Monday, August 31, 2009






As most of you know, I lost my beautiful mother in 2005 to colon cancer. On Saturday, I joined a great group of friends in the "Relay for Life" benefiting the American Cancer Society, in honor of my mother. The event raised over $60,000 and our team won several awards, including the "most spirited team" for our fabulous t-shirts. Double click on the pictures and you can read what our shirts say--I think our shirts summed it all up!!!

Sunday, August 30, 2009






On Thursday, we ventured up to Orange County and hit the water park in an attempt to beat the heat!! I was accompanied by several of our good friends and their children. The kids had a BLAST and were completely exhausted by the time we left--mission accomplished!!

Monday, August 24, 2009


This morning on one of our weekly visits to Target, Ellery looks at the salesperson checking us out and asks, "Mommy, is that a lady or a man?" Keep in mind that the salesperson is standing about 2 feet from her. I quickly tried to re-direct her attention to something else so she would not ask a second time, as it took me a minute to figure out the answer!!! You have to laugh at the innocent truths of young children.

Sunday, August 23, 2009






On Saturday we ventured out to the horse races to celebrate our good friend, Beth's birthday. There were a total of seven couples who rented a huge party limo(yes, we were trying to be responsible adults), and headed down to the Del Mar races. Although we did not win, we had a BLAST and enjoyed the company of our great friends!!

Thursday, August 20, 2009





Who is this child and where did she learn to smile like this? Here are some pictures of Ellery with her best friend, Tatum. This is the only face we can get her to make in pictures these days(not to mention it looks like she is trying to hurt her friend). She says it is her "princess smile"--trouble!!!

Monday, August 17, 2009





I realize that all mothers eventually feel a sense of sadness when they realize that their babies are growing up. My youngest baby is only 17 months, but I already feel pinges of pain when I think he is losing his "babyness". I sometimes think he looks like such a big boy, but then quickly tell myself that is still just a baby. In these pictures, he looks more mature and he desperately wants to follow the big ones. Slow down, sweet boy, mama isn't ready for you to grow too big just yet!

Wednesday, August 12, 2009






On Sunday, we attended Brayden's 3rd birthday bash in Orange County. The children had a blast swimming, chasing ducks, playing Frisbee, and eating LOTS of carrot cake. It was a beautiful day and fun to see family. I love the pictures of Dane with his almost 90 year old great grandpa--simply priceless!!

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

I've been tagged by my best friend, Carrie: www.hagendaze.blogspot.com I have to tell 25 random things about myself and then tag others. Here are 25 random things about me:

1. I hate dirty dishes and you will NEVER see a pile of dishes sitting in my sink. Even after a long night of entertaining, I ALWAYS have to put away the dishes.

2. I drink a diet coke every morning. . . it is my caffeine fix and addiction.

3. I LOVE the mountains and feel a great sense of peace and freedom when I visit them. As a child, we drove to Colorado every summer and stayed in beautiful Estes Park, Colorado--simply gorgeous!

4. I think my husband is the most handsome man I know in real life.

5. I think Hugh Jackman is the most handsome man I don't know in real life(David Beckham is a close second).

6. I have a heart condition called superventricularattacardia(spelling?). It is not life threatening, but on occasion my heart will work double time and my heart rate will jump up to 120-160. I can control it by bearing down--weird, huh.

7. I am a bit crazy about saving and this sometimes causes my husband to call me "cheap". I prefer the term frugal.

8. Darin and I spent our 1st anniversary running a marathon. He finished about 2 hours ahead of me, but I was just proud to finish. I have not run a marathon since(and have no plans to).

9. The older I get, the more I appreciate my girlfriends and the importance of those relationships.

10. I miss my mom every single day.

11. I am a TERRIBLE dancer. When Darin and I dance together, I typically stand on his feet at some point. He is actually a great dancer.

12. Three of my best friends are my siblings. I know I can always count on them for anything without judgement or question.

13. I am OBSESSED with design shows and DVR Divine Design with Candice Olsen most days.

14. Being a mom is the hardest and best job I have ever had!

15. I think my children are beautiful and hilarious!

16. I have lived in 3 different states: Texas, Washington, and California.

17. One of my children was born in Washington and one was born in California.

18. I am TRULY addicted to chocolate and eat a piece of it everyday.

19. I actually enjoy exercising and get cranky if I have not exercised for several days.

20. My favorite movie of all times is "The Sound of Music". Other favorite are: "The Notebook" and "Love Actually". I am a TOTAL sap!!

21. I dislike people who are negative. I think you have to ALWAYS find the positive in a situation and make the best of it.

22. I feel better now than I did in my teens and 20's.

23. I am a coupon clipper. I LOVE to get coupons and any marketing person should know that sending a coupon to my house will almost guarantee that I will come to your store and make a purchase.

24. Unlike Carrie, I am terrible at Math, but always loved English.

25. I LOVE to travel and have taken my children on MANY flights. Ellery has traveled to 9 states and Dane has been to 5. Some people think I am crazy, but I think it is a great learning experience for everyone.

Monday, August 10, 2009






On Saturday we attended the "Fairy Festival" at the botanical gardens, which is walking distance from our home. I just recently discovered this little gem which is such a lovely place to take the children. We attended the festival with our good friends and neighbor, Theresa and Tatum. Tatum is Ellery's closest friend and we spend MANY a day together at the park or beach. The girls were adorable at the festival and kept busy admiring all the other little fairies in their adorable outfits!

Sunday, August 09, 2009






So sorry for my short departure. . . .I somehow neglected the blog for a week--back on track, now. So my beloved neighbors and friends have started a new tradition--Friday night playdate/happy hour. We take turns hosting a Friday afternoon playdate, which of course turns into happy hour and naturally turns into dinner. This is one of the highlights of my week and everyone truly wins--kids, parents, pets, you name it. Here are a few pictures from last week's happy hour. Notice how closely Ellery is standing to the adorable little boy with curly hair(Jackson). She LOVES him and has to be close to him at all times. . . always inching her way a little closer and closer. She told me today that she is going to marry him when she is big--I have to say that she has EXCELLENT taste!