Dancing Diva!

Addison is now officially on her own during dance class. After her June recital we dropped the "Mommy and Me" class and opted for the 2 year old ballet and tap one. Luckily she still has the same amazing and very PATIENT teacher, Miss Leslie. The only real difference is that I am not in there! I am convinced that I was holding this tapping and ballet machine back because she is getting better and better as the weeks go by.

Ok this maybe a slight exaggeration! Because I am pretty sure that Shirley Temple didn't lay on her belly and crawl around while she was supposed to be practicing her Princess turns and tapping. Not to mention the occasional crying, playing on the bars, making silly faces in the mirror, or sneeking off to the back room with all the props and toys!  Do not let this cute tutu and innocent face fool you - She is a handful!

Addison keeps Reese and I entertained while we watch her through the "Parent glass window." However, it is always a little uncomfortable when Addison "leads" the other kids astray and they follow her antics. She has become quite the leader in her little group. 

Addie we love watching you whirl and twirl every Tuesday morning. Your energy and love for dance is evident through your constant smile and vibrant personality. Keep up the great work and we look forward to watching many more lessons in the future!

First Movie!

We experienced our first family film "Winnie the Pooh" on Saturday. It was entertaining, fun, exhausting, and only about an hour long! Reese fell asleep 20 minutes into the movie (thankfully) and Addison bounced from lap to lap not sure of her new surroundings. We were a little nervous when she said "no T.V." during the previews and wanted to go home. But once Pooh was on screen and popcorn was in her lap she was perfect! Looking forward to many more movie outings in the future. Great Job Addie we are very proud of you! (and by the looks of this picture we would say this first movie experience was a success) xoxox

Its Peanut Butter Jelly Time!

This is the happy dance each time we have her favorite sandwich (or when we play this song) Enjoy!

Boy those dance classes are really paying off! :) xoxox

Five Fabulous Years!

Celebrating Five!

We have been married for 5 years now and have known each other for a total of 11 years! I thought it was only fitting to do my top 5 favorites of dating life, married life, and life with Kids! Though there are far more fun stories and memories to share I will only choose a couple for now and they are in no particular order! 

Five Favorite Times in Davis
1. Our first date. We meet after a morning class outside Young Hall and walked to Baker's Square. He ordered a Tuna Melt and I had a Vegetarian Stir Fry. Thank goodness I gave him a second chance because anyone that knows me knows that I hate hate anything with Tuna. (urghhh just writing the word makes me squirm)

2. Wrestling Matches and Basketball games. Fall and Winter were very busy times for both of us. Watching each other compete was one of our favorite things to do. Although he will argue that I didn't attend many matches I stand by that I was at all the ones that he won! (hahah j/k). Through the years I will admit that I did develop a liking to this sport, but thankfully we have been blessed with girls so far and I don't have to worry about it!

3. The 1st day on our Christian retreat when he followed me to my "quiet" time. What a charmer! This was followed by giving me a wet willy at Dinner. We both laugh at this now because we really didn't know each other that well and that is so gross!!! Who does that?!?

4. Dating life in Davis was always an adventure. We loved Pluto salads, Woodstocks pizza, and Italian food at Strings. We spent many hours studying at the library, reading at Borders, or hanging out at the local coffee shops. Our favorite mode of transportation was of course the bike. I remember one afternoon I talked Kevin into holding my hand while riding our bikes across campus and we did it! There was also the time when we dressed up as each other for Halloween or when Kevin went to a party called "H & H" with all his wrestling friends ( I do have pictures somewhere). I always did love date night!

5. College Life/ Campus Crusade: We met through our Christian fellowship and grew close to each other and God through our time and experiences at Davis. The days of hanging out at the coffeehouse and having lunch on the quad are gone but we have some of the best memories of our life scattered throughout that little college town.

Five Favorite Huntington Beach Times
1. Being married! Living in our first place together. This spacious 900 ft square beach bungaloo was perfect. We definitely lived the high life being able to walk to Starbucks, jog on the beach path, see the gym from our house, and be in throwing distance to our favorite pub Gallaghers. We enjoyed yoga classes, eating Eggs Benedict at Sugar Shack, and of course frozen yogurt at Rubys on the pier.

2. Downtown dates - Sugar Shack in the morning, Fred's Mexican food for lunch, and our favorite Irish pub Gallaghers for dinner. We loved Hurricanes for drinks, HSS for coffee, and Spark Fire for special dinners. Spent many early mornings running on the beach path and afternoons riding our cruisers and admiring all the dogs at Doggie beach. Huntington will always be a very special place for us - we have committed to name our first dog Duke in honor of this amazing town.

3. Welcoming our first baby to our life! Addison lived at our 2nd apartment in H.B. on 18th street. This upstairs one bedroom apartment was very homey and perfect for the three of us.

4. Dr. Jones started his 2nd year of Medical School and made the daily commute to Pomona. He was a trooper and never complained (okay maybe once or twice he did when he was sitting in that terrible 57 freeway traffic). However, the fresh ocean breeze and short walk to go and surf always won out in the end and made the drive do-able. It was an amazing moment the day he graduated Medical School and the beginning of something else special - residency!

5. Neighbors - to say we lived by some interesting people would be the biggest understatement of the year. We learned some valuable lessons from them and will never forget what we heard or what we saw. (Yikes)

Five Favorite Anaheim Hills Memories
1. Buying our first home! I will never forget the first night in our new place - we layed down and immediately heard the sound of an airplane over our head and all these crazy birds in our attic. I thought Kevin and I would die from laughter as we both looked at each other and couldn't believe that we now owned this place. (Yikes!)
2. Birth of Reese! Our second beautiful baby girl was born on Sept 16th 2010. People often ask how we can wait and not find out the sex of babies. But the moment Kevin told me she was a girl was one of the best surprises of my life. Words can't describe it.

3. Playing - We all play a ton at this home and I am not talking about Kevin's obsession with Halo. We have spent so many hours on the floor reading books, pretending with each other, jumping up and down, dancing round and round, singing with the music really loud, and laughing as a family.

4. Relaxing - we love to sit on our patio and enjoy a nice dinner or dessert. Its the perfect ending to a hectic day and great excuse to spend some time together outdoors. Another treasure that we love about our place is how close we live to the Oak Nature Center. The chance to go "hiking" and see wildlife (birds, ducks, and lizards) is perfect for our little family of four. We have enjoyed it with just Addison

while pregnant...

and now with Reese.

5. Early morning walks to the donut shop! The only problem is on the way home the walk is all up hill!! We will enjoy this while we are living in the hills but hope to be on level ground once we are settled into our "forever" home!

Five things I am looking forward to in the next five years!
1. End of Residency (two more years to go)
2. Part-time teaching!!
3. Having a yard and a dog :)
4. Birth of our next two children
5. Going on a 10 year anniversary trip to Hawaii without any kids for 1 week!!

Thank you Kevin for five fabulous years and I look forward to the many years ahead. xoxoxo

Happy Anniversary!

Happy 5 year Anniversary to a man that makes me laugh and smile each day. I love you Jonesy!

Hanging with Omie

On Wednesday my Mom came over and whisked Addison away for a couple of hours. It was a great surprise for everyone! After they left our house they headed straight to the La Habra Museum for kids. This place sounds amazing. Addison drove cars, played house, went to the supermarket, dressed up like a princess, rode a bus, and about a bizillion other things. She was even treated by Omie to a hamburger and fries for lunch - one of her favorites!! What a day.. But it didn't end there. They came home and whipped up a batch of some yummy homemade banana muffins.

and  I have to say they were delicious!

Reese and I joined the fun in the afternoon and ended up staying for dinner. It was a special day for Addison who even skipped her nap with all the excitement. She was exhausted by the time we left but still managed to stay up long enough to tell me that she had FUN with Omie. Thanks Mom for a wonderful day!

ohh and I can't forget GranDad. This maybe Addison's second favorite thing to do behind cooking. Driving GranDad's Car!! 

She was born to be wild and that she is!! We are definitely in trouble...in say 16 years when this blonde hair -blue eyed girl hits the road driving! Until then we will continue to take our "mini" lessons in style and with the top down - the true California way!

Meet Dolly!

Move over Paris there is a New toddler in town who loves to tote around her doggy. Meet Dolly our newest four legged friend. She really is the perfect pet - doesn't bark, don't have to feed or clean up after her, and she entertains Addison for hours. Lets consider this practice for the "real" puppy coming in the future... As Daddy would say "the VERY distant future!"

Too Far!

My Dad saved the day! I was a little late getting out for my run and the temperature I swear doubled by the time I was 3-4 miles from my house. Not to mention we live in the Hills - literally!! Luckily I brought my phone and called my Dad to meet us for breakfast to a place fairly close to where I ended up - he thankfully agreed. After a sweet cup of coffee and a bagel I zipped home in his car and brought back mine. The girls enjoyed hanging out with their GranDad and I really enjoyed not having to face the long uphill  run home. I am one thankful daughter! Thanks Dad :)

Pump it Up!

We had a bouncing, sliding, and jumping fun time in Huntington Beach! Addison was in bouncy heaven running and giggling from one activity to the next. This place is a huge warehouse full of toddler friendly  obstacles, slides, and games.

To my surprise she was a little nervous about the "big" slide (but honestly it was huge!) With the help of my good friend Amy she overcame her fears and made the leaping climb.

And loved the ride the down!

Reese even got in on the action and practiced her cruising and climbing

while keeping an eye out for her Big Sis

It was neat to watch Addie explore and do things her own way.

Most of these shots are full of "action" because she was definitely on the move the entire time we were there.

Although she was a little hesitant, by the end... she did the big slide all by herself... Go Addison!

This was our attempt at the end of our time to get a picture of all the kids. One little boy is missing because he ventured off camera but as you can tell from Addie's hair and the sleepy eyes of all the girls this was one fun morning. Thank you Groupon (and Amy) for planning such a fun outing. I am "Pumped" and know that we will be back again this summer! 

Walk this Way!

Reese is up and ready to take a "Walk on the Wild Side!" (Well sort of...) We were VERY entertained and hope you enjoy watching this wibbly- woobly cute little girl push her mighty cart!

Holy Tanaka!

Its that time of year - Watermelon Tours at Tanaka Farm of course! With "Uncle Farmer" in town we decided to make the quick trek to Irvine for some fun in the sun! I dug out Addie's old Watermelon outfit from last year and it fit perfectly. I have noticed that I bought things big last year and it has been a savior for us this summer not having to spend a ton of money on clothes! Not much has changed in a year..... except my little watermelon....

is now with us!!

and boy did she have a fun first time at Tanaka Farm!

The tour was also a first for Chris and my mom. You see last year we had the pleasure of going on the tour with the Dubost fam. Addie loved walking the fields with Davis

and this year she enjoyed Omie's company

She also really really enjoyed her corn... just like last year!!

The corn was definitely the highlight once again. She didn't put down this veggie the entire trip. Luckily I came home with a whole bag full of this sweet snack!

It was a treat to be at the farm with a real farmer. Chris was quite impressed with this little OC farm and all the yummy food it produces. Addison was much more into all the sights and sounds of the tractor ride this year. She is slightly obsessed with things that go (tractors, cars, trucks, trains, etc...)

It was fun to see how little Smiley would react to all the veggies. Most of the time they are put in the food processor but today she "gummed" it and tried some tasty things. She enjoyed the cucumbers , carrots, and squash. However, the watermelon was met with a gag reflex. I guess she isn't ready yet for this sweet treat!

But Addison and the rest of us enjoyed the watermelon......Just like before...

Unfortunately the yellow melon wasn't ready for us to taste just yet this year. Guess we will have to return for a second trip.

Thank you to my mom and Chris for making this mid-morning activity so fun. You were energetic, patient, fun, and super helpful. I always love having extra sets of hands, it definitely makes my job a lot easier and I love that I can then take Pictures! 

Addie and Reese I hope you follow in your Uncles footsteps and continue to love the beauty of nature and all the wonderful and delicious things this Earth has for you to enjoy. It always amazes me how good things taste straight from the ground and encourages me to cook and buy produce from this farm. Here is to a healthy and happy new week!

And you might be thinking whatever happened to that piece of supper eaten corn... it finally got dropped....

but luckily it was recovered (gross... I couldn't stop her) and she continued to enjoy it until Omie bought her a new fresh one!