Catching Up

I know.  I completely missed the month of November.  And most of December at this point.  I just don't know where the time went.  Well, actually it went the way of busy days filled with preschool drop offs, dance classes, play dates, messy lunches, naps, no naps, watching Curious George over and over again, spontaneous dancing in the kitchen, refereeing play time between a toddler and an active infant, climbing stairs, pushing strollers on walks through the neighborhoods, and swinging at the park.  Throw in there Halloween and the attempts to go trick-or-treating with a two year old and a then nine month old, a family trip to our cabin for Thanksgiving, and all the preparations and celebrations of the holiday season, and I still can't believe I haven't quite passed out yet.  There were bridal showers and bachelorette parties, and watching our wedding video for the first time with our kids in honor of our six year anniversary.  Time flies, and I can't believe how much our cup continues to overflow.  

So instead of a million catch up posts (because who has time for that?), here are some snapshots of what's been happening in our little world.

Ella really got into the spirit of Halloween this year.  When I asked what she wanted to be, she immediately replied with "orca!"  And since it was pretty tough to find an orca costume for such a small person, I decided to make it, instead, with the help of Pinterest and some sewing by Mimi.  It only seemed appropriate that we kept Gavin at the top of the food chain, too, so we thought he'd make a cute shark.

She tried on her costume many times before the big day.  She was so excited to wear her costume to preschool.

Definitely the one that is not like the others.

Trick or treating at Mimi's house.

My good friend, Kathy, is getting married later this month, so we celebrated with a glitter-themed bachelorette party in Vegas, followed by a "Love is Sweet" themed bridal shower.  By the end of the two events, I definitely had my glitter fix, and Adam was ready for all the stray flecks of glitter to leave our house.

Ella is the flower girl for Kathy's wedding.  While she was trying on her dress, she broke out in interpretive dance (because that's what you do).

I love cold weather, and the drop in temperature (finally!) meant more opportunities to go to the park and not feel completely depleted by the heat.  Gavin got to swing for the first time during this visit, and he's been a convert since.  Ella showed him the ropes.

We spent our Thanksgiving at our cabin, which was Gavin's first time to the lake.  He LOVED it.  He is definitely a nature-lover.  We found a great hike (perfect for the little ones) and he couldn't stop shouting at the trees. 

The weekend after Thanksgiving we went Christmas tree shopping and Ella got to help decorate (and dictate).  It was a festive time and I love that our kids are just as excited about the holidays as I am.

Celebrating St. Nicholas Day, the kids checked their shoes for special treats.

Wednesdays have become Mommy-Gavin days and I have been loving my alone time with this little fella.  He loves having lunch outdoors and people watching.  I love watching him grow and mature right before my eyes.

 Rainy days and cold weather means camping indoors.  Ella loves "sleeping" in her tent.

Gavin being the lookout.

 We do family strolls around the neighborhood whenever possible.  Ella has taken to pushing her baby doll around in her stroller.  Just like Dad.

These two are everywhere these days.  Keeping up with them can prove to be exhausting.  Their newest idea of fun is climbing stairs (with Ella speeding to the top and cheering Gavin on), and then chasing each other through our bedroom.  

Ella had her buddy Caiden over to decorate gingerbread houses.  She snuck in some licks of frosting here and there, but I'm relieved that not too much candy was consumed.

Feels Like Fall

I know it's only the last weekend of September, but it is officially fall.  Which means my favorite time of year is rolling around, and I'm willing the onset of cold weather by putting up our fall decorations.  This year has been especially fun now that Ella is older and able to help and appreciate the crafts I have planned.

Still too young to carve, Ella got to decorate her pumpkin with felt stickers.  She subsequently hid behind it when I asked her to pose for a picture.  She's a silly one, that girl.

A bit too young to craft, G enjoyed watching from his high chair and having a snack.

This girl loves cats.  She decided the purple cat I bought for decoration was now her new best friend.  Then, she was super excited that she got to do a cat craft to go with her cat friend.

Doing some tidying up outside.

We also put our scarecrows out, and it reminded me of how Ella used to love walking around the neighborhood waving to all the ones displayed by our neighbors.  Can't believe how much has changed in a year and how much she has grown.  And now we have Gavin, who is just as delighted to see those scarecrows.  I'm loving all the new traditions we get to start with our family during the holiday season!

Go Go Seahawks!

Kids were excited to wear their new Seahawks gear that we picked up while in Seattle.  Unfortunately, both of them were fighting colds, and Gavin was feeling especially under the weather.

After almost six years of marriage, I have to say that I've come a long way in terms of my relationship with football season.  Before having kids, it was always a contentious time in our household when September rolled around, because I simply did not understand what all the hoopla was about.  And while I wouldn't willingly watch a football just for fun, I do enjoy rooting on a team; and having learned a lot more about the sport, I can now appreciate the athleticism involved.  The best part of football season is that it signals the beginning of fall (my favorite season of the year), and now that we have two little ones, watching the Seahawks play has become a welcome tradition for our family on Sundays.  It's sweet to see Ella cheer on the team and share in her dad's passion.  And Gavin (always eager to catch a glimpse of the TV) has started to partake in the excitement.

So hello, football season.  I'm glad there is finally room in my marriage for you now.  :)

Resting up before the game.

Ella loves cheering on the team.

November Happenings

The most notable event in November was celebrating Thanksgiving up at our cabin.  This year we got to host some extended family from Washington.  My favorite part of the week was watching Ella play with her cousins, Sydney and Samantha.  We all had a great time relaxing on the deck, taking walks and small hikes, and just spending uninterrupted family time together.  On this trip, Ella discovered chips and snacks and there has been no turning back since.  

It was our first time back at the cabin since Ella was 8 months, so it took some adjusting for her.  But she ended up loving it up there.

Walking down to the lake.  Ella insisted on walking the whole way (and protested when we picked her up to cross the main road.)

At the lake.

Hanging out on the deck.  The weather was sunny and perfect.

We hiked up to a waterfall near our cabin.  It was beautiful.

Pretty moss-covered rocks.

My 28 week bump. (Still manageable at this point.)

More deck time.

All the walking and fresh air made this little one exhausted by nap time.

Our Thanksgiving meal.  So much to be grateful for this year!

More walking with Grandma.  Ella LOVED her walks with Grandma (and still does).

After our return from the cabin, Adam and I got to celebrate our fifth anniversary.  While (unnecessarily) eating our three-course meal way too fast, we reflected on how blessed we were to have experienced so much love in such little time.  When we said "I do" five years ago, we never imagined how our family would grow in a few short years.  

Fall 2012

Since I was so terrible with keeping up with posts, here's a look back at our Fall festivities.  We kicked it off with a trip to the pumpkin patch (an annual tradition).  Ella loved seeing all the animals and roaming the pumpkin field.  I think her favorite was the hayride where she got to wave to all the scarecrows.  

Photo op before heading in.  (My bump was 23 weeks at the time.)

Lunch time.  Remy got to come along and loved the attention.

Patiently waiting for the pig races.

Waiting for the hayride.

She loved sitting in Daddy's lap and waving to the scarecrows (a habit she developed from walking around our neighborhood and waving to the many scarecrows adorning our neighbors' yards.)

Ella got to meet the beautiful horses that pulled us along.

Checking out the chickens.  Ella makes excellent chicken noises.

Pumpkin time!

Exhausted from the day, Ella takes a rest while waiting for the car to pull up. 

In October we also celebrated Ella's first anniversary of her baptism.  We got her a special little dessert and lit her baptism candle to commemorate the special occasion.

She is definitely inherited her father's trait of not loving desserts.  She ate the fruit and some whipped cream and left the rest of the mini cheesecake.  

Halloween was particularly warm this past year, so we had to abandon our original costume idea (Amelia Earhart) for something more practical.  Since Ella loves pointing her toes and dancing around the house, we thought it appropriate for her to dress up as a ballerina.  

Our prima ballerina.

We went trick-or-treating at an event in downtown Monrovia near where we live.  She thought it strange that all the dogs were dressed up.

Going store to store for candy.

We met up with her friend from Gymboree class.  Madelyn made the cutest bumble bee and her new baby brother, Gabe, was a ferocious tiger.

Remy made sure to check out her goods when we got home.

What is this stuff... candy??

The days following Halloween, Ella would ask to look through her candy stash.  While she didn't get to have any, she did get to eat some pretzels she got from a health-conscious neighbor!