Pumpkin Patch

Kind of an impromptu pumpkin patch visit that we ended up having a lot of fun at. It is really neat now with the girls getting older that we can share some fun times together. We are getting Disneyland passes soon and I look forward to some fun!

Toughest part with these two is keeping track. One always seems to go one way and the other the opposite way. It's funny how you decide who to go after first and how to maneuver. It's quite an adaptation process, being a mom of two and I can only imagine with more.

Halloween Part 1

Natalie and Noelle were baby Aurora and princess Aurora for Noelle's dance class on Friday!

Here is Natalie as Minnie Mouse for her Kid's Class on Thursday - so cute! A room full of under 2 year olds dressed up has got to be one of the cutest sites. Definitely brightens up your day.

Taco Tongue Gene

First Day of Preschool

It's amazing how the firsts just keep on coming and you try to savor them as much as you can but it just doesn't seem to slow down.

Thankfully, preschool still feels little, junior high on the other hand, yikes!

My little girl was so excited for preschool! She really seemed ready. She has always been such a little learner, loving soaking up new information and getting to impress us with her skills.

I'm also excited for what she will learn there - raising her hand, playing with other, listening, etc.

She did really well the first day but was just plain worn out by the end!

She told me that something was, "Cessary" and later I realized that she meant recess. Now, she asks Natalie everyday if she wants to go to recess. I guess that was a highlight, although she said she got "too sweaty."

Here she is before her first day!

EN-ER-GY!

Another thing that my girls are not lacking!

A-TI-TUDE!

Watch out! These little ones have personalily by the truck load! These pictures capture them well!

Tahoe and Scott's Wedding!

It sure was a lot of driving but overall a trip totally worth it. We are so excited for Scott (Ryan's best man) and Annie and loved supporting and celebrating with them! Fun to see friends and sooo great to have Grandma Julie staying with us and helping with the girls! Noelle loved having sleepovers in the same room as her grandma.

Family Resemblance

We have always thought that Ryan's mom Julie is the person that Noelle looks most like - although one baby picture of his sister looks pretty close too. Here is a picture of Julie when she was a toddler. What do you think?
We asked Noelle who it was and she said, "Noelle."

Lemon Chicken

Another recipe we love...

Lemon Chicken
• Boneless skinless breasts (Foster Farms sells a pack that are sliced thin already and work best) or slice horizontally so that you have two thin halves
• ½ cup Bread crumbs
• ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
• Egg
• 1 cup flour
• 1 lemon
• ½ stick butter
• 2 tsp dried (or fresh) parsley
Prepare a frying pan on medium with 2 tbsp butter.
In an assembly line on your counter:
1. Flour on a plate
2. Beaten egg in a bowl (shallow like a cereal bowl)
3. Parmesan and bread crumbs mixed on a plate
Dip and cover chicken in each, one at a time.
Place breaded chicken in the frying pan.
Cook until each side is brown and the inside is done (if your sides get too brown and inside not finished, you can place in oven and bake until you finish preparing the rest).
In same frying pan on low, squeeze lemon juice and add remaining butter and parsley. Stir.
Pour lemon sauce on top of chicken to serve.
*We always serve this chicken with rice and a vegetable and pour the lemon sauce on those as well.
This is one of our favorite meals. It may not turn out perfect the first time but you can adjust whatever didn’t work for the next time.

I don't have an actual recipe for this so hopefully I explain it well enough.

This makes me laugh...

This first video is the little performance at the end of Noelle's week long dance camp. It was only 2 hours a day but a big step towards preschool! It was adorable. Each day had a new "Enchanted" theme and Wednesday they wore their princess dresses and had a tea party.
Noelle zoned out during most of the performance. She ended up not feeling good which I thought was coming on but was hoping not.
Anyways, she perked up at the end of this song which is this first video.



This video was taken right after they finished the dance you just saw. Natalie grabbed these glasses and was ready to show her stuff. No watching for this baby. She always wants in on the action. Here is Natalie's version!

Little Ganyos!

I never really looked ahead to this point of life but here we are - 5 kids. I'm thankful for all we've shared with you Brian and Erica and for the fun we have when we're together.

Oops, I chose the wrong picture from the little thumbnails. Probably a more accurate portrayal so I'll leave it :).

Halle and Hayden

Hayden's awesome moves.
He was so cute with all the girls. He told Noelle he wanted to introduce her to someone and proceeded to walk her outside and formally introduce her to his aunt (so cute).

This girl loves to eat and loves hot dogs. I tried to start her with fruit and break off little pieces of hot dog. She found Halle's abandoned hot dog and went to town. I took it away after I realized and took the picture (choking hazard although child never chokes - even though everyday she puts something she's not supposed to have in her mouth shows me and then runs away wanting me to chase her).

Noelle and Halle

Twirling!

We celebrated a handful of birthdays in Erica's family! Their extended family threw a big party and I questioned having hamburgers and hotdogs catered but they were probably the best I've ever had!

It was so fun to have the kids together as it only happens maybe once or twice a year with the distance between us.

4th

Noelle was really excited for the fourth. Expecially because she remembered that she ate marshmallows last fourth. We went to a carnival that her and Ryan rode their bike to and in the spirit of the day she got a flag painted on her face :).

When Ryan set off the first firework, she was close by and not ready for it. She was not happy. Do you see her in the third picture?

Gradually, I eased her back out to the fireworks, beginning with watching them through a closed window but by the end of the night she was having fun.

Later that night I was inside when i heard a thump above me of the roof. I thought, "Oh, Ryan must be getting on the roof" and then in a second I was on my feet and running out the door with the realization that Noelle was probably going with him. My dad had hoisted her up to him. So not okay with that! They made it down safe and Noelle headed to bed. And Ryan and I discussed my safety issues :).

Prayer

I'm reading a book that has been challenging me, growing me and causing my brain to change it's very way of understanding and relating to the world and to God. This book is not so much providing novel information to me but rather causing me to connect things I might have missed before or stop and really dwell on the significance of information that I took for granted.

I would have never expected to find what I have in this book. In fact, I really had no desire to read it but Ryan kept saying, "I got this book, why don't we read it together?"

I feel so thankful that God would continue His faithfulness to me and teach me more wonderful things about Himself and all that He offers me.

I now have pages of quotes that I've jotted down. Many of them blow me away everytime I read them. I might share one from time to time.

"Prayer is not overcoming God's reluctance," writes Archbishop Trench; "It is laying hold of his highest willingness." (95)

Jana Alayra

Years ago I became a fan of Jana Alayra, a Children's Christian Music singer/songwriter. She performed at a camp I volunteered at. We have had two of her CDs and been to two of her concerts. She's from Orange County. Recently we got her Live in concert DVD and the girls, especially Natalie, LOVE it!

So here is Noelle rocking out and if I can catch Natalie on video I will. She lifts her hands up and claps. It is so cute.

Does anyone out there recommend any fun kids music? Noelle just DOES NOT like lullabies. She reminds me constantly :).

Check out Jana:

http://www.janaalayra.com/

HAPPY BIRTHDAY FRIEND!

In honor of Erica's Birthday I pulled out a few old photos. Here we are at Christmas Conference on New Years Eve 1998. Erica and I were already inseparable at this point. Heading into Christmas Conference we had no idea that we would meet some of our closest friends and husbands (I can't remember did you meet Brian there for the first time?)!
Christmas Conference was also where my name changed to Kaitlyn. I thought that using Kaitlyn would be fun occasionally because it was a great name. I thought people could just interchange. I wrote it on my name tag this weekend but couldn't ever remember to introduce myself as that. Erica took the initiative and it stuck. I just didn't realize that people would choose one or the other :).

I'm not sure of the exact date of this picture but I'm guessing it was almost exactly 10 years ago!!

The first three picture are from over 10 years ago! The second was probably 7 or 8 years ago.

Erica, from the moment I met you I knew you were someone special. I love thinking back to a million memories that we share and how having you there made so much of my life so much better!

I love that we got to share a room for 3 years and am thankful that it only strengthened our friendship. I love how some of my silliest and funnest memories are with you as well as some of the most reflective and heartfelt conversations. I love how you know me so well and use that knowledge to speak into my life just what I'm looking for.

I think you are an incredible woman and I love you dearly! Happy Birthday!

Pink at the Beach

Wild Child!

When we decided to make Noelle a new room and move Natalie into hers, I remembered my dear friend Erica's comment that Noelle's soft prints and pastel colors just didn't seem to fit her passionate personality. So we stuck with pink but went with a safari animal theme. It was such a blast to put together. Most of you reading this have seen it.

A couple of months ago I took on a project of painting her dresser. I had a lot of fun doing it and think it looks cute in her room. I always meant to post a picture. So, here it is.

Now I still need to post a picture of Natalie's room because we got incredibly blessed and were given (for FREE) an entire bedroom furniture set (Crib, armoire bookshelf, dresser, chair, nightstand, bookshelf, kids table and chairs, bedding and lamp shades!) I'm overwelmed again just typing all that out. The family that was giving it to us actually had it delivered to our garage. As it sat there I was so amazed with the generosity.

It is beautiful and Natalie can have it for years. We were able to give our old crib and changing table to a young woman I mentor who had a new baby in May and bless her. Picture soon :).