Thanksgiving 2011

This year for Thanksgiving we were all sick so we canceled our plans and stayed home to get better. This is what our Thanksgiving dinner looked like:

Pizza and Pie

 Along with some "special drinks" aka pop

28th Birthday

 For my 28th birthday we decided to do something low key since we had been out to eat a few different days earlier in the week, and we had already been to Palm Springs. Our friends watched our kids and we went for a hike in Joshua Tree National Park. It was fun to hike and talk and we were even there at sunset!

Then we went and got the kids and picked up pizza and came home for a fun dinner together!

24 Hours in San Diego

A few months ago we found out about a dinner cruise offered by Josh's work. It sounded like a fun get away date, our friends were going and the deciding factor was that if we went Josh would get a day off of work without having to use one of his personal days. Who wouldn't want a free day off of work?! We found a babysitter here for our kids so we didn't have to take them on the 3 hour drive, and we were looking forward to a little together time away.

On Thursday we left our house 4 1/2 hours before the ship took off. San Diego is only 3 hours away so we thought we gave ourselves plenty of time in case there was traffic, or we got lost. We got stuck in major traffic 3 different times and began to wonder if we were going to make it there in time. We took our exit 40 min prior to the ship leaving. We were feeling pretty good that we had some time to spare. Our GPS was guiding us the whole way, and usually does a pretty good job, but it kept telling us to turn where the road was closed we kept going around in circles knowing we were close. We called our friends who were barely there in time and they were trying to direct us, but didn't really know where we were. Finally at 6:59 I asked some guys that were on the side of the random road we were on. One of them said we were close and that he was going that way and we could just follow him, so we did. Our friends who had barely made it on the boat at 7pm {the take off time} said they talked to someone and the ship did not really leave at 7:15pm. I wanted to give it our best attempt to make it considering this was our whole reason for coming! Without the guy guiding us we would have never found it, even though we were very close. We pulled into the parking lot to park and were about to make a mad dash for the ship when our friends called to tell us they closed the gate {it was 7:12} and we would not be able to board the ship. I was super disappointed, but we tried our best. We ended up going out to dinner at the Yard House, and going to our hotel.

We got to sleep in, work out together, do a little shopping and have lunch together before heading home. We had a good time being alone together and made the most of our trip!

Melts My Heart

The kids are constantly doing cute, sweet things! They melt my heart!

Looking at the toys in the target toy book...

Hayden sometimes wants to rock Brinley...

 Playing with the bum cream...

making bead bracelets...

giving daddy big loves...

Superman and Robin...

She wrapped up the monkey in her ties and rocked him...

Drawing super heroes on the cupboards with permanent marker...

Good thing there are magic erasers!

I LOVE these little munchkins!

Time Out For Women

 The first weekend in November Josh took a day off from work and stayed home with the kids while I drove to Phoenix and my sister Camille drove from Vegas and we met up at our sister Teri's for a girls weekend. We spent Friday shopping and going out to lunch. I made the comment that I felt naked, eating without having to worry about whether or not someone else had what they needed or were sitting nicely or were taking bites, but it was a good naked!

On Saturday we went to time out for women and had a great time. We heard speakers like Shawni Pothier and her mom, Hillary Weeks, and Kris Belcher. We laughed and cried and walked away wanting to be better. 

 While I was there we had a little birthday celebration for me!

Josh took the kids to the park and to pick out a new toy and I came home to open arms that made me feel like a million bucks. It was a great weekend!

Halloweeen

 

Drawing on baby pumpkins

 my cuties!

 Brinley was a butterfly

 Hayden was Captain America

At our ward trunk or treat

 Hayden with his friend Ethan

 

Brinley wanted to eat each piece of candy right after she got it!

Trick or Treating

Our Random Life

 It took us about 3 months to get settled in here and feel like we have a routine, and we know our way around, and have a few friends. We like it here!

Nadia and Me at the drive-in watching a chick flick

Brinley putting on some deodorant 

 Brinley hanging out with her mama

 For a few weeks Hayden chose to make a bed on his floor instead of sleeping in his bed!

 Hayden playing with his new play knight armor. He LOVES anything with swords or super heroes

Playing in our swimming pool in the back yard at the end of October! We love the desert!

 

Hayden trying out the butterfly wings

Josh got a new road bike and he LOVES it! He rides it to and from work on most days. We have a path that goes from our house to the base. On the weekends he rides in Joshua Tree National Park with his friends.

Navy Ball

 We went to the Navy Ball this year in October. We debated going because we didn't know if it was really our thing and we would have to figure out what to do with the kids and I didn't have a dress, etc. We decided it was a big hassle and that we weren't going to go, despite our friends efforts to convince us. Then one week before the ball Josh called me from work and said that if we go he gets the day off of work. Once he heard that he made the decision that we were going! {he would do pretty much anything to have a free day off of work...who wouldn't?!} I panicked because I didn't have a dress! I searched all over online for a cute dress that wasn't skanky and decided to order 2 just to be safe that I liked one and that it would fit, I didn't have time for it to not work! We got all dressed up and took our kids to the child care that was provided in the room next to the ball room. A few of our friends were there too, and they served a pretty dinner, that tasted good too! After dinner they showed a slide show and then anyone who thought they were special thought that they should talk so we snuck out to check on our kids, they were doing fine so we walked around the casino where the ball was being held. When we came back we said we would check on the kids and if they were okay we would go back in to the ball. When we checked on them Brinley was crying because it was WAY passed her bedtime so we decided to go. We found out later that we won a $500+ power tool set from home depot in the raffle. Josh's friends texted him and joking told him that he won a PS3. He was pretty bummed, but then a little relieved when he found out that they were joking and it was power tools!We never win anything so it would have been fun to stay, but we had fun while we were there.

 Marie, Nadia, Me

Marie, Lily, Nadia, Me