The Hunters are Home!!

Date Night!

2012-02-11T21:34:00.000-08:00

It might be an unconventional type of date night, but last night, Julie and John went out on a special date and Andy, Sadie and I went on our own special date.

The kids, all ready to go!

John and Julie went to the Father Daughter Dance put on at the Pavilion, and Auntie Audrey!! They went last year and had a blast. So this year, Julie literally could not wait!!!

Daddy and his girls! Julie really wanted Sadie to go with them (melt!) but we decided when she can dance, she can go. So next year, I am sure she will be shaking her booty right along side her big sister!

This year Joe also took Lina and Audrey to the dance. The girls were so adorable together!

These sweet girls are such good buddies.

And this is what Andy calls Heaven!

Audrey and Tyson both had camera's there and they were so nice to get me a few pictures.

This year was Lauren's first dance!!! LOVE this picture!!

Looks like it was a super fun party!!!

With the girls (and husbands) out of the house, Heather (and soon to arrive Baby Boy Arnold) and I got to take Andy to do something fun. Beth arranged a bowling trip, so after a stop at the frozen yogurt place, we went bowling. Andy had never been before and Sadie was out cold, so between Dawson and I, he got the ball down the lane. And he thought it was super fun!

Me and my big man!

Go ball go!!!!!

Dawson, such a good kid, helping Andy out. Andy had a great time playing with the big boys. After every ball he would run back to the moms to cheer. He was so cute.

Heather and I got home just as Joe was getting home to pick up Heather. Lina was asleep in the back but Audrey was still chatting away. Joe went on and on about what an awesome time they had and how he couldn't wait til next year.

About 30 minutes later, John and Julie came home saying the same things. Everyone had a great night, it was fun to hang out with the kids one on one (well, not totally, but Sadie didn't feel like partying).

The Sweetness

2012-02-09T20:22:00.000-08:00

It is true, I am a little biased, but my 3 children are amazing.

They like to cuddle on the couch before bed. It seriously brings chills when the kids beg to include Sadie. They love her. So much.

Andy has been particularly sweet lately (although, he has had some strong moments of being a 3 year old boy).

There was a particular moment not too long ago that I never want to forget. We were all playing at a park in San Luis. Sadie fell asleep in the Ergo while the big kids played. We were going to head downtown after the park to get a bite to eat. Since she was asleep, I didn't want to load Sadie into her car seat, so Andy and I decided to walk the few blocks while Julie and Daddy moved the car.

As we were walking down the sunny street, Andy was holding my hand talking non stop about all the randomness a 3 year old talks about. Then he paused. Let out a big sigh and said, "Mommy, I'm happy."

He then went on to talk about how I was always happy, and how our family was happy, and that made him happy. I let him talk, mostly because it was one of the the sweetest thing I had heard in my life. But also because of the large lump in my throat and the tears running down my face.

Today, after school he presented me with this. I love it.

Then there are the moments he means well, but things just don't come out right. Like this morning when I was dropping him off at school he said, "Sadie is such a great baby sister....especially when she is asleep." I love that boy.

Speaking of great baby sister, she is 12 weeks today. We got out the pod seat tonight and she tried it out for a few minutes. It was a huge hit! Her head was a little bobby, but not bad and she was happy sitting up watching everything! She is "talking" to us all the time, cooing and squawking.

And of course, our big 5 year old lights our days. She has taken being 5 very seriously. She loves to strap Sadie in her car seat (double checked by Mom of course) and helps with everything from feeding to diapering to picking out her clothes.

Tomorrow night she is going to the Father Daughter Dance with Daddy and she can't wait. She is such a big help, I am so happy she gets some special time with her Daddy. Tonight as she came down the stairs with pj's for all 3 of them, she said, "I am so excited about the Daddy Daughter Dance!!" Adorable.

I love these three and every sweet thing they have to say.

Disneyland

2012-02-04T21:20:00.000-08:00

Welp, we did it, took the kids to Disneyland. Let me just say that I am so happy we waited as long as we did!! Disneyland is a big, intimidating place, but the kids had a blast, loved everything, and can't wait to go back.

This is obviously going to be picture heavy.

This was the first ride after a 4 hour drive. Luckily, since we went on a Tuesday and Wednesday, there were no lines.

This is how Sadie felt about the whole thing. She was a great sport, sleeping a good part of the time.

Flying elephants!

Rapunzel was the first princess we met. The kids loved her. For a few brief moments, Julie even claimed she was her new favorite....until we met Cinderella of course.

Julie hitching a ride while looking at the map.

Yeah, who would have guessed that the bumper cars were the kids favorite ride! You can see Andy and John in the background gaining ground on Memere and Julie.

On the caterpillar ride.

Cheese!

Us with the big kids. I was getting tired by this point, which is very clear in this picture!

The next morning was Julie's birthday!!! We got to the park right when it opened, did a couple rides, then Julie had an appointment at the Bibbity Bobbity Boutique thanks to Grammy and Poppop. She was so excited since we had seen little princesses walking around the day before.

She even came ready in her Cinderella dress.

Her fairy godmother brushed out her "hair".

And covered her in glitter.

She got her nails done. And her makeup.

And this was the finished princess product. She loved how everyone who saw her sash and her birthday button said "Happy Birthday".

And this is what Andy Jus calls heaven. This trip rekindled his love for Woody and Buzz. He was so excited to see Woody!

And he couldn't wait to hug Jessie either.

He was also excited to meet Aladdin.

Daddy took a turn with Andy's ears. Goober.

We went to a princess lunch at California Adventure. It was a really good way to meet all of the princesses. And eat yummy food.

Julie and Ariel had a nice visit.

Then it was Belle.

And Snow White.

Cinderella planted a big kiss on Andy's forehead. He wouldn't let us wipe off the lipstick.

Yup, once again, she is Julie's favorite.

Sleeping Beauty held Andy's hand. He liked her best I think.

Here is Sadie hanging out with Memere while we chased kids chasing princesses.

At the end of lunch they brought Julie a Happy Birthday brownie and we sang to her. It was fun. She was a little embarrassed. It was adorable.

The Hunter Family Action Pack!! Yahoo!

And last but not least, this sweet boy with his souvenir Lotso Huggin Bear. This thing has not left his side.

Just one more quick story. During the parade the first night, Julie had just gotten her Birthday Button and was wearing it proud. Everyone who works there has to say Happy Birthday if they see the button. So everyone in the parade, dancers, princesses, etc, were saying or mouthing Happy Birthday to her. Captain Hook came along and saw her button. His costume was similar to Woody's, big plastic head, huge hat. He came right up to her face and gave her a big thumbs up. She took it in stride, smiled and the parade went on. (About the same time a woman dressed as a monkey from Lion King came face to face with Andy and he didn't notice! He was too busy watching the Lion!! She had to tap his shoulder. So funny!)

So the next night, we went to the parade right as we were leaving. As soon as Captain Hook came around the corner, Julie flew a foot off the curb, ran and hid behind John, wrapping her head in his shirt. Apparently he had frightened her a little more than she led on!

Yes, it was an awesome trip. We were there 8-10 hours a day, going non stop. Next time we might be getting the 3 day pass! I honestly had no idea we would like it as much as we did, of course, having no lines and nice weather helped a lot. I can't wait to go back!

Celebrating the 5 Year Old!!

2012-01-28T18:57:00.000-08:00

It's true, she's going to be 5 in just a few days. How could that be??

And in true Hunter fashion, we partied it up! Julie asked for a "girl party" this year. But we couldn't just leave it at that because we have so much amazing family who we LOVE to celebrate with. So last night we had a pizza party for the family.

Of course there were cupcakes.

And a birthday girl in a pretty dress! Memere curled her hair and painted her nails for the occasion. She was in heaven!

This soon-to-be Memere was getting a little cuddle time in. Sadie didn't mind. She was also wearing her party dress.

I LOVE this silly picture of Lauren and Memere!!! I can't believe she is going to be 1 this week!!!! Such a sweet girl!

Candles!

The crowd, singing maybe?

Lauren got a bunch of cuddles from everyone. She was a party girl! Gearing up for her party tomorrow I think.

She got them all!

Everett and Christina cheering for Julie.

Loving the presents, of course.

Happy girl got her own wallet. Notice her fingernails are different on each hand.

After lots of fun with the family, we came home to get ready for Julie's "girl party". The table was set, we just needed some friends!

Sadie was ready to party.

Andy and one other brother (who was about 10 and a very good sport) were the only boys at the party. As you can see, Andy is also a good sport.

The girls enjoyed their lunch.....mostly they ate Cheetos.

And they got to decorate their own cupcakes. There is something fun about putting on your own sprinkles. Most the girls made their mom's cupcake too, and dads, and one for their siblings at home.....way more fun than just eating them!

Audrey enjoyed hers....

Anna and Julie both eating candy (after their cupcakes) they got out of the pinata.

Then it was present time again!

It was a group effort!

Julie has an awesome group of friends, most we have known since birth, but a few came from her school too. They are such nice girls and their parents are super sweet! I hope she continues to make such great friends.

I think we have sufficiently celebrated her birthday, but for an extra special birthday, and a family vacation, we will be going to Disneyland for a couple days this week!!! Yahooo!!! I can't wait since the kids have never been and they have no idea what they are in for!

So Happy Birthday big girl!! We love, love, love you!!!

Sadie Update

2012-01-24T17:19:00.001-08:00

Sadie had her 2 month well check today (even though she is 9 weeks and 5 days).

She is weighing 11lbs 7ozs (59th percentile) and measuring 24.5 inches (over 97th percentile).

The Dr said she was great, very social, super smiley and overall a wonderful girl. That is exactly what we expected.

So, more fun stuff coming up this week!! Our baby girl is turning 5!!!!

2 Months

2012-01-17T20:44:00.000-08:00

Two months already!!! She is such a big girl!!!

I know that is not true, but I just can't believe how much she is growing and changing. And how smiley she is!!

Sadie is doing so well with holding her head up! She can pretty much do it on her own, you actually have to be really careful she doesn't flip right off your shoulder! Its funny though, she can't smile and hold her head up at the same time.

Today she was smiling AND cooing at Daddy. So sweet.

She is also a great sleeper! She and Julie are already sharing a room. She is sleeping soundly in her crib for a 6-7 hour stretch, then eats a bit and its right back down. Many days we have to wake her up to get the big kids off to school. But she doesn't mind, she goes right back to sleep in the car.

Her 2 month well check is next Tuesday. I can't wait to see how much she's grown.

I think Andy said it best, "Sadie is our super baby!!"

11 Years, 8 Weeks, Day 1

2012-01-12T21:46:00.000-08:00

Today is our 11 year anniversary as a couple. Look at how cute we were. I love this picture, it is one of my all time favorites. We have come a long way, but in many ways we are so the same.

For example, John could still totally rock the cloud pants. I love you Babe!

Also today, our little peanut is 8 weeks. That time went so quickly, yet I can't remember what it was like without her. She brings so much love into our house....and honestly, I didn't know there was any room left!

She is so sweet and peaceful. (there will be a full update on her 2 month, next Tuesday)

And lastly, John went back to work today after a glorious 8 weeks off. We did so many fun things while he was off, including getting to know Sadie. Today makes me reflect on how lucky I am to share my life with such an amazing father. There is not a single aspect of our children's lives he is not involved with. Including late night feedings, diaper blow outs, gymnastics, princess birthday parties and class festivities. We know how rare it is for a dad to get to take so much time off when a baby is born. But I know it is even more rare to find a Daddy like John.

Crack Up

2012-01-11T18:00:00.000-08:00

These kids are cracking me up today!!

First this one.....

First thing this morning, we are cuddling in bed with Julie on one side of Sadie and me on the other. I have my arms around both of them.

Julie starts being sweet on Sadie and I say, "I love my girls!"
Julie says, "I love you Sadie!"
Me: "hey?!?"
Julie: "Oh, I love you too Mom."

Then, just now in the car:

Me: "Andy, stop that please"
Julie: "How did you know what he was doing?"
Me: "I have eyes in the back of my head."
Julie: "Mom, are you imagining things??"

Then there is this boy....

We took my mom to the airport to fly off to Texas visit some friends and family. As she is leaving he says to her, "Memere, you are going on an airplane! You are going on vacation. And you are going to see lots of family. And you are going to miss me!!!!"

Love my silly kids!!

Beach Day

2012-01-09T21:28:00.000-08:00

Yes, you read that right! We had a beautiful beach day on Sunday with the Cisneros Family!!The weather was amazing! We got there mid morning and were having so much fun we didn't leave til well after nap time. Whoops!!

I didn't get any good pictures of Everett and the kids. This is what they were doing most of the time. Everett had no problem splashing and running in the water. He totally kept up with Julie and Andy!

I love the look on Andy's face here. "Mom, seriously? I'm workin' here!"

Julie didn't even bother looking up!

Sadie loved her first beach trip too! She ate, snoozed for a bit, smiled a bunch....

....enjoyed the view.... (yes, that's John, Julie and Andy. I was enjoying the sun too much to get closer to take a picture!)

......and smiled some more!!

But by the end of the day, the beach got the best of her and she napped all the way home.

The whole time we were there we all kept saying how lucky we are to live here, where we can enjoy the beach in January with wonderful friends and are cool kids! Wouldn't have it any other way.

Fresno Zoo

2012-01-07T15:23:00.000-08:00

Wow, have to admit the week goes by a little faster with 3 crazy kids and all our fun outings!

That being said, on Wednesday we went over to Fresno and went to the zoo with Summer, Emmanuel, Joanne and Sophia. We had never been there so we didn't know what to expect. It was a very cool zoo!

They had elephants! Andy was happy. The both decided to wear their overalls. Aren't they cute!?

Sophia liked the elephants too! She wasn't too sure about Julie and Andy at first, but she ended up warming up to them. Cousin John, not so much.

Julie looking majestically at the giraffes. In the same enclosure were ostriches as well. And next door, a camel!

Look Pop-pop! Andy is riding a rhino! They had these all over the zoo.

The petting zoo was a big hit. They even had brushes to brush the animals with.

Julie liked the iguana (or whatever that is) statue better.

Andy the turtle.

My turtles hiding in their shell.

And my beautiful cousin with our baby!! Sadie slept most of the time in the Ergo, but she woke towards the end to say hello.

After spending a few hours at the zoo it was off to get some lunch and hang out some more. We had a blast with the family and can't wait to go back and spend more time with them. Or they can come here, whatever. But we absolutely need to spend more time with our fantastic cousins!

Smiling Proof

2011-12-31T16:51:00.000-08:00

The first of many smiles caught on camera....

Smiles

2011-12-27T22:30:00.000-08:00

Three times today I got smiles from Sadie. The kids have gotten a few here and there, but never when she was staring at them. It was always when they startled her and she reacted.

But, this morning I walked up to her laying on the bed and said, "Hi Big Girl!" and she looked right into my eyes and smiled. Nothing melts your heart like a grin from baby. But the first real grins are the sweetest.

Smiles happened two more times today. And even though I don't have a picture, it is not an image I will soon forget.

Christmas

2011-12-26T23:09:00.000-08:00

Warning: This is majorly picture heavy! I just couldn't cut any out!

Christmas Eve is Grammy's birthday! So that just gives us another excuse to throw a big party!

So Grammy and Pop-pop came over early to open some gifts before the rest of the family arrived. Just as the turkey was coming out of the oven the house kept getting fuller and louder! Just the way we like it!

Julie couldn't wait for the party to start, she had to steal some of Memere's cranberry bread.

The cousins set up in the living room and had a great time. I think Andy was the only one that actually ate any dinner. But aren't they adorable!?

Sadie slept the whole time. She loves the loud hustle and bustle. Here she is asleep with Arlene and Memere.

And Arlene and Jordan. I love when my cousins come over!!

A small part of the meal. It wrapped around to the other counter too. Luckily it was a pot luck, so it wasn't too much work for me, but there was so much food!!!

I could not believe what a beautiful day it was outside. We were outside until the sun went down. It was such a warm sunny day!

Me and my Geek.

Cousin Lauren got to open a few gifts too! She is so funny sticking out her tongue!

Sweet Sadie fast asleep. She really doesn't sleep all the time. Just when there are other people around apparently....

Look over there Uncle John!!!!!

Most of us gathered outside to sing Happy Birthday to Grammy! Not everyone was in the shot......told you it was a great party!

That is Julie's hand stealing a taste of cake. She also arranged the candles.

This is what I call a living room full of love. Seriously, I think this is what the holidays is all about.

The above picture was taken after a bunch of people went home. If you are curious where Sadie is during this picture, she is right by the fireplace, next to Audrey and Lauren, in her chair....fast asleep.

I think this is one of my new favorite shots. Uncle Sean and Uncle Stephen tickling Julie in the back ground. Uncle Justin tickling Andy in the front. The laughing was contagious.

After the house was quiet, Julie helped Sadie play with a few of her new toys. (see, she woke up as soon as it was quiet)

Then it was one more BIG hug and off to bed in hopes that Santa would come soon!

And he did!

I am still super happy with how the stockings turned out.

The next morning John and I woke up before the kids. But we stayed in bed and when the kids woke, we could hear them in the bunk beds.

"Andy, Santa might have come!"
"Yeah! Let's go see!!"
"Yeah, yay! Let's get Mom and Dad!"
"Yeah!!!!"

It was adorable. We all ran down stairs and the kids were so happy. It was so much fun opening gifts that I didn't bother to take any pictures. But I did get a few shots when they were testing out their bikes.

Soon Memere came in her sled (or her California version of a sled) full of presents and the kids showed off their gifts while we waited for Uncle Justin, Aunt Audrey and Cousin Lauren to come. I didn't get too many shots here either, we were just having too much fun!

But I did get this shot of Lauren on her new rocking horse! I think she likes it!!

It turned out to be another beautiful day. Justin couldn't resist a little swinging.

Me with one of my greatest gifts.

Julie tested out her new horse hippity hop.

And the big kids ate lunch at their new kitchen table!! Thanks Memere, it's PERFECT!

Andy was super excited about his new engineer overalls. He is OBSESSED with trains right now. Anything and everything to do with trains.

Phew! Are you keeping up with us??

After a quick rest, we packed up and headed to a nice dinner at Grandma Hazels. I forgot my camera, so I just got these few shots from my phone.

It was a pretty quiet evening, we all left full and sleepy!

So we went home and the kids went straight to bed. Andy was out before we left the room.

Julie didn't even make it into jammies, just slept in her clothes!

John and I packed up Christmas after the kids were in their beds. We were exhausted, but it always feels so good to wake up to a nice clean house.

This one was awake when we got home. But I put her in her bed and I went to sleep. She did too, and didn't wake me up for another 6 hours. Such a good girl.

And she was a super happy camper this morning too! She joined me and Christina on our day after Christmas trip to Target.

This was also this morning, but I just couldn't resist showing off how much Julie loves her sister and what a big girl she has become.

We had a wonderful Christmas. We all received every gift we could have asked for an more. We were surrounded by all the family that supports and loves us all throughout the year.

Fun Stuff and 1 Month Check-up

2011-12-22T22:28:00.000-08:00

The past week and a half has flown by!! And we have done some fun stuff!!

Our friends April, Tom and Heather had a yard sale in Los Osos. We went over to bring cookies and pick up some hand me downs for Sadie. Being that close to Montana de Oro, we had to stop and enjoy the beautiful part of the world that we live in.

John and the kids searched for cool shells. Julie found made it her mission to fill John's pockets with rocks.

Andy was very serious about finding treasures. Or very tired.

Julie showing me what she found.

Then we went on a hike. We are so lucky that we can do this, that we live in such a beautiful area.

The girls fell asleep in the truck, but Andy wanted to go on another "hike" so we stopped at the Elfin Forrest. He and I walked around and enjoyed some time just me and my big man.

This is what happens after a long day of hiking. You get a tired girl on a bean bag.

On Saturday, Julie and I got to go off and have a special afternoon. We went to a Holiday Tea Party with our friends Heather and Lina, Tania and Anna and April (who happens to be one an awesome Auntie. And I should know, because I have some pretty awesome Aunties). April took all these pictures so we could focus on her girls. Told you she was awesome.

We got there and they had a face painter, right there in the front. The girls got in line as soon as we got our tickets. Julie was excited.

Pretty girls with their faces painted.

Me and my big girl. We had fun decorating gingerbread men, drinking apple juice out of little ceramic tea cups, coloring and being silly.

The girls got to go up and sing with "the band". Actually, they rung bells, but it was still cute. I think Julie looks like me in this picture. Her hair looks so dark next to Anna and Lina.

The next day we decorated gingerbread houses in the back yard.

I was helping Julie with the frosting. She was trying to tell me how she wanted me to do what she wanted and I apparently was not understanding. John started to explain what she was trying to get across and she shushed him and said, "Dad, I'll handle this." Love that girl.

Andy wasn't quite so hard on John.

In fact, this is how Andy ended up once he decided his house was decorated enough.

Last but not least, this morning we went to Sadie's 1 month well check. Biggest news first! Last night, she slept through the night!! From 10-7. I know, she's wonderful. Such a good girl. She is up to 10 pounds even (67th Percentile) and is now 23 inches long (98th Percentile)! That's right, she has grown an inch and a half in 5 weeks. Can you imagine?

Dr. Patterson gave her a clean bill of health and said she was perfect. She was awake the whole time and let him do the whole exam without a peep, well, at least not until she got her shot.

She's such a trooper. And look at that hair!!

1 Month

2011-12-17T09:15:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it is time to do her 1 month blog. It is all going way too fast!!

First thing this morning we had a little photo shoot. Sadie loves her brother and sister more than anything. This was the first picture of the morning. She couldn't wait for Julie to come over and say hello.

She still has her dimples. I hope they stay forever. She is the only Hunter kid that that has them and they are adorable. When she really smiles (most of the time in her sleep and gas related) you can really see them.

Sadie is just starting to really focus on people and objects. She can follow you if you move a little side to side or up and down. Although, she seems to get annoyed when you make her work this hard.

We have LOTS of nick names for Sadie.

I call her Sadies, Saje, Biggie, Baby Sis, Squishy. (I like nicknames, can you tell?)

John calls her Peanut.

Julie calls her Goo-goo.

Andy is sticking with what he has called her from the moment he saw her....Beautiful.

Sadie is proving to be a good eater and an even better sleeper! There has only been a few nights this month where she has woken more than once to eat. A few times after she eats, in the wee hours of the night, she has wanted to stay awake and cuddle. Fortunately, she is so adorable and affectionate that I don't even feel the effects of sleep deprivation!

I love these huge eyes. She does this when she is surprised or when she is focusing or when she is trying to figure out what the heck is going on! Notice how her eyebrows are up? She got that look from Uncle Justin. Her eyes are also getting lighter. Especially around the center.

And this shot is solely to show off her hair. We get stopped when we are out and about by people who want to see the baby. People almost ALWAYS comment on her hair. It sticks out in every direction. It is dark. It is kind of curly around her neck. And she has one wicked cow-lick. But I still have a feeling, she will turn into a blondie like Julie and Andy.

We love our Sadie so much. I keep reminding the kids (while they are "discussing" who gets to feed her, hold her or burp her next) that she will be with us forever. She is our sister and we never have to give her back. This always makes them smile and makes me feel so full of love!

Winter Fun

2011-12-10T20:14:00.001-08:00

With it being Christmas time and having a brand new adorable baby around, our camera has been busy lately!! We have been hitting up all the holiday events, so here is another picture purge of all the fun!!

Last week we went to the SLO parade with some friends. It was cold but lots of fun.

Julie and Andy were good about sharing Sadie with their friends.

But by the time the parade started, Julie made sure Sadie was back in her arms.

We also got to spend a little time with Uncle Stephen. He had not met Sadie yet, so we met up at the park so he could snuggle with her a bit and of course horse around with the big kids. Apparently Uncle Stephen is really good at the monkey bars.

And this is the most serious picture I got of them. But its pretty fitting and perfect.

Last night we went to Winter Wonderland where the kids got to play in the snow a bit.

They thought the snow was wonderful. Of course the first thing they did was make snowballs to throw at Mom and Dad.

But then they decided it was more fun to get each other with the snow balls.

Don't worry, it went both ways.

Then we moved on to the carousel. It was a funny little carousel, so the kids had to liven it up by giving high fives as they went around.

That was another COLD night. All 3 kids were asleep by the time we got on the freeway.

This afternoon Auntie Kay came over and we made A LOT of cookies. Look at that mess behind us. But this was the first year that Julie was actually helpful, and that made it even more fun. She rolled sugar cookie dough, mixed ingredients and was definitely the comedian of the bunch.

Andy bounced all over the place and even watered the lawn at one point. Sadie slept.

We made some pretty awesome cookies.

And one heck of a mess.

But yeah, more importantly, yummy cookies.

After the cookies were put away and way too many of them eaten, these monkeys turned their attention on harassing Uncle Monster and being silly in general. Word Andy.

This little peanut has been keeping up with us, no wonder she sleeps so well!

Santa!!!

2011-12-05T22:18:00.001-08:00

Today we went to see SANTA!!! The kids were so excited, and actually, Santa was too! He was super jolly and started hollering at the kids before we even got into his little house. They told him what they wanted for Christmas and Santa thought they had some great ideas. He even gave them new ideas (thanks Santa!).

Luckily Santa was also great at photos.

Even Sadie thought he was pretty cool!!

And tonight, I finished one of my HUGE to-do's before Christmas. The Hunters now have matching, homemade stockings. I am so happy with how they turned out.

This one is mine. They are all a little different.

Phew. Feels good to have them done (probably should have started them WAY earlier or at least BEFORE Sadie joined us!) and now I am putting my sewing machine away...at least for a few days.

2 Weeks and Random Picture Purge

2011-12-01T13:02:00.001-08:00

With Sadie being with us for 2 weeks now (oh my goodness, how did that happen?!?!) we have had lots of opportunities for pictures. Sadie feels like she has been with us forever. I know parents say that all the time, but she fits in perfect. She is back up to 8 lbs 12 ozs (almost back to her birth weight), she looks all over for voices when someone walks in the room and she is trying to hold up her head more each day. She is even starting to enjoy tummy time. She sleeps like a dream. Last night she went down in the cosleeper around 10 pm. She woke up and ate at 2:30 then it was right back to sleep. Then she got up when we all got up at 6:30. I can't complain. She's an angel.

Her cord fell off the other day and within minutes Julie and Andy were asking to help give her a bath. They knew she couldn't have one til her belly button was healed and they didn't want to waste any time. We were on our way to have our awesome friend Dana take pictures of the kids for Christmas Cards and Sadie's birth announcement, so it was good timing.

Julie's hair is so pretty! Look at those highlights!! I wish I could have gotten her hair! Too bad it doesn't work like that huh?

Yesterday we took Sadie to get her "Pawprints" done. We have them for Julie and Andy too, thanks to our sweet friends Delma and Cory.

She wasn't mad, I swear.

Then it was off to get our Christmas Tree!! The big kids were way more excited about jumping.

And this was what Sadie did the whole time. So John and I got to pick whatever tree we wanted. Of course we picked one that was a little too big. But it looks and smells beautiful.

Ok, now on for the picture randomness.These are all just shots from the last few days.

This is the outfit Julie wore in her announcement shot. I think Sadie has already outgrown it.

Love these silly sisters!!

The other night Julie wanted a picture with her and Sadie in their jammies. Of course Dolly had to be in it wearing her new nightgown that Julie and Memere made for her.

Both kids love relaxing with their baby sis.

See, she sleeps like and angel.

Love my big boy. He is just full of hugs and kisses for his Mommy, Sisters and his Daddy.

And now we are off tot take a nap.

Thanksgiving

2011-11-25T21:25:00.001-08:00

Sitting here with a squishy baby in my lap proves that I don't have to look far for something to be thankful for. In fact, I am completely engulfed by people to be thankful for.And on Thanksgiving this year we got to see most of them!!

The Cisneros family stopped by in the morning. Brian and Everett had not had a chance to meet Sadie yet. Everett was not super interested, but Brian was adequately smitten.

Climbing on Daddy/John was more fun.

Then Julie taught Everett to play Candyland. It was pretty awesome. I think Andy was disagreeing with her interpretation of the rules.

After our friends left and we had a nice nap, it was off to Justin and Audrey's house for Thanksgiving Dinner. It was so awesome of them to host this year. Everything was delicious and the company was wonderful.

Aunt Arlene has been sick, so she and Uncle Hal had not met Sadie yet. Uncle Hal got snuggles from Julie while Arlene held Sadie.

Julie and cousin Lauren got a little silly.

Such a beautiful family!!

Yup, we are pretty lucky.

This Memere has got her hands full!

4 cousins. Its hard to get any of them to be still.

Me and my beautiful niece. She was wearing the dress that Julie wore on her first Thanksgiving. I kind of doubt it will fit Sadie next year, but we may have to try.

After we were completely stuffed we headed off to Grandma Hazel's for dessert. (ok, our second round of dessert since I couldn't pass up my mom's amazing pecan pie)

Uncle Ted was another that hadn't met Sadie, so he got some good time in with her.

Julie and Andy worked on some snowman crafts that we had brought. The had lots of fun with Grandpa Mel helping them.

Aunt Sharron and Grandpa invaded Ted, but he didn't mind sharing.

Yes, so much to be thankful for.

The Feast

2011-11-22T20:41:00.001-08:00

The kids have been super excited about their Thanksgiving celebration at their school. They call it "The Feast". They were excited for us to come eat with them, to show off their sister and teach us their new songs.

Andy especially loves singing in class. Or out of class. Or anytime he gets the chance.

He painted a funny owl hat.

And of course he ate all his lunch.

Since we split up and John had the camera, we didn't get any shots of Julie singing, just of her eating with her featherless turkey hat. ha!

And yes, Sadie came too! The kids were excited to show her off. She slept most of the time, but that didn't keep Julie and Andy from dragging all their friends over to see her.

This evening, however, she was wide awake and taking it all in.

She even got read to by her favorite big sister. I think this will be one of my favorite pictures for many years to come.

Sadie Josephine Hunter

2011-11-19T10:38:00.001-08:00

Sadie was born at 7:51pm on November 17th, 2011. She is the most mellow, content, quiet little girl!!

On Wednesday, November 16th, we headed into the hospital to get labor going. The doctor knew she was a big girl and my blood pressure was a little unstable. So we went in and they started me on some medicine to help things along. Both John and I got some sleep that night and contractions started getting really regular about 8 am. I labored along until about 2 pm when the doctor came back and broke my water. The epidural was a necessity pretty soon after that.

Once the epidural was in, I felt fabulous, and pretty much went straight to sleep.

At about 6:45, Christina, Brian and Everett stopped by to say hello. I was feeling great and enjoying their visit. Then I started to feel a little pain. And a little more. And then a lot more.

By 7:15, I kicked out our visitors and started making John rub my back and get the nurse. I had been checked just an hour before and was only at 5, so I had no idea what was going on. I told the nurse she needed to check me again. She obliged even though I don't think she believed it was necessary. But it was! I was complete and she ran out to call the doctor who was about 20 minutes away.

I hung on for the 20 minutes, and just as I started questioning if the doctor was ever going to get there, he showed up. He got all set up and I pushed 1.4 times (Dr's words, not mine) and Sadie Josephine was here!

She came out screaming with a full head of dark hair.

And she has been calm and peaceful ever since.

We enjoyed her for a few minutes then called the kids to tell them they had a new sister. John put them on speaker and they were overjoyed to hear the news. The second Sadie heard Julie and Andy's voice, she twisted and turned to try to find them. Her eyes weren't open, but she knew those voices and she was going to find them! Julie's first response was, "Daddy, tell Mommy and Sadie that I love her!" The whole room melted.

She got all cleaned up, and so did I. The nurse took her and weighed her. She was a whopping 8lbs 14ozs. When they first put her on my chest, I was guessing 7 1/2lbs. She seemed so small! I was wrong!! They said she was 20 inches long, but the next morning the pediatrician said she was more like 21-21.5 inches.

Luckily, since she was born so fast, Christina hadn't left the area. She was Sadie's first visitor. Followed closely by Uncle Justin. We were still in shock and baby bliss land at this point, so there were no pictures.

But by the time Grandpa Mel and Grandma CC were there, the camera was clicking.

And Grammy and Pop-pop stopped in.

First thing the next morning, after a lovely night sleep (seriously, I had to wake her up to feed her!) my mom came in to meet her. I was still half asleep and John had gone to take over with the kids, so I got no pictures. This was also the time that the pediatrician came in to give her the once over. He almost instantly gave her the OK to go home.

These pictures aren't all in order. But this was the next morning when the kids came to meet her. They fell in love and were so proud to be big kids at the hospital taking care of their baby sissy. Julie was amazed that my tummy was not "super big" any more!

They loved everything about her.

Especially holding her.

And being the BIG brother.

And giving her kisses. Andy keeps saying, over and over, "Sadie, you are so beautiful." or "Mommy, Sadie is beautiful!"

Aunt Sharon and Auntie Audrey came a little later in the afternoon and got some snuggles.

And we got a shot of Christina when she came back.

Then it was time to get dressed and start getting ready to go home!! Hooray!

Uncle Justin stopped by to see us off.

Once we arrived home, there were a few people excited to see us. We could barely walk in the door before Julie was on the couch ready to hold Sadie.

And Julie was very excited that Sadie was hungry.

Then it was Andy's turn.

Even when she was passed off to Memere, he couldn't keep his hands off of her.

But we finally got a great Memere shot!

Sadie did great her first night home. She let us sleep and actually woke up and cried when she was hungry for the first time! She had never let us know she was hungry, so that exciting, even if it was at 2 am.

When Julie woke up she went right over to Sadie's dresser and picked out her outfit for the day. Complete with onsie, pants, sweatshirt, hat and socks.

When everyone was dressed the kids had some cartoon time while Memere made us pancakes.

We are so happy Sadie is here. Everyone loves her so much and she has been an Angel so far. The kids have been loving helpers, we could not ask for a sweeter little family.

Sadie's Quilt

2011-11-08T21:07:00.000-08:00

I just finished a quilt for the new babe!

It is all washed, dried and ready for use.

I love how soft and snuggly it turned out.

Can't wait to watch my little girl drool all over it.

Halloween!!

2011-10-31T22:06:00.000-07:00

What a fun Halloween this year! It was great that the kids got to see lots of friends and actually enjoy trick or treating and playing carnival games.

Andy was Thomas the Train. He absolutely did not like the costume we found at the store. He said, "It doesn't have wheels!!" So I made him one.

Julie wanted to be Cinderella all along. And when we got to Zoo Boo, she was excited that her friend Anna was Cinderella too!

And there was a bird that the kids are greatly attached too, also known as Everett.

Pretty Princess! We met the Cinseros Family there, Memere, Uncle Justin, Aunt Audrey and Lauren along with 2 Arnold Families!! It was quite the party!!

Birds play games too!

Uncle, Auntie and Lauren. It was Audrey's birthday, so it was nice to see her, and spend time with them.

Everett's costume was awesome.

Uncle John and pretty kitty Lauren.

Tonight we went to the Santa Margarita Carnival. We had trick-or-treated, seen Grandma Hazel, Uncle Ted and Aunt Sharon all before we got there. Grammy and Pop-pop showed up right as we were heading to the Carnival, so of course the kids begged them to come along. How could they ever say no??

We met Brian, Christina and Everett there. And LOOK!! A picture with Moms in it!! Whoohoo!

The games there were fun, and involved donuts.

And cupcakes!!

Andy was so patient and walked around the cupcake walk for a while til he finally won.

Julie showing off her arm.

It was a little tough for Andy to play a few of the games, with his giant train tummy.

But he could fish!

Julie was so dainty eating her cotton candy. Barely got any on her.

Andy on the other hand, not so much.

We had a great night, a great week. Every event and activity was fun, the kids were well behaved and we able to participate. What a difference a year makes.

The Last Few Weeks

2011-10-22T21:34:00.000-07:00

I have been so bad about blogging!! I have cut down to half time at work, which was much needed and very welcome. It has been 2 weeks now, the first week John was off and Bess and Matt and Veda were in town. I had a doctor appointment, both kids went to the dentist (where they told us Julie's bottom front teeth are a little loose!!) and Andy had his 3 year well check (he is super healthy, has advanced vocabulary and is in the 87 percentile for height and 93 percentile for weight). That was a busy week. Then last week was catch up. So I am sure I will get some rest in before this babe comes. Or not.

Either way, we are getting there!So here is a major picture upload from the last two weeks.

Our little cowpoke riding Lady. Julie was even controlling the reigns and was so proud!

The Colony Days Parade is always a blast and this year was no exception. Just look at these happy faces!

Wild bunch!!

And of course, hanging out with our buddies. You could only sit with them if you had a cool hat.

Julie acted like the first lady in the train. Waving at everyone.

I am so bummed that this is the only picture I got of Veda while she was here! Not a single cousin picture! But we are all so in love with her. I got to spend a bunch of time snuggling her and the kids would run up, kiss her, rub her back and run off. She is such a happy sweet, content babe. She reminds me of Julie. Already showing a little independence.

We took the kids to a new pumpkin patch and had fun playing the new camera lens Memere got us. (Thanks Mom!!)

Yeah, they are hams.

Kiss the baby!

My view of Andy these days.

That is the sweetest face! But don't let him fool you!

Not a huge fan of this picture, but there is the baby bump, in all her glory. This was taken at about 34 weeks.

Yeah, we have fun. Every day, something fun is happening. Today we stayed home ALL DAY and enjoyed each other. Julie wasn't feeling 100% so we took advantage. Julie, before she went to sleep, asked if we could have another day just like today. I think we needed it after all the fun.

Celebrating the New Babe

2011-10-11T15:14:00.000-07:00

Sunday we got together to celebrate our new addition. It was a wonderful event put together by some of the most special people in out lives. It was a party for the whole family. The kids were so excited and could not wait to celebrate the baby.

We are so thank to Audrey, Christina, my mom, Anne and Arlene for putting this together. The room was so pretty with paper chains, diaper cakes and flowers. The food was amazing!! We have been eating left overs ever since. Everything was absolutely perfect!

Now on to the pictures....

My work buddies were there. It is not a party without them.

Grandma Hazel was front and center. Just where she should be.

Julie took this great picture of her uncle and cousin.

Julie and Andy had so many great friends there. They are so lucky to have such good kids around them.

Memere and Lauren!!

Me and the soon to be big cousin!! She is such a silly girl with her Auntie!!

Julie (along with Anabelle, Andy, Lina and Audrey)helped open some of the gifts for the baby. She is SET with diapers and wipes! I am always amazed by the generosity of our family and friends. Not just as far as gifts go, but support and love shown at every step and event in our lives.

Julie and Anabelle set up one of the new gifts Julie and Andy got.

There was a beautiful cake and cupcakes. There were cute owls all over!

Some of the party guests. So glad my cousin Summer and Aunt Joanne made the trip for us!

More of our awesome friends! We love the Arnolds!!

Friends that I have known all my life and can't imagine my life without!

Love our family!! And there is a good belly bump shot of me in the background.

The room as a whole. The paper chains all over the room was so fun! I can't wait to put it up all over the kids room.

Andy and his BFF. Andy was the same age as Everett at Christina and Brian's shower for Everett. They are great buddies and it is fun watching them enjoy each other.

So many gifts. It was overwhelming!

Love this cute octopus. I know Sadie will too!

3 Siblings

2011-09-22T20:51:00.000-07:00

I know I need a better picture. But we will always be able to say that Sadie was front and center at Andy's 3rd birthday.

My 3 Year Old Boy

2011-09-19T21:00:00.000-07:00

My big man turns 3 today. I can't even believe it. Where has the time gone??

Of course, he is the sweetest, most aware and caring 3 year old I have ever met.

We were so excited to celebrate him yesterday. He had been saying for months that he wanted a "woody buzz" birthday. But as it drew near, and after I bought everything for a Toy Story birthday, he switched to Thomas the Train.

So we went with it. He got to pick the cake.

And what a cake it was!!

Unfortunately, we got few pictures of all the guests, but here is one good one. Aunt Joanne and Cousin Lauren. Lauren was such a great sport, being passed all over the place! She loved it. She even tried to eat my sandwich!!

Fortunately, we did get some great pictures of the birthday boy.

He was being so cute and coy while we were singing to him. It was amazingly adorable.

The great/terrible thing about the cake, you could tell everyone who ate it by the amount of blue all over them. My fingers are still blue from cutting it!!

Case and point, a beautiful great grandmother with blue teeth!

Present time is always tough at this age, he wanted to open and play with every gift right then and there. But he had fun and he is such a loved (we are going to use loved instead of spoiled) little boy.

And he got excited about everything!

And was happy to model his new hat.

And his other new hat. This is the one he chose to wear today.

And after the guests all left, he tried on and played with all his other gifts.

And eventually, the birthday boy conked out. He had a great party, a blast with his friends, gifts galore and more blue cake than any boy should eat.

Today he got to hang out with Daddy and Sissy all day. They came into my work and he got some extra love from all my "work friends" (as Julie has dubbed them and fits perfectly!). Then we went to lunch. After naps we hit the park and came home to make cupcakes for his class tomorrow.

So a very happy birthday to my big man. You can brighten any day and fill any heart with love.

Proud

2011-09-13T21:40:00.000-07:00

Tonight my mom received her 25 year pin. That's right, 25 years working her rear end off at same place. She has had a few different titles and lots of different responsibilities.

The Assistant City Manager said many nice things about her. And then the Association President came up and said more nice things. And presented her with flowers. She is the first one to work at her department 25 years.

I am so proud of her. I think it is easy to find a new job when things get stagnant, or personalities clash, or you get overwhelmed. It takes a lot to have dedication, perseverance and loyalty. These are things that my mom has. Absolutely.

We are all proud of her. Go Memere!!!

Soccer Game!!

2011-09-10T20:57:00.000-07:00

Today Julie had her first soccer game. She has been practicing for the last 2 weeks, but honestly hadn't shown a whole lot of interest. John and I didn't know what to expect and were just hoping that once she got there she would go with the flow and get into it.

Well, she did!

Her team has 8 kids on it. They split the team into groups of 4 and each group plays on a separate field for a half hour. Then they switch and play the other half of the other team for half an hour. That means all the kids play the whole time. The coaches are out there as "referees" but mostly as coaches, which is great at this age.

There are no goalies, they all just run around after the ball.

This was at the first break. She ran over to give us high fives and she was happy but she said, "Mommy, they are not giving me a turn!" I explained to her that she didn't have to share, she could just go up and kick the ball, she didn't have to wait for a turn, she could just take it. Her response, "Can I push the other kids down??" Ummmmm, No.

She got much more aggressive after that little talk.

And she scored a goal!!! (If you click on this picture it will make it big and you can see how excited she is!!)

Also post-goal.

She is enjoying us cheering for her.

This was on the other field, and after I took this picture, she broke away and scored another goal!!

And after that, another!! That's right, 3 goals!!! We were so proud of how much fun she was having. She smiled the entire time she was out there, and she never stopped running. She was exhausted after!!

Looks like the start of a great season!!

To the Village

2011-08-30T21:14:00.001-07:00

Two weeks ago, we went to pick up Andy from school. And as we always do, we asked how he was today. His teacher replied, "Great, you never have to worry about him, he is such a good kid!"

Wow, that was nice!

This morning, when I dropped Julie off at school I was confronted by her teachers. Have to admit, I was a little nervous about what they were going to say.

But Mrs Noelle, the head teacher, started out with, "I can't tell you how wonderful Julie is in class every day!" Then she proceeded to go on and on about what a genuinely caring person she is. How she always wants to help everyone. How she is bubbly and happy all the time. And most of all, she gets along great with all of her classmates.

The whole time she was talking to me, the other teacher was nodding in agreement.

Yup, it felt great. Made my day.

All day I have been thinking about these nice complements and what truly amazing children we have. And especially, how they are becoming that way because of the amazing people they have behind them.

Its true, it takes a village to raise a child. And my kids have an awesome village.

Thank you village.

Summer

2011-08-26T14:35:00.000-07:00

Apparently we have been having a super busy summer. So busy, that I can not remember what we have been doing!!

I know last weekend, we went to warm the Cisneros house as the threw their first (of many!!) party in their new house!

We hit the beach last Sunday. Had a blast, just the 4 of us. Well, ok, 5.

One night last week, after we had put Andy to bed, this is where we found him.
The kids got to spend the day at Beth's house, which they think is the coolest thing ever. And this is what happened when we got home....
This week included Soccer practice for Julie and both kids starting the "school year" in their new classes. Another night, this is how we found Andy.
I guarantee, they are asleep in all 3 pictures. And, they are all different nights, even though Andy is wearing the same Jammies. They are some of his favorites. They get worn often.

So we have been having fun. So much fun, the kids can't even drag themselves to bed!

Gilroy Gardens

2011-08-15T20:04:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we had the most awesome day at Gilroy Gardens!! We had never been there before and didn't really know what to expect. We were so happy about everything we found!! We are definitely getting season passes next year! The whole park is geared towards smaller kids. Like 8 and under. I could have taken a thousand pictures, but I refrained.

We started out getting the kids face painted. Which ended up being not the best idea because there was water involved later on, but the were super happy about it.
Flying goldfish!!!!

Andy was so serious. He loved all the cars. I didn't get a shot of them on the fire engines, or the soaring strawberries.
The whole gang! We loved having Memere there with us! Everything is more fun with Memere!!
Yeah, the balloons were that fun!
On a lot of the rides, the kids got their own buggies, so they didn't have to compromise on the color. Obviously Julie picked purple! She is my daughter!
I was surprised that Andy wasn't that into the driving. But he enjoyed the ride.
Artichoke Dips!!
She wasn't scared to drive!!
It was a bit of a bummer I couldn't go on more rides. I did enjoy the monorail and the train was great!! But I really can't complain when this was the view I enjoyed while they were on all the rides!! This was the most beautiful park ever! All theme parks should also be botanical gardens!
It was such a great day! We were all exhausted! But there were no fits, no tantrums, no time outs. The kids ate their lunches without prompting and walked the entire time. We didn't even bring a stroller!!

Friends

2011-07-31T08:14:00.000-07:00

John and I have always been so blessed by our friends. We have great people in our lives that we can just be with, support and enjoy. Friends that we can count on and have fun with.

But what is even better than that?? Our kids do too

Julie took some of these, wish there were more of her, but she was having too much fun with her friends.
Hooray for baseball!
Everyone loves a good wresting match.
And helping a friend out when they need a little "push"
Oh, and all these adorable kids who Julie and Andy call friends, have pretty amazing parents too.

Yes, we are one lucky family!

Inspiration

2011-07-25T20:11:00.000-07:00

So I am getting ready to make a quilt for our new baby girl. I have only ever made one quilt before and that was for Veda. In order to get inspired, I pulled up the pictures of the blanket I made for her just a few months back.

I love the corduroy the best, it gave it a beautiful weight.

The binding also turned out really well. Thanks to some one on one tutoring from a great and talented friend.

Yup, will for sure do a similar trim and corduroy. But probably brighter colors, with more of a springy theme. She is going to be born in the cold, so something sunny would be good.

Thirty (that's 30!!)

2011-07-21T21:03:00.000-07:00

My handsome, wonderful, sweet, loving husband turned 30 yesterday!! He didn't want a fuss, so I invited our friends and family to a local baseball game to just sit, enjoy each other and celebrate John.

The birthday boy with Lauren!! He was the first to scoop her up so he could have ample cuddle time on his birthday!Then it was Auntie's turn!! When did I shrink? Seriously, am I getting shorter?
The kids enjoyed the time with their Pop-pop.

Aren't these little friends adorable? They had a great time visiting and playing. Then Julie confiscated my camera, and she took the rest of the pictures that evening.
Andy making his move. Audrey loved on him a little, but in the end, he was left heartbroken.

Memere and Delma! They were doing their best to keep warm, but it was getting mighty cold. Luckily, it was a good game and we were having so much fun, it didn't even seem like an option to leave early!
Cousins Valerie and Ryan with Dave, and the birthday boy and Cory in the background.
Grammy and her bouncing baby boy! (remember Julie took these pictures, so Grammy got a little chopped, but still a great picture.)
And more buddies. Since he was shot down by Audrey, he ran to his Mommies lap.....or was he trying to make eyes at Lina? Either way, he loves his Arnold girls!
Julie missed out on taking pictures of Auntie Audrey, Aunt Arlene and Uncle Hal, Grandpa Mel and Grandma CC, Cousins Stephen and Sarah and Joe. But they were all there to celebrate and enjoy the evening with us. The home team won and great fun was had by all.

Happy birthday handsome husband. We love you so much.

A Few of my Favorite Things!

2011-07-18T19:58:00.000-07:00

These are just a few of my favorite things lately.

Andy putting on his own flip flops. They are on the wrong feet. And the wrong toe. But he did it all by himself. And he has the cutest toes ever.

Julie asking if the baby is getting some of my cookie through her "umbilical plug"

Andy saying, "Julie, you are my best friend!"

And having my best friend and her family live so close that we can go on little road trips together.

I know the last on sounds silly, but if Christina still lived so far away, we would probably never get to do such awesome little outings like we did today. We met Christina and her adorable family at the Santa Barbara Zoo and had a great day. It included lots of animals, a picnic, duck-duck-goose, a train ride and fish food. My pictures don't tell the whole story, but its a start.

This boy loves his elephants!! He couldn't stop talking long enough for me to get a good picture!

Julie's favorites are always the giraffes. She was being a Grade A Cheeseball!

Julie worked on her big sister skills showing Everett how to feed the fish. We had pretty good success with no one going in the water and very little fish food in Everett's tummy.
And he got a sweet reward.
Yup, super happy our families get to be a part of each others lives. Can't wait for the next trip!

Baby Girl!!

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

We found out today that this beautiful bundle is a girl! We are so excited, and most of our guesses were correct. We all had a feeling it was a girl. Julie is very excited to have a sister. Andy was a little apprehensive at first, but is now just so happy to be a big brother and is telling everyone about his baby sister.

And, everything looks great. She is measuring right on track. Her heart is pumping like it should, her brain is developing great. He even said she had beautiful kidneys.

Now we just have to name this little sweetie, which we will share as soon as we decide.

Family Time

2011-07-10T20:50:00.000-07:00

Today we had some great family time. We went down to San Luis and walked around down town. We shopped and ate yummy lunch. The kids each got to pick out a new book at the book store. Then we found a super fun festival where the kids got to go in a bounce house and get their faces painted. Not sure if you can tell by the color scheme what kind of festival it was.

Julie and her pretty Unicorn Mask.

Andy and his Dragon.
Cute kids. This was minutes after they were done. By the time we got home, Andy's chin was all black once the dragon mixed with drool.

It was a super fun way to spend the afternoon.

The kids have been so sweet lately talking and thinking about their new sibling.

Yesterday Andy came up to me and put his arms around me and started singing "Rock a Bye Baby" and swaying back and forth. I thought he was being silly and wanted to play, so I started to pick him up to rock him like a baby. He got upset with me and said, "Mommy! I am singing to the new baby!!"

Then we were at the store with Memere last night and I wanted to look at this and Memere wanted to look at that. Julie, out of the blue said, "We need to go down the baby isle! I want to get some clothes for the baby!" I told her that as soon as we know if we are having a boy or a girl, she would get to pick out some clothes for the baby.

It amazes me, and completely melts my heart, that the baby is on their minds.

4th of July

2011-07-08T20:32:00.001-07:00

On the 4th, we went out and celebrated by watching the parade. It is the cutest little parade you have ever seen and we had lots of great company. Uncle Hal and Aunt Arlene were there. So were Grammy and Pop-pop. The Arnold family was there. Julie was so excited to see her buddy Lina! The Cisneros family was there. Andy was stoked to sit with his bud Everett. Memere came to hang out after the parade and we met up with Grandma Hazel, Grandpa, Grandma CC and Elliot and Andie at the park.

These two are serious buddies.

Baby Audrey (who is not even close to a baby anymore) had a comfy seat.
Doesn't that face just melt you into a gooey puddle??
More buddies in their outfits made by their Moms. Love the skirt Lina!!
At the park they had games set up. The donut on a string game was the only one my kids were really interested in. Shocking.
Julie didn't even hesitate.
This was a cool entry. A girl had made a little chicken coop on top of her wagon and was pulling around baby chicks. The kids thought it was great.
And how do you think he got blue all over his face??
Why that would be from a blue raspberry snow cone, of course!

After the parade, the park, some lunch and a much needed nap, we went over to the Cisneros house for a fantastic backyard barbecue! The food was amazing but the company was even better!

Sorry Brian. Since Julie took this picture, and its awesome,
Trucks, rocks and a pretty girl?! what more does Everett need????
I love this picture and how Avi and Andy are inspecting their ice cream cones and Julie is kicking back and enjoying.
4 kids in a tub.
Its amazing how much fun the kids can have in a little pool of water!
We had a great day because we spent it with great people.

Fifty is Nifty!!

2011-07-03T20:02:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow my Auntie Arlene turns 50!!! Yesterday there was a huge red white and blue party in her honor. It was a blast!! The pictures pretty much speak for themselves.

Andy couldn't be bothered to find a chair. Cake must be eaten immediately!!

Best way to pop bubbles? Get a taller cousin to pick you up.

Or hands always work too.
Andy would much rather be working on those bubbles....
Only she could pull this off!
So much cousin love was flying around. Julie and Lauren in their matching 4th of July skirts!
Julie and Elliot.
Another Julie and Lauren.
Best friends!! Aren't they cute!?
The Banks Family with the birthday girl.
Cousins!
Julie had the very important job of handing out necklaces. She did a great job and went up to everyone at the party.
Sisters!!
Party boy!
Oh no! She must have commented on his silly hat!
And the best part....the cake!! The kids were lined up.

And everyone sang their hearts out.

Happy birthday Aunt Arlene! We had a great time celebrating with you and hope to celebrate many many more!! We love you!!

Memere's Birthday and Cousins Day at the Beach

2011-06-30T20:37:00.001-07:00

I have been SO bad about taking pictures this summer!! I need to get better.

Case and point, it was my wonderful mother's birthday this past week and this is the only picture I got of the birthday girl. And to be honest, Julie took it!

But bad pictures or not, we celebrated Memere's birthday with a fun little pizza party. The Gasch's came, along with the Banks's. It was a great time.

Julie was dressed for the occasion.

And of course the kids helped bake and decorate a special cake just for their Memere!

Even though there were not the awesome family pictures I would have liked, we had a great time celebrating Mom and all she does for her growing family.

Then yesterday we got a special treat when cousins Summer, Emmanuel and Sophia came over to hit the beach. I took the afternoon off work, scooped up John and the kids and met them there. What a beautiful day it was.

Julie was really into playing in the sand. She is normally much more interested in the water. She did end up soaked head to toe, but built a fun castle complete with dam and mote.

Sophia had NEVER been to the beach before. She was very apprehensive about the sand and water. But she thought chasing her cousin Andy around was pretty fun...as long as mom did all the work!
Even her Dad couldn't convince her.
But it was enough to completely wear her out. Next time they come over (which all us Hunters hope is REALLY soon!!) I am sure we won't be able to keep up with her.

Happy Day.

2011-06-19T18:19:00.000-07:00

As we Hunters sit and enjoy a quiet Father's Day evening, I think of how lucky I am to have a wonderful man in my life who is an extraordinary father. Last night we went to cruise night in Pismo to watch all the beautiful old cars, eat some greasy food, and spend some time with Grandpa Mel and Grandma CC. Today, we swam in the wading pool, made a Father's Day cake,
and spent time together.

Today is also our 7 year wedding anniversary. In past years, we have gone to do something special, something just the two of us. But this year, I am so happy just spending the day with our family.

So Happy Father's Day, John. You are 100 times the father I hoped for my children. And Happy 7 year anniversary, I love you.

Veda

2011-06-17T18:41:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday morning, I brought the kids into work with me to meet Grandma, like I do every Wednesday. While we were waiting, a very excited husband called to say that Bess's baby was on the way. When Grandma got there, she was even more excited!

All day, I was on pins and needles waiting for the news.

Then it came, our niece, Veda, had arrived. And she was perfect, and Momma Bess was doing great.

John is getting ready to go see the new addition, and I can't hide the fact that I am more than a little jealous he gets to snuggle this bundle of love before I do. We are so happy for you Bess and Matt, and can't wait to get to see her and watch the amazing parents I know you will be.

Weekend Fun

2011-06-13T20:11:00.000-07:00

This weekend we went to the beautiful wedding of our friends Steven and Emily. I didn't take any pictures of the amazing bride or the handsome groom, or any other friends. All the pictures I took were of our crazy kids dancing!Andy found all the beautiful girls in the room and danced with them. Every time I looked up, he was dancing with another lady. None of them were people we knew. He would just walk up and ask them to dance, it was so sweet. I think this one was his favorite.
This was another one of his favorite partners.
Honestly, who could resist this boy!
But, he also didn't mind dancing solo.
Julie got herself an Uncle to dance with.
Andy even left his women long enough to dance with his old Momma.
Then, he got tired. Julie didn't really know what to do with him at this point.
They had so much fun at the wedding. We didn't get home until 10:30!!

The next morning we got up and went to Avila Valley Barn with the Cisneros Family. Julie picked out her own outfit.

We piled on the tractor and went out to pick berries and peaches.
Julie and Andy were great pickers. Everett was really good at picking and eating the berries his Daddy put in the basket.
And what does a boy who picked berries, and ate most of them, look like at the end of the day??
Yup, we had a great weekend. This was the first weekend in months it has been sunny and warm, so I am glad we got to take advantage of it!

Sweet Boy

2011-06-08T21:18:00.000-07:00

Andy, like any little boy, has his moments of being a terror. Sometimes he uses his hands more than his words. Sometimes he likes to run over Julie's dolls with his tractor. Sometimes he wipes his nose on my pant leg.

But then, the rest of the time, he is this sweet, caring, gentle boy.
Who reads books to his great grandmother.

Who explains every picture to her, even though she can't see the pages or hear what he is saying.
He is an amazing little man, well, big man, getting bigger every day. And every day I am so proud of him!

Oh, Yeah,

2011-05-31T19:23:00.000-07:00

We also got these awesome shirts this weekend! Our first baby related purchase!

Water Babies

2011-05-30T20:57:00.000-07:00

This weekend we did many fun things. We went to the park with friends, took a trip, just the 4 of us, to Santa Barbara Zoo, and went to Lina's birthday party! I didn't get many good pictures of anything, but I have proof that the kids had a BLAST in the pool!!

Julie barely got out to eat. We basically had to bribe her with cake to get her to take a break. She couldn't get enough.
This is my favorite picture EVER!
The water was only 18 inches deep...she owned the pool!

New

2011-05-22T14:02:00.000-07:00

We have had so many new things happening in our lives lately. Seemingly the big thing of selling the old, tiny house and moving into a larger, newer rental. That seems like a big deal, right?? Until I tell you the reason we did it......

We are having a new baby! The Hunters 4 are going to turn into the Hunters 5!!

John and I decided a while ago that we wanted another baby. We knew that it would not be ideal to stay in the house we were in, for many reasons (size, expense, etc) so we put it on the market and got a great feeling when 3 days later we had 4 offers. We knew, without a doubt, we did the right thing when just a few weeks later, we got pregnant.

A few weeks ago we told the kids. We were sitting at the dinner table and Julie was harassing John about wanting another brother and another sister. She has done this a few times and it is really funny. But this time, John had a different response. He told her we would be having one or the other, but probably not both. She was so excited that Mommy has a baby in her tummy. Andy was a little confused about the whole thing, for a while, he thought there was a baby in his tummy!! He is starting to get it a litle more now and is rubbing my belly every once in a while. He even kisses it some times.

Julie instantly started with the questions. Good questions like, "Does the baby have a heart?" "Where does the baby get its blood?" "Is the baby going potty in your belly?"

And one of my favorite conversations I have ever had with her:
Julie: "Mommy, is the baby going to get peepee on it when it comes out?" (she knows how they come out)
Me: "Maybe, but that s ok, Daddy will give him or her a bath as soon as they are born."
Julie: "Why aren't you going to give the baby a bath??"
Me: "I will probably be tired"
Julie: "Yeah, and your privates are going to be really owie!!"

Another fun one was when she asked how the baby was getting its food. So I explained a little about umbilical cords and how we all had them, that is why we have belly buttons. She asked what happened to hers and I told her the truth, that Daddy cut it off. (Evil, yes) She seemed ok with that, especially after I told her that he cut off Andy's too. John was at work at the time, but I can guarantee he got some questions from her when he got home.

Today we took the kids to the doctor with us and he did a little ultra sound, so they got to see their little brother or sister. Andy was concerned that it was hurting Mommy, but after being reassured, he was intrigued. I am not sure if they fully understood what they were looking at, but it sure makes it more real for me.

So she is excited, and convinced it is a sister, we are excited, and I know Andy will be more and more excited as he starts understanding more. The new babe is due to arrive around November 24th, which happens to fall on Thanksgiving this year. Sounds like a great time for a birthday to me! Andy will be 3. Julie will almost be 5. And it will be awesome.

A Great Day for This Mother!!

2011-05-08T15:19:00.000-07:00

I woke up this morning (quite late, actually) and came downstairs to be immediately stopped and drug to the dining room table. This beautiful sight was waiting for me....

Inside the card that Julie made me was this list of answers she gave her teacher. It made me laugh, smile and cry, all at the same time. My favorites, pretty as a necklace and smart enough not to touch owie snakes....think I can put that on my resume??
Then we went to my mom's house for some delicious breakfast and taking a few pictures. Julie took this one.
Mommas and babies.
Love this one!
Me and some special girls.
We came home and the kids took naps while John cleaned out my car! A much larger undertaking than either of us would like to admit, but I am so grateful, especially since I went to get a pedicure while the work was being done.

Not sure what we are going to do the rest of the day, but so far it has been beyond perfect! I am so lucky to have such an amazing family. And not because they spoil me one day a year, but because they treat me like a queen every day!

Easter!!!

2011-04-25T20:33:00.000-07:00

Easter started out with a wonderful scooter ride! This Easter was our first holiday in our new house! We all got up and the Easter bunny had come so the kids tore through their baskets and found all kinds of things for their new rooms. They were very excited. But at that point, I had yet to find my camera, so I got no pictures. It was quite the mess anyway, so probably better off.

After baskets we got all gussied up and went to church with Memere. They had an egg hunt there that was a huge hit. (Notice the one at his feet....he didn't! He ended up kicking it and running off)

Julie was hard to find because she was all over the place finding eggs. Both kids filled their buckets.

Then it was back to Memere's for breakfast and a few more Easter goodies.

When we got home, the Easter Bunny had come back to our house and hid eggs (he can't see in the dark, ya know). The kids were so excited.

Around dinner time, most of the family came over for Easter Pizza! We had Memere, Grammy and Pop-pop, Grandma Hazel, Grandpa and CC, Uncle Hal and Auntie Arlene, Cousins Stephen and Sarah and Christina, Brian and this brown eyed boy.....

Brian was convicted of some heinous crime and spent much time in jail. Julie had evidence that she got at the store so he was locked up tight.

I am so bad at taking pictures of adults, I only ever take pictures of the kids! I will really have to work on that. I will also take more pictures of the house as we get settled, but here is a little teaser....Happy Easter!!

Soccer Studs

2011-04-14T22:01:00.000-07:00

Today the kids started soccer again....well, again for Julie, but for the first time for Andy!

Andy was so excited to get to play soccer with Coach Logan just like Julie does. He was such a good listener and played the whole time. He scored a few goals with very little help from his hands.

I didn't get any pictures of his face because he was seriously concentrating on the ball the whole time. And it was bright out.

But he took the whole thing very seriously and had a really good time. It is so nice to have him be a big kid who gets to do all the cool things that Sissy does! I love the Soccer Stamp!Then it was Julie's turn. To say that she has improved would be a major understatement. She is doing so well, focusing, listening to the coach and kicking the ball all over the place. She had so much fun scoring goals.

Notice the concentration.....

She kept up with those boys no problem, even showed them a thing or two.

I am so proud of my soccer playing kids! They get out there and have fun and listen to every word the coach says.

Quickies

2011-04-05T20:02:00.000-07:00

Andy:

Last night we went to the shoe store. I happened to find an awesome pair of Buzz Lightyear sandals on clearance! They were just right for Andy for this summer, so he put them on, put his tennis shoes in the box and off we went. After carrying around the box for a few minutes he said, "Mommy, Memere gave me these shoes. We better give them back to her." I reassured him it was ok for him to keep them.

Julie:

Tonight we were watching a show on TV where kids had to make a family tree. One of the girls was Japanese and she drank tea and ate with chopsticks. Now, Julie, being a kid who loves her sushi, eats with chopsticks and drinks miso soup, figured she too, was Japanese. We politely told her that she was not Japanese. She proceeded to stomp into her room and pout.

Cute Cousins

2011-03-26T20:32:00.000-07:00

We have been really busy the last few weeks. I have been working a lot of extra hours (thanks to Budget Season), we have all taken quite a few turns being sick (too many turns, but we are all healthy today, so knock on some wood), packing (we are moving back to A-town!! Yay!!!!), going to school (Andy can now count to 19 perfectly with 1 to 1 correlation), and doing all kinds of other fun things.

Like hanging out with Lauren!! And Uncle Justin and Aunt Audrey of course! The all came over with Memere last weekend and we got a few cute pictures. I think Lauren is already fitting in with this silly, wild bunch!
Andy is a huge fan of his cousin. He likes to hold her, love on her and look at her toes. He especially likes to hold her.
Wonder where he gets that from?!?
I think Lauren is a fan of her Uncle John too.
If it ever stops raining here, we are looking forward to some sunshine and time at the park or beach or something!! So stay tuned, Spring is around here somewhere.

Two and a Half

2011-03-20T14:05:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was this adorable boys half birthday!! I can't believe he is 2 and a half! He is such a sweet, smart, silly, caring, adorable boy.

He makes me laugh all the time by doing silly things just to make me laugh. And he says things like, "Mommy, I am going to eat my lunch, does that work for you?" and "I be riiiiight back. Stay there!!"

He is growing so fast and changing every day. I am so proud of my big boy!

Green Kids

2011-03-17T23:14:00.000-07:00

Today was St. Patty's Day, so the kids had to go to school in green!!! We didn't go too wild, just dug through the closets looking for green. Then Julie had the idea that she wanted green hair ties. So she found 8 green hair ties and wanted them ALL in her hair.
So she went to school like this...
Yup, pretty silly.
Don't think this little man was all the way awake for our photo shoot, but he was a good sport. As long as I didn't try to take away his waffle, he was fine.

Skater Girl

2011-03-06T19:13:00.000-08:00

Even though our kids have bikes, scooters, skateboards, and a wagon, when we came across these roller skates at the second hand store, we could not pass them up. I mean, they were $6 including the knee and elbow pads!

We brought them home and Julie immediately wanted to put them on and go for it. She was all set, but just couldn't get up on her own.
When she got to her feet, she held my hand to the end of the driveway, then she just let go and started going herself. And these skates are not the kind that only go forward, they are free rolling!
When she was tuckered out, which didn't take long because skating is hard work, it was Andy's turn. He was so wild, legs going everywhere, "running" in place. He didn't last very long, and Julie and I never let go of him, but he had fun.
All in all, $6 well spent.

On an unrelated note, last night we went out to dinner with my mom and Julie was sitting there eating her dinner. She said, "Memere, I am curious. Curious means 'What the heck?!?!?!'"

We all busted out laughing. Her inflection and expression were perfect. So funny.

4 Year Well Check

2011-03-02T19:56:00.000-08:00

I can not believe my little girl is 4! But it must be true since Dr Patterson said so! She went in today and got weighed (42 lbs, 88th Percentile) and measured (40.3 inches 58th Percentile). Dr Patterson was so excited to see her that the nurse had to tare her away from his dancing to get her measurements!

He checked her over and then started to see how she was doing developmentally. He knows she can talk, or that she never stops, and every question he had for us (her parents) she butted in and answered. He asked her to count to 10 and cut her off when she got to about 30.

He was a little taken back by her abilities, and when I told him he could spell too, he said he would rather not believe it. He deemed her ready for Kindergarten (though she doesn't start til 2012) and a healthy girl!

Happy Birthday Cousins!!!!

2011-02-27T20:14:00.000-08:00

I have three very special cousins that live in town. They all have birthdays within a month and a half of each other. And this year, we got to celebrate all three of them!! We also had the honor of making the cakes for all 3!!! I can not say how excited the kids were about this.

First was Stephen. He got a rectangular cake with orange accents.
I LOVE this picture!
The cake was delicious.
Next was Mariah. At her birthday, Uncle Hal busted out the popcorn maker. He is awesome!
Andy shared his with Buzz.
Mariah got a circle cake with spots of sprinkles. And that cake says 17, not 11, just for the record.

Most recently was Jordan, and he got a triangle cake.....Julie's pick.
Jordan thought it might be a state, I agree it looks a lot like Vermont or New Hampshire.
This is just a cute shot.

With the birthday boy.

All this partying makes us tired!!
I am so lucky to have awesome cousins who such great people and always there for me. Happy Birthdays Stephen, Mariah and Jordan!! We love you!

And

2011-02-22T18:23:00.000-08:00

Tonight at dinner we were taking turns talking about our day. Both kids go to school on Tuesday, I go to work, and John works his rear off to keep the house habitable and do other projects, as it is the only day one of us is off without little helpers. Andy had told us how he played in the sandbox and finger painted. John helped Uncle Sean fill a hole and cleaned the house.

Then it was Julie's turn. Today they learned about the word "and". They are learning the sight words, or high frequency words, right now, and she is really catching on and doing great, but while she was telling us about it, this is what was said:

Daddy: "What did you learn about the word and?"
Julie: "you use it when you talk about 2 things."
Daddy: "Did you learn to spell it?"
Julie: "A-N-D"
Daddy: "What does that almost spell?"
Andy: "ME!!!!!"

Seriously. That boy is so smart. I didn't even know he was listening and not just shoving quesadillas into his mouth!

Father Daughter Dance

2011-02-12T19:59:00.000-08:00

Last night John took Julie to the Father Daughter Dance. I don't think Julie really understood what was in store, but she was excited. Even though she is not much of a dress up girlie girl, she picked out a dress from the stash of hand-me-downs.
And she sat still while I curled her hair. Her hair is really thick and has a lot of texture, so it took to the curls beautifully.
When her date was ready we took a few pictures.

Then it was "See ya Momma!!" and off they went!
Lucky for me, Beth sent Tyson with a camera, so I got an action shot!About two and a half hours later, they came home. Julie was half asleep and shoeless on her Daddy's shoulder. A successful night, I would say!

Party like you're 4!!

2011-02-06T20:19:00.000-08:00

Today we celebrated Julie's birthday with bunches of family and friends! It was a beautiful day, in the 70's (sorry east coast relatives) and it felt so good to be outside.

The kids had a blast playing together, everyone seemed to find a buddy. These two were definitely the most cooperative when it came to getting their pictures taken.
So were their Mamas. Christina and April with their boys Everett and Eli.
Mason was stylin while his Uncle Tom pushed him around the yard.
There was a pink and purple bounce house thanks to the magnificent Memere! To say it was a hit would be a huge understatement.
The birthday girl!!! (as she called herself all day)
Yeah, they are that cute in real life too.
See what I mean with the cooperation??
Again, with the adorableness.
Dawson and Julie shared a nice shady lunch.
Then it was time for cupcakes.
Everyone gathered around to sing.

She was so happy.
It looks like I am having story time, but all the kids helped Julie open her gifts. It was really sweet how they all helped and ooohed and ahhhed over everything.
And Julie was so excited about each gift. After everyone left, we went through everything again and again. And read most of the books. I LOVE new books, and so does Julie!
Auntie Arlene had a turn in the bounce house. Actually, quite a few of the grown ups did, but most of the pictures are very hard to see.
And since I didn't have the camera while we were saying goodbye to all our wonderful, amazing friends, I got my picture taken with some of them! YAY!

That never happens!

So happy 4th birthday to my beautiful, smart, loving, inquisitive, sassy girl. Can't wait to see what the next year holds!

Elephant Seals

2011-02-04T18:54:00.000-08:00

This is not Rachel. This is Ann Jutras, the blessed grandmother to two amazing children who fill my life with joy. I have them each and every Friday, and it is the favorite day of my week. Today, we traveled to San Simeon and visited the breeding grounds of the elephant seals. As we approached the area, Julie looked toward the view below and commented "there are so many rocks out there". So I proceeded to explain.....

All of what was offered was only fodder for more questions. And I had so much fun answering those inquiries. Julie never misses a beat. "What are they doing?", and "Doesn't that hurt?" and "Whose baby is that?" was just the beginning of the questions.

So we went to the basics and explained. And with a new cousin born just a few days before, Julie seemed to understand. Andy was just having too much fun climbing and loving being outdoors.

So Andy ran around, made friends, hugged unsuspecting children and ran some more. Julie was poised just like this in about seven different vantage points. She was engrossed in the activity that Mother Nature offered. The seals flipped sand over their bodies to shield the sun; the males fought for territory, the females nursed their babies, and the pregnant ones dug holes to deliver. Julie caught every little thing that was happening.

And while the girl child reflected on the cycle of life, the boy child amused himself with one little pole in the whole boardwalk and sang "ring around the rosie...."

And it was an amazing experience. The children were enriched. Then we dined at the Moonstone Grill. Julie told everyone there she had eaten there before. So worldly. They were perfectly behaved, ate like they had never before and entertained every person in the group. They all wished us well when we left, for they all knew Julie's big 4th Birthday Party was Sunday.

And here we are approximately three minutes outside of the Moonstone Grill. My goodness, did we have fun. It took me (long way) an hour to get home and I just couldn't stop. I continued on and drove for another hour. We then played at the park, cooked mommie her dinner and took a bath. Another perfect day for Memere. It just doesn't get any better than this!!!

4?!?!?!

2011-02-01T20:02:00.000-08:00

Can't believe my big girl is 4! I am not sure how it happened, but this morning, she ran down the hallway into our room asking, "Mommy, am I 4 now? Is today my birthday?"

She quickly got dressed, so excited to go to school and tell everyone it was her birthday. She helped Daddy pick out her outfit.
John, Memere and I went to her school at lunch time with a large amount of cupcakes. Her classmates all sang happy birthday to her as she danced in front of the class.
Then she helped pass out the cupcakes and napkins.
After school we went to players for dinner where they brought her an ice cream sundae. She was surprised and very excited!

Grandma, Pop-pop, Mimi and Uncle Sean all joined us for dinner.
I asked her as I was tucking her into bed if she had a good birthday. She said, "Yes! Can I have another birthday tomorrow?"

Lauren Amelia

2011-01-31T21:37:00.000-08:00

Our beautiful niece Lauren Amelia was born at 12:22 am on January 31st. She is such a perfect little princess. I could not wait to get my hands on her and see how the family was doing, so I went down to the hospital before work to get a sneak peek. And she was just as I expected.
After work, and much anticipation, we brought the kids down to meet their new cousin. Andy could not wait. He was asking all day, "can I hold the baby??" Can't you just see the love??

Julie was a little more shy. I think Lauren was smaller than she expected, and she was a little intimidated.
Not Andy. He slapped my hand away and said, "Mommy, let go, she's mine!!"
Luckily Memere still had her and Andy didn't notice.
Julie, not to be outdone by her little brother, took a brief turn.
And came around. She was loving on her, and talking to her.
Andy pouted the whole time anyone else was holding her. He was pretty ridiculous.
The Sprung grandparents got there just as we were leaving. The room was filled with love and aww for the beautiful bundle. Obviously there were some key players left out of the photo shoot today (new momma, Memere, Auntie.....) but there will be so many more opportunities. Can't wait!
And the stats, just because I am sure you all want to know:
7 pounds 2 ounces
20 1/2 inches long
Born 1/31/11 at 12:22 am.

Bess and Matt...The Baby Shower Edition

2011-01-24T20:02:00.000-08:00

Bess and Matt have been out visiting this week. Since this is probably the only time they will be here before their little girl arrives, we decided it would be fun to throw them a baby shower.

I was having so much fun, that I neglected my normal picture taking. But we got a couple.

The stack of gifts.
The always wonderful Grandma Hazel.
Both kids were so excited about the peppermints! Their breath is still fresh!!!
Ham.
Julie loves to help open presents, and she was right in the middle of most of my pictures. Bess and Matt got quite a few things to help them prepare for their little bundle!
The Parents-to-be. And the sweetest bump.
After the party died down, the kids got a few stories read to them by Auntie Bess. Cousin Valerie got in on the action. You can't really tell, but Andy was in heaven surrounded by his blond beauties.
We are so excited for Matt and Bess! We can't wait to see her sweet little face!

Best Part

2011-01-19T23:05:00.000-08:00

The best part of the snow trip for me was on the way up there. We stopped on the way up for lunch at Carl's Jr. Julie had to use the potty, so she and I went to the bathroom. We had this conversation:

Julie: Mom, how come my feet don't touch the ground? (like when she is going potty)
Me: They will when you grow up and get taller
Julie: Like when I am a Mommy?
Me: Yes, if you decide to be a Mommy when you grow up.
Julie: I want to be a Mommy........Does Heaven know I want to be a Mommy when I grow up?
Me: (melt at the sweetness) I am sure Heaven knows.
Julie: (SCREAMS) Heaven!!! I want to be a Mommy!!!!!

Snow Trip

2011-01-17T19:26:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we took the kids on a surprise adventure. We begged all our friends for snow clothes and sleds, snuck them into the car, and headed north. I am sure my family on the east coast will laugh when I say we drove 3 hours to find snow. When Julie spotted the first blotch on the ground, she was so excited!

The day play area was closed, so we went into Yosemite to play. The kids were so ready, and a little annoyed Mom and Dad were holding them up! And it was pretty warm out, so it was a good way to start our first snow outing.
Julie could not wait to sled! She thought it was great, wanted to go head first, backwards, faster and farther! Where we went in Yosemite was actually just a closed road, no set sled runs or anything. We made do.

Andy thought sledding was pretty awesome too, but instead of walking back up, he would crawl. Goofy.

This is how warm it was! Or how unprepared we were. At least the kids were warm! Poor Daddy.

They thought it would be a good idea to roll down the hill.

When John saw this picture, he said, "Looks like Andy just leveled her..." I said, "He is helping her up...." Either way, its a cute shot.

After playing for about an hour and a half, we headed back to the hotel, where it was 65 degrees, no snow and beautiful. They had a park that we visited for a bit, then we went in the indoor heated pool. It was fun to play in the snow, then go put our bathing suits on!

The next morning we got an early (so early!!) start, and got to the day play area before the crowds. Both kids were excited to sled again.

Unfortunately, since we got there so early, it was still really cold! So it was a full jacket morning.

This green sled was so much fun. I wish I was able to get more pictures but the kids were seriously flying down the hill, so there was no opportunity to. When Andy first went down, he put one knee on the sled, then it took off down the hill! He was just able got his other knee on, but didn't even have time to hold on! He flew down the hill with his arms up in the air, on his knees! He is so studly.

The kids enjoyed a few minutes of quiet, then the ran to us saying they were freezing. Andy was yelling, "Me in the truck please!!!"

So we got home with plenty of time to get everything in the wash, truck unpacked and chores done. We are definitely going to be visiting the snow more often. We all had a blast....and we are all going to sleep good tonight!

Happy Birthday Mimi!

2011-01-13T18:31:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we went out to the ranch to celebrate Mimi's birthday! We are all so lucky to have this special, amazing, inspirational person in our lives

Her birthday was on 1-11-11 this year! How cool is that?!?!

The kids waited anxiously to help blow out the candles.
Mimi is such a good sport!
Happy Birthday Mimi! We love you!

Butterfly Adventure

2011-01-10T19:39:00.000-08:00

On Sunday we went down to Pismo to look at the butterflies. When we got there, we discovered that we were either too late, or there just aren't as many butterflies as there used to be.

The kids did find one close enough for them to really look at.
Then they practiced being butterflies.

We walked all along the path, looking at the ducks, until we got to the beach area.

Andy loved running down the dunes.
John told me to jump....so I did.
Then Julie did.
Then Andy thought about it.....but didn't.
Sweet girl singing and having fun.
And this is what I did the whole time.......
Not really, only for enough time to John to take a picture. It was such a beautiful day. Even though the butterflies were MIA, we had a great time.

And it was so crazy because when we got there, Julie said, "We have been here before with Memere, but no Daddy."

She is correct, Mom and I took her there once.

She then said. "We didn't go in this gate, we went in the gate with the bushes."

Again, she was correct, there is another gate at the other end that has shrubs on either side of it. And she remembered this from when we were there last time....almost exactly 2 years ago.

Big Boy's Big Day

2011-01-06T20:00:00.000-08:00

Andy started preschool on Tuesday! My big man was so excited, talked about it for days before hand. Ever since his second birthday he has been asking to go to school, but we hadn't felt like he was quite ready.

Well, he's ready now!

So Tuesday morning, he got up, had a big breakfast and was ready to roll. Look how grown up (and annoyed) he looks in this picture!!
He was also so excited to carry his lunch box. When I took him to the store to pick one out, they didn't have any Toy Story, or "Woodiebuzz" ones, so he looked at me and said, "Lets go to another store Mommy."

When we got there he was confident and happy. He made himself at home and didn't even bother to look up for pictures.
We kissed him goodbye and when John picked him up after his 9 hours of school, he was happy and still playing. The teachers said he did awesome. And he ate all of his lunch.

Today was his second day at school. When I picked him up, they said he was happy all day, smart, talkative and very fun. I asked him if he ate all of his lunch and he said, "No, I didn't eat the spoon in there." I had given him applesauce and a spoon to eat it with. Smartie pants.

Christmas

2010-12-26T19:32:00.000-08:00

We had a few fun festivities leading up to Christmas Eve....so by the time it got here, the kids were ready and wired!

Christmas Eve is also my Mother-in-Laws birthday, so we planned a little family lunch celebration. The kids were wild with anticipation! And dressed adorably, so I tried to snap a few shots before everyone got here.

By the time Grandma and Pop-pop got here, Julie had told the entire neighborhood that it was Grandma's Birthday! And that they had made a cake for her.

We found Andy a few hours later with a spoon helping himself to the cake, but we were able to salvage it for the party.

When Grandma arrived, she got lots of extra kisses and hugs.

And plenty of extra help eating her cake.

And Uncle Sean got help opening his presents too.

After the birthday party, and a nap, the kids and Daddy checked the computer to see where Santa was.

Then the kids put out reindeer food before we went off to church. (by the way, thank you again Kari for the AMAZING hand-me-downs....and great timing too!)

After church, a Hunter Family Tradition of Daddy reading "T'was the Night Before Christmas" and then off to bed! It took seconds for the kiddos to be out.

But only after they left cookies and milk for Santa.

And Santa loved them so much, he spoiled the kids (almost) rotten.
I think Andy's stocking needs a little TLC before it goes back in the box...who made that thing anyway!?!

Julie came running into our room after sleeping til 7 am (!!!!) screaming, "Santa brought us SCOOTERS!!!!!

Andy got Buzz.

Testing out the scooters.

Andy wanted Woodie and Buzz to ride his too.

Can you tell it was a fun Christmas morning?
Soon Uncle Justin, Aunt Audrey and Memere came to join the fun.

Andy got a cool bowling game. We didn't have the heart to tell him you don't bowl by kicking the ball.

Princess Goofball.

Daddy and Uncle Justin putting together the Basketball Hoop for the kiddos.

Santa brought Julie a kite that she brought out to the street and was flying within 5 seconds. It was amazing, she was running all over the place with the kite flying behind her.

Basketball was great fun, til the ball got Julie in the nose. When she saw this picture as I was writing the blog, she said, "Mommy, brother is so good at basketball, maybe he should play for me."

After a long nap by both kids and Mommy, we went of to Grandma Hazel's for Christmas Dinner. The kids immediately started playing with Aunt Sharron.

When Grandpa got there, the decided he needed a nap....they know their Grandpa!

Andy got a train that was the hit of the evening. Grandpa, Daddy and Uncle Ted put it together.

Andy TRIED to wait patiently....
And finally his train was up and running. Julie was so excited to make tunnels. It worked...periodically.

Christmas is an amazing time. But it means so much more with little ones who believe in the magic and family that makes the magic happen. Luckily for me, I have both.

Holiday Catch Up

2010-12-22T21:52:00.000-08:00

We have been doing so many fun things, that not only have I not been blogging, but they are so fun I can not be bothered to bring my real camera! So all these pictures on this picture filled blog are from either my phone or Johns. Good thing our phones have nice cameras, otherwise we would have missed out!

First off, John had surgery on his wrist to correct some tendinitis. It was a quick, in and out surgery, and the actual cut is only about 2 inches, but he had to wear this beauty for about 5 days, and has been off work ever since. So that has been a major upside!
We went to the Christmas Parade in San Luis Obispo. The kids really wanted to see Santa, who of course was on the last float of the parade.

Andy was so patient.
Julie was a little less patient, but still did very well!
Me and my sweet boy being patient together. They made it to see Santa. It was so fun, they danced, clapped, and yelled at Santa!
The next weekend, we went to Winter Wonderland with Memere. There was a mini carousal, which Memere was wonderful enough to go on with the kids, since I don't do so well with the whole round and round thing. I love this picture!
And there was snow!!!!! The kids were so excited and threw snowballs and fell on their bottoms. Julie didn't deter from her normal bossy ways....notice the hands on her hips....
Andy was all about the snow balls.
But the snow is deceiving. The next day we went to Avila Valley Barn to feed the animals. It was about 70 degrees. Notice the shorts and sleeveless dress!

And the next day was even more amazingly warm, close to 80 degrees at the beach....so that is where we went! And we had so much fun! Of course, I always think, "they will just play in the sand, they won't want to go in the water, we won't wear bathing suits...."

And I am ALWAYS wrong!!!!!

And now, this week, we are being drowned in rain. So I leave you with our kids creative way to occupy themselves when they can't go outside.....a kitchen train. It is a circus kitchen train...Andy told me the chair behind him was for the elephants.
There, all the fun we have been having getting in the Christmas Spirit! The next few days are going to be even MORE fun!!!

Quick Quotes

2010-12-15T07:57:00.000-08:00

We have been having so much fun doing all the wonderful holiday activities like seeing Santa, sewing, playing in the snow at Winter Wonderland, watching Buffy, eating sushi and drinking beer with Christina and Brian.....wait, that isn't holiday....well, the holidays are all about loved ones right?! Basically, we have been having way to much fun for me to sit down and blog, so while I get pictures and such together, I will leave a few quotes.

On Sunday we took the kids to the beach because it was 75 degrees and beautiful. On the way there, Andy was shoeless and had his feet up on the back of John's chair. We had the windows down while we were driving and Andy cries out, "Daddy! My toes are all windy!!!!"

Monday night Julie and I were wrestling and she backed up to charge at me. As she ran towards me she yelled, "I am gonna get you like a hippopotamus!"

Baby Shower Fun!

2010-12-05T19:51:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we threw my beautiful sister-in-law, Audrey, a baby shower. I decorated the house and worked on the desserts. My mom, Aunt Arlene, and cousin Mariah all worked so hard on the food and it was delicious.

On to the pictures! Here is my mom, Audrey and I. She has the cutest little bump.
Cupcakes!
The spread. Mom made 4 different quiches and each one was amazing. Arlene and Mariah did the salad, fruit, pastries, and amazing mozzarella/tomato/basil salad.
My sweet cousin and her creation.
Our good friends Samantha, Hannah and Sue. Love these ladies!
Mom and Everett. He was such a good boy, being passed around and loved on by every grandma in the room.
Sisters.
These are some of our coworkers. These are generous, supportive, amazing women. We are so lucky to work with each and every one of them.
Present time!
Everyone was so attentive!
The crowd.
My kids were having so much fun, I barely saw them. Our friend Christopher brought his Duplos to share with the kids and they were so happy. Andy did come down periodically to get a bite to eat and give a little love. With his BFF Everett.
With Cousin Mariah.
Julie and her tower. She loves playing with Symantha (with the pirate boots). She has not stopped talking about her! About a minute after this picture, the tower went down the stairs. Whoops!
Here we are, the shower throwers with the guest of honor.
We can not wait to meet the beautiful baby girl. She will be here before we know it and, after yesterday, her mommy and daddy are a little more prepared.