Swimmie

Georgia had her first time in the spa today. She, along with Gramma, Jake & I, went "swimmie". She seemed to enjoy it. There were never any huge smiles, but there were no tears either. Jake was a little apprehensive though. He getting more uncomfortable in the pool/spa which I don't like. I suppose I need to make him go more often...

Here's just a little glimpse into our obsessions these days. Gramma bought Jake a new plate, fork and spoon set- Cars. Georgie got one too- Strawberry Shortcake. And, I'm re-reading Twilight again in anticipation for tomorrow's midnight release of Breaking Dawn.

Dentist & Daddy

Jake had his 6 month check-up with the dentist today. When we went the first time he did great, today... not so much! He wouldn't let the Dental Assistant *who happens to be my cousin* touch his mouth. He cried. It was sad. Poor little guy. However, the dentist is an important part of life so even though he didn't get the full cleaning this time, he still had to have the dentist look at his teeth and make sure there were no problems. He still cried, but he came away with a great report. His teeth look great. No cavities. Hooray for Jakey-boy... but next time...

Jake, Georgia, & Daddy playing Candyland. Jake's new favorite game.

Four Months... really?

Georgia Ann is 4 months old today. I know I say this every month, but seriously were does the time go?!?! It's amazing how quickly it passes. And yet, at the same time, it seems as if she has always been here with us. Georgie is such a fun, sweet and happy baby girl. She brings so much joy and happiness to our home. This month we've spent a lot of time on the road but she continues to meet her milestones--- even in a hotel room. She loves interacting with people. She always has a big smile for everyone she sees. Jacob is her hero. No one gets quite the smile that he does. It's really fun to watch them together. We can't imagine our lives without this sweet, beautiful, fun baby girl here!

4 month Statistics
Height- 26 1/4 inches (down into the 97%)
Weight- 21 lbs, 8 oz. (still off the charts)
Head Circumference- 43 cm (down into the 95%)

Georgie girl lives quite the jet-set life... this month alone she's been to Tennessee and San Diego. Today she experienced her very first earthquake- a 5.4 centered in Chino Hills- we were in the mall and she was totally unfazed (I'm in no way surprised by that!). Jacob didn't notice either. I noticed immediately, there's no mistaking those jolts.

It's Finally Coming Together

A few months ago *ok, maybe more than a few* we bought Jake a new bed in preparation for Georgia's arrival and need for the crib. When we finally got around to putting the bed together we had to do a little re-arranging in the room, all the pictures were taken off the wall and furniture was moved so we could fit a bed and crib. Well, I am FINALLY getting around to putting things back on the wall!

I've been searching for a matching shelf for Georgie and haven't been able to find one so I decided we could make it ourselves--- with Lester's help of course.

So today I sanded and painted it and looked for hardware. It's coming together and it's going to be really cute. I can't wait to get the kids room put together. While I worked the kids played. Georgie's loving the walker; she pushes herself all over the place! And Jake worked on puzzles. They sure love Gramma's house.

Now... I wonder when our room will get done??

Home Sweet Home

We just figured out that today is the first day this month we have spent at home. Sure, we went to church this morning, but that is ALL we did today. It feels really good to be home.

U2 in the Park

Tonight we went and saw U2 perform at our local concert in the park, well not actually the U2 but a cover band that sounded pretty close.

Thanks Elizabeth & Ruthie for getting us together.

Up, Up and Away...

It was quite a day! We started the morning in San Diego and spent the evening in Santa Paula at the 1st Annual Balloon Lights Festival. We had such a good time with Gramma, Aunt Linda, and Lester watching the balloon's light up. They were absolutely beautiful!! The only thing that would've made it a perfect evening is if John had been home to be there with us.

Our Week In San Diego

It was a totally relaxing week in San Diego. Monday and Tuesday night we stayed on Shelter Island and had amazing views of the marina and downtown San Diego. While we were there Jake enjoyed playing at the park and I loved the cool ocean breezes and walking along the shore. It was just what I needed. There's nothing quite like the sound of the waves crashing on the shore, it's soothing to my soul.

Wednesday and Thursday night we moved up to La Jolla. What a darling little town! From our hotel balcony we had views of the ocean-- it was beautiful. I could've stayed there forever. Jake, Georgia, & I did a lot of walking in La Jolla. We toured the town and loved every minute of it. We spent a lot of time walking along the cliffs and taking in the incredible views of the ocean. We saw lots of seal and birds. Jake loved pointing them out when he spotted one! On Wednesday we visited Birch Aquarium, Jakey was so amazed at the fish and underwater creatures.

Meme & Norah and Elizabeth & Noelle came down for Thursday (after a very, very, very long ride. What should've been a 3 hour trip turned into 6 thanks to an accident on the 5). We loved having them spend the afternoon with us. I think Jake and I were getting a little bored just talking to each other for a week so their arrival was very much welcomed!! It was a really kick-back visit with them, we just walked and walked along the ocean and enjoyed one another's company. It was wonderful!

Unfortunately, John worked a lot this week so he didn't get to spend much time with us at all. We'll have to make another trip south just for him. I think I'm willing to make the sacrifice. :)

And... in case anyone's wondering. Jake never did find Diego, but he sure loved San Diego! This morning before we headed home we made a quick stop by the San Diego Temple. Jake was very excited to see it up close. He loves, loves, loves seeing the temple and it was a bit of torture for him to only be able to see it as we drove by... so we stopped and took his picture. I promised him we'd come back another time, with Daddy, and he could spend more time walking around and seeing the temple. I love that little boy, he's adorable! I hope his love for the temple only continues to grow...

{san} DIEGO!

This is what Jake was expecting...

This is where we are...

Thanks to Nielsen we are spending this week in San Diego. John will be working quite a bit and the kids & I will be playing. We hope Daddy gets to spend some time with us... it's going to be a good week!

Sunday Summary

We had a great week. We visited G'Gma, played with Norah & Noelle and visited Meme & Elizabeth, had lunch for Heather & Eden's birthdays and Jake played with Kyle & Flynn, helped Gramma get her yard ready for Shane & Randa's wedding, went to the wedding, and visited Papa & Grandma Cheri.

Jake & Norah giving 'bye bye' hugs

Helping Gramma get her yard ready

Playing with Papa

It's Been a Good Weekend

* John & I had our first date since Georgie's birth. We went and {finally} saw Indiana Jones while Gramma watched the kids-- thank you! It was a nice little break and a fun movie. I love adventure movies and this one kept me on my toes.

* After the movie we went to dinner at Betito's with Gramma and Lester. John's theory is good salsa = good Mexican restaurant and Betito's has the best salsa! The fooods really good too.

* We were able to relax and spend time together as a family... it was greatly needed.

* And this little gal started taking naps in her crib...

Memories...

I stole this from my friend Sara's blog because it's a cute idea.

Directions: Leave a comment on my blog about a memory of you and I together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, just whatever you remember.

Then repost this on your blog to see who leaves comments for you.

Could be fun, right?
I think so.

Pardon Me, Boy...

but is that the Chattanooga Choo-Choo?

We've made it home after a wonderful trip to see my brother Ben and his family in Chattanooga, Tennessee. We had a great time visiting with them and taking in some of the local events.

On the 3rd we went to a Chattanooga Lookouts game. It was hot and sticky there in that stadium but we had a great time watching the game and fireworks after. Thanks to Gramma all the kids are now big fans of the Lookouts. **Jake loves his hat! It's his new favorite, thanks!**

On the 4th of July John & Ben took the older kids to a park to play frisbee golf while Gram, Lisa & I, along with the baby girls, went house hunting... just for fun. You can get a really nice house in the Chattanooga area for a great price! Later that evening we had a bbq and fireworks at Ben & Lisa's. I was absolutely amazed with the firework show... put on by John & Ben. You can have any kind of fireworks there... and we did. Even those huge ones that are so beautiful and loud-- like the one's at a community firework show!! We had about 30 of those. I think my comment after the first one was, "you can even do those one's here?!?!" I was in shock... and awe. It really was a lot of fun and really beautiful. Too bad Jake missed them, he fell asleep in his chair eating a cupcake.

I loved having the kids together. There's nothing better than playing with cousins! They all enjoyed their time together too. They got along really well-- with only a few little arguments. Caleb is such a great big cousin. As soon as we woke up in the morning he was all over Georgie and she loved his attention. Jake & Loryn got along really well too. They spent a lot of time playing together. It was wonderful to see all the kids play together. I wish it could happen all the time... or at least more often.

What a difference 6 weeks makes! I'd say Ady has a lot of growing to do!! ;)

Ben and I have talked for quite a few years about how fun it would be for us to go out there for the 4th of July, so I'm glad we finally did. It was fun spending time with them and doing our very own real firework show. But... the real reason we went this year for the holiday was to take part in Ady's blessing.

~Adyson Mae~

She was given a beautiful blessing by her father. She is going to live a long life and be an example to many people. She is such a sweet, precious baby girl. The next few months are going to be very difficult for her parents and family. She was recently diagnosed with Craniosynostosis which is "a medical condition in which some or all of the sutures in the skull of an infant or child close too early, causing problems with normal brain and skull growth." Ady's little forehead already protrudes a little but will continue to grow abnormally until her surgery in February. Thankfully all the tests show there is no pressure on her brain and once the surgery is complete she will be a healthy, happy, perfect little girl.

On our final day in Chattanooga we went looking for a Georgia sign for our Georgie girl. It was quite the adventure, but we finally found one *that was in a safe location to get a baby out of the car and take a picture* and got our sweet Georgia girl's picture taken.

Ben & Lisa: Thanks for having us for the week. We loved seeing you and having the kids get to know each other. I cannot believe that it had been 2 years since we last saw you. Let's not let another 2 go by before we see each other again. It's too hard. We love you! Thank you.