San Diego… finally

I’ve finally viewed, deleted, and edited the 800+ photos I took while we were on vacation in San Diego. Now I have 368 photos to choose from to post for all of you :) How do I decide?!?!

We drove with Luke’s parents, David and Monica, to San Diego for 3 nights and 4 days of fun. Monica and I really wanted to stay another 2 or 3 days. We even offered to keep sweet, easy-going Lyla with us, but David and Luke weren’t on board. We stayed on Coronado Island where we ordered room service every morning for breakfast and fed the ducks morning, noon, and night. The kids really enjoyed the time with their dad and Nana and Pop… nothing special to be spending the days with me :)

 

We couldn’t leave home without Mr. Koala and a sample of our room service.

Legoland

Masie loved all the Lego men and women. They were just her size, so she hugged and kissed each one as we passed.

 

Miles had fun racing the Lego boats and Masie was constantly trying to crawl under, through, and around the gates and fences. Catch her if you can!!

Miles wanted a picture with Thomas, and Masie helped her dad wash his face after some lunch.

Miles is not a fan of rides. Masie went on a couple of rides, but Miles didn’t want anything to do with them. Then he asked over-and-over again if he could please go back and ride the safari car. He really wanted to go on it… yes, that’s him screaming as the car slowly puts along :(

 

This is their first bath together. Taken in our hotel room. Lyla is big enough to hang out with the big kids now.

Lyla seemed to enjoy the little breeze on the beach. Miles is a tiptoer, especially in the sand :)

 

Masie loved the water even though it was too chilly to get completely wet.

Miles had been asking for weeks, “when are we going to the beach?!?” And he was so excited to go to the beach and build a sand castle. But once we were at the beach he wanted to know, “when are we going back to the hotel?!?” Luke carried him to the water trying to get him to have some fun… no fun. He loves the pool, but still is not a fan of the beach.

 

The next photos were taken at our resort mostly around the pool area. It was so beautiful, warm, and relaxing.

Someone is tired.

Masie doing her little jig by the hot tub.

Miles loving that he’s in the pool and not at beach. Masie is jumping into the pool where Luke waits for her; she’ll soon be little fish like Miles.

This is Miles with his cousin, Taylor. Luke’s sister Elise and her family met us in San Diego on their way through to a wedding. Miles and Taylor hit it off immediately even though they hadn’t seen each other since Christmas.

I finally get a hug from my little man after he’s so tired from running around all day. Luke and his dad shouldering Taylor and Miles… still holding hands, so precious!

 

I brought my traditional holiday pjs for photos, but the kids were too tuckered out to play the photo game this evening.

We took the ferry from Coronado Island to the mainland where the boys took a tour of the naval ship the Midway (I’ll post those photos later).

Us girls took a tour of the shops while the boys were on the ship (That’s my great mother-in-law and my beautiful sister-in-law). We saw this huge walrus checking out the boats while we walked along.

Who do you think is enjoying them self the most? Masie? her cousin Annabelle? or their Nana?

Elyce and Annie with Lyla

   

Masie-girl loves the water fountain.

 

Healthy Girls

The girls had wellness visits yesterday. Yes, on my birthday I had to take both of them to the doctor. Thank goodness for my mother-in-law, Monica. She was a great help. Masie had 3 shots and baby Lyla had 2… Miles was happy he just got to tag along for the ride.

At 15 months Masie is

24lbs 10 oz which puts her in the 75th percentile

and 30.5 inches long

At 4 months Lyla is

16lbs 7.5oz which puts her in the 90th percentile

and 24.5 inches long

We are blessed with very healthy girls!

Thinking of you

Special thoughts and prayers for my beautiful cousin Cori

and her husband Blades and boys Camden and Case. They lost their baby girl Kyndal this week. We are thinking of you. Lots of love.

Not prepared

Little Emma in Miles’s preschool class asked me on Tuesday why his baby sister was “brown.”

I was not prepared.

I guess I thought I had more time to figure out exactly how to answer this type of question.

It’s obvious even to a 3 year old that our family is unique.

Luke and I have olive colored skin, so no stranger has questioned Masie’s biology even though she’s of Native American, Puerto Rican, African American, Portuguese, and Scottish heritage.  Lyla’s luscious coloring comes from her African American, Italian, and Caucasian heritage.

During Wednesday’s swim session a sweet young mother told me how cute Lyla is and continued to glance at each member of our family. I helped her out by telling her our children were adopted.

“Oh! I was wondering where your baby got her coloring,” she said. And then she continued, “I was adopted and so was my brother.”

I love that we are able to be outspoken and vocal about our children’s arrival into our family through adoption.

I’m still working out how to answer Emma’s question though. How do I explain to a 3 year old in just a few seconds why my children are so beautiful, yet unique, and so very loved?

You can bet I’ll be prepared next time.

What a difference a bowl makes

They’re the same color;

they’re the same height;

they hold the same amount of Kashi Honey Sunshine cereal;

they’re made of the same material;

they’re most definitely not the same though.

And to a 3 year old, a cereal bowl can make the difference between having a fantastic day or a darn-right terrible day.

Swimming Beauty

 Masie had her first swim lesson this week. I’ve been teaching her a little in our pool, so she’s comfortable in the water. I think it makes a big difference though for her to have an instructor and see other babies doing the same moves she should be doing. We started her a little later compared with Miles who began swim lessons when he was about 8 months old. I think she’ll catch up quick. Our Wednesday evenings are now devoted to family swim night. Since I have to get in the pool with Masie, I need Luke’s help to watch Miles and Lyla during that time.

So, how did her first session go?

She clung to me like crazy and cried through most of it. She is not fond of floating on her back, and she’s hard to hold on to. It was a workout for me to hang on and help her kick at the same time. She also did not like her swimsuit. The cute little tutu skirt just doesn’t fit her style. Right after we jumped out of the water she was pulling and yanking to get it off. Once it was off and she was dry, she was smiling again. I know she’s going to enjoy it, but it will take a few more lessons. It is so important that our kids learn to swim.

 

We treated the kids to donuts afterwards. Yeah, they’re in their pjs at the bakery in Bashas. They went straight to bed once we got home.

Masie is a little shocked that she was allowed to hold the whole donut. Really? This is all for me?!?!

Looks like she enjoyed it, but she really only ate 3 bites.

Love it!

Just an update

Miles

loves his books. Even during snack time he wants to be reading his book. He’ll have us read a book over and over again until he has it memorized. Then he’ll continue to read it over and over again to himself. He’s just started reading to Masie-girl. He’s a great older brother.

Masie

has been “meowing” for a week. I hear her in her crib, “meeeooooow, meeeoooow”. We don’t have a cat. She’s not a lover of books like Miles, but she loves an ABC book that has animals in it. Now she’s meowing, barking, growling, ribbiting, spitting (like a camel), and smacking her lips. And she tries desperately to put Lyla’s clothes on. Maybe she remembers she use to wear them?

Lyla

is getting so strong. She loves tummy time and rocks side to side while holding herself up. She is too good to us. She grins, coos, giggles, eats, sleeps, drools, and lazily spits-up every once in a while. She’s not a fan of binkies but loves to stick her fingers and fist into her mouth. Unlike Miles and Masie, she lets me kiss her over and over again.

 

Little girl

There was a little girl,

Who had a little curl,

Right in the middle of her forehead.

 

And when she was good,

She was very good indeed,

 

But when she was bad

She was horrid.

No, I don’t think Masie is “horrid!” But she’s mischief, sweetness, and gorgeous rolled into one spunky Love-Muffin!

Watch out!

Labor Day

Go ahead, scroll through these amazing pictures. Nathan and Richard (my brothers) along with Miles and his cousin Ashlynn jumped, dove, flipped, and flopped off the walls behind our pool. My favorite pictures are the ones when Nathan and Richard accomplished synchronized back flips. Such talent in my family. Happy to report that no one was injured.

View Full Album

We spent Labor Day morning laboring poolside with the family including my Grandma Jones, my cousin Cori and her 2 boys Camden and Case, and my cousin Julia.

These 2 pictures were taken the day before. Ashlynn throwing the water, and Miles and Ellyce carrying buckets of water to the sand box.

My SIL Jena looking so pretty in blue with Masie-girl.

My Grandma and Julia. We’ll be seeing much more of Julia since she’s attending graduate school at ASU.

On the right is Case making a good show out of getting the goggles on.

Miles is always wanting to be bundled after swimming. Even if it’s 100 degrees outside. We never forget the sunscreen (what a fantastic camera! can you see the spray of liquid?).

Cindy and her baby girl #4, Natalee. Masie refused to have a morning nap, but she was a good sport and was able to stay awake to nearly finish her lunch.

Unfortunately Luke had to work, so no pictures of him. I’m so grateful for my hard working husband.

Lyla slept through most of the festivities, so no pictures of her, but this is what she left for me later that day. Gross, but had to share. The Bumbo seat has many uses including poop catcher :)

So many distractions

I’m certain I’m not the only one that feels like nothing gets completed. I think I’ve got my efficiency machine running like it should, and then I see something out of the corner of my eye that distracts me.

Take me office.

I have a very nice, fast computer. Hooked up to my machine are two sweet flat panel computer monitors.

Nice, huh.

I have two so I can open many applications at once while I jump from work, to scrapbooking, to adoption , to facebooking, to personal finance projects. I’m beginning to think it’s not such a great idea to be able to have access to so many things all at once. Besides the insurance claim I need to follow up on, kids needing me to fill up water bottles, and floors that desperately need to be mopped, I have multiple programs jamming up my thought process.

I start with good intentions and end with half results.

Maybe I should slow down.

But then I think, what would my life be like without all this distraction?

I don’t think I could be any happier than I am at this moment. I’m doing something right even with all these distractions and unfinished business. I’m happy; my kids are happy; my husband is happy.

I think my system is working…

Rewarded for 4 weeks of wholesomeness

We really do love each other! It’s been a while, but Luke and I finally made time for ourselves and went out on the town Friday evening.

Thanks Mom and twins for babysitting!

We even left the house before the kids were in bed. If you know us, you know we never do that. It’s a huge deal and takes a lot of trust for us to leave our kids for meal and bedtime. We’re working on it though. We loved our time together.

We made it to Fry’s Electronics where I found a great new camera bag for my fantastic new camera. Then off to dinner. I’ve been so good for 4 weeks and decided it was time to treat myself to some dessert. I hadn’t eaten any processed foods or sugars for 4 weeks, no joke! Didn’t cheat once. We hit up the Elephant Bar where I indulged in their calamari and coconut shrimp. Luke had a full rack of ribs. I polished dinner of with the “mini” dessert that consisted of a regular sized red chocolate cupcake topped with icing surrounded by ice cream and drizzled with chocolate. It said “mini” so I ate it all. Luke had the crème Brule. Stuffed, I was.

Then we bought me some more work-out gear at Sports Authority. Fitting, huh. Love it!

Truck loading

It’s starting to cool down just a tad in the evenings. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still hot-hot-hot! But we can go outside after dinnertime and be reasonably comfortable.

Luke often has to load up his truck for the next days work, so Miles goes out with him to ride his bike or sit in the back of the truck and help. Masie goes berserk when she sees the boys heading out the door without her. So the truck loading becomes a whole family affair.

Luke had to backwash our pool this evening. The kids loved playing in the water!