Here are a few more from the Swami's garden. We were fortunate to have Aunt/Grandma Nancy come down for a visit. She was also kind enough to watch the children on Saturday night so that Darin and I could have an evening out.

On Sunday afternoon, we took a visit to "Swami's Self Realization Center." For those of you who are unfamiliar with Swamis, it is a spiritual, meditation, yoga center in Encinitas, which happens to be located on the most beautiful piece of property. They have an unbelievable garden that is open to the public and overlooks the Pacific. There are signs all along the pathways saying to "keep quiet" and "no talking", as people actually come here to meditate. We saw at least 5 people along the way that were sitting just as you might imagine and meditating. We were quite a spectacle, as Ellery is RARELY quiet and wanted to play hide-and-seek on the premises. This is a picture of her pouting after we told her she had to stay on the path, keep her voice down, and she could not pick the flowers. We see this face quite often these days!!!!

Our little angel! So sweet!!!!

One of our favorite pastimes since moving to California is going to the beach to watch the sunset. Ellery makes this request on a frequent basis and we always enjoy the amazing colors the sky brings. This past visit brought some especially fantastic oranges and pinks(Ellery's favorite).

A quick tribute to my friend, Nicole. She and her husband were gracious enough to host 10 adults and 10 children at their home in Seattle during our visit. This was no easy task and I fully appreciate all the hard work that went into planning, cleaning, cooking and organizing this event for us. She did not want me to take this picture, as it was the end of the evening and we were all tired. . . .but I think she looks beautiful and I had to include her in this post(notice she is even holding my son--always a huge help). Thanks again, Nicole. . . .I feel so fortunate to call you my friend!!!!

On Friday, Darin and I celebrated our 10 year wedding anniversary. Over the past 10 years we have moved from Houston to Seattle to San Diego, we have purchased 3 homes and had 2 children. What a wonderful adventure it has been thus far. . . .and it just keeps getting better!!!! Happy Anniversary, Babe! I love youXXXXXXXXXOOOOOOOOO

We had a wonderful time in Seattle. . . .cooler temps than we are accustomed to, but no rain!! We were reminded how absolutely beautiful it is. On the way to our old house, Ellery said, "Mommy, are we in the forest?" Yes, everywhere in Seattle is the forest. We enjoyed visiting MANY of our old friends while in town. Thank you to Len and Nicole for hosting a dinner party in our honor. . . .we truly appreciate all your hard work(we know it was not easy)!!! Here are some pics from the visit.

We're off to Seattle today for a few days. . . .business for daddy and we are tagging along to see old friends in the Emerald City. These are pics taken from the top of the Space Needle when Ellery was a year old. Have a great week!!

Ellery and daddy "camping in" last week. Dane was able to join in the fun for a few brief moments.

While visiting Texas, we were able to see one of Darin's childhood friends, Mark Marcell. He and Darin have known one another since they were in Elementary school and remained in contact for many years. Mark, his adorable wife, and precious son came to Darin's parents house for a visit and we were able to snap a few shots of the dads and their son's. Notice Darin's face in several of these shots. . . .is it really necessary to have the babies exchange blows?? Would two moms ever do this??

We had a great time in Texas. . . .ate too much, drank too much and are still recovering. The children had a blast with their cousins and we enjoyed time with friends and family. Thanks to Lynn and Roger for hosting so many of us and working so hard--we know it was not easy!!!

These are a few from our family Christmas in San Diego. Small and quiet.

Christmas this year was done over several days in several locations. The first was at our home with Darin's grandparents, Aunt Nancy, Aunt Donna, Uncle Mike, Cousin Denise and 2nd cousin Brayden. We then had our own Christmas with just our little family, followed by a big Christmas in Texas with Darin's parents and siblings. These are the pictures from the first Christmas.