California Part 8 -{the Jelly Belly Factory}

This will be short and sweet!

A trip to Northern California with 2 children and a husband named Brett would not be complete without a stop at the Jelly Belly Factory.

We love that the Jelly Belly Factory has free tours, but we always have to try samples and buy candy when we are done.

Despite some of their faces they did have tons of fun!

We couldn't take photos inside the factory.....boo, so we paid for this expensive one since everyone was actually looking at the camera

The girls did great on the tour and Maya even picked out a treat for all of her friends at Daycare.  Who doesn't like Jelly Belly's?

California Part 7- the pier and more of santa cruz

Of course we had to spend more than 2 days at the beach and of course I took way too many photos of the beach for them all to be on one blog post!  Most of these pictures are of the pier and our night out as a family for dinner.  Our 3rd day at the beach was a little more overcast, but there is so much to do at the santa cruz beach boardwalk we still had tons of fun!

I love these 2 photos with grammy and poppy!

There were some seals just below the pier that we could watch.  I think all of us were thoroughly entertained, especially since they were so close!

another of my favorites

Aren't my parents cute?!

The arcade:
the girls were happy playing most of the games even without money so $5 went a really long ways!

We went out to eat at a little pasta restaurant that gave the girls dough to play with before the food came. 

 B.E.S.T   I.D.E.A  E.V.E.R!! 

We had so much fun playing with the dough before the food game I think I want to keep a dough ball in my purse at all times!

I love time with my family!
I want to go back to the beach!
Are you going anywhere fun this summer?

Part 6 California {our 7 year anniversary}

Our wedding anniversary is May 29th, so we decided to celebrate in California, while we had the benefit of my parents help! I can't believe it has been 7 years, makes me feel so old, but so loved!

We just did dinner and an evening at the beach.  I love my time with Brett.   He's my favorite person!  I really used to always think the hardest years of our marriage were the first few when I was in hygiene school, ha, I had no idea what was to come....  Brett has been so supportive through everything, being right by my side listening to my cry just about every week since December (and about a million other times before that),  just loving me even when things are rough for him.

Many of you may not know this, but Brett works full time at Compassion Intl and he goes to school at UCCS.  He is a busy guy but always finds time for us.  Recently, Brett got an email from one of his instructors and it made me cry......  I know my husband is a very special, but it was so wonderful for someone else to recognized it.  Here is what the email to Brett said:

You are special, and I hope you'll keep me in your life (not Facebook) as you go forward with it.  You wormed your way into my heart with your curiosity and your irrepressible smile.  I don't want to let go of you just because you aren't on my class roster anymore.  Deal?

I love my husband, happy anniversary!

 

Brett's anniversary gift to me this year was V.E.R.Y special! He got me diamond earrings and a pendant made from his mothers wedding ring! Love it, so special!

My gift to him was a lot more simple, just a shirt reminding him that he is still my "Crush"

I can't wait for the many many more years to come!

California-Part 5 {Norah's Birthday-Day}

Norah celebrated her actual birthday during our trip (May 23rd).  I can't believe she is 2 now!!  Carrisa would have loved celebrating this day with her!  Seeing how big she has grown, how much she has changed, everything she can do and say.  I am sure Carrisa would have had the most amazing party for her.  It still seems unfair and strange that I was celebrating Norah's 2nd birthday as her mommy and not her aunt, Carrisa should have been here..... she only got to celebrate one of Norah's birthdays....

Norah, you make us laugh everyday.

You come up to me daily, try to make your fingers say 4 and say "4 lollipops please"

You have the best hugs and cuddles

You say "I wuv you"  all the time!

You probably have the most amazing vocabulary of any 2 year old, you tell me, "mommy I have   poop, please change my diaper."

You easily entertain yourself

You won't eat any meat
You eat bubbles and other random objects

You love to taunt and tease Maya, you also love to copy everything she does

Daddy loves to call you his "space cadet"

You are a Mama's girl

You name all of your dolls and barbies "Carrisa"

We did 3 celebrations for Norah's birthday.  Just a very small family one, before we left for California.  Papa and Yami brought a cake and presents, and we had dinner together.

Then we had Josiah and Norah's 2nd Birthday Party

And then on Norah's actual birthday we had dinner with a special ice cream sundae

copying Maya

We love your Norah and we are so glad you are part of our family!  We can't wait to celebrate more birthdays with you and watch you grow!

California-Part 4 {The Beach}

Yes, our family just needed a little time away at the beach, can you blame us?  It was my favorite part of the trip!  I Loved that my parents came!  I loved that it was beautiful weather and more than anything I loved watching the girls have so much fun!

Most of you know Northern California Ocean water, is extremely cold, especially in May.  That didn't stop Maya, she just played and played it in, saying over and over "Do it Again!"  Her lips were purple and she was shivering and she kept telling me she wasn't cold and want to keep playing.  Norah, well she wasn't the biggest fan of the water, but she loved eating the sand and she kept telling us over and over that she was "cleaning" the beach, that task could occupy any 2 year old for hours!

I have so many photos from the beach it is so hard to pick a few........

I will start with my favorite one, which most of you have seen on facebook (no editing done)

Here is the same photo, just a different viewpoint

I only took a few photos the first day at the beach, my battery died on my camera, boo! So here is Day One

Ok back to our 2nd day!

Maya loving everything about the beach

Sweet Norah

My adventurous girls! One can't stay out of the water and the other can stop eating sand!

Time with Grammy and Poppy

Husband, Father, Son

Brett writes our names in the sand every year we go to the beach, except he forgot his own name this time......he said he ran out of room

Time with Mom





We tried a family photo





A few Favorites

Maya had her first dip in dots, of course she wanted the rainbow ones

I did a lot of watching my family, enjoying them at this stage, thinking about what is to come. There were a few surreal moments, times where I still couldn't believe that Norah is really part of our family and that I am having a baby.  I had a few moments by myself, they were very good moments, a few tears shed.....  It was a good day at the beach

Which photo is your favorite?