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a month in photos - December

December's update, better late than never. 

Top Row from left: 2nd grade performance day - Ollie the reindeer, Dave and Marin by the tree, kids on Christmas Day, Spaghetti face, happy girl with Santa, gingerbread time, my birthday. 2nd Row: trampoline static hair, Marin-16 months, Hazel's "best" behavior at her school performance, my girls, Christmas day Sunday best, a natural with the microphone, Ollie making a deal with Santa. 3rd Row: new airsoft gun, mask and robe, Hazel's handwriting, terrified baby, dimples, Ollie with school friends, cheesy grin, Hazel's horse crazy. 4th Row: our tree, Hazel's up to something with Santa, static hair chillin, Ollie, girls, Marin with Grandma and Grandpa, more Marin. 5th Row: Santa came to our house Christmas Eve!, Grandpa loves, bamboo forest, snuggling with grandpa, deep in though, burnt marshmallows!, SD Botanic Gardens.

Christmas countdown - naughty or nice?

Marin hasn't given Santa a chance – She is so terrified of him!

Hazel on her BEST behavior at the beginning of her preschool program. This was before she started pulling her shirt up over her head and ripping her hair out.

Oliver after his school program. Should it concern me that he is asking Santa if he has been good or not? He's really not sure. Man, I love these kids!

zoo

The week before Thanksgiving, our good friends Chris and Elise came to visit. We had a great time. Brooke and Maya are such fun girls! These photos are of the kids at the San Diego Zoo. Thanks for the pictures, Elise!

family photos

A few weeks ago (much to my excitement and to Dave's dismay) we had our family pictures taken. I thought I'd share a few of my favorites. Thanks, Chloe! 
All photos ©2011 Chloe Heath Photography 

beach day

 Over Thanksgiving break the weather was great and we had been missing the beach. 

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving this year was pretty mellow. We really enjoyed being home bodies! I cooked dinner (quite an accomplishment for me!) with some help with the bird from Dave. It was a wonderful weekend. We have so much to be thankful for!
Oreo turkey place card idea from ourbestbites.com

a month in photos - November

Top row from left: Ollie climbs a woolly mammoth, Marin love Hazel's dolls, at the Zoo with friends, Dave and Hazel jamming, soccer game smiles, serious but cute, Ollie at the beach. 2nd Row: soccer sidelines, Marin's ears, park day with girls, boogie boarding in November!, beach day, with dad, watching the big kids climb around. 3rd Row: teacups with Maya and Brooke, loving the beach, Thanksgiving dinner, Dave, Marin loves to swing, putting up the tree, chasing seagulls. 4th Row: she loves dessert, my Thanksgiving turkeys, walking baby, colorful cookies, happy Ollie, curious Marin, homemade rolls that actually turned out! 5th Row: snowcones in the backyard, squirt gun crazy, vampire baby, happiest place on earth time, my sweetie, Hazel and Coleman double up on the swing, Reflections award for photography. 

a month in photos - October

From top left: Hazel's camera smirk, such a momma's girl, Ollie's appetite!, my sweet baby, huge toothy grin and her favorite blankie, Hazel in a TV daze, Ollie at the pumpkin farm. 2nd Row: The Village People (Officer Dave), fire chief Oliver & rockstar Hazel, Hazel learned to ride a bike!, snow cones at Plow Boys, soccer game break time, Strawberry Shortcake and friends, carving pumpkins w security. 3rd Row: happy Ollie, Officer Dave, Marin loves to be outside!, crazy Hazey, music time, my baby is getting so big!, Hazel's hair is growing!! 4th Row: shopping for pink soccer ball with Dad, little ladybug, more music time, Ollie's learning to rollerblade, she loves pink hair, remote control cars with dad, Marin learning to walk at the pool. Last Row: Marin loves marinara, Plum Pudding, Hazel's soccer game, my munchkins, serious Marin, silly Hazel, Ollie at school's Fall Festival. 

halloween

A fire chief, a rockstar and a ladybug. 

pumpkin patch

I love the tradition of going to a pumpkin farm every year. We go to the same one every year and it is the best. Ollie's favorite is the corn maze. Hazel's favorite is riding the ponies. And Marin likes to smack the pumpkins. I didn't get my camera out until the light was too dark for any really great photos but these two make me happy. 

a month in photos - September

From top left: She's one! Hazel's first season of soccer - the Green Dragons, my sleeping cherub, new skateboard grip tape, licking lolipops, happy driver, blowing out candles. Second row: Hazel with friend Tessa, raindrops on the driveway, lego building, nap time with Dad, silly kids, birthday lego obsession, hazel-monkey climbs on everything. Third row: Hazel likes bugs, out to dinner with friends, drumming with Dad, happy Marin, Hazel's dimples, Mogli Marin, walking to school to get Ollie. Fourth row: scooters and Twinkle Toes, Marin, happy kids, her Sunday nap camp early, drool and blue eyes, evening at the ballet, double toothless grins. Last row: me, kids in the backyard, pouty face, happy girl, front porch, love this picture, Ollie's best buddies. 

ballet

The other night I took Hazel to see the San Francisco Ballet's performance of Romeo & Juliet. I didn't know how long she would sit still or how she would respond to it. But she was captivated. She stayed wide awake late into the night watching a 3-hour ballet. Needless to say, I was so happy. The dancing was superb. The whole production was incredibly amazing and beautiful. 

birthday boy

A week or so ago Oliver turned SEVEN! He has been seeming like such a big kid lately. Right now he is really into Legos. He plays with them for hours. He also loves Nerf guns and jumping on the tramp. He is a voracious reader and loves science experiments. He is a great kid! We had a fun Lego party for him. It mostly involved building Lego cars and racing them down a race track ramp. But it also involved a pinata, water ballons, lego cake and crazy boys. They had a great time! Happy Birthday, Buddy!

we heart seattle

Last week-ish we took a trip to Washington. I love the Pacific Northwest. It is so beautiful! I think living with an abundance of sunshine and heat makes me relish the somber Seattle skies. We hadn't visited for about three years so our kids didn't really remember much of anything. It was a magical stay at grandmas house and I finally made it up to my sister Liz's amazing new/old house (and farm!). The photos of her place don't do it justice. It is magical too. We are so lucky to have family that lives in such a cool place. Something about a low stress, non-holiday time vacation made it so enjoyable. And people seem to be in less of a hurry there. A little slower pace. It was wonderful! 

They are big enough to wheel their own suitcases! Weird. 

They liked the airport. They were so excited to see grandma!

Good times at grandmas! Hazel and grandma playing Littlest Pet Shop on the deck. Catan is always fun. Walking to Pike's Place Market. Ollie's birthday prizes! Licking the cookie bowl clean. Quick photo on the pig at Pike's place. 

We rode the iconic "Duck" water truck thing and did a tour of the city. Dave and I had never done this. It was fun for all of us. We saw so much!

Love the house boats

and the Seattle skyline. 

Liz & Ben's

Also, while in Washington we got to visit my sister Liz, her husband Ben and my sweet niece June. Their yard (forest) and home (magazine worthy) were so fun to see. These crappy photos do not do it justice. So so beautiful.  

 Fire+boys=lets burn stuff. Delicious dinner in the backyard. Making smores with the kids. 

 It is so big that I never did get to the back of their property. June in her magical world. A view of the back of the house. 

 And they have chickens! Ollie was the only one of us to catch one. June and Hazel had so much fun together.  

Granite Falls

While in Washington we also visited Granite Falls. This just so happens to be the place where Dave proposed to me almost twelve years ago! Crazy. We have gone here a few times since then, but never with all of our kids. I was happy to share this beautiful place with them. We actually saw several salmon jump up (or attempt to jump up) this raging river! It was really cool. 

  Marin loves being outside. "Out" was one of her first words.  

   That is Dave, Ollie and Hazel in the distance. 

   I love the contrast of the roar of the river and the quiet of all the other surroundings. And those three people are pretty fun to be with too. 

   Ollie caught a water-skeeter that he would have loved to bring home in his pocket. 

  We also got to spend some time with our good friend Brian. Susie, Jay, James and Grandma were able to come along too. 
A perfect afternoon.  

smile

This little girl makes me smile. 

Here are some funny things she has said lately:

"This girl is wearing a zucchini!" (bikini) 

"I think my hair looks like Justin Beaver!" 

"Me too!  I mean, me five! Cause my next bday I'll be five."

"Do grandmas have OLD things to do?" - on pondering what grandmas do.

"Can we live on a farm that has colored horses?" a few days after watching Wizard of Oz

family time - San Diego style

This summer my family (all except for my brother and his wife - she just had a baby) met to spend a week in San Diego together. Highlights of the trip were: the beach, Legoland, the SD Zoo, Old Town SD, pool time and of course time with cousins and my sisters!  Here are some of my favorite pictures from the trip. I wish I would have taken more pictures!

Run

My friends Carrie and Miko recently started a running/fitness blog that is great for any of you runners out there. I think you'll enjoy it. CLICK HERE to see it. 

a month in photos - August

Top row: happy on daddy's lap, lego love, hazel, found frogs!, water play, with my dad in San Diego.  2nd row: Dave being silly, Marin helps do dishes, yay for smiles!, birthday cake binge, new school shoes, scooter tricks, tasty grapes. 3rd row: Ollie's signs for Marin's birthday, he lost his front tooth!, 1st day of school, dave, at church, cupcakes!, hazel loves to dress up. 4th row: "I want out of my stroller!", hazel?, grape phone, la jolla, two front teeth!, cousins!, kate and marin with aunt jen. Last row: more backyard grapes, at the zoo with cousin June, spider Hazel, watermelon mouth, happy girl, animal lover, dirty and happy!

somebody...

...lost a tooth!