Disneyland 2009

We spent the day at Disneyland on Tuesday. Despite the frigid temperature...we had a wonderful time. Highlights: Lindsay braving the Pirates of the Caribbean ride with her daddy, Kendal's elation that the horses on the carousel move, both girls faces during the entertainment in the Tikki Room and the awe both girls were overcome with during the holiday parade. Everyday should be a Disneyland Day!!

Missing These Faces

Going to work each day; makes me realize how quickly time is flying and how fast my girls are growing and changing, makes me more appreciative of the time we spend together as a family, and often leaves me with a lump in my throat as I am driving away from the house early in the morning...because the fact of the matter is that I miss them when I'm away.
Not that it surprises me...it just catches me off gaurd all the time. I knew I would miss them when I returned to work fulltime I just couldn't comprehend the extent I guess until I was living it. So yes, I miss those faces...a lot.
Lindsay just seems so grown up all of a sudden...her face just looks older to me...I study her face alot. Kendal...well she is just talking up a storm and is so adorable. Each morning when I go into her room to get her out of bed, she begins telling me everything she knows...all at once...while I'm changing her diaper she will go from discussing my shirt and what color it is to the trash truck outside and how Terra is scared and we have to tell her it's okay. It's as if she was sitting in her bed before I arrived and was thinking of all the things she wants to tell me. Then there is the two girls together lately and how they play together. They play dress-up, blocks, playdough, hopscotch...and so on...and seeing them get along and play is enough to bring me to tears daily.
Lindsay will have moments each day where she hugs her little sis and tells her she loves her. Kendal now says "I love you" and that could melt your heart in a minute. In fact we were at my dad's the other night and as we we're pulling away Kendal said "I love you Poppy", when I spoke to my dad the next morning he was still marveling at her words...so cute!
So my point of this very long post (much longer and mishmoshed together than I anticipated) is that I miss these faces multiple times throughout each day...I just do!

The New Oven In Grandma's Kitchen

There are so many wonderful things about my new oven/stove: 1) it was not built in the 1950's 2) it does not make my kitchen 30 degrees warmer 3) all of the burners work 4) one burner on the stove has 19,000 btus and boils water in record time...but best of all the girls can watch things cook and bake inside the oven. I must say Kendal is very excited about this. I usually bake every Saturday morning when I wake up and Kendal sits in front of the oven and repeats "cake, cake, cake"...she loves to watch and check the oven...even when there is nothing in it. In the pictures here I was making pumpkin bread and the girls were watching it bake...I know my grandma is smiling down from heaven at this sight...this was her kitchen once and she did bake a lot...we just weren't ever able to watch from the outside.

Mutt

We love our dog Terra...aka Mutt Mutt and about 10 other nicknames. As I was in the kitchen doing dishes and cleaning up lunch one day the girls were giggling, quiet, giggling, and quiet...hummmm is what I thought...this must mean trouble...I came out to this picture below. Terra was covered in blankets and pillows...Linday looked at me and said "we're making Terra cozy mom". She must have been cozy because she was fast asleep...what a good dog!!!

Minnie and Minnie Minnie Mouse

Yes, my Halloween post is very late. I am waiting on my brother to send me the pictures he took...which include the photo of Minnie Minnie Mouse...Kendal. Both girls were Minnie Mouse. Lindsay was very excited to wear her costume and had plenty of Halloween dress rehearsals before the big day...while Kendal was not so enthused about her costume...she loved looking at it and talking about it, but when it came to wearing it she would say "off, off, carry it, carry it"!. I am not certain at this point if we were able to get a picture of her in it, for the 10 seconds she wore it...the good news is that my sister-in-law was able to get Kendal to wear her Minnie ears...which were adorable. So we'll add some pictures to this post once I have them. We enjoyed our evening together; my dad, step mom, brother, sister-in-law, and our family of four.

Tanaka Farms

Our family (and about 500 other families) decided to make our annual trip to Tanaka Farms Pumpkin Patch yesterday. We had a grand time. Kendal loved all the pumpkins, Lindsay found one with warts all over it that was extremely gross. The petting zoo was a huge smelly hit...Kendal enjoyed the view from the outside while Lindsay went in with her dad to get a closer look and feed the animals. The tractor ride was enjoyed by all especially when they shot a pumpkin out of a canon. Lindsay covered her ears for the rest of the ride...even with no canon in sight. We always love our family trip to Tanaka Farms.

Bedtimes Conversations

Most nights when I put Lindsay to bed we say our "amens" chat a little bit about our day and she goes to sleep. I always find this time of day so sweet and special because usually something funny or touching happens. Last night our conversations went something like this:
Lindsay - Where is god?
Me - Up in the clouds honey, watching over all we do each day.
Lindsay - Is grandma Johnine (Mike's mom) up there?
Me - Yes
Lindsay - Is Shasta(the Wright's dog)up there?
Me - Yes
Lindsay - Is that the person who poured water over poor baby Kendal's head at the big church?
Me - No sweetheart, that is someone who works for God.
Lindsay - Is God a boy or a girl?
Me - silence...what do you think?
Lindsay - I think God is a girl...

Brown Bows

I suppose if we cannot yet put on our fall clothes at least we can have fall bows. We headed off to the beach yesterday to watch one of my students play in a volleyball tournament. It was 85 degrees when we arrived at the MB pier at 11am...not so much fall happening here yet...we're still waiting! The girls enjoyed their time getting sand everywhere, climbing in and out of beach chairs, playing with the multiple volleyballs and cheering for Presley. I think we brought half of the beach home with us so now I am off to vacuum out my car. We're hoping our trip to the pumpkin patch next weekend proves to be more fall-like.

Five Years Ago Today...

Five years ago today...we said "I Do" in front of many people close to our hearts. In some ways it seems like just yesterday and in other ways it seems more like 10 years ago...sounds so silly but feels a little bit of both. We are blessed in many ways and have much to be thankful for. We're looking forward to what the future holds and are cherishing each day we have together.

Engagement February 2004

Mendocino April 2004

Hollywood Bowl July 2004

First Day of Fall

Oh how we longed for the first day of fall to be fallish/fall-like but what we got was 98 degrees at 11am in our backyard. So much for breaking out the sweaters and jeans...we eased into the familiar swimsuits of summer and enjoyed the water.

Labor Day BBQ

Now that our backyard has become more visitor friendly we are having family over more often...and enjoy visiting in the fresh air as opposed to the confines of our little house. Poppy, Grandma Kathy, Uncle Rick and Auntie Alina joined us last Sunday.

Auntie and Uncle enjoying their nieces.

Kendal in the playhouse

Playing with Uncle Rick

Poppy and Grandma Kathy

Auntie and Uncle entertaining the girls

Lindsay and Uncle Rick (see the resemblence)

Kenz and Auntie Alina

Lindsay Jane telling Poppy and Grandma a thing or two.

Kendal at 17 months!

Our girls is growing like a weed. She loves to play with her big sister and they squeal and run the length of our hallway multiple times a day...who new something so simple could be so entertaining. She has quite a vocabulary and insists on yelling the names of pictures in her books instead od saying them, she is so excited to be able to speak words people can understand. Kendal now puts Lindsay in her place if Lindsay decides to pick off something Kendal is playing with...we knew that day would come. Lindsay can still outsmart her occasionally but not as often as she wishes. We are enjoying her blossoming personality. She likes to snuggle a lot but is definitely a rough and tumble kind of girl...oh and is she ever strong. If there is an obstacle in her way she shoves her way right on through...very comical. So our little girl is well on her way to a year and a half...and we're sad it's going soooo fast!!

Leaving these cute faces behind!

I knew there would be a big difference going from working parttime to fulltime...what I was not prepared for was the guilt I would feel from the effect it has on my kids. Though they have tremendous care while I'm away...there's no escaping it. As I prepared to reenter the classroom these last few weeks (which is a huge chore)Lindsay said "mom, I don't want you to be a teacher, I want you to be a mom" multiple times in the last couple weeks and yesterday when I returned from my first day as teacher again...Kendal screamed and cried for Estela as she left...ouch is all I have to say!! Sigh.....