August Cheer

The kids loved making popsicles this summer with a mold that Grandma Nevins sent us, this was one of the many flavors we created.  Kierce is showing off her boo boo here as well.  While doing an acrobatic move on the grassy area down by the ocean she fractured her arm.  It healed in no time and stronger than ever!  She was such a trooper about it!

Ryan enjoyed a watermelon eating contest with our friend Rudy and his daughter Hailey at their Hawaiian luau block party.  Apparently it was A LOT harder than it looked! lol  While I went to work, Ryan and the kids had a blast at this block party, with all kinds of contests including a hula hooping contest and limbo of course.  

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My parents summer visit

A day at the safari park with Brooke, Eva, Grandma, Boppa and Abigail

We took a safari tour by bus :-)

I had to include one of my favorite pictures I have captured of these guys as we were on our way out!

While we are talking about favorite pictures, this is another one :-)  My mother looks so gorgeous!

Look at these stunning people!!!

Dana and Brooke blessed us with the most upscale dinner I have ever had!  Yes, we were all spoiled this particular evening, with food, drink, dessert and mostly with love and community.

Dana also spoiled us with our first segway tour.  I had never seen so much of the downtown area!

We grabbed some Hodad's after the segway tour.  Yummo!

Here is the entire family gathered to celebrate Dana's birthday at Knott's Soak City!  We had a wonderful time, how could we not?

We continued the celebration at Phill's BBQ.  Look at these sweet girls!

My parents trip here in the summer was filled with wonderful memories and lasting love.  We are just so blessed.

This evening Ryan and I celebrated our 9th wedding anniversary.

This particular evening, the kids and Ryan watched a community movie on a large screen in the park right behind our place while I was at work.  I remember being thrilled that I could catch up with them after getting out of work early.  As we were walking the chairs and all the bags back home, we got to take a pit stop to watch some Seaworld fireworks.  

Just had to throw this random photo in.  Who crochets a cover for a stop sign?  Only in San Diego. 

Yay!!!  Ryan after running his first half marathon!!!  Good job honey!  

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Las Vegas

We were all very happy with our accommodations!     

The first day we got there was my 33rd birthday.  I worked almost every single day in August up until that day, just to be able to go.  What a birthday gift, to be with this gang...a dream come true.

This first night was the only night we actually walked on the strip.  It was fun to take all the eye candy in!  What a site for the kids :-)

We were all happy with the more mellow events for the rest of the short trip.  

The Hoover Dam took our breath away, and it certainly has been a topic of conversation since our trip.  The kids have a better understanding of the importance of water conservation.

Gorgeous...

It was a blast to check out the M&M chocolate factory and succulent garden.  I definitely was hot outside, so we were happy to enjoy the air conditioning while watching them make heart shaped candy.  

On the way home we stopped in for a quick visit with cousin Jessie!  It was great to see her place and spend some good quality time with her!  It was sweet to watch her interact so genuinely with the kiddos.  I think it's just about time for another visit!

July Bright

Here we are at our community annual chili cook-off festival.  This marked a year since our move to Ocean Beach, as this was the first community event the first or second weekend we arrived in San Diego.   

The girls had fun hula hooping at the festival!

While Kierce had fun at her friend's birthday party, we were off buying her first ever brand new bike.  When we got back to her friend's house, the new bike was on the rack on the back of the van.  We all decided we would wait to see how long it took for her to realize...and ha ha she cracked us up.  After walking right past it, and getting in the van, we kept trying to get her to look out the back window.  We pretty much had to tell her!  I will be uploading that video to YouTube as well!  We all love our Kierce.  

Gorgeous Rowan

Family beach time

Flexible Kierce

Oh how I love these precious ones.

Settling in for a movie on the Padres field...

Handsome Merrick

Bo and Paulette pictured above are like family.  They invited us to a special viewing for season ticket holders only to watch Field of Dreams, one of Ryan's most favorite movies!  As you can see in the photos above, we had a great time!

During Aunt Jean's yearly visit, the girls just LOVE swimming in the ocean with her.  She calls herself a water baby, and that she is.  She just can't get enough, and we love that about her!

Brooke and Eva enjoying the slide :-)

And a very silly group picture I am glad to share!  Well Aunt Jean, only a few more months now until your next visit!

June Fun

Hello family and friends!  I am back, with punch!  I am playing catch up and having fun looking through old pictures!  I have missed writing about our family, just as much as you have missed reading.  Here's to loving, living and learning every single gorgeous day God has allowed, whether it brings sunshine or rain.  I will start with a couple pictures from our move to the new apartment.  

The far right corner conveniently became a third bedroom.  The area is pictured a little closer in the photo below.  Merrick gave the space a whirl first, but it works much better for Rowan.  All of the kids recently got loft beds, and desks for under their bed.  The kids are loving the extra personal space this provides.  

Kierce in her all handmade, completely recycled super hero costume at her school's Comic-Con.  Her comic character she created was Tee Tree :-)

With her front cover of her comic.  Her principal gave her special recognition in front of the entire audience for actually using trash to make her costume.  They were supposed to be costumes made of mostly recycled material, and most costumes weren't.  We had fun making it, and she had fun parading around in her costume!

Merrick with his friend Christopher after his graduation from preschool!  They had a gorgeous ceremony, like NO other preschool graduation I have ever attended before, and a gorgeous bay park location!

Below are photos of the girls last day of school.

They were lucky enough to end their school year with field day!

:-)

Kierce's teacher gave all of the students each a hat with their names on them.  The kids had fun signing each others hats!  The girls both had white pillow cases and had their friends trace their hands and sign it to keep a memory of this school year.  I can't believe Rowan has now moved on to 5th grade and Kierce is now in 3rd grade, but was hand selected to be in a 4th grade class.  After a little transition period, the girls are loving school.

Rowan had a graduation ceremony, as she moved into middle school this year.  I will be uploading a ton of videos to YouTube if you are interested in watching her graduation and watching Tee Tree in action :-)

Our very own exchange student, actually brother, Esteban visited the states and we were lucky enough to share a meal together.  Dana and him had enjoyed a Van Halen concert the night before, and he was off back to Spain after a hug and a kiss!  We can't wait to see him again :-)

Here we are enjoying some family time at Seaworld!  The kids are starting to get brave, see that ride behind us???

Some rare time out with friends from Merrick's preschool.  

Some beach time!

The kids and I had a blast one day during the summer, riding our bikes on the boardwalk at Pacific Beach!  They had just received these cool shirts from Aunt Dawnie and Uncle Kenny!