A day out at Sea World...

Enjoying a perfect summer day at Sea World.

Welcome to Sea World!

We saw turtles....

and touched star fish....

and checked out the shamus!

had a snack with Mom....

and checked out fish with Dad!

Jack's first trip to Sea World...

What a great day!

An EXTRA special day!

Today was an extra special day because it was Father's Day AND our 7th anniversary. When I married Kyle 7 years ago, I knew he was very special....a perfect match for me. We complement and balance each other out in so many ways. When I thought about my future husband, I hoped he would be a good Dad as well. Kyle surpassed anything I could have ever imagined. He is patient and loving and very, very hands on. I love the way his face lights up when he sees Jack, even after a long day of work. They are best buddies! The past seven years of marriage have been filled with so many amazing moments. None compare to the day Jack was born and I saw the instant bond between my boys. On that day, I fell in love with Kyle all over again.

I made Kyle a special Fathers Day/Anniversary dinner complete with his favorite homemade chocolate chip cookies! He surprised me with a homemade book of the last 12 years together (7 years married). It was so sweet and made my whole day. We laughed as we looked through the old pictures of us together. We have had a lot of amazing memories and looking through this book reminded me how blessed I am to have the most incredible husband to share my life with! Happy anniversary Kyle. Thank you for being such a wonderful husband and partner with me. I cannot imagine going through life with anyone else. And happy Father's Day too! Jack and I are so grateful for your unending love and committment to your family.

We love you!

Anniversary dinner at home!

Making Kyle's favorites

My beautiful homemade anniversay card

lots of wonderful memories!

Jack and Kyle's 2nd Father's Day!

Palm Springs!!

There is nothing I love more than a family vacation. Last month, the whole family got together in Palm Springs for a week of relaxation and sun! Palm Springs is one of my favorite places because I feel so refreshed when I leave. We hung by the pool everyday, went on walks, had yummy dinners and just enjoyed being a family. My Mom and Kyle's Dad turn 60 this year so we thought this would be the perfect time to get together and celebrate. Jackson LOVES hanging with his Grandparents and Auntie and Uncle. Now that he is walking, he is NON-STOP! And he walks EVERYWHERE!

Another perk of having family around is that they love taking Jackson so that Kyle and I can go to dinner or even a movie! The only thing that is hard living in San Diego is not having family close by. So when we do get together, they take full advantage of their time with him! Here are some pics from our amazing weekend away...

pool time with Nana

I love Palm Springs!

time to swim

love my uncle Todd

tank topper!

my own private pool

swimming with my two grandmas

my two boys

sisters!

getting some sun

pool boy

Happy birthday Grammy and Papa

plaid twins

family pic.

What a great week!

Happy Mothers Day

I asked my Kindergarteners to tell me why they love their Mothers. One little girl proudly said, "because she drives me to the gas station. They have the coldest drinks there!" Yes, Mothers do all sorts of things, comfort you when your sad, love you when your are sick. They cheer for you the loudest at your soccer games and and even drive you to the gas station for a cold drink afterwards! I love being Jack's Mother. He fills me with joy. He just makes me better. We had a lovely 2nd Mothers day together. Even though Kyle worked in the morning, he and Jackson surprised me with a tray of flowers and a very nice breakfast. Yum! Jackson and I spent the morning hanging out in our jammies and eating bagels and fruit. So wonderful! Another fun surprise was a dozen little notes all over the house from my boys. Notes on the fridge, in the cupboard, on the T.V. They were so sweet and made me feel so loved and appreciated!

One of Jack's best buddies turned 1 today so we stopped over at their house when Kyle got home for a little cake. It doesn't matter what I do, I just love being with my boys!

Speaking of Mothers, not too many people can say they have 2 incredible Moms! My Mom and my Mother-In-Law are the two most amazing people I know. They are everything I hope I can be to Jackson: caring, compassionate and strong. Thank you both for teaching me what a fantastic Mother is suppose to be!

A nice surprise to wake up to!

Some of my sweet "Mom" notes. On the remote...

On my keys...

On the cupboards too!

So blessed to be this boy's Mother.

Happy Mothers Day!

Spring has sprung!

I love everything about Spring: planting new flowers in my pots on the deck, evening walks with Ky and Jack, and of course, the warm weather. The weather here in San Diego has been absolutely beautiful lately and I try to get outside at least once a day. Since I am only teaching in the morning, my afternoons have been filled with walks to the park, splashing with Jack in our neighbor's "baby pool" and playing outside. I feel so lucky to live in such a wonderful place and I am so thankful that Jackson gets to grow up in Southern California. I am looking forward to many beach days, BBQ's and surf lessons as he gets bigger. For now I am just enjoying all the sun-filled moments with him (And a tall glass of peach iced tea...Yum!).

Just enjoying the weather with my buddy Aaron!

The other reason I love Spring is for the clothes. If you know me, you know I rarely wear pants. I am such a girly-girl and I could live in dresses and skirts. And now that it is Spring, I wear one practically every day. Anthropologie(one of my most favorite stores ever!) has the cutest dresses and skirts right now. I just need to win the lottery so that I could go on a little shopping spree....

Happy Spring!!

Family Easter Celebration

We spent Easter at my sister's house. Now that Bo is getting a little older, he can play with Jack, which is so much fun. We spent the day opening up baskets and having a good old fashion egg hunt for the adults. The babes were a little too small to hunt for eggs, but next year when they can both walk (or run!), we will have a hunt for them too! The Easter Bunny was especially generous and hid $$$ in the eggs. The four of us ran around like crazy, searching for the eggs at a park. It was a beautiful day and a great way to enjoy the holiday. We were all spoiled, especially the babes. Their baskets were filled to the top. And amidst the pastel eggs and chocolate bunnies, I am reminded of the depths of God's love. I love Jackson more than anything but God loved us so much that he allowed his ONLY son to die for our sins. As a parent, that puts my love for Jackson in perspective. What an amazing gift! Thank you Lord for your sacrifice. Happy Easter!

Easter basket time.

Bunny cousins!!

Easter egg hunt! On your mark, get set....

GO!!

Haley is not messing around :)

How did we do?

Thank you "Easter Bunny!"

I love my sweet boy!

My beautiful family.

Happy Easter!

One year later...

It's crazy to think that last Easter, we had a one month old. In fact, Jackson was supposed to be due on Easter last year. And even though he is still a little guy, he is growing up so fast!

One year ago.....

This year!

More Easter pics to come....