The Feher Family

Big Sur and Home

2010-07-17T16:37:00.000-07:00

On July 2nd we finished packing the car and headed out of Stinson at about 10am. I was so sad to leave, but knew I would be back soon. We headed to Gale's in the city and brought all of our "beach gear" to her house for next time. The girls and I stayed with her for a few hours while John took the car to get an oil change. It was so nice to spend some time with Gale. She is such a special person and she really is part of our family. I also love being at my aunt Helen's house (Gale lives there). She has been got for a while now, but her house still has a special feeling.

Me and Gale

When the car was ready we headed down the coast to Big Sur. It is a spectacular drive. We got to our hotel and checked in and headed to the pool. John took the girls swimming and I got organized - we took a little walk in the river and had some dinner. The girls watched a movie in the room and we relaxed. In the morning we got up and went to Deetjens for breakfast. This place is magical and it looks almost the same as it did when it was built in the 1930's. Not that kid friendly, but we enjoyed our meal.
The beautiful waterfall Deetjens

From there we went to see the waterfall that goes into the ocean at Julia Pfeiffer State Park - the view was amazing!Then we headed back to the hotel and John took the girls to the pool while I packed up. We ended up staying there until 3pm. Anna decided she was done with the pool and we hung out in the river!

At 3 we got in the car and continued South. We stopped along the way to get some fireworks and for dinner. We made it to Santa Maria in time for another dip in the pool - my kids LOVE to swim! We stayed there for the night and in the morning finished our drive home. We arrived home to some neighbors having a 4th of July celebration so we joined in - ALL of the kids (and adults) enjoyed the fireworks!

It was a special 3 weeks and we miss all of our family and friends in Northern California! It means the world to me that my girls get to have all of the special memories of San Francisco and Stinson that I got to have as a child. Thank you Auntie Sophie, Auntie Effie, Auntie Kathleen, Patty, Gale, Uncle John, Great Uncle Johnny, Great Aunt Kay, Rosie, Chrissy, and Annie for making our trip so special! We love you!!!

My Birthday

2010-07-17T16:01:00.001-07:00

In Patty's Garden July 1, 2010 - I had a perfect day! I got to sleep in and then relaxed and read. I went to Bolinas for a few things (going there always makes me happy). We played on the beach with the girls and then decided to go on an adventure. When we were driving down our street our friend Annie came driving up and jumped out of her car. She had a gift for me from my mom. It was a gift certificate to her wonderful book store! When we pulled onto the road the plan was to go to point reyes station, but as we drove we decided to go to Point Reyes Light House instead. It is a beautiful drive that takes you through the town of Inverness and some woods and then through a number of farms. The farms on the point all date back to the 1800's and are wonderful to see. The cows come right up to the road and the girls loved that. It is a long, slow, and relaxing drive - I loved it! When we got to the Light House both girls were asleep and it was WINDY. So windy that they closed the stairs going down to the lighthouse. John tried to go and I stayed in the car - I got out to see the view which was breathtaking! The girls woke up on the ride back and we stopped at Drakes Bay. We got back to Stinson at dinner time and tried the new restaurant in town. The food was good and it was very kid friendly - prefect for us. We headed back to the house and Patty took some pictures. Lilly asked that we take our pictures in Patty's garden and not on the beach (Lilly LOVES Patty's garden). She got some great pictures! I felt beyond blessed to get to spend my 34 th birthday in the same place I spent my 1st birthday. I do not think that words can express how much Stinson Beach and the people there mean to me. It truly is my happy place!

Cows with the ocean in the background Point Reyes Light House

A few more days at Stinson – (6/28-6/30)

2010-07-01T13:02:00.000-07:00

Monday afternoon we relaxed on the beach and I made dinner at home. Tuesday we had some wonderful visitors. Ann came down from Marshall (about 40 minutes North right on Tomales Bay) to spend time with us at the beach. Ann is my brother Justin’s mom. She is so fun to be with and we had a wonderful time talking and enjoying the beach. My sweet cousin’s also came up a little later in the day. They brought lunch for all of us! I just love Effie and Kathleen so much and so wish we all lived closer. We all enjoyed lunch together at the house and then headed back to the beach. It was a perfect beach day (all week has been perfect weather). Ann headed back to Marshall and Effie and Kathleen left a little after. I went to Parkside to pick-up a pizza for dinner. Wednesday we went on a hike from the Pan Toll station. We hiked about 1.5 miles and Lilly did great! Anna is still refusing to wear shoes so we carried her the whole way! She did love the little “island” we found near a beaver dam and walked around in the rocks and water. We headed home and Anna fell asleep in the car and John, Lilly, and I had lunch. I went to the Annie’s bookstore alone and got a book and a few little things. I just love Stinson Beach Books and it is a treat to go alone and just look and shop. John took Lilly surfing and Anna and I relaxed and played. At 6pm Rosie (she is the mom of a childhood friend of mine Chrissy and I have known her since the 2nd grade – I even went along on family vacations with them as a kid, and she now lives in Stinson and is one of Patty’s closest friends – small world =)) and Patty came over to watch the girls. John and I headed to the Coast Café in Bolinas for a Yummy dinner. We go there every year just the 2 of us – it is a fun tradition. After dinner we headed to The Sand Dollar for a drink. When I was little our friends owned The Sand Dollar and I have fond memories of Sophie, Carlisle, and I eating a big piece of mud pie. We got back to the house and everyone was very happy – they had made cookies and then went to get ice cream and played at the park in town. The girls had such a wonderful time with Patty and Rosie and Anna woke up this morning and asked if Patty was coming back to make more cookies. Good thing Patty is right next door.

A Few Pictures......

2010-06-29T19:50:00.000-07:00

The hut we found down the beach

Bath time fun - they take lots of bath's here
Ice Cream at Parkside - YUMMY!

Patty at Audubon

Lilly at Audubon

Tuesday Night - Monday

2010-06-28T12:39:00.000-07:00

Tuesday afternoon we ran into Rosie (an family friend) at the market and invited her to join us for dinner. Patty and Rosie came for dinner and we had a feast of local Muscles, artichokes, steak and an AMAZING lemon tart that Patty made! It was wonderful! Sophie and Kate left in the morning and it was just me and the girls! We just relaxed, went to Parkside for lunch, played on the playground. We went to Bolinas get a few things and rented a few movies. Patty made dinner for us and we just relaxed. Thursday the girls and I spent a lot of time on the beach in the morning. We found a "house" someone had make and the girls loved it. We dug for sandcrabs and just enjoyed the quiet beach. In the afternoon Anna was getting tired and Lilly wanted to see the horses, lamas, and cows so we took a drive up North. We drove through Point Reyes Station, but the kite store was still closed so we headed North to Tomales Bay and I got some muscles to make myself for dinner. We drove back and the girls slept in the car. That night I made myself a wonderful dinner of salad - all from Gospel Flats, bread from Freestone, Tomales Bay Muscles, and Cowgirl cheese. It was so relaxing! Friday morning we work up and went to the beach, made lunch at the house, and then headed to Bolinas to get more veggies and do some laundry. The beach must have worn the girls out, because they both fell asleep on the short ride. There is a wonderful (big) organic farm and on Friday afternoons they have a farm stand. They have a wonderful variety. Friday night Patty picked up dinner for us at Parkside. John got in Friday night and hiked the Dipsea Trail by moon light (and a head lamp). He got to the house at 12:30am. He loved is late night hike over the mountain. The girls were so excited to wake up Saturday morning and see their dad. They played with him and loved showing him the house (he was here last year, but they were excited). Lilly was especially excited to show him that she was sleeping on the top bunk. John took the girls to town to find a kite and get lunch. I went to get a few things at the store and then Maria and Paul arrived. Maria is John's sister and Paul is her husband. They live in San Fran and have come up for a night the past few years. Paul is a true foodie and made us a wonderful dinner! He also works for Ghirardelli and brought LOTS of yummy chocolate. After dinner and some drinks everyone went to sleep and John and I went crab hunting. John had seen LOTS of crabs on the beach the night before (we think because of the full moon). We caught 3 and had a night walk on the very quiet beach. Sunday we made breakfast and then John, Lilly, Maria, and Paul headed to Audubon Canyon Ranch and tired Anna and I headed to Tomales Bay to get muscles and oysters. They were out of muscles, but I got 2 dozen big oysters. We got back and Paul shucked the oysters and we BBQ'd them with lots of veggies. We also cooked up the crabs we caught - Lilly freaked out until John explained things to her. It was a Beautiful day at the beach and there were so many people on the beach. We headed down after lunch and John took Lilly surfing and Anna and I played on the beach. Maria and Paul headed back to the city. Today is Monday and John made us a yummy breakfast and then went to fly kites on the beach with the girls. I headed to Bolinas to do laundry and get some food at the store and gospel flats. It is amazing how calm and relaxing this place is. Being here is good for my sole!

2010-06-22T16:21:00.000-07:00

Sunday Sophie's friends came up to hike and they cooked us a wonderful dinner. We relaxed and went to bed early. Monday morning was foggy so around 11am I decided that the girls and I should take an adventure to Freestone to the Wild Flour Bakery. Effie brought us bread from there on Saturday when she came to get Kathleen and Courtney. It was so YUMMY! Kate went to a wedding in Napa on Sunday she met us in Freestone and then we headed to Sebastopol for a little sight seeing. Then we brought Kate back to her car in Freestone and she followed us back to Stinson. 2 of Sophie's friends from work had come up for the day and Patty brought over chili for dinner - to go with the bread from Wild Flour. On Tuesday morning we relaxed and then headed to Point Reyes Station. The intention was to buy cites, but the Kite store was closed. We had lunch and walked around town, got some veggies and headed back to the beach house. Both girls fell asleep on the drive. Lilly woke up when we got home and I put Anna in her bed. Kate and Sophie stayed with the girls and I headed to Bolinas to do some laundry and get a few things from the store. Yesterday Kate picked up some Muscles from the Marshal Store and we are going to make them for dinner tonight! Yum!

Saturday and Sunday...

2010-06-20T16:04:00.001-07:00

Anna and Lilly on the top bunk!

Saturday we woke up early - well the girls did and Courtney came in the took them so I could sleep. I love that I watched her and now she helps with the girls. She was 3 when we moved to the house on Alhambra. Watching her grow up has been such an honor. I love that she was in my wedding! We all headed to the beach - it was Very Windy so one of our wonderful neighbors lent us a wind "tent". We played on the beach and relaxed. Lilly met up with some friends (they rent the house across the street the same week every year) and helped dig a BIG hole in the sand. We went back and forth all day. We made a trip to Gospel Flats Farm stand - I LOVE this place! They have all of their produce on display and a payment box - all done on the honor system - only in Bolinas (or Bobo as we call it). We made lunch and Sophie's friend Greg came up from the city with his friend Vivi and her boyfriend Tyler. Effie and John came to get Kathleen and Courtney to take them back to the city (they were in Calistoga for a few days). Greg and company stayed and made a nice BBQ. We had our first taste of Cowgirl Creamery Cheese for the year - so yummy! They took off around 8pm and the girls went to bed in the bunk room. Sophie and I watched a movie and I fell asleep on the couch. I woke up around 2am and decided to sleep in the bunk room with the girls. On Sunday we woke up, the girls took a bath and we headed with Patty to Audubon Canyon Ranch. My mom used to take us there as kids. She was friends with the family who lived there and I loved taking the girls. We went on a nice hike and saw lots of birds and other animals - including a big buck deer. We came back to a surprise visit from John's sister Maria and her husband Paul. They were in the area to go on a hike and stopped by. They will be back for the night next weekend. When they left the girls and I went with Patty to Bolinas (with a stop at Gospel Flats for more veggies). We went to the organic store there and I love it! Bolinas is an amazing place and I will do a post on it soon. Anna fell asleep on the way back and Lilly and I read the new books we got at Audubon Canyon. Now Lilly is over at Patty's baking something special. I just love that they get to have time together and I know they enjoy their time alone. Sophie reminded me today that Patty (and Annie) are the only people we have known our entire lives (who we are not related to). I love Stinson!

PS - I put French Braids in Lilly's hair today for the first time - so cute!

We Made It...

2010-06-18T18:26:00.000-07:00

It took us 10 hours and 10 minutes, but we made it from San Diego to San Francisco! We stopped at IHOP for lunch and again at Casa De Frutas for some treats, a train ride, and a carousel ride (a very fun stop for all of us). We got to Gale's at 7pm and she greeted us with a yummy dinner. On Wednesday we went to China Town with my sister and a friend Greg from Rome and then had a wonderful dinner at Auntie Effie's. On Thursday we went to the Academy of Science Museum in Golden Gate Park and LOVED the Aquarium and the kids play area! From there we headed to Millbrae to visit Audrey and Shelley (they babysat me when I was the girls age). I love seeing them! They have been so important in my life since I was 3 and I was a flower girl in Aud's wedding when I was 4 - Aud and I also share a birthday. After our visit we headed to Georgio's for pizza with the girls, Kathleen, and Gale. This morning we relaxed - Gale made us the best breakfast and I packed the car - it was beyond packed!!! Then we picked up Kathleen and headed to Stinson. We got here and Kathleen took the girls to the beach and I unpacked. Then we headed to Parkside and got some yummies and then went to visit Annie at the bookstore and got the girls new dolls and books. I LOVE the bookstore (and Annie). Then I made some dinner and our sweet Sophie and Court arrived! Patty stopped by for a visit. We enjoyed some wine and then a walk on the beach. The girls are in the bunk room and Lilly is on the top bunk - loving that the girls are sleeping in the same room Sophie and I did. The perfect first day at Stinson.

We 're Off...

2010-06-15T07:20:00.000-07:00

This morning the girls and I leave beautiful San Diego for San Francisco and then Stinson Beach! First stop is Gale House in wonderful San Francisco. We will spend Wednesday and Thursday visiting with family and a few favorite museums and then Friday morning we are off to Stinson! If there is 1 place on this Earth that makes me calm and happy it is Stinson and the house we stay in I have spent many summers at! This year is especially special because I get to spend my birthday there. We will get to spend time with very special friends and just relax on the beach. I will write more about the significance of this place and house in the coming days. Bloggy World I am back!

Ashley's Prints with Love Fundraiser

2010-06-04T20:12:00.000-07:00

Please Join Us............

Date: Sunday, June 6, 2010
Time: 3:00pm - 7:00pm
Location: Glasser Home

3817 Jennings Street - San Diego, CA 92106(Point Loma)
619-847-2240

Please join us for a Silpada Fund Raiser to benefit Ashley's Prints with Love! Ashley's Prints with Love is a memorial to my niece Ashley Nova Heffington who passed away on January 12, 2010 at the age of 9. The gift of her thumb print in silver was given to her family. Now her family is giving that gift to others. Please help us give a precious memory to parents who have lost a child in the ICU at Rady Children's Hospital. These charms allow parents to keep their child close to their heart when they are no longer with us on Earth. You can view the charms at www.designsbyjanessa.com. We give each family 2 charms. We hope you can join us for this event! If you are unable to attend please contact Zoe to place your order - zoefeher@cox.net - to preview the Jewelry please go to www.mysilpada.com/zoe.feher and click on Jewelry Catalog 100% of the profits from this party and outside orders will go Directly to Ashley's Prints!

If you have any questions Please Call Zoe at 619-847-2240 or e-mail zoefeher@cox.net

PLEASE BRING FRIENDS!
ALL ARE WELCOME (children included)!

A New Year

2010-03-04T07:59:00.000-08:00

I know it is March, but to me it is the beginning of a new year. January was awful, just awful. I experienced a loss that I never expected. It was awful, but it was also beautiful. Seeing all of the love, prayers, and support given to Ashley, Cindy, Roger, and Taylor (and the rest of our family) was amazing. My faith in God was solidified. My faith is so much more a part of who I am because of my sweet niece. I feel like God had prepared me for this - I know this might sound strange, but in September I joined a bible study. This is something I never had done before and I just knew that I needed to. I needed to have a closer relationship with God. Now I know why. God needed me to have faith and lean on him during this time. Before I started my bible study my faith was there, but not strong enough. God needed me to understand why he did not answer our prayers in the way we were hoping, but he did answer them in the way he planned. He needed me to be strong for my family. God gave us the gift of 13 days with Miss A to say good-by. I can say that I will be forever grateful for those days. For all the hours that Cindy and Roger allowed me to spend with their precious girl. That was the greatest gift I could ever ask for and I thank them from the bottom of my heart. I sang to her, talked to her, and prayer for her and held her hand. Her loss still hurts so much. The girls and I talk about her every day. Both Lilly and Anna talk about that Ashley is in Heaven with Jesus. They tell me that when they die that will be with her - I tell them that that will not be for a very long time. This morning Lilly said that she wanted to have an Angel tea party with Ashley. They have both started Ballet class and I so wish she was here to teach them. She was such an amazing little girl - her calming influence on Lilly was profound! The hole she leaves in our family will never go away. But my faith is there - through the tears.

Etsy site is up!

2010-01-28T13:47:00.000-08:00

Please go to www.loveashley.etsy.com and support a great cause!!!!

Ashley's Prints with Love

2010-01-25T20:08:00.000-08:00

As most people my beautiful 9 year old niece passed away on January 12th from injuries she sustained in a car crash on December 31st. I have decided that I want to do something for other families who face the same tragedy that we faced when Ashley passed away. I have a friend who makes beautiful charms using your child's thumb print. A few days after the accident I brought the "compound" with me to the hospital and took impressions of Ashley's thumb prints. I brought the impressions to Janessa (http://www.designsbyjanessa.com/) and she made Ashley's prints into beautiful charms for Cindy, Roger, Taylor, and Mary (my MIL - Ashley's grandma). They are able to wear Ashley's print around their neck and keep her close to their hearts. While I was doing the impressions the nurse and social worker commented on what a wonderful idea this was. There is a process called memory making that they do in the ICU before a child passes away. They do hand prints of the child on paper and also in clay. Now another item will be added to the memory making process. Janessa and I will meet with the social workers at Children's on Thursday and she will teach them how to take the thumb impression of the children and we will provide the family with 2 Thumb print charms with their child's print.

How you can help! Janessa has given me a very good rate, but the prints are not inexpensive to make. The charms will cost $30 each and I want to give 2 to each family. An average of 4 children pass away in the ICU at Children's hospital every month. I am asking for people to donate items that can be sold on an ETSY site to raise money or to give a donation. You can donate by paypaling money to clipfairyshop@cox.net or mailing me a check. ALL PROFITS from the Etsy site and donations will go directly to paying for the charms! I will cover all shipping costs myself! PLEASE let me know if you would like to help a family keep the memory of their child close to their heart! My e mail address is zoefeher@cox.net

Ashley Nova Heffington

2010-01-14T19:31:00.000-08:00

September 1, 2000 to January 12, 2010

Her life was way to short and the pain of her death will be with us for all of our lives. I remember the day she was born. I had a dermatologist appointment at in the Xi med building right next to Scrips La Jolla and I was looking out the window when the doctor came in. I told her that my boyfriend's sister was in labor and having a baby today across the way. I could see the hospital from the window. I was so excited! I remember visiting the next day and seeing her sweet face. I remember going to their house a few days later and Cindy would not let me hold Ashley. She loved her so much. I remember buying her pretty things like the precious moments figuring for her first birthday. I remember that a 21 month old Ashley would not walk down the isle at our wedding and that Diana had to carry her. I remember the day Cindy called me and asked me to watch Ashley because her water had broken and she went to have Taylor. I remember having her at our little house in OB one afternoon and I had taken her to the farmers market and when we came back to our house she threw up all over the living room floor. I was so scared that I did something to her (she was about 3 and she also puked all over my little Honda civic). I remember that she helped me open all of my gifts at the baby shower Leslie Hanna had for me before Lilly was born. I remember how happy she was that Lilly was a girl and that she wanted to feed her. I think that her relationship with Lilly is what makes me the most sad. My Lilly adored Ashley. Ashley was such an amazing role model for Lilly. I will write more soon - right now my eyes are to filled with tears.

Ashley

2010-01-04T20:55:00.000-08:00

My sweet 9 yearold niece was very badly hurt in a car accident on December 31st. The link to her carebridhe site is http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/ashleyheffington - I am having some trouble with pictures on that site so I am posting them here. PLEASE PRAy for her recovery!

Beautiful Miss AAshley and Lilly in Grandma's bed

Cousins

Ashley and Lilly

HOLIDAY BAZAAR

2009-11-07T06:50:00.000-08:00

Hope to see you there....

Holiday Bazaar
Join us in our garden! 3817 Jennings Street – Point Loma
Saturday, Novemb er 14th – 2-5pm

Handcrafted Silver Jewelry
By Silpada – www.mysilpada.com/zoe.feher

Adorable Children’s Hair Clips and Head Bands
By The Clip Fairy www.theclipfairy.etsy.com

Beautiful Hand Made Children’s Clothing
By Flip Flop Fancy www.flipflopfancy.etsy.com

Personalized Stationery, Accessories, and Such...

By HauteMammas.com

Holiday Decorating Items
By Southern Living at Home www.southernlivingathome.com

Unique Wall Decor
By Uppercase Living www.uppercaseliving.com

Holiday Aromas for the Home
By Scentsy www.scentsy.com

*50% of the profits from the sales of Silpada Jewelry will be donated to Point Loma Presbyterian Church. 25% to the Nursery Program and the additional 25% will be donated to PLCPC’s Children’s Ministry Program! We will also have a raffle benefiting these 2 programs!

Hosted By Zoe Feher and Franny Glasser

Halloween 2009

2009-11-01T18:10:00.000-08:00

We had a fun filled week leading up to the main event on Saturday night! We started on Thirsday with our annoal playgroup Halloween Party. Liz hosted and it was a blast. We each bring goodies and all the kids get to "trick or treet" from all the mom's. Here is the group!

On Friday we went to the Heffington's Annual Halloween Party! The girls had a blast playing with their cousins and all of the big kids! (I forgot my camera)!

Saturday we had a calm day because we knew the night would be filled with lots of fun, friends, and candy!!! At 4pm we headed to the Castagnola's to celebrate Halloween the way we have for so many years! Jess's birthday is November 2nd, so we always celebrate Halloween and her Birthday together. It is a wonderful tradition! Vicki made has Amazing Chili and Artichoke Dip - YUMMY! We took the kids out and Anna did her first trick or treating. Both girls had a blast!

Homemade Granola Bars

2009-10-25T17:43:00.000-07:00

MADE THESE LAST NIGHT AND THEY ARE GREAT! They are great when you have little helpers!

Ingredients
2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup shredded coconut, loosely packed (I used unsweetened)
1/2 cup toasted wheat germ
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2/3 cup honey
1/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup chopped pitted dates (I used raisins)
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 8 by 12-inch baking dish and line it with parchment paper.
Toss the oatmeal, almonds, and coconut together on a sheet pan and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl and stir in the wheat germ.
Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees F.
Place the butter, honey, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook and stir for a minute, then pour over the toasted oatmeal mixture. Add the dates, apricots, and cranberries and stir well.
Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Wet your fingers and lightly press the mixture evenly into the pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until light golden brown. Cool for at least 2 to 3 hours before cutting into squares. Serve at room temperature.

Meeting a new friend and Pumpkin Patch Take 3!

2009-10-25T16:43:00.000-07:00

We had a nice and mellow week. John was in LA from Sunday until Tuesday night and he took most of the day Wednesday off to spend some time with us. On Friday morning I went to meet my friend and ex-boss's baby girl. She is so sweet and I have not seen Sharon in forever! Anna thought Sierra was a "cute baby" and she is. I made Sharon a few hair clips for Sierra and they looked so cute on her! Friday afternoon we went to Sheila's to try out the new pool! They have a slide and a cave and Lilly loved pretending to be a mermaid! I would swim with her on my back and bring her to the cave - we did this over and over. Thankfully Sheila got the kids cookies because that was the only way to get her out of the pool!

Sierra and her mommy!Such a Sweet Baby!

So cute with her clippy!

Today we went to the Pinery Pumpkin Patch in Bonita with my brother Justin, his girlfriend Michelle, and her nephew Bennett. We had so much fun! The kids loved the animals, all the pumpkins, and we went on a hay ride! After we all enjoyed a late lunch at McD's!

On the Hay Ride!Justin, Michelle, and Bennett

Feeding the goats!Anna and Bennett we so cute together!Daddy and Anna in the BarnSnack Break!Anna loves getting her picture taken!

Bible Study

2009-10-19T12:33:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking about joining a bible study for a while now. A very dear friend gave me a mom's bible for my 3oth birthday and I have picked it up a few times, but honestly felt a little intimidated. Last year it just did not work with our schedule, so this year I decided I was going to find one that worked for my schedule and my soul. I went to the one at my church and just did not get the feeling I was looking for. The following week I went to one at another church. It is every other Tuesday (perfect) and the time and location work perfectly with me needing to pick Lilly up at 10:45. I went 2 weeks ago and really liked it. It was just an intro, but I think it is going to be a good fit! Tomorrow is the first real class and I am excited!

Playgroup Pumpkin Patch 2009

2009-10-19T11:58:00.000-07:00

Every year we go to the Pumpkin Parch with playgroup! This year was a little bitter sweer because Lilly was at school and not able to go with us. She is doing so well (and we went to bates the week before) that I didn't want to pull her out! Anna and I had a blast with all of our friends!

Jack the Conductor
Anna Loved the Riding the Horses!

Anna on the Train!

September/October 2009 - A Few Cute Anna Pics!

2009-10-18T15:36:00.000-07:00

Bates 2009

2009-10-18T15:23:00.000-07:00

Every year for the past 5 Octobers Jess and I have taken the kids to Bates Nut Farm. The first trip was when Lilly and Jack were 3 months old! I love traditions!

A few cute pictures from September 2009

2009-10-18T15:20:00.001-07:00

A Surprise Visitor!

2009-10-18T15:13:00.000-07:00

My cousin Tyler was in town for a conference and called us (my mom) up to see if we were free for dinner the night he got to town. We were so excited to see him! I really can't tell you the last time we saw eachother - I see his mom about 2 times a year and saw his brother last year, but Tyler well - not for a while! He is married and has a beautiful daughter! He brought the girls these great reversable dolls and they love them! Here are a few pictures from the evening! We hope he comes back soon and brings Lauren and Alexandra!

Tyler and Auntie Fru-fru!

Daddy's Camping Adventure!

2009-10-18T15:04:00.000-07:00

John decided to take the girls camping and I was not allowed! The headed to Mt. Laguna and set up camp. It got windy late into the night and they ended up having to spend most of the night in the car, but they had a blast! They roasted marshmellows and made smores and roasted hotdogs for dinner!

Sadie's Birthday Party - September 2009

2009-10-18T14:57:00.000-07:00

I have not been great about taking pictures at birthday parties, but I got a few cute one's at Sadie's party!

Lilly and Kiara enjoying the pool!

Gioia and Rhonda

Tough Life!
Daddy and Anna

Apple Picking in Julian - September 2009

2009-10-18T14:38:00.000-07:00

This was our 2nd annual trip to the Raven Orchard to pick Apples. Last year there were a lot more apples, but despite the lack of Apples we had a blast. Jess and I packed up the kids on a Wednesday morning and headed to Julian! After picking apples were headed into town and had a picnic at the Julian Pie Company and bought a slice of pie with with ice cream! YUMMY!

Silpada

2009-10-18T14:31:00.000-07:00

My New Adventure! Well sometimes things just happen for a reason and the timing just works out. I believe that everything happens for a reason and this is no exception! A few months ago my friend Diana invited me to a Silpada jewelry party. The night before the party she called me and asked me to think about becoming a rep for Silpada. I have a sales background and the rep who was doing her party asked Diana if she had any friends she thought might be interested. I met Amy at the party and agreed to think about it and do some research on the company. I also wanted to shadow her at another party to see how things worked. A few weeks later I decided that this would be a great business for me! So I am 1 month into it and things are going well . I am very excited about the holiday season and making some extra money while having a great time selling a great product. My web site is www.mysilpada.com/zoe.feher

The Great Swap!

2009-10-18T14:17:00.000-07:00

For a long while now my dear friend Leslie (she has been one of my best friends for almost 20 years) and I have talked about doing a babysitting swap so that we could go to dinner with our husbands alone! Well we finally live very close to each other and all 4 kids are old enough! It doesn't hurt that our kids have grown up together and love each other (most of the time anyway). It was our turn first and we had so much fun!

Bubu (Brady) eating dinner
2 Girls in a Tree!

First Day od School 2009

2009-10-18T12:14:00.000-07:00

Lilly goes to 2 schools this year. She is going to the preschool at out Church (this is her 3rd year) and she is going to a public elementary school 4 mornings a week to work on her speech. She Loves both schools and is blessed with wonderful teachers.

Here is Lilly on the way to Hawthorne Elementary for her first day!

First day at Red BrickLilly Loves Ms. Wendy (she was her Assistant Teacher her 2 year old year)

Disneyland September 2009

2009-10-18T12:01:00.000-07:00

The first week of September we made a trip to the Happiest Place on Earth! It just so happened that our friends and John's mom, sister, and kids were also there that day! We had a blast!

Playgroup Faily Picnic 2009

2009-10-18T11:53:00.000-07:00

I am so blessed to have such a wonderful group of friends! Every Thursday since September 2005 we have been together - we have been through so many wonderful and tough things together and we are still together. Every summer we get together with our husbands and have a family picnic. Leslie (our cruise director) planned a great event at the San Diego Yacht Club! It was a wonderful day!

Blogger is not letting me upload - pics later!

Summer Fun! 2009

2009-10-18T11:02:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful summer! There were days when I was Very ready for school to start, but most days were full of fun and friends! Lilly participated in Vacation Bible School at our Church and had a BLAST! They did a performance the last day and it was so cute!

We had fun days swinging in a friends yard..

We went to the Ruben H Fleet Science Center with our wonderful old neighbors...

We checked out KidVentures.... (only got a pic of grant, but the girls had a blast)

We went to the Quail Botanical Gardens....

Splashed in baby pools, lunched in yards, visited a water park, played in yards, and went to the Zoo...

We met a new friend...

We just relaxed....

I am so blessed!

Meeting Sebastian - July

2009-10-18T08:34:00.000-07:00

John's sister Laura had a little boy in February, but they live in New Orleans, so in July she brought him out to meet his aunts, uncles, and cousins (grandma went to visit him when he was born). We were all so excited to meet this little guy! He is so sweet and such a good baby! We all wish they lived closer!

The Cousins! Taylor, Ashley, Sebastian, Anna, and Lilly

Lilly's Birthday - July 2009

2009-10-18T07:58:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Lilly's birthday with Friends at Check E Cheese and then followed it up with a family celebration at my parents that weekend! I can't believe my baby is 4! She is such an amazing kid! She has a zest for life that is so beautiful to watch!

So Much To Talk About!

2009-10-18T07:44:00.000-07:00

This is suposed to be a journal and as I am well aware I am not very good at keeping a consistent journal (or blog). I am working on it! So I will start with our move! I am soooo happy that we finally moved! We bought our house back in 2003 and had no intention of staying there more then a few years! We tried without success to sell a few time and then the market Tanked! We were not able to sell it and the neighborhood was going down hill (due to the economy - I will not get into the details, but I was not raising my kids there!!!). We made a decision that was best for our family to just walk away! We just could not be there any longer. The process took a little over a year and then in August we moved! I am so happy to be back in Point Loma! We rented a town house in a big "complex" with lots of kids and lots of open space for the kids to play outside. I can sit on my door step and watch them play or be cooking dinner and watch them through the window. It is not a long term place, but it is perfect for now! Next summer we will figure out what we want to do! Until then we will just enjoy being back in Point Loma closer to friends and family.

And The Winner Is.....

2009-08-10T13:04:00.000-07:00

Melissa from Our Growing Graden!!! I had Lilly pick a number out of a hat! Next time I will get more technical! Thank You ladies for looking at my clips!!!

My First Bloghop and First Give-Away

2009-08-07T07:08:00.000-07:00

Here it is - Do you want FREE Hair Goodies for your little one??? Leave a comment on my blog telling me which clips/headbands/pony o's are your favorite and a winner will be chosen at random on Monday!

www.theclipfairy.etsy.com

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Stinson Beach - June 2009- Part 1

2009-08-06T22:27:00.000-07:00

If I had to pick one place on Earth that gave me peace it would be Stinson Beach. Every time I drive over the hill a feeling of calm comes over me. It is My happy place! We started going there the summer I turned 1 and I had my first birthday there. I learned to walk in the sand on the beach at the end of Calle de Resaca. We stayed in the same house for a number of years (I think 8 summers at Linger Longer - the name of the house) and made some amazing friends on that street - they are still a very important part of our lives. Over the years we stayed at other houses and I went back every chance I could. The summer of 2007 we rented a house on Calle de Resaca, but not "the" house - just across the street. We rented the same house in 2008, but this year we got to go home! It took some tracking, but I did it. The owner of Linger Longer rents the home out herself and only to people she has rented to before. After a few phone calls I convinced her to give us 8 days. It was an amazing week. My girls slept in the same beds Sophie and I slept in as little girls and not much has changed. We were next door to Patty and that was such a gift. We are all so sad about Peggy's passing, but it was wonderful to be together. My mom did not make it up this year, but Sophie and John were both there for most of the week, and Kathleen came up to be with the girls and I the first 2 nights. We ate Walt's Specials and ice cream from Parkside and visited with Annie at the book store and we played on the beach a lot. Lots of times every day! The weather was beautiful - just a day and a half of clouds all week and that was just fine. We had wonderful neighbors and all the kids played. It was prefect!

Sophie and Patty

Patty and Lilly baking Yummy Cookies

My girls playing on the beach

Lilly and Mommy go to Disneyland - June 2009

2009-08-06T22:17:00.000-07:00

We really do Love Disneyland! I decided that Lilly and I needed to go one last time before our passes were blocked for the summer. We had a great day just the 2 of us!

Mommy and Her Big Girl!

My Princess!

June 2009 - John's Race

2009-08-06T22:09:00.000-07:00

Once a year John and Mark do a "Big" race. This year it was a 100 mile race in the Cuyamaca Mountains. It turned into a 50 mile race due to Very Cold weather, but they did great. The girls and I were planning on camping that night, but due to teh cold we headed home early!

Enjoying the camp with Aldo!

Anna keeping warm with Jucle JustinLilly got very tired

Johnny coming out of the woods! The Crew!!!

May 2009

2009-08-06T21:53:00.000-07:00

May was a quiet month.

We had lots of fun with our friends and just fooled around!

Flashback to April 2009 - Disneyland

2009-08-03T15:09:00.000-07:00

We LOVE Disneyland (just not in the Summer - to many people and to HOT). Are passes are also blocked all summer! John took a day off in the middle of the week and we had FUN!!!

Strawberry Picking with Playgroup

2009-08-03T13:26:00.000-07:00

Every April we go Strawberry picking with playgroup. We start the afternoon with a yummy lunch at Ruby's and then head to the fields. This year I left Anna with my mom so that Lilly and I could have some quality time! We had so much fun - it is a wonderful tradition.

Luke (Dukie)

Jack

Lilly and Lily

Group Picture

April 09 Continued....

2009-08-03T13:23:00.001-07:00

We had a wonderful Mexican dinner with Aunt Lynda...

A few Easter Pictures

2009-08-03T13:10:00.000-07:00

April was a wonderful month. My Aunt Lynda and Uncle John visited from Connecticut, we celebrated Easter, and we went to Disneyland!!! Lots of fun! Here come the pictures.......

Lynda and John
Anna hunting for Eggs

I love this picture!

Watching the girls hunt eggs!

My Girls!

The Clip Fairy is BACK!!!!

2009-07-30T10:09:00.000-07:00

I took my etsy site down for about 6 weeks because we were gone for a few weeks and I just needed to gather my thoughts and order lots of great appliques. Most of the appliques are now here and I am ready to get back to business. I am also going to be putting my Fairy Bags up on my site very soon! I am so excited to be back in the Clip (and now wristlet world). It is such a great outlet for me! I will be going a give-away VERY SOON!!! If you are reading this and have a blog let me know - I am going to pick a few blogs to do reviews and give-aways!!!

www.theclipfairy.etsy.com

Back in the Blogging World

2009-07-26T12:40:00.001-07:00

I'm back and ready to go!!! I have taken a break from blogging because life has just been overwhelming. Pre-school is out for the summer, we are moving, and I am trying to get my business up and running! I have to say that I am VERY excited about our move -we have been wanting to get back to Point Loma for 3 years and it is finally happening! We signed the lease on our town-home last week and we are moving boxes every few days. We have a month to get moved in so I am not sure when we will sleep there for the first time, but we are already taking advantage of the pools! I will say moving is overwhelming. Having time has been great, but still. We had a garage sale a few weeks ago and got rid of a lot, but being in a house for 6 1/2 years with 2 kids means lots of stuff. We are purging in a MAJOR way. It has been such a good feeling to get rid of stuff we just don't need. I am determined to not bring anything into our new place that I do not feel strongly about. I did put a bunch of memento's and family heirlooms into storage, because our new place is small and we will only be there for a year (more on that later). One of my favorite things about our new place is that I get my own office!!! The girls are going to continue to share a room - something that I think is very positive. I will be able to really run my business which is expanding to include wristlets and other items that I will share later. I can't say enough how excited I am to have a place to work that is mine. I am also setting up a sewing table. I am determined to grow The Clip Fairy and Fairy Bags. I am also motivated by my commitment to pay for pre-school and my new passion Pilate's out of the money I make. More very soon!

Zoe

Great Give-Away!!!!

2009-03-26T15:26:00.000-07:00

Check out her site - http://wondermommy.wordpress.com/

Anna's 1st Hair Cut

2009-03-16T08:08:00.001-07:00

Coming Soon!

Mom's Night Away!!!

2009-03-16T08:07:00.000-07:00

Coming Soon!

Pay It Forward

2009-03-16T07:46:00.000-07:00

My friend Dana over at www.tutumonkey.blogspot.com had a great idea and I am going to do it also

I have decided to join some fellow bloggers, and post the
"Pay It Forward"challenge on my blog. The first 3 people who leave me a comment (on this post only) will receive a handmade item from me sometime in the next 3 months. Just one day, out of the blue, at no cost to you, a special something will arrive in your mailbox. (Be sure to leave contact info so that I can get your mailing address and a link to wherever you posted your "Pay It Forward Challenge"). The turnabout is that you must choose to participate in this round robin of giving by giving yourself and posting the "Pay It Forward Challenge" on your blog or facebook.
Let's " PAY IT FORWARD "together.***If you want your special item to go to someone special in place of you just let me know when I contact you and I will get their mailing info then!***

I am a crafty mama!

2009-03-10T16:03:00.000-07:00

Here is my newest crafty project! I am so excited that I now know how to sew!

I call it the friendship bag!

Sophie - This is for you!

2009-03-10T16:01:00.001-07:00

2 sisters enjoying a smoothie!

I LOOOOVE You Auntie Sopie!

Lilly's Cast (take 2)

2009-02-28T09:04:00.000-08:00

Yesterday ended up being a bit more interesting then I had anticipated. It started out calm and normal. Anna and I dropped Lilly off at school - went to the bank and to vacuum out my car - we went to music class and hung out and chatted for a while after - Anna fell asleep in the car on the way back to get Lilly and then we went into school to get Lilly. We were walking out talking to another mom and child when Lilly tripped - this happens A LOT! She was crying, but I really did not think much of it. We got into the car and headed to Pizza Nova to meet my mom for lunch. Lilly was still pouting and my mom got Anna out of the car and I got Lilly - I gave her some Tylenol that I had in my bag and started to eat. She ate some lunch but would not use her left arm to reach for anything. My mom asked her to grab a bread ball with her left arm and she started to cry. She pointed to just above her elbow and said that it hurt. My kid has a VERY high pain tolerance so I called the doctor and they had us come in. We all ate a bit more and headed to the doctor. Thankfully my favorite doctor came in and after talking to both of us decided that x-rays were needed. We headed to Children's and I called my mom who headed over to meet us. After the x-rays and some waiting we were sent down to care team 4 - we had been there before when Lilly was 15 months old and fractured her wrist. The Dr. Came in and said that it is herd to see minor fractures in the elbow, but she thought that is what it was and that she wanted to cast it for 3 weeks - off to the cast department where the same very nice guy put yet another pink cast on my daughter. The man is amazing! So that was our afternoon. We got home by 5pm and both girls fell asleep in the car. Lilly woke when I got her out of the car and Anna slept for an hour. Thankfully my mom was with the entire time so that I could give Lilly the care she needed. It is times like these that I am grateful for a lot. That my mom was there with us and that despite minor bumps along the way my kids are healthy. We walked by a baby who was being taken for tests (I think) when we were going from radiology back to care team 4 and my heart just sank. This tiny bundle was covered in wires and tubes and the parents were walking with the doctor and you could see the pain in their eyes. It made me so grateful for my beautiful healthy girls.

Lilly's Casts - September 2006 and February 2009

Yummy Recipe!

2009-02-24T15:17:00.001-08:00

I got this off another blog and it is so easy and yummy!

Poppy Seed Chicken

2 or 3 chicken breasts boiled and cut into small pieces - I used 3 cans of chicken from Costco
1 16 oz sour cream - I used light
2 cans Cream of Chicken - I used low sodium
2 tbsp. poppy seeds
Ritz Crackers - I used 1 stack
melted butter - I used about 1/4 of a stick

Mix 1st 4 ingredients together and put into a baking dish - I used a 9X13 - crush up Ritz Crackers and top casserole and pour on butter. Bake at 375 for 20-30 min and serve over rice - I served it with sauteed greens and it was so yummy!

A few random pictures from January 2009

2009-02-22T14:24:00.000-08:00

A fun craft project! Anna say "Cheese"

Playing with water!

Painting Princess

Sophie's Party!

2009-02-22T14:06:00.000-08:00

This falls into the "better late then never" post. The first weekend in January Anna and I headed up to San Francisco to celebrate Sophie's graduation from Grad School! We are so proud of her and her new job at Convent in Atherton! John and Lilly stayed home and did some daddy daughter bonding. It was Anna's first plane trip and she did great! We got there on Friday afternoon and got our rental car (and car seat because that got lost- actually it went to Portland with the people who did not get off in Oakland). We picked up Sophie and went to lunch. From there we headed to Monica and Alisa's house to get a better car seat and some toys - we ended up playing and chatting for hours - so much fun. We brought Sophie home and headed to Gail's for a wonderful dinner with Sophie, Gail, Effie, and Kathleen. (Anna and I stayed at Gail's both Friday and Saturday night and she was the most amazing hostess!!!) After dinner we chatted and went to bed. Saturday morning we headed over to Effie's to get ready for the party. We spent the day getting prepared. The party was amazing! Effie and Kathleen thought of everything!

My baby is growning up!

2009-02-22T13:35:00.000-08:00

Some times I feel like Anna is 14 months going on 14! She is so independent and confident. It is so amazing to watch how she can get onto and up anything. She has such a determined personality. She loves playing with other kids. We have been going to My Gym and music class and she just loves it. She also loves the church nursery. She gets in there with the other kids - most of whom are older then her and just enjoys herself. She also loves babies - so funny because she basically is one, but like I said she really thinks she is a big girl. She loves to go over to Karina's twins when they are in their seats and kiss them and try to get them out! It is also cute to see her react to her friends. When she sees Luke or Brady she just lights up. Anna loves to dress up and already LOVES shoes - she likes her shoes and any other shoes she can get her hands on. She brings them to me to put on her feet and even tries to put them on herself sometimes! She does still have "baby" moments - she is a snuggle and she still has that wonderful baby smell. I am going to miss that smell so much. Sometimes I just want time to slow down. She is growing up so fast. Lilly liked being a baby, but Anna just wants to get on with it.
Anna loves to play in the bathroom and loves wearing lots of clips!Lounging with a bottle - she loves her babaSisters Playing!

Big Girl drinking from a cup and sitting at the "girls table" - we had to get rid of the highchair because Anna wanted to sit in a big girl chair next to her sister!

Baking Days!

2009-02-22T13:32:00.000-08:00

Lilly has been so into baking. We are having so much fun. This is our afternoon activity while Anna naps. Lilly is getting quite good and loves to share her goodies with Daddy when he get's home. She is so proud of herself and I love seeing her confidence. This week we made - blueberry muffins, banana upside down cake, pound cake, and bagels! I love to bake and cook and I love sharing this activity with Lilly. I can't wait until Anna is old enough to join us!

The Little Things

2009-02-22T13:14:00.000-08:00

It really is the little things in life that make it fun! Here are a few things that I really like

Clean In-Style Gloves - you can find them at http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5786053 - I just got some for me and a pair for my cousin for her B-Day. I wash a lot of dishes and they have saved my hands - they are also fun to wear and somehow make washing all those dishes a little more bearable.

Reusable Oilcloth Sandwich/Snack Bags - http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5107577 - These are wonderful and wash great! I was using soooo many zip lock bags and now I hardly use them!

Flip Flop Fancy Dresses - My friend Connie makes these are they are so cute! http://www.flipflopfancy.etsy.com/

My Clips - http://www.theclipfairy.etsy.com/

Zippy Wristlet - I have decided that I am going to make one of these - Les is lending me her sewing machine - we'll see how it goes! http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5565246

The Mommy Mafia

2009-02-12T16:50:00.000-08:00

The Mommy Mafia - I know it is a funny name. Brian, Karina's husband came up with it a few years back. This is the name of my amazing play group! We have been getting together every Thursday since September 2005. There have only been a few weeks in those years that we have not been together. It all started one warm September day. Leslie's parents were out of town and she invited myself, Karina, Gioia, Michelle, and Jessica. The babies were just that babies (Lilly was 2 months old) and Gioia was still pregnant. We sat around and chatted - the big kids aka Big Jack and Big Lily played. It was just so nice to be with other people who were mom's - I was new to this mom thing. We decided that this would be a great weekly gathering. I was going back to work pt and Thursdays seamed to work for everyone and the rest is history. Over the next few months the group grew. I invited Christine who's husband was working with John at the time. Leslie invited Rhonda, the wife of her childhood friend. Jess invited Paulette, who's husband works with Joseph. All of the kids were born between January 2005 and October 2005 - except the "big kids" Big Jack and Big Lily - both born December 2003. So the original group was - Leslie, Zoe, Jessica, Karina, Gioia, Michelle, Rhonda, Paulette, and Christine - Amy and Liz joined later. We have been through so much - the birth of babies (there are now 20 and 2 more on the way), surgeries, breast cancer, miscarriages, loss of parents, and all of the joys and struggles that go with being a mom. We support each other and rally together. We are friends because of our kids, but we are friends without them as well. We all cherish our Mom's Night Outs and our annual Mom's Night Away. So often I think about how lucky and blessed we are to have each other and that our kids are equally as lucky and blessed to have each other (Lilly loves "her friends"). We do not judge each other - there is nothing but love in this group. They have all made me a better mother and a better person.

Love, Love, Love, Love, Crazy Love

2009-02-05T14:56:00.001-08:00

The title just popped into my mind. I Love me girls and life is crazy! Lilly sometimes has tough days. Yesterday was one of those days at school. She gets overwhelmed and just can't control herself. When I picked her up at school yesterday at school she was crying. That kind of cry that mother know is not just something little - she was sad! She knew that she had not behaved and was mad at herself. It was the kind of cry that makes you cry (right there in the pre-school classroom with her). This has not happened in a while. There is a new girl in her class and Lilly got excited and that leads to her being overwhelmed and not being able to control her emotions and her actions. To top it off her backpack was not on the hook when we left the room and that lead to a meltdown. The backpack was located, but not until after we got home. I decided to take her to McDonald's for lunch - I do not reward "bad" behavior, but she knew what she did wrong - both the teacher and I talked to her. I needed to turn the day around and make the second half of the day positive. McDonald's was Great!!! There was 1 little girl in the play area when we got there and she came right up to Lilly. She even brought her toy and some of her food to our table to eat with us (she was there with her dad and he was busy with her baby brother). Once the girls had eaten they played very nicely and some other kids joined in and it was great. Lilly played nicely with all the the kids and the day was saved! When we got home our wonderful neighbor Marge and her son Grant came over and played for over an hour - another positive interaction. Lilly and Anna took baths and john came home and played with them until bed. As I reflected on this day I realize more and more how much Lilly needs me. I try not to beat myself up about the fact that I went back to work (even though it was only 2 or 3 days a week) when she was little. Maybe if she had the stability of just me caring for her when she was little maybe she would not have the issues she has -maybe she still would. I did what I thought was the right thing to do then. She was with people who loved her, but she was bounced around - a different person each day of the week I worked. Like I said I try not to beat myself up about it, but some days it is hard not to. It is days like yesterday that remind me why I am willing to give up the luxuries that were once taken for granted to be home with my girls. We don't go out to eat, buy new clothes, get my nails done, have our house cleaned by someone else (except when my mom is generous enough to pay for it), etc. and it is so worth it. We are working on Lilly's issues and I have no doubt in my mind that she is going to have a GREAT life. In some ways these tough days make me love her even more - I hug her harder and hold her longer - she is mine and I would not trade her for any other child in the world. I am just glad to be with her.

Christmas 2008

2009-01-15T14:21:00.000-08:00

I love the holidays! I start listening to Christmas music in October - I know I am weird! We got our tree the weekend after Thanksgiving. We always get our tree at the Rite Aid in OB. John and I started getting our trees there when we lived on Sunset Cliffs Blvd and now it is a tradition. John and Lilly went this year and came back with a very cute tree! This was the first year Lilly decorated the tree with us and she was so excited!

Christmas Eve - The day started with both girls not feeling very good. Anna started feeling better, but by 4pm Lilly had a 103 fever. I have her motrin and it brought it right down, but we decided to skip Church. We went to my MIL's for Dinner and our Christmas Celebration with John's family. The cousin's played and we all had a very nice time.

Christmas Day - We all woke up and opened gifts from Santa. Lilly was not as excited as I expected, but she was not feeling great. We had a quiet morning at home before heading over to my parents house.

We had fun opening more gifts and eating a yummy meal!

This is the only picture of the 4 of us. Lilly decided that she didn't like her dress! It was so beautiful and my mom took so much time to find her ans Anna coordinating dresses!

Lilly's First Christmas Pagent - December 2008

2009-01-08T20:54:00.000-08:00

Lilly was in her first Christmas pagent for preschool. It was so cute. She sang all of the songs and was such a big girl. Lilly is growing up and changing so much. She loves school and takes pride in the things she can do, like remembering the words and motions to the Christmas songs. Lilly helped her teacher Mrs. Moser carry baby Jesus to the stage. Lilly has had a baby Jesus obcession this holiday season. It is soo cute!

Anna's 1st Birthday - December 9, 2008

2009-01-08T20:32:00.000-08:00

I can't believe my baby is 1! I am writing this 1 month later and I still can't believe she is 1! Where did the year go. She is running all over the place and is such a big girl. We started her celebration with a play group party at Chuck E Cheese. The big kids love it and Anna likes to explore. She had her 1st birthday cupcake and it was so cute watch her eat it!

Her second celebration was a family (and a few close friends) at my parents house. We all had a wonderful time!

The 3rd and final celebration of Anna turning 1 was a trip to Disneyland! It was Anna's first Disneyland Adventure and we all had a blast!

Thanksgiving 08

2009-01-08T20:25:00.000-08:00

Well, it's been a while and I definitely need to catch up. The girls got sick - again and we basically missed Thanksgiving! I got sick the night before and Anna did also so we sent John and Lilly to Cindy's for a few hours and Anna and I slept on the couch. The next day we were all feeling a lot better so Sophie, Jessie (Sophie's friend), Justin, and Janay (a college roomate and dear friend) came for a Thanksgiving take 2. We had a nice night and the girls went to sleep early. John, Justin, Jessie, and Sophie went out to get a drink and left Janay and I to catch up. We had a great time and she ended up staying over and driving back to AZ the next day. The rest of the weekend was quiet. We had a good visit with Sophie including a trip to the Zoo. The only sad thing is that we have no pictures of Anna's 1st Thanksgiving - she did not feel well enough to wear her cute dress. We will have to make up for it next year!

No Where Else I Would Rather Be!

2008-11-25T14:49:00.000-08:00

My job is not glamerous and in the last 24 hours I have been covered in and cleaned up more vomit then I care to remember. But, as I look at my sleeping babies (you know Lilly is sick when she naps) I know that this is where I need to be. With them - taking care of them. I was up most of the night with Lilly - it breaks my heart to see her sick. She asked for a bath at 2:30am - so there I sat rubbing her back and washing her hair at 2:30 in the morning. The thing that is most important to me is that my girls know that I am here for them and I believe that they know that. Like I said my job is not glamorous - I have done 8 loads of laundry in the last 48 hours and I am OK with that. I am fine with the fact that I have given up having the material luxuries that I once had. We still have more then what we need. Right now I am the best gift that I can give them.

I am grateful...
To be home with my girls - even thought I have moments that are very tough (and make me want to go back to work)
That my mom brought me everything I need to take care of my sick babies (so that I did not have to leave the house)
To John for sleeping with Anna and taking care of her last night so that I could care for Lilly

Grateful

2008-11-16T16:33:00.000-08:00

I almost forgot..

I am grateful for...
1. The quite hour I just got!
2.John cleaning the carpet - I am strange - that dirty carpet makes me crazy!
3. That we have family so close and that we see them often!

A Quiet Week

2008-11-16T16:14:00.000-08:00

I have not written for a week and definitely need to catch up! Last Sunday Uncle Justin watched the girls so that John and I could go to dinner ALONE!!! We have definitely not been doing this enough. It was a wonderful dinner at The Ritual a pub/restaurant right near our house. We walked over and had a yummy dinner and some drinks! We definitely need to get out just the 2 of us more often. Monday was a teacher in service day so no school for Lilly - she was still as she puts it "a little sick" and no speech on Tuesday because of Veterans day. On Tuesday we did have out family pictures taken by a great photographer and mom www.sarahjayne photography.com - she has a few previews up. After pictures it was off to Chuck E Cheese with Jess, Les, and the kids - they had a blast. I love CEC because the big kids are now old enough to play without us having to watch them every second! Wednesday was back to school and Thursday was gymnastics and playgroup (we hosted). Lilly has moved to the "big girls" gymnastics class - no more mom in class! It is good for her to be with the big kids and her friend Lily is in the class. After gymnastics we headed home and some of our friends came over. It was a small group but the kids had a blast! We went to Soup Plantation with my parents for dinner and the girls went through 3 bowls of Mac and Cheese - you would have thought I hadn't fed them in days! Friday was school and play time at Jess and the boys house after. We had a restful afternoon and then Uncle Justin came over for dinner. I made Passoli and it was so Yummy! Saturday I had a craft fair (not very successful, but fun) and Saturday night Uncle Justin took all of us to a great new Mexican Restaurant in South Mark - El Camino. It was his thank you for all of the home cooked meals that I make him. The girls were both amazing at dinner! They both ate and had A+ behavior - I actually got to enjoy my meal. Today is Sunday and the girls and I went to church - actually we went to music class and play time at church - I had every intention of going to the service after music, but my little ladies had their own ideas. I had a nice time talking to Courtney and the girls had fun. Then we were off to Grandma and Grandpa's for breakfast. My mom made pancakes, but Lilly decided that she wanted left over Venetian "noodles". She is a funny girl. We hung out with my parents for a while and Lilly stayed with my mom while I went to the grocery store with Anna. From there it was off to the Heffington's to meet up with Daddy and play with the cousins. Anna and I left early because she needed a nap BADLY and John and Lilly stayed and went swimming. Now I am having a few minutes of quiet. My grocery shopping is done for the week, my menu is planned, my house is clean (good enough), John cleaned the carpets - the man knows how to make my happy, and I only have 2 loads of laundry to do! I am ready for the week. I have a craft show tomorrow night and I am hoping it goes better then Saturday! Anna should wake any minute so I better get load 1 of laundry in.

On The Mend and Mom got a night off!

2008-11-08T21:52:00.000-08:00

Well it looks like everyone is on the mend! I still feel good - thankfully I never got the bug that John and the girls got. I am a little tired from Anna wanting to get up at 3 am. We finally let her cry it out and even after 30 minutes of crying/yelling she went to sleep. The crazy thing is that Lilly's bed is 3 feet from Anna's crib and she never woke up. Kids are amazing! I took the girls to the Zoo for a few hours to let John get some rest. He let me go back to sleep earlier in the day and I was very grateful. We did not get a lot of rest this week. After the Zoo we relaxed and I brought some clips to So Childish and then I got ready to go out. Lilly decided that she needed lipstick and brought be a "beautiful headband" to wear - she is such a sweet and loving little girl. It makes me smile that her favorite thing to see at the zoo is the snakes and she likes to wear lipstick. She is a well rounded kid! I was so excited to go to a nice dinner with Jess and Diana and we had a great time. It was nice to have a glass of wine and a nice meal and not be worried about or feeding someone else. We did talk about the kids a lot, but that is our life! I am off to bed because at the rate things have been going I will be out of my bed 3 or 4 times tonight!

I am grateful..
- That John knows that me getting out with friends and having a break makes me a better mom
- To have wonderful friends to share a meal with
- That my kids are feeling better - seeing them sick breaks my heart

2 Puking Kids and a Clogged Sink

2008-11-06T22:14:00.000-08:00

That sums up the last few days. Both girls have been sick and the kitchen sink is clogged up! The plumber is coming tomorrow (John tried to fix it to no avail) and it looks like the girls are on the mend. I feel like the last few days have been some sort of initiation into motherhood. I have been a mom for 3 1/2 years, but I have never had to care for 2 sick kids at the same time. It is one heck of a balancing act! I love my girls so much and it is so hard to see them suffering. Lilly was begging me for food - poor little girl. She spent much of today on the couch with her barf bowl (her cute hair in pig-tails) looking so tired and telling me "I'm sick mommy - I don't feel very well" - my poor little girl. Anna was feeling much better today. You could tell because she was bugging her sister. She kept sneaking into their room while Lilly was sleeping and pulling on her covers and laughing. The last few days also reminded me how grateful I am to have my family so close. My mother-in-law has been here a few times this week and my mom brought me grocery's this morning. They have both been wonderful. I have had a long few days, but I would rather be home taking care of Lilly and Anna then anywhere else. Being there mom is the best (and toughest) job I will ever do. I was watching them sleep tonight and the amount of love I have for my 2 little girls overwhelms me.

The Sick Family

2008-11-03T19:24:00.000-08:00

Everyone except me is under the weather! John's bug started on Sunday and Anna was grouchy by Sunday afternoon. Lilly seamed OK until she puked all over the floor of McDonald's on Midway right after I picked her up at school. I was trying to keep the girls out of the house so that John could rest - no such luck! I am hoping that I will not get it, but only time will tell.

I was watching Anna walk around the house this evening. She is so confident! She can get down the back step into the back yard and she is SO fast. I have to keep the bathroom locked all the time because she wants to get into the bath. It is so cute watching her little 17 pound 10 month old body walk like a little person. She is one determined little girl and she knows what she wants (and she lets us know)! She is growing up so fast.

I also wanted to post a yummy recipe that I made yesterday. I actually made it in the morning and kept it in the fridge until dinner.

Corn Casserole

3 large eggs - separated
1 2/3 cups milk
2 1/2 cups corn
1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar
1/2 small onion chopped
3 tbsp. melted butter
1/2 tsp. salt
Optional - 3 cooked chicken sausages (I used the chicken apple from Costco) - This makes it more of a meal

1. Grease a 2 1/2-quart shallow casserole dish and preheat oven to 350
In a medium bowl beat and egg yolks and milk for 1-2 min. - mix in corn, 1 cup bread crumbs, 3/4 cup cheese, onion, butter, and salt (and sausage if using).
2. with an electric mixer beat the egg whites until stiff - fold egg whites into the corn mixture - scrape into casserole dish - top with remaining cheese and bread crumbs and bake until golden brown - 45 min

A Busy Week

2008-11-01T19:44:00.000-07:00

It feels like Tuesday (the last post) was so long ago. On Tuesday Lilly started Speech therapy - her teacher said that she did good for her first day. I am assuming that it will take a little while to see improvement. It is hard because I (as her mom) understand almost everything that comes out of her cute little mouth. She is in a class with 4 other kids and they also work on behavior with them. She goes at a local public elementary school and I drop her off for 1 hour. She was not at all apprehensive about me leaving her there and that was Great for me! During that hour I ran errands and Anna slept. After I picked her up from "speech school" we went to have lunch with Jess, Jack, and Luck. It is our Tuesday tradition since Lilly and Jack no longer go to the same school and have very different schedules. We had fun with them until Jess had to take Jack to school. We had a relaxing rest of the day with a trip to the park.

Wednesday was my Dinner exchange. I love the dinner exchange. You make a bunch of 1 thing and get a bunch of different dinners. It is great. Anna had so much fun playing with her little friends. Grandma Mary came over in the afternoon and took Lilly to the park.

Thursday was gymnastics and playgroup. Lilly and I are doing mommy and me, but next week she is going to try the big girl class. After gymnastics we went to Halloween Playgroup hosted by Christine. We all had a blast - she is an amazing hostess and Lilly did not want to leave.

Friday - Halloween!!! Lilly had school and then we came home and visited with our neighbors Marge and Grant. Lilly and Grant played and then we got ready to hear over to the Castagnola's annual party- we had a blast trick or treating with friends. It was a wonderful evening! I will post pictures of my little pirate and Dorothy.

Saturday daddy took the girls to the beach and I got to go to Dim Sum with Karina and then come back to a quiet house. I worked on Clip Fairy stuff - sent out a big e-mail about our holiday clips and so far 4 new orders!!! I love our clips!!! My dad and Justin came for dinner and my dad brought yummy pizza and salad - I did not have to cook!!! It was a nice night. My mom is in Kentucky picking up her new puppy - we can't wait to meet little Posie.

I am grateful for..
-having a husband who gave me a much needed break today
-the aprons from my wonderful cousin Emma (I wear them all the time)
-my girls - they might drive me nuts sometimes but they are the light of my life

2 girls 1 room

2008-10-28T19:30:00.001-07:00

We have been waiting for this day for a long time - 10 1/2 months to be exact! The girls are in THEIR room - Anna in her crib and Lilly in a twin size bed. It has been 2 nights and so far so good.

Imagination

2008-10-28T19:15:00.000-07:00

I love 3 year old's imaginations. Lilly is very into dressing up, making up stories, talking for her dolls/animals. I love listening to her. The things she says are so funny and enlightening. Tonight she was running around the house with a pool noodle pretending to put out a fire! She loves to hide under the covers and make a cocoon or pretend she is hiding from monsters (she is not afraid of monsters). I love playing dress up with her. She has a wide variety of things she likes to dress up as from being a wonder pet with her cape (www.babypop.etsy.com) - (Dori and Jess if you read this I am getting these for the boys for Christmas), to being any number of princesses, a bumble bee, etc. It is so cute how she makes John and I dress up with her (I need to get a mommy size tutu - I am going to break hers). Listening to her play with her doll house makes me laugh every time. I love the innocence of childhood!

Bates Photo's

2008-10-27T21:42:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of Lilly and Jack through the years and the girls this year. I need to dig up the one when they were babies.

Bates Nut Farm

2008-10-27T21:29:00.000-07:00

I Love Bates Nut Farm! I have been going there for years and taking Lilly every year since she was born. We always go with the Castagnola's. Jess and I have great pictures of Lilly and Jack every year (except this year - they did not want to cooperate and neither did the babies). We will have to settle for them being in the same picture. At one point I asked Lilly and Jack to kiss and Jack was screaming - "Lilly don't kiss me" as she pulled his shirt in an attempt to get him close enough to kiss. It was something I wish I had on video. The only problem this year was that it was HOT!!! It was 80 degrees when we arrived at 9am and 90 degrees when we left at 11:30. I don't think that the heat helped our photo taking. This is a tradition that I love and that we will continue to do, well forever! It was so nice to spend the day with wonderful friends at a place we all love - even though we were all way too hot!

PS - The girls wore the adorable Pumpkin Dresses my friend Connie made - too cute!

I am grateful..
-for wonderful friends - Jess, Joseph, Jack, and Luke are such an important part of all of our lives
-for traditions - they make life that much more special
-that my girls are asleep in their room together - it took a while to get them both in there and sleeping through the night

A Wonderful Day

2008-10-25T21:04:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful afternoon and evening. John and the girls got back from the pool and Anna took a nap while Lilly watched an "episode". Uncle Justin came over and we all went to So Childish for a wonderful Halloween Party! The kids had a blast and we got to hang out with the Slakoff and the Yates families. After the party the Courtney and her boys joined us for pizza and after pizza we walked over to our favorite ice cream shop The Daily Scoup (they have the best ice cream). Lilly and Kegan were so cute dressed as a Pirate (Lilly) and a Power Ranger (Kegan). By the time we finished our ice cream the kids ran back to the car and were ready to pass out. It was a great day!

I am grateful

-for my siblings - they are the best gift my parents ever gave me - they are so special to me, John, and the girls and I feel so blessed to have them in our lives

-that I got a break today - I love being with my girls every day, but once in a while I need some alone time

-for the clip fairy and Leslie - It is a fun little business and I am glad that her and I do it together

- for my new computer (a gift from my dad)

Flash Back to March 2008

2008-10-25T15:19:00.000-07:00

I wanted to post a few pictures that were taken back in March 2008. A wonderful mom and photographer Sarah http://www.sarahjaynephotography.com/ too some pictures of our little family. It means so much to me to have such wonderful pictures of the girls while they are little.

Lilly turns 3!!!

2008-10-25T14:25:00.000-07:00

Lilly turned 3 on July 7th 2008! She had a princess party, but all she cared about was the Jumpee. That girl loves to jump (and so do most of her friends). The pinata was also a lot of fun. When all of her friends left Uncle Justin got out the Slip and Slide and Lilly, Daddy, and Uncle Justin had some FUN!!! She had a wonderful party at my parents house. They always host her party and we are so grateful to them for their generosity.

2008-10-25T14:16:00.000-07:00

Here is a flash back to July 4th 2008. We always go to the Castagnola's to celebrate the 4th and finally our kids were old enought to have their own float. They were so cute.

Craft Fair Fun

2008-10-25T13:45:00.000-07:00

Today Connie (my new friend and great dress maker - www.chansler.etsy.com), Leslie, and I did a craft fair at the ZLAC Rowing Club. We had a great time and sold lots of hair clips and dresses. It was nice to get away from the house alone and be around adults for a few hours. I also got to come home to an empty (and a little messy) house because John and his mom took the girls swimming. They both LOVE the water. Tonight we are going to a Halloween party at So Childish www.sochildish.com Layla the owner loves Halloween so I am sure it will be a great party. Uncle Justin is going with us and the Slakoff's will meet us there. I am so excited!!!

The Beginning

2008-10-24T22:44:00.000-07:00

I have wanted to start a blog for a while but was intimidated. I have been reading blogs by other mom's and decided that this was a great way to put my memories into a concrete format. I want to remember all of the things that my girls are doing. This will allow me to look back. They grow so quickly. They change every day and I want to remember everything. Lilly is 3 - almost 3 1/2 amd Anna is 10 months. I am in awe of my girls every day. They are so sweet (most of the time) and innocent. Lilly is so full of life. Anna is changing from a baby into a toddler (much to quickly). Anna is wakling and trying to talk - she does not want to be a baby. She wants to be a big kid like her sister and she is making that happen.

Another reason for this blog is for me to keep a "gratitude journal". I want to remind myself what I am greatful for and I have so many things to be greatful for.
10/24/08
I am greatful for
-my wonderful husband and girls
-my mom (the girls and I had a wonderful lunch with her today)
-living in a beautiful place and having a home
ok I could go on and on, but I am going to say 3 things each day...