The Random Photo Post

There were a lot of cute captions for the photo, but I have to say Jen is the winner with : "I give up! Who needs toys, just get me out of here!"

As for your favorite chocolate partner, it looks like peanut butter is the winner. Seriously though, there aren't many ways to go wrong with chocolate!

On to the random photos, which date back to August:
I think this was the first time she wore real pigtails. OK, so they are tiny, but still legit!

Micah being a goof. He told us he made a mask.

His first time driving at Autopia!

This was the first (and probably the last) time we went by the pool in our new complex. Um, no thanks!

I don't know when or where or why, but it is a cute picture!

At Newport Beach in September.

Brooklyn rocking some chops!

Micah being a smarty pants. He is even reading now. Crazy kid!

Sending off a letter to Santa. Micah was so sweet to include a special request. ..."and a doll for my sister."

First fire lit in our new place. The kids loved it and it was perfect for that cold snap we went through.

This was the day before Thanksgiving and I organized a get together for my mom's group. I decided it would be fun for the kids to have a pinata to bust open (and a good way to get rid of all the Halloween candy I had sitting around). Well, for future reference, they don't make any Thanksgiving themed pinatas. No turkey, no cornucopia. So a red chili will do!

Micah helping me paint his room. I made him strip down to his underwear and a toolbelt. He was all too happy to help out!

This is at my mom and dad's house. Micah hopped behind the fireplace cover and said "I'm in line." Gotta love him!

Our Christmas

We had a great Christmas this year! On Christmas Eve we went over to Chad's sister's house for a great meal and to exchange gifts. Tawnya is quite the cook, so there was plenty of delicious food and even Micah was raving about the peas. Anyways, we were very very spoiled. I asked Micah at the end if we should be done with Christmas since we got enough and he said yes! I got some really cute ornaments, clothes, books, and a laundry sorter (I'm totally stoked about that by the way). Chad got lots of books, DVDs, games, and so on. The kids got toys, toys and more toys! By the end, Micah had packed up his loot and was ready to head home.


Christmas morning was surprising for us. Brooklyn woke up before Micah and she was pretty cranky, so I told Chad to just wake Micah up, thinking that all the presents would be a fun distraction. Well, this is the reaction I got:



Not what I expected! Brooklyn loved Christmas and her new horse. Micah was a little less enthusiastic. He was groggy, so it took a while for him to warm up to it. Later that morning we went over to my parents house (no pictures, sorry) and were spoiled yet again. The kids practically own a portion of Toys R Us and Chad and I have lots of neat new things. Chad is excited about his new games and I am loving my new boots!


We came home for a while and my in-laws were in my house working on a couple of home improvement projects. They spend hours on end helping us work on all our many projects. Not only do they do them, they make them perfect. They are so so helpful. THANK YOU!!! Oh, and forgive me for falling asleep on you. It has been a long holiday!

Later that night, we went back to my parents' house for dinner. We had another fantastic meal and spent time with family members. The best part of the night was watching O Holy Night. It was a film on the birth and life of the Savior with Celine Dion singing O Holy Night. Even if you do not like Celine Dion, it is amazing. I couldn't help but to cry. What a beautiful film and a great way to be reminded of the true meaning of Christmas. The best gift has already been given!

This is what she thinks of Santa...

Look at the face! Can you tell what she is thinking? I'd love to hear what you think. Write a comment with what you think Brooklyn is thinking in this photo. I'll publish the best comment next week!

Crafty Christmas

Today we finally got to do something that was just for the kids. With the weather being cold and rainy and Christmas shopping along with day to day errands, we have had very little play time, but we changed that. I organized a craft for my mom's group at a park near by and we had a lot of fun. As we waited for our friends to arrive we played and played.


Then we got crafty. I bought sugar cones, frosting, and different kinds of candy. They all came together to make a cute and very sugary Christmas tree. The kids LOVED it! If you have small kids, you should try it. If you are near me, I have some leftover, so call me and we can make more!

Oh and I will try to get Chad to do a random post next time!

Santa's Message for Micah

Click here to see what Santa had to say to Micah. For all the moms and dads out there, you can make sure that Santa sends a message to your kids too! As an extra bonus, you can go here to get proof of him being in your house!

Next post will be by Chad with his random photos. There are some good ones in there, so make sure to look for it!

"Preschool" Graduation

Micah's "preschool" had a graduation for the class today. We were excited to see his little graduation ceremony. Chad took a little time from work to meet us there. The teacher stood in front and called them out one by one. When they got to Micah, I got my camera ready, but no one came out. There was a pause and a teacher at the back of the room said, "He's not coming." What? I wanted to see my kid in his little cap hold up his certificate and get a round of applause. I started making my way to the back as more names were read off. When I got to the back, Micah was in a corner unwilling to come out. Hello, does that say Chad or what? I tried to encourage him to come out and told him that daddy even came to see him. He only got further from me and ended up inside the bathroom! I know my boy well enough to know that the more you push, the less likely he will be to do it. I decided to leave him alone and sat back down. Finally, after all the names were read, Micah made his way to the front. No cap on, no certificate to hold and wouldn't stand, but hey he was there. At least I got that one!

Here he is admiring the cap he made.

I got one shot of him looking at the camera. I think that is because his friend is forcing him to!


After the ceremony, they told us to go out to the play area where they had set up treats. So we all went out and snacked, and the kids started playing on the playground. One of Micah's classmates had an older brother show up for the graduation, and this older boy came up to Micah and started talking. Here is how the conversation went:

Him: "Hey you! What's your name?"
Micah: "I'm Micah."
Him: "Oh. Do you know Joseph? He's my brother."
(At this point the older boy runs away to play somewhere else and Micah chases after him)
Micah: "Hey wait! I want to play with you!"
Him: "How come?"
Micah: "Because I love you!"
Him: "Okay. Do you want to climb on this?"
Micah: "Sure!"

I thought that was pretty cute. He's a great kid! Congrats, Micah!

In case you had any doubts

Brooklyn is definitely my little girl. As you can see from the pictures below, the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree!
Those of you who know my parents are probably cracking up. Look at how young my dad was! Now look in the back, yep, that is my mom, not Ashley. If we could freeze time though, they could be twins!

Tacos and trees

On Wednesday night we made it a family night in. I made tacos a little differently and Chad LOVED them. The secret: when the meat is still raw, add about two tablespoons of tomato paste and the taco seasoning, then cook it up. Chad is a taco enthusiast, so for him to like the ones I made, I was excited! Anyways, after dinner the tree went up! Since it was getting late, Brooklyn had to go to bed. I know, we are such mean parents! Micah, Chad and I got to work putting up all the ornaments. It is fun to bring out the old ones that have memories from years past. They come from different stages of our lives and from friends and family members. I think that is one of the best things about ornaments!

Micah proudly points to the ornaments he hung.


My camera was on a funny setting and I got this. I thought it was kind of cool.


Oh, and don't you worry about Brooklyn missing out on the tree trimming...she makes sure to pick ornaments off and hang them back up again all day long!

A girl and her balloon

Brooklyn has become attached to this balloon...literally!