The Merricks Adventure

Happy Birthday Aunt Brooke!

2012-02-14T11:33:00.000-08:00

On Sunday we had a wonderful time celebrating my Sister-In-Law's birthday a little bit early. She is not a huge fan of cake, so we celebrated with some toffee bars, which she likes. It had been a while since our last visit, so it was amazing just to hang out and spend time with the gang, including Aunt Paulette, Uncle Bo and Auntie Abs!

Merrick had definitely missed his sweet cousin Eva! This pose even sparked Ryan to grab the camera. It has to be a super special moment for him to come running for the camera! Thanks Ryan ;)

After filling up on some late lunch, we took a short walk to the ocean hoping to catch the sunset! Watching the sun set in the sky was beautiful, even with the clouds at the horizon.

...two gorgeous girls!

Thank you Brooke for giving us a perfect reason to spend this special day together! We are all very lucky to be connected with YOU ;) I hope your actual birthday is just as amazing as you!

Swimming, Birthday and Blessings

2012-02-09T11:04:00.000-08:00

Here is almost the entire gang that came to our Pizza, Pool and Birthday Party! Aunt Lynn and Aunt Dawnie were sweet enough to give us this gift for a pool party at the YMCA. Aunt Lynn is behind the camera here and I think we are missing Trin in the picture.

We definitely had a great time swimming and just plain being in the moment! This was just what we needed. Daddy was so proud of Merrick, who warmed up to the idea of being in the water. They are in a pool in which they are able to raise the floor to accommodate wheel chairs. They raised the floor just for our little ones, to the depth of two feet!

Here is my nephew Reese, the birthday boy! What a creative kid, making use of ALMOST all of his resources. Great picture Aunt Lynn! Oh, I didn't mention that I lost my camera the entire Mother's Day weekend, did I? Thank you Aunt Lynn for coming to the rescue with you photographer skills!

This year I couldn't believe I received a Mother's Day gift from all of my children! They made me melt when they started pulling out the gifts they had made for me. Here they are with their Mother's Day gifts to me sitting in front of them, along with these very precious eggs which have a story. On Mother's Day our whole family went to church. After church I dropped Ryan off with our beloved Aunt Lynn, to enjoy some Mother's Day time at the 5th Third Field watching the mud hens play ball, while the kids and I were treated to a steel of a brunch by my thoughtful Dad. The day keeps getting better...

Then, we decided it would be the perfect day to visit Grandma Long. Grandma lives with a lovely lady named Michelle who raises chickens, ducks and geese. The kids had a blast helping her go on her daily egg hunt. As you can see, they were thrilled to bring home some of their findings! They were enthralled with these eggs for several days. Kierce was attempting to sit on hers, love her humor. Merrick ended up smashing his the next day because he forgot he put it in his pocket. Hey, thankfully we were in the garage! Rowan's duck egg is still happily sitting on the top shelf of the fridge! The kids said that these eggs look like colored Easter eggs ;) This was definitely one of the best days ever!

Morning Adventures!

2012-02-09T11:03:00.000-08:00

Here is Kierce and Merrick being silly during one of our morning yoga sessions! As you can see, Kierce is definitely in the yogi zone ;) I could almost bet that she easily stays in the yogi zone most of every day!

Rowan, Merrick and Buddy are all ready to walk (or scooter if your name is Merrick) to school! Kierce, where are you??? Rowan is excited to walk or bike to school everyday when we move to San Diego. I am going to have to make sure we are close enough to their school to do so!

Merrick with his famous scooter. This is by far the most used gift ever given to one of my children! Thanks Aunt Dawnie and Aunt Lynn! The first day Merrick and I walked the girls to school it took sooo long to get home. He would keep running off the road into the grass or a random driveway to take a break. Before you know it I am carrying his scooter above my head with my left hand to give allow room for Merrick to lay his head on my leg as we walk, while holding Buddy's leash in my right hand. This was a sight I'm sure! Full (of love) load coming through!

Mother Daughter 50's Dance

2012-02-09T11:02:00.000-08:00

Sami, Marci, Rowan, Kierce and I all dressed up in outfits for the Mother Daughter 50's Dance. This was such a fun night! Previous years, this dance was themed "Hollywood Ball" and believe me there were prom dresses galore! This years "50's" theme was a fun change! We were blessed to be able to attend the event with our close friends Marci and Sam!

My beautiful Rowan looking so sweet for the camera! We had so much fun putting our outfits together for this 50's dance! The only item we purchased was Rowan's striped shirt, and got that for a steel!

Upon arrival we met this turquoise car from the 50's that was the perfect backdrop for pictures and unique jewel for the kids to explore!

Fun times pretending they were driving this car! How Kierce got in the drivers seat, thats a mystery ;)

Kierce is so good at stopping to smell the roses, or tulips in this case! I need to take a lesson. ...think that will be my half year resolution! lol

Before the night ended, the girls got a chance to sign their name on this 50's decorated sheet with their friends to create memories for years to come. Since we are moving, this was probably our last year to attend this sentimental event, so that made this year that much more special to us.

Rib Roaring Times

2012-02-08T21:25:00.000-08:00

Every Thursday the doors at the girl's school close early to give the kids an early start to their afternoon fun! The girls had a blast with a couple friends playing at the beach, throwing sand, and coming up with all different kinds of imaginary play.

Smile

...another smile

...an even bigger smile

...and one more big smile to share. Ryan was all smiles when he finally got to tell me the surprise he had been keeping from me for weeks. He was taking me to a snowy mountain to go snowboarding!

We rode on a charter bus with a friend/coworker of Ryan's named Normandy and her boyfriend Jeff to Big Bear's Snow Summit. We had an absolute blast, and we were glad we got to enjoy the day with them. Initially I was thinking that they would leave us in the dust, but they were awesome and hung with us until our pace picked up. I was actually quite surprised at how quickly my brain/muslces remembered the sport.

It was so nice to spend time with Ryan one on one, and also slash out this fun sport side by side. Actually, anyone who knows Ryan can guess he was more often ahead of me, then by my side. He seriously doesn't have a choice, he has to be ahead of me to be right in "his" head. LOL ...and good thing I don't care if I am ahead of him or behind :)

In the above video, I am sort of interviewing Ryan about our experience while riding on the ski lift. Fun times!

Unfortunately at the end of the last run of the day it went a bit down hill for my rib cage and my morale. I was boarding just behind a girl who was plowing straight down the run, assuming she would continue to plow straight, I decided to go to her right when suddenly she decided to go directly to her right clipping my board. I flipped over, with my rib cage landing (crunch) on my elbow which was sticking up from trying to break my fall, then my head slammed down as well. Whew this certainly knocked the wind right out of me, and gave me a great deal of pain of which I am still dealing with, but the timing couldn't have been better for something like this to happen. We were only about 100-200 yards from the end of our super fun day. I will cherish all of the fun memories we created throughout the day with our friends on these fine, mile long runs!

Skating, Pizza, Swimming and some Rest

2012-01-30T22:25:00.000-08:00

We sure had an event filled weekend, all right here in in OB. Saturday, the girls school united with OB Surf and Skate to bring the Skate for Kids event, with pro skaters involved. The kids had just scattered after a nice group picture and yours truly just barely missed the nice shot by seconds. I was lucky enough to accidentally capture my friend Charlotte (blonde hair w/ black hat) front in center in this picture. Hi Charlotte!

The kids checked out the skaters, played catch with Ryan and played with their scooters and skateboards during the early afternoon. While they had their fun, I volunteered my time for the school by selling food under a tent. At some point, the kids were given these silly skater stickers. My personal favorite- (not pictured) Supporter of Your Local Black and Blue.

Kierce's skateboard came in handy when attempting to set the camera up for a group shot.

True dat.

The kids had a blast playing with their scooters at the kid friendly area of the skate park. The video above attests to that.

My friend Jewel and her daughter Cinnamon even dropped by the skate park for some fun. Jewel was cracking us up while doing a skate tutorial for her daughter.

The video above is Kierce showing me her very special new move :)

My cousins Lori and Steph gave us a shout later Saturday afternoon wanting to take us to a popular local pizza and brewing place in OB called, Pizza Port. It was great to spend time with the two of them, and also Steph's niece Natalie! Thank you for a wonderful time! ...and of course they wanted to come over to meet the new additions to our family- our three ratties, Machi, C-cow and Star (Rockstar).

Lori caught a silly picture of Kierce's rat C-Cow eating a large piece of celery while chillin' in my sweater!

Lori had no fear, at one point she had two rats on her shoulders at one time!

After church on Sunday, we all decided to take a swim. The weather has been really nice the past week, so it makes it a little less crazy to wear a swimsuit! I must admit, I only went in the hot tub, and anyone who went in the pool was in and out in a jiffy!

To top the weekend off, Dad and Kierce made time for a little cuddle on the couch.

Merrick's Snip Snip

2012-01-25T18:33:00.000-08:00

Merrick now gets the privilege of joining the "I gave myself a haircut as a preschooler" club! Woot woot!

He was convinced that his little snip, snip didn't really cut anything. I think he had a reality check ;)

Here's a better look. Now when both of the girls cut their hair it was much easier to camouflage!

The girls and I did all kinds of brainstorming to preserve those most white blonde tips, especially because I had just given him a super cute trim earlier that day. This was the only solution we could come up with.

Pretty cute, hair or no hair, isn't that right???

Rain, by Kierce

2012-01-22T10:22:00.000-08:00

The second grade class hosted a poetry reading coffee house style this past Friday. Let me tell you, it was just what I needed to lighten the mood on this particularly hectic Friday morning! I had no idea how much fun it would be! These kids were so entertaining!

It gave me great joy to watch Kierce read her beautiful poem in front of a pretty large room full of people.

...and of course Merrick was pretty happy with the donuts and juice available for him ;)

This video shares Kierce reading her poem. I did cut off her reading the title. oops.

One of the last poems to be read, was by Kierce's best friend Perla. She was the only student who wrote about her friend. Of course I wanted to cry. ...sniff sniff. I am so glad Kierce has made some really good friendships. Later I shared with Kierce that good friends can last a lifetime.

Game Testing and Chop Sticks

2012-01-21T21:22:00.000-08:00

Jumping jacks, drawing shapes, walking around the table backwards, while blowing kisses and waving. You name it, and the troops did it while testing out a new game last Saturday that will be on the market very soon! Our cousin Steph happens to be friends with a game maker, and he needed testers ages 7-9 years young.

Our neighbor Buddha decided to join in the fun!

Ryan tried to disguise himself as a 9 year old :)

Join in the game fun by watching the video above!

After the silliness came to a close, we walked down to a super thrifty, but very yummy, local sushi restaurant .

The kids surprised us with their amazing coordination with chop sticks and their affection for miso soup.

It was a great day, and a special treat to take the family out on the town, to get our chop sticks on.

One Glorious Eva Filled Day!

2012-01-14T12:39:00.000-08:00

Boy were we all excited when we found out we going to have the privilege of spending the day with little miss Eva! We started the day off at Merrick's school. Eva and Merrick had a blast! She loved playing with the younger siblings, and got so excited when Merrick's class began practicing Valentine songs for their upcoming Valentine concert! Merrick did a great job of keeping this girl awake on the ride home, so she could take a nice planned nap at our place. After picking up the girls from school we headed to the beach for some fun! Merrick insisted on pushing his cousin in her stroller!

There is ALWAYS something interesting going on at the beach! ...perfect entertainment for a toddler. She had fun watching two jugglers as they juggled and passed pins back and forth, as well as tightrope walkers to her left, skateboarders, roller skaters, professional hula hoopers, a unicyclist (performing trick on the rock in the above photo) and swarms of different types of birds!

Wow, a posed picture with Eva? She is one busy girl! I was lucky to get this super cute snap shot ;)

Yes, your mama is right Eva! You do love throwing sand everywhere, especially on your head! We just wanted to keep Daddy on his toes for bath time, isn't that right Eva?

The day came to a close after little, and big, miss sunshine were both stuffed with taco salad, raw crackers, guacamole and raw brownies, and rubbing their eyes. I think Daddy and everyone else was stuffed too! Eva, thanks for spending the day with us. It was the best day ever! Oh, and thanks for all of your help preparing dinner in the kitchen! I forgot how nice it is to have a toddler hanging out with me at my feet while getting dinner prepped!

The world is as many times new as there are children in our lives. ~Robert Brault

Rowan as a Math Ambassador

2012-01-14T11:52:00.000-08:00

Rowan and her friend Seven were asked to be a math ambassador for their schools family math night. Based on their "math smarts" they were each selected to run a station, and they had a blast being a part of this wonderful event! Rowan is definitely a math smartie, just like her Daddy. I loved seeing her in her element! Here they are cleaning up after a room full of families had already cleared out.

Merrick and Kierce both absolutely loved the planned activities, which were geared toward 1st and 2nd graders. Who knew math could be so fun! It was really nice to gather together with other families after school hours. It felt like a normal thing to do, and we welcome "normal" after such a big move. Rowan has one more night of being a math ambassador next week for the 3rd and 4th graders. We are lucky to be part of a positive school family.

Sunny, Sunny Holiday

2012-01-11T23:07:00.000-08:00

Ryan and I had a great time at his company Christmas party!

Although Christmas wasn't all cold, white and BIG, we really enjoyed each other! It was a different type of big. Since part of the kids gift from us went toward tickets to fly to Michigan (per their choice) in February, Christmas wasn't quite as large as usual. I was so happy to see how grateful the kids were after opening a few gifts, having no idea that their last gift was sitting over at our good friend (Auntie) Abigail's apartment. They played with gifts from family and other gifts for a while before I reminded them that they had one last small surprise to check out.

Above is the video of the kids checking out their final Christmas gift from us!

This video above is pretty entertaining, considering Ryan's reaction to this surprise :) He left the decision up to me regarding what type of pet we would get for the kids . He was especially surprised because I had given him the impression that I changed my mind about getting the kids a pet. Rest assured he is falling in love with these lovely creatures right along with the rest of us!

Initially I bought only two rats. However, Kierce ended up latching onto the blue rat and named him Cacow, and Rowan fell in love with the dumbo rat (who's ears stick out to the sides) and named him Machi. Now, considering the fact that Merrick was the main reason for seeking a pet (he has been desperately missing our dog Buddy), you can see this situation was in need of a remedy. Yes, we made one last trip to the pet store a couple days later to let Merrick pick out his own rattie, whom he named Star (not pictured), short for Rock Star. It's really precious to see all of the love and care the kids have been pouring out toward their little babies. They are all super sweet little things. You should hear Merrick talk to Star in the sweetest high pitch baby talk voice. He carries him around using the football hold. Priceless!

Later Christmas day, we went to Dana and Brooke's house for a Christmas celebration! Our good friend Aunt Paulette (Uncle Bo sadly was home sick), Lori, Steph and Steph's Mom and Brother all came as well! The kids had a blast doing a fun scavenger hunt that their Aunt Brooke planned for them!

We introduced the fun gift exchange game to the family! This is the game where its OK to steal and scheme! It was fun, but maybe next year it will get a little more rough. They eased themselves in this year with only a couple pretty passive steals ;) Here Eva is modeling on one of our gifts we landed, a beach mat!

Some cuddle time with Aunt Brooke!

Some cuddle time with cousin Lori!

Since Dana and Brooke had a gorgeous tree all decked out, we just had to take a moment to capture a family photo in front of the beast! Our tree came in at a modest 2.5 feet this year, so we were all over this massive opportunity! We had such a nice time relaxing, conversing and dining with family. This entire year has been a completely new experience, especially this holiday. Its (almost) all new, all good, amd exactly what God wants for us in this moment in time. Traditions- some old, a lot new and they will both live happily side by side.

Eva Turns the Big 1.0

2011-12-13T17:04:00.000-08:00

Our niece Eva was definitely one of the most adorable birthday girls EVER! Eva turned 1 in late November and we were thrilled to celebrate this fine occasion with her! Doesn't she have a great smile??

Oh the joys of watching a baby dive into their first birthday cake. Eva was actually very careful when it came to dissecting this pretty cake her grandmother made for her. ...not sure if she liked it much.?.

It's pretty safe to say that she did love opening gifts, with lots of help from her amazing mama and helpful cousins!

We did our best to capture a family picture with the sweet birthday girl. Eva was getting pretty tired at this point, and wasn't too happy about facing the sun! She did a great job of putting up with us at this point :)

Here is pure proof in her daddy's arms that the days events had completely tuckered this girl out, as a first birthday should!

Uncle Dana and Aunt Brooke's backyard is one big photo opportunity waiting to happen. ...and I happened to come across Rowan taking photos of Kierce, so I offered to capture a picture of the two of them together.

Kierce's Flower Photo Shoot

You never know what you are going to get when Kierce gets a hold of the camera. I was quite impressed with the beauty she successfully captured! I thought Uncle Dana would especially like to see these photos taking by our little "blooming" photographer.

No Snow? Christmas is Still on its Way!

2011-12-10T20:55:00.001-08:00

All thanks to Ryan driving the car one morning, Merrick and I were lucky enough to catch the crew hoisting the Christmas tree up and into place on our scooters. It was definitely a neat experience to watch amongst community members. The following morning, they were busy decorating the tree with lights, beach balls and other blow up toys. The lady in charge of blowing the toys up insisted on giving Merrick a blow up guitar to take home. I just love how friendly, social and sharing everyone is around here; what a wonderful community.

Both of the girls were lucky enough to walk down to the ocean as a class to sit with Santa and also place a handmade ornament on the massive Christmas tree on the beach. Kierce sure took her visit with Santa very seriously. She is currently trying to figure out if Santa makes Android Tablets...

Kierce took her time looking for just the right spot to place her ornament on the tree.

I was feeling for Rowan on this day, because she was not feeling well herself. She opted out of visiting with Santa and Merrick was lucky enough to help his sister place her handmade ornament on the tree. This was definitely a neat experience for all of the kids. Yet another "first" in OB.

A group of our friends including Lon, Cindy, Anna, Abigail and our family all strolled downtown for the Annual Ocean Beach Holiday Parade. We picked a great spot to sit right next to the announcer. This was definitely the most entertaining parade I have ever experienced. There were multiple and massive dance parties equipped with DJ's, band, etc. on top of you name it: double decker busses, boats, trolleys and more.

Once I heard the band come marching toward us, I must say it felt more like home. What is a parade without a high school marching band, right? It also made this parade feel a little more "normal" LOL.

Dad, this video is for you! I have also uploaded a few other fun videos from the parade, including 3rd and 4th graders on unicycles, skateboarder on a float and a few more on our YouTube page. Just click this link!

http://www.youtube.com/user/PoeAndRyno?feature=mhee

We also checked out a the Mission Bay Holiday Boat Parade this past weekend. It was a lot of fun, but apparently the San Diego Holiday Boat Parade at the harbor this next weekend is much bigger and better, so I'll be sure to report back.

Happy Thanksgiving from Merrick!

2011-12-01T21:24:00.001-08:00

This little guy experienced the most elaborate Thanksgiving feast I have ever witnessed at 11 o'clock in the morning! He encountered a beautiful spread of food, complex costume, handmade decorations, drums to play, etc. ...let me tell you, nothing I have ever seen at preschool before.

The kids had the entire week of Thanksgiving off from school. We spent a lot of time playing at the ocean, and enjoying all different types of experiences! Here they are being serenaded by our friend Chaz, who is a wonderful musician.

On Thanksgiving we enjoyed an amazing day at Uncle Dana, Aunt Brooke, Eva and Rocky's home. They are such wonderful hosts, we always have a great time at their house! It was a very casual and laid back gathering, with family and friends and scrumptious food. We also had the opportunity to Skye with my family as well!

Since I never step foot inside a store on Black Friday, I think the kids were very lucky that I decided to take a little trip with them and our friend Abigail to Target. Many years ago the kids were very lucky to reap the benefits of a Black Friday find from Aunt Lynn and Aunt Dawnie, when they received razor scooters for Christmas. Years later they have nearly rode them into the ground, so the kids used some gift money and gift cards they received from Aunt Dawnie and Aunt Lynn to purchase new ones!

Somehow we talked Dad into riding one of their old scooters for a night on the town. Hey, I am happy to use one of their old razors! Seriously, its a great workout!

One of these things is not like the other... Yes, I am having a difficult time letting go of the pumpkins since it barely feels like fall!!! Well, this Michigan girl is a little confused with these 60-80 degree days, and Christmas music and decorations being thrown around town! It doesn't compute for this girl! They say it will take a few years to adjust, but man my brain must be pretty hard wired. We did have fun decorating for Christmas though, and with a tiny three foot tree it only took like 30 minutes! ...major time saver!

Merrick's Training Wheels have Vanished!

2011-11-23T11:55:00.000-08:00

Thank you Kierce for taping Merrick's second time riding with no training wheels! One thing is for sure, this kid is fearless! ...may I have some of that my son???On this kids first try he began turning corners, then riding on pavement and riding around the block. He insisted on riding his bike home from the beach with no training wheels, and he did! Anyone who lives here, knows how insane that bike ride is with the cars and all of the people on the sidewalks. It was interesting ride home, and I very much appreciated Rowan and Kierce's help on the way home. Way to go Merrick, that was easy for this Mom! :)

Pacific Adventures

2011-11-22T08:27:00.001-08:00

Shouldn't we all be this free?

The kids caught dinner, and yes, I took one (or nine) for the team ;)

Kierce usually finds a perch to sit and enjoy some peace each trip to the ocean.

Merrick found a cranny.

...never know what you will discover at the tide pools.

Our brothers and sisters are there with us from the dawn of our personal stories to the inevitable dusk. - Susan Scarf Merrell

This particular day the tide was VERY low, Kierce loved this (seemingly new) beach and especially the neat pattern in the sand.

Rowan will always find some-thing ;)

The most beautiful sunset I have ever experienced. The sky continued to change over the course of an hour, growing more beautiful by the moment. Earlier in the evening the sky was painted with the most delicate white feather looking pattern. We had a blast chasing the reflection on the shore together. Gods paint brush and talent was and is amazing to experience. ...a night to remember forever.

We were blessed to have Eva and Aunt Brooke visit us at the beach hang out two days in a row! This particular day, Rowan was coming home from her birthday sleepover which she thoroughly enjoyed! Aunt Brooke was so thoughtful to offer each of the kids a special birthday sleepover and shopping trip!

More pacific adventure to come :)

Silly Kids

2011-11-22T07:57:00.001-08:00

...very creative way to carry your lunch bag Merrick.

Yes, we were greeted by a pet parrot just chillin' as we entered the local grocery store. As he was waiting for his owner to get done with her shopping, he surprised us by hopping on our cart ready to go for a ride :)

...and an hour or so later were amazed by a very large boa while pumping gas! Oh, but the best was a lady walking downtown wearing a birdcage necklace with a real bird inside! ...only in Ocean Beach.

...be nice Row

Too much fun at the science center!

Can you find a bigger chair Kierce??

Hmmmm, nice shirt Merrick.

Do you believe they all fit in this tiny box??? This was the best and silliest playdate EVER!

Silly-ness to be continued :)

Visitors Falling from the Sky

2011-11-21T22:35:00.001-08:00

We were so very blessed this fall with many visitors! Our first guests were Grandma Texas, Aunt Lynn and Jessie! The kids and I enjoyed taking the crew to Cabrillo National Park!

I am pretty sure everyone would agree that the zoo was an ultimate blast!

Priceless

I think we had too much fun when Gamma came into town :)

Gamma definitely had too much fun, especially catching this crab at Cabrillo National tidepools!

We drove all around San Diego showing her the best of the best, so of course we landed at Coronado Island!

The kids and I came up with the idea to celebrate Grammy Kathy's Birthday early when she came into town! The kids were able to capture some cuddle time after the candles were blown out ;)

Of course we just had to share our favorite place in Ocean Beach with her, the beach! A gorgeous sunset was the cherry on top. We are always sad to say goodbye when visitors leave, but cherish the time we have with them while they are here. Thank you all for gracing up with your presence!

1,2,3 Kids Birthdays

2011-11-21T21:26:00.001-08:00

Ryan's mother Colleen came to visit us during the middle of October, so I decided to celebrate all of the kids birthdays together while she was in town. The kids chose to celebrate with a spooky Halloween theme. Uncle Dana, Aunt Brooke, Eva, Auntie Abs, Aunt Paulette, Uncle Bo and Gamma all graced us with their presence on this fine day.

Me and my very own smiling, purple vampire :)

The blue wizard with her coordinating assistant ;)

Merrick (a.k.a. dark spiderman) popping in on his friend Caden's Birthday party which was held in the community room downstairs on the same day.

A little fun with Uncle Dana!

Although the plan for the day had to be altered due to a mishap with the car keys, we had a lot of fun. By the end of the day, I was glad things worked out the way they did.

Camping on the Colorado River

2011-11-21T20:59:00.001-08:00

The first weekend in October we were privileged to be invited to this amazing diamond in the rough, Picacho State Park on the Colorado River. I mean, look at the view! My cousins Lori and Steph were such wonderful, well seasoned hosts! As you can see, everyone was very happy.

Classic

Ahoy captain Lori!

We had too much fun tubing, with the best view I might add!

With this backdrop, I couldn't stop myself from having a small photo shoot ;)

All of the kids spent special time training with Lori and Steph's friend, the park ranger, to become Junior Rangers!

We even did a little celebrating for Kierce's Birthday! I have a feeling Steph picked out this super cute Chargers hat for Kierce's Birthday gift ;) Thank you Lori and Steph, for everything! We will always remember this moment in time!

Merrick's Summer 2011 Journal Entry

2011-11-08T22:05:00.000-08:00

There is my sweet smile on my sweet babies face. He just loves taking a ride on the swing! Its funny, since we moved to California we have so many other activities to keep us busy that we have only gone to the park twice! This particular swing was at a park located at our best friends Marci and Ralph's campground. During our regular visits there, we would always find time to walk down to the park.

Now this might be a side of Merrick that you have never seen before. He definitely plays the baby role quite well. This cradle located at the Imagination Station in the kids area holds him perfectly don't you think? ...next to all of the other baby dolls :) He will always be my baby doll.

Merrick loves to be silly, and so does his Daddy! Merrick was all geared up and ready to be my number one helper during our massive garage sale before our move to San Diego. I like to wear an apron to hold the money during a garage sale, and as you can see he insisted on doing the same.

Merrick is a baseball, basketball, football, soccer ball player in the making. This kid has an arm on him like you wouldn't believe. He loved watching his Daddy get all suited up for a game of baseball, and can't wait for the day when he gets suited up as well!

Speaking of balls, here he is balancing a ball on top of a stream of air that is coming out of the black pipe. This kid is in heaven at a science center. He is sooo good at figuring out how things work, and putting things together. You should see this kid with 10 legos...all the different combinations he comes up with. Boy does he have a plan, and its best not to interrupt him right in the middle of making a creation.

Here is our guy with a baseball bat, yes not only does he have an amazing arm, but a swing to go right with it! He was slamming balls out of the park, one after the other! His Great Aunt Diane gave him this baseball set to play with at our going away party. Of course this bat came with us to San Diego, and he is still swinging away!

With Grandpa Tom, notice the baseball in his hand ;)

Merrick was elated to take a ride on the sky ride at Cedar Point just a few days before shoving off on our journey to San Diego. This seriously was the highlight of our visit to CP. So you can imagine how happy Merrick is that Grandma and Grandpa Nevins gave us a gift of season passes to the San Diego Zoo which has a sky ride that is included in the passes! We try to ride it every time we go! We already know he is the ultimate dare devil, so watch out Cedar Point. Give Merrick a few more inches and he'll be dragging Daddy behind him to all of the giant roller coasters!

Now this ride was just plain FUN!

What is his favorite color?? You guessed it- Green! Merrick was so patient. He waited a long time to be able to have his hair sprayed green. I had bought several bottles of different color hair spray on clearance after Halloween last year, and put them away. He pulled them out one day while I was packing wanting to give them a try. I suggested that we could make coloring the kids hair a fun event that we could do the day we leave for California. They all remembered that promise :)

Our first stop on our trip to Cali was to see his cousin Hailey in Tennessee! Merrick was in heaven playing right next her. He wanted to help her with everything, and show her his boyish wisdom. The only problem, she didn't always want help, she wanted to do it herself, her way :) It was so cute to see the dynamic he had with his cousin. I think he still saw her as a baby up until this day, because she was a baby the last time he saw her. He had always called her baby Hailey, which he does no longer. ...so sweet.

There was definitely an adjustment period for little Mr. Merrick regarding the reduction in square footage of home space. For the first few weeks we lived here, Merrick wanted to use the walkway as our porch! Most recently we have adopted the beach as our backyard, which is working out perfectly!

Merrick really enjoyed watching this skateboard competition at our local street fair this summer. Now you should see him on his new skateboard! He is working on doing an alli, and it won't be long before he has it mastered! Sometimes it seems as if the kid has no fear at all!

I believe the highlight of our move for Merrick was gaining his super sweet younger cousin Eva, who lives only a short car drive away! He just loves spending time with her. When we get together, all of the kids fight over who gets to play with her first. Its a pretty cute sight, and it can get ugly :) As you can see, little miss Eva is already looking up to her older cousin ;)

Merrick and his camo coat, got to love it! He loves this jacket, and even though the sleeves are getting too short on him, we continue to fill all of the many pockets up with sand, shells, rocks, sticks, feathers and any other find we pick up at the beach! He takes after his sister Rowan, who loves to collect keepsakes. Well, I guess Kierce does too ;)

This little guy was made for the playing in the sand! Next to building sandcastles, his favorite thing to do with the sand it get covered in it! I can't count how many times this kid got himself buried this summer! Most recently they built a sand wall on the beach that we play on for hours! Thank you sand for the hours of fun you provide for all three of my children! There, I said it!

Yes, Merrick had a pretty sweet mo hawk this summer! When I asked him what hair style he would like me to cut for him, I guess I left the window open for any number of options. The girls and I had a lot fun styling his hair for the season.

Sweet

Now this is the life, relaxing in the hot tub after a very long day of swimming! We were so excited for Merrick when he began swimming without his life vest! Every step I took further away from him in the pool, he continued to swim to me, until one day when I was gone he swam the entire length of the pool for his Dad! We were all so grateful for our pool and hot tub this summer! We spent a good portion of our summer right here swimming up a storm, and now Merrick is on his way to tearing it up with the girls!

At Home Photo Shoot

Yes, Merrick can throw a good fit ;)

Rest assured, he gets lots of loving.

Handsome

Where there is nature, Merrick is in his element. We certainly live in just the right place for this outdoorsman. Now what new adventure awaits us tomorrow?

Kierce's Summer 2011 Journal Entry

2011-09-20T16:53:00.000-07:00

There she is, little miss Kiercee with her friend Carter relaxing. We were having a last little shabang with our good friends Marci and Ralph, at their camper with some other close friends before our BIG move to San Diego. This is Kierce for you, she is very good at relaxing! If you want to enjoy a piece of heaven on earth, steel Kierce away for some quiet time cuddling or simply doing nothing together.

Are you ready to get your silly on? You better be if you want to hang out with Kierce! Here she is with a mustache and sideburns at the party! This is not the first time she has been known to sport a mustache either! The funniest story - When Kierce and I went on a date here in San Diego, she found a mustache that someone had stuck onto a painted mural. Of course she decided she would bring it back to life and wear it as we were walking around town! Don't be silly, of course I let her! We had a great time, and people were just in stitches over her manly accessory! ...community building to say the least!

Kierce is completely in her element suited as a grocery store clerk at the Imagination Station back in Toledo. She and Merrick had a blast playing grocery store! Kierce just loves playing the part of a grown up, whether it be a clerk, a Mommy, or a housekeeper! Whatever she decides to be when she grows up, no matter what the job, she will be pleasant and happy while doing it, brightening everyone's day! Just last week she went to town dusting everything! Well, almost everything ;) I just love it when she randomly gets obsessed with cleaning or doing the dishes! lol Although the moments are few and far between, I don't mind the occasional benefit ;)

OK, I know she is just posing for the camera here and was asking for nothing, but this is totally her "can I please have something that I want" face! Either way, I just love it! ...we all know she does not get everything she wants :)

Field day at Jackman Road Elementary this year was a blast for Kierce and her friends Olivia and Thalia! Thalia was exhausted in this picture from running herself silly! I remember Kierce saying, "I just can't run anymore with Thalia! How does she keep running Mom?" Thalia has that competitive spirit, just like her sister Rowan! Kierce on the other hand, was just there to have fun! I can appreciate all of the spirit involved! Kierce and I also had fun picking out a yellow shirt at the second hand store for her to wear for field day. She is a little shopper in the making, bargain shopper that is!

Happy as ever at Dad's last baseball game in Toledo!

We had a nice going away party at a park near our home before we shoved off to San Diego. Kierce was sure to give her Gamma a giant sized hug, before she left the park, giant enough to last at least a few months! We are so very excited for her visit this next month!

Kierce was elated when she got a surprise visit from her cousin Trinity only a few days before leaving the state. They had fun checking out the moving van together, and just loving on each other! Kierce cannot wait to play with you Trin, when we come home to visit!

A couple days before we left, we were lucky enough to get one last trip to Cedar Point in with my parents! Kierce was sooooo thrilled to ride the sky ride with her Grandpa! I have a feeling Kierce will be riding all the rides before you know it, since it takes a lot to scare her!

Day 1 of Our Journey to San Diego

Kierce giving Grandma K and Buddy an extra hug and kiss before leaving that morning from my parents house!

There's our silly Kierce!

The first thing Kierce did when we got to her Cha Cha Andi's house for a visit was get right down on the floor to mirror her cousin. Kierce sweetly took a few minutes to get into sync with her cousin Hailey. It was a neat reunion since it had been months since their last visit with them! It looks like she was taking notes, and she probably was! She is my note taker, she is always taking notes and I just wait for the random deep questions later, in the car! The deep questions usually come in the car, since she was a wee one! The bulk of the questions came the years that Merrick was a little thing (not chatting up a storm yet) and Rowan was in full day school! I do miss those days!

Day 3

We were so happy to finally get to my Aunt Jean's house in New Mexico on the third day of travel! There were lots of love and hugs, all around! While visiting with my Aunt and cousins, Amy and Jessica, Kierce just fell in love with Aunt Jean's dog! It was so cute. She was so motherly with her, she even helped her get into her cage for a nap before we got back on the road! I know Kierce will be a wonderful mother someday if she chooses that path!

Day 4

In this very short video, Kierce is making light of a previous situation we experienced on our trip in this video. A glass trinket magically fell off the shelf when she was at a truck stop trying on a hat! I watched it happen, and have no idea how it happened, because there is no way she could have touched it!! Now you can be in on our inside joke. This was definitely a memory we don't want to forget!

Kierce could spend hours at any tide pool we come across! I am going to guess that her favorite creature we have found at these tide pools was a giant sea snail! It was sooo cool! We even got the opportunity to talk to the girl that got inked on by the sea snail, and check out the ink in a small tide pool!

Walking on a trail along the ocean to see a gorgeous sunset!

This is proof that Kierce definitely has a serious side! We had a blast visiting an old time 4th of July celebration in a neighborhood not too far north of San Diego! Kierce is stringing beads for a celebratory necklace!

Whenever we get to the ocean, I always find Kierce just gazing out at the at the vastness, soaking in the moment. And on the other hand, I always find myself trying to breathe in or capture even an ounce of her peace in any way I can, even if it is with a simple click of the camera.

Rowan inspired me to have a mini photo shoot at a neat storefront area! As you can see, we had a blast! I can just hear the belly laugh coming from Kierce! ...its contagious!

Pretending she is flying like a bird is one of Kierce's most favorite things to do when we walk to the end of our street. I love how she inspires all of us to just stop and enjoy life, and who couldn't with this gorgeous view!

One of my absolute favorite moments in life is when all of my children are playing happily with one another! I am sure any Mother would agree. My second favorite moment is when my girls are enjoying time together! Actually, Kierce and Merrick have been playing with each other more often lately. They play pretend and other various games. It is so cute to watch Kierce take after her big sister by being the big sister to Merrick! On this gorgeous day, we were at Imperial Beach's famous sandcastle competition. All of the kids were inspired to build with sand themselves, but Kierce was especially interested in the sand that particular day!

Kierce just loves spending time with little miss Eva her sweet cousin! We had such a fun time at the zoo this fine day! Kierce is always looking for any opportunity to love on Eva! She feels lucky to get even a few minutes with Eva nowadays, because its an understatement when I say that Eva is- on the go!

No comment ;)

Happy at the Padres!

Silly at our wedding Anniversary dinner!

At Home Photo Shoot

Getting a little silly at the end of this fun photo shoot!

Kierce is showing me her new grin after loosing the third tooth in the front! She has now lost all four front teeth! Its precious to hear her get so excited while telling a story about loosing each one of them! I do have to say that she is doing quite well at coping with being fairly toothless! She still eats apples occasionally! You'll have to ask her how she does it :) She was stoked when she noticed that one of her upper central incisors was coming in!

Taking part in the surf competition was definitely a highlight for Kierce this summer! She had a great time, and left with a trophy for participating! This was an amazing day that none of us will ever forget! One of her past times is cleaning her trophy!

Kierce loves her time at home, she always has. It was actually a little difficult to pry her away from her domain for the first day of school. Yes, there are so many unknowns going into a new school, knowing not one person. I was so proud of Kierce accepting this challenge with a smile on her face even with the many uncertainties! Let me tell you that Kierce's smile was even bigger when I picked her up at the end of the day! She had so much to say about her fabulous first day of school! She did mention missing her teacher for the past two years, Mrs. Brandjord. Hey, Mrs. Brandjord is definitely missable! However, she is absolutely loving her new teacher this year, and has even made a few new friends named Perla, Elizabeth and Nalani. Kierce loves the two recess times they get everyday and the early release day they get once a week! Who knows what this fine fall will hold for Kierce, but I will be sure to update you at the close of the season!

Rowan's Summer 2011 Journal Entry

2011-09-18T11:36:00.000-07:00

This is our Rowan, the deep thinker. The words may or may not come out of her mouth, but deep thoughts are always there. The more time you spend with Rowan, you realize she is like unwrapping a wonderful present, piece by piece! This picture was taken just outside of Imagination Station in Toledo, Ohio. We had a wonderful time that day learning about bodies at the Body exhibit. Both of my girls could have spent hours studying the different exhibits.

Rowan getting a Love sandwich with Aunt Lynn and Grandma Texas!

Rowan, Merrick and her friend Maddie had a blast at field day at Jackman Road Elementary School. Every year they have this event. It allows the kids to exercise and enjoy the outdoors! After field day was over, Rowan had a special opportunity to get signatures from her classmates and teachers for a memory to cherish.

Yes, sometimes even my dearest Rowan takes a breather! I just love how the camera can capture a moment like this forever! She is relaxing at her Dad's last baseball game in Toledo, Ohio before our move to San Diego. Even though her dad might not agree (regarding the unfolding game), we thought it was a very nice day, filled with baseball, family, love and even a moment to relax and soak up the moment.

Anyone who knows Rowan well, knows she is a trickster just like her Dad! Here she is on camera at our going away party showing us her fun side. Someone doesn't look to happy about it! You should have seen the picture prior on the camera reel!

Grandma K loving on Rowan with some of Grandpa's famous popcorn!

Last Day of School - Last Day at our House

Rowan and Kaylin posing for a sweet picture up against our old house. They are such gorgeous girls with an amazing friendship. The depth of their friendship is quite admirable. They skype each other at least once a week, and I believe they will be great friends forever.

When Rowan got off the bus that day, she showed me the gifts Kaylin gave her and the card her teacher gave her. It was hard not to get choked up, lets just say that I did my best! Here she is with Kaylin showing our neighbor and good friend Grandma Bard the photo album and BFF necklaces she gave her. As we were getting ready to move, Barb was so helpful and involved in our lives. She was so supportive and excited for our adventure as well. Rowan had fostered a close relationship with Barb, so this was a special moment she shared with her.

Look at these two cuties! Rowan wore home a shirt that everyone had signed at school. We all had fun signing her shirt, and of course Aunt Lynn had fun signing her shirt as well! I was so very proud of how well Rowan handled that last day at our house. She may have handled it better than me, or so it seemed!

Rowan loves and cherish things that remind her of the path life has lead her down, just like her Mom ;) The top of her pie safe (which holds her clothes) tells us so! Here she is holding a chair that was a gift to her before she was even born. Look at all that wear! Now she has this gorgeous picture to help her remember to Live, Laugh and Love by KarDuck Kreations. It was made by one of my rowing friends, Amanda Karduck.

Day 1 of Our Journey to San Diego

Buddy and silly Rowan trying to lighten the mood! Rowan cannot wait to wrap her loving arms around this gorgeous mate when we make it back for a visit to Michigan! Once you are loved by Rowan, you will be loved by her forever. She has desperately been missing Buddy, but she knows he is being well taken care of! This was her last hug with Buddy before shoving off in the moving truck. It has been a rough road missing Buddy, but I am so proud of how well she has handled the situation. She is so grateful that Grandma and Grandpa are getting lots of loving from Buddy everyday, and also that she can have the opportunity to love on him when we visit Michigan!!

Rowan is holding her favorite cookie, a chocolate chip cookie that her Cha Cha Andi made for her Dad and the kids as a surprise. Rowan is also holding a "Let's Go Hailey Let's Go!" sign which she created minutes after arriving at her Aunt and cousin Hailey's house in Tennessee! That's our Rowan, always putting her creativity and imagination to good use! A lot of times there is an elaborate scenario going on in Rowan's head. I have enjoyed watching them play out since she was a little thing!

Day 4

The girls and I just had to have some fun with these cowgirl hats at a truck stop in Arizona! Rowan sure is showing us her happy spirit and cowgirl moves! Trust me, after this long in the car we needed some line dancing!

Rowan and Kierce extremely interested in this cactus! Rowan seems to be very interested in science and discovery in general. Just a couple days ago I found her watching a four part special regarding Atlantis on YouTube. She is one of two very smart girls, always learning and growing in new ways! They are all keeping me on my toes, that's for sure!

Day 5 - San Diego Here we Come!

Yes! We made it to Rowan's Uncle Dana, Aunt Brooke and cousin Eva's house! All of us uniting was such a precious moment. Rowan and Eva took their time getting to know one another, a personality trait they both share. This was a very special moment for Rowan, considering she was meeting her cousin for the very first time!

Home Sweet Home

Rowan is really in her element here at the local tide pools. After a few months of enjoying the ocean, it never gets old for any of these kids. Rowan is always helping her younger siblings out, showing them sweet finds and holding their hand as they are climbing around.

Mm, mm, good! I love it when Rowan gets motivated to create healthy snacks for the family! This was a healthy appetizer she insisted on creating all on her own! Look at that creative spin!

I just love this love! Eva's waiting for a kiss, and Rowan was moving in for a true "kairos moment". I remember instances she had with her siblings that were quite similar. Rowan has such a caring and nurturing spirit toward her siblings and now her cousin. It will be so special watching them all grow up together.

At the Padres game!

Thank you Rowan for talking me into having an at home photo shoot with these gorgeous outfits that were given to the kids from Aunt Lynn, Aunt Dawnie and Grandma Texas. I had been talking about going to have a professional photo shoot with these outfits for many months, but I am so glad Rowan talked me into just doing them myself! We all had so much fun and we are happy with the personal photos!

Rowan enjoying this gorgeous beach!

While my Mom was visiting us from Michigan, we all walked down to this bluegrass concert with Dana, Brooke and Eva that was happening in a park a few blocks from their house. Rowan had the idea to prop up the camera and set it on auto snap mode. The kids ended up with some super cute photos. This was one of my favorites!

Rowan looked a little concerned before the surf competition. Trust me, her face was very happy after she came out of the water! We were so proud of her initiative to go out there and surf by herself! She did so well and had a blast! This was such a positive experience for her!

Silly Row

Rowan and I both agree that this is one of the coolest pictures EVER! She wanted me to take a photo of her diving, and I did! lol

The girls looked gorgeous on their first day of school! I am so proud of how well Rowan stepped up to the plate to do something new and scary! I can't imagine it being easy to be thrown into an entirely new school situation, when everything is new and different! Although, we have enjoyed looking at all of the positive aspects of this fresh environment! Rowan has already made a sweet friend, named Seven. She loves her teacher. OK, she is definitely not Mrs. Neboyskey, but she is very nice! She loves the two separate recess times and eating outdoors. I think it is sweet that Rowan can look out her classroom window to see Kierce's classroom. Its just like Rowan to be able to keep a nurturing eye on her sister! Who knows what fun times the fall in San Diego will bring for Rowan! I'll keep you posted! Meanwhile, watch and listen to what Rowan thinks the ocean sounds like in this video below. What do you think it sounds like?

What Do We Think of San Diego?

2011-09-12T23:20:00.000-07:00

Well, I am going to have to admit that we LOVE IT here in San Diego! It doesn't mean that we love the fact that many of the people in our lives that we love and adore are not here with us. Hey, if we could have shrunk all of those people down to about an inch each, I think we could have fit everyone into one suitcase. Don't ya think? Or, oooh, we could have cloned everyone, then shrunk them down to an inch and then packed them in the suit case! OK, fine, I'll stop dreaming up ways to have my cake and eat it too.

Moving was and still is sometimes one of the scariest things I have yet to endure, I know at least one of my kids would agree with me on that one. But, on the other hand it also is one of the most amazingly fulfilling experiences as well. Especially when the move lands us living one block from the ocean in sunny San Diego, California; not to mention the drive across the United States of America to get here, which was one of the most beautiful experiences I have ever encountered. The most marvelous part about the trip - every one of the Merricks were all experiencing it for the very first time, together! Being in my Mom's belly when my family took a tour around the country doesn't really count! You know you are driving across country for the first time when you are in awe of the vast flat lands and cow pastures in Oklahoma.

Anyway, not to get off on a "how beautiful is this country of ours" tangent here. ...back to San Diego and what we think of where we are! OK, to say the least, absolutely everyday is a total adventure. We are always seeing or learning something new here! I swear all of our brains have at least doubled in size. If not from all of the new names and faces to learn, than from all of the fresh sites and information that is necessary to learn to be a non tourist or a local. We feel pretty spoiled to live so close to Cabrillo National Park, and also Sunset Cliffs where we have watched spectacular sunsets and simply breathed in the beauty. Not to mention the extra love we get from my brother, sister-in-law, super sweet niece, cousins and new friends!

We also have seen some pretty wild sites too! Just last week we saw a lady wearing a bird cage attached to a strap which she wore around her neck! Of course the bird cage was not empty, it had a cockatiel in it! We see unicycles and all different types of bikes even motorized ones, lots of skateboards and surf boards, giant size pizza slices, acrobats, a band with a suitcase guitar, and the list goes on! There are so many people that live here, you never feel alone. Most of the time that is a good thing, only sometimes do we miss the quiet as an airplane flies overhead now :)

Rowan loves eavesdropping on people who walk through the alley at night. She enjoys filling me in on the gossip, which thankfully has been fairly G rated during her waking hours. I think all of us Merricks could contribute to book named What Happens in the Alley Gets Amplified. We all just LOVE the guy who revs up his car at the crack of dawn! I guess it is a pretty car, I will give him that.

Ryan is working long days and is feeling great about the company he is working for. There is always something new surfacing at work, and he is glad for the upward direction they are moving in together! He enjoys riding his bike half way to work and then hopping on the trolley for the rest of the trek. This gives him a little bit of time to himself which he enjoys, especially on the way home. By the time he gets home, he is no longer thinking about work any longer and ready to walk into our home to a multiple greeting and dinner! We are all loving the time we have with him on the weekends as well! He has had some fun with the surf board as well!

The kids were so excited to hit and even surpass their August reading goal. Their reward was a trip to Seaworld, and they couldn't wait to finally go! Every time we pass Seaworld (which was often) the kids asked when we could go. I thought Seaworld would be a wonderfully educational incentive for reading well over 1000 pages combined. Yesterday was the magical day we got ourselves packed up and shipped off to the famous Seaworld. We all had an absolute blast! The kids had so much fun learning about the different animals. The kids are stoked that we now have passes for the next two years thanks to a nice ezpay plan, so we can hop on in at any time to enjoy each of the spectacular areas without feeling rushed!

You see Shamu?? How cool is that, we accidentally got her in our family photo at Seaworld! We still have a lot of love for Shamu and her friends, even after being drenched by them! Hey, that's what you get for sitting in the splash zone! Ryan warned us ;)

Overall, we are quite well here in San Diego! Yes, we have our ups and downs, comparable to our ups and down while living in Michigan. Speaking of Michigan, can I get a GO BLUE? As I was saying, mostly we have ups, but we are human and still adjusting to our new life. I am still adjusting to my teeny kitchen in which I use the stove as a storage unit! I do love that the longer we live here, the more material items I am able to pass on, realizing that we are spending most of our time enjoying the outdoors and living a more simple life rather than indoors enjoying "things". We are so grateful for the many things to be "up" about living here. It is a healthy place to be, no doubt about that.

Yet another sunset to enjoy! We never get tired of that gorgeous oh so available sunset, and the many different locations where we can enjoy it! This sunset is open to all of you, if you don't mind staying in a cozy space! Let us know when to pick you up at the airport!

Welcome to Sunny D Grandma K!

2011-08-22T14:16:00.000-07:00

Mr. Huge flying beetle was happy to welcome my Mom to San Diego. She looks welcomed, right?

After surprising everyone with Grandma's visit, Rowan and Kierce were anxious to drag her to the ocean to watch them play around with the surf board. I think Grandma was more scared by the idea of them surfing than the attack of the massive flying beetle! I do think she warmed up a bit to the idea once she saw that the girls weren't racing out to drop in on massive waves!

A "Happy Birthday" went out to Grandma K, with a wish and a homemade tropical carrot cake! We had a blast on the weekend celebrating her birthday with family and some of our new friends! It wouldn't be a Nevins party if we weren't bursting at the seems with food! Ryan came up with the idea of the century, and that was to use make use of our community room for our gathering! It gave everyone more room to spread out and enjoy themselves, and more room for my niece Eva to explore. We even did some swimming to top off the evening!

My Mom was nice enough to urge Ryan and me out the door to take some couple time together. After walking around, Ryan led me to a bar in our neighborhood that had an amazing reggae band playing. We danced and enjoyed the music for a bit, before walking home. Thank you Mom!

The last full day of her visit, we did some "power touring" in Point Loma and La Jolla. Brooke and Eva met up with us in La Jolla to check out the seals, and spend some last minute quality time together! We had an absolute fabulous time together, and everyone really enjoyed checking out the seals and tide pools!

Dana came out to our neck of the beach the evening before Mom's departure to enjoy a nice dinner at one of our favorite Mexican restaurants. We had a superb meal, and a nice walk home. The Merricks just can't wait for the next visit from Grandma K! Although, now I believe it is Grandpa K's turn to ride the waves in Cali! We have a board waiting for you Dad!

8th Anniversary

2011-08-08T18:23:00.000-07:00

Ryan and I were lucky enough to have a night all to ourselves a couple days before our actual anniversary, thanks to Aunt Brooke and Uncle Dana! Ryan and I were happy to spend some special time together knowing that our kids were off having a blast with their aunt, uncle and cousin! We had a scrumptious and very fresh dinner at a local restaurant. While looking back on the past and talking about our hopes for the next eight years!

After dinner we walked down by the cliffs to watch the gorgeous waves and beautiful sunset.

...my handsome groom gazing at the astounding view. After the sun set in the sky, we took a walk on the pier and downtown.

On our actual anniversary the kids put on the formal wear they received as a gift from Aunt Lynn and Aunt Dawnie. Rowan thought it would be fun to have a photo shoot. The photos turned out great and we had a blast! By the time Ryan got home from work, we were all ready to go out for taco Tuesday at a nice restaurant in town. Yes, only the Merricks would get dressed to the nine for taco Tuesday! On our walk down to dinner, Merrick ran into this professional acrobat that thought it would be fun to balance his scooter on his chin, then he balanced his surf board! Wow, that was a treat!

The tacos were definitely yummy! We had a great meal as a family, and the kids really enjoyed being a part of our anniversary celebration.

We left the restaurant just in time to catch the neon sky from the sun that had already set. Ryan and I can both say with confidence that the sun will never set on our love.

Aunt Jean and Amy's Visit

2011-08-02T13:50:00.000-07:00

My Aunt Jean and cousin Amy flew in for their annual San Diego retreat this last week, and we were lucky enough to spend some special quality time with them. Earlier in the week, we went over to Dana and Brooke's house for a some brats on the grill, and to celebrate Dana and Amy's birthday with some chocolate zucchini cake with cream cheese icing. Aunt Jean and I had some fun with the kids in the yard before we ate dinner.

While Amy got some cuddle time with Eva and Brooke!

The birthday cousins shared a birthday wish, while Dana swooped in for the blow out of the candles. lol

Ryan made us all chuckle while telling us his late night fishing story. What did he catch? I can tell you it wasn't a fish! You'll have to ask him to get the full version of the story!

Just before taking off to fly back to Albuquerque, Amy and Aunt Jean stopped over for one last visit and some late lunch. Brooke and Eva also came over to visit with them as well. We just loved how Eva was looking up at Amy in this photo. What a simple yet amazing day.

Their wish came true to say cianara to the ocean one last time before rushing off to the airport. This is certainly a bunch of beautiful ladies! We absolutely cherished this time with them and cannot wait to see them again soon!

Happy 34th Birthday Uncle Dana

2011-08-02T12:34:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Uncle Dana! The kids had so much fun showering Uncle Dana with cards, love and even this HUGE sign! On Dana's actual birthday, the kids and I spent time with Eva so he could take his gorgeous wife Brooke out for a romantic and exquisite dinner.

A few days later we celebrated with a BBQ at our place. Ryan turned out his yummy burgers, Brooke made his favorite pasta salad and I tossed a creative tomato salad that might be a new favorite, although we can't tell you the secret ingredient ;) As you can see, Eva has now officially joined the water baby club! We can't tell who loves the water more :)

We don't know who was more excited about Paulette and Bo making an appearance, us or the kids. They just love playing with the kids and before you know it, everyone is laughing! Right away Bo took the kids down to the pool to swim, and boy were the kids thrilled when they could finally go down to the pool.

It was nice to see Dana chill and talk with Lori, Steph and everyone who made it out to celebrate his Birthday. Everyone loved snacking on Lori's famous peanut butter cookies she brought just for the occasion!

Dana is a guy who has always been on the go, on to the next adventure. As his sister, I love seeing him relax and just enjoy the moment, all 34 years of it. Look at this gorgeous family he has created with Brooke. Everyone would agree that this is one lucky man.

Maybe he'll be even more lucky by his 35th birthday, if I can perfect this natural red cake recipe! Since this was our favorite childhood cake (made by our Grandma Long) I figured I would pull out all the stops to recreate this cake naturally. Can you see a spec of red??? It was definitely a fun experiment! ...and potentially may have some fresh ideas for a new traditional birthday cake spin off, all thanks to Brooke. No worries, will keep you posted.

The BEST Pool Party Ever!

2011-07-18T17:28:00.000-07:00

The vote was unanimous, this was the BEST pool party we have ever been to, with (by far) the best view! It was absolutely magical to spend the afternoon at our new friend Dawn's house! We were told by my new friend Sandra to be sure not to miss one of Dawn's pool parties, but she definitely didn't explain why. The surprise was on us :) Boy were we VERY glad we decided to make this 40 minute blind trek to this gorgeous haven!

Merrick had a blast hanging out in the (only warm) hot tub. Dawn had so many toys for the kids to play with and he was super happy about that!

Here is a video of Rowan showing off her moves! This was toward the end of the afternoon, so they were all slowing down a bit.

The highlight of the afternoon for the girls - their new found friendships! They met some really sweet sisters who love to swim and LOVE playing with their American Girl dolls! Merrick was also happy that they have a younger brother! Bring on the play date!

Here is a video of Kierce making an attempt to dive into the pool! Rowan and I were so proud that she tried her hardest to dive. I might have to bust out some of my old school life guarding skills to ease her into diving, first off the edge, then off the diving board :)

The view at the top of their driveway by the entrance to their house was just gorgeous. I had to sneak a picture as we were leaving. The kids and I realized as we were driving down the mountain that we stayed for 6 hours!!! It was just too hard to cut the fun off! Not only did they swim, but jumped on their trampoline, played inside with all of their fun toys and Merrick even played with their sand table! This was such a fun day, we all felt really special to be able to enjoy this type of experience!

It All Started With a BIG Jelly Fish!

2011-07-13T09:01:00.000-07:00

Wow, what a fun week the Merricks have had! I have a feeling we are going to have plenty more where this came from, so get ready to hear all about it!

Before moving to San Diego I joined a San Diego Mom Facebook page to see if I could get a few questions answered as I was packing. Little did I know that I would end up making friends in San Diego before even setting foot in California. We were excited to finally meet up with some of the Moms and their children, and this is what we found! Yes, the kids were swimming with a big jelly fish, one of many sights the kids have never seen before. Too bad this creature was tormented. I was so proud of the girls for trying to protect it from these foreign kids who were throwing sand on it and stabbing it with a stick! Rowan even tried to urge them to stop by using non verbals since there was a language barrier. I won't tell you how the story ended for this big guy, but at the very least I think the Merricks know how to step in and handle the situation better if there is a next time.

On a much lighter note, Rowan absolutely loved being buried up to her head in the sand. It was a very long and very fun day. The kids definitely had a blast and are looking forward to more meet ups.

The kids and I were so, so, sooooo excited when Aunt Brooke called to see if we could babysit Eva for the first time! She had four babysitters ecstatic to be at Eva's beck and call! Eva pretended with weebles, played dress up, was read to by both Rowan and Kierce, and Merrick only tried to play rough once! Thankfully Eva is resilient and can totally hang with the gang. She is definitely the Queen E in our presence, and I don't think that will ever change! Just wait until she gets to party with the Trins too, then she'll be a queen and a rock star all at the same time!

On Saturday morning Ryan comes walking out in his swimsuit and says, "Well, since I don't have to mow the grass, I think I will go work on my tan." Yes, we are all loving the lighter work load and having a pool and spa right out our front door. Its so good to see him so relaxed and happy!

Later that day we were honored to have my brother Dana and sister-in-law Brooke throw us a welcome to San Diego party. It was an amazing and memorable day with family and lots of friends. Everyone we met was so nice and welcoming. Even my new friend Sandra, whom I met online before moving here, showed up with her husband and son. It was so great to finally meet her and her family face to face.

Dana grilled the best zucchini EVER, brats and burgers. But ultimately this gathering was not at all about the food, and was all about the fun and communion. Thank you Brooke and Dana for hosting this amazing party and sharing all of these wonderful people with us. You have done the BEST job of making us feel welcome and loved here in San Diego. Though it is very difficult being so far away from a lot of family and friends, we are extremely lucky to have family here who is showering us with care.

While Rowan was off helping her Aunt Brooke with Eva at a shower on Sunday, we drove about 30 minutes north to attend a church that our pastor back home had recommended. After church we drove to the ocean and got out to play for a while. Kierce was thrilled with all of the rocks that we found at this beach. She even thought that one of the rocks looked like a chocolate chip cookie! Our Kierce has a great imagination! We all thoroughly enjoyed the gorgeous view as we drove along the ocean, something I personally have been dreaming of for a while now.

By the time we made it all the way back to San Diego our hearts were happy, but our tummies were empty. Ryan decided he would take us to try an In and Out burger, who are known for using fresh ingredients and cutting the french fries right on the spot! I guess you never know what surprises are going to turn up, especially if your name is Merrick! This clown even made him and Kierce a little toy dog to take home with them. Oh, and I learned that Grandma Texas (Ryan's Grandma) was a Shrine clown! I can't wait to see pictures! Aunt Lynn, show me some proof ;) lol

When Aunt Brooke dropped Rowan off, she had plenty of stories to tell and a cute hairdo to show off. She had a great time helping Aunt Brooke with Eva, and of course now everyone wants a turn helping Aunt Brooke with Eva!! ;) We had such an eventful week and to think, it all started with a jelly fish! ...what's next?

Two Skater Chics and One Skater Dude

2011-07-07T22:41:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday, Merrick asked me if he could get some more Legos at the store. I reminded him about the Target gift card he received from Aunt Dawnie, Uncle Kenny and Aunt Lynn before we left. Since I have been wanting to take the kids to Target to spend their gift cards anyway, we did just that. The kids had a ton of fun looking at all there was to see at the store. This was a lengthy process if you were wondering :)

After looking for about an hour and a half I remembered that they have been wanting skateboards. The kids were soooo excited to see if they had any skateboards there, and they were thrilled to find a few boards that were very close to their budget.

I don't think I have ever witnessed my kids this excited about any activity! We played around a little on the boards that night, and of course had dreams of skateboards dancing in their heads as they slept that night. Yesterday, they all did so great once we got all geared up and finally made it to the skate park. Kierce was so proud of herself after a few minutes when she was able to push, balance and ride!

On the other hand, Rowan had a little more experience on a skateboard from playing around on one at her friend Kaylin's house. Her brother had taught her how to do a 360 and some other tricks which helped her to get comfortable on the board. She had fun working on getting even more familiar with the skateboard and learning how to turn the board with her balance. She cannot wait to go skateboarding again...I think she could skate all day! They all could for that matter!

Merrick was very frustrated after realizing that he wasn't just going to jump right into all of the fun tricks he has observed. He did finally perk up after checking out the guys at the main trick area of the skate park. The girls and I were reminding him that he is only 3 and he has plenty of time to learn how to skateboard.

The kids really enjoyed the downtime we spent watching the guys perform tricks and jumps in front of our eyes. I'm pretty sure each one of the kids talked about eventually wanting to be in the gated area someday doing some of the fancy skateboarding.

In this video, Merrick has finally perked up and is talking about what he wants to do someday with his skateboard. I just love hearing the self confidence this kid owns!

Kierce and Merrick thought it would be nice to relax for a minute by the San Diego River, while Rowan practiced riding. You'll be happy to know that Merrick did push, balance and ride for a short bit just before we left yesterday. I am so proud of all of the kids and how well they did trying out something so new and foreign. We sure are enjoying this business of learning new activities and also learning all about our new environment!

A BIG, HUGE thank you goes out to Aunt Lynn, Aunt Dawnie and Uncle Kenny for the Target gift cards! The kids felt so good about spending the cards in this unique way! They love you tons and tons!

We love and miss all of our family and friends more than all of our arms can stretch! Hoping that these blogs are helping you to feel closer to us in some way ;)

Fireworks and Family Marshmallow Fight

2011-07-07T10:26:00.000-07:00

Our beautiful Rowan, giving us her biggest smile and checking out the beautiful night sky. The skyline was definitely getting ready for fireworks. Since the sun comes down sooner on the west coast here, the fireworks are at 9pm instead of 10pm back in Michigan. I definitely like 9pm much better for getting the kids to bed at a decent time.

Rowan had fun practicing her photographer skills while we patiently waited for the fireworks!

Here is a video of the awesome firework finale! It was a great show, but for all of you Detroit firework fans, there is nothing like feeling the ground shake by the Detroit river.

After climbing up the cliff after the fireworks, there was a group of people just hanging out using sparklers. I just love how kind and generous the people are in our new neighborhood. The kids were thrilled when they were offered a sparkler to whirl around! Kierce's was the last one to go out!

Since the traditional marshmallow fight after the fireworks is geared toward the adult crowd, we decided to have our own version at home! It was a game more than anything, and definitely put smiles on all our faces. Ryan of course had the best aim, and he kids took their turn tossing them in our mouths and mostly at our faces too :) Either way, I am thinking that this tradition will stick with our family no matter where we live!

Family, Fun and Freedom

2011-07-07T09:40:00.000-07:00

What an amazing weekend, we had loads of fun and a little adventure too! Ryan was especially excited to have a relaxing three day weekend, and we were excited to spend it with him! On Saturday we had our first small gathering at our place. Dana, Brooke and Eva came over for the afternoon to hang, eat and swim! It was definitely nice to do some chopping and cooking in the kitchen in preparation for guests...it felt "normal" since we were very familiar with hosting back in Michigan. ...and I like normal :)

Well, Uncle Dana definitely passed the initiation this past Saturday. Yup, he pruned just like the kids from being in the water all day! The girls had a blast swimming with Uncle Dana, and being tossed up in the air and falling back into the water was definitely the highlight!

Eva is definitely the queen E around our family! Even Ryan talks "baby talk" hoping for one of her famous smiles, which actually come pretty easily. She takes after her lovely smiling mama :)

Ryan's cousin Jessie and her boyfriend, Sabuj from LA stopped over later for a beer and chat by the pool since they were in town for the weekend. Eva was thrilled with Sabuj from the start, if you only saw the huge smile on her face, it was precious. She welcomed him with open arms!

As you can see Rowan was thrilled to get a HUGE hug from her familiar cousin Jess! Even though it was a quick visit, it was so nice to catch up with them and learn more about Sabuj! Now its our turn to drive up to LA to see their city!

Our family is so lucky to have Brooke, our very own event planner to help us adventure to a new area near San Diego on Monday the 4th! She is so great at researching new things to do for her family, and now that we are in town, we are blessed enough to tag along! She found this Old Fashion 4th of July Celebration for us to check out. There was music, crafts, games, food, trains, quilt show, pretend gun fights, etc. Aunt Brooke jumped right in with the girls to make a windsock at one of the craft tables. ...clearly this was serious business :)

After a lot of prodding, the guys finally agreed to show off their guns!

Here is our sad family picture, since Merrick just couldn't put on his happy face we all had to put on His sad face. Actually, Merrick was just very tired at this point and was sooo ready for a nap. Thankfully Merrick was able to take a nap with Dad when we got home to rev up for the fireworks!

Uno Week in San Diego

2011-07-01T11:31:00.000-07:00

Wahoo, we were all so happy and relieved when that Penske truck finally sat empty at the end of the night last Monday. The girls were troopers and Ryan and I send a BIG thanks to my brother Dana, and Paulette for all of their help!! ...everyone loved the pizza Paulette!

On the day after our arrival, we had our first visitors, my cousin Lorie who lives in San Diego, and my second cousin Tyler and his girlfriend Chelsea, who live back home in Michigan. Chelsea is already adopted into the family as far as Merrick is concerned, he is absolutely in love with her! After helping me put our kitchen table together, they offered to take the kids down to the pool to watch them swim. The kids were happy about that, and I had some time to get some things unpacked!

The next day we had our second set of visitors, my friends Cheryl (who I rowed with at Eastern Michigan) and her husband Mike. They currently live in Northern California and will be moving to Seattle for a new Cheryl's new job very soon. Thanks to their visit, we had a nice morning walking the pier and making discoveries at the tide pools. Lunch at Hodad's was amazing, and it was just nice to take a breather from all the hustle and bustle of the move.

The kids and I were thrilled to check out the farmer's market later that day. Look at all these veggies...someone was in heaven! The kids are seeing and experiencing so much culture. Its so cute to see them look up at me with wonder and awe when they see something they have never seen before. Hey, I'll join the club, I am seeing a whole lot that I have never seen as well, like three massive organic heads of lettuce harvested same day for only $5.00!

When Ryan and I were in town over a month ago to find our new place, Dana and Brooke took us to Yogurtland in their neighborhood. Its a place where you can choose from several flavors of soft serve frozen yogurt and add any toppings you choose. You can imagine how happy we were when we found a similar place in our neighborhood! When you come to town, we'll be sure to visit this yummy place. They even have traditional sour frozen yogurt as an option, which makes me happy!

Merrick (my social firefly) has already made a BEST friend within our complex! They are both thrilled with the friendship and are loving all of the Spiderman, Lego and train camaraderie. You should hear their conversations...priceless! The girls have also established friendships with his sister and brother and their fast friendships make this mom a happy mom!

This weekend was a lot of fun! Paulette and Bo met us at noon to walk down to the neighborhood street fair. The kids had a blast watching the skate board competition and taking in all the sights. After that, we just couldn't let the fun end, so we headed to Coronado Island for a gorgeous beach afternoon and evening that my cousins Lorie and Steph were hosting, with family and friends. Chelsea and Tyler just couldn't resist the opportunity to bury Kierce and Merrick in the sand! We all had an absolute blast!

Dana had a spectacular idea to meet up at Phill's BBQ to bring the weekend to a close. We met up with Dana, Brooke and their little one, along with Paulette and Bo. It was a spectacular meal ending with square dancing choreographed by Rowan and a BIG HUGE group hug that was inspired by the little guy in the center that wanted to get smashed!

Now I can officially say that I have the cutest beach bums EVER! We are really loving San Diego, more and more each day. Of course we are missing family and friends from Michigan, but are also loving the special time with family that we haven't been able to see often.

...and We're Off!

2011-06-25T11:45:00.000-07:00

We woke up Thursday morning ready to head to Tennessee to visit Ryan's sister Andi and niece Hailey. For weeks I have been telling the kids that we could use this spray hair color on their hair the day we leave. They were so excited that the time had come.

We found a spot to bury Merrick and Kierce's placentas, which were in the freezer since their birth. All of the kids enjoyed the process. A balloon plant from our old house was planted on top of the placentas, and they will nourish the plant and give it life.

Rowan was happy to get one last hug from Buddy, until the next... Buddy knew something was going on, and he wanted to come so badly, but we gave him some special gifts and we know he will be spoiled by his grandparents.

The kids enjoyed all of the extra hugs they got from Grandma and Grandpa Nevins as we shoved off from their house. Thank you Mom and Dad for all of your hospitality! Be sure to save room for us for our next visit!

Andi was so happy to see us, and the feeling was mutual! The kids loved spending time with baby Hailey and their Aunt or Cha Cha.

The kids thoroughly enjoyed this quick visit, and spent as much time interacting and playing with Hailey as possible. Teaching her and showing her the ways of her older cousins!

Friday morning, when the time come to say our goodbyes, we got in all the hugs and kisses we could, knowing it would be a while before the next. We were so grateful for the time we had with Cha Cha Andi and Hailey. ...off to Oklahoma City!

Ryan and the kids had fun unwinding for a few minutes in the pool at the really nice hotel we landed in Oklahoma City. The next morning we would be heading to Bernilillo, New Mexico, which is just north of Albiquerque to see some of my family!

I loved seeing all of the smiles on the kids faces during this journey. They were so well behaved and appreciative of this beautiful country we live in!

Kierce insisted on us posing for a picture at one of our few stops along the way on Saturday! We were definitely getting a little slap happy at this point!

Once we hit New Mexico, the scenery got better and better! There were many neat mountains and landmarks we were able to enjoy on the fly.

About 30 minutes from Aunt Jean's house we stopped due to some van trouble. Thankfully this nice man was at this service station after hours to give us guidance. It was looking like we were going to have to replace the transmission, boy were relieved to realize later on that the car was just struggling with the load the van had to deal with through the mountains.

Rowan (the up and coming photographer) had fun snapping tons of pictures. It just so happens that this gorgeous mountain, that is known for its watermelon color at sunset (which we were lucky enough to see) is the view my Aunt and cousins get to enjoy everyday!

We were thrilled to finally get to visit with my Aunt Jean and cousins Amy and Jess. It has been a long time coming, and now I can see why they chose to settle down in this area!

Happy Father's Day! We enjoyed our Father's Day morning with Aunt Jean. Even though it didn't really feel much like Father's Day, Ryan got a chance to wear the hat made of pipe cleaners that Rowan made for him. The kids are holding their special bag from Gamma. She had packed a bag for them to open everyday along the way.

Kierce pretty much fell in love with Aunt Jean's rescue dog Layla. She was sure to is get one last kiss before we took off.

...and Rowan had a chance to get one last lounge in Aunt Jean's hammock before we shoved off for Pheonix on Sunday.

Ryan and the kids loved the outdoor pool at the hotel once we hit Pheonix. They took a well deserved dip in the pool before going back to the room to relax. I ran to get some pizza for them and boy were the troops hungry when I returned!

Its pretty safe to say that the highlight of Arizona was the cacti. You should have been a fly on the wall when the girls and I were seeing a traditional cactus for the first time! ...camera crazy to say the least! At this point we were ready as ever to hit the California state line on this fine Monday morning!

Boy were we elated once we finally hit the California state line! Already the kids were noticing all of the palm trees and even different insects, which looked like giant bees!

The kids wanted us to pose for a picture. I just love how this picture shows the gorgeous mountains in the background.

Here is a picture captured in the most interesting and memorable restroom on the trip. The kids and I know what I am talking about here. I guess we should be thankful that we found a restroom!

The combination of emotion was very powerful when we finally arrived at Uncle Dana, Aunt Brooke and Eva's house in San Diego! I didn't realize just how emotional the moment would be, it was definitely a moment to remember forever! I told Brooke that they were the light at the end of a very long tunnel, to say the least.

Uncle Dana and Aunt Brooke, I think your backyard is going to get a lot of use now that we are in town! We can't wait for all of the fun we will have in this back yard! Dana, just let us know if you need some help in your garden, I may know some small seasoned gardeners :)

Little baby Eva better get used to all the love she got this day, because she will be spoiled with all the love we have to give her and hopefully her future siblings as well ;)

Getting Ready to Leave Michigan

2011-06-25T09:15:00.000-07:00

Christina and her son Allen, Merrick's best friend generously came over to power out some work loading boxes on Monday, after all that work we had to take a break to eat some subway. Most of the time, Merrick kept Allen busy playing with cars, with their make shift ramp Christina created.

We had lots of visitors stop by later in the afternoon. I was lucky when my brother Chris, niece Trin, Mom and Dad stopped over just as I needed some help loading the heavier furniture items, including the piano :) Trin was sure to get in lots of loving with Kierce and Merrick before heading back to Tecumseh.

Ryan did have to work a lot of the day Monday, but I was able to capture a moment with him and Chris among all the organized chaos.

We got so much work done on Monday, that I rewarded the kids with a trip to Cedar Point with Grandma and Grandpa Nevins on Tuesday. While the girls rode the Iron Dragon with Grandpa Nevins I took Merrick to ride another kids ride. Later, my Mom and I took the younger two to ride kiddie rides, while my Dad took Rowan to ride some bigger rides. We all had a great time and no one wanted to leave at the end of the day.

On Wednesday, the kids got some extra loving in with Grandma Barb, our sweet and super helpful neighbor, when she stopped over to say her goodbyes. We had a stream of people come over most of the day to get an extra hug and help; neighbors, friends and family. My friend Julie and her kids stayed most of the day.

Even Aunt Lynn stopped in for a hug, which I was so glad about! She was lucky enough to get two hugs, one from Rowan and one from one of Rowan's besties, Kaylin. Notice, they are wearing best friend necklaces that Kaylin had gotten for each of them. Kaylin came home off the bus on this last day of school with Rowan, and shared this neat photo album she had given to Rowan. Rowan had also brought home this really sweet and encouraging letter from her teacher. Kierce was sad coming home from saying her goodbyes, but quickly cheered up when her friends Lexi and Jackson arrived!

Merrick was sure to get in extra goodbyes to his favorite pal, Buddy. Thankfully Buddy is lucky enough to be spoiled at Grandma and Grandpa Nevins house. We are looking forward to lots of skyping with Buddy, Grandma and Grandpa Nevins and anyone else who wants to talk with us face to face! It was difficult leaving our house, all packed up. It was helpful to know that our home we had put so much work into, was being passed to a really nice woman and her son.

“One day at a time--this is enough. Do not look back and grieve over the past for it is gone; and do not be troubled about the future, for it has not yet come. Live in the present, and make it so beautiful it will be worth remembering.” unknown

Once we got settled into my Mom and Dads house for the night, we rushed to get ready after being sweaty all day, and my Mom and I went to Sakura for one last goodbye with some of my very good friends. I was shocked when we got there to see how many friends showed up. It was a serious stress reliever and a very good time with my friends and Mom. We sat right at the grill and were very entertained!

Julie's baby and I had a moment before my last goodbye. I had to give some words of wisdom and say my goodbyes to the littlest bambino in the family. I can't wait to meet her in person someday soon!!!! As my Mom and I were driving home, we had a little time to reflect. What a full day, and we had another full day ahead!

Going Away Potluck at the Park

2011-06-24T23:52:00.000-07:00

Warning: Long Blog with Lots of Pictures :)

We had the most gorgeous and fulfilling day for our going away potluck! It was amazing weather and lots of memories to last a lifetime. It was a day I will never forget!

Our neighbor Homero was one of the first to greet us (with tamales) as we joined the neighborhood nearly seven years ago. We all thought it was so special that he decided to show up and bring tamales for our party at the park. Later he sang and played guitar and gave us a special concert, wishing us well and being so supportive of our courageous journey for the welfare of our family.

Rob, Cheyl (not pictured), Chris and Kelly all came to spend some quality time with us. Later, Rob and Cheryl took the time to pray with us about our journey. We were touched.

Chris and Cliff came out to spend some time with us and chit chat with the family. It wouldn't be the same without them there, since they were there throughout my entire life, and I know they will be there when we come to visit!

Linda Wilson, a dear friend to Rowan and me came out, also with my other sweet friend Tracey. It was so nice to chat with both of them! Rowans working on her cheesy smile :) Hey, we all have one!

The day was filled with baseball, and other fun at the playground. Baseball was definitely the highlight!

Here are the baseball girls themselves! Not sure what Kierce was thinking here, but they were all definitely having a great time! Looks like Rowan might have been teasing her baby K!

My friend Kat and her family stopped by to say one last farewell. I was so glad to catch up with Kat at the park and she stopped over while I was having my moving sale!

...and Ryan with her husband Kevin, whom taught me a lot about gardening! Thank you Kevin!

I am so happy to say that my mother-in-law has booked her ticket to come visit in the fall! Yay!! Colleen had a great idea when she threw a blanket down under a beautiful tree on this fine day.

Ryan got a good smooch from Aunt Diane before she had to take off. We enjoyed spending special time with her, and I know she was in on the baseball for sure!

Happy 60th Birthday Pop, a little early! Here he is with the gang after pretending (it was extremely windy) to blow the candles out. Since I wouldn't be here to have a big birthday party for him, this was the least I could do. Everyone loved the cake too!

I was so happy that my friend Sarah and her children could make the 45 minute drive down to play at the park and give some last minute wisdom and encouragement!

Merrick and Sarah's son Kai Kai had fun playing together, and mostly being silly together! ...on cue, tongue out!

Ryan being silly with Aunt Lynn! Why would we expect any different! Hey, you're not the only one he does these photo bombs to. Trust me :) Aunt Lynn Rocks!

Well, once Aunt Nancy made it there, I was able to apologize for giving her the wrong exit number!!! Aunt Nancy is a trooper, and she was worth the wait. She also joined in on the special prayer with Rob and Cheryl.

Rowan and Brynn had a special moment, and I was lucky enough to capture it. Someday Brynn will make it out to Cali to visit, and I know she will LOVE it!

My Mom and Mama Kathy looking oh so sweet! We are all so blessed to be showered with love from these two women!

...have to end with this peaceful photo. This picture of smiling sisters sums up the day. It was a "mostly" blissful day spend with people we desperately love and care about each other. Thank you to all who could make it. It was an amazing day!

Weekend with Gamma, Grandma and Grandpa

2011-06-24T22:39:00.000-07:00

Gamma came into town a couple days before out ggvfgoing away party g this party to spend quality time with all of us. As well as my friend Julie, her daughter Lexi (pictured in lavender shirt) and her son Jackson. As you can see, they were all having a total blast with each other tickling, playing and watching a movie! ...mutitaskers!

Since Ryan and I hadn't had much quality time with our mothers I decided to coordinate a double date with our Moms! It was so nice to sit and chit chat with no distractions. It was short, but very sweet.

Since I had a nice day with my Dad earlier in the week, I figured he might like to have a movie night with his grandchildren. The kids really enjoyed spending some quality time with their Grandpa, while eating his award winning popcorn! The kids cherish there relationship with their grandparents, and can't to continue grow their relationship more and more every day!

Lots of Girls and Lots of Good-byes

2011-06-12T20:22:00.000-07:00

Tuesday Night-

My Mops friends are right, it is a great journey our family is on, and our path is the "One" God has laid. Isn't this wall hanging the sweetest gift? I am so looking forward to finding the perfect place for this "Journey" wall hanging, in our new home!

My sweet friend Billie Jo stopped over during the day of our Mops dinner to drop off a thoughtful gift that I will keep forever, and am wearing in this picture! It is a Lake Erie, beach glass necklace with U of M colored beads, made by an Etsy artist. Thank you BJ. I will miss you!!!

My dear friend Kelly put together the sweetest California themed package for the kids to enjoy on our VERY long drive to San Diego. She also had all the girls at the table fill in an address book, then gave it to me with stamps, note cards and a list of Bible scriptures that will definitely come in handy! Yes, the tears jerked!!

I have had such good times with these MOPS (mothers of preschoolers) mommy friends. I will definitely miss these girls tons, and am hoping they save a seat for me, for when I fly in from SD for a GNO dinner!

Wednesday Night-

I was lucky enough to have a little Joe's Crab Shack reunion at a little Mexican restaurant in the middle of nowhere the day after my Mops dinner! It was a little nutty to have two dinners back to back, but I am so cherishing these last few moments I have here, before we drive to our new home! Heather and Sarah have been good friends for years; we have many good memories together.

Heather surprised me a few days prior by stopping by our very large moving sale! I looked up, and she was just standing there! She said she was going to just see how long it would take for me to notice her! Hey, I was pretty distracted, I will admit! Thank you Heather #1, for your patience, love and support!

I am so lucky that Sarah is a flight attendant and is going to be visiting often! She is very cultured and from the moment she heard about our move, has been very supportive, commenting that our family will fit in just perfectly in SD. I must say that I agree!

I was so blessed by having this special opportunity to spend wonderful quality time with my dear friends over the course of these two days.

Good-bye to El Camino and Good Friends

2011-06-12T19:13:00.000-07:00

We had a nice time at El Camino with our friends Chad and Lisa, Daniel and her husband and Arianna. We had a really delicious dinner while filling them in on our adventure hoping to entice them to book a flight!

Lisa thought it would be fun to have the mariachi band sing to us in celebration of our move! It was sweet fun!

...and of course the girls had to get some dancing in! We did end up dragging the guys on the dance floor too! Ryan does have the moves, I'll tell ya! We had a wonderful and well needed evening with our good friends, and are hoping they will hold a spot on the dance floor for when we fly into town ;)

...at the Old Ball Game

2011-06-10T05:48:00.000-07:00

The majority would agree that Ryan is excited for a new ball game in San Diego. He loves these great guys he has had a chance to play ball with, and will miss them. But, I can vouch that he will not miss the lack of winning streak, and is looking forward to playing ball year round in sunny San Diego!

We were so excited to spend the day with Grandpa Tom, Ryan's Dad and Grammy Kathy. I was a little bummed I never got a picture of Grammy Kathy with Rowan. Grammy Kathy was wearing one of her favorite sparkly necklaces that Rowan made for her two or three years ago. Maybe I can get one this weekend at our going away potluck :)

We were lucky enough to capture Aunt Lynn for Ryan's last ball game here, and she managed to capture Merrick for a brief moment, long enough to get a big, huge smile out of both of them!

This playing season for Ryan consisting of one double header, which was definitely a memorable one. Ryan's teammate and friend Rich and his son took a moment after the game to express what a pleasure it was playing with Ryan, and wish him well on his journey. Goooooo Sky Hawks!

We had to throw in at least one more trip to Pizza Primo! Photo courtesy of Kierce Janis! We had a great time finishing the day with some pizza and great conversation. We were lucky enough to be joined by my parents as well! Cheers to a great Sunday!

Abracadabra

2011-06-09T19:17:00.000-07:00

...make all our extra "stuff" disappear! Well, it wasn't that simple, but we are so glad the "stuff" is now gone, with the exception of a few things left by the side of the road. When I hauled all of the leftovers from the sale to Goodwill in my Father-in-Laws trailor, boy did they look me and my stuff up and down! They immediately started listing off the items they currently are not taking. You know it, Christmas items were one of the items they are not accepting, and of course it seemed like half of the stuff I was donating were Christmas items.

Merrick wanted to wear his apron, just like his Mom! He's definitely my pal! He was just the heavenly child I needed during this boot camp of a sale! He sure is a trooper!

So this tongue thing all started when I was trying to get a cute picture of Merrick with his Dad. Ryan stuck his tongue out when Merrick wouldn't look at the camera, and he probably heard me comment on his Dads tongue, because I clicked a photo and just as the photo snapped, Merrick threw his head toward the camera with his tongue out! This was a once in a lifetime photo, the timing was perfect!

As if that wasn't enough tongue, Merrick figured it would only be fitting if we stuck out tongues out on purpose in our photo! I know, too planned you might say. We still had fun as you can see. Merrick and I were getting a little loony and exhausted at this point :)

It was a very long 6 days including the massively long set up day, three sale days and two clean up days. I am not sure what I was thinking when I was planning to do all of this by my self in the amount of time I had allowed. I am a little crazy like that ;) Thankfully I had some unplanned help just show up, walk up my driveway, come from next door, etc., and boy was I grateful. I do believe they were sent by God.

Abracadabra, hocus pocus, now think of the drive to Cali and focus, focus focus :)

Surprise Dinner with Grandma Texas

2011-06-06T21:00:00.000-07:00

Grandma Texas was flown in just to have dinner with us! LOL, just kidding :) she was in town for a special trip with family. We felt soooo lucky that we were able to catch a dinner with her and Aunt Lynn before she flew home to Texas! Ryan was not feeling well, so only Grandma could get a smile out of him like this!

Aunt Lynn wanted to kids to decide where we were to meet for dinner. I wasn't surprised when they chose the Chinese Buffet, I don't think their Dad or Aunt Lynn was either ;)

Thank you Aunt Lynn for spoiling us!!! We all had such a great time chatting over some yummy food. We are definitely cherishing our time with the people we love! ...right Rowan? btw- I love this picture :)

Swampy but Sunny Field Day

2011-06-06T20:43:00.000-07:00

When Merrick and I got to the very fun field day, we found Rowan playing with one her of her best friends, Maddie. Actually, its hard to tell who is closer with Maddie, Rowan or Merrick. Maddie and Merrick are pretty much inseparable when they get together. She is so good with him.

After visiting with Rowan for a bit, Merrick and I decided to find Kierce. I wasn't surprised to find her near her bestie Thalia. I was lucky enough to snap a picture quickly while she was taking a break from running a relay. My girls are so lucky to have such good friends!

I think Kierce was in a posing mood for the camera, lucky for me :)

Rowan is so lucky to have my very wise friend Linda in her class for the second year in a row. She is an aid for one child in the classroom, yet is such a blessing to not only Rowan but all of the children. She is an inspiration to all she comes in contact with. Thank you Linda for blessing Rowan (and me), I know she (and I) will miss you and her teacher!

From all of the rain we received over the past few weeks, the grassy area behind the school was water logged, but that didn't stop anyone from having a blast! As you can see rain and shine, lots of fun and activity was had!

Memorial Day Parade...so we though

2011-06-06T20:19:00.000-07:00

We set out for a parade, but we were surprised and had to chuckle when I realized we were two days late for the downtown Toledo Parade. But, there was a silver lining on this sunny beautifull day. The kids and I took a relaxing walk by the Maumee River, and after calling Dad to tell him the news about missing the parade, he reminded us of the Bodies Revealed exhibit at the Imagination Station Science Center. We were so lucky that they happened to be open on this fine Memorial Day!

On our way to the science center, a police car comes driving by while I am in my photographer mode. Before you know it, the officer is insisting to take the photo so that I could get in the picture with the kids! The kids thought the police was so sweet and thoughtful to offer to do this. I think they loved to see the softer side of a police, since they usually notice a police when their car is speeding by with the lights flashing!

The kids enjoyed our walk over to the Imagination Station. We are so excited that we can use our membership, at the science center at Balboa Park in San Diego.

When we finally made it to our destination, all of the kids were thrilled to get into the exhibit, to see what the fuss was all about.

The girls and I were in heaven learning about the human body. Rowan and Kierce were so interested in every exhibit, and wanted to read all of the information plaques. I could definitely take the girls to another similar exhibit sometime, to spend more time learning about our bodies. Merrick...

...on the other hand, well, he couldn't wait to move on to the tree house to play! He tried his best to be patient at the exhibit, but as soon as we exited, he was off! He was happy as could be once we reached the free-play area!

As we were leaving, the kids were so happy to have gotten away from all the hustle and bustle that our move has brought. ...and so was I.

Marci's Camper

2011-06-06T19:29:00.000-07:00

The kids and I took a break from all the packing and moving sale prep to spend a day at Marci's camper. It was so nice to spend the day with four of my best friends: Candi, Marci, Julie...

and Velma with a mouth full of watermelon ;) She's so adorable!

Merrick had a blast swinging, and absolutely loved wading in the water too!

If you asked the kids their favorite thing about visiting Marci and Ralph at their camper, I am thinking they was all say hands down the merry-go-round. The best part is watching the adults try to make this old rusty thing go faster than a tortoise!

Someone brought these silly side burns and mustache set. Julie?? It didn't surprise me to see that Kierce had got a hold of them! ...very cute Kierce! The best was when my friend Candi put the fake eyebrows on!

Thank you so much Marci for planning a very special day with our best friends before our family sets off on our journey. This is a day I will cherish in my memory banks forever, and am looking forward to many more days just like this one.

Our New Pad

2011-05-29T10:08:00.000-07:00

**If you are reading this via email, just click on the above blog Title, which is a link that will take you to the actual blog post. There you will see all of the pictures and video. Otherwise, the visual aspects/goodies may not appear in this email.

After closing on our house yesterday, Ryan, Kierce, Merrick and I all went to eat at Subway. The feeling that Ryan and I had was indescribable. At one point Ryan and I had thought we might always stay in this house. We are happy for this new adventure, and opportunity. Yet, we will miss this house we put so much time, energy and love into. This house was full of life lessons for all of us, it was a host for Merrick to be born, it was and still is full of life and many memories with family and friends, but its a material. Its served its purpose in our lives. While sitting there, both of us not knowing what to say, I had a thought, "Hey, why don't we talk about some of the amazing aspects about our new home." Of course Ryan brought up probably one of the best things...the beautiful sunsets! We were all smiles again, who wouldn't smile at the thought of a gorgeous sunset over the pacific ocean! Well, needless to say, it was hard to top that one!

We we so happy that we found the school that the kids will attend, and decided on an apartment as well! Here is a picture of the heated pool and hot tub area right outside our door. The two days we looked at apartments and homes, the sky was overcast in the morning, which is common through May and June and typically burns off at noon. I'll be sure to post a sunny picture of the pool later ;)

I am trying to determine whether our dining table will fit in this small dining area. Since we are going to use our table for just about everything, I am happy to report that we are bringing it. Ryan had the genius idea to push one end of the table against the wall since we only need 5 place setting! Go Ryan!

This is our new and modest living room, measuring in at less than half the size of our current living room. But, it will certainly be a wonderful and cozy meeting place for our traditional Friday family movie nights, playing skip-bo and of course hosting guests!

Can anyone give me a woot, woot for our non-pink bathroom?? Yes, the fact that this bathroom is white and not pink like our current bathroom calls for a shout out!!

Here is Ryan standing at the end of our block. Yes, this gorgeous ocean view is only one block away from our pad! I can imagine a nightly tradition of walking down to see the sunset in the evenings. Yes, I will take pictures and share!

Another photo of my honey standing at the ocean, by our place. He is such a cutie, isn't he??

We needed a little break from all the home hunting, so we took a much needed walk on the beach. There are many uncertainties in life in general, and especially with this adventure. ...one thing is for sure, my family is going to have a blast enjoying the breath this world has to offer and cherishing our time with each other, as well as our memories with our loved ones!

Finally get to Meet Eva Bear and our New Town!!!!

2011-05-26T19:04:00.000-07:00

Last week we flew into San Diego to find the kids school they will attend, and to find our new home. We were lucky enough to be successful in both areas, but you'll read about the highlight of our trip below!

It was really an amazing moment when I finally got to hold Eva in my arms for the first time. Yes, my new niece was nearing on six months old when I was able to meet her for the first time! What an incredible creation my brother Dana and his wife Brooke have brought to life. Eva is such a happy baby, so full of life and bounding with smiles! Meeting her for the first time brought tears to my eyes. Here she is with her Daddy!

Usually I take so many photos I have plenty to choose from. I think my brain was so focused on the mission I was on to find our new place, that I was a slacker photographer! I will fess up to that, although Brooke will agree that part of my issue was little Mr. Rocky. He wanted to be the center of every picture and would specifically try to be right in front of his mom in EVERY picture, at least in this particular session! I just love how this picture shows just how much mutual adoration they have for one another. Hey, if I was Rocky, I'd be a little jealous too! lol On a serious note, Brooke is an amazing Mom to both Eva and Rocky. She loves them both so much, that is evident. The title Mom fits her perfectly.

Ooooh, I just loved being able to cuddle up to Eva Bear!! She is such a sweet and happy baby! So ready to smile and bring life to this world! ...so full of wonder! Just wait 'till her cousins get there hands on her! They are going to fall in love, just like I did!

Dana and Brooke took us out to dinner one night to a clients restaurant, named Rockin' Baja's. Here is the couple in action! Boy was the food yummy, and it was really nice to finally sit down with them and one of Ryan's coworkers Paulette and her husband Bo. It was so sweet to see just how much Paulette and Bo want to hold and play with Eva. She is the little princess, to say the least!

Here we are with Paulette and Bo! We are missing Dana, Brooke and Eva in this picture :( so we are going to have to schedule a retake on this photo! Hey, I know Ryan and I wouldn't mind doing this night over! We had an amazing time with family and friends when Ryan wasn't working in the office, and we weren't working on getting things ready for us to move in a few weeks.

Just had to add this adorable picture of Rocky laying right underneath Eva's Bouncer. Such a cute little guy!

Merrick Graduates from His First Year of Preschool!

2011-05-25T14:18:00.000-07:00

**If you are reading this via email, just click on the above blog Title, which is a link that will take you to the actual blog post. There you will see all of the pictures and video. Otherwise, the visual aspects/goodies may not appear in this email.

Merrick and I have a proud moment to share with the people we love! He graduated from his first year of preschool with honors this last Tuesday ;) Merrick eagerly awaited the moment he could step foot in school just like his big sisters. And boy did he enjoy every minute of his school days this year! Of course riding a school bus is something he was very much looking forward to experiencing someday as well. Since they don't typically bus children to school in Sad Diego, Merrick is just going to have to suffer by riding to school on his most favorite vehicle, his scooter ;) With a multitude of schools, they consider all children within walking distance from the nearest school. We are all excited about being able to walk and ride bikes everywhere!

Merrick received an award and medal for being the most gifted in the area of curiosity. He is definitely always eager to learn all about his world, and everyone elses for that matter. He is a great conversationalist and loves to ask questions and share his ideas about life freely! It was really neat to watch all of the kids receive their awards and hear all about the areas in which they are gifted by God. Each child is so precious and has special gifts that they do and will forever use in this big world of wonder!

Here is Merrick holding his award and wearing his medal, standing in one of his favorite places to play at preschool. He will definitely miss his wonderful teachers and friends from his first year of school

Ryan and I were lucky enough to get a little special time alone with the graduate a few days prior. We took him to dinner at Cinco de Mayo. He definitely kept us entertained, while eating a family favorite...quesadilla! We are so proud of this little guy! He is an achiever now, and always will be!

The Kids Go Shopping!

2011-05-25T14:00:00.000-07:00

Dad decided that we should all go to the mall for "Lunch at the Mall" with the church. Although we never caught up with anyone from church, it was really nice to have lunch with the kids and my parents. The girls were VERY excited that they remembered thier money, and pleaded to go to Justice to do a little shopping! It was neat to watch the girls budget their money and weigh their purchases wisely. I think its important to give them a certain amount of freedom to decide how they spend their money. Neither of them wanted to spend all of it thats for sure. In the picture above, Rowan is holding her "ultra rare" Squishlander. I am certain she was sold on the ultra rare factor ;)

Here is Rowan with her Webkins dog. A Webkins is a stuffed animal that you purchase and then reginster online, and are able to take care of online. She has wanted to have one of these for years. It was really cute. None of the webkins had price tags, so Rowan took about five of the Webkins to the sales person to find out the price of each one. She definitely has some of her Mom in her, because of course she chose the one that was on clearance and the most affordable. Although, I do think that this Webkins was the best fit for her.

At one point Kierce was looking at clothes, then cute pillows in the shape of a K. We decided that it would be fun to just make a "k" pillow at home since they were over her budget. She was in heaven once she noticed the rack full of journals, some of which were monogrammed. She has always loved writing in journals, notebooks, etc. She has a thing for writing lists, just like her Mama. Of course she pulled all of the K's out and placed them all in a row to examine. She thought for a moment, picked each one up, then did ee-nee-mee-nee-mi-nee-mo to decide on a journal. Then, once she saw that Rowan was holding the recorder, her love for music, just like her Grandma, won out :)

Merrick on the other hand went with his "biggie-me" (Dad of course) to Dicks sporting goods to look at bats and other baseball gear. He definitely loves baseball and checking out baseball gear, just like his Dad! Yeah, a lot more fun than going with the girls, although he debated which direction to go for a good while. It was cute, you could see that he definitely didn't miss out on either opportunity. He was going with Dad, then started coming with us, before you know it he starts running after Dad, "I wanna come with you!" Once we met back up with them, Merrick told us all about how he spent his money riding rides and getting the most out of his time with his Dad! Merrick is wearing his spider ring in the picture that he got from church!

Ryan's Birthday Weekend

2011-05-01T20:49:00.000-07:00

Look out, someone is celebrating his 34th birthday today! Yes, here is the May day birthday boy himself!

Here I am with the main man himself on the famous El Camino patio. Warm weather in Ohio equals a DJ and a very crowded patio at El Camino. On a serious note- I am so lucky to be married to this incredible man. He is such a strong, stable, loving and healthy provider for our family. He is definitely the ying to my yang, my perfect fit ;) I love you honey for all that you are and all that you do for our family. Thank you for allowing us to depend on you!

We also got a chance to celebrate our friend Tammy's (in blue) birthday as well.

Here is the Birthday gang, Candi, Marci, Ralph, Aunt Diane, Rowan, Kierce and Aunt Lynn! Each of them hoping for a big win! They are so adorable aren't they?????

Here is a video of the action! I am talking to our friend Candi's son during this video to get his expert opinion, as well as capturing the horses and hopeful crowd!!

Our neighbors Todd and Abby even made it out to celebrate Ryan's big day! As you can see Abby loves having her picture taken, and Todd and Rowan love being silly! ;)

Here I got to sneak a picture with the Birthday boy! Don't you just love his shirt??? I do!

In this short clip above, Ryan shares with you what he will do with his BIG win! Woot Woot!

Here is Ryan with the expert horse race queen! Aunt Lynn only lost one race out of several! She even called Grandma Texas to get a winner!

We met this guy at the races and he was so nice! We found a lot out about the guy in about 5 minutes. We were lucky enough to get a hug and send him off with some cake! Oh, and the guy insisted on giving Ryan two dollars for his Birthday! lol lol I just love strangers who are nice! Since we found out he was a Gemini, his quote was entertaining, "Gemini's love chocolate and nuts!"

I just had to end with this silly picture of my brother Chris and nephew Brett being silly at church earlier today! What do you think Brett looks like?? I think he looks like a bunny with whiskers!

Big thanks from Ryan on this birthday weekend of his. He is so grateful to everyone who made this weekend special! He definitely feels spoiled by all of the love, cards, gifts, phone calls and birthday wishes.

Get Busy Living, or...

2011-04-30T21:24:00.000-07:00

**If you are reading this via email, just click on the above blog Title, which is a link that will take you to the actual blog post. There you will see all of the pictures and video. Otherwise, the visual aspects/goodies may not appear in this email.

Wow, the last couple of weeks have been heaping with fun times and memorable moments, just what we want for our last weeks living in Michigan! We have been cherishing each and every moment with the people we love, knowing that the time will come where we long for that connection on a whim.

Have you ever seen such a massive sleepover? This was definitely our biggest sleepover yet and this was just the kids!

The sleepover was to celebrate our friend Velma's Birthday! Velma is smiling front and center and Julie is next to her. Marci is back row far left and Candi is next to her in the middle! We had so much fun laughing, talking and playing skip bo!

On Good Friday we were lucky enough to have the my family gather together to celebrate Easter together! We had a great time just enjoying each others company. Although this picture is missing Aunt Susan, Uncle Bruce, Ryan and Dad...etc...

Here is a picture of Trinity snuggling on Merrick. I just love that Reese got to sneak in on this picture! LOL, but when Trin realized Reeese was in the picture, she made me retake the photo with just her and Merrick! I think Reese is the icing on the cake in this picture. I love those new glasses Reese!

Saturday morning we took Grammy Kathy and Grandpa Tom to an Easter egg hunt that our church hosted. What an amazing event for the entire community! So many people come together to make it all happen. On top of the candy from the eggs, the kids each left with a gallon bag full of gifts they were able to choose! Then, when they got home, Grammy Kathy gave each of the kids a basket full of fun toys and gifts. The kids were so grateful for everything, especially the special time spent with Grammy and Grandpa!!

Later that day, Kierce had a birthday party to attend for her friend Grace. As you can see in this video, Kierce had a blast celebrating her friends birthday and dancing with Chuckie himself!

Here I am with my GNO girls! I first met these girls while attending MOPS (mothers of preschoolers) several years ago. We have continued to meet for random dinner dates to talk and chat! I am going to miss these GNO dates! Thanks girls!!!

Here you can see the silliest part of the costume I had to wear to work as background in an upcoming movie. I am holding a wine bottle canteen made from a foot of some kind! I had to wear this around my neck all day! The scene I was in was a costume party full of made up super heroes. I was the last one to be fit for this scene, hence probably one of the craziest characters "Camel Toe". Good thing I can laugh right along with everyone! I decided to work this scene having a feeling it would cut the mood a little, and it did...a lot!! Jason Segel is funny and a total teddy bear, or bunny, since he was dressed as a SUPER BUNNY in this scene. Ultimately is was a very fun, but tiring day on my feet that definitely did the job of lifting the mood ;)

Kierce and I had a lot of fun doing yoga later this week, and here is a very silly picture of her cheesin' it up! The kids were off on break this week, so we definitely enjoyed the extra time together!

Namaste

Helicopter, Easter Eggs and Bubbles Oh My!

2011-04-18T08:44:00.000-07:00

It all started with the very famous Helicopter Egg Drop extravaganza. We figured we should probably attend this event at least one time in the seven years we have lived here before we move! You could say it was on our move to SD bucket list! The best part was watching the helicopter speed past really fast one time before coming back to drop the eggs. A high def video camera would have come in handy in this instance! I did my best to capture the moment ;)

This was a lot of fun for the kids, and Daddy too! Notice all of the broken plastic eggs! It was like a stampede when the egg hunt began. Thankfully we were at the back of the herd, not sure if the kids would agree since they only got a few eggs compared to their predecessors :)

The Easter Bunny (a.k.a Gamma) came to our house a week early! She had tons of fun coloring Easter eggs with the kids. As you can see, they had an absolute blast creating designs and mixing up the color schemes! Even Kaylin, the birthday girl and one of Rowan's best friends, joined them for the fun! Gamma even brought bubbles for some outdoor fun with the kids!

Look at all of these Easter eggs! They did such a great job! Ryan is looking forward to having lots of yummy egg salad, especially since the Easter Bunny forgot to take some eggs with her! Oooooh, and deviled eggs of course! We have made our own natural egg dyes previous years, and I think we'll use our juicer to make some natural egg dyes this weekend! We just can't get enough!

I had to add a little of Kierce's humor to your day! A bubble that looks like a gourd, and eyes that look like dark chocolate!