Do you have any questions about C-sections?" What?!!! Yes! I wasn't planning on a C-section, let alone having my baby 6 weeks early! From there, it was really a whirlwind. Before I knew it, we were in the operating room and I was having an emergency C-section.

LUKE MICHAEL BERRYHILL was born on November 26th at 4:08PM. He was 5 pounds and 18.75 inches long. He came out silent and once again, I panicked for those long seconds that felt like years, until I heard a scream. I saw his little face for only a moment and then Joe rushed out with him as he was taken to the NICU.

My sweet little baby boy was apparently trying to help me when he was in utero. My placenta wasn't the healthiest and Luke was doing his best to try and clot the bleeding that was going on inside of me. He was using up all of his energy, platelets, WBC, and bone marrow to try and fix me. As a result he was barely getting the oxygen he needed to survive and didn't have any reserves to rely on.

So he spent 2 1/2 weeks here. I don't think I've ever been on an emotional roller coaster ride quite like this one. It's one I hope we never have to experience again.

Welcome Home!!!

2010-12-22T23:21:00.000-08:00

Joe's youngest brother, David, returned home a week before Thanksgiving. He had been serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints for 2 years up in Washington. He could email and write letters once a week, but we weren't aloud to visit him or talk to him on the phone, except for Christmas and Mother's Day. You can tell that Mom was overjoyed to embrace her baby!

It was hard to wait your turn for a hug!!!

We Love You David!!!

Of course, we had to celebrate after such an exciting moment in the Sacramento Airport! We hit a yogurt shop that happened to be open late on a Tuesday night and briefly caught up before everyone headed back to their homes. What a great night!

"I'm Not a Big Boy... I'm Wittle!!!"

2010-12-22T23:02:00.000-08:00

Yes, but we need you to be a big boy so we can transition you out of the crib well before your brother arrives!!!!
So, we put together a toddler bed for Jake and he couldn't wait to get into it. This was his first night... He got special treatment while Kate read a bedtime story to him...

I snuggled him in, sang him a song and even when he looked up and said, "Rock me, Mommy," I rocked him for a little bit. He was set. This was going to be great!

Ten minutes later, I hear sobbing about how he doesn't like his big boy bed and he wants to sleep in his "wittle bed." It only seemed to get worse. Naps were a complete joke. This is what I found one day after peaking in to check on him. His room was completely destroyed. A broken lamp, all of his clothes pulled out of the drawers...wipes and diapers scattered everywhere... and Jakers is sacked out on his beanbag.

I know it takes time, but how much time?? No one is sleeping because of this little guys new found freedom of a big boy bed. He comes flying around the corner at 10PM with this "I just broke out of jail" smile and is rearing to go. The funny thing is, the bags are so big under his eyes, that he could trip on them! I have to admit, I loved the crib. I was in control... now I'm afraid, that is no longer.

The Grand Prize

2010-12-22T22:51:00.000-08:00

No...I'm not kidding. A few days after the contest, about the time Joe comes home from work, the doorbell rang. The kids came tearing down the hall to see who had come to visit. "Who is it?!!" No answer. Again... "Who IS IT?!!" Still, nothing. I told them to go ahead and open the door and there she stood--all alone on the front step-- Kate shrieked with glee, while I saw Jake immediately coil up and with wide eyes, slowly back his way around the corner, into the kitchen saying, "No, no, no".
The next thing we hear is Joe's laughter from around the corner. Yes, this giraffe was the grand prize for the pumpkin decorating contest. If I had known, maybe I wouldn't have tried so hard :) The kids love her now... they've named her Spotty. Joe suggested to his colleagues that she could be the traveling giraffe, taking turns in each of the homes with children. They all laughed at him and ever-so-kindly responded-- "No way-- she's all yours." Nice.

Yeah Giants!

2010-11-01T21:54:00.000-07:00

So Joe had a mini pumpkin decorating contest at work... we were trying to figure out what to do with it and decided that we were so proud of our Giants, we should dedicate it to them. Here's what we came up with :) Lighting wasn't so good because we finished it at midnight last night...that's a baseball cap on top of his head.

There's no way we can lose after the game tonight! I'll let you know what happens...

Happy Halloween!!!

2010-10-30T22:56:00.000-07:00

When we were deciding what to be for Halloween this year, Kate said right away that she wanted to be a mermaid. I like to coordinate the kids-- at least as long as I can--and so I was a little hesitant to agree to it at first. "Yeah, but if you're a mermaid, what will Jake be?" She replied without a drop of a hat--"He can be a merman, Mom." I couldn't let that fly-- he's surrounded by glitter and frilly stuff constantly. He needed a tough costume-- something fierce. After some thinking, we figured he'd be the perfect shark. He loved the idea and since I am terrified of the creatures, I figured that was good enough! Somehow, he doesn't quite make me want to hide in a corner though with a pillow over my eyes! The kid is just too darn cute! Happy Halloween!

Carving Time

2010-10-30T22:32:00.000-07:00

Last Night was the night. We cranked up the Halloween Music and grabbed our bowls and tools and went to work.

Kate wasn't so sure about the whole cleaning-out-the-pumpkin-thing. It kind of grossed her out. We told her she had to at least get some slime on her hands or she couldn't own her pumpkin. She relented.Jake loved every second of it. He couldn't get enough of poking his pumpkin will all sorts of things...tools, crayons, markers, mini saws...I guess it's true. You don't document your growth as much the more pregnancies you have. Maybe because it's so shocking at how fast your belly pops out! I like to think my body is just extra smart the 3rd time around and it knows just what to do to provide a comfy place for this little guy ;) Yes...I officially have 2 months left, but apparently this one is measuring large, so I'm not surprised if he comes early.They turned out great! Thanks, Joe, for dedicating your pumpking to me :)

So, if you don't know already, one of my favorite things is chocolate covered caramel apples. I LOVE everything about them. I decided a couple of years ago, that I'd make a tradition this time of year of making my own. Why not??? I have my own special concoction that is divine and this time around, the apples at the store were deliciously huge! So they turned out even better and more to go around for everyone! After getting the pumpkins out on the porch and cleaning up our seeds, the kids asked, "So...Can we have a little treat?" Actually, yes! I had the perfect thing.

I heard Kate mention to Joe as he was getting the kids in the bath..."That was the best night ever." I'd say it was pretty high on my list :)

Fall is Here!!!

2010-10-30T22:13:00.000-07:00

Maybe not weather-wise, but we needed to go visit one of our favorite "Punkin Patches," as Jake likes to say, over in Half Moon Bay by the coast. We abandoned our coats in the car and enjoyed every second of sunshine together.

Classic

Kate was in HEAVEN at the little petting zoo...she said the bunnies and the pigs were her favorite. Jake just looked concerned that the goat would take him down at any moment!

Nice air!

Searching for the perfect one

Last ride-- check out those nasty feet!!!

What a beautiful day! The traffic coming back over into the Bay was horrendous, so we decided to go have dinner instead-- we ate at the BEST place right on the water-- Sam's Chowder House. Oh was it good! Like the old man sitting outside yelled when I told Joe it was going to be a 45 minute wait... "IT's WORTH IT!" And it was.

And the Winner is...

2010-09-21T00:57:00.000-07:00

Ok, so this is the first Hawaii 2010 picture I will post. I know some of you have been waiting for them! I haven't had a chance to hand pick my favorites for this year yet, but that will be my next post-- I promise.

This one is definitely a top though, because in my hand I am holding the envelope that would allow us to peak into our future. We have a little tradition that we started with Kate. We go to the ultrasound and have the doctor write down for us the sex of the baby; he puts it in an envelope and then we open it up at a memorable moment.

We thought our first night in Hawaii would be perfect! Oh, and yes, I'm pregnant :) Due January 4th. Just pray for me that this baby doesn't come early...I really don't want a December birthday for this little one...

Anyway, I digress. The doc wrote on the outside of the envelope, "And the winner is..."

A BOY!!!!

Taking Advantage of the Sunshine

2010-09-21T00:44:00.000-07:00

I love summer. How can you not? The Alameda County Fair is in our backyard, so we have now attended the two years that we've lived here!
Jake really got to enjoy it this year!

Kate and Gracie on the blue slides

Apparently Kate got a faster rug...or does she just weigh more??? Whatever the reason, she seems to be a little surprised with her speed!

"Brik is my friend." Is one of Jake's favorite things to say. Aren't they lucky that they are cousins too?

We also took a little trip this summer to the California Academy of Science...it was my first time there and I loved it!

Could have stayed a lot longer than we did--but now I know we will return!

"Freestyle's My Favorite..."

2010-09-21T00:22:00.000-07:00

I don't like the other strokes." Well, at least we learned most of them! Swim team was fantastic this year! Kate met her best swim buddy, Shelby, and the two of them watched out for each other the whole season.

We laughed and cheered and laughed some more with every meet. Some were a little painful to watch and we had to cut our video footage short...but we learned some important lessons... like-- if you bribe your kid with a buck, she'll swim faster than you ever thought possible!

This series was her very first "dive" of her very first swim meet. I love it.

Look at that smile!!!

We can't wait until next season!

Girls Night with BG

2010-09-21T00:02:00.000-07:00

How lucky can 4 girls be??? My dad arranged in the middle of the summer for a very special girls night out with BG. We were off to San Francisco to see Peter Pan right on the Bay across from the Ferry building. "Put it on your calendar! It's gonna be great!" Oh and was it ever! Dad never goes half way with anything. He was taking his girls out, so he had to make sure they were outfitted appropriately for their first play in the city. He picked out and ordered these dresses just for the special occasion.

Like I said, how can a girl be so lucky???

We ate dinner at the Ferry Building and walked right over to the play. Everything was perfect-- the weather, the dinner, the company... and the play was EXCELLENT! Highly recommended for anyone thinking of going to see it.

THANK YOU SO MUCH, DAD, for making this such a memorable evening--not only for your little girls, but your grown up ones too!

Berryhills in the Treetops

2010-09-20T22:56:00.000-07:00

Every 2 years, the Berryhill family gets together for a reunion. It's usually the original family-- mom and dad+ 9 kids+ spouses and all of the children that go with it :) Well, this year was my year to plan it. While on vacation a few years ago, I met a lady who happened to mention this great "treesort" that her family stayed at 10 years prior and her kids were still talking about it--they loved it so much. So I did a little research and discovered "Out 'n' About Treehouses" up in Cave Junction, Oregon. I knew that this is was the place. I couldn't help but sing, "In the Leafy Treetops" the entire time I planned this thing. Maybe it's the primary chorister in me, but it just seemed perfect.
The pictures are in no particular order, but everyone got to pick out their own treehouses to live in and we spent a long weekend having a GREAT time together. We did family skits, we swam, we made smores around the campfire, we tie dyed t-shirts, we ziplined and then even braved the giant tarzan swing, we stayed up way too late playing BUNCO, and I'm sure there is more, but really just enjoyed being together.

Yes, that's my Kate ziplining--there is a huge smile on her face, even though she claimed she didn't want to do it!!!

The three brave, young, souls who attempted and completed the course!

Joe was thrilled his little girl decided to join him.

The Adventurists

Our very first tie tying experience

Jake still asks where his tie dye shirt is if he can't find it in his drawer and cries when I tell him it's in the wash. He says so clearly, "It (pause) Has (pause) Spirals!" And then gives me a huge grin.

The two who started it all

Thanks everyone for making the drive and taking the time to enjoy being together. We loved it and love you! Looking forward to next time!!!!

"And I'm Proud to be an American...

2010-09-20T22:42:00.000-07:00

where at least I know I'm Free....." Oh man. I LOVE that song. I could listen to and belt out those words over and over again. They send chills up my spine. So the radio is usually on all day on the 4th of July so I can hear it again and again. I should just download it on itunes! I drove the kids around in the car and we went up and down the neighborhoods counting how many flags were up in front of people's homes. We did it when I was a kid and I wanted to make sure that tradition continued. I want my kids to know how blessed they are to be living in this country and to be excited when they see our flag. Kate asked me why more people didn't put flags up. Sadly, I wondered the same thing.

Fireworks come with the territory on the Fourth. We got together with my sister's fam, Chris and Dad (Mom was still in Italy) and met up in San Ramon for a great show.
There's just something wonderful when you spread out blankets and eat brownies and sing to patriotic songs and hear your kids "ooohs and aaahhhhs" as they watch art explosions in the sky.

Happy Fourth of July!

Everyone PLEASE SAY CHEESE!!!

2010-09-20T22:35:00.000-07:00

Is it really that hard to get 5 children to look at you when you are trying to document summer fun?! This was hysterical. I have at LEAST 12 shots of these cuties in our backyard having a picnic after some swimming, trampoline-ing, and swinging! They wanted nothing to do with the camera lense. This was the best I got. At least I've captured it so I won't forget :)

Summer Fun

2010-09-20T22:28:00.000-07:00

I KNOW it's been a long time since I've posted anything. This computer is so darn slow, that it makes blogging a bit tedious at times when I try to upload pictures. So, I was procrastinating, hoping that we'd be getting a computer in the near future. Well, our fridge died on us and so the computer will have to wait a bit. Get ready for a few new posts.... I'm catching up on the summer. Might not get it all done tonight!!!!!

Is this not the cutest? We had our friends, the Holt's, over for dinner in the beginning of the summer before they decided to leave us and move to Utah. So sad for us, but thrilled for them to be close to family! Their daughter Ella was the center of everyone's attention--especially my kids! We miss you!

You've Got Flippers for Feet--USE THEM!

2010-07-20T23:01:00.000-07:00

That's what I heard from my own swim coach when I was in high school. Nice. We figured Kate will probably have the same problem, so we decided she'd benefit from being on a swim team at a young age to make use of the large appendages that run in our family :)

In all honestly, swim team was cheaper than lessons, and we figured she'd be swimming 5 days a week, so she'd have to pick up on it. We kind of threw her into the fire because she was the only 4 year old on the team-- the rest of the "6 and under group" were all 6 years old. I was so nervous the first day of practice. She wasn't. She was thrilled to be wearing her stylish cap and hop in the pool with the big kids.
Jake and Mickey looked on wishing they could be in the water with her!

Yes, that's her on the end. Pink cap. The first week of practice she did what she does best and doggy paddled her heart out-- WITHOUT getting her face wet. The coaches kept trying to get her to put her face in the water, but she'd just reply, "No thanks," and continue on swimming. She looked painful-- as if she were drowning-- but amazingly, that kid's desire to not get her face wet, kept her afloat!

In fact, on one occasion that first week, a parent happened to be walking by and saw Kate "swimming" to the other end of the pool. He thought she was drowning and yelled out to the coaches, "THIS ONE NEEDS HELP!!!" I was sitting right on the edge of the pool and couldn't help my laughter. The best part about it was that she felt like she was one of the best-- doing her thing.

Thankfully, after that first week, and lots of practice with goggles in the tub (Kate and myself), she started getting that head in the water and her rear on the surface. Suddely, freestyle was her "favorite" stroke.

With all of this new found equipment, Jake was having a hay day! I found him like this one afternoon in those early weeks of practice.

Yes-- those goggles are upsidedown.

Maybe I should try that. It just might make vacuuming all the more enjoyable!

"I like the dress, but not the hat..."

2010-07-20T22:22:00.000-07:00

That is what I heard when I had Kate try on the costume that she'd be wearing for her dance recital this year. She LOVES to dance. She can't get enough of it. She dances everywhere she goes. She was even dancing today in the mirror to keep herself occupied as she listened to the station playing while I was getting my braces tightened. Anyway, I couldn't agree more. I didn't like the hat either. But I promised she'd only have to wear it once and then she could do whatever she wanted with it.

So, way back in the middle of June (is it really almost August?!!!!), Kate had her dance recital. All of the girls were backstage waiting to perform, crowded around a little DVD player trying to get a view of the movie playing for them.While up in the nosebleeds, sat my dad, Chris, mom, Joe and Jake. Don't mind that mohawk behind us!!! Yes, that is the back wall behind the mohawk kid. There were only 2 more rows behind us in the balcony of this place...Who knew that these type of things sell out on the first day of ticket purchasing???

Thanks to my dad's AMAZING photography skills and his even more amazing telephoto lense, he was able to capture the following sequence while I tried to video. You don't even need to hear the music when you see that smile on her face, those knobby knees and her stellar moves: Yes, she caught air as she was waving goodbye to all of her fans.

Celebrating afterwards with her good friend Elise!

Jake happily held Kate's ribbon for her while she showed off her flowers...as soon as that shot was taken, the hat came off and then next thing we knew, Jake had taken the fabric off and placed the now white hat on his head. He looked like one of those wind up monkeys that needed symbols in his hands to clap together. Priceless. Glad one of us liked it.

So proud of you, Kate! I LOVED every ounce of sass and smile in your

"Ain't Too Proud to Beg" performance.

Where the Wild Things Are...

2010-06-22T22:03:00.000-07:00

We packed quite a bit into our trip. Two full days at Disneyland, and then we spent our 3rd and final day down at the San Diego Zoo. It was nice to have a more mellow day at the end-- I think we were all pretty wiped out! The zoo really was amazing. It had been YEARS since I had been there.
We got a kick out of this orangutan that came right up to the window and mirrored the kids. It was hysterical! She sat like that and would mimic the kids if they put their hands up to the window and she'd just stare right back at them!

Loved the pandas, the polar bears, the wombats, the elephants, the monkeys, the hippos and especially the reptiles! I was surprised that Kate was so into them! She wanted to look at every snake and find out where it was from and if it was poisonous or not... I guess she is definitely her BG's granddaughter.

The only family picture we have on the entire trip. Nice. Goes to show you that I definitely had a stuffy head while we were down there, because I didn't even think to get a family picture at Disneyland!

The Koalas were a huge hit

Riding the tram over the zoo.

What a great way to spend our last day!

The Happiest Place on Earth

2010-06-22T17:29:00.000-07:00

We haven't been on a vacation, just the 4 of us, in 3 years...which means... before Jake was even born! Ahhh! It shocked us when we realized we'd let that much time go by! So it was settled. We'd take off a few days before Memorial weekend and head down south. Kate had been asking when we were going to go to Disneyland and we figured it'd be a good time to go because we could focus completely on the rides and things that were geared towards our kids.
Kate had her eye and heart set on the Mary Poppins horse on the carousel. We didn't get it the first time around, but ran for it the 2nd and 3rd time.... she was beyond thrilled that she got to ride it. Jake was happy to be riding on his own :)

The longest line we waited in the two days we were there was to see the princesses. It was an hour. I've heard horror stories about that wait, so we figured an hour wasn't SO bad. While in line, we "splurged" by letting her get her face painted--what it came down to is she saw the BEAUTIFUL princess dresses that were $65 and really wanted one...

I "happened" to divert her attention to the face painting and she got really excited! PHEW!

FINALLY!

We got to meet Princess Tiana...

Have a good chat with Cinderella...

And compare dresses with Ariel.

It was worth the wait to see the smile on her face :)

The rockets were a hit

Jake was MESMERIZED by the parade.

In fact, the kids liked it so much, we saw it again the 2nd day we were there!

Enjoying the Ladybug ride at California Disney

How can you resist these little bugs???

Caught in action-- the teacups were one of the kids FAVORITE rides.

I love their faces as we spun around again and again... I think we went on it 10 times!

Shockingly, the kids never fell asleep right away when we got back to the hotel. I think every night I heard Jake yacking and singing to himself as I drifted off to sleep.

We indulged in quite the treat at the end of our trip. We surprised the kids to breakfast at Goofy's kitchen. We found out that our good friends the Wollesen's would be overlapping our stay and so we were thrilled they could join us!

Kate was ecstatic to meet Sleeping Beauty... that beat the Mickey Mouse waffles and all you can eat dessert :)

Jake was pretty impressed with the sheer size of Baloo.

Great to be together!

Shea Butter

2010-06-22T14:09:00.000-07:00

Have you ever used shea butter? It is some of the best stuff when it comes to super dry skin. I love it. I use it mostly in the winter time and so I keep it under the sink the rest of the year. It smells really good...and did I mention you only need to use a tiny bit to see magnificent results?
I honestly don't even know where I was when this took place. Probably folding clothes in the back.

The funny thing is, our house is so small, it's not as if I can't hear everything that is going on...

We went to see cousin Ben play baseball this very same night. Have any guesses as to who the bugs were attracted to? Jake smelled delicious! And his skin was extra soft too! Looks like I'll need to go get another container before winter rolls around again.

A Soapy Situation

2010-06-22T13:04:00.000-07:00

We had a few birthday parties coming up--so we went to the store and Kate picked out bubble machines for the kids-- one for each of them and one for us. I thought it was a great idea because then I wouldn't have to be the one blowing all of the bubbles!!! So this particular morning, the sun was out and it was warm. The kids ran to the backyard after breakfast and while I was cleaning up, I realized I didn't hear my name being yelled for quite some time... that always means there's a possibility for disaster... I found them THOROUGHLY enjoying the bubble machine!

Notice Kate's matted hair? She was showing Jake the perfect stance to get just the right amount of bubbles on top of his head. Isn't she a great big sister?!

Why are bubbles so much fun? I love 'em too.

I left for a time only to come back to find them sitting in their chairs laughing about the morning's events with soap COMPLETELY covering the very tips of their heads to the bottoms of their toes.

By 10 AM they already had a bath

and were ready for their next adventure!

ET Anyone???

2010-06-22T12:55:00.000-07:00

We came home after church one day and I just had to lie down. Singing time with the kids for 2 hours must have worn me out or something! So, I stretched out on the couch and before I knew it I was out. I woke up to this. I thought it was getting a little toasty in the house! The kids thought they were pretty clever. My favorite is Kate in her bathing suit WITH the undies still on. What a fashion statement. When I saw this picture that Joe took, it immediately reminded me of that one scene in ET... I'll have to dig that out and show it to them...

It's That Time Again

2010-05-06T23:38:00.000-07:00

I don't think I ever officially took Kate to get her 4 year old pictures taken and Jake needed his 2 year old shots so I made an appointment to get it done. Of course it fell on a day that was pouring rain outside! Seems like that happened last year too... Thankfully, we got some good ones...

Kate requested the flower pictures-- she even picked out the bouquets and added the butterfly...she's so funny!

We all needed a Wetzles Pretzel, a lemonade and a nap after this one!

Get Your Elbows Off the Table

2010-05-06T23:27:00.000-07:00

It all began after a busy Monday at work. Not only was mom at my house treating my kids like king and queen, but she was also making a yummy dinner and decided to have Chris come up (yeah!! He's home from BYU) and Dad and I would drive home together and Joe would meet us right about the same time. Perfect! Dinner was DELICIOUS (Thank You, Mom) and then came dessert. There were probably 3 different conversations going on when suddenly we saw this:
Are you that flexible? Forget "No elbows on the table..."

He carried on as if this were perfectly normal, totally absorbed in his mint chocolate chip

Then he caught sight of me as he stretched to get just a little more comfortable

Really? This isn't how we do things around here??!!

Even BG coming over didn't faze those feet!

You're cute, Jake.

Time For A Little Discovery

2010-05-06T23:08:00.000-07:00

After dance class one morning, our good friends the Borges invited us to go to the Children's Discovery Museum with them. It had been a long time since I had been there and I knew the kids would love it.
The fire truck is always a hit

The pizza parlor was a BLAST. The kids stayed here for ever making pizzas, serving them, taking orders, making pizzas again... and even learning how to use a cash register...

my waitress was pretty cute :)

Leah looked really hungry, so they took good care of her!

Then came a little painting discovery

How much do you think that piece could sell for?

Jake LOVES his buddy Noah (aka "Nona")

Kate can't get enough of Elise

I love the water area at the museum-- soooo much fun---just bring an extra pair of clothes!

Alana and Kate pretending to be patients in an ambulance

They don't look too sick to me!

Trying to catch the floating ball was a definite hit.

What a great afternoon! We stayed so long that the food court even closed before we decided it was time to head on home!

Happy for good friends.

If The Shoe Fits...

2010-05-06T22:57:00.000-07:00

At any given moment, I can find Jake with a different pair of shoes on. And almost ALWAYS they are not his own.
He finds pure satisfaction in delving into our closets to find the perfect pair, leaving behind mass confusion.

My favorite is when he attempts Kate's sparkly shoes or my heels. He scuffles along feeling so proud of himself, saying "Mommy's shoes...Kate's shoes..." and then in a really loud, low voice when he has chosen a pair from Joe, "Daddy's shoes!"

I just pray that his feet will be bigger than mine some day ;)

Earthquake?

2010-05-06T22:50:00.000-07:00

You might think that when you look at the image below...In sad reality, this is what I found when I came to check on Jake during his nap. Sometimes it takes him a while to settle down, so I don't worry if I hear a bit of noise. This day seemed to weigh a little on the heavy side when it came to knocking and banging, so I thought I'd better check in on the kid.

Yes... every blanket, animal and book are chucked out; but what terrified me most was the heavy frame being held up by only a single nail! He's never payed attention to the thing before... apparently today the goal was to get "J" askew. He even found a way to pull up his blinds and then finally fall asleep. I'd be tired too after all of the exertion!

Just glad you're OK, buddy.

2010-05-06T22:26:00.000-07:00

Wish I had my camera set to a quicker speed-- Ethan and Hugh were giving their cousins such a thrill ride on the swings that the kids faces are blurry... But I love this shot because you can almost hear their laughter. So blessed to have such great cousins.

We had all just come from "How to Train Your Dragon" and ended up back at our house talking and laughing for what turned out to be a few wonderful hours (side note-- first movie Jake has sat through and not gotten fidgety)-- when we looked at the time and suddenly realized no one had had dinner (we ate A LOT of popcorn and candy at the movies)...we hit the least healthiest place in our freezer and celebrated being together with corndogs. Yes, corndogs... don't worry, if you are ever invited over, that

will not be on the menu. Thanks for such a WONDERFUL Saturday afternoon Woodruffs! We love you.

Ever Been Caught Doing This??

2010-05-06T22:16:00.000-07:00

Me too. And I think I probably had that same look of satisfaction on my face :)
See those brownie spots on her shirt? She was trying to get in as much as she could before being noticed...

Another Worthy Kwote

2010-04-14T23:51:00.000-07:00

The things my kids say tickle me. So much so, that I decided to start a quote book way back when. I keep it in the kitchen for easy access, and I write down all of the fun things I hear them say. I was just catching up on it tonight and realized that I never mentioned another favorite from a couple of weeks ago.

I was cuddling with Jake before putting him down for bed, when Kate came in and the following conversation took place:

Kate: "Mom, you gotta see this.:

Me: "Not now, Kate, I'm putting Jake to bed."

Kate: "But, Mom, P-L-E-A-S-E!!! It's something Jakey did."

Me: "Just tell me what it is." (This was said a few times and then when she still resisted...)

Kate: "Well, it's not something Heavenly Father would do... it's something Satan would do."

Do you think I finally listened?!

What a Game!!!

2010-04-07T23:00:00.000-07:00

I think that was the best championship game I have ever seen! I know practically everyone in the world was hoping Butler would pull it off. Normally, I would be cheering for them too... But I have to stand by my team!

I love Coach K. The best part about it was that we got to watch the game with Mike and Carrie and Nicholas. Our kids were spending the night at Grandma's because of my crazy work schedule this week, so as soon as Joe and I pulled into the driveway Monday night, we rushed over to the Thompson's. Nicholas was on his third day of potty training (notice he's not smiling?), but I think during the last few seconds of the game, all of us could have wet our pants!!! I was so impressed with both teams! What a great night! And even better... Joe won his pool at work! Yahoo!

Easter Morn

2010-04-07T22:19:00.000-07:00

Twice a year, in the spring and fall, we are lucky enough to have a General Conference for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. This is a time when we have the opportunity to listen to our prophet and his apostles and other inspired leaders. I love General Conference because it inspires me to be better and to focus on what's most important--those things that will bring me closer to my Heavenly Father and His son, Jesus Christ. The conference is broadcast worldwide, and so it is actually one Sunday when we are able to "have church at home" while we tune in on the TV or computer at www.lds.org . This year, because Easter was the first Sunday in April, it coincided with conference. What a perfect way to celebrate Christ's resurrection and His gift to us of eternal life. So, we tried to to make it fun for the kids and made a fort for them to snuggle up in. It didn't hold their attention for the entire time, but at least we got a good 10 minutes of silence ;)When it was all over, the bunny ears were put on and the kids were ready for their Easter egg hunt. The starting block-- our back porch steps.

Unfortunately, it was freezing outide! It looked and felt as though a huge storm was about to hit!

Showing off their goods as the first raindrops began to fall

What kind of goodies await???

Jake found ONE he liked... the Reeses Peanut Butter Egg...

TWO

THREE

(I didn't know his mouth was big enough to handle that egg whole!)

Is that it?!

Go Duke!

2010-04-07T22:05:00.000-07:00

We were watching Duke play West Virginia on Saturday and I didn't realize how intently Jake must have been listening to me, because all of the sudden I heard him running around with his toys and chapstick yelling, "Ga Gook!" I had to capture it on video! Here's a clip...

Putting A Lotta Color into Easter

2010-04-07T21:28:00.000-07:00

It was 3 days before Easter and Kate was BEGGING me to play princess with her...again... this consists of picking out fancy dresses from her closet and mine, choosing at least 4 different pairs of shoes (hers and mine) and then pretending that we are princesses, which involves putting jammies on, "going to sleep," waking up, getting dressed for a day out of the palace, and going to the park (backyard), coming home and getting dressed once again into our ball attire, complete with jewelry, crowns, etc... you get the idea. I don't mind it every once in a while, but I was not in the mood for changing countless times and then putting it all away! I already don't like putting my laundry away! So I suggested we try a different activity! Thankfully, she couldn't wait! Jake was down for his nap, so I figured it'd be a good time to pull out the dye!!!

I showed Kate how to do it and let her at it. She had so much fun and kept checking the eggs to see if they were bright enough. The egg in the pink dye took the longest to get just right! But she was so thrilled when it came out!

I was impressed with her diligence at getting the colors just right...but this activity was NOT over. The dipping and checking and soaking lasted well over an hour and by the time Jake was awake, the water in each cup looked black and all of the eggs started taking on a similar hue.

We were nice enough to save three white eggs for Jake.

"The professional" showing him how it's done.

Even though Kate begged me to "just let Jakey sleep a little longer" when she heard his first wake-up cry, she admitted it was fun working together with him for a short while!

She left him after a few minutes and then Jake's own creative juices began to flow...

What a fun afternoon!

Although there is a lesson to be learned...

We need to be grateful for all of God's colors--if He soaked us all in green, like the fate of 90% of these eggs, the world would be a pretty boring place ;)

Happy Easter!

This Kid Has Got it Made!

2010-04-07T21:14:00.000-07:00

Joe has always teased me that my birthday is not one day of celebration, but more like a "birthmonth." Well, I guess my son is following in my footsteps, because the day after we had my side of the family over to our home, we drove out to Ceres to celebrate the March birthdays. Happy Birthday, Alisa, Jake and Hugh!

We laughed because this would be Jake's THIRD attempt at blowing out his candle. Would he do it???

Hooray!!!

That's right, Buddy-- YOU DID IT-- you own that candle! Way to go!

Kate LOVES Ethan

Nana and Papa helping Jake read his cards

Jake getting a little extra cuddle time with someone he can't get enough of...

Grandma!

As I was putting this and the last post together, Kate saw the pictures and mentioned that she never got to try the chocolate cake. "I just ate the cookies!!! Could you make another one?" I think she'll have to wait until her birthday!

Birthday Celebration Numero Dos

2010-04-05T22:52:00.000-07:00

According to Kate, it took a long time to finally celebrate Jake's birthday. Five days after he turned two, we had Brik, Gracie, Ben, Uncle Matt, Aunt Jen and Momo and BG over to make it official! The little guys at their VIP table

It was so nice to be able to have a warm spring evening to eat dinner in our backyard!
I can't wait until that is a consistent thing...

Cousins gathering round to start us all off with a beautiful rendition of "Happy Birthday." It's a good thing kids don't realize if you're tone deaf!

So, this is attempt #2 of blowing out the candle... let's just say it wasn't quite what we were expecting!!

Hmmm...the nose just doesn't quite get the job done...Matt requested a piece of cake on the back side. Probably a good idea :) My favorite part of that entire clip is when brother and sister look and each other and embrace. Oh how I love to see my kids loves each other... that is the BEST!

Jake going for it. He loves chocolate, the color yellow, and "O's" (he calls anything that is a circle, the letter "O")- so I thought I'd make it simple this year when it came to the cake...

Despite the picture... it did turn out REALLY good...this kid just doesn't like the initial sticky-finger-factor.

Could it be that there is just a touch too much sugar running through his veins?!

Obviously over the fact that he's a royal mess!

I thought this was cute. Momo made the adorable quilt that is under these three for Jake's birthday. After the party was over, the girls turned on a movie and the next thing I knew, the quilt was carefully placed directly in front of the TV, with Jake coming to join them. After all, it was his present!

Happy Birthday, Jakers!

2010-03-22T22:45:00.000-07:00

Can it really be that 2 years ago last night I was awakened in the middle of the night by Jake letting me know he was ready to join our family? I still laugh because I had just been to see my OBGYN the previous day and she said, "Nope, nothing's happening-- he won't be here for a while." I woke Joe up after watching the clock for 3 hours-- too shocked to say anything earlier-- we rushed off to the hospital, leaving my mom with her nervous giggle and my dad chasing behind us in his car (we had forgotten the camera...)
THREE WEEKS EARLY. Hospital Bag? Not packed. Baby Clothes washed? Nope. Baby Shower? No Show (I did RSVP with my new response!) Could we have been any happier? NEVER! Jacob James Berryhill was here and he was was ours. He didn't want to miss out on seeing everyone at his baby shower and we couldn't wait for him to be there!

So today we had a mini celebration, thanks to Grandma! I work on Mondays, so we decided we would celebrate this weekend with family. Grandma came to watch the kids and just as grandma's do, she spoiled Jake with birthday love and made his favorite-- spaghetti. We put 2 candles in the cupcakes she brought and sang to him! I was so grateful to her because I really hadn't planned anything for today and was feeling a little guilty.

The frosting and confetti sprinkles were by far top priority

Jake loved the singing and kept on singing to himself after it was over... "Happy Cake, Happy Cake...."

Makes sense.
I love you, big 2 year old. More pictures and celebrating to come this weekend!!!

Wheels + Sunshine = Happiness

2010-03-22T22:26:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday was one of the first that I didn't have to work AND we weren't sick AND it wasn't raining! Since we had all three things going for us, we decided to get out and do a little bicycling. We headed to Coyote Hills Regional Park right along the Bay and got all geared up. That is a task within itself! We have plenty of wheels to get ready... Jake's carriage and Kate's "Trail-A-Bike," plus all of the toys and snacks to keep everyone occupied and smiling! What a perfect way to spend our morning-- with all of the gear needed, we failed to bring Kate's helmet, so we gave her Joe's and tightened it up as small as it would go. Thank goodness she has a nice size head, otherwise it wouldn't have worked ;)

Side Note: don't get blinded by that neon skin of mine-- I was just trying to give it a little fresh air-- it hadn't seen the sun in a very long time...

Jake discovering a California poppy for the first time

We decided the trail-a-bike was a good purchase because we could go as fast as we wanted and Kate could still feel like she was riding a bike and being a part of everything! I know Jake LOVED having the carriage to himself. We stopped to read about all of the birds we were seeing and Kate discovered that leopard sharks were swimming not too far from her. Always a nice thought...
Fresh air is so good for the soul.
Thank you, family! Looking forward to next time...

An Afternoon of Smiles and Laughter

2010-03-21T22:17:00.000-07:00

Last week was the grand re-opening of a little place in San Jose, called Happy Hollow. It was closed for over 1 1/2 years as they renovated the entire park. Because we are members, we got a "sneak peak." So I decided to take the kids on Tuesday. IT WAS FANTASTIC. So much better than before! The zoo is practically the same except they moved the petting area to a completely new spot (in a cute barn up by the entrance) and had a big dinosaur excavation area in it's place. We spent a little time there...

And then moved on to check out the puppet shows, the amazing new play structure, and of course... the rides! This roller coaster ride below is new to the park. Kate really wanted to go on it, but Jake was too little. I told her to go for it, but she'd have to go alone, because I had to stay with her brother. Hesitation and worry, but she still got on!! I was kind of surprised!

By the look on her face, I'd say she made the right decision...

She loved it so much, she went on it twice.

Makes me feel like going to Disneyland and hopping on Space Mountain...

We'll definitely be back for that one!

Next came the ladybugs...

and then the cars...

But Jake's all time favorite was the Frop Hopper. Oh, how he loved the Frog Hopper!

It's one of those rides that brings you up,up,up, and then drops you down and brings you back up again... He would giggle and giggle and just laugh the entire time!

Checking out how high off the ground they were getting

Look! No hands!

That's my girl! Thanks for smiling, Kate! Jake was giving the girl next to him the evil eye because she took his seat! Nice.

Here's a clip that'll make you sick, but you'll get to see the pure delight on Jake's face. I'd say his first "roller coaster" ride was a success!!

On the drive home... Do you think I wore them out? What a great day, together. They can't wait to take Dad back with them!

What Do Your Kids Like to Do on a Rainy Day?

2010-03-21T21:55:00.000-07:00

Mine like to color...

and color...
and color...

"Ohhhhhhhh, you mean I was supposed to use paper???"

I think the snot coming out of the right nostril really adds to this one...

"Mom, you still love us, right?"

Always.

I Have Just One Question...

2010-03-11T22:57:00.001-08:00

Is anyone else out there just as ecstatic as I that the Mini Eggs have returned for yet another wonderful Easter season???

So long M&M's... (at least until my stash runs out!)

Her First Date

2010-03-03T21:23:00.000-08:00

And she's only four years old...

What a lucky girl!

Kate was asked to attend the Disney on Ice performance this past weekend with someone she absolutely has fallen head over heals for... And from the look on her face when she got home, I think he'll be asking her out again!

Grab Your Aprons...

2010-03-03T20:44:00.000-08:00

Cammie's Turning FIVE!!There's no better way to celebrate than with a little flour, a little plastic and lotsa smiles!Cammie blazed the trail for her cousins by showing them how to make beautifully sculptured fruit kabobs...The fruit of someone I know didn't quite seem to want to make it to the sticks...they kept getting lost in her mouth! Next came pouring and mixing and a little more eating...

I think squishing the pizza dough between their hands was a definite highlight! The finished product turned out delicious!I think we officially have three chefs in the family to carry on Nana's legacy... Thanks Cammie and Lynne for hosting such a FUN Saturday together! We LOVED every second of it! Kate's hat and apron are in plain view in our kitchen so she can grab them at a seconds notice--she feels she now has the experience necessary to help me out with every meal :)

What do Shaun White and I Have In Common?

2010-03-03T19:09:00.000-08:00

One of Jake's favorite things to do is to sneak into our bathroom cabinet, take everything out, and distribute those items artistically around the house. Thankfully yesterday it was just my curlers...and then I got to thinking...when was the last time I actually used those curlers?! At least 8 years ago--maybe longer. So, I plugged them in and figured I'd give them a breather from the dark corner under our sink. Twenty minutes later I shook my fingers through my hair and looked at myself in the mirror...and what I saw was this: I looked like Shaun White. Not quite what I was going for... Kate came in and laughed... I immediately packed them back up and retired them even further back under the cabinet. Maybe she'll use them some day...

"'C' is For Cookie...And That's Good Enough For Me"

2010-02-27T23:23:00.000-08:00

Kate has always loved her letters...so much so, that we decided she was ready to start reading lessons at the end of last summer. So most days of the week, after Jake would go to bed, Kate and I would do her lessons. She LOVED them!

(Well, I'm not sure if she liked the reading more or the stickers and treats she'd get after the lesson was completed!)

As we neared the end of those 100 lessons, I told Kate we'd need to celebrate

once she finished because she had in fact learned to read and she worked really hard at it.

"What do you want to do?" I expected something along the lines of: a trip to Baskin Robbins for some mint chocolate chip ice cream; a trip to Target for a new doll; possibly a new dress... but what I got without hesitation was,

"I want a cookie party!" I wasn't too sure what was involved in a cookie party...but she was set on it and so we started planning! Kate decided to invite only her BEST friends to the party, which really meant all 18 of them along with their siblings. We figured the park would be best and started praying for a sunny day in the middle of the torrential February rainstorms.

Thankfully our prayers were answered and February 15th was one of the prettiest days of the month!

So...you still want to know what you do at a cookie party?

Well, you eat COOKIES of course!

Thank you Mom and Dad for coming--not only was it fun to have you--we needed you. Kate needed her biggest fans, Jake and Brik needed their sidekicks and of course I needed the photographer!
Isn't it nice to be needed? I love you both so much.

Kate welcoming her first guests--Elise and Noah

Decorating cookies is always a good idea at a party such as this

(if you look closely, there is frosting on that cute cheek)

Cookie Monster seemed an appropriate mascot...and what better way to celebrate than with a pinata?

Is there even a cookie under all of that?!!!

It's a good look for you, Gracie!

This was really our only attempt of getting everyone in the same picture. We were so grateful to our family who drove from far to be here and for our friends who joined us to celebrate something we all love!

Thanks for taking him down, Ethan!

Someone needed to get it done!

It was a success! Kate reported that her favorite activities included decorating the cookies and playing "Chocolate, Chocolate, Chip" aka Duck, Duck, Goose. Best part? Friends and Family together on a beautiful day at the park.

Worst Part? Those same Friends and Family who didn't take enough cookies home which resulted in me gaining 8 pounds.

Kate wants another one-- I told her we couldn't do it again until I lost the weight ;)

Spikes

2010-02-17T23:47:00.000-08:00

That's what I requested when we went to see Sue for Jake's hair. It was getting REALLY shaggy. He woke up from his nap today and I found oatmeal matted in the back right corner of the poor kid's scalp. It couldn't wait. I called to Kate and told her we were going out. "But Mom! It's dinner time!" Joe was coming home late--"How 'bout McDonalds?" She was out the door in 2.6 seconds.

Thankfully, Sue is literally a block from our house, so it only took 2.7 seconds to get to her little salon. I think she did a fantastic job...

So did Jake! If he doesn't look cute!!!!!! I love it.

And His Favorite Color Is...

2010-02-10T22:47:00.000-08:00

Just a touch difficult to distinguish between the two!

(Scroll down and mute the music before playing)

You tickle me inside, Jake. I love you so much!