fall

Have I mentioned that this is my favorite season? The only thing is, I wish Southern California had the cooler, crisp air sooner and the lively reds, golds, and oranges in the trees that other states get to enjoy.
Oh well, at least it was overcast and a tad drizzly for the petting zoo today. Of course the girls LOVED it. They are obsessed with animals, especially little Natalie. So you can imagine the look on their faces when we walked into a playpen where rabbits, guinea pigs, and chickens roamed free. They had little baskets filled with veggies that the kids could feed to the animals.




Natalie kept telling the animals, "Ah-Ah", so they can open their mouths to eat. haha It was so funny. Natalie was also FEARLESS when it came to trying to catch any animal and pick it up. Poor animals were trying to run fast the other direction away from her! You could tell Marisa wanted to pet one, hold one, feed one, but she did so with much caution. Once she saw Natalie hold the guinea pig then she realized it was ok and said she wanted to hold one too. True to their personalities.






The girls also got to feed sheeps, goats, and llamas. Marisa made sure to ask me if the sheep was going to take her headband again. haha




Zoomars also had a playground, a train ride, and many other activities that the girls had fun exploring to their hearts content. I love to see the simple things of life make them so happy.














Another great weekend with the fam. Now time to light my yummy pumpkin candle and snuggle on the couch. Ah...Happy Fall!

pumpkin patch

For preschool we take a field trip every month and this month where do you think we went this time of year? The pumpkin patch!

All included: hayride, petting zoo, corn maze, vegetable picking, and of course a pumpkin patch to pick your own pumpkin!
I. love. this. time. of. year.










Soon after this picture was taken that very goat snapped off Marisa's headband right from her head and started chewing on it! It scared her to death. All of a sudden I turn around and she is balling her eyes out. And it doesn't help that she is very cautious around animals anyways. I didn't see it but I think she was ok. And the headband was too. :)

camping

Check me out.
I'm busting out of my comfort zone left and right lately. Spontaneous last minute long distance travels and now camping just for fun on a whim. Dang.

Our ward had a ward camping activity at a nearby wilderness park last night. I was actually planning on going for the night activities and then leaving with Natalie to sleep at home because camping with a one-year old would be disastrous! But, yet again, my amazing sis-in-law offered to take Natalie for the night so I can camp. Although I was fine with staying home with Natalie, and I mean really fine, I am actually really happy that I got to spend more one on one time with my Marisa AND my hubby. It seems like it has been a really long time since it was just the three of us. Marisa loved our extra attention.






The minute Marisa over heard me talk about camping she immediately shouted with joy, "I want to go camping!" So we had to go to this activity. She asked me everyday until it was time to go, "Are we going camping yet?" or "Now can we go camping?"
Once we set up our tent at the camp Marisa wanted to stay inside the whole time. During the night activities she kept saying, "Let's go back to the tent." Over and over again. haha


Marisa was tickled silly that we set up sleeping bags and blankets and that we were actually all sleeping together! It was super cold last night so we all bundled up and cuddled close together. It really was a moment to remember. Just us three camping under the stars.

first day of preschool {co-op}

I would say that Marisa's second favorite thing about preschool is her backpack. (Or how she says it, her "pack-pack".) Look how sassy she is showing me her Roxy backpack! Love her!

A group of mothers and I started a preschool co-op this year for our kids. We bought a really neat curriculum online and we rotate teaching. Preschool in California is ridiculously expensive, about the same as BYU tuition, so this is a great alternative.

I taught first and Marisa loves it. She loves the schedule/structure and she loves learning in general so learning in this type of environment is right up her alley.
Her favorite part about preschool is that she has a lunch box and that she gets to bring it to school! She was so excited to pack it and tell me what she wanted to eat. It is actually really cute because I think all the kids were the most excited about lunch too. They all excitedly pulled out their lunchboxes from their backpacks and eagerly showed everyone else at the table what they had in their lunch boxes! It was so cute.

I look forward to the curriculum this school year, I look foward to monthly fieldtrips and holiday parties, and I look forward to the things Marisa will come home to tell me. But, Marisa, can you please stop growing up?! I want you to be 3 forever! I really, really do.

SWAGGER WAGON

So I saw this on my friend's blog and I just had to share it too. Mainly because I'm obsessed with it and find it so stinkin funny. I find myself singing or rapping to this song during the day. haha Minivan here I come!

vegas baby!

Tim and I took a quick getaway this past weekend without the kiddos. (Thanks to my amazing sis-in-law.) We kept it local and low key. We usually take a trip around our wedding anniversary and this was the belated one for this year.
One of my best friends who I have known since middle school lives in Las Vegas so we figured this would be a great way to see her and her cute family also and see the city that we usually drive through but never really stop to experience.
We left Thursday morning, and half way there I realized I forgot my camera. I was livid! All those photo opps! Grr..
Anyways, that day we just chatted it up with my bestie and went out to dinner at this local cafe called DW Bistro. It had great Jamaican type cuisine. My burger and sweet potato fries had a little spicy party in my mouth. It was way good.
Friday was our eventful day. We went to see the Las Vegas temple, did the Fremont Experience, hit the outlets, ate at a Spanish tapas restaurant called Firefly, saw the Cirque du Soleil show Le Reve, and then finished the day off by eating the famous frozen hot chocolate at Serendipity at Ceasar's Palace.
Le Reve was fascinating. That was the main reason why we wanted to go to Vegas for this trip. Tim and I have never seen a show in Vegas before! I wanted to see a Cirque du Soleil show and we were recommended to see this show because of the ballroom dancing on water which I of course loved. I imagine a lot of shows in Vegas are like this one. It was flashy, so much to see at once, amazing crazy stunts and choreography. It was so fun to sit back and just enjoy being entertained.


Saturday we went to visit Hoover Dam. It was freaky scary! Plus, it doesn't help that I literally thought I was going to be blown over board by the strong winds. Warning: Do not bring young kids to this!! I kept thinking about my girls and my fears kept getting worse. I looked only once over the dam and then I was done.
Also, kinda funny to be literally in the middle of two time zones. Nevada in one minute, walk across the dam, which takes like 2 minutes, and then you are an hour ahead in Arizona!

Even though the weekend went by fast I can't say enough how important and awesome it is to get away as a couple from time to time. It works wonders on our relationship where we can just focus all our attention and efforts on each other. No kids pulling at us, no where we had to be, just us with no real schedule! I look forward to being able to do it more often now that the girls are older and way easier. Gotta fit it all in before baby #3, yikes! (Not an announcement, by the way.) haha

pitter patter

Marisa was 12 1/2 months exactly when she started walking. I thought for sure Natalie would walk sooner because she has always been SO active and has physically shown even at a few weeks old that she wants to do more than she can age appropriately do. But I have to say that it is sweet that Natalie started walking at exactly 12 1/2 months too. Today!

Tim has been traveling and working a lot lately so it was perfect that he was home when Natalie started walking for the first time. He was so happy that he got to witness it.
I love the awkward movements of first time walking. I love the unsteadyness, I love the intense concentration on their faces, I love the sweet look of satisfaction on their faces when they successfully walk to their chosen destination, I love the curiousity, and I especially love the sounds of little bare feet on my floor. :)