Disneyland in October

We went to Disneyland as a family and we had so much fun! I will never forget this trip because the kids were so cute together and so kind to each other. Jacob would hold Kate's hand and they would walk and laugh together, and it was almost emotional to walk behind them and see them being good friends.

Highlights from our Summer

We started off our summer with a trip to San Diego. We went to the beach, Sea World, and the San Diego Zoo. We loved San Diego, and had so much fun as a family in that beautiful place.

We also vacationed with family in Utah. It was wonderful to be together and go camping. I also got to go to my 20 year high school reunion, and that was actually so much fun!!!

Another highlight for Ryan and I was competing in our first triathlon. This was a sprint triathlon in Pleasanton, CA. Ryan later competed in an Olympic triathlon in Monterrey. What a fun experience, and certainly not our last!!

It's been way too long!

I think it has been an entire year since I have updated my blog, and honestly, I couldn't remember my password or how to get in, but I figured it out! Life sure does seem to get busier year after year. Jacob is in 5th grade and Kate is in Kindergarten. Both are the loves of my life. I am busy with preschool as the owner of Little Learners Preschool and I have one employee, Tami Slayton. I am also serving in the Relief Society Presidency as the Education Counselor, a totally new experience for me. I am training to run in a half marathon next month. That's an update in a nutshell, and I'll give more later!

Our Trip to Lake Tahoe

While the kids were off track, we were able to take a few days and enjoy the snow at Lake Tahoe.  It was beautiful.  Jacob and Kate learned to ski, we went sledding, and ice skating.   It was so fun to enjoy the last bit of winter in such a scenic place.

Our Princess is Five!

We had the world's fanciest party yesterday for Kate's 5th birthday! It was done by a woman from our ward, and she did an amazing job turning our home into a Princess Paradise! The girls got to wear beautiful princess costumes, rings, bracelts, and other jewelry, eat on real pink china with gold flatware, and crystal glasses! They got to put on real make up and glitter hair spray and enjoy all things fancy for the afternoon! Kate sat on the royal princess chair and each girl came up a royal carpet to curtsey before the princess! The girls were all in Kate's preschool class and had the time of their life dancing and twirling under a pink canopy! Kate was in heaven! We sure do love our princess and can't believe she is already five.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

Here are some of our favorite Christmas 2008 pictures!

Happy Holidays!

This year we did something we haven't done since Jake was a little boy in Houston, we went to Utah for Christmas! Honestly, packing up the car and driving in the snow was not bad at all! We had good weather, just put the backseat down in the van, told the kids not to peak, and we had a great trip! My favorite part of being "home" for the holidays was of course, being with family, but after that, it was playing in the snow! Monday before Christmas Alpine got the most perfect snow! We built a great big snowman and helped Devin make a big snow fort in the back yard. Later on, we went sledding and both Jake and Kate loved it! I had forgotten that if you are warm, snow can really be a lot of fun!

We spent Christmas Eve in Sandy with the Heywoods, and the Nativity was so cute with three angels, (Kate, Lindey, and Amy), and the big hit was Samuel the Lamanite, literally high on the city wall! Jacob was a wise man, which was perfect, because that kid just keeps getting smarter and smarter!

Christmas morning we were in Alpine, and had a wonderful time. Jacob got a iTouch and a big remote control car. Kate got her American Girl doll, and some super fun magnetic dress up dolls. Ryan and I enjoyed watching the kids, because isn't that the best part of Christmas anyway?!

It was a wonderful vacation, although I have to admit, it is nice to be back in California where it is a balmy 50 degrees!