photo collages

Road Trips

We took a road trip to Walnut Creek, CA. It took 6 days of driving, 5 hotels, 1 water park, 15 restaurants, 4 tanks of gas, 10 bathroom stops, 1 birthday party, a great wedding reception and 0 tantrums.

Rawn and Frank's house is simply beautiful. They were so busy getting ready for the party but still took time to make us feel welcome and to play with the girls. Keira loves her uncles and Paijey even gave goodbye kisses. The vow renewal was just amazing. Congrats to my sil Janine and her wife Geri and to Rawn and Frank. We Couldnt ask for better inlaws.

Keira got to play with all her cousins she has missed since Christmas. She talks about Lelia, Jess and Reece all the time. Not to mention Grandma and Grandpa. Rawn and Frank let us have a mini party for Keira's 5th birthday since it was the same day as the reception. We had cake and presents on Friday after a fun filled day at the water park. Keira is a little fish in the water and she told us all multiple times that it was the best birthday ever!

Paije decided to potty train while on the trip so that was fun. Although I didnt have to change one poppy diaper. Now that we are back home we need to really get working on her more.

I will post pictures of our trip when I find the camera.

Pictures

Fun times

Sorry I haven't updated this blog. We have been very busy the last month.

It's been really cold here. Although now it doesn't get dark until almost 6pm. YAY! I feel its been dark forever. I remember the first year in Canada it was hard to get use to the weather and the long dark hours of winter. It wasn't that bad this time around but i am missing the warm sun.

Keira is starting to learn to read. She recognizes a few words and has memorized about 4 books now. She missed a week of school because she was sick. Poor thing missed her Valentines party. She has finally learned to pedal her bike. It was getting so frustrating trying to get her to pedal forward. Keira also just finished baskeball from the Y. She had alot of fun. Jeff took her to the reptile zoo. She loved holding all the snakes and even touched a Madagascar cockroach. EEEHHH!

Paije is coming into her own. She is talking a lot now. I can mostly understand her and when I cant Keira can. Poor thing got her sister's cold and finally learned to blow her nose. It only took two days of me sitting on her to hold her down to use the bulb. She got tired of that pretty quick. Paije also loved basketball. She is too young to get signed up but the coach let her practice with the kids. If you yell DEFENSE she stands with her arms out and knees bent. Paije has also learned to count to 10 and can mostly say her ABC's. She tries to read books too.

Jeff and I are doing good. Jeff had a case of Mirsa but we caught it in time and its all cleared up. We had a couples card night last week and had a blast. We have also had a date night. We went out for sushi and just hung out. I love those times. Its nice to reconnect and have time to ourselves without having to deal with the girls.

Here are some pictures of the last month.

Fun at Christmas

We went to the in-laws after Christmas. Keira was so excited. She loves to visit family. I love that they have room for us. The girls slept in one room and us in another. The girls met up with 3 of their cousins. Keira just loved it. She still talks about Jess, Reece, and Leila. Leila was so much fun. She is 4 months older then Paije but such a big girl. Paije is very much still a baby compared to her. All three girls loved playing together. Paije and Leila loved bowling. Keira would rather be in the arcade. Grandma watch all three girls while the adults went to dinner. They got along just fine. Keira is always talking about her new girl cousin. Asking when she gets to see her again. Its those times we feel bad about moving away from family.

Paije made quite the impression on Grandpa. She wrote all over the leather computer chair with a ball point pen. Then when they were baby sitting she spilled grandpa's beer all over the rug. The beer came up but the pen is still there. Grandpa said he was going to put her name and year on it. Paije loves Grandma. She went to her almost immediately. It was nice. Paije and Keira get up early lucky for me so does grandma! THANK YOU GRANDMA!

Paije also loved Jess. She went to him as much as she could. He is so good with my girls. Poor kid had 3 girls fighting over him. Of course Keira called him boy for the first part of the day. Hey boy come here. Boy Boy lol we all had to keep telling her his name. Keira and Reece played with grandpa's target gun. Dont worry it shoots wiffle darts. You turn the machine on and it blows air on to ping pong balls and then you shoot them down.

We had alot of fun. It was a really good trip. It was much easier then the last time when we had babies. Keira just keeps asking when we are going back. I will post some pictures but some are still lost on my other c-drive. Oh ya my lap top died while we were there. Right after I uploaded about 300 pictures. Fun stuff!


Keira, Leila, and Paije at the gazebo in Columbia

Bowling Alley

Paije Loved bowling. She would carry the ball and shove it down the ramp

Traveling

Two suitcases, two backpacks, 2 car seats, 1 computer bag, 1 carry on suitcase, and a stroller. Traveling with kids sucks. Anyone who has done it knows it sucks. No matter how much time you take to prepare and pack ahead of time it still feels like there isn't enough time to get things done. We have to wake up at 4am tomorrow and Drive to the airport. We prepaid out valet parking and then get to go through airport security with a computer bag, 2 back packs, a stroller and one car seat. Oh ya don't forget they make everyone take off their shoes, including the children, oh and we need to take both computers out of the backpacks, and make sure no liquids are in the sippy cups. Can they make it any harder for a family to travel???? Just pray that the children are still alive and that I didn't leave Jeff on the side of the road somewhere, before we get to Grandma's and grandpa's.

Happy New Year !

We had a great Christmas morning. Santa brought the girls a kitchen and 2 stockings. He left the gifts in the playroom and even set up the kitchen! Both girls went running for the kitchen and played there for about 20 minutes before Keira remembered there was more gifts under the tree. Keira got some princess books and figures, the fairies collection, tag reading system, a barbie and her car. Paije got the backyardigans circus and figures, books, little people minivan, and more figures for it. They both got books, art supplies, and building blocks to share. Daddy got a PS3, heated seat cover for his car, and Keira picked out heated socks cause daddy's feet are always cold. Mommy got a new camera, Tinkerbell mug, and a hair iron. This is the first Christmas that Keira really understood what was going on. She was up until midnight trying to wait for santa. I went to check on her at 11:15 to find she was still awake. When I opened the door she Thought Santa had come. We kept telling her Santa doesnt come until she is asleep. Both girls were up by 8am. Needless to say I am sure Keira will nap today. I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas! Here are the links to the pictures. There are too many to post. One of the links is to the cookie making the girls and daddy made for Santa. That was alot of fun.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=76868&l=41afe&id=564215549

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=76865&l=e9daf&id=564215549