shocked

I can't stop smiling. Mainly because...I don't know what to say! Is this really happening? Looks like we are having a surprise baby #4!

a new fear

Tonight is the second night in a row that Natalie has cried herself to sleep because she doesn't want to be away from me while she is in college. Yep, that is right. Full on tears and sobs at the unbearable thought that we would be apart.


"Will you come with me? I want to be with you forever. Even in college. I don't want to be away from you!" -Natalie


I guarantee that as she approaches 18 years old her attitude will change, but in the mean time this is breaking my heart! My baby!

last game

I'm so proud of Marisa coming out of her comfort zone and exploring something new. Marisa enjoyed her first soccer season and that is all I could ask for!

Marisa got to do the coin toss for the first time at her game!

And we mustn't forget Marisa's cutest #1 fan on the sideline!

After Marisa's game, the team had their end of season party at the park right next to the field. Marisa was BEYOND excited about receiving her trophy!

The team mom had the team banner cut up so every girl got their name as a keepsake. Clever! And how cute is that cookie??

Way to go, #3!! We love you!

Halloween 2013

Halloween at our house started out with some pumpkin carving...

And of course, ended with good ol' trick or treating with our Buzz Lightyear, mermaid, and flamenco dancer! Our neighborhood was decked out with lights, spiders and webs, pumpkins, and witches galore, and even mini haunted houses scattered throughout. I have missed Halloween in the states! It's just so much fun!

Once the girls' baskets started getting semi-full and heavier, apparently that was their indicator to be totally done for the night. We actually didn't hit that many houses! The night was still young and I was ready to keep going!
I kept asking them while walking back, "Are you sure you are done? What about this house? This house looks fun!" Their reply every time was a slow, "No." The girls were completely content sitting in the double stroller skimming through their perfectly acceptable amount of candy loot the rest of the way home. Tim and I couldn't believe it!

So we just went straight home to put Darren down for bed and Tim and the girls sat on the front porch passing out candy the rest of the night. I think that was the highlight of their night more than the trick-or-treating!

We will see what next year brings as the kids get older and maybe greedier??... :)

Family Pics 2013

Our family pictures this year have arrived! Gosh, I love my little cute family.

Pumpkin City

Trying to keep up with the Halloween festivities this month we headed for Pumpkin City! It was a first for us, and although we had a good afternoon, it will most likely be our last. (Think kind-of a dinky, over-priced, make-shift pumpkin patch in the middle of a ghetto-ish mall. Ha.)

After first petting the nauseating smelling goats, chickens, and pigs, to our surprise the first ride the girls wanted to do was go on the "Goliath", a giant inflatable slide. We were shocked. Our girls are afraid of everything. We have told them that we can't take them to Disneyland unless they start being less afraid of things. So we didn't stop them from wanting to go on this ride when they asked!

I don't think the girls had a clue how fast they were going to go down this slide. Looking back I can't stop laughing. They both thought they could slowly start down but didn't realize that once you go there is no way to try to hold on to the side of the slide, which they tried, or there is no way to try to slow down!

There they go...

Their faces of shock during and after the slide were hilarious.

Again to our shock, Marisa went down all 3 times, and Natalie only went one more time. We'll take that!

The rest of our time was spent going from dinky ride to dinky ride to picking out a dinky pumpkin...ha.

We thought this pumpkin was pretty cute. So we took him home too.

Today was proof that no matter what I do with my family, I love being with them regardless. Like playing Old Maid at Chick-fil-a afterwards. Highlight of my day.

come listen to a prophet's voice

This past weekend was General Conference weekend! It is a wonderful, uplifting weekend where we listen to our beloved prophet and other church leaders talk about the things that God wants us to know. It is broadcasted live all over the world and I greatly look forward to it every 6 months. It always provides the spiritual boost I need to carry on. This talk was a direct answer to my personal prayer and this talk was raw, real, and I know a sense of comfort for many.

Well, we started the weekend and kicked off October just right by eating pumpkin pancakes with pumpkin butter! Mmmmm! Also, I did the usual printing off children's General Conference coloring packets to keep the littles busy while we listen to conference, 

but this year, since the girls are now getting older, I decided to not only print coloring packets but make a treat activity!

Marisa helped me with this pinterest inspired candy/snack filled jars idea and I felt like a genius mother. In front of each jar was a word you would hear often during conference and every time the girls heard that word, they got to eat the corresponding candy/snack to that word! 

It was a hit! 

But after an hour or so, Tim and I started to see the repercussion of having loads of morning sweets. Natalie was affected the most. She was going crazy. She wouldn't stop running around, kept slamming her body against the couch for fun, couldn't sit still, bugging her brother, shouting. Even when the 2nd counselor from our ward came to give Tim a new calling in between sessions, both girls were in the living room, arms out, and spinning in circles. They wouldn't stop...

And then the sugar hangover from child #2 came as the 2nd session was starting. Meltdowns, tears, lack of focus...I felt not so genius after all! 

Either way, I loved spending time as a family, feeling the spirit together, and having prayers answered as we listened to a prophet's voice.

Zoomars

It's October already and I am not wasting time! Today Marisa didn't have school so we headed off to our first pumpkin patch adventure at Zoomars! First stop, the feeding and petting zone...

Natalie was obsessed with this llama. She thought it was the funniest thing! Can you imagine her giggles?! 

Marisa enjoyed feeding the bunnies more than the llama but she enjoyed feeding the guinea pigs even that much more! (Which I didn't get a picture of, darn.) She loved it so much that she even stayed behind longer with friends we ran into while there and apparently she had tears when having to leave. And since coming home she hasn't stopped talking about it. She now wants a pet guinea pig and name it, Anastasia... (Imagine my eyes wide open.)

Zoomars is a cute little farm in quaint San Juan Capistrano. They had a handful of activities for the kiddos. Like a corn pit for this cute baby boy!

And they had loads of unique pumpkins that made my heart swell! I love fall! (Even though it was like 85 degrees here in Southern California.) Happy October!