New Years Eve

Happy 2014!

We celebrated with food and friends, cuz that's how we roll.

We had fondue cheese and chocolate and all the yummy dippers to go with.

Seems like a fitting NYE fun party food. 

 fondue...do you? ;)

Toasting our sparkling cider to the new year.

We almost made it to midnight....

Around 11:30pm our sweet, but stressed out babysitter, called to let us know Leo was not feeling well and was very upset, so off we went to rescue her and the babe. Oh the woes of parenthood. 

We made it to just in time to ring in the new year, snuggling with a now happy babe in arms, watching the ball drop on TV. 

Here's to another great year!

So. Cal Christmas 2013

1st Christmas we haven't traveled to Utah in 5 years!

We really missed seeing family, 

but it was so fun for our kids to wake up in their own beds 

and race downstairs to see if Santa came to their house.

guess what? HE DID!!

The kids were just a tad excited can you tell?? 

Ha! Ella's face is killing me.

 Patiently waiting to open their presents....

 Santa brought Ella all her beanie ballz and boo's she was hoping for.

She gives THE BEST reactions. 

Exactly what every mom would hope to see on Christmas morning. 

 Santa brought Ollie his "shooters" 

Don't shoot your eye out kid :)

Those holsters I tell ya!....I was dying.

 Ollie wanted to help his baby bro out, by opening all Leo's presents as well ;)

Leo didn't seem all that interested in any of his presents from Santa,

but he sure loved playing in the wrapping paper and boxes.

It was baby boys 1st Christmas 

and he got lots and lots of snuggles.

 So what do you do on Christmas day when its 82 degrees outside and sunny you ask??

 Nothing quite says So. Cal Christmas like a beach day. 

Who needs a white Christmas anyhow??
We'll just make sand angels this year ;)

 Me and my Santa Baby just soaking up the sun.

After presents, Christmas breakfast, and the beach, 

we invited over Dan's brother Ethan and his girlfriend Izumi, 

Dan's aunt Carol and cousins Bart and Nika to join us for Christmas dinner. 

I'm so bummed that I forgot to take a picture of  the group at Christmas dinner. That is so not like this Christmas elf.  But it was such a fun and memorable Christmas, that I'm sure my kids will remember.

Christmas Wishes and New Year kisses to you and yours!

Twas' The Night Before Christmas

Christmas Eve!!

We started the day out with ice skating.

Oliver's 1st time and I couldn't believe they make ice skates so little. 

He did great! and kept telling Dan to go "super fast" 

He pretty much skated circles around me. 

 Ollie was pretty excited about his ice skating skillz.

 Leo just looked as cute as could be as our cheerleader on the sidelines.

 Getting all laced up!

Sorry the photos are so dark and blurry...it was a "winter wonderland" theme 

so they dimmed the lights and had lots of sparkly Christmas lights everywhere. 

Great for ambiance...bad for pictures :) 

After ice skating, we invited Dan's aunt and cousins who were in town visiting,

to come decorate Christmas cookies with us.

 Ella and Nika baking up a storm

 Had to set out Santa cookies when we finished
with carrots for the reindeer.

Along with a personalized letter from Ella to Santa. 

Christmas magic is real at our house. 

 Time to open their Christmas jammies and family board game.

My little Santa Baby and his little reindeers

Christmas jammies are the BEST!!

All cozy in our pj's, we grabbed peppermint hot coco 

and went to the temple Christmas lights

 So nice to be outside looking at Christmas lights in just t-shirts and pj's 

with out having to bundle everyone up! 

Oh So. Cal, how your weather is so wonderful!

 Oliver was a bit obsessed with all the nativity statues.

He loved the baby Jesus and donkey the best.

Once back home, we nestled our kids all snug in there beds,
told them the Christmas story from the bible and read the poem 

The Night Before Christmas. 

Pretty darn near perfect Christmas Eve I tell ya.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

Nutcracker, Rudolph, Gingerbread Houses...Oh My

 The week leading up to Christmas was a busy, but fun one. 

The best kind of busy to be.

We had Dan's firm party which was awesome. 

4 course fancy pants dinner with some of the coolest peeps around.

 It was held at the Park Hyatt Aviara, which is so beautiful! 

They had a gingerbread village that was pretty spectacular! 

 Can you get over this tree in the lobby? 

Doesn't it just remind you of the ever growing 

Christmas tree from the nutcracker...beautimus!

 Pretty lucky that Dan gets to work with such awesome people! 

Huge perk of his great job! These are the wives of the lawyers he works with.

I have such a ball with these ladies. always.

 My Christmas Sunday cuties in their festive Christmas attire. 

 Nutcracker with me and my number one gal!

So happy to pass this tradition on to my daughter.

I loved growing up and getting a new Christmas dress every year 

and going to the nutcracker with my sisters and my mom. Just the girls. 

This is Ella and my 4th year going strong.

 Ella is just a wee bit excited for Christmas and thought it would be funny to give Oliver a Rudolph makeover, red-lip gloss nose and all. Ollie thinks Ella hung the moon, so he is quite a good little ginnie pig and went along willingly with her duck face kissy lip pose and all.

Next up, Christmas...bring it. We are ready for ya!