Ice Skating!!

We had a great morning at the ice rink two days after christmas! And although we actually have to pay to skate over here, it was worth it because the boys had a blast! It was Talen's first time on skates. We weren't even sure we were going to let him try, but after seeing his big brother having so much fun, Talen was in tears begging to skate too. So we got him a pair and daddy held his hands and mostly pulled him around. Mason did awesome this year, and didn't even need daddy to help him. He fell a few times, but got right back up all by himself. I think they will both be ready for some ice hockey in Chicago by next year!

How we do the holidays out here....

It's almost time!! Our boys are so very excited this year for Christmas, as am I! This year we've been eagerly anticipating Christmas day and preparing our hearts to celebrate the birth of our Savior. I share in our boys' excitement for Christmas day when we get to remember again God's love for us through the birth of his son. We've been keeping busy this December with a lot of holiday activities.

*A fun day at uncle Daryl & Aunt Janet's cabin

*Making Gingerbread cookies with the boys

*Reading the advent calender (mostly just MJ & Mommy)

*Bringing christmas goodies to the neighbors

*Driving around the neighborhood to see Christmas lights

*Searching for the elf on the shelf each morning

*Picking out a gift for the Angel tree

*A trip to see Santa

Thankfulness this year

On this thanksgiving i find myself feeling a little sorry for myself. I'm sitting at home with a monster head cold and congestion and thankfulness is not the first word that comes to mind. Then I look around and remember how good God has been. I can't feel bad for too long. Good jobs, healthy kids, an awesome husband. So much to be thankful for this year. For family, friends, for a God who loves us unconditionally. Hope you feel the same as we do here! Happy thanksgiving - and from our little turkeys too!!

Why are you So Cute Lately!?!

Ten reasons why you melt my heart these days.......

1.) That smile you do where you crinkle your nose up.

2.).How you look like such a little pro on your scooter.

3.)How you ask "mommy poopoo?" or "daddy poopoo?" everytime one of us comes out of the bathroom. So curious:)

4.)Your intense dislike of the neighbor cats (which you share with your mommy). Everytime you see a cat you respond "shoo kitty!!" and chase it away.

5.)When you dress up in your pumpkin costume and run around saying "rawrrr!"

6.)Your thick blonde hair and your big blue eyes.

7.) When you curl up in my lap in the morning and drink your milk as you try to wake up - you and your mommy are not morning people!

8.)How you immediately find your place on the mat during circle time when we go to pick up mason from school. You think you are also in preschool:)

9.)When I ask how old you are, you say "two!" Not so fast, I have one more month until you turn two!

10.)How you ask me to "sing mommy?" before I lay you down at night.

I Love you Talen!

soccer season #1

Mason's first season of soccer is over, and I think all of us here are just a little sad. Mason had a BLAST playing and making new friends. And Kevin and I had a blast watching him! It was so fun seeing his face light up every time he scored a goal, or passed to another player. We had some great coaches and we're looking forward to next year already! I think it's safe to say he will play again:)

Hockey Party

This is about a month late, but still better late than never! For Mason's 4th birthday we decided to have a hockey party for him. He got to invite a few friends to play sneaker hockey at the rink in Ripon. Mason and Talen had been playing on saturday mornings for most of the summer, and since Mason loves it so much, we decided it would be fun to invite some of his friends and make it a party. The boys had a blast! They played 3-on-3 for about an hour and by the end they were pretty sweaty and tired. After hockey they all came to our house and had pizza and cupcakes. It was such a fun morning. They all played so great together. It's hard to believe he's old enough to have a party without mommies:) Happy 4th Birthday MJ!

Goodbye summer, i miss you already...

(Catching frogs by the pond at Mimi & Papa's house)

Back to reality. We had such an awesome summer, it's hard to believe its over already. July was spent with swim lessons, volleyball camp, and a trip to chicago. We went to a cubs game, the demolition derby, the splash park, the beach, the children's museum, AND the zoo. Wow, it makes me tired just writing about it:) Howerver we had fun as always and got some much needed Tameling time. It was good to catch up with friends and get a tast of chicago summer again.

The week after we got home we made a trip to Tahoe with the Winters side which was also a blast. We went on some beautiful hikes on the lake and spent a little time on the beach. Talen has finally made friends with the sand and now actually enjoys playing in it. Mason loves the water and is an expert hiker. Talen found his favorite spot on daddy's shoulders most of the time - how

can you blame him?

My boys lately

The boys making cookies for me on Mother's day.

Skyping with Mimee and Papa. We do this so often, that i thought we needed to have a few pictures of the conversations between the boys and their grandparents. Talen loves to see his Mimee and papa. He will even point to the computer when he wants me to turn on skype.

Spring break trip

We decided to head down to Chino to visit Matt and Cheryl this year on Kevin's spring break. It had been awhile since we saw the Piper's and had yet to meet the twins. This spring break was a little different than some of our past breaks when we were all at Trinity together. It's amazing how much all of our lives have changed since our days at Trinity together! We had a great afternoon at the beach and a fun hike to a waterfall the next day. Thanks so much for hosting us Matt and Cheryl. We had a great time catching up with you guys and your babies are both so adorable!

Last, but certainly not least...Visitor #3 Mimee!

Sorry this post is a little delayed, however i didn't forget to post about Mimmee's visit. On the night before Kerry's departure, Kevin's mom flew in to visit for 5 days. This was a complete surprise for Mason. She landed late tuesday night and snuck in the house after the boys were already in bed. The next morning Mason woke up to find Mimmee waiting for him on the couch! I wish I had recorderd his reaction. He was so excited/surprised to see her. He kept asking "how did you get here!?!" We had a great time as always with Mimmee. Thursday morning we had a fun easter egg hunt across the street with a bunch of our friends. On Saturday the boys went to Point Reyes and did some hiking with Mimmee. And the rest of the time we just did our normal routine at home. It's always so great to have family visit. We soak up every minute of the time when they are here. Thanks for visiting Mimmee!!

Visitor #2

March 20 Auntie Kerry came to visit. We always look forward to Auntie Kerry's visits. She has so much love for her little nephews and a great need to spoil them like crazy! She is definitely a favorite. We picked her up on wednesday and spent the afternoon in Golden Gate Park, SF. There was a great children's playground there which the boys loved. And some very "interesting" people as well. Later on that week we went to Mickey Grove. We saw a lot of monkeys, had a picnic lunch, and Mason even got to ride the train. On Tuesday we went to funworks where we played mini golf, some games, and Mason and Kerry rode the go-karts. I think he was a little scared the first lap, but that soon went away. Even Talen got to participate in the mini golf game. He was very intent on getting the ball in the hole! I got to get a few extra things done around the house, which was nice for me as well. It's aways good to catch up with you, Kerry. Thanks for visiting!!!

Visitor #1 from chicago

This spring we have been so blessed to have multiple visitors from Chicago out here. We absolutely LOVE guests - especially our friends/family from the midwest. Our first visitors were Jason and Lindsey who came March 15 and stayed three nights with us. Kevin and I got to leave the boys home with my parents and have some much needed "adult time" with another couple. We went to Monterey for a night and enjoyed the beautiful coast with some good friends. The waves were gigantic and we got to see a lot of seals up on the beach. Kevin and Jason had fun golfing while the girls got to sleep in:) It was such an awesome little get-away. Thanks for sharing your vacation with us Jason and Lindsey! Please come back soon so we can take you to Yosemite;)

Kickball

Mason has started playing kickball through a league in manteca and has LOVED it! Each saturday morning Kevin and I get to wake up bright and early with Mason's greeting: "it's saturday, that means kickball!!!!!". His team is called the Bumblebees and consists of 8 or 9 little 3/4yr olds. They have a short time of practice and then right into a game against the other team. It is so very entertaining to watch. The first week they learned the basics. Kicking, running the bases, etc. It's pretty funny to watch 3/4yr olds play an organized sport, most of them for the first time ever. All of the defense will often run bases with the batter, instead of trying to tag them out at the base. And one little boy runs over to his family in the stands each time he touches the ball exclaiming "i did it!" It is fun to watch Mason get so excited about learning something new and doing so well. I look forward to many more seasons of watching him from the stands, as i anticipate MJ playing sports for many more years to come:)

Talen..no, no!

These words are heard very frequently at our house these days. Talen is 1 and loving it! He is my very busy boy. Climbing, exploring, making messes, and running faster (away from mommy:) every day! He definitely keeps me busy. Most nights, after the boys are in bed, I wonder - why am i so exhausted?! And the answer is that little peanut. He is starting to understand more everyday, though not getting many words out yet. I know he is just itching to get them out. Some of his favorite activities include, moving around furniture so he can climb, swinging a baseball bat (look-out big brother!), and reading books. He's saying a few words - momma, dadda, ball, papa. We can't wait to see what new tricks you will learn next, Talen.