Beach time!

We purchased a groupon for Newport Aquarium tickets, as did our friends the Ross's, so a beach trip was therefore in order! We stayed at a place a little south of Newport called Waldport. Not much to Waldport, but who needs much really when you have the Ocean! The house was really nice, although when we got there, all the beds were unmade, and had clearly been slept in. So, we had to do a little laundry, but are getting our housekeeping fee back! It was a really relaxing trip, and the kids had their own little bunkroom with pingpong table and big screen tv....and adults rooms downstairs, plus it was a beachfront place. We enjoyed quality time with friends, played lots of Dominoes, hung out on the beach for a bit (it was pretty chilly), enjoyed a trip to the Aquarium, and did a lot of laundry.... :-) We for happy to get away and put our toes in the sand for a bit!

Annabelle...creating with shells :)

Annabelle, Ella R, Ella C, Tobin...gettin their feet wet!

Girls!

Chris and I, and our infamous, one-armed shot :)

All the sleepy kiddos...sometime in the 7:00 am hour...

All of us (minus Chris who is taking the pic), at the Aquarium

Jelly Fish

Little miss cutie pie Ella ;)

These three sharks all converged and ran into each other! The sharks are definitely the best part of the Aquarium.

Annabelle!

Cali vacation 2011!

This was the highlight of my summer so far! Such a treat to be with all my siblings for a week. We had a lot of fun together, eating, wine tasting, and playing. Not a bad life at all. Although, all good things do come to and end, and that happened for us in Roseburg, OR. We were almost home, on the last 4 hours of the trip, when after our lunch stop to McDonalds, the car refused to start. So, after some deliberation and frustration, we surrendered and called a tow truck and booked a night at the Super 8 in Roseburg. God is good though, we got the CRV into a Honda repair shop that morning and he had us out by 11! The girls consequentially thought that Hotel stay was the best part of the trip! Hmmm. I guess adventures are what these little ones live for :)

Varenyky making night. MMMM. SO. GOOD.

Mario's Ristorante Italiano!

A little nature....

My Belle :)

Mom and Jay, after Jay finished the San Fran marathon!

Jay, me and Bethany

Chris and Annabelle, enjoying a Mexican Brunch in San Francisco

Bethany, me, Chris and the girls

Two little girls, dipping their feet in Grandma's pond :)

Chris and I, wine tasting with Jay and Megan

Snow Cone!

Family pic at Mario's

My mom and siblings :)

Mom and Belle being silly!

Smores!!

Berry picking fun!

Ballet galore!

So we enrolled Annabelle in ballet at the beginning of the school year, as she was asking for a dance class. And Ella we enrolled in a ballet class mid-year, as she was just plain bored, and needed something of her own since she was not yet in school. So, we did a lot of driving to and fro on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and then recital season came upon us, and it was pure madness. Seriously. Pictures, and rehearsals, and more rehearsals, and dress rehearsals. Then, the recital, which after all the rehearsals, you feel like you have already done it all! But, man, how fun it is to watch those beautiful little girls dance with a huge smile on their faces, on stage. It was a crazy, but fun experience. :)

Suprise family extravaganza!

The day begins with taking the girls ice skating for their first time :) This is the ambitious group who has not stepped on the ice yet!

Here is Annabelle having a fabulous time ice skating, with many falls and all, she loved it!

Chris and Annabelle skated for about 2 hours together!

So here are Ella and I, about 45 minutes in, off the ice, as I fell pretty badly on my knee, and Ella bumped her head on the ice. We became the official picture takers.

The girls of course chose McDonalds for lunch, and Ella found a very clever way to
hold her drink :)

And our last stop was the $3 movie theater to watch "Despicable Me". I was happy to put my leg up, and the girls laughed quite a bit. Great family movie! We ended the lovely day with pizza making and yet another movie (Toy Story 3), and then we put two very tired girls to bed :)

Rainy fun

We spent some time in downtown Portland, rain, cold and all, with Chris' dad and stepmom and sister. It was kinda crowded, and cold for us old people, but the girls had a BLAST, skipping down the street in puddles, walking with umbrella's, riding the MAX train, and being with their family! Oh how I need their perspective more in my life. Thank goodness it is a new year! :)

Christmas 2010

This Christmas was different for me than ever before. I hosted Christmas this year, and usually when I host, I am completely preoccupied with the details so as to make everyone's Christmas experience a relaxing and fun one, and in the process I lose perspective, and forget that Christmas is time for reflection on Christ's birth, not to mention end up using credit cards so that everything is just perfect! This year, I chose not to do that, and I just let everyone help out with the meal, and details, and it was such a joyful Christmas. Plus, I had my mom and dad and brothers here, we were definately missing my baby sister, but it is not that often that we all get together, and it was in my home. My dad's snoring and all....I wouldn't trade it for the world :-)

Ella and Uncle Ian (my younger brother)

Ella and Tata (Chris' sister)

The girls singing happy birthday to Jesus! A tradition from my childhood :)

My family at my church for Christmas Eve service

The whole family :) I love these people and feel extremely blessed!

decking the halls

I am really into the Christmas spirit this year, and am loving all the decor and music around me, thus had a pretty fun time sprucing up the house this year! We even put lights on the outside of our house this year...first time ever!