McGuire Family

Happy New Year!

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

The new year is such a wonderful time to not only reflect on your past year but to also look forward to a fresh start. We decided to go for a little family get away for the weekend to celebrate my birthday and new years. Our fun included 3rd street promenade shopping, sushi, swimming, and the Santa Monica Pier. We stayed at a hotel near the promenade. Ethan gets soo excited about staying in a hotel and our little vacations. It's a great opportunity for good family time. We had so much fun and the weather on new years day was beautiful in the mid 70s. I would have to say that the best part of 2011 was welcoming our baby girl Alexa into our family. Here's to 2012.

Nursery Graduation

2011-12-18T21:03:00.000-08:00

Ethan graduated from the Nursery at church today and I can hardly believe what a big boy he is. Here he is with Sister Austria holding his diploma :) Below are his other teachers Sister Scoble and Sister Smith. Now he will be on to the Primary with the older kids at the first of the year. I hope he's not too devastated when he realizes there are no toys or regular snacks there. :(

Toy Story On Ice

2011-12-17T21:13:00.000-08:00

Ethan and I went with his buddy Zorin and his mommy Cambria to Toy Story on Ice. The boys loved it and there were a lot of fun surprises in the show. One of our favorite parts was when all of the little aliens came out and when Buzz Lightyear flew through the air. Once the show ended we had two very tired little boys who fell quickly asleep.

Trees

2011-12-13T11:08:00.000-08:00

Picking out our Christmas tree this year was a snap. The first one we checked out was beautiful so we loaded it up and Kevin drove it home while I followed with the kids. Alexa stayed sleeping and bundled up.

I had to take a picture of the way we drove it home with the back open the entire drive. Scary but it didn't budge. Is that legal?

Gingerbread Party 2011

2011-11-30T09:52:00.000-08:00

We had so much fun this year at Ethan and Alexa's gingerbread house party. Here are some of the beginning stages prepping for the party then all of our party fun. First off here are the houses the night before getting put together with frosting and being held up with cans to dry. The table is ready to go and just waiting for the candy, frosting, and little kiddos to decorate them.
Getting started...

The finished products. So adorable, creative and yummy. Half of the candy is on the house and the other half ended up in their bellies.
Pizza time!
We all had so much fun getting the Christmas season started. I'm looking forward to future gingerbread house parties when my little Alexa is old enough to decorate a house too :)

Thanksgiving

2011-11-29T20:27:00.000-08:00

This holiday was spent at my grandparents with family. Ethan loves to visit grandma and grandpa Ellison because he loves to be spoiled, loves to pick fruit from the trees, play in the RV, and eat grandma's amazing cooking and banana cupcakes (actually muffins). What a wonderful time to reflect on the many blessings we have been given this year. Welcoming our baby girl, our wonderful family, the gospel, health, food on our table, love, great friends, the list could go on and on. We had a wonderful day with family and are truly grateful for so many amazing blessing in our lives.

Layovers

2011-11-28T20:15:00.000-08:00

We had so much fun seeing Nana McGuire when she had her 4 hour layovers on her way to and from Kimberly's house. It was wonderful for the kids to play and love on their Nana for a few hours. What a treat!

Bath

2011-11-04T20:29:00.001-07:00

Is there anything cuter than a baby wrapped up in a towel after a bath? Here's sweet Alexa and I just couldn't resist snapping this picture of her. I love the wet hair and eyelashes and the sweet lavender smell of her bath.

Halloween Night

2011-10-31T20:48:00.000-07:00

Zorin, Preslee, Ethan, and Crew.

We had a lot of fun with our friends the Facers and Hutchings on Halloween. We had dinner together then took the kids trick-or-treating. They were so excited and adorable.

School Fun

2011-10-31T12:00:00.000-07:00

Halloween fell on a school day this year so Ethan and his friends were able to wear their costumes to school. There they had a bounce castle, watched a pumpkin movie, and handed out treats. Here's batman with his pals.

Ward Party

2011-10-28T07:50:00.000-07:00

Here we are...The Joker, Batman, Cat Woman, and a Bumble Bee :) yes, a bumble beeThis year at our church party we had the kids go from decorated room to room to trick-or-treat. Some of the rooms were spooky, others were friendly, and one room was a maze. This was the room I helped decorate which was a spooky forest that led to a pumpkin patch and bean bag toss.

My princess the Bumble Bee and 2 of her admirers.
This is our friend Shirley and she looked so adorable that night.
Ethan, Adam, and Jacob being silly.
The Joker and Bumble Bee with the laser screen in the background. At the end of the night we watched an amazing Halloween laser show to songs such as Thriller, Monster Mash, Harry Potter, and more. So cool!
Candy walk, mummy dressing, and bobbing for apples.
The Joker and Batman are best buds.

Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-24T07:07:00.000-07:00

I just love going to pumpkin patches. The idea that my favorite season fall is here and the holidays are coming along with the excitement from the kids makes for a fun adventure. The kids went for a ride in this red wagon and we picked out a beautiful pumpkin. We also went for a hay ride and said hi to the farm animals. Ethan even asked the little piggy for his approval of our pumpkin before purchasing it.

Disneyland We're Back

2011-10-15T08:19:00.000-07:00

We got our Disneyland passes again...Yeh! We have missed it and now that Ethan is tall enough to ride most of the rides and honestly can't remember much of our prior visits it was a lot of fun for us all. Recently we were able to meet up with our friends Jeremy, Terra, and Crew which was a blast.

This picture was taken after Ethan's first ride on Thunder Mountain Railroad. He is finally tall enough and was so excited and a little scared to ride this one and then Splash Mountain with mommy. He loved the rides but didn't like it when it got dark so we decided he's probably not ready for Space Mountain yet. As for little Alexa, she was fascinated just riding in her stroller and looking at all of the people and fun stuff.

Carrots

2011-09-15T21:25:00.000-07:00

We caught a pic of our baby girl sucking on a carrot which she seemed to enjoy. However, we did officially start our babe on butternut squash this week and she hasn't been loving it :( She is so funny and too smart when it comes to meal time. The second she sees that spoon coming towards her she tightens her lips together and if you are lucky enough to sneak in a bite she spits it out everywhere. I feel like I need to wear a bib too at times. The same response is triggered with her rice cereal. I hope this is just a short learning curve in the lesson of eating solids.

First Day of Preschool

2011-09-15T20:51:00.000-07:00

I'm sure every parent says this but, I can't believe Ethan started preschool this week. My baby boy is growing up. Well, enough tears now, this has been great for my busy man. He already knew several friends from church so that made the transition easier for him. His sweet teachers and the fun toys helped too. Throughout the week I have said things like, "Get some rest tonight because you have school tomorrow" and his reply was, "Again !" or "Bring me your lunch box so that I can clean it for school tomorrow" and his reply, "Again !" I think he just thought going to school would be just a one time thing like visiting the zoo. Well, we will see how it goes. As for Alex and I, it is nice to get on a schedule and for my baby girl to actually take a nap without big brother waking her every 10 minutes. Here's to the school year.

Growing

2011-08-30T22:01:00.000-07:00

Doctors Appointment

Alexa's Stats

height 23 inches -20th percentile

weight 12 pounds 10 ounces -10th percentile

Yeah, on the growth chart now!

5 Month Birthday

2011-08-28T20:43:00.000-07:00

Alexa is 5 months old today and I can barely believe it. Tonight we gave her rice cereal for the first time and she cried through the beginning as she tried to figure out what to do with the mushies in her mouth. Then we came up with a good plan...insert mushies quickly followed by the dubby (pacifier), watch for swallowing, and repeat. The hope is that she sleeps through the night tonight and continues to catch up with her growing. I love this sweet little girl so much. Her little smiles and giggles make me the happiest mommy ever.

Letter Pancakes

2011-08-25T21:08:00.000-07:00

So this morning I got really creative with breakfast :). I thought I would make pancakes in the shape of letters to help reinforce Ethan's ABC's. There's nothing significant about the W and U but I just thought I would work on the letters he needs help with. Ethan loved it and ate a ton of pancakes. We then went on a hunt through the house to find things that started with the letters we were working on. He is one smart little man! What funny things do you do to get your kids to learn?

Ethanisms

2011-08-16T10:09:00.001-07:00

Lately Ethan has said some of the cutest things ever so I thought I should get these down on "paper" before I forget them one day. The other day he said to me, "Mommy, you make my heart warm." Talk about melting mine...so cute how he used those words to express his feelings. Yesterday he said to Kevin, "Daddy, you're beautiful." That put a big smile on Kevin's face and mine. So funny. Kevin is also known as "Pal" and I am known as "Best Girl Pal". Baby Alex has also been called a few adorable things such as sweetheart, princess, and QT. I love my little man and the way he expresses his 3 year old self.

Big Bear

2011-08-11T22:02:00.000-07:00

Every year we go up to Big Bear Lake during the summer with my family for vacation. We had a wonderful time again and Ethan and Alex loved the fun with their Nana, aunties, and uncle Dana. We missed uncle Shane this year who is stationed away with the Navy. I always look forward to the beautiful scenery...fresh air, tall trees, and the lake which always feels so amazing on a warm summer day. It is so fun just having hang out time with family, doing fun activities, cooking delicious food, and just relaxing. The weather was about 80 degrees all week and I never saw a single cloud in the sky. Speaking of the sky...it was the most beautiful shade of blue and at night the stars were so vibrant. I forget what a star filled sky is supposed to look like, sad. Some of our adventures this trip included checking out the Lake History building below then going for a hike, riding waverunners, pontoon boating, lots of swimming (lake and pool), biking, cooking and eating, basketball, tennis, video games, movies, and naps. We all came back feeling refreshed and tan while uncle Dana came back with a large laceration on his leg from biking. He is on the road to recovery now after stitches and lots of antibiotics. I hope the bike journey was worth it. All in all we had a great time and can't wait for next summer!This encounter gave meaning to the name Big Bear Lake.
We went for a beautiful hike with Uncle Dana. Here are the boys.

Enjoying the BBQ rib meal that my mom makes and my family looks so forward to eating every year. Pure yumminess after 4-5 hours of slow cooking in the oven then a quick grill.
On this day we spent the afternoon on a pontoon boat swimming in the lake, laying out, and having a picnic.
He was so happy to drive with his daddy.
Cool little man in his shades.

Had to include a pic of her in her swim suite and cover up given to her by Nana Snyder.We had so much fun swimming every day in this pool and sometimes even twice a day. This was Alexa's first time in the pool and she loved it. She couldn't stop kicking her little legs.

The River

2011-07-30T21:26:00.000-07:00

Ethan, Crew, and Zorin...best pals hangin at the river.

Daddy and Ethan.
The princess.
Busted getting another soda while Crew acts silly.
We had such a great time at the river with the Facers and Hutchings! It was toasty there but the river felt amazing and our little girls stayed inside most of the time with AC. Ethan had a blast with his 2 best pals and loved riding this inner tube, waverunners, and boating. And yes, us adults had a blast too with all of those fun toys but mostly with our great friends.

Ready For Church

2011-07-10T20:41:00.000-07:00

Hailey, Nana McGuire, Ethan, and Alex.

Beach Time With Hailey

2011-07-09T20:39:00.000-07:00

Daddy showing Ethan how to boogie board.
Burying Ethan. Looking cool and calm in his shades.
Our niece Hailey taking a wave on the boogie board.

We were able to keep our 14 year old niece Hailey with us for another week after her family left. We had so much fun with her and here is how we spent our Saturday together. While she was here we also went to see the movie Monte Carlo (super cute) for a girls night, get mani pedis, walk Rodeo drive, go out to eat, and shop. We had a lot of fun with her and think she is so amazing. Thanks QT.

4th Of July

2011-07-04T21:39:00.000-07:00

We had a great 4th of July with family (Poultons, Nana McGuire, and Uncle Topher). We spent the afternoon swimming and diving in our friend's pool. Ethan had no fear and walked right up to the diving board and jumped off (with his floaties that is). We also had cannon ball contests, races, and friendly chicken fights. After, we went back to our house for a BBQ and to watch fireworks from the deck. Today was also our nephew Trent's birthday so we celebrated with an amazing chocolate cold stone cake and presents. Such a fun day!Trent, Ethan, Elise, and Alex.
My happy girl.
Kevin and I. Don't you love the hat?
Ethan and Alex.
Rachel, Elise, and Alex.

Alexa's Blessing

2011-07-03T21:01:00.000-07:00

We had such a special day celebrating Alexa's beautiful blessing. We had a lot of family come into town to be there for her. After the blessing we were able to enjoy the day together and have a wonderful lunch on the deck in the sunshine. My sweet baby girl.

With the Nanas.
Group photo of us all.

Us with Kevin's dad on the left, sister Lindsay, and uncle Charlie on the right.
Yummy dessert.
Poultons having lunch.
Thanks so much for all of the love and support from family. It was so nice to have you there on Alex's special day.

Beach Day

2011-07-02T21:02:00.000-07:00

We had so much fun with the Poultons, Kristopher, and my mom at the beach. It was a beautiful day and it was so nice to see "June Gloom" leave us. I just love feeling the warmth of the sun and the cool ocean water. The kids had a wonderful time playing in the sand, body surfing, and having a picnic lunch. Little Alexa came with us too but she hung out in the shade of our big umbrella.
Kevin, Hailey, and Trent.
Elise

Isn't she yummy?

Uncle Topher Meets Alexa

2011-07-01T22:41:00.000-07:00

Big Boy Bed

2011-06-28T20:32:00.000-07:00

I can hardly believe my cutie pie is old enough for a big boy bed. Here he is right before going to bed his first night in the new bed. He was so excited. I wasn't sure how he would do (get up a million times) but he stayed in bed all night. I hope that pattern continues! I had a lot of fun putting his room together and seeing his excitement. I hope you love it little buddy.

Chef Ethan

2011-04-25T20:51:00.000-07:00

One of the things Ethan and I love to do together is cook. He is my big helper. Here he is testing the brownies for yumminess.

Easter Day and Ethan's 3rd Birthday

2011-04-24T20:51:00.000-07:00

Every year the Easter Bunny hides our baskets. This was a tradition in my family too and even as "big kids" we still have fun with it and all get a great laugh from it. This year Ethan's basket was behind the curtains and Alex's was much easier to find. He helped baby Alex with hers.
Easter Day photo after church.
Sleeping baby girl.
This year Ethan's birthday happened to fall on Easter so we had an Easter dinner and birthday celebration all in one. Here he is going for his first cruise with his new bike.
After Easter dinner I put out "cars" themed birthday plates, napkins, and table cloth so that we could also make it a special birthday party too. Here he is about to blow out his candles. This was a highly anticipated moment for him. One which he practiced for many times with pretend candles and play doh.
Another special part of the day is that we were able to spend time with family including Nana McGuire. Here are the two Nanas and the babies. The kids love the time they spend with their Nanas.

Church Easter Egg Hunt

2011-04-23T22:00:00.000-07:00

Every year we look forward to our church Easter Egg Hunt. Ethan loves it and the fun includes face painting, cotton candy, a fishing booth, egg racing, cake walk, bunny pinata, crafts, and of course the egg hunt. Here are a few pics from the day.

Nana McGuire and Alex

2011-04-17T22:19:00.000-07:00

Their first time meeting. Such sweet moments.

Nana Tickle Time

2011-04-14T21:02:00.000-07:00

Bath Time

2011-04-12T20:39:00.000-07:00

Nap Time

2011-04-10T21:07:00.000-07:00

My sweet little baby. She is so tiny that she looks like a doll. Here she is in her premie size clothes. It's hard to believe that before we know it she will be running circles around us.

Alexa Lily McGuire

2011-03-28T20:23:00.000-07:00

Our sweet baby girl Alexa

5 pounds 3 ounces

18 inches

Paris, London & 11 years

2010-07-07T14:58:00.000-07:00

Kevin and I just celebrated our 11th wedding anniversary in Europe. I am so in love with him and grateful for every day we have had in our marriage. This trip was such a romantic get away where we were able to spend every minute of the day together enjoying each other and all of the beauty that Paris and London have to offer. Happy Anniversary! Our first night after hours of traveling by planes, trains, metro, and foot we decided to pay a visit to the Eiffel Tower. The colors of the sky that night were so magical.

Here is a picture of Montmartre in Paris. There were a lot of local artists here and fun little shops. That night we ate at Chez la Mere Catherine where I had the most amazing orange glazed duck and gained more appreciation for french cuisine. Here is a view of the Louvre. This place inspires me.

That afternoon we sat in the gardens outside of the Louvre and just enjoyed being in Paris.

Notre Dame.

The river Seine.
I am a big Marie Antoinette fan especially after reading a biography about her. The last time I was in Paris with my mom we weren't able to go to the Chateau de Versailles so this was one of my priorities this trip. I think there is nothing that compares to this palace and the gardens. This was truly a highlight for us. Not only were we able to tour the main palace but we spent the afternoon roaming the gardens.

The Hall of Mirrors.

Petite Trianon. Marie Antoinette's small palace.

The gardens cover so many acres that we rented bikes to go exploring.

We were there on a special day when they turned all of the fountains in the gardens on for a few hours. They were so beautiful.

Our last day in Paris we rode up to the top of the Eiffel Tower.

St. Paul's cathedral in London. We had to do the double decker bus tour our first day. So fun.

Tower Bridge.

Hyde park. We were there the perfect time of year when the flowers and roses were all in bloom.

This scene makes me want to paint.

The Tower of London. It took a lot for me to convince both Kevin and the Beefeater to take this picture together for me. We had a wonderful tour with a very entertaining Beefeater.

Big Ben.After riding on the eye of London we took this picture with the Houses of Parliament in the background.

Our last day in London. My handsome honey.

Thanks so much for all of those that helped with our little Ethan while we were gone, especially his nannas! It meant so much to us.

San Diego Fun

2010-06-14T10:18:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago we were able to spend the weekend as a family down in San Diego. We had a lot of fun swimming, going to La Jolla Cove for beach time, and just hanging out. Here are some pics from the weekend.

Our hotel was on a golf course where we found this pond and 8 baby duckies.

Peek-A-Boo

2010-05-20T21:29:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day

2010-05-15T20:38:00.000-07:00

Happy mother's day to all mommies. I love my mom and mother in law so much! Thanks for all you do. I'm so grateful for my little Ethan and the opportunity to be his mommy.

2nd Birthday

2010-04-24T15:08:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday sweet boy! I can't even believe we are celebrating birthday #2. Where have the past 2 years gone? I know all parents say that and it may sound cliche but my baby is growing way too fast! We had so much fun planning and celebrating Ethan's special day with family and friends. Here is my boy getting ready to party it up before everyone arrives. These are the gift boxes the kids received at the start of the party and were filled with stuff for the kids to dress up like Handy Manny or Kelly.

The Nocella kids dressing up in their gear with Ethan looking
on.

Kevin and Shane manning the grill and cooking the carne asada. Mariane made her special carne asada with the sides and grandma and grandpa made their special mini pizzas. Thanks for all the help and yummies.

The sun was out and we placed the food tables outside. Here is the kid's table.

After lunch Handy Manny came to play parachute, tug of war, magic tricks, and made balloon animals with the kids. Here is the birthday boy in the middle.

Daddy and Ethan.

Here is a group picture of the kids. We had about 25 kids between about 2-5 years of age. This may sound like craziness but we had a blast and the kids were wonderful.

Blowing out the birthday candles with a little help from friends.

Handy Manny and Ethan.

The 3 of us after the party. Little cousin Emily looks on in the background.

Gymnastics

2010-04-15T20:19:00.000-07:00

From left to right: Crew, Deacon, Zorin, and Ethan.

Today was the last day of Ethan's gymnastics class. He has had such a fun time these past few months and so have I. Our class has been once a week with teacher Meagan who was wonderful and very involved with the kids. We have been taking it with a group of friends who Ethan has a blast with (see top pic). After classes we then have a play date and grab some lunch. We spent some of our afternoon play dates at the beach, park, or friend's houses. I'm sad class is over but we are looking into trying some art or music classes next. Can't wait.

Spring Time

2010-04-14T20:09:00.000-07:00

While daddy was away for a golfing trip (pictures to come), Ethan and I had fun planting some spring flowers. He helped me make drainage holes in the pot above and did such a good job with placing the plants in the pots, filling it with dirt, and watering each one. It was a great time for a lesson on how plants have roots and need water to grow. Each day this week he has helped me with the watering. I am so grateful for my little helper!

Easter

2010-04-04T22:43:00.000-07:00

"OOOHHH CANNY", an exact quote.

Hunting for eggs.

Enjoying the fruits of his labors ... chocolate.

Ethan and mommy.

Grandma and Ethan with a funny looking sucker the Easter Bunny left in his basket.

Dinner table setting with Easter bags filled with treats.

After consuming endless calories from dinner (ham, scalloped potatoes, mashed potatoes, green beans, baked beans, buttery rolls etc.) we all decided to go for a family walk through the trails at Trump golf course. These beautiful flowers were everywhere. My mom, sister Tiff, her boyfriend Nick, Uncle Dana, Kevin, Ethan, and I went. It was such an amazing and beautiful way to end our Easter Sunday.

Of course the boys did have to check out some of the golf holes.

Dessert was carrot cup cakes with cream cheese frosting. Devine!!

I am so grateful for the wonderful Easter Sunday we shared with family. We missed all of of our family far away too. Love you all!

Victory

2010-03-22T19:46:00.000-07:00

I have never been so excited to clean a toilet! My little man went potty on his toilet tonight or went "peepee in paapaa" as he puts it. After several months of trying to get Ethan comfortable with his big boy potty he finally did it! Despite our victory I can't help but think about the other side to this, my little boy is growing up. Although the thought of this makes me sad I enjoy each and every step along the way as he learns and grows.

Disneyland

2010-03-09T21:46:00.000-08:00

Today Ethan and I went on a big adventure to Disneyland. Now that we have passes it is so nice just to go for a few hours, have fun, then head home for nap time. Three hours is about the perfect amount of time for my little man to go and conquer before any major breakdowns occur. We went to find Nemo by submarine, rode and danced to it's a small world, got scared on the Pinocchio ride, and then ran wild in toon town. It was a day filled with lots of smiles and ended with one tuckered out little boy. What a perfect day.

Beach Day In February

2010-02-15T16:32:00.000-08:00

I just have to say that it's days like today that make the noise, traffic, and expensive cost of living worth it here in LA. Today it was 78 degrees and the most incredible day. Ethan and I decided to hit the beach (dad sadly had to work) and had so much fun. We built endless sand castles and froze our toes in the water for almost 3 hours. I'm so grateful for the beauty that surrounds us- ocean, clear blue skies, lush green hills, beautiful cliffs. It was so wonderful to enjoy this and feel the warmth from the sun on my skin again. It lifted my spirits.

In Love

2010-02-14T16:40:00.000-08:00

My heart is full of love today and every day for that matter. I have been blessed with two Valentine's, Ethan and Kevin. On May 22nd we will have been married for 11 years and I can hardly believe it. He is my best friend and I love him endlessly. Last night I was putting Ethan to bed and as I finished singing him his songs I kissed him on the forehead, said "I love you", then gave him some Eskimo kissed on the nose. He started giggling and didn't stop. It was so adorable and it was as if he was telling me through his giggle that he felt like the happiest and most loved little boy ever. Well, I know that I am the happiest mommy ever. Happy Valentine's Day to my two best boys...Kevin and Ethan.

Rainy Days

2010-02-09T19:57:00.000-08:00

Seattle

2010-01-17T07:34:00.000-08:00

Friday we spent part of day at Pike's Place Market in downtown Seattle. We had a great time. There were so many yummy different types of foods, beautiful flowers, and a lot of cool stuff. We had some clamb chowder for lunch and chased Ethan around.

This is at the famous fish market in front where they toss and catch the fish.

Snuggles with baby Tiernan.

Saturday night we were able to go out for a date to the Metropolitan for dinner while nanna stayed with our little man. Thanks nanna!

Ethan and I after the blessing at the luncheon.

I love this pic of Kevin and his sister Kimberly.

Kylee and the guest of honor, Tiernan.

We had so much fun in Seattle seing family and enjoying the city. We left on a Thursday morning and flew back on Sunday. Kevin's sister Kimberly and brother Kristopher also flew in. The reason for the get together was for the blessing of Tiernan on Sunday. He is the newest member of the family and Kylee (Kev's sister's) little one. In a nutshell we visited Pike's Place market, ran in the rain, played games at the Fun House, ate at a Mongolian grill, ran in the rain some more, went on a hot date, and finally went to the baby blessing and luncheon after. We had a wonderful time. It is so beautiful there and the city is amazing. Thanks for having us Seattle.

Santa

2009-12-19T21:35:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures from our ward church Christmas party. We had a great time and loved seeing Santa. Over the past few weeks we have been telling Ethan all about Santa. While sitting on Santa's lap he was quite and very interested in this fuzzy faced man.

Christmas Trees

2009-12-12T21:05:00.000-08:00

It was a rainy and cold December morning (well 56 degrees does that count?) and we went Christmas tree hunting. We found a good one thanks to our little helper here. We packed it up and then headed home. We had so much fun decorating the tree in our PJ's. Ethan was fascinated by all of the shiny bulbs and playful ornaments. He especially loved snapping the candy canes in half and munching on them. One of my favorite parts of the holiday is the fresh wonderful smell of a Christmas tree.

Thanksgiving

2009-11-26T20:26:00.000-08:00

Dad and I. Ethan poking his head in the corner.

Tiffany and dad.

Dad, Tiff, Shane, Ethan, and I.

Sooooo cute. Grandpa and Ethan.

Ethan and I.

Finishing up dinner.

Thanks Kev for helping with dishes. There is the left overs from the pumpkin cheesecake I made. So yum.

We really enjoyed thanksgiving with family-Dad, Saadia, Tiff, Shane, Kevin, Ethan, and I. We ate lots of yummy food and had a wonderful time. Mom enjoyed a New Orleans style turkey day as she visited Robert who is currently working there. On this day we took some time to really think about the many blessings that Heavenly Father has given to us. There are so many things to be grateful for but on this day I am especially thankful for my family here and away. Luv You!

Blast Off

2009-11-23T20:20:00.000-08:00

Lemons

2009-11-19T08:17:00.000-08:00

Family Time

2009-11-14T16:51:00.000-08:00

Cabrillo beach and aquarium.

Since Kevin's family was in town for the funeral we were able to spend some time together. The kids had so much fun playing and loving on their new little cousin Tiernan. One day we took the kids to the Cabrillo beach aquarium and the beach. Some of the kids had never seen the ocean before and it was so fun to be apart of that. Despite the fact that it was November and the kids didn't have swim suits on that didn't stop them. We started with playing in the sand, then dipping feet in, and finally some ended up body surfing. We had so much fun and it was great just being together.

Saying Goodbye

2009-11-13T15:52:00.000-08:00

Kevin and grandma May 2008 before her health started to fail.

Grandma and Ethan as a newborn.

Some of her great great grandchildren before the funeral. My son is balling on the left.

Kevin did the grave site dedication.

Just before Thanksgiving we lost our sweet great grandma Hancock. Bless her heart, she lived a full life and passed at the age of 95. She was a spunky, sweet, friendly lady who made delicious biscuits and gravy. She had the worlds biggest sweet tooth that could beat me out any day. She was Ethan's great great grandma. We are so grateful for the time we were able to have her and for the times she was able to see Ethan. We will always treasure the outfit she sewed for him as a newborn and it continues the hang framed in his room. These are some photos from the funeral.

LA Zoo

2009-11-05T10:45:00.000-08:00

Ethan, Shawn, Sue (Ali's mom), Ali, JJ, and Ashlyn. Ethan and I at the zebra exhibit.
Ethan had some amazing experiences at the ape exhibits. This one in particular stayed right up against the glass and played with Ethan. The ape placed her hand on the glass to touch Ethan's hand and blew him kisses. She is a mommy too.
Ashlyn was such a good helper with Ethan.

I'm back in the blogging world after a few months break during the holidays. The past few months have been busy and filled with a lot of wonderful memories as I'm sure yours has been. The fist part of November my friends Ali and JJ were in town with their daughter Ashlyn. We all went to the LA zoo together along with Ali's mom. We had a lot of fun and Ethan was in total amazement. Our favorite memory was the ape exhibit. They were so friendly and came right up to us. The kids didn't know what to think. We will have to make another trip back sometime soon.

Halloween Fun

2009-10-31T21:55:00.000-07:00

Pa's Pumpkin Patch.
Daddy and Ethan in his spider costume.

At the pumpkin patch petting zoo with the goats and sheep.

Picking out the perfect pumpkin.

Mommy and Ethan.

We had so much fun at Pa's pumpkin patch in Long Beach we went twice. The first time Ethan went in costume. He loved running through and over the rows of pumkins, the petting zoo, carousel, and train. Ethan ran around with sheep and goats in the petting zoo and was able to see a bunch of other adorable animals such as baby chicks and bunnies.

Trunk or Treat San Pedro Ward- Saturday 24th

Ethan with friends Sammy, Kenzie, and Jacob.

Passing out candy in our trunk. "One for them and one for me."

Halloween Night- Saturday 31st

Ethan and Zorin were twin spiders with Ashlyn the lady bug in the back.

I had to include this picture of Kevin because it's so funny.

Forget knocking lets just get this door open.

We had so much fun on Halloween day. That night we went to our friends house Cambria and Brady (Zorin's parents). Our other friends Ali and JJ (Ashlyn's parents) were also there and we all had a blast together. We had dinner then took the kids trick or treating. At first Ethan didn't get it but the second we gave him a piece of candy his eyes lit up and then he ran from door to door. He was one happy little boy.

Playdate

2009-10-15T20:24:00.000-07:00

Ethan and Zorin

Zorin

Today we had a playdate at our house with Zorin and his mommy Cambria. The boys were so cute together. They shared toys and lots of hugs. On Monday Ethan's newest cousin was born. He was named Tiernan at 10 lb. 9 oz. Welcome sweet boy! We can't wait to have future playdates with you too.

Pudding Time

2009-10-08T20:59:00.000-07:00

Ethan LOVES pudding!

Sunday Afternoons

2009-10-05T21:24:00.000-07:00

On a walk with dad.

Checking out my belly.

Playing with rocks.

Sunday afternoons are one of my favorite times of the week. I get to hang out with my two boys and have some fun yet relaxing time. This Sunday we went to the Trump golf course to hang out on the lawns and meander through the trails. What an amazing backdrop: the ocean, cliffs, blue sky, wild flowers, and acres of lawn. Ethan had a blast running around throwing rocks in every direction. We had a blast watching our boy have so much fun.

Mr. Independent

2009-09-21T19:51:00.000-07:00

Wow! Here is my little one at dinner tonight. We got off to a good start as I spoon fed him but my independent boy wouldn't have it. He insisted on feeding himself so I let him go for it. It didn't take long for him to look like this. In the picture above he looks like he's saying, "Ha ha mommy, I got MY way." It sure was tricky getting him from high chair to bath without also wearing Gerber lasagna from head to toe. Don't wory, some ended up in his tummy too.

First Pet

2009-09-13T21:20:00.000-07:00

We have been wanting to get a pet for Ethan. Saturday we ventured over to Petco to check out some options. We were thinking hampster, bunny, or fish. We ended up getting him a betta fish. We opted for the low maintenance and decided to start slow in the pet arena. When our little guy is a little older I want to surprise him with a puppy. I can just imagine his excited face when he sees a puppy with a big red bow around his neck. Can't wait. Some day, but for now we're sticking to our blue little betta. Still thinking of a name for him. He lives in Ethan's room on his bookshelf so that he can keep him company at night. Prepping the fish bowl. Ethan had to test the water out by splashing and throwing the rocks around to make sure everything was just right for his new friend.

Our betta's new home.

St. George Utah and Las Vegas Trip

2009-09-10T20:52:00.000-07:00

Ethan and Daddy swimming at The Paris, Vegas.

My 2 sweet boys.

Ethan and I went to see the Dolphins and Big Kitties at the Mirage hotel while daddy worked.

Ethan loves watching the stray cats that come into our yard at home. He runs to the windows and points with excitement. So, imagine his reaction to the Big Kitties. He was in awe.

White tiger. Beautiful.

I had to take him to F.A.O. Schwarz to check out all of the amazing toys and to pick something out for his new cousin (expected to arrive next month). Here we are in front of the store.

The Poulton kids and Ethan.

Such a cute picture of little Rachel swimming at the Rec Center pool in St. George. We took all of the kids to the pool and had so much fun. This was not just any pool but had slides, swings, rivers, and fountains galore. The kids had a blast and so did we.

Elise and Ethan playing in the fountains.

Daddy and Ethan sliding.

Q.T. pie Seth.

Elise and Ethan.

The kids had so much fun chasing each other around the house. Ethan loves to play chase.

Made a little pit stop at the Primm outlets to stretch our legs and let the little man get some energy out.

Over the labor day wkend we went out to St. George Utah to visit Kevin's sister, brother in law and their 5 kids. Ethan had a blast with his cousins. We were able to spend a few days with them hanging out and cooling off at the pool. Monday we left St. George and headed to Vegas. We stayed at the Paris. I am in love with the most delectable pastry shop there and try to visit it whenever I'm in Vegas. It is called Lenotre and I remember going to one when my mom and I were in Paris. Not only are the pastries/desserts beautiful but they taste amazing. Tuesday while Kevin worked we went to the Mirage hotel to see the dolphins and tigers. Later that day when Kevin was off work we went swimming and grabbed some dinner. It was so much fun for us to get away for the weekend and see family.

Old Friends

2009-09-03T20:09:00.000-07:00

Fun splashing around at the Irvine Spectrum with Emily and Ashlyn.

Here are the 3 QTs. Emily, Ethan & Ashlyn.

Jen, Me & Ali. The 3 of us were college roomies. It was so much fun to get together to catch up and have the kids play.

We all went to the Sweet Spot, an adorable little store where you can decorate your own cupcakes. Ethan chose a strawberry cupcake (he loves strawberries), blue frosting, then topped it with gummy worms, sprinkles, and fruit loops. What a combo. He really got into to it and loved eating his final product. Mommy enjoyed the final product too!

He loved dipping the worms into his frosting then licking it off.

We all had such a fun day. Thanks Ali & Jen.

Summer Is Finally Here

2009-08-30T22:13:00.000-07:00

The 3 of us spent some time at the pool.

Running to the beach. He loves it!

Building sand castles is messy business .

Ethan loves popcicles. Half in his belly and the other half on his belly.

Summer is here and we are feeling those 90 degree temps. After having such a mild summer it's kind of nice to feel some heat. The past few days we have been cooling off either in the pool, at the beach, or eating yummy and cold popcicles. Ethan is a fearless water bug at both the beach and pool. He absolutely loves it.

Cabrillo Aquarium May 09

2009-07-22T21:54:00.000-07:00

We took the afternoon and visited the local Cabrillo Aquarium as a family. Ethan loved touching the sea creatures and playing in the water.

My cute little fish

Ethan and daddy watching the fishies.

This aquarium was so fun to visit. We touched fish, watched fish, and went to the library to read children's books about fish.

Ethan's first birthday party April 09

2009-07-22T21:39:00.001-07:00

Ethan sharing his birthday cake with friends

Ethan and daddy

Hanging out with his cousin Emily. We had so much fun at his Sesame Street party. He also had his friends Andy Jr., Ebby, Marius, Jacob, and Makenzie along with a lot of family to play with.

Ethan's first haircut April 09

2009-07-22T21:26:00.001-07:00

Here is little Ethan at the beginning of his hair cut. We started off with a smile.

Once the clippers started up we ended up with a frown. He looks so distraught here. Poor little one.

He cheered up quickly after and was awarded a certificate for getting his first cut.

Nanna comes to visit April 09

2009-07-22T21:13:00.000-07:00

Nanna McGuire came to visit me for my first birthday

Nanna helping Me

I just opened a birthday present. "OOOHHH" ( An exact quote)

Ethan had so much fun spending time with his nanna on his birthday

Catch-up Huntington Gardens April 09

2009-07-20T22:03:00.000-07:00

In a beautiful garden with my sweet boy

In the Huntington home enjoying the artwork

My favorite..."Pinkie"

More beautiful gardens

Some of us girls from church were able to spend the day at the Huntington gardens in Pasadena. What a beautiful and peaceful place. We all enjoyed ourselves including the kiddies. I would love to go back and just spend the day chasing my little boy through those amazing gardens.

Playing catch-up Utah Feb. 09

2009-07-20T21:35:00.000-07:00

Hanging out with the Massey boys

Ethan and his Poulton cousins

Ethan, Trent, Seth, Hailey, Rachel & Elise

We had such a good time seeing family and friends. Ethan loves to play with his cousins!

Playing catch-up Christmas 08

2009-07-20T21:18:00.000-07:00

Christmas morning in our PJ's

Family hanging out Christmas day

Ethan's bike from Santa

Telling Santa what he wants for Christmas

First Disneyland Trip

2009-06-25T19:43:00.000-07:00

Amber and Nathan Martin with Ethan and I

My favorite pic from today

Hangin out with Pooh and a little honey

We had a blast today at Disneyland. Kevin and I couldn't wait to take Ethan for the first time. We were just excited to see his reactions to the characters and rides. First we met Pluto. He didn't cry or laugh but he kept a close eye on that huge dog. His favorite ride was it's a small world. He was dancing the entire time. He also loved toon town and playing in Mickey and Goofy's houses. He had a great time pounding out the tunes on Goofy's piano. We were able to meet up with my friend Amber and her little boy Nathan who is now 2. It was so fun to see the 2 of them play together. I think taking your child to Disneyland is like one of those huge moments in life or more of like a parenting milestone. Ha Ha. Well,we survived and all had a great time leaving with wonderful memories.

Hawaii December 2008

2009-06-19T23:01:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics from Hawaii last December
Ethan and grandma at the beach- Waikiki

We had a lot of rain and a lot of fun on the trip

Dinner with the Christiansens (Kev's sister & husband) at Dukes

Ethan, grandma and a beautiful tree at the hotel

Last December we spent some time in Hawaii. It is a fun time to visit the island with all of the holiday decorations up and the Hawaiian Christmas music playing everywhere. The best part of the trip was that we were able to be together and also bring my mom with us.

The Beginning

2009-06-19T22:44:00.000-07:00

So here goes my attempt at blogging... I'm so excited to share pics with friends and family along with what we are up to. These past few weeks have been so special because we have been able to spend a lot of time together just hanging out as a family. We especially love to hang out with our little man. He is so much fun and keeps us going non stop. He is almost 14 months old now and has been running (literally) since 10 months of age. He currently love music, swings, throwing things, blowing rasberries, and eating peaches. He is the joy of our life.