Mom and Dad came to visit

After Thanksgiving my parents rented a car and drove from Phoenix to our house for a few days.

 We showed them the base and they found all of it very interesting, right down to the part where they salute me because I am an officer's wife, driving an officer's car. We took them to see Joshua Tree National Park, and drove to Keys View for the pretty view over looking Palm Springs. On our way to the airport I took them to lunch in Palm Springs, so they could see where we go to shop/eat/play.

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