Staycation

My kids had the week of Presidents Day off from school, and lots of times we head to Utah to visit. This year we decided to stay home and just relax. On Monday Connor had a pick-up soccer game with his Vaqueros team. It was beautiful weather and a nice morning at the park.


I didn't actually get to see much of the game because I had to keep chasing this fairy princess as she flitted between the soccer fields and the playground. I can't wait for the day when I can go to one of my kids games and actually get to sit and enjoy watching them play!


After Connor's game we met some friends we don't get to see often enough at a park for lunch. Then we got to bring them to our house to hang out for the afternoon. Unfortunately I didn't get a picture of the two boys together, they never slowed down enough for me to get one!


On Wednesday I had to attend the funeral of dear friend's father-in-law. He was an incredible man and lived a full, good life. I will miss his funny stories in his cute little Filipino accent and I will really miss his homemade lumpia! He served our country in the Navy for many years and so he was buried at Fort Rosecrans Memorial Cemetery. I had never been there and was awe struck by the sight of it. It is miles of almost identical alabaster grave markers over looking the Pacific Ocean.

Because I was so taken with this cemetery i decided that my kids should experience it too. So the next day we went back and made a day of it. The cemetery is located in a part of San Diego called Point Loma. It's literally a point that juts off of California into the Pacific Ocean.


The cemetery is almost at the tip of this point, and there is also a National Park located right there. The kids and I went in and explored.
We stopped at the tide pools and rocky sandstone coast.


After visiting the tide pools we went to the point of Point Loma where this explorer, Cabrillo, first landed.


We sat on this bench right at the point and ate our lunch.


This was the view from the bench that we ate our lunch on. Beautiful.


In the background of this picture you can see the old Point Loma lighthouse. In the forground you can see Sam and Connor standing within 2 feet of each other and no one is crying. Miraculous.


We had a great time at Point Loma and so much fun spending time together as a family and with friends this last week. Sometimes I forget that I live in such a beautiful place with so much to do. We need to be tourists in our hometown more often!

Run for your heart

Every year, around Valentines Day our kids elementary school holds a "Run for your Heart" jog-a-thon. The kids love it and it earns money for our school. Here's Connor warming up and getting ready to run.


And he's off!


Part way through the run Connor fell and scrapped his knee, but it didn't slow him down, he just kept on running!


Even with falling and scrapping his knee Connor ran 7 laps. That's almost a mile and a half, and the kid ran hard the whole way!


Between heats Mads and I played in the sandbox and on the playground.


Soon it was Sam's grades turn to run. She got off to a great start!


But then she started walking after a few laps. I couldn't take pictures of her walking at the jog-a-thon, so she fake ran for the camera.


Definitely fake running.


Even after all that fake running Sam was able to get in 9 laps. That's one lap short of two miles, good job Sammie!


Sam's whole class after running and enjoying an otter pop.

Valentines day

On Monday we had all made Valentines for each other, but we hadn't exchanged them yet. So late Saturday night, after everyone was already asleep I took our Valentines and the ones from our cousins and grandparents and hung them all over a wall in our Living room. The kids were excited to wake up to this!


Connor loved his Valentines!


Of all of our Valentines this was the most exciting! It was such a surprise to open it up and so it get to be front and center on the Valentine wall! We are so excited for Kim and Dayne and Nixon!


For breakfast I made my family an "I love you" breakfast of bacon and pink heart shaped pancakes.
We took Valentine treats to our friends and teachers at church. My kids gave this yummy white chocolate, and strawberry flavored white chocolate covered popcorn to their teachers and gave it to my friends. I had also made peanut butter chocolate chip cookies for Shaun and the kids to hand out in their classes.


I handed these out to my favorite under three year olds at church!


Saturday night, this is what my kitchen counter looked like. It made me so happy!


For lunch we had Navajo tacos with heart shaped fry bread and layered heart jello. Can you overdo the heart theme? Maybe, but I just wanted my family to know how much I love them!

Sam's Valentines

Every year Sam wants to create a Valentines box that is creative (time consuming) and different from all the other kids. She starts drawing out plans weeks before Valentines day. This year was no different, and all I can say it thank goodness for uncle Logan. Last Sunday she decided was the day to get it done and Logan jumped right in to help her. They spent all afternoon measuring, cutting and gluing. Her box ended up turning out really cute and she was very happy with it. Thanks Logan!



These are the Valentines she put together. She got the idea out of Family Fun magazine. You wrap paper with a valentines play list on it around a box of Sweethearts. I guess they were a hit with the kids. When I went to pick her up from school I did see one boy with Rolo's in his ears bobbing his head to fake music. It was awesome.

Valentines FHE

This Monday for FHE we had our family had a Valentines dinner. We had Raspberry Balsamic chicken with herbed basmati rice. Doesn't sound super kid friendly, but my family loves it and the raspberry in it made it seem appropriate for Valentines day. I included this picture, not because the table was set particularly cute, with the exception of the Valentines crazy straws provided by uncle Logan, but because everyone seems to have a plate except me. I have a glass with a half gone diet Coke. That's probably all I should have had for dinner to counteract what we had for dessert!


After a great lesson given by Mads and myself, we made Valentines for each other and then decorated sugar cookies.



All done and very Valentinsey. Now I just need to hide them so I don't eat them all week!

Super Sunday

We always enjoy Super Bowl Sunday at our house, and this year we decided to make these tasty little football truffles for the big game.


Here's Sam with the finished project. They didn't turn out quite like hers but we had a lot of fun making them and they were very yummy!

100 days

Has it really been 100 days of school already?! I'm just that much closer to having two girls in middle school. Scary.

Tea Party

Sunday afternoon my girls had a tea party complete with water for tea, pretzels, apples and thin mints. Sometimes it's hard having such a wide age range between my girls. But then there's times like this that they all get along and have a lot of fun together. Makes it all worth while!