California!

Here are some more pictures from our fun time in California. As you can tell, the girls spent most of the time in the pool:

Erin with Uncle Tim

The girls with Grandpa

Our new nephew, Andrew

Too tired!

Cute new swimsuits from Aunt Ashley and Uncle Steve

Poor kitties. The girls chased them all over the place. It's a good thing that the girls don't realized that they are the ones the cats are hiding from!

Elaina meets her cousin, Andrew

Elaina and Aunt Staci making bracelets

My cute husband

Me and my adorable sister in law, Ashley

Staci and the girls

Lounging in the tube

It was so fun that all of us could be there at the same time. The only person missing is Daniel, who is on his mission

Coincidentally my sister and her family were on vacation with her in laws in San Diego at that same time that we were visiting Mike's family in LA. So we had to meet up! Especially since none of us had met baby Gavin yet.

Me, Jen, and our kids

Cousins! I'm so happy the girls have cousins now! :)

We met up at Huntington Beach (halfway) and played at a park, grabbed some lunch, walked along the beach, and out on the pier. It was fun to watch all the surfers below

Me and Jen

Jared, Jen, and the girls

I'm an Aunt! This is me and my newest nephew, Gavin

Birthdays Galore!

Erin Turns 3!
We had a fun birthday party/family bbq for Erin's birthday in July (yes, of course I'm behind!). We also used the occasion to celebrate our newly landscape yard that we are so excited about!

Erin and her friends with the butterfly birthday cake

We played musical present, where the kids had to pass the present around, but when the music stopped, the child with the present could unwrap until the music started up again. Inside was a gift bag for each of the kids.

Butterfly birthday cake. I let the kids go crazy adding the skittles polka dots :)

We played "pin the tail on the camel." That's what you get when your grandparents live in the Middle East :)

I'm not sure who was more excited for Erin's birthday - Erin herself, or Elaina, who kept talking about it for weeks in advance and kept hyping it up on the actual day. Elaina is always such a great helper in a time of need! :)

Elaina turns 5!
Elaina had the princess birthday party that she's been planning for a year...oh wait, she's been talking about it for a year, and I got left with all the planning! :)

Standing with her princess door banner and the magic wand we made at the party, and her first zhu zhu pet!

I think it was a success. I made a Cinderella cake (and I am no cake decorator, so I'm glad it was simple!), and made my first pinata!! I was nervous for the pinata, but it worked out great, and each of the kids got 2 turns to smack it! We also played "musical magic carpets" to princess songs, we decorated magic wands (and shields for the boys), we did a princess/knight dress-up relay race.

the party goers

The rule in our house is that you can't chew gum until you're 5. I was pleased that our $1 birthday present to her was such a hit! An even bigger hit than the Barbie we also gave her...I will keep that in mind with future 5th birthdays :)

Erin was excited for the Littlest Pet Shop Pet that she picked out for her sister

California Party
Just a few days after Elaina's birthday we went to California to visit Mike's family. They were so great and planned a surprise birthday party for the girls...another princess party!

Aunt Kelli made this awesome cake. Let me tell you how cool it is to be in a family with a sister and a brother in law that went to culinary school. We ate pretty well that week :)

Grandpa helping Elaina with the pinata

Erin, attacking pinata #2

Erin and Uncle Tim

Showing off her pinata treasures

Woohoo! Grandma got her a bracelet-making kit

Mom turned 29
I took no pictures because I don't really want to talk about it. I cried. A couple of times. I'm a little depressed about it. And I don't care what anyone says...30 does not feel like the new 20. The weird lines appearing on my neck, the weird spots appearing on my skin and on my face, the weird aches that my body gets for no reason....these things did not happen when I was approaching 20. Oh well, we just won't think about it anymore. 30 just isn't going to happen for me.

However, I do want to share this really sweet video that my Mom created for me. This added to my tears too, and not just because I wish I looked as great as she did at 29! :) Mostly because I am lucky to have such a great Mom.
http://secure.smilebox.com/ecom/openTheBox?sendevent=4d5467344e7a4d314d7a42384d6a51334e5441774d773d3d0d0a&sb=1&playAgain=true
*In this video are my Mom and my Nana at 29, with their babies