Summer in San Diego

This year Mike worked round the clock extra hard to build up enough photos to submit to make it possible to take some time off to spend with us this summer - the last summer before Sierra started school and I started looking for a job.

Well...things don't always turn out how you plan. Mike also started a new venture at the beginning of the summer - a new way to sell his photos (that we hope will be wildly successful), but we had some hiccups starting out, and he didn't end up taking as much time off to play as we'd hope too... Plus, I kept having sinus issues - so this summer was not as fun and vacation packed as we'd hoped it would be!

...But we did get a couple of lovely weeks in California! (And I wasn't sick during that time!... though Sierra and then Lily came down with something when we first got there.) It was definitely the highlight of our summer. I got to hug my mom and dad, spend time with my brothers and sister, and see my lovely nephew and nieces who are growing up so much so fast and we are missing it! Isaac is so fun to talk to I almost died. I love that boy, and all my nieces so much! The girls were super excited about getting to be with their cousins, we miss them all terribly!

My dad set up Lily's old trundle bed we left there with air mattresses for the girls to sleep on, it was so sweet and helped them feel so much at home even though many things have changed since we lived there with them. We got to spend some time with some of our dearest friends and their two cute little girls, go to many of our favorite restaurants, which we also miss a lot ;) hit up the fair, and Belmont Park, and of course, the beach! We really felt glad to be back the first day we hit the beach. That was our little family's happy place when we lived in California, and the happy just came flooding back the moment we got there. The tiredness from the road trip, and sleeping in strange beds, and not totally knowing what to do with yourself when you're on vacation -- fell away, stress and pressure lifted, and we just enjoyed ourselves...and got a little sunburned that first day! We did not want to leave ;)

I got so many photos it took some time to even feel like I had time to sit and go through them, and going through them just made us all (me and kids looking over my shoulder) want to go back again. It was a long, tiring drive (especially on the way back), but I think we could do it again...

Heading to the Fair

 I love this photo! Pure joy!

 Back to the BEACH!

  My little sand angel

 I love to watch the girls playing in the waves with their Dad

 Kept getting flashback to when Lily was little and riding this guy!

 It's lovely to swing at the beach!

 ..pretty sure this was not Mike's first time on the dolphin toy either! 

 waiting to eat at the Yellow Deli

Belmont Park

 Sierra is not a fan of getting her photo taken regularly

 So fun to see Sierra driving - last time we came here she was a baby!

souvenir shirt

Moonlight Beach with friends

Together Again

 I love my family!

Road Home

 I'd never driven through Oregon before this trip, it is so beautiful!!!

I kept trying to take pictures as we sped by, it is so green and lush with trees and wildflowers all along the road sides and these snow topped mountains in the middle of summer were absolutely captivating, unless you were sucked into watching Max and Ruby on the portable DVD player ;)

I decided to put my July Fourth photos and Lily's birthday celebrations in separate posts. So many photos!!!

Ups and Downs

This school year - this year all together has been full of ups and downs. I apologize for not posting more of the ups we've had going on this year, which is what I traditionally like to focus on.... Sometimes the downs kind of paralyze me. Sometimes I swear when it comes to something that is working right, especially with my kids - if I post about it online...it is just like asking for it to go wrong. ...I know that is ridiculous and superstitious, but it happens often enough to make me wonder ;)

I want to back track and record more of our family's memories, but I'm not making any promises at the moment. I'm giving myself a little mercy on this because life is so crazy and complicated, and I just need a little mercy right now. 

Anyway...wanted to share a some cute pictures from this morning as Lily got ready for her 1st Crazy Hair/Pajama day this year. An up moment for sure. We did cupcake hair because we didn't have time for her usual crazy sticky out braids.

And while I'm at it I'll share a little family-funny related to ups and downs.

When Lily sees this out the window:

 it's the ups truck (pronounced like the word not separate initials)

and this:

she pronounces "Little Casers"

It's such a family joke we all say it now. 

She comes by it honestly. When my mom saw a sign like this when she was little:

she'd pronounce it Anti-Q's.  ....or maybe that was me - it could've been both of us!

Well, that's it for today. There is real work to be done. Hope life is treating you well :)

1st days of school 2017

School started this week. Our summer is officially over, and we are sad...but there are good things about school starting and having a routine. Lily was really sad she didn't get the teacher she wanted this year, she actually got the exact teacher she didn't want!  Last year she didn't get in the same class with any of her closest friends, and wasn't loving school - which just made it harder to get her out the door in the mornings. Well, we heard some nice things about the teacher she got this year, and got a nice letter from her and we tried to help Lily have an open minded attitude about her (because everyone gets a teacher they don't like at some point, and chances are Lily just had a first impression overhearing her talking to a student who was misbehaving and needed a stern tone). Well, it has turned out awesome! Lily absolutely LOVES her teacher, and has tons of nice girls in her class this year, and was so excited to tell me about her 1st day, and chattering on again at bedtime last night about how excited she was to go to school and how much she loved school! I get tears in my eyes even typing about it - I am so relieved and happy!!! It makes such a difference every day when your child does, or doesn't like school! Lily telling me anything about school - is HUGE!! I have been anxious enough about this year because Sierra is also starting Kindergarten and I am planning on going back to work full time - so this great start is a big weight off my mind!

So here are Lily's 1st day of school pictures from earlier this week:
Happy 4th grader!

Lily got braces at the end of the summer -  here are a couple extra pictures of that:

Loved this picture I found on Mike's phone:

Such a beauty!

We had an interview with Sierra's teacher yesterday and went to the school's Open House/Ice Cream social last night, but the first day of Kindergarten didn't start until today.

And the moment you've all been waiting for...

Sierra's 1st day of Kindergarten!!

All ready with her gear!

 This backpack is a little heavy!

 She's got this!

Lily was not too excited to have to stop to have her picture taken

 so you can see her smile is a little strained ;)

Sierra comforting pat says: You can do it, Lily ;)

Lily really didn't want to have to take another picture with the bear!

(and other kids walking by) Ha ha!

 Sierra didn't mind :)

My baby!

Hoping this little love has a great day today! I miss her so much already, but I didn't cry until her dad started talking about how much harder it was dropping her off than it was when it was Lily (because he felt like he hasn't had as much time to play with her as he did with Lily). The tears started to flow, and I noticed a couple of other red-faced moms in the parking lot as we headed to our car. I think she will thrive in Kindergarten, she loves to be active and be with other kids, and was definitely getting bored at home. Here's hoping I can learn to juggle working and being a mom and not get burned out this year! Maybe I'll be an even better mom than before...? We will see... I sure hope so! Lots of changes going on!