Surprise to the Sixties!

In honor of my mom's 60th birthday my sister-in-law Christine and I threw a surprise birthday party for her with a 60's theme on Saturday! We were successful in surprising her (with a few close calls) and we think the party was a success - we all had fun! We just wish more people dressed up (: Here are a few fun pics of the night!

Mom and dad in 60's garb!

We had some great photos of my mom plastered throughout the room including these fun retro ones as part of the decor (:

My mom with Christine and I

Grand Canyon/Sedona Trip Photos!

So last week, Jon, Shayla and I were able to meet up with two of my college roommates that I lived with for almost 2 years in Malibu during my Pepperdine years for a family trip to the Grand Canyon and Sedona. We met up with our hubbys, our 3 year old, 2 year old, 16 month old, and 9 month old! We had an amazing time - perfect weather, perfect location, and perfect friends!

On the way there to break up the 8 hour drive for Shayla we stopped at Calico Ghost Town in Yermo, California - a throwback to my childhood years since this was a place I had been several times as a kid with our family and on fieldtrips! It was pretty much the same and fun to see again after probably close to 20 years!

Here are some pics from our trip.

Shayla 23 months old today!

My baby is 23 months old today - or almost two years old - wow - time does fly! Soon I will be sending her off to school right?

Anyway, her personality continues to bubble over more and more each week as she grows into herself!

Here are a few pics from the last month:

She LOVES the park and slides and ALWAYS swings from the park bars! My little monkey!

She loves her trike - loves pushing it more than riding it I think.

She is a big goofball and loves wearing glasses of any kind.

Her new favorite toy (that I got off freecycle - woo-hoo!) is a sand water table! She loves playing in it so much and I know as it continue to warm up she is going to be spending lots of time outdoors playing in the water!

Happy 6-0 Mom!!!

Happy 60th Birthday Mom!

Today my mom turns 60 years old and it is so wonderful to look back on her life and see the years and people who have shaped her into who she has become! How blessed and lucky I am to have her as my very own mother! She is truly the kindest, most selfless and giving person I know and I look up to her in so many ways! If you need an example of a great mother, wife, friend, sister, daughter, etc - she is the one to beat!

Mom - I LOVE YOU and wish you a wonderful birthday and 60 more years of happiness, health, joy, chocolate, and love!!

P.S. What a bonus that you were born on Earth Day as Earth is such a better place with you here!!!



Joan - Just a little baby in a baby carriage - 1949

Joan with her sisters - love this photo!

Mom with dad the year they met! 1976

My mom now in her element - bike riding in Wisconsin! 2008

More Easter memories!

We had a fun filled week last week with all the many Easter activities from meeting the Easter bunny, to dyeing eggs to egg hunts galore (Shayla's favorite food is now jelly beans! ack!). We also had fun at a few fun birthday parties since most of Shayla's friends are turning 2 in the next few months! Yesterday was a beautiful Easter Sunday which we enjoyed with Jons parents, grandpa and sister's family and Doug & Sheelah!

Anyway, here is our family Easter photo, Shayla in her Easter dress on Sunday and a slideshow of some photos from the last week!

"Easter is the celebration of the free gift of immortality given to all men, restoring life and healing all wounds. Though all will die as part of the eternal plan of growth and development, nevertheless we can all find comfort in the Psalmist’s statement, “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” (Ps. 30:5.)."

Happy Easter!

Pasadena, Playdates and Poison Control?

I had a wonderful Thursday - minus the Poison control incident! It started out with a fun playdate in Pasadena with my best friend Heather and our girls. It is always good to get together and see how much our babies are growing up! We found our meetup spot - Amys Playhouse in Pasadena with lunch at this yummy Mexican restaurant next door after playtime!

Later I had an incident where I had to call poison control. Shayla loves being outdoors, so I was letting her play while I was inside doing dishes- I can see her mostly from the kitchen window. When I can't see her I go outside. Today I went outside when she went out of view and she was munching on a Calla Lily plant from our backyard garden. She immediately spit it out and started making faces and so I took her inside to wash her mouth out. Then I did a quick online check and it says that Calla Lillies are poisonous (but not to what degree) so even though she seemed fine, I though I better call poison control (IF YOU DON'T put it on your fridge or in your cell phone put it in now parents - (800) 222-1222). The lady at the Poison Center told me it tastes bitter and hot like biting into a jalapeno so normally they never had issues with kids eating enough of it to make them sick - but it can be poisonous. Luckily my daughter just barely bit it and she was fine after wards so she told me not to worry and call if I saw anything that seemed strange - red mouth, lips, etc. Anyway, I think we are in the clear. BUT this serves as a reminder to make sure all your plants are non-poisonous because even if you think they won't eat them there is always that "what if..."

Okay, back to the fun of the day!

Here we are mommas with our glasses as we are getting older (ah remember the pre-marriage, pre-baby club hopping days!)

Baby Sienna at 8 months old - what a doll!

Larissa & Sienna making faces for the camera!

Shayla resting on a playstructure (she was extra tired today so kept stopping to lay down - so not like her...)

Enjoying Fillmore's Trains

This last week weekend in our hometown! Last weekend was the Fillmore Railfest. One of the things Fillmore is known for is the Fillmore Western Railway which boasts a train station, train and one of the only turn tables of it's kind anywhere. Once a year the city celebrates the train with the city's annual Railfest. Shayla loves trains so last weekend we went to check it out. I realized I did not take any photos the the actual trains though, but there is a traditional train and a steam engine train that kept blowing it's whistle and was a little too loud for Shayla.


Here's Shayla sporting her engineer's hat with mom making the little train run.

Enjoying the slide with mom - she loved it as you can see!

Enjoying some shaved ice with dad - is that stuff radioactive?