Our Party of 4

From the mouths of babes

2011-10-20T11:59:00.000-07:00

Bella asked me the other night how old Nona (her grandma) is. When I told her she looked surprised and said, "Wow, that is almost 70! I heard about two people who just had their 100th birthdays. I thought when you turned 100 you just automatically died".

LOL!!

First day of school!

2011-09-13T15:26:00.000-07:00

I know most parents are so happy when the kids go back to school. It means the return to normal schedules, a routine. But I always find it a bit sad. I remember how hard it was to go back to school at the end of a summer that seemed way too short. I never looked forward to it knowing I had huge amounts of homework in my future. Riley is just like me. He did not want to go back to school. This is his last year in elementary school before he starts middle school (junior high). Bella, on the other hand, was thrilled to go back to school. She has the same teacher that she had for kindergarten because the teacher got moved up a grade.

Both kids are happy with their teachers and their classes so far. Riley is not happy with his homework, but he is dealing with it as best he can. I have a feeling it is going to be a great year!!

New Zealand Part 6 {the rest of our time in the Coromandel}

2011-08-03T22:25:00.000-07:00

We loved spending time in the Coromandel with my brother in law's family. They were so welcoming. We were able to celebrate my nephew, Chase's, first birthday while we were there at Sue and Bernie's (Billy's parents) farmhouse. Here are some photos from our time at the farmhouse and the rest of our time in the Coromandel and New Zealand. It was an amazing trip!

Chase's first birthday party

Bella horseback riding

Hot water Beach

Hahei

Bernie and Sue's house

New Zealand part 5 {Nakatani Beach}

2011-07-06T17:55:00.000-07:00

I need to hurry up and finish posting about NZ so I can post about other things going on in our lives!

Nakatani Beach was amazing!! We had to take a boat (tinny) to reach it. It was totally secluded and absolutely breathtaking. Billy and Ryan ate sea urchins and oysters fresh from the ocean. We swam, kids played in the water and we hung out on the beach. We also went fishing and I caught a fish. I was so excited! It was a great day!

New Zealand Part 4 {New Chums Beach}

2011-05-26T15:15:00.000-07:00

New Chums was an amazing beach. The kind you see in magazines. What made it even more special was the fact that you had to hike over huge rocks and up a hill for about half and hour to get there. It was worth the trek! The kids, Ryan and I loved this beach and had a gorgeous afternoon relaxing there.

New Zealand Part 3 {Coromandel Town}

2011-03-30T19:31:00.000-07:00

After we left Rotorua we drove to my brother in law, Billy's, home town. Coromandel Town is on the Coromandel Peninsula, and is about a 3 hour drive or a 2 hour ferry ride from Auckland.

Billy's parents and brother still live in Coromandel Town, in a house that has been in the family for generations. They own a farm and Billy's brother, Evan, is a fisherman. They are such nice, wonderful people and they were so hospitable!

We loved Coromandel Town. It has one main street with adorable shops and restaurants. The buildings reminded me of those from my hometown in Hailey, Idaho.

Other than walking around the quaint down town, Billy took the boys out fishing and Riley caught a few fish! We also went on a small railway tour of the countryside. Here are some pictures from Coromandel Town and our railway adventure.

Heading out fishing

On the railway with Carrie, Chase and Billy

The railway

Adorable building in Coromandel Town

New Zealand- Part 2 { Rotorua }

2011-03-09T15:48:00.000-08:00

Rotorua was definitely the most adventurous part of our New Zealand vacation!

After a 4 hour drive from Auckland, where to my dismay I saw more cows than sheep, we were just getting into Rotorua when we saw a sign for the Zorb Adventure! We had to stop! Ryan wanted to do the Zorb, a big bubble that you sit in and it rolls down a hill. We found out that Riley was old enough to do it too, and he was game, so we signed him up and off they went to the top of the hill. It was fun to watch them roll and slosh around (the put water inside the Zorb so it is basically like being on a waterslide) down the hill. They both really enjoyed it and of course, Riley wanted to go again!!

Our hotel was a bit outside of Rotorua on the shores of one of the many beautiful lakes in the area. Rotorua is known for their geo thermal activity, their Maori cultural heritage and their adventurous activities. We wanted to take advantage of it all and were off to a good start!

We toured some of the geo thermal geysers for part of an afternoon, soaked in a thermal pool for a few relaxing hours and also went to the Rotorua Luge tracks. We took the gondola to the top of a mountain, where we had a great view of Lake Rotorua and the surrounding area and then did the luge ride down to the bottom. It was a blast! We were each able to go a few times and we all loved it!

One night we also went to a Maori cultural show. We were taken to a traditional Maori "village" and shown how ancient Maori people used to live. We also ate a Maori feast cooked in a traditional underground oven. Ryan was chosen to be chief of the visiting tribe and was given special privileges throughout the night, including learning how to perform the famous Haka! It was a really neat experience.

On our last day in Rotorua, we actually drove an hour away to Lake Taupo for the biggest adventure, Ryan's bungy jump!! I was surprised that he did it but it is something he has been wanting to do for awhile. He actually didn't stand at the edge of the jump platform for very long. He just got to the edge, looked out, and off he went! He came back up with the biggest smile on his face! It was a fantastic experience for him and one he will never forget!

Next, off to The Coromandel Peninsula!

The Zorb!

Riley and Ryan before their Zorb adventure

Coming down the hill

Riley and Ryan after their Zorb adventure

Bella and Riley on the gondola up to the Luge track

Ryan, Bella and Riley with a view of Lake Rotorua

Bella and I on the luge

Riley luging it up

Ryan

Go boys go!

Riley with the Maori warriors

The kiddos

"Chief" Ryan with the Maori chief

Riley with his cousin Chase

View from our hotel room

Ryan befor his bungy jump- can you say nervous??!!

There he goes!

There he dangles!

The bungy platform over the river

The after shot. I think he is still in shock!

New Zealand- Part 1 {Auckland}

2011-03-04T13:31:00.000-08:00

New Zealand!
We spent a glorious 2 weeks in New Zealand this this past January and February.

After travelling door to door for 23 hours we arrived at my sister's house in Auckland. We freshened up and went down to the Viaduct in Auckland for the Seafood Festival. It was great fun and a good introduction to the city! Ryan was able to try some of the local seafood, which he really enjoyed. The boys and Bella went for a dip in the ocean after that before we had a nice dinner and then all crashed that night.

The next morning we explored a craft fair at Mission Beach before catching the ferry over to Waiheke Island to do some wine tasting. It was a windy day but we still really enjoyed the island. It actually really reminded me of driving around Kaua'i. The houses were somewhat older but there were some nice beaches and it was very quaint and charming. We stopped for some "tip top" ice cream and got to try Billy's favorite flavor, which had honey comb/toffee pieces in it. It was very good.

Over our next few days in Auckland we took the kids to an aquarium, which was a bit underwhelming, spent some nice time at the beach, went swimming in the ocean, and had some yummy BBQs at Carrie and Billy's adorable house. We really enjoyed our mellow time in Auckland.

Next, off to Rotorua!

The car all packed and ready for our journey

The Auckland skyline

Enjoying the ocean after a loooong flight!

Ryan on the ferry

My hair going crazy in the wind

The four of us on the ferry

Riley and Bella in Waiheke

Ryan, Billy and I wine tasting in Waiheke

The kids and I at Cable Bay Vineyards

The kids being goofy

A beautiful day in Auckland

I heart Faces Challenge- Innocent Wonder

2011-01-23T22:35:00.000-08:00

The I heart faces website has a photography challenge every week. This was my first time entering. And, honestly, I struggled to find a photo that fit with the theme. But I actually think this one does pretty well! This is a photo I took of my BFF's son Christopher when he was just a wee little guy (he is 6 now). Wow has time flown by!

I wish this could pay the bills

2011-01-03T14:43:00.000-08:00

My passion is photography. It has been since I was 10 or so. It is what I majored in in college and what I WISH I could be doing for a career. But, for now, my real day job pays the bills and I just do photography on the side.

Here is a link to my photography website:

http://www.bellocchiophoto.com/

I love getting feedback on my website so any you have would be greatly appreciated!

Yesterday I did a quickie photoshoot with my nephew, Chase. He is absolutely beautiful so it was not hard to get good shots of him.

Here are some of the better shots I took yesterday. I haven't had time to go into photoshop and really edit them yet. I need to tone down the shine on his cheeks, take away some drool, get rid of some red eye, etc. I will do that in the next week or so. I like to play around with fun effects on the photos so I have included some that are SOOC (straight out of the camera) and some that have fun/ funky effects. Let me know what you think!

My A.D.O.R.A.B.L.E Nephew

2011-01-01T18:09:00.001-08:00

Couldn't you just eat him up??

A photo menagerie from Christmas Eve and Christmas Day

2010-12-29T09:33:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful Christmas this year. My sister, her husband and her son are in town all the way from New Zealand! It was my nephew, Chase's, first Christmas and it was so fun to watch how excited he was playing with all of his new toys. Of course, Bella and Riley had a great Christmas too! Here are a bunch of pics from our Christmas this year. Enjoy!

Christmas Eve

Christmas Day

Merry Christmas

2010-12-22T14:52:00.000-08:00

Myspace Easter Comments

EAT HERE

2010-12-16T13:36:00.001-08:00

Ryan has started a new venture. Last Saturday he opened a new restaurant in downtown Paso Robles called Robert's. The owners are two fantastic people who really know Ryan's worth and treat him with kindness and respect. He finally found great people to work for!

Ryan has a lot of time and energy invested in this restaurant. From drywalling and painting, to creating the menu and hiring the staff, he has done a bit of everything. Now that they are open, he can concentrate on the food (which is amazing). I have eaten there twice so far and am going back with my coworkers tomorrow for lunch.

I am so proud of Ryan and so happy for him! Robert's restaurant is off to a great start! So, go eat there and go tell all of your friends too!

Here is the link to their website (photos by moi).

http://robertsrestaurantpaso.com/

Bon Apetit!

Gotta love Christmas time!

2010-12-14T21:32:00.000-08:00

I just LOVE the Christmas season. Yes, it is full of hustle and bustle but I love to decorate, bake, shop and see the wonder and joy on the faces of my children.

Riley and Bella both still believe in Santa. I think this may be the last year for Riley but Bella should have a few years left. We have magical elves that visit us every Christmas time. Bixie and Trixie come all the way from the North Pole to spend the month of December with us. They have been coming for about 4 years now. During the day the make sure the kids are behaving and at night they go back to the North Pole to report to Santa on how the kids are doing. Riley and Bella love their elves and look forward to them coming every year!

We have been busy as usual this holiday season. Ryan's new restaurant opened last weekend (more on that in another post) and Riley just started basketball practice last week. But, we have still found time to get the house decorated, tree up, presents wrapped and have even baked some biscotti! Yum! Next up is baking more holiday cookies and making gingerbread houses. Should be lots of fun!

Here are some photos of the house all decorated and the kids decorating the tree:

Happy Halloween!

2010-11-18T10:51:00.001-08:00

Halloween is always a fun day at our house. The kids love getting dressed up and going trick or treating. This year was our first Halloween in our new house so we were not sure what to expect from our new neighborhood. It didn't disappoint! We had The Climers and our friend Desariee with her boys over too.
Riley was Jango Fett (I think) from Star Wars and Bella was an angel. Enjoy the pics!

Soccer Stud

2010-11-10T15:25:00.000-08:00

It is soccer season at the Swarthout house. Riley has been playing soccer for a good 5 years. He plays for AYSO and this year he got moved up to a different league. This year, they have goalies and are actually playing their positions. Riley has not been in to soccer as much this year as he was in years past (where it was normal for him to score 6 goals a game). He would rather just be playing with his friends. Lucky for him, his best friend, Lucas, is on his team this year!! This may be Riley's last year playing soccer too, because he is now saying he wants to play football (yikes!!). We will see what happens next year! Meanwhile, here are some pics from his most recent game. Enjoy!

Playing goalie

Getting ready to "head" the ball

Happy 9th birthday Riley

2010-10-30T08:47:00.000-07:00

Can you believe Riley is 9 and in 4th grade??? I can't. It seems like only yesterday he was born and now he is 9!

We have a habit of throwing big, themed, birthday parties for the kids. Last year we let them choose between going to a theme park (Disneyland for Bella, Legoland for Riley) or having a party. They both chose theme park, so we had a break from planning bday parties.

This year, Riley wanted a Lego themed birthday party. I did some research online and came up with some fun Lego- themed games for the kids to play. Ryan made an awesome Lego cake and I found Lego candles online. I did all primary (Lego) colors for the decorations and paper goods. The goodie bags were filled with Lego candy and Lego soap and for prizes, we had Lego crayons (thank you Etsy).

We had 13 kids (including Bella and Riley) at the party. It was pretty crazy and the boys were wild, but we all had so much fun, especially Riley!

Here are some pics of our fun Bday party and the next slide show is of his actual birthday:

Here are some pics from Riley's actual birthday:

Great America

2010-10-14T16:41:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday we were sitting around bored. It was a beautiful, 3 day weekend and we had nothing to do. We were itching to get out of town. But to where? Ryan came home from work and suggested we go to Great America in Santa Clara. We were in! We went back to Jenn's and booked the hotel, bought our online tickets, went home to get packed and off we went!

It was about a 3 hour drive up to Santa Clara and the kids just watched a movie and relaxed. We got there about 8:30 or 9 and it was bedtime!

The next morning we went to breakfast at IHOP then were off to the park! The park was decorated for Halloween and they were having a special Trick or Treat event in the Camp Snoopy area so we brought the kid's Halloween costumes (all from last year except for Bella's)so they could enjoy the fun!

The kids had a blast going on the rides. I was really impressed with Christopher and Riley, who went on some of the bigger rollercoasters and all the water rides. I think Bella wanted to go on the rollercosters too but she was not tall enough. She had fun on the kiddies rides though!

It was a long, fun day at Great America. We went to dinner afterwards and then let the kid's swim in the pool at the hotel for a few hours to get the remainder of their energy out before hittin' the hay!

We drove home on Monday morning. We were all tired but had so much fun! It was a great, last minute getaway to Great America!

Cruisin'

2010-10-06T16:49:00.000-07:00

I am still playing catch up on my blogging but I am almost current!

Ryan and I recently celebrated our 10 year anniversary!! We wanted to do something special but we didn't want go on a long trip because we have a big one planned for January (New Zealand bound!). So, we decided to go on a short, 4 day cruise to Ensenada. We decided to make it a family and friends affair- the more the merrier- so we brought the kiddos and our friends, The Climers, along for the ride.

We got down to Long Beach, where the ship embarked from, around 1:30 on a Friday. We were able to immediately board the ship and we headed to the Lido deck to hang by the pool. Unfortunately the pool was closed for the first hour or so we were on the ship, but we had fun just lounging in the sun. Once the pool opened, we couldn't keep the kids out of it! They had a blast on the waterslide and doing flips and tricks into the water. We had a great dinner that night and then dropped the kiddos off at kid's club so we could go have some "grown up" time in the casino and the dance clubs. We had a great time!

The next morning we docked in Ensenada. We had signed up for a shore excursion that took us to La Bufadora, a blow hole, and then to the Santo Tomas winery. The 45 minute long bus ride to the blow hole took us through Ensenada and its surroundings. There was a great market place by the blow hole that sold everything from dresses to candy to trinkets and souvenirs. We walked past the market to the blow hole and spent a few minutes waiting to be impressed. We weren't. I remember a blow hole we saw in Kaua'i that shot up into the air and was very beautiful to watch. This one just sputtered a bit. Oh well. We spent the next few hours wandering around the market and picking out our souvenirs. Then we hopped back bus and headed to the winery in town.
The Winery was pretty neat. It was right in downtown Ensenada but the building was very old. I didn't get to hear everything our tour guide told us about the winery because I was shuffling the kids back and forth to the bathroom. After the tour, we went into the tasting room and were able to taste multiple wines. Living in wine country and being a bit wine snobby, I was not expecting to like any of them. I was a bit surprised as they were not that bad! We actually brought two bottles home.
After the winery we walked around down town and had lunch before heading back to the ship. We had another great dinner that night and, again, dropped the kiddos off at kids club (which they loved) and spent some adult time. I wish I could say we won a bunch of money in the casino but, sadly, we did not. Oh well, at least we had fun!
The next day was our full day on the ship. We hung out by the pool, played mini golf and ping pong, the kids played a few games in the arcade and we had a great time!

The cruise was short but sweet. We had a wonderful time, so much fun! We would definitely do it again, but hopefully to a better destination next time!
Enjoy the pictures!

Fun on the ship:

Fun in Ensenada

Catchin' up- First day of school!!

2010-10-01T13:54:00.000-07:00

The kids started school at the end of August. This was a big day for us because not only is Riley going into 4th grade, but Bella started kindergarten!
Riley has a great teacher this year (we have been so lucky with all of his teachers so far). He has a few friends in his class and gets to see the rest of them at recess. He has to organise his own binder this year and has a ton of homework, but he is getting used to it all and still doing so well!

Bella has the same teacher that Riley had for kindergarten and we love her. Bella was pretty nervous the first few days but is feeling more comfortable at school now. She has a few friends from her preschool that are in her same class and has made many more friends in the last month. Bella is excited to be a Pifer Panther now!

So far, so good!

Still playing catch up- new addition to the family!

2010-09-30T15:56:00.000-07:00

We have an adorable new addition to our family and her name is Molly Rose!

My mom's dog, Poppy, passed away in the spring. She recently decided that she was ready for a puppy so we spent some time searching for just the right one. And then we found her!

Molly is a cockapoo (cocker spaniel, poodle mix) like our other dog Lili, and like Poppy was. We love the cockapoo breed! They don't shed, are so smart and loyal and sweet and are great with kids and other animals.

We picked Molly up at the Fresno airport on our way back from Shaver Lake (see previous post) and she cuddled and slept in my lap the whole way home. Once home, she seemed to know automatically that she belonged to my mom (Nona as the kids call her). She follows her around everywhere she goes, sits at Nona's feet, cuddles on her lap, etc. She is very loyal! She is also getting along great with our 2 other dogs and 2 cats (whew, good thing we have a big house and a big yard with all those animals!). The kids love playing with her and she has been a great addition to the family!

A Bit Behind in Blogging (trying to catch up) Shaver Lake

2010-09-29T16:39:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the lag in postings! We have been very busy, so I have a lot to post about. I will try to do one every other day or so and get caught up. So, keep checking in and reading.

The weekend before school started we went camping at Shaver Lake with the Climers. We had never been to Shaver before so it was a new experience for all of us! It was a quick, 3 hour drive up to Shaver from Paso.

We decided to stay at Camp Edison. We were all very impressed with the campground. It is huge, very clean and well kept up, lots of sites were right on the lake (although not ours). Our site was very private as we had huge boulders on one side that the kids loved to climb all over and ride their bikes down. There were camp hosts that went around in the evenings and asked people to quiet down (yes, we got warned...) so it was not a loud, party atmosphere at all.

We spent our first full day hanging out by the water. Unfortunately, the weather had just cooled off after a heat spell so it was very chilly and windy that day. None the less, the kids were in the water, swimming and playing around. Ryan, Jenn and Jim took the jet skis out but were all frozen upon returning so I opted out of doing that! We roasted lots of marshmallows and ate lots of s'mores! That is my favorite part of camping.

We had so much fun at Shaver that we can't wait to go back! We already picked out the spot we are going to reserve for next year (right on the water!).

Here are some photos from the trip. Enjoy and please leave comments!

Mid State Fair Fun

2010-08-27T09:31:00.000-07:00

I just realized that a lot of the titles of my blog posts seem to have the word "fun" in them. I guess that means that we have a lot of fun??!! I sure think so!

The Mid State fair is an annual tradition here in Paso. We love to go and spend the day going on the rides, checking out the exhibits and pigging out on corn dogs. Usually it is sweltering hot at the fair, but this year we have been having an unseasonably cool summer and the weather at the fair was just right!

They had mutton bustin' this year at the fair. Riley was too old to do it, but they let the older kids enter a contest where they had to get in teams, chase a sheep, put a shirt over its neck and get it back across the finish line. Riley, Lucas and Christopher were all on the same team. They didn't win, but it was hilarious to watch!!!

Bella's gymastics company did a demonstration on one of the stages at the fair. She loved being on stage and did a great job!

Here are some pics of our time at the fair. Enjoy!

Male Bonding and baseball

2010-07-26T16:31:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Ryan, Riley, Jim and Lucas all went down to LA for a little male bonding time. Oh, and they also went to a Dodgers vs Giants game at Dodger Stadium. This was Riley's first time seeing a professional baseball game and he went decked out in Dodger blue!.

The guys got to LA early on Saturday, checked into their hotel and spent a few fun hours playing in the pool. Then it was time to head out to the game. At the game, the boys each had a Dodger Dog. Riley was very proud that he finished the whole thing! Everyone really enjoyed the game, even though the Dodgers lost. Riley said the highlight of the game for him was when one of the Dodger's players hit a home run.

The weekend ended with more time at the pool before heading home on Sunday. I think they all had a great time and it was a good opportunity for some daddy/ son quality time and a little male bonding!

Meanwhile, back at home. Jenn and I took Bella and Christopher to dinner at a local pizza restaurant that has video games and then Jenn took them to see a movie. After all, they deserved to have a special night too!

Bieber Fever!!

2010-07-23T15:07:00.000-07:00

Yep, it's true. Bieber fever has hit the Swarthout house!

Both Riley and Bella are big fans of the teen sensation so we had to get them tickets to go see him in concert at the Mid State Fair. It was the first concert that either of them had been to. I was excited to see what their reaction would be, especially since I knew the audience would mostly be made up of screaming teenage girls. We invited the Climers; Jenn, Lucas and Christopher to go along with us and got seats in the grandstand area.

All 4 of the kid were pretty wide-eyed when we walked into the arena and they saw all the people. There were girls everywhere with Justin Bieber shirts and other accessories. It was pretty cute. After getting some icecream, we took our seats. I was so happy that our seats were in the grandstand and not on the floor. I knew it would be impossible for the kids to see over the people in front of them if we sat on the floor.

Two bands sang a few songs each to warm up the crowd and then Sean Kingston came out. The kids know a few of his songs. They got excited when he played songs they knew. Bella was actually standing on her seat, waving her arms, jumping up and down and singing. It was so cute. The people around her were laughing at how such a little thing could get so into the music.

After Sean Kingston, there was a break before the big JB came on. They actually had a countdown on the screen. When the time got close, the crowd started going wild!! I mean, WILD! I have never heard something as loud as that audience when he came on stage!! Bella joined in with the crowd chanting, "Justin, Justin, Justin". Riley, Lucas and Christopher just looked like they were in a daze, not really sure what to think of it all.

Unfortunately, JB's first few songs were songs that we didn't recognize. I think the kids lost a bit of their enthusiasm at that point. Riley started to really become affected by the screaming so we put earplugs in him. Bella was still dancing to songs she knew but I could tell she was fading fast. Needless to say, both of my kids fell asleep toward the end of the concert, though how they could sleep with all the screaming I will never know. We left before the concert was over.

All in all, I think the kids, especially Bella, had a really good time. Here are some pics and videos so you can see for yourself. I took these with my cell phone so please forgive the poor quality!

Happy Birthday Bella!!

2010-07-15T20:37:00.000-07:00

My darling, sweet girl had her 5th birthday last week. I honestly can't believe Bella is 5 and on her way to kindergarten in the fall. Where does the time go? Bella is such a girlie girl. She loves clothes, and is very picky with what she wears. She loves to get mani pedis. She loves her stuffed animals, barbies, polly pockets and littlest pet shop. She loves to sing, dance and wants to be in movies. We call her the next Hannah Montana!

Here are some pictures of her actual birthday and her flower themed birthday party. Enjoy!

Another fun weekend with lots of family and friends

2010-07-03T18:38:00.000-07:00

We had company galore this past weekend! Ryan's two brothers, Jeff and Todd, along with Jeff's daughter Dakota, Ryan's dad, Pat, and step mom, Leah, and Carrie's husband Billy, all showed up last Friday for a visit. Billy wins the award for who travelled the farthest, having come from New Zealand!

We had a pool party on Saturday topped off by a delicious BBQ with everything from sausages, to hot dogs to BBQ chicken and steak. There was something for everyone!

Sunday we all went to Lake San Antonio with the Climers for a little fun on the water. The weather was perfect for a day at the lake; HOT! We all had fun riding the jet skiis (even though Bella and I got stranded in the middle of the lake and had to be towed back to camp) and for Billy, this was his first time on a jet ski! We finished out the day with dinner at Big Bubba's Bad BBQ, a tradition for after lake days.

We were all exhausted after this fun- filled weekend with family (try saying that 3 times fast). But, we don't get to see them often enough so we enjoy every minute we can with them!

Here is a slide show of our two fun days!

A big week at the Swarthout house!

2010-06-15T20:31:00.000-07:00

Last week was a big week here at our house.

To start the week off, Riley got stitches! He was swimming in the pool at a friend's house and got struck under the eye by a rubber torpedo. I took him to the ER where he received 6 stitches! He was so brave, didn't shed one tear when we were at the hospital, even though he was very nervous. I was so proud of him!.

Next came Bella's graduation from preschool! I can't believe my baby is almost 5 and going into kindergarten!! The kids all had cute little caps and sang a few songs before receiving their "diplomas". What made the evening more special was that Bella had 3 special guests at her graduation; her auntie Carrie, her cousin Chase, and family friend Jenn Climer.
Here is a video of Bella receiving her diploma.

It was also Riley's last week of 3rd grade! They had a pirate party, water party, watched movies and basically had a lot of fun that last week. Riley loved his third grade teacher, she was awesome! But he is looking forward to being a 4th grader.Riley as a pirate and on his last day of school

Now that summer is officially here and it is finally getting HOT here in Paso, we are spending and lots of time in the pool. Come by and see us sometime! We would love to have you!

Sun+ Solar Panels= Lots of fun in the pool!

2010-04-24T20:12:00.000-07:00

The weather has been getting warmer. Spring is here and summer is right around the corner! Our friend Scott came to our house recently and installed a solar pool heater. What a difference it has made!! The pool jumped up over 10 degrees in just a few days. We are finally able to use it. Okay, so the kids and Ryan have been in, I am still too chicken! I am waiting for the pool temp to reach a nice, warm 80 degrees before I get in!
Here are some videos of the kids and Ryan enjoying the pool and the hot tub!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1HWKIIBHyA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9RWONdIcHg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4rw5iMuKko

Fashion photo shoot fun

2010-04-11T15:13:00.000-07:00

About a month ago I was asked to do a photoshoot at a friend's salon, Strawberry Blonde. One of the stylists had some girls coming in that she wanted to do makeup and hair for and have me photograph the final results. It was a fun afternoon of me getting to do what I love, and what I haven't had a chance to do since college; fashion photography! We had a very limited space to work in, ie; one wall, but I was happy with the results. Here are some of my favorite shots from the day. Tell me what you think.

Batter Up!!!

2010-03-23T20:46:00.000-07:00

Can I just brag for a minute? My son is a stud!!! Baseball season is underway and Riley is playing for the Colorado Rockies. His positions are pitcher and 3rd base and he is rockin' at both!
We have had a few games so far and he has made awesome plays in all of them, striking and getting kids out left and right. Here are some pics and videos of him in action. In the videos, he is pitching in one and makes a great play to get someone out at first in the other. The action happens pretty fast so you may have to watch it a few times. Enjoy! And I love comments!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LoI3DSbn1I

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVXeiQREDX8

MOVED IN!!!

2010-03-11T11:00:00.000-08:00

Big news! The house is finally done and we spent this weekend moving in!

I took friday off of work and with the help of my best friend, Jenn, we moved almost the entire house in 3 days with just our cars and Ryan's truck. Can you say girl power??!!

So, of course the new house is total chaos right now with unpacking, organizing and we are still waiting for the electrician to come and the hardwood floors in the diningroom to get finished. Both of those things should be happening any day now.

Here is what we had done on the house: new paint throughout, new carpet in the bedrooms, new hardwood floors in the kitchen, diningroom, livingroom and hallway, removed a wall in the diningroom and stained all the cabinets. The house looks completely different now; soo much better! We still want to do a lot of landscaping; laying sod and planting. But, that will have to wait until we get more settled in the house.

The kids are loving it here so far. We have been in the hot tub a few times (still way too cold for the pool) and they are loving that they have so much more space!

I am hoping to get done unpacking and settled by the end of the month. But, here are some pics of how the house looked after this weekend of moving. Like I said, total chaos!!

New house update- during pics

2010-02-14T21:31:00.000-08:00

I went over to the new house today to check up on the progress and move some stuff into the garage. The wall between the dining room and living room is gone and it looks amazing! Kudos to my mom for the idea to take it out. It opens up the space and lets so much more light in. The painters have been there all week. The colors look great! If you remember, the hallway before was a horrible dark green (a nice color but not on a wall). We changed it to a light khaki color and it made such a difference! My mom is doing her room in a light sage green, Bella's is lavender, Riley's will stay white, ours is a light blue, and the rest of the house is varying shades of beige/khaki.

Here are some pics of the way the house looked today when I was there.

Next up, new carpet and new hardwood floors!

The hallway

The kid's bathroom

Bella's room Mom's bedroom

The kitchen

The dining room, minus the wall

Gotta love Photoshop

2010-02-09T19:32:00.000-08:00

The last two Thursdays I have spent taking classes on Photoshop. As a photographer, Photoshop is a necessity! It is the best photo editing software around!

I learned a little bit about photoshop in college, and have since taught myself a bit more. But, this class was great! I relearned some tricks and tips I had forgotten and discovered new ones. bThe teacher is a professional photographer out of Tulare, CA. He does a lot of wildlife photography but also does weddings, portraits and product photography. He was a wiz and photoshop. At times he went so fast it was hard to keep up, but I still feel like I walked away from his classes knowing a lot more about photoshop than I did going in! Photoshop can be as easy, or as complex, as you want it to be. For example. I just did a few quick things to each of these photos and it made a world of difference.

What do you think?

Before, SOOC (straight out of camera)

After, see how it pops now and the colors are more defined?

SOOC

after adjustments

See what a difference a little photoshop can make to your pictures?

Good House Hunting and the Demo Crew

2010-02-02T20:30:00.000-08:00

For those of you who don't know, we have been house hunting for a few months. We decided to combine households with my mom due to her health issues. Our current house had enough bedrooms, but was two story, so it was out. Her current house is not big enough and is in a seniors only development so it, too, was out.

House hunting was fun at times, and frustrating at times. We saw a ton of houses, a few that we really liked and most that were just not up to par. My mom gets the finder's fee for discovering the house we ended up buying. She saw it on the MLS and wanted to go take a look at it. That viewing led to more viewings which led to an offer. We closed escrow and got the keys to the house this past Friday!! We are very excited!

We are getting a lot of work done to the house. Some will be done now before we move in and some, like the landscaping, will be more of a gradual process once we are settled in the house. The first thing we wanted to do was tear out a wall that separated the diningroom from the rest of the livingroom, thereby creating one big "great room". My mom had the great idea of letting the kids go at the wall with hammers, since it would be coming down anyway. We invited our friends, The Climers, to participate with us and needless to say, we all had a blast!! We had 3 hammers and a sledge hammer all attacking the wall at once. We left an utter mess behind us but we got most of the wall down and got a lot of energy out in the process.

Here are the before pics of the house. I will be posting the during and the after shots as well down the road. Keep in mind, these are the BEFORE shots, the house will look much different once we get some work done! We are putting in hardwood floors in the diningroom, livingroom, kitchen and hallway. We are also getting new carpet in the bedrooms and painting the whole house.

And here are a few pics and a video of the kids doing the demo work

10 feet of fresh snow!!!

2010-01-30T09:05:00.001-08:00

Last weekend our family, along with our friends The Climers, headed up to Sierra Summit for some skiing and snowboarding. It had been raining all week prior to our trip so we were all very excited to hear that the storms brought 10 feet of new snow to the mountain.

We left early, about 6am, in hopes that we would be at the mountain by 10. Not so much. We made good time to Fresno but from there it was very slow going. The road was very windy and we had to put our on chains. We followed a very long line of cars that was snaking up the mountain and it took forever to get there. We watched the clock tick by as we went 5-10 miles an hour most of the time.

We finally made it up around noon and the dads were able to get on the mountain at 12:30. The moms, Jenn and myself, checked in to the Inn at Sierra Summit and got the kids signed up for their lessons. Bella would be skiing and the boys, Riley, Lucas and Christopher, would all be snowboarding. It was the first time for all of them! We had a fun first day on the slopes and it was a beautiful, sunny day.

The next day, Sunday, was overcast and it ended up snowing half way through the day, which the kids loved! The kids were signed up for kids camp for the whole day. They would get a 2 hour lesson and then lunch. So, the adults were free for most of the day. I was very leary to ski as I have been having issues with my hip and didn't want to risk making it worse. But, I decided to go for it! Ryan, Jim and I hit the slopes while Jenn got cozy in the lodge and watched the kids do their thing. I only made a few runs before pooping out. But Iwas glad that I tried to ski again and at least got up the mountain once! Ryan and Jim had a great day of runs with lots of fresh powder. The kids all had a blast too and after their day at kids camp was over, they spent time on their own going down the bunny hill to hone their skills. They did pretty good! A snowball fight followed and was lots of fun in the fresh falling snow.

Monday was our day to leave. We stopped at a snow park on the way down the mountain and had a huge snowball fight. We were hoping to get some sledding in but there was no place to do it. But, the kids made due with two snow ball makers and had a blast just running around and playing in the snow. We headed back home, tired, but happy. We all had a great weekend and hopefully will get to do it again next year!

Here are some pics and videos to enjoy of our trip!

a fun weekend was had by all!

2010-01-20T09:36:00.000-08:00

We had a very fun and busy 3 day weekend!
Saturday we hung out with our friends, the Climers, then went to Chuck E Cheese for a birthday party. The kids had a blast and we were there for about 3 hours!
Sunday Bella had a playdate with one of her friends at the Children's museum here in Paso. It was a lot of fun. We had lunch, ran errands then hung out with Nona for a bit.
Monday Ryan and I braved the rain and wind to drive to LA for an ortho appointment. It was a scary drive down and at times we could only drive 35 miles per hour because the rain was so bad! Luckily we made it there and back safely.
Here are some videos of our fun weekend. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cB2TlDtod9g

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDXTlVCAJHY

I LOVE Paso Robles

2010-01-13T20:17:00.001-08:00

One of the slogans for Paso Robles is Darn Near Paradise. And I must say that I agree with that whole heartedly. Paso is awesome. I have lived here for over 5 years and love it. Here are some reasons why:

1) Great historic downtown and fabulous downtown city park

2) The world famous Paso Robles Wine Festival every May (coincidentally around my birthday weekend each year)

3) Concerts in the park in the summertime

4) Great family atmosphere and very family friendly

5) A waterpark in our backyard! Perfect for those 100 degree summer days!

6) 100 degree summer days!

7) Snow in the winter (okay, only about once a year but still, it is fun).

8) You can still see real cowboys walking down the street

9) The Mid State Fair

10) The plethora of vineyards and wineries

11... The list really goes on an on.

Paso is a great small town. The people are so friendly, there is always something to do, there are a bunch of great restaurants (namely The Crown Room at Eagle Castle Winery where my husband happens to be the executive chef), the countryside is gorgeous, we are a quick 30 minute drive to the beach, half way between LA and SF, etc, etc, etc.

So, are you ready to move here yet? Or at least come on down for a visit?

It's been a looong time! But we're back!

2010-01-09T19:13:00.000-08:00

Wow, what a long hiatus this blog has had! But, I have been inspired by a few friends to start blogging again. So, here I go!

For those of you who don't know, Bella is a diva. She loves to sing and dance and I firmly believe she will be the next Taylor Swift. Bella sings in the shower, eating her breakfast, getting dressed, doing her homework, watching tv, etc etc etc. She is a star! Here is a video I took the other night of her singing in the shower. Check out how expressive she gets while belting it out.
Enjoy! Thanks for checking in on us, and please leave comments!
~Kate

How do you like them cakes?

2009-03-07T20:10:00.001-08:00

Ryan has a new venture, he is making cakes for the birthday parties at the gym's Kids' Club. Each one is a different theme and so far he has made Darth Vader and Sponge Bob. And did I mention they are cupcake cakes? Not an easy feat but Ryan sure makes it look that way! They have turned out great so far and I personally cannot wait to see what he is going to do next. I hear Pirates of the Caribbean is on tap.

Here is how the magic happens:

Ryan creates a schematic of how he wants to lay the cupcakes out so they will resemble the shape he is going for. Then he does a crumb coat of frosting (homemade of course) to get the cupcakes to stick together. After that is done he does another layer of frosting, sweeping across the whole cake to fill in any gaps. Then, the fun part begins. Ryan does the outline of his design and then fills it in using pastry bags with different tips.

Here are some photos of the process and the finished results

Italy around the house

2009-02-21T21:24:00.000-08:00

Those who know me know I am obsessed with Italy, especially the Fleur di Lis, which, although French, is the symbol of the city of Florence. I lived in Florence during college and have deep loyalty to it! I first went to Italy when I was 15 and remember the minute I stepped off the train and into Venice I felt at home. I have felt that way about Italy every since. I go back as often as possible, which is never often enough. Our last trip was a year and a half ago and I miss Italy terribly! Here is how I try to keep Italy close during the long stretches in between trips:

Paintings bought in Florence of Florence and poppies

Photo of Chianti bottles and paintings of the Tuscan countryside

photos of the Tuscan countryside. The saying Live well, Laugh often, Love Much

A wine bottle bought in Florence and fleur de Lis book stand

Fleur di lis pots and a book on Tuscany by Frances Mayes (Under the Tuscan Sun)

more fleur di lis stuff and Deruta pottery

More Deruta pottery and our stovetop esspress maker.

Good Photo Hunting

2009-02-15T14:53:00.000-08:00

Here are the latest in my photo hunt submissions for Slowtrav:

Theme: worldwide-shopping

This is a picture of Bella on the Ponte Vecchio in Florence, admiring the jewelry.

Theme: Italy- lunchtime

This picture is of Ryan, Riley and Val, eating pizza in San Gimignano, Italy

Ryan's new digs

2009-02-04T14:01:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to Ryan! He was hired yesterday to be the Executive Chef of Summerwood Inn and Winery!
I have never been to Summerwood, but have driven by it many times and it looks gorgeous!

Ryan is excited to get back to doing what he loves in a beautiful location.

He starts the 18th of February.
Anyone hungry?

new digital scrapbook pages

2009-01-25T20:37:00.000-08:00

These are a few pages I have done recently. I don't have the designer info listed but will be more than happy to provide it if you would like to know who designed the amazing kits I used. Hope you enjoy! I find that digital scrapbooking definitely calms my nerves after a hectic day...

Good Photo Hunting

2009-01-23T10:46:00.000-08:00

Here are the second round of photos I have submitted for the SlowTrav photo hunts:

The subject of the first is Beginnings:

This photo is called Beginning of a journey and was taken in Civita di Bagnoregio, Italy

The subject of the second is Pink:

This photo was taken at Castel del Trebbio outside of Florence, Italy

GO GET THIS MAGAZINE!!

2009-01-22T11:01:00.000-08:00

Riley and Bella are gracing the pages of a magazine again! Woo hoo! This time it is a local magazine called Central Coast Magazine. The photo shoot was done about a month ago at the Avila Valley Barn. The theme of this issue is "green" and the kids were in an article highlighting local products (veggies, produce, meat, cheese, etc). They look absolutely adorable! Check it out for yourself! The issue will be on newstands for January and February.

Cruisin'

2009-01-09T13:17:00.000-08:00

Yep, I took the plunge, literally, and went on a cruise.
I have been a bit against cruising in the past because I like to spend more time in each place instead of a quick on a off. Plus, the crowd seemed wrong, too old, too young, too into parting, etc.

But, we needed something to do for mom on her 66th bday that would meet multiple requirements, and going on a mini cruise fit the bill! So, off we went.

We picked a cruise that left out of San Diego and went to Cabo San Lucas and came back. The cruise was 4 nights, 3 full days. Our family of 4 plus mom and my sister would be going. I was actually excited to go! I needed a break from work and it was supposed to be 85 in Cabo! I picked swimming with the dolphins as one of our shore excursions because I have always wanted to do it plus I knew it was something the kids would remember. We all loved it! We also took a boat ride out to Los Arcos and then went to a restaurant called The Office that was right on the beach. Did we get enough time in Cabo, no way! I will definitely go back. But, did we all have fun and do I feel rested? You bet! Now the big question, would I cruise again? I would, and for many reasons. It was so EASY! And with have 2 little ones, I look for anything that is easy. We all had fun, from my 66 year old mom to my 3 year old daughter. There was something for everyone to do, eat, and buy! Here are some pics from our trip. Enjoy!

All about Me!

2009-01-08T09:14:00.000-08:00

All About Me Meme

I saw this meme on Palma's blog and thought it would be fun. So here goes!

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? Yes, my middle name, Rollin, was my paternal grandfather's middle name.

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? A few days ago.

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? Sometimes. When I have the time and patience it can be very neat, otherwise, watch out!

4. DO YOU HAVE KIDS? Yep! My pride and joy!

5. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? You bet.

6. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? Probably too much.

7. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? I guess so becaue I have not had them taken out

8. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? Hmmm, maybe, if a lot of money were involved!

9. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Life

10. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?Nope

11. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? After what I have gone through in my life, especially in the last year, anyone who knows me knows how strong I am.

12. FAVORITE ICE CREAM? Torrone gelato

13.WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? Their attitude; good or bad

14. RED OR PINK? pink

15. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? My weight.

16. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? Emme

17. WHAT COLOR SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? black

18. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE? Weight Watchers cheesestick

19 WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? People in the office talking

20.IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? pink

21.FAVORITE SMELLS? Lilac, tuber rose, sweetpea, lavender, sage, chocolate

22. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? Ryan

23. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH? supercross

24. HAIR COLOR? brown

25. EYE COLOR? hazel
26. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? No

27.FAVORITE FOOD? Anything italian and anything sweet!

28. SCARY MOVIES OR SAPPY ENDINGS?Sappy endings for sure

29. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? Hancock

30. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? Red sweater

31. SUMMER OR WINTER? Definitely Summer

32. HUGS OR KISSES? Yes, lots of each.

33. FAVORITE DESSERT?Anything chocolate or lemon or a combo of both!

34.WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW? Mediterrean Summer

35. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? Just plain ol' purple

36. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT? Nothing, fell asleep

37.FAVORITE SOUND? My kids laughing or saying they love me

38. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?The Beatles

39. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME? Berlin

40.DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? Photography

41.WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Idaho

There, now you know all about me!

Good Photo Hunting

2008-12-29T10:15:00.000-08:00

I have started to participate in the Photo Hunting going on over at Slowtrav. I love the Slow Travel website, their forums, and the slow travel philosophy in general. Plus, hunting for photos to fit a theme is really fun!
So, I did a few last week and have done one so far this week. Here they are:

Italy photo hunt theme: Summer
This photo was taken in Positano, Italy

Worldwide photo hunt theme: Motion

This is a photo of Ryan on a roller coaster from Gillroy Gardens, CA

Worldwide photo hunt theme: Shadow
This photo was taken of the Colloseum in Rome

Worldwide photo hunt theme: Warmth

This is a photo of our campfire at Lake San Antonio, CA

I will keep posting my future photo hunts!!

Christmas Eve/ Christmas Day Fun!

2008-12-26T10:50:00.000-08:00

Here are some fun photos from Christmas Eve and Christmas Day! Carrie and my mom came over and we opened family presents on Christmas Eve. Our tradition is to eat lots of yummy appetizers that night. We had some great ones! Christmas Day they came over again in the morning for stockings and Santa presents. Then, we had The Climers, my mom and sister over for Christmas Dinner that night. We had a blast and ate more yummy food!!

This can't be said enough!

2008-12-24T13:53:00.000-08:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

2008-12-17T10:26:00.000-08:00

I stole this from Mackenzie who stole it from Jill. The things I have done are in BOLD.

1. Started my own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than I can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain (lots of them)
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sung a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched lightening at sea
14. Taught myself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown my own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitchhiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise (2 more weeks!!)
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of my ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught myself a new language (I have had help)
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had my portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had my picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating (does fish count?)
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Rode an elephant

and you?

Pure Christmas Cuteness

2008-12-12T14:07:00.000-08:00

Last night Bella's preschool had their anual Christmas concert. Each age group got up on stage and sang a few songs. Bella's group was so cute, singing and dancing to Up on the Housetop and Jingle Bells. Afterward, Santa stopped by for a visit with each of the children and handed them out a book!

I am posting a few videos, some from the kids practicing their Christmas carols and some from last night, and some pics from last night. Hope you enjoy!!!

A little bit of Christmas

2008-12-04T11:35:00.000-08:00

Here is a peek at our house from last night. The kids wrote their letters to Santa. Riley asked for helicopters, Lego sets, spy gear and more dart guns. Bella asked for a Princess dolly, princess necklace and Princess dancing girl! Hope you enjoy!

I am making Christmas cards!!!

2008-11-27T08:37:00.000-08:00

This month I have been really busy with photo shoots!! I did two last week, have 4 to do on Saturday and two booked for December. I decided that in addition to the shoots, I would also try my hand at designing Christmas cards for my clients. Here are the ones I have designed so far:

I would LOVE to hear your comments and suggestions. And, if you want me to design yours just let me know!!!!

October Recap...

2008-11-24T12:47:00.001-08:00

October was a very very busy month for us!!

We said goodbye to our foster sons, Riley ran in a race downtown Paso, we went to the pumpkin patch to pick out the perfect pumpkin, Riley had his birthday and birthday party and it was all topped off with Halloween!!

I have to say Riley's bday party was a blast this year. For those of you who know me, it comes as no surprise to hear how much I love to plan parties, especially kids parties. Riley is so into Star Wars that I knew that would be our theme this year, and we went all out!! His invites told people that they had to come to Jedi Training Academy so they could defend the universe against Darth Vader. When the kids arrived, they each got a Jedi robe with the Jedi Training Academy logo on it. Ryan was a Jedi Master and directed the kids in each activity. First they colored star wars pics while waiting for everyone to arrive. Then they completed a Star Wars trivia contest and did an obstacle course and received their own light saber. After that, we had a surprise visit from Darth Vader (Ryan) and each child was able to challenge him to a duel. Vader left announcing that the Jedi had won!! We ate pizza, had cake and opened gifts before presenting each of the kids with a laminated certificate saying they had passed the Jedi Training Academy and were now considered Galactic Heroes. They LOVED it!!!! I don't know how I am going to top it next year...

A Great Day for America!!!!!

2008-11-04T20:34:00.000-08:00

I am officially a soccer mom!

2008-10-03T12:26:00.000-07:00

Not to be outdone by her big brother, Bella started the Kidz Luv Soccer program last week. She is in the 3 and a half to 4 year old group. Imagine all of those little ones running around chasing soccer balls! It is seriously way too cute. The best part is that Bella's friends Christopher and Ella are in class with her. She is loving it!

Riley did the Kidz Luv Soccer program for three years before playing on a team through AYSO. The coaches are fantastic and they make it fun and exciting for the kids. They learn how to kick the ball, how to control it, and play silly games so the kids have fun. Here are some adorable pics from Bella's first day at soccer. Enjoy!

Listening to Coach Ryan

Look Ma, no hands!

Bella and Jeremy (Ella's brother and one of Riley's best friends)

Christopher, Bella, Jeremy and Ella. What a cute bunch!

Woot!

2008-09-25T09:43:00.001-07:00

I got my first (and probably only) blog award! Seeing as how I only blog for friends and family to know what is going on in our lives and to see pics of the kids, I do not expect awards. However, getting an award is always fun and makes me feel oh so special!

So, THANKS JILL!!!

The rule upon receiving the award is that I then bestow the it on 7 other bloggers but since I don't read 7 other blogs, I am going to nominate the ones I do read (and therefore, obviously love, or else why would I read them??)

I hereby bequeath you the I Love Your Blog award!! Rock on ladies!

My new favorite thing and the Creston Classic Rodeo

2008-09-24T16:09:00.000-07:00

And no, my new favorite thing is not the Creston Rodeo.

I recently discovered Picnik. It is a photo editing website that is free and easy and the best part is that I don't have to download anything so I can play around on it at work! Oops, I mean I can play around on it at home but never ever do anything like that at work (cough cough).

We went to the rodeo in Creston a few weekends ago. Never heard of Creston California? That surprises me!! I mean, after all, it is famous for.... okay, nothing. It is famous for nothing. It is a blip on the map. A blink and you miss it town. But, once a year they hold a rodeo and the kids have been dying to go to one (and I was not about to pay over 25 bucks a ticket for them to see the rodeo at the fair this year). I grew up going to the rodeo in Hailey, Idaho and have very fond memories so I definitely wanted my kids to exeperience it at as well.

So, I decked them out in their cowboy hats (yes they both have them) and off we went, with mom, Ryan and the foster boys in tow.

It was hotter than hot, dusty, dirty and FUN! The kids really enjoyed it and I was in photo heaven! The best party was what they called Mutton Bustin'. Basically, little kids don their bike helmets and climb on top of a sheep and hold on for dear life while the sheep runs around the arena. It was hilarious!! Riley said he wanted to do it next year!

Here are the photos from the rodeo that I enhanced using Picnik (remember, my new favorite thing?):

This one of Bella is my absolute FAVORITE picture at the moment. A fair entry for sure!

And here are some other fun pics from the rodeo:

Tired after a long, fun filled day!

Play soccer and Go Camping

2008-09-15T08:16:00.000-07:00

Riley is playing soccer with AYSO again this year and Ryan is coaching the team. They are calling themselves the Fire Breathing Dragons. Be afraid, be very afraid!!

We have had two games so far. The first game was great, we scored 4 goals in the first half but then our team puttered out (yes, it was 100 degrees so they had an excuse) and the other team came back to score 5 goals and win the game.

The second game was another story. Let's just say we got spanked, big time! They won 14-2. I swear one of the kids on that team was a professional, he was HEADING the ball!! At 7 years old!! I was impressed. Hopefully our next game will go better. But, as long as Ryan and the boys are having fun, it doesn't matter if we ever win a game!

Riley and his buddy Zack

Riley and his best friend, Lucas

For Labor Day weekend, we went on our first and last camping trip of the summer. We spent the long, hot 3 day weekend at Lake San Antonio with our friends, The Climers. We had a great time! The lake water was the perfect temp, the kids had a blast out on the jet skiis and splashing around in the water! Here is a slide show of photos from the trip. Enjoy!

Another day, another first

2008-09-10T11:34:00.000-07:00

This time, it was Bella's turn to start school. Tuesday, 9-2 was Bella and my foster son's (S) first day of preschool! They are going to a wonderful preschool here called Stars. I love the school, great classrooms with lots of different activities, nice teachers and an awesome playground that is shaded (super important during our 100 degree summers).

Bella was very nervous. She picked out her outfit for the day (princess shirt hooray!), got her backpack and lunch box and we headed off! Ryan and I took both Bella and S to school. Neither of us would miss it for the world!

We took Bella into her class, introduced her to the teacher and showed her around. The teacher showed her where her cubby was and had her sit down to do a project. There were two other girls at the table and poor Bella wouldn't even look at them! After she finished her project we looked at some of the other toys in the room and we hit the jackpot, a box full of HORSES! Bella was so excited when she found that. Another little girl came over to play with her and Ryan and I knew that it was time for us to go! We have Bella a big kiss and let her go on her way.

And no, I did NOT cry! I am saving that for kindergarten.

After school, Ryan picked them up and asked Bella how she did. She said she cried at naptime because she missed us. Otherwise, she said she had fun. We took a special blankie with her the next day for her to cuddle with at nap and she was so excited when she came home and said she didn't cry!

She likes it now, still shy but slowly opening up and having fun! Another great thing about this school is that two of my coworkers both have children in Bella's class!

Has anyone seen my son?

2008-09-08T09:39:00.000-07:00

You may remember back in July my family and our friends, The Climers, took a trip to Santa Monica and Malibu for a photoshoot and some fun family time. The photoshoot was for Seasons, Ltd., the makers of Halloween costumes. Riley and his best friend, Lucas Climer, were in the shoot and each modeled at least 9 or 10 costumes... I dunno exactly, I lost count. Riley modeled a policeman, an army dude, a werewolf, a cowboy, an alien, the grim reaper, a skeleton, hmmm, what else. I don't honestly remember. What can I say? It was hot, there were lots of kids running around, lots of costumes and it was hot. The photos are going to be used for all the packaging and advertisements for the costumes.

The shoot itself was an interesting experience. The two other shoots Riley has done have been for Baby Couture magazine and were outside. This one was in studio, or rather, in a trailer that they call a studio where the fuses blew every 5 minutes and no one knew what was going on. I think the poor hair and makeup girl was ready to walk out because it was so chaotic. Are they always like that? I wouldn't know. Riley and Lucas had fun but got bored after awhile and were really ready to be done after costume 7 or 8. It was a loong day, we got there at 8:30 and left at 5:30. Yes, we got paid and yes, they fed us but it was still a looong day!

Okay, so here is my problem and here is where I need YOUR help! I cannot find the costumes he modeled anywhere! And by anywhere I mean every online costume retailer on the net. The director of the shoot said that they would be in Target, KMart, WalMart, etc. Granted, none of those stores have their costumes out yet, but I went to all of their websites and browsed the costumes they have and none of them are Riley and Lucas!

Can you please help me by checking costumes when you go to a retailer? I am soo anxious to see the packaging with Riley's adorable face! If you don't remember, or don't know, what Riley looks like click here.

Thanks for you help locating my little cowboy, policeman, werewolf, army dude, grim reaper, etc etc etc!

Ready or not

2008-09-03T08:35:00.000-07:00

Monday, September 2nd was a big day in the Swarthout house. Riley started 2nd grade and one of our foster sons started first grade.

The morning was a bit hectic. We had been in San Diego that weekend and got home pretty late Sunday night. The kids were tired. Ryan and I were tired. But, we had to do what we had to do!

We are very happy with Riley's teacher. She is the one we had really liked when we did open house last year so we asked Riley's 1st grade teacher to put him in her class. And wouldn't you know it, his 2 best friends just happen to be in the same class! The teacher must have been forwarned about the three of them because she had them sitting on opposite sides of class (smart lady).

Our foster son, J, had the same teacher that Riley had last year. We really liked her too. She was very patient with J on the first day, seeing that he was very nervous and shy. This was a new school for him and with all the changes he has had in his life in the past few months, we wanted this transition to go smoothly. He seemed to like the class and has said he likes the teacher and is making friends!

I can post pics of Riley but cannot post pics of J. So here they are:

Riley and Lucas

Swarthouts, sand and surfboards in San Diego (lots of photos)

2008-08-29T13:07:00.001-07:00

Last weekend we went down to San Diego for a Swarthout family reunion. We took our gang and met up with everyone at a beach/park in Chula Vista.

The Swarthouts are a big family. When you have 6 kids and each of them has a couple of kids and some of them have a couple of kids, the numbers add up quickly! I love Ryan's family though. They are all so nice and have made me feel like a part of the family from day one!

The kids had a great time playing with their cousin, Dakota, who is Ryan's brother Jeff's daughter. She is about to turn 4. Bella and Dakota played with their barbies, my little ponies and princesses. It was very cute! The boys did a lot of tree climbing, swimming in the ocean (the water was soo warm), learning how to surf, and riding their bikes. We had a fantastic day and it was so good to spend time with family and friends! Here are some pics! Click to enlarge.

My tree climbing monkey

Bella and Dakota in the chef gear GG Pat gave them. Aren't the cute?!

Beautiful scenery with Coronado Island in the background. Don't you wish you were on that boat?

Riley practicing his stance before he takes to the water.

Paddling out

Everybody was surfin', surfin' USA!

Is it just me or does he look like a natural?

My beach bunny

Funny with daddy!

Beautiful end to a great day!

A Tale of Two...Layouts

2008-08-20T17:01:00.000-07:00

We went to Morro Bay on Sunday so I could scout locations for upcoming photoshoots. We had a blast there, hung out on the beach, collected seashells, walked along the embarcadero and had a yummy dinner at Duckie's in Cayucos. Here are two layouts I did yesterday while Riley was home sick. Which one do you like best and why? Click to enlarge.

Sick kid= clean house and digiscrap!

2008-08-19T12:20:00.000-07:00

Riley is home sick today. Well, not sick exactly, he has a raging headache. Luckily for him, his head does not hurt so bad that he cannot watch every Star Wars movie ever made. I swear that kid is obsessed!

After cleaning the downstairs of our house this morning, I decided to play on the computer. I am making birth announcements for two of my friends who just had babies. Here are the announcements I have made so far (no, their stats are not right, I just plugged in #s until I got the real ones). Keep in mind, the resolution is not very high so the file size would be smaller and easier to upload. Click to enlarge (you knew I was going to say that didn't you...)

Know anyone having a baby soon? Send them my way!! This is way fun!

Also, I made this layout of Bella's birthday and think it is sooo cute I just had to share!

Mommy daughter day AKA: my attempt to make Bella girly

2008-08-18T13:27:00.000-07:00

(enlarge this pic to see Bella's new earrings)

Most of you who know my daughter know she is a tomboy through and through. She loves horses, hates to wear skirts, would rather play legos with Riley than play with her Barbies, etc. I don't know why it bothers me, I was the same way when I was a little girl. Maybe it is because I have my boy and I want my little girl to let me have tea parties with her, braid her hair and play dress up. Ya, fat chance!

Two weeks ago we walked in to WalMart and they had a table set up with lots of goodie bags on it and balloons. They were doing free earpiercing with the purchase of a pair of their earrings. I had tried to get Bella to get her ears pierced at the fair, and even bought her a pair of horsey earrings to wear. No luck, she was afraid it would hurt. Of course it hurts, but I wasn't going to tell her that! This time, I was smart. I said, "Look Bella, if you get your ears pierced they give you a goodie bag filled with candy." Magic word- candy!!! She sat down, picked out a cute little pair of pink studs (okay okay, she wanted the blue ones but I persuaded her to get the pink ones) and said she was ready!

She cried. She cried for about 60 seconds and then said, "Can I have my candy now?" That's my girl!!!!

I was so excited by her venture into girliness that I told Ryan I was taking her for some mommy daughter time and we went to get pedicures. Can you guess what kind of nail polish she picked out? No, not blue, but green sparkles. No pink, red, etc. Green. Ugh! She wasn't too thrilled with watching me get mine done (she had her pedi first) until I asked for a flower on my toe. She loooved that. When the technician finished with me, they redid Bella's so she could have a flower. They took off her green (woohoo) and painted hers a hot pink to match mine, added a flower and called it a day! We sat under the weird black light dryer thingies for a few minutes then went home to show off our pretty feet to the boys.

Hooray!!! Now, if I could only get her to wear a dress!

It's Fair Time!

2008-08-14T11:14:00.000-07:00

Most of you know that I love the fair! For me, it is a chance to show my photography, have a blast with the kids, eat crappy food and see good concerts!

This year, my photos did not do as well as usual and I was pretty bummed about that. But, we saw two great concerts; Matchbox 20 and Fergie! They were both a lot of fun and a good chance to spend some adult time with friends. I didn't eat too much junk, just some yummy gelato and lots of garlic fries!

Of course, the kids had a blast! Here are some photos of our time at the fair. Note, I cannot show pictures of our foster boys here for privacy reasons but they were with us and had a blast too!

Click photos to enlarge.

Too cute!

Giddyup!

Truckin'

She LOVED this ride! Check out her hair!

Weeee!

They call it puppy love

2008-07-28T14:42:00.000-07:00

I am such a sucker. I hear that someone in the office has puppies and is looking for homes for them. Of course I volunteer. I love puppies and Lili needs a playmate. Who cares that at the moment we have 3 cats, 1 fish, 1 dog and 4 kids. With this much chaos, adding one more to the mix doesn't make much of a difference. Or at least that is how I rationalize it to anyone who asks why on earth we got another dog.

Meet Mr. Darcy and you will completely understand. He is a little white ball of fluff. He is just too cute!! He is a maltese, was born 5-21 and probably only weighs a pound or two. The kids adore him. Bella totes him around like one of her stuffed animals. Ryan plays with him all the time (he is such a softie) and Lili... well, Lili is not too sure of him yet. She is putting up with him for now. Our hope is that as Mr Darcy grows, so will Lili's affection for him and they will start to play together.

Check out these pics and you will want one too:

Sunshine!!

2008-07-25T08:33:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we went to Malibu because Riley was in a photoshoot for Seasons, Ltd who make Halloween costumes. We decided to make a fun weekend out of it and our friends, the Climers, came with us so their son could also be in the photoshoot.

Sunday we left early and drove down to Santa Monica. We got there around 11 and found a spot on the beach, right next to the pier. The kids (all 6 of them) were very excited to play in the ocean and to go on the rides at the pier. We spent a few hours at the beach before showering off and heading up to do rides and games on the pier. We let each kid pick one ride and one game and then we kept playing until they all walked away with a stuffed animal (hard feelings thus avoided).

Beach in Santa Monica

My little mermaid

Bella and her prize

The Family on the Santa Monica Pier

Our hotel was The Marriott in Marina Del Rey. It was beautiful and, thanks to Priceline, cheap!! We went to C&O Trattoria for dinner. My sister used to take me there when she lived in LA and it was always a really fun place with yummy Italian food.

View from our hotel room

The kids and I at C&O

Sunday Jenn, Lucas, Riley and I got up early and drove to Malibu for the photoshoot (will post more on that later). The four of us spent the day at the shoot (8:30-4:30) while the dads and the other kids hung out at the beach in Malibu. After the shoot we joined them at the beach and watched Riley go booging boarding. I must say, the beach in Malibu was soo much nicer than Santa Monica. It was cleaner, the sand softer and there were a lot less people. It reminded me of the beaches in Kaua'i!

Beach in Malibu

We left Malibu late and didn't make it home until after midnight. The kids were fast asleep, totally worn out from all the fun in the sun! It was a wonderful getaway! And of course, I have pictures! Click to enlarge!

A horseback riding ballerina

2008-07-14T11:47:00.000-07:00

That is what Bella wants to be; a horseback riding ballerina. Not sure if she wants to be doing them at the same time, that would be a sight in itself!

We had Bella's birthday party on Saturday at a place called First Step Farm in Los Osos. I am not normally a fan of Los Osos because it is typically cold and foggy. But, lucky for us, Saturday was beautiful!! I heard about the farm from a friend at work whose daughter takes riding lessons there and also helps with birthday parties. The owner, Michelle, told me about the parties and it sounded perfect.

Bella had 10 friends come to the party. Michelle brought out 3 ponies to ride (Ginger, Black Beauty and Brownie) and one miniature horse (Buttercup) that the kids could brush or lead around the corral.
The kids all had a fantastic time riding the horses! Bella must have ridden a dozen times, it was hard to keep her off. She had a smile on her face the whole time. I know it will be a party to remember! Click photos to enlarge.

Bella and Riley. Bella on Ginger

The gang

Bella and her cupcakes

Happy 3rd! Bella with Buttercup

Bella also started Ballet classes last week. Nona bought her a ballet outfit and shoes for her birthday. I wasn't able to go to her first class but Ryan took her and said she really enjoyed it. It took her awhile to get warmed up to the teacher and the other girls in class, but by the end she was twirling around with the best of them!

Enjoy the photos! (click to enlarge)

Because it's Friday and I am bored at work

2008-07-11T11:07:00.001-07:00

I stole this from Jill (thanks Jill!) and thought it would be fun. Here goes:

The instructions: Look at the list and bold those you have read, italicize those you intend to read and underline the books you love.

1. Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
2. The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
3. Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
4. Harry Potter series - JK Rowling
5. To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
6. The Bible
7. Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
8. 1984 - George Orwell
9. His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
10. Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
11. Little Women - Louisa M Alcott
12. Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
13. Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
14. Complete Works of Shakespeare
15. Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
16. The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
17. Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks
18. Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
19. The Time Traveller’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
20. Middlemarch - George Eliot
21. Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
22. The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
23. Bleak House - Charles Dickens
24. War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
25. The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
26. Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
27. Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28. Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
29. Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
30. The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
31. Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32. David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
33. Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis
34. Emma - Jane Austen
35. Persuasion - Jane Austen
36. The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis
37. The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
38. Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
39. Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
40. Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne
41. Animal Farm - George Orwell
42. The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
43. One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44. A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving
45. The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46. Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
47. Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48. The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood
49. Lord of the Flies - William Golding
50. Atonement - Ian McEwan
51. Life of Pi - Yann Martel
52. Dune - Frank Herbert
53. Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
54. Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
55. A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
56. The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57. A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
58. Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
59. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
60. Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61. Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
62. Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
63. The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64. The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
65. Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
66. On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67. Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68. Bridget Jones’ Diary - Helen Fielding
69. Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie
70. Moby Dick - Herman Melville
71. Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
72. Dracula - Bram Stoker
73. The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
74. Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
75. Ulysses - James Joyce
76. The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
77. Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78. Germinal - Emile Zola
79. Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
80. Possession - AS Byatt
81. A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
82. Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
83. The Color Purple - Alice Walker
84. The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
85. Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
86. A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87. Charlotte’s Web - EB White
88. The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
89. Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90. The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
91. Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
92. The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93. The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94. Watership Down - Richard Adams
95. A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
96. A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97. The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
98. Hamlet - William Shakespeare
99. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
100. Les Miserables - Victor Hugo (oui! en francias!!!)

Reading through this list, you can definitely tell I am an Austen fan!

Belle, Ballerinas and a bike

2008-07-10T08:54:00.001-07:00

Happy 3rd birthday Bella!!

We celebrated Bella's 3rd birthday on Sunday. Nona came over and we had dinner (Bella's choice of pancakes and scrambled eggs) ate yummy cake and then watched as Bella opened her gifts. She was so thrilled with each and every gift. Her response upon opening her gifts was a huge grin and an exclamation of, "Oh! I LOVE it!". She was just too cute. We are having her birthday party this Saturday at a pony farm where Bella and all her friends will be treated to pony rides and pony cupcakes! Here are a few photos of Sunday: (click to enlarge)

playing with the puppy carnival from Grandma Val

Fancy Nancy fun with Nona, opening Auntie Carrie's gift

Barbie Mariposa!! Hmm, wonder what's in here!

New Princess bike!

Recipe for a great 4th of July

2008-07-05T19:28:00.001-07:00

(click on photos to enlarge)

You must begin with a good old fashion parade. This one took place in Templeton (my favorite town on the Central Coast).

Then add a barbeque lunch at Nona's complete with lots of watermelon.

Sprinkle in a dash of fun in the pool

Next throw in a trip to Barney Shwartz Park for the big party:

Stir together fun with friends,

slides and bounce houses,

yummy treats

and LOTS of fireworks!!

ENJOY!

It doesn't get any better than that!!!

I wish I may, I wish I might

2008-06-25T14:53:00.000-07:00

I am stealing an idea from another blog. It may seem a bit presumptive, but I think it will save people a lot of guessing and confusion. So here it is:

I have created wish lists for Riley, Bella, Ryan and myself using Amazon.com. My idea behind it was that Bella's birthday is coming up and I know the majority of our family and friends will be clueless when it comes to what she likes and what to get for her. The lists are general ideas of things we like. The items, of course, do not have to be purchased at Amazon, it just gives the gift giver some ideas.

You may notice that all the things on the list for Ryan and I are things that I want ;-) The only reason for that is Ryan has yet to go on to Amazon and add things to the list.

You can find the list on the right side of the blog. It is automatically updated whenever we add things to it.

So, let me know if you have any questions or if you think I am being waaay to greedy....

Next?

2008-06-20T10:00:00.000-07:00

My good friend Jill recently did a post on her blog about where she wanted to take her next vacation. She picked Croatia. I have heard wonderful things about Croatia from the friends and my sister who have travelled there. I think she will have an amazing time. So, she got me thinking, where should I go next?

Ryan and I kind of have a pattern when it comes to vacations. We tend to rotate between relaxing beach vacations (ala Cancun and Kaua'i) and on the go vacations (ala Europe). Our last vacation was 2 amazing, wonderful, tiring weeks in Italy so this next one should consist of me on the beach, tropical drink in one hand, good book in the other, kids splashing in the surf nearby and Ryan snoozing on the lounge chair next to me. Sounds Heavenly right?

I have really been wanting to go to Turks and Caicos, namely the Beaches Resort there because it is supposed to be really family friendly and sounds like the perfect place to keep the kids and adults happy and entertained!

But, with Carrie in New Zealand in a pretty serious relationship, I have a feeling we will be jetting off to Kiwiland before we go anywhere else. Not that I mind, it just wouldn't be my first choice. I really really like warm weather and NZ is known more for rain... Oh well. From the photos my sister has sent, the scenery looks amazing and I am very excited to meet Billy and see where my sister has spent the last year of her life.

Any other thoughts on where we should go??

Driving Miss Daisy

2008-06-05T09:41:00.000-07:00

on the way to LA for surgery

Yep, that has been my nickname of late, Miss Daisy. I had my hip surgery a week and a half ago and have not been able to drive (or do much of anything really), hense the nickname.

Waiting for my name to be called

The surgery went great. I actually don't remember even going into the OR or coming out of it and going back to the hotel. Good thing we had a lovely hotel with a huge comfy bed and lots of pillows! And Ryan enjoyed the PPV movies while I was passed out. Although why he chose The Golden Compass I will never know. The day after the surgery I had a check up with the on call Dr and then we headed home. I slept most of the way (thank you Vicodin).

My bandage after surgery

The three incision sites

I am on crutches and will be for another 2-3 weeks (ugh). I am in a fair amount of pain and doing the simplest things like sneezing or bending down are excruciating. I am sooo thankful that Ryan has been home these last few weeks because I literally would not be able to do ANYTHING without him here. I feel pretty guilty laying in bed all day but I know it is Drs orders so.... I try to get up and get out of the house once a day but I am finding that I am paying for that later.

This past Monday we went back to LA and had a check up with my Dr. My mom had removed my stitches the day before (major major ouch) from the 3 different incision areas so he checked that, got an X Ray to check on my healing and did a few mobility exercises with me (another major ouch). He told us what he had done in the surgery, which was different than what I had originally thought he was going to do. They disclocated my hip then he went and shaved off some of the socket so the ball of the hip joint would be able to move freely. Hooray for modern medicine!! Sounds lovely huh?!

I start physical therapy next week and will do that for about a month. Dr said I can get on the bike at gym in 2 weeks, walking on the treadmill in 4 and running (running?? like I did that before the surgery...) in 6.

So, in the mean time, Miss Daisy it is!

Little Earthquakes

2008-05-13T15:32:00.000-07:00

I have taken a very long break from blogging, and not for lack of things to write about. It truth, there is so much going on in my life right now that I do not know where to start.

I liken the past 4 months of my life to little earthquakes, though some call it a soap opera. I have been dealing with multiple events, each one rocking me to my core. Most of these I won't discuss here, they are very private matters and I do not want to share them in a forum like this.

Those I can tell you about are that my mom was diagnosed with Schleroderma, pulmonary fibrosis and schlerosis and is now undergoing chemo. So far she has been doing really well and has not had a bad reaction to the chemo! Also, Ryan no longer works at the winery but has a wonderful prospect on the horizon (more to come on that as it develops) and already has multiple guest chef dinners lined up at different wineries in Paso Robles. He was also recent featured in Central Coast Magazine as a Top Scoring Chef in their Iron Chef competition.

I am having hip surgery on Friday 5-23. I will be out of work for 2 weeks but when I return, I will be transferred to the Paso office which means no more comuting and a lot more money!!

We have had 2 sets of foster children. I can't go into the details but they have enriched our lives even in the short period of time that we had them and we are looking forward to our next placement! We are also considering adoption...

The kids have been wonderful! Riley is playing baseball and is one month away from finishing first grade. He finished his first series of motocross racing and has been doing fantastic!! Bella is taking gymnastics once a week and we are starting her in dance after she turns 3 in July. She also starts preschool at the end of August.

So, I appologize for the absence, and I hope you can understand that this has been the hardest few months of my life. Luckily, I am beginning to see the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. And what a sweet sight it is!

A dose of reality

2008-03-10T11:17:00.001-07:00

Remember when we were young and in elementary school and we had drills? I lived in Idaho so we only had fire drills, no earthquake or nuclear disaster drills. We were told to all line up and go outside where our teacher would do a head count before we went and played until the bell rang and signaled us to go back inside. It all seemed so idyllic and innocent.
My how the world has changed.
Riley's school had a drill a few weeks ago. When I asked him what they practiced for the drill, he told me they were instructed to stay in their seats and be very quiet. This seemed very odd to me so I told him that for a fire drill, they were supposed to go outside and for an earthquake they were supposed to get under their desks. What was this teacher teaching my kid anyway?? Riley told me that this was a disaster drill and during the drill the teacher locked the classroom door, closed the blinds and told all the kids to be silent. It took me a minute to realize what they were practicing. It was a school shooter drill.
School Shooter Drill!!
Did you ever imagine a day when our precious children would have to be drilled on what to do if a maniac was shooting up their school?! This has hit me very hard and I am still struggling with the reality that this is the world my children are growing up in.
I remember being able to ride my bike 7 miles into town to spend the day with friends, camping out on their trampolines in the front yard. There were no cell phones to keep tabs. We were safe. We knew were were safe and our parents knew we were safe. Now, kids aren't safe anymore.

This is a sad dose of reality. This is the world we live in.

Thank God!

2008-03-06T10:37:00.000-08:00

For those of you who have been following my long, drawn out hip saga, I am happy to report that the end is in sight!
For the last 2 years I have been plagued with chronic pain in my right hip. Some days it is excruciating and I cannot walk, other days it is mild. I have been unable to exercise for two years. The pain has severely limited the quality of time and play I have with the kids. I have missed tons of work. I have seen doctors from UCLA to Stanford, from orthopaedists and neurologists to rheumatologists. I have had multiple MRIs, X Rays, blood work and two rounds of physical therapy. I have had 4 extremely painful cortisone injections and been on 5 different anti inflammatory drugs. And all of this was to no avail. Until now!
Our friend and neighbor, Katelyn, mentioned that her brother is an ortho working in Santa Monica. She told him my story and he agreed to see me (no charge because his office does not accept my insurance). I checked out his bio on the practice's website and saw that he specializes in disorders of the hip and groin. Hooray!!! I immediately had hope that he would be able to diagnose treat my hip.
And he did just that. According to him, I have a hip impingement, which basically means the ball and socket of my hip joint are malformed and are causing the pain. He said this is something I was born with. The surgery to correct it is called a hip athroscopy and can be done on an outpatient basis. I should only miss a week of work and will be back to my old self in about 6 months!!
I cannot begin to convey how thankful I am for this diagnosis and treatment option. I am so excited to get my body back that I am even anxious to get a gym membership and work out!! Something I normally despise.

I am hoping to get the surgery done in the next month or two, I will keep you updated on the progress of that!!

In other news, Bella was not able to be in the photo shoot after all. We were told they were postponing in for a week due to the weather and I responded to the photographer that we could still do the next weekend. Apparently I responded to the wrong person (even though we were told to confirm everything through the photographer) and so they thought we would not be able to make the rescheduled shoot and they filled Bella's spot. I was really disappointed and angry about it but I know everything happens for a reason. And, there will always be a next time!

15 Minutes

2008-02-01T09:02:00.000-08:00

We found out yesterday that Bella was chosen to be a model for Baby Couture Magazine!
You may remember that Riley was chosen for this as well and was featured in their September back to school issue.
Bella's shoot will be in northern california. My friend Jenn is coming and bringing her youngest son, Christopher. Riley is staying home with Ryan. I am wondering how Bella will do at the shoot. She is pretty shy until she gets to know someone and then she really opens up. Hopefully the photographer and stylist that are there will be as great with kids as the ones at Riley's shoot in LA!

Do I plan on pursuing modeling for the kids? Probably. People have been telling me since Bella was born that I need to get her into modeling. I just haven't gotten around to it. I guess this will give me the kick in the pants that I need to send the kids' pics into some agencies in LA.

I will keep you posted on how the shoot goes!

It's a small world afterall (long overdue)

2008-01-22T20:08:00.000-08:00

I know this is late but I have been lacking all motivation lately. I have been late to work almost every day, have to struggle to get the house clean and haven't even wanted to do any digital scrapbooking (gasp). I have no idea what has gotten in to me or how long in will last. In the meantime, I thought I would tell you about our recent trip to Anaheim.
For Christmas, Santa was nice enough to get the kids a trip to Disneyland and I was nice enough to get Ryan and the kids tickets to the Anaheim Supercross (motocross race featuring the world's top riders). We combine the two into one trip. We drove down to LA on Friday and got to the park around 1. The kids were chomping at the bit!! We dressed Bella in the Snow White dress my mom had given her for Christmas and had Riley put on the mouse ears we got him on his first trip to Disneyland. They were ready to go!!
We had a fantastic day at the park. We bought both the kids autograph books and they had a blast getting autographs of the characters we saw. This was Bella's first time at Disneyland and she was enthralled!
It started to rain that night so we bought ponchos and braved the sprinkles until it was time to call it a night.
Saturday morning we woke up early to dark and cloudy (but dry) skies. We went to our Minnie and Friends character breakfast where we spent the next few hours eating Mickey shaped waffles and chatting with the likes of Pooh Bear, Alice in Wonderland, Minnie Mouse, The Fairy Godmother and many many more! The kids had a great time and Ryan and I loved seeing them so happy. We stayed at the park until around noon that day. There were no lines on any of the rides we went on so we were able to walk right on to everything! It was fantastic! We met our friends, The Climers, at the Rainforest Cafe in Downtown Disney for lunch before heading back to our hotel. The Climers had come down to go to Supercross with us. Back at the hotel we got changed into all our "moto" gear and headed for Angel Stadium.

To say that Riley was in Heaven is an understatement. He was thrilled, in awe, excited, overwhelmed, etc etc. We had a fantastic time watching our favorite rider win and somehow, Bella slept through it all!

Sunday we went back to Disneyland for a few hours with the Climers. We all had a blast again but were ready to go home.
I have to say that this was the best trip to Disneyland we have ever had. There were no lines, the kids all did great and had so much fun and they were both old enough to really appreciate it and be seduced by the magic of Disneyland! Bella keeps asking when we can go back!

Welcome 2008!

2008-01-02T22:08:00.000-08:00

New Year's eve was a blas this year, much much better than last year!!
We had a party at my friend Jenn's house. It was our usual gang, plus a few extras. All in all there were 12 kids and 13 adults there. Everyone had a blast! The kids played video games, watched movies and ran around like crazy. The adults played games too! Ever heard of Mad Gab?? It was a lot of fun (especially after the alcohol kicked in!). Here are a few of my pics from the evening. I had to omit anything that might be embarrasing to some people (and trust me, there were A LOT of them!)

Face Plant!

2007-12-27T18:56:00.001-08:00

Here is how Riley looked today after doing a faceplant on his skateboard. He was sitting on it and somehow crashed. Poor bub!!

Christmas season memories

2007-12-26T20:44:00.000-08:00

I wanted to share a few highlights from our Christmas season with you. We had a wonderful day yesterday. The kids were thrilled with their gifts and Ryan and I were thrilled that we got to lounge around in our jammies until noon! Hope you all had a great Christmas also!

Merry Christmas!!!!

2007-12-24T12:50:00.001-08:00

C is for cookie and that's good enough for me

2007-12-22T21:17:00.000-08:00

Tyler and Bella
Thanks to Cookie Monster for his wonderful song "C is for cookie"

We baked cookies today!! Hooray! The kids really love baking and I love taking pictures of them baking! I am going to keep this short and sweet as my wrist is killing me tonight (thank you carpal tunnel...) So I will just show you a few photos of our morning baking session instead of blabbering on.

Here ya go:

Sprinkles are their favorite part!

She got a little carried away

Clean up time! Good thing I had just cleaned the kitchen counters.

Super yummy cranberry chocolate chip cookies I made

Is your mouth watering yet?

2007-12-18T20:50:00.000-08:00

Here are the digiscrap layouts I have been working on the past few days (weeks?). I can't believe we are so close to Christmas! I still have some stocking stuffers to buy but otherwise, I am good to go. Ryan got our packages out in the mail today and they should all arrive before Christmas. Whew! This weekend is Christmas cookie baking, my favorite!

All kits are courtesy of my 3 Creative Team Leaders. Please visit my gallery (link on left) to see specific credits.

The one I wish I didn't have to write

2007-12-16T22:10:00.000-08:00

I have spent the last month trying to avoid writing about this. Whether that is because I am still in denial and writing about it makes it more real, or whether I am trying to move on, I don't know. But today marks the one month anniversary of Crista Beth Thomas' death so today it must be.

Crista was my step sister in law. She was Ryan's step sister. Pat and Leah (Crista's mom) married just a month after Ryan and I got married. Crista was in high school then. I don't remember the first time I met her, but my first real memory of her was at my wedding. Crista was beautiful. She and Leah looked more like sisters than mother daughter. They both had beautiful blonde hair and big blue eyes. Crista had an amazing energy and a pulsating need to be loved and wanted. She couldn't wait to have 3 brothers, as she was an only child.

It was fun to watch Crista grow up through the last 7 years. While we didn't get to see her very often, she was always warm, friendly and fun whenever we were around her.

The last time we hung out with Crista she and her boyfriend took us to one of the Indian Casinos in Palm Desert. We had a blast. She even babysat my kids once and they adored her.

Crista was killed in a car accident on November 16th. It was one of those senseless accidents that makes you soo angry. She, she was speeding and lost control of her car. She wasn't wearing her seatbelt and was ejected as the car rolled. Luckily, the Drs said she was brain dead on impact so there was no pain. In all of this tragedy, that is such a relief. Leah and Pat made the agonizing, but heroic decision to donate Crista's organs.

I got the call while I was at my friend Jenn' s house for our weekly taquito and margarita Friday night. I was in the kitchen, just finishing up making the first batch of margaritas, when my cell rang. I knew the minute Pat started speaking that something was wrong. When he said what had happened I sank to the floor crying. My first thoughts were for Leah. Leah and Crista were so close and she was Leah's only child. I could not imagine the devastation this would cause her. I hated having to tell Ryan.

The weekend we were in La Quinta for the funeral felt unreal. Ryan was a pallbearer so I sat with the kids and my niece Dakota during the service. I sat behind Leah and my heart was breaking for her. When they brought out Crista's casket, her shoulders were shaking. That was the only time during the weekend that I saw her breakdown. Leah was so strong when she was in public but I knew in private she was a wreck, as she should have been.

I don't know why Crista's death has affected me so much. I was not close to her, and didn't get to see her often enough. I really think the reason it has grieved me so is because I am imagining this loss for Leah. Having lost a daughter myself (though circumstances were so completely different as my daughter, Emerson, was stillborn) I can put myself in her shoes a little bit. My heart is so broken for her loss. I don't know how else to put it.

Crista, we will always miss, remember and love you. Fly high!!

New Layouts

2007-12-05T20:24:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted any layouts for while so I thought I would get a few of them up tonight. I also got picked to be on two more creative teams! I have no idea how I am going to juggle being on 4 but all of the designers are so talented and I love all of their kits so I will find a way!!

Winter dreams kit by Sailor and Lula Designs (see her blog to the left)

Chloe kit by Lisa Majewski Designs (see her blog to left)

Rub a dub dub, thanks for the grub

2007-11-27T13:16:00.000-08:00

We had a very nice Thanksgiving this year. Ryan's mom, 2 brothers and niece were here and my mom came over too. While the food was cooking, the boys played a game of touch football. Riley had a blast doing that and Dakota joined in a bit later.

We all had a hand in cooking, which really makes it soo much easier. Here are a few photos from the day:

The Cousins

Not much to say

2007-11-13T13:45:00.000-08:00

Just some LOs to share

It pays to not have cable

2007-11-07T21:45:00.000-08:00

Here is what I did instead of watching tv tonight:

What did you do this weekend?

2007-11-06T16:03:00.000-08:00

Here is what I did (along with Riley's soccer game and going to see Bee Movie):

Halloween!

2007-10-31T22:30:00.001-07:00

We had a blast tonight!

There were 5 other families that came over to our house for pizza before we all went trick or treating (yep, that is 11 kids in all).

Kids had so much fun, moms and dads had so much fun. Here, see for yourself: