The Jurado Family

Christmas

2012-01-24T09:30:00.001-08:00

Nana and Tata had to rent what looked like a bus to get all of the presents to the kids. The kids were unwrapping so fast we couldn't keep up. Nathan would bring the toys to us and immediately wanted them opened. Open it!

Tata was the lucky one who got to play with the kids the next morning.

Zorra found her own gift.

The Christmas Village

2012-01-24T09:26:00.000-08:00

We set up the Christmas village this year for Christmas thinking that The kids would be carefull. I was gluing pieces together all through December. It was fun to watch them play with the train!

Wrestling Daddy

2012-01-24T09:21:00.000-08:00

The kids love to wrestle. If you sit on the floor it is an invitation for rastle time.

Nathan's Birthday

2012-01-22T11:04:00.000-08:00

Nathan's Birthday Party

2011-11-15T08:28:00.000-08:00

Several weeks ago Nathan asked for Zurg for his birthday. Zurg is not the easiest character to find from the movie Toy Story but we got lucky. I decided to go with a space theme for his birthday with zurg and the aliens. We decorated planets with the help of Grandma, Haily and Karson and hung them up on streamers to decorate the house. The kids loved it!

I found a picture of Zurg online and made a game "Pin the Blaster on Zurg".

We played "space tennis" with balloons but Nathan was more interested in blowing up balloons than hitting them.

We gave Nathan a Smart Cycle and Alyssa had a blast unwrapping it. Then she climbed on and ook over. She was reluctant to let Nathan try his new toy.

Pumpkin Carving

2011-11-04T09:22:00.001-07:00

Our little princess loves to get messy and our monkey can't stand being "sticky". Anytime Nathan gets anything on his hands he comes to us to wipe his hands and says "sticky".

Sophie and Izzy's Birthday Party

2011-11-04T08:22:00.000-07:00

The kids were invited to a costume birthday party. They had so much fun I had to drag Nathan out kicking and screaming. Hmmm, Maybe I should have left him there for the night. Alyssa loved playing with all of the other princesses. They played school in the jumper and restaurant in the playhouse, it was so cute!

Halloween

2011-11-04T07:51:00.000-07:00

I know I'm a bit late but here they are!

Friday Night Trunk-or-Treating at the church. I wasn't able to keep up with the kids and take pictures of the actual trunk or treating but here they are lining up. Michael was busy handing out candy and I was busy trying to get Nathan to move. He was so interested in all of the decorated trunks he just stood in the way and got trampled by the other kids.

Picture Day!

2011-10-13T10:35:00.000-07:00

Wednesday was picture day for Alyssa's school. She picked out her favorite dress and had to take a picture for ourselves she was so cute.

The Birthday Cake

2011-07-08T21:41:00.001-07:00

Fourth of July

2011-07-08T20:54:00.000-07:00

We stayed in St. George for the 4th and went to the fireworks with Gregg and his family. Alyssa was scared of the loud booms but she loved the show. Nathan was in a trance for the first bit but he had so much sugar he spent most of the time climbing all over his Daddy.

Did I mention she likes to pose.

Gregg's 4th of July Pics

2011-07-08T20:29:00.000-07:00

Here you go Gregg.

Alyssa's first suitor

2011-07-08T20:20:00.000-07:00

The kids were playing in the sandbox and Grandma Pi's house and the neighbor boy, Luke, was watching from his balcony and next thing you know he was knocking on the door. They played burried treasure, one child would come inside and the others would bury the treasures. They kept calling out the window "Is it ready yet?". He came over the next day too.

Slip and Slide

2011-07-08T20:08:00.000-07:00

We finally pulled out the slip and slide today. The kids love to play in the water and this was right up their alley.

Our little King and Princess

2011-07-08T19:49:00.000-07:00

We make crowns today and the kids danced together. Nathan is the King and Alyssa is, do I really need to say it, the Princess. She poses for the camera now.

Our kids play so well together, it is so much fun to sit back and watch them play and pretend.

Climbing

2011-07-08T19:36:00.000-07:00

What is it with boys climbing on everything? Nathan taught Alyssa how to climb up onto the bathroom counter and I constantly find them there playing in the water. I guess I neglect them occasionally since they get their own bandaids and yes, Nathan got the tylenol himself when he was sick. Thank goodness for childproof bottles.

2011-06-18T15:49:00.000-07:00

Cherry Picking

2011-06-18T07:57:00.001-07:00

Easter at the YMCA

2011-04-23T13:28:00.001-07:00

The YMCA had some fun Easter activities for the kids today.

The made Easter cards with stickers and markers and they made bracelets.

They decorated eggs with foam stickers.

Nathan thought it was more fun to decorate himself...

and Daddy!

Easter Tatoos

Tere were a couple of jumpers there and they were a hit.

Easter Egg Hunt

2011-04-23T13:15:00.000-07:00

Off to the Easter Egg Hunt!

Everywhere I go I get beautiful flowers!

Nathan wanted his Daddy so he just cried instead of getting eggs.

At least Alyssa had fun. She noticed that they were empty and wanted to drop them for different ones. The kids trade in the eggs for their prizes.

Who Needs the Toys?

2011-04-23T13:00:00.000-07:00

They just dump the toys out and chase each other around the house with the boxes on their heads.

St. Patty's Day Fun

2011-03-17T14:09:00.000-07:00

We hosted a lunch for our playgroup today. Alyssa was so excited for the party she couldn't stop talking about it. In fact, this morning when I was getting ready she started sweeping flour all over the kitchen trying to clean up from making rolls and Nathan was washing the dishes all by himself. That will teach me to try and take a shower.

We made green shamrock rolls with chicken salad, Frog eye salad (I boiled the pasta in green water), broccoli salad, sherbet punch, and shamrock jigglers for dessert.

The kids couldn't get enough rolls and the punch. I had to hide the rolls from Nathan,as always, so we would have some for the party.

It is nice spending time with friends, although I was running around a little too much playing hostess and making sure kids were all right.

The kids had so much fun that most of them whined or cried when their Mothers tried to leave.

We also had bubbles and the kids were so cute trying to pop the bubbles. One time I had five kids going after one bubble and there was a slight crash. Good times!

We also made Leprechaun puppets, this was the highlight of Alyssa's day.

Happy Birthday Daddy!

2011-03-02T09:24:00.000-08:00

Click on the picture for your birthday card.

Alyssa wanted to meet Tangled (She means Rapunzel but calls her Tangled). We went this week and waited in line to meet Rapunzel and Flynn. We also had to wait in line twice to see Minnie because the first time she forgot to wear her minnie ears and wanted to show her, how things change when you have a three year old princess.

Tired Much?

2011-02-05T22:52:00.000-08:00

Nana and Tata came to visit the kids in January and like always, Nana had to go shopping to spoil the kids. Thanks Nana and Tata. She bought them a Lighning McQueen tent and they love it so much they wanted to have a sleepover in it in Nathan's room. I was shocked they fell asleep in there, although it didn't last long. Alyssa woke up crying cause she was scared and woke up Nathan.

My babies love each other.

Since I have been on this new medication I've been quite tired so I often indulge in an afternoon nap. I usually have two dogs and two children snuggling with me, they keep me nice and warm.
BTW, That is the Cowboys blanket Mom made for us. Thanks Mom, we love it.

Sledding

2011-02-05T22:38:00.001-08:00

A few weeks ago we took the kids sledding in Wrightwood. We had so much fun watching the kids play in the snow. Alyssa keeps asking to go to the cabin and play in the snow but there is way too much snow up there right now.

Alyssa was not scared at all, she couldn't wait go sled down the hill.

Nathan on the other hand took some time warming up to the idea but we got him on the sled. How scared does he look?

He was quite content running up and down the hill to Mommy and Daddy.

Oh, is that a smile?

Oops. Crash, or as Nathan would say it "Oh, pash"

Alyssa decided the hill wasn't enough for her after a while so she had to go off the jump. It reminded me of Mark and Matthew when they were little going of the jumps on the thundertubes.

Lately Alyssa has started giving us the tough girl look. Check out her eyes.

Vroom Vroom

2011-02-05T22:29:00.000-08:00

We don't have our Christmas pictures, hopefully we will get those soon but we have some pictures of their new car. They have a blast driving their car around and Alyssa is getting quite good at driving, just ask Nana and Tata. The kids had them running around the block they were driving so fast. Alyssa always makes sure her seatbelt is on and then helps Nathan with his. She is the best big sister! Nathan tries to drive it but can't steer so I have taught him to go forward and then in reverse. I just set the steeringwheel so that he goes in a big circle, otherwise I have to follow him around and pull him out of the rose bushes.

Christmas Cookies

2011-02-05T22:05:00.000-08:00

Alyssa is constantly asking to make cookies or muffins so we decided to make cookies for everyone for Christmas. We baked and baked and baked and... Their favorite cookies were the gingerbread cookies because they got to put frosting and sprinkles on them. What a fun mess!

A Day at the Park

2011-02-05T21:35:00.000-08:00

Anytime we go to the park Nathan runs straight to the swings and hangs on one until I get there.
They both love love love the swings.

I keep trying to get a great picture of both of my little darlings together. Without fail, only one of them is smiling in any picture I take. Oh well they are beautiful anyway.

They have so much fun running in the park and hiding behind trees to play peek-a-boo.

Nathan's Birthday Party

2011-02-01T22:10:00.000-08:00

We went to Nana and Tata's house for Thanksgiving and we celebrated Nathan's birthday while we were there. Our kids are so spoiled and so loved. They love all the attention they get from their Nana, Tata, Nina and Nino. Although I think the kids wear them out after a couple of days.

They went all out for his birthday, everything was Thomas the Train. Thank you so much for the party.

One of Nathan's gifts was a Thomas the Train book. He took it to every family member in the house to show it to them and have them read it to him. He loves Thomas.

Nathan would not leave the train on the cake.

Fezz was a bit upset because he couldn't open the presents.

Can you tell they are happy?

Knott's Berry Farm With Nina and Tata

2011-02-01T22:01:00.000-08:00

Tata and Nina Yvie came over for a visit in November to see Alyssa in her Gymnastics class and to go to Knott's Berry Farm. We had such a good time and the kids got to ride on several rides without an adult. I was nervous that Nathan would't want to go but he was great!

Jumpin

2011-02-01T21:52:00.001-08:00

I am in a toddler playgroup with some wonderful friends. We do so many fun activities with the kids, Alyssa loves to get together with her friends.

Bowling

2011-02-01T21:42:00.000-08:00

This is Nathan at his bowling class. He can bowl all by himself, it is so cute!

Going back to September

2011-02-01T20:58:00.000-08:00

Wow I didn't realize how far behind I was.

The following are some pictures of us at the cabin, and then at Disneyland with Amilee and Grandma and Pi.

Waiting for the parade

Alyssa danced and danced in the street, she got many other kids out there dancing. But when dancers came to get her so she could dance with them she was too shy.

My heart melted tonight!

2011-01-24T20:17:00.001-08:00

I know I haven't blogged in FOREVER, I'll catch up soon, but I wanted to say that my little Nathan just melted my heart. I was tucking him in and I said "I love you my little sweetheart." He responded by saying very clearly "I love you Mommy."

Nathan's Second Birthday

2010-12-01T14:15:00.000-08:00

Alyssa was so good to decorate Nathan's cupcakes but then she disapeared. We found her under the table with the frosting tube. Yummmmy!

We lit the candles over and over again so the kids could take turns blowing them out.
He loves cake!

Nathan has really bonded with Tata lately.
The kids play tackle with Buzz.
What is it with Thomas the Train? The show is quite boring but boys just go crazy over Thomas. Nathan is rarely scene without a train in hand.

Nathan got a wii game that is for the little ones. Finally they can play with the controller without much help.

Helping out

2010-12-01T14:12:00.000-08:00

The kids love to sweep the kitchen for me.

2010-11-04T14:35:00.000-07:00

Alyssa insisted that Mommy and Daddy dress up for halloween so I decided I would be Wendy since she was Tinkerbell and Nathan was Captain Hook, easy enough just a blue nighty. So I tried to find a Peter Pan costume for Michael. There were no Peter Pan costumes anywhere, so last minute I bought some felt and made Michaels costume. Not too bad huh?

My Mom and Brother came down to Trick-or-treat with us. It was nice having them join us for the evening, Nathan, Alyssa and Karson played and played and wrestled and played. They get along so well and Nathan keeps up with them so well. Nathan had a difficult time with another little one around. He gets so upset if I pick up another baby, he cries "Mine, Mine, Mine" I guess he loves his Mommy!

Karson was a pro at Trick-or-Treating so he helped Alyssa ring the doorbells and they ran to each house. They were having so much fun that Nathan decided that he was going to join in on the fun.

Hangin out

2010-11-04T14:29:00.000-07:00

My cousin Amilee came down from Sacramento a couple of weeks ago and we had such a good time. We made and canned all different kinds of jellies, tomatoes, sauces etc. Alyssa enjoyed having another set of ears to talk to!

Carving Pumpkins

2010-11-04T13:44:00.000-07:00

We had fun carving pumpkins and getting messy.Yuck! Nathan can't stand having his hands dirty. Funny cause Alyssa can't stand being clean. This picture of Nathan looks a lot like Gregg did as a kid to me.
Nathan is talking sooooo much lately. His vocabulary has gone from five words to one hundred in the last month. Okay maybe most people wouldn't understand that "pupu" is pumpkin.

Dressing Up for School

2010-11-04T13:40:00.000-07:00

The kids dressed up for the school halloween party. Nathan has become just one of the other kids in class.

Too Big for the Crib

2010-11-04T13:31:00.000-07:00

Nathan is so good in the morning. He doesn't cry to get out or try to climb out, he just hangs out for a while and then starts jumping in the crib. I check on him several times in the morning to see if he is awake yet, and I usually see this little angel sleeping. This particular morning I decided that it is time for the toddler bed. I can't believe how tall he is and he's not even two yet! Well, not for two more weeks anyway.

2010-10-16T23:39:00.001-07:00

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

Gymnastics

2010-10-09T12:27:00.001-07:00

These are difficult to see, I was so far away and didn't have the lens I needed.

Playing in the Yard

2010-10-09T12:23:00.000-07:00

Apple Picking

2010-10-09T00:53:00.000-07:00

Gymnastics

2010-10-09T00:49:00.000-07:00

Alyssa started gymnastics this week. She is a little scared of some of the activities, like the rope climb and the parallel bars but she loves her new class.

Our Couch and TV

2010-10-09T00:38:00.000-07:00

It is interesting how we invest in a nice comfy couch and HD TV and the kids take over the familyroom.

Our couch is usually spread throughout the familyroom and if the kids aren't watching the tube then they are jumping on the couch or sliding down the cushions.

It almost gives me a heart attack to watch them climb and jump all over the house.

Spontaneous Trip to the Cabin

2010-10-08T15:09:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago I was talking to Mom on the phone and she mentioned that they were going to the cabin with Gregg's family. So I packed up the kids and we were on our way a couple of hours later. The kids had a great time swimming and playing on the swingset with Grandma when we got to St. George. Grandma was shocked when Nathan followed Alyssa out of the pool and jumped right in. He doesn't even care if anyone is there to catch him. Yes, this one keeps me on my toes. The next morning we headed up to the cabin. What a fantastic trip!
The kids played and played. I lost Nathan a few times but that's normal. He sneaks off so fast! In fact while we were on the phones for the Fantasy Football Draft he went out in the road and someone driving by told us he was in there. Scary!

Throwing peanuts is like throwing rocks.Alyssa and Hailey got on famously

I think Grandma was trying to take a nap. This is so much better than a nap!

We took the kids on a canoe ride. What a mistake! It was so windy we couldn't go anywhere and Nathan insisted on standing in the boat and leaning over to touch the water. Yes, they were wearing lifejackets but luckily he did not fall in the lake.

So Gregg wanted to go on a wheeler ride with the kids. Erik had his little wheeler, Gregg took Karson, and I had Alyssa. We were off to the volcano. We kept on going and going and going and going and ... Karson and Alyssa fell asleep while we were driving on what I thought was the bumpiest road ever. Ever tried to ride a wheeler on a bumpy road with a child sleeping on your arm? ...and going and going. So we get inside the volcano and I wasn't prepared for Alyssa to need to go potty, I didn't think we were going to be gone that long. Fun! So we decide to go back another way. Gregg insisted that the road would be better. It wasn't. It was so much worse. Alyssa said that she didn't like the rocks and that she wanted to go back to the cabin, she missed Grandma and Pi. Well we got stuck a couple of times and I almost rolled the wheeler and then I just about lost my leg when I put my foot down. Oops. Alyssa was a trooper we kept a lookout for cows. One time we had to wait for a cow to get out of the way and I think she got a little scared when we drove right next to him. Needless to day the ride back took much longer. Grandma and Pi went out looking for us cause we were gone so long but we finally made it.

This is what we looked like when we got back to the cabin.

My helmet was too big for me and it kept knocking on Alyssas helmet so after four hours of bumpy roads my hair was so matted I had eighties bangs.

I felt so bad for Alyssa on the trip so I promised Alyssa cookies and milk for dinner.

Picnic at the Lake

2010-10-08T14:41:00.000-07:00

We took a picnic to Lake Elizabeth so the kids could throw rocks in the lake and run around before the end of summer.
Nathan decided he was going on a nature walk so I grabbed the camera and we were off.

Nathan splashes in the water and then is shocked when he gets wet. BTW this water is discustingly green, yuck!

We took a bucket of rocks to throw in the water, I think this is one of their favorite pasttimes. We always have rocks all over the walkway in the backyard.

Here they are splashing and playing in the water.
This picture reminds me of Pi, any ideas why?

If there is water or mud or dirt my kids are in it. This is what they usually look like these days. I must look like one of those mothers who never wipes thier kids noses or cleans them up but I feel like that is all I do!

Dancin at the fair

2010-08-25T20:37:00.000-07:00

Sorry I don't have time to write about them but I will soon!

Family Picture

2010-08-18T08:17:00.000-07:00

The entire family was finally able to get together this summer. We always expect Alyssa to have a good scowl but both of them look a bit upset in this one. Kids, what can you do.

Thanks Jess for the picture!

Dumplin's dumplins

2010-08-10T16:14:00.000-07:00

This is My little Dumplin making our dumplins for dinner.
We went to Barnes and Noble today for storytime. Nathan was more than a handful so I had to hold him and walk around instead of listening to the story. Well I found some darling little cooking things for kids. I think B&N know what they are doing with storytime, it brings people in and then they buy stuff.

Our little Three Year Old

2010-08-09T12:46:00.001-07:00

Alyssa turned three on 7/18/2010.
Some of her favorite things are:
princess shoes
pink blanket
princess dresses (dance clothes)
blue
backpack
lunchbox
pretties (nail polish)

Her favorite foods include:
peanut butter sandwiches
noodles
tortillas with cheese (don't call it a quesadilla)
strawberries
blueberries
watermelon
broccolli
french fries
yogurt
ice cream
big cookies

Her favorite things to do:
talk
tackle
talk
climb
talk
jump
talk
catch
talk
dance
talk
watch movies
read

Alyssa is so smart, beautiful and good-natured. She is such a wonderful blessing to our family. She is very loving and a great big sister to Nathan. Today we were walking and out of the blue she said "Nathan I love you" and then played the "I love you this much" game with him. I can't believe how lucky we are to have such a perfect little angel in our home!

Oh, did I mention she is a little chatterbox?

We love you Lyssa Bug!

Splash Puddle

2010-08-09T11:51:00.001-07:00

While we were in Utah we took the kids to the splash pad. I wish we had them in our home town, the kids had so much fun we went back for a second day.

2010-08-09T11:37:00.000-07:00

Cooling off after dancing all night.

Crazy Dancin'

2010-08-01T19:18:00.001-07:00

Nothing like 14 kids running around and dancing in tutus. We put on the movie "Dancing Queen" and they all went wild.

Birthday Pictures

2010-07-31T21:34:00.000-07:00

We had Alyssa's first party at Nana and Tata's. There were so many activities planned and so many presents that we were all spinning in circles. Alyssa had so much fun and now she is constantly asking for another birthday! Thank you Nana and Tata and expecially Nina we had a great time.
Plenty more pictures to come!

Cherry Picking

2010-06-16T14:21:00.000-07:00

I went with the girls to take our little ones cherry picking today.
Alyssa was so excited to go cherry picking even though I'm not sure she understood what we were really going to do.

2010-06-16T14:14:00.001-07:00

Nathan started out slow but he was able to get a few cherries into his bucket. I think he only swallowed one pit but who knows. He must have gotten a good sugar rush though because he started running through the trees and lost all interest in cherry picking.

Alyssa on the other hand, couldn't get enough cherries in her bucket. She spent the entire time looking for the perfect cherries and when a bad one got in she was quick to pick it back out and toss it into the trees.
Many of you might not know that Nathan is quite attached to his blanket. When he gets tired his fingers go in the mouth and his blanket goes right up under his nose. (Alyssa tries this occasionally to see what the big deal is.) He got tired!

Until we started racing back to the entrance.
Alyssa did not want to leave but was interested in weighing the cherries and paying for them. She did all of the work and spoke to the cashier while I snapped pictures and chased after Nathan. What is it about boys? They won't sit still for anything, even when they are exhausted.

Another Bath Picture

2010-06-16T14:11:00.001-07:00

Nathan is so funny in the tub. All he wants to do is lay back and feel the bubbles around his face so this is what he looks like when he stands up.

Ballerina

2010-06-16T14:06:00.000-07:00

Alyssa started dance classes last week and she loves it. She does so well dancing with the other girls and following directions and she is soooo cute! She talks about getting her tap shoes and going to dance class all of the time.

Early Birthday Present

2010-06-16T14:04:00.001-07:00

Up in the Tree

2010-05-14T13:32:00.000-07:00

I love springtime! We get to go to the parks all of the time and have picnics. The kids always want to be outside and they are becoming so independant that I can sit back and watch them play. There is nothing I enjoy more than watching my kids play together.

Storytime and Crafts

2010-05-14T13:27:00.000-07:00

The kids have so much fun with crafts that it takes quite a bit of encouragement and a lot of distraction to get them away from the table.

Playing at the Park

2010-05-14T13:23:00.000-07:00

Nathan climbs on everything lately.

She is growing up so fast.

Wake Up Daddy!

2010-05-14T13:17:00.000-07:00

If we lay down on the floor both Alyssa and Nathan immediately run to us for a wrestling match.

The kids still love to destroy the couch so they can climb up the cushions and jump.

Poppies

2010-04-09T13:26:00.001-07:00

We had a playdate out at the Poppy Reserve today. It was so beautiful, on the way out to the preserve it looks like the hill is on fire, it is so orange. These are some pictures I took on the way out there.

Nathan and Alyssa's friends are Colt and Nathan. Alyssa was too busy running off to play much with them today, something she is doing too much of now. And Nathan was busy feeling sorry for himself because Mommy wouldn't hold him. I wanted to take pictures!

We got a smile!

Here are my beautiful children playing together! They play so well together now. When Nathan wakes up from his naps he looks around the house for his big sister and if she is still sleeping he cries at her door. It touches my heart when they give each other hugs and kisses; and they wrestle and play together. I just love my babies so much!

Happy Easter!

2010-04-04T11:10:00.001-07:00

The kids were fairly patient this morning as we all got ready for the hunt.

This is the way Alyssa searches for thinngs these days.

She was so excited her feet just couldn't keep up with her.

Nathan needed a little help this year so that Alyssa wouldn't get all of the treasures.
It is so funny how different our kids are. Nathan likes the fruit snacks and bunny crackers and Alyssa loves the chocolate. They dig through each others baskets and they both get what they want, no problems sharing anyway.
We tried a different kind of coloring kit this year where they get to paint swirls on their eggs. Nathan just wanted to eat.

We gave them their water guns a day early since the weather was so nice. They had a blast chasing Mom and Dad with their water guns. Nathan was a bit shocked the first time Alyssa sprayed him but he laughed it off and had fun too.

Have I mentioned that my kids like bubbles?

Happy Anniversary!

2010-04-02T13:30:00.000-07:00

I was putting Michael's anniversary presents in a box and Alyssa decided that she was going to find some presents to put in for Daddy. She looked around the house for a minute and then climbed right in. So Michael, Happy Anniversary!

Good Weather/New Clothes

2010-04-02T13:05:00.000-07:00

We had such good weather last weekend that I decided to get my summer clothes out this week. The box of clothes that I pulled down were from before I was pregnant with Alyssa and have not fit me since then. They fit! Wahoo! I weighed in today and I have lost 17 pounds since mid-January. I guess I don't need to go shopping for summer clothes after all.

Kids Having Fun!

2010-03-31T10:41:00.000-07:00

We splurged a little and got Alyssa a Tinkerbell costume for Halloween this year. I know it is a little early but she has fun dressing up and flying. She came up to me the other day and told me she wanted to fly like Tinkerbell. Her expression was so serious and she just can't seem to understand why I won't let her fly for real. So both kids climb up the couch and jump off pretending that they are flying. Alyssa flaps her arms as she does it.

Alyssa is always counting now. When we go shopping she counts as loud as possible, you should see the looks we get from other shoppers. We are working on the written numbers so I printed out shamrocks with numbers on them and we stuck them to the wall. When Nathan woke up from his nap he pulled them down and crumpled them so we had to put them up higher. He got to play with numbers 16 and 17 though.

The kids love to march around the house so we made band hats and watched them march around and around the pool table. My how easily they can be amused.

They also like playing pirates on the couch, they jump around and chase each other, it is so cute.

When Grandma and Pi came down to visit they made sugar cookies. I have two little bakers but unfortunately I can't seem to bake much of anything very well.

Nathan is constantly asking us to set up the bowling pins so he can throw the ball at them. At least he is setting them up on his own half the time now.

Easter Egg Hunt

2010-03-30T14:12:00.001-07:00

Today we went to an Easter Egg Hunt with one of our playgroups. We played on the slides and had lunch, actually I spent most of my time trying to keep track of my little ones, but we had a great time. Then it was finally time for them to take their baskets and collect eggs. Alyssa spent all morning carrying around her basket and talking about hunting eggs. They were so busy opening each egg as they picked them up I didn't think they would get much in their baskets but they made out all right. When we were leaving Alyssa said to me "We had so much fun at the park today."

Got Sand?

2010-03-29T09:24:00.000-07:00

I learned something from our camping neighbors that might be of interest to anyone going to the beach this summer. Baby powder takes the sand off of your skin. You know how kids get sand everywhere, just pour baby powder on them and it wipes the sand off like magic.

Our First Camping Trip

2010-03-25T14:32:00.000-07:00

Spring Break Wahoo! We decided to go camping for a couple of nights at Carpinteria State Beach. We have been wanting to get back there since last summer. The camp spots are only a few feet from the beach so when we walked up a little hill this is what we saw.

Here are some pictures from the beach. I know there are a lot of them but I couldn't decide which pictures to leave out so I put most of them in.

Can you think of a better place to wake up?

Pictures from our camp spot going to the beach.

This is our camp neighbor Abby. Alyssa and Abby had so much fun together in the freezing water. They shadowed each other running around jumping the waves, going out too deep into the ocean, throwing rocks and running to their Daddies.

Happy Birthday Daddy!

2010-03-16T14:30:00.001-07:00

We all love our homemade pizza so what else would we have for Michael's Birthday dinner? The kids get to make their own because well you can see why we don't eat theirs.

They all got a chance to blow out candles and I'm sure there was quite a bit of slobber by the time we got them all out.

Our friends Janet and Alan took the kids for the evening so Michael and I got to hang out and play Wii for the evening. Thanks!

Do you think he would mind if I mentioned that he fell on his rump trying to bowl?

Helping Out In The Kitchen

2010-03-16T14:22:00.000-07:00

If I take out the mop or the broom I have two little Monkeys right on my tail.

Our little bug loves to cook so we pulled out the Easy Bake Oven.

Here she is frosting the "cakes".

We got a thumbs up! She did such a good job.

Hide and Seek

2010-03-16T08:23:00.001-07:00

Our favorite game is Hide and Seek. We bought some cute Disney flashlight/lanterns for our upcoming camping trip and we use them to play at night. Michael and I take turns hiding and the kids use their flashlights to find us.

Around the house

2010-03-07T09:37:00.000-08:00

Alyssa has definitely turned into a little princess. She has so much fun dressing up and having her picture taken.

I caught a great moment with the camera. Daddy and Lyssabug cooking together.

Punching ballons can entertain them for a good tem minutes or so, but they love having daddy blow up balloons so they can let them go and watch them fly through the air while deflating.

Thi kids had fun making valentine cards for everyone.

Bubbles, bubbles and more bubbles

2010-03-07T09:25:00.000-08:00

The kids love making bubble stationary. We put food coloring in the bubbles and they blow them onto the paper.

Jess gave us a great idea for the kids when it is cold outside. We fill up the sink with water and bubbles and let them play with measuring cups and funnels and anything else that will make a mess.

I took Alyssa to Disneyland to celebrate her being potty trained. Wahoo! We brought back a bubble gun for Nathan that lights up and the kids had a blast with all of the bubbles. We had to play with it in the tub because it made tons and tons of bubbles.

Another Christmas

2010-03-07T07:51:00.000-08:00

The kids had another entire Christmas with Nana and Tata.

You can tell by the look in Nathan's eyes that he is not happy about sharing his workbench. Notice the princess shoes on our little carpenter? She has six pairs of these shoes and she constantly changes them.

Cabin

2010-01-26T15:38:00.000-08:00

Okay so we were about 100 pictures behind.

Here they are!

Christmas Morning

2010-01-26T15:29:00.001-08:00

Fun pics

2010-01-26T15:01:00.000-08:00

Helping with the Laundry

2010-01-26T14:57:00.001-08:00

Decorating the Christmas Tree

2010-01-26T14:54:00.000-08:00

Nathan's Birthday with Nana and Tata

2010-01-26T14:18:00.000-08:00

2009-12-15T15:41:00.001-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-14T10:09:00.000-08:00

Happy First Birthday Nathan

2009-11-16T18:12:00.000-08:00

We are working on computer problems so we haven't scrapbooked or touched up any of the photos, but here they are.

This is our little Nathan, he turned one on November 14.
Some of his favorite things are:
Food (anything will do, even dog food)
Cars
Climbing
Signing time
Talking on the phone
Playing with his big sister
Being tickled
Spinning around
Walking
Teasing the dogs
Balls
Baths
Anything anyone else is doing or eating or playing with!
He is very loving and my heart just melts when he gives me hugs.

Grandma and Pi came to town on Halloween to celebrate his birthday, unfortunately Nathan was sick. He didn't get a chance to smash a cake for his first birthday. We did have fun with ice cream on his actual birthday though.

We gave him tents with tunnels and they both had fun crawling through, Nathan loves chasing his sister. The game is called Pirates.

We had a pizza picnic with ice cream and a movie. We watched Elf and we all had fun dancing whenever there was music.

Daddy took the day off work to go to Disneyland last Monday. We were celebrating two things, Nathan's Birthday and potty training. We haven't succeeded with the training yet but we are still in the battle.

Alyssa was helping Daddy wash the car. She did such a good job they had to wash the second one too.

This is the original Pirates game. The aerobed was leaned up against the kitchen island and the kids would crawl under and climb up. We had to put a stop to it when Alyssa kept getting on the counter top. That is why they got the tents and tunnels.

They LOVE playing cars!

Nathan copies everything we do already. But he either doesn't know where his ears are or he knows something we don't.

Halloween!

2009-11-02T12:29:00.001-08:00

Carving the pumpkin with the kids was fun, messy but fun. I'm still stepping on pumpkin seeds.

Nathan kept eating the goop and making faces. Kids are so smart at this age.

Poor Nathan was sick on Halloween so this is the best picture we could get of our little cow. He got to stay home with Pi to hand out treats.
Alyssa Had so much fun trick-or-treating!

She was shy and wouldn't say trick-or-treat. At some of the scary houses she wanted to be carried and when we walked away form the houses she said "Not scary".

Googly Eyes

2009-10-29T14:50:00.000-07:00

Fall Leaves

2009-10-27T12:20:00.000-07:00

This toy has been worth it's weight in gold. All I have to do is open the door and fill it with water and I get to sit and put my feet up.

She actually took her diaper off and crawled right in.

Nathan has been walking quite a bit on his own but he loves his walking toy.

Anything that can sit on top of her head is a hat.

I took the kids and the dogs to "Bark at the Park". Can you believe we have a fair for dogs? Instead of rides the dogs line up for dog entertainment like fetching a ball as they dive in the water, and chasing a fake animal all around a huge field. Well the kids enjoyed ice cream and Alyssa got a dog painted on her cheek.

Bye Bye Summer

2009-10-08T07:00:00.000-07:00

We are a couple of weeks behind in blogging. It is now too cold to play in the sprinkers although Alyssa still asks for it.

We are building huts these days. Both of them love to be under blankets and sheets.
I have heard almost nothing from Alyssa but "Picture for Grandma" and "Grandma coming" for about three weeks now. So I am taking the kids up today to see their Grandma and Pi and give them all of the pictures we make for them.
Alyssa can do it herself. It doesn't matter what it is, she can do it. Don't even try to help her put her clothes on, she can do it.

Alyssa likes to tackle Nathan. He smiles most of the time but sometimes she can be a bit rough. Nathan is starting to hold his own though.

Alyssa doesn't always go right to sleep when I put her down for a nap. I found her sleeping on the floor about 45 minutes after I put her in bed.

Monster Mash

2009-10-06T20:44:00.001-07:00

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

Carpinteria State Beach

2009-09-27T17:46:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we went to the beach and had a fantastic day!

The kids had a great time in the sand. Nathan thought the water was too cold but we had to drag Alyssa out of the ocean when her lips turned blue.

County Fair

2009-09-21T21:06:00.001-07:00

I remember the county fair in southern Utah and believe me it was not worth talking about, so I was very hesitant to spend the money to take the kids to the LA County Fair. What a surprise! We had a great time and Alyssa did not want to leave, ever.

The rides cost a dollar on the day we went so we didn't think it would be too bad taking the family. The height limit for kids to ride alone was 36 in. Unfortunatly Alyssa is 34 and 1/2 inches so Michael and I took turns riding with her. Yes, that makes two dollars a ride. Alyssa went on this slide about 5 times. It was fun but 10 bucks really? Oh well, she LOVED it!
Michael was so nice to let me take this one...

...and this one.
I cut myself out of this pic. since it was so awkward for an adult to sit in the little roller coaster. My back was so sore for a week. Thanks Honey!

A couple of kids in the ward got first and second prize for their turkeys and got over $3,000 dollars for them. What are we doing teaching?

There were water pumps with rubber duckies in a trough. Nathan enjoyed watching and Alyssa had the time of her life pumping the water and watching the ducks slide down.

For those of us who are not fond of sand think of doing this, corn. OK, so you can't make sand castles but you also don't have to get it out of your ears and other fun parts when you get out either.

Alyssa thought she liked pigs until she touched this one. They shave them before they sell them so they are very prickly. So much worse than a week of not shaving your legs.
The kids got to dig up and plant potatoes.

Alyssa got to milk a cow! So it wasn't real, don't tell her.

Fun Pictures

2009-09-19T22:14:00.000-07:00

2009-09-14T12:57:00.001-07:00

Grandma and Pi came to visit a couple of weeks ago to play with the kids and babysit so we could go out on a date. Thank you! Grandma got a new camera for her birthday so we went to the park and took family pictures and they drove out to Lake Elizabeth with the kids.

This is what the sky looked like because of the fires. No, they are not clouds!

Did Someone Say Chocolate?

2009-09-09T20:36:00.001-07:00

I opened the fridge to clean it and within seconds my little monkey found the chocolate syrup, and took off the lid, and...

Seriously, doesn't this kid look look he is about two years old?

Our Kids

2009-08-21T15:25:00.001-07:00

Alyssa and Nathan have a blast in the tub together. Nathan cries when we get him out of the tub.

Our kids love pizza night. We make everything so it is extra yummy!

Alyssa helps by making the crust.

They were having fun until I got the camera ready.

Playing peek-a-boo in a cardboard box.

He had so much food stuffed in his mouth.

Nathan is playing with the toy boxes, who needs the toys anyway?

Alyssa doing her hair while I'm getting ready. I don't know if you can tell but she found the lipstick before I noticed her getting into everything.

Wishing there was water in the tub.

He is now pulling himself up onto everything.