Eric is FIVE!

Five years ago today, you made me a mommy. 

Feels like yesterday and a million years ago. 

So many firsts. For you and for us and they just keep coming!

You are an incredible little boy and I am so thankful that God picked me to be your mom. 

I love you with my whole heart!

Words IV

They're all from Eric this time... Jake makes me laugh every day but he is so hard to understand with his hoarse, mumbly, almost 3-year-old voice that it's more the delivery than the actual words that are making me smile.

J: The baby loves frogs. And she loves zebras.
E: She doesn't love frogs, Jake. So just forget about it!

E: Mom, do you know the funny thing about dogs? They don't have butts.

There is a man in a wheelchair we drive by regularly who only has one leg. The boys were asking about him and I told them he probably was in an accident of some kind and that's why he was missing one leg. Later during that car ride I heard the boys in the back talking about him. Eric was telling Jake about how he figured the man lost his leg... "Jake, it was probably a sword fight".

E was asking me for something. I told him, "First you need to say 'sorry mom for being disrespectful'". He said,  "I'm so, so sorry for being ridiculous. But can I please have some milk?" 

E, yelling really loudly: I can hear my gecko!

Me: Every day I love you a little more. 
Eric: ...than Jake?

These Are the Days

These are the days when you breathe a sigh of relief as you drop off your kids at school, but then think about what they're doing until it's time to pick them up.

When you are crying on the floor one minute because you can't get them to listen, or you yelled at them again when you told yourself you wouldn't. Then the next they are packed so tightly to you as you snuggle together on the couch that you can hardly breathe.

You start the day feeling exhausted before you even get out of bed, and are drained of every ounce of yourself from all the cleaning, fixing, chasing, refereeing and repetition. But then you end the day memorizing the way their little mouths move while they sleep and the delicious smell of your baby's yawn.

These are the days when on the one hand you are wishing away the minutes and on the other, you are begging God to stop the clock.

At least that's how it is for me.

Introducing Wrigley!

We decided having one baby teething, one toddler potty-training and a couple kids on any given night who wake us up just wasn't enough. So we got a 2 month old puppy who is teething, potty-training and wakes us up at night!

We knew after we lost Peaches back in January that we wanted to get another dog, but wanted to wait until we got back from our trip to Catalina so we wouldn't have to leave it for 10 days. Once we got home, I started checking around more seriously and we decided to go with the Helen Woodward Animal Center to find our next pet. The boys and I checked their site every day for a week or so, choosing our favorites (and being sad if they were off the list the next day). There were 3 new litters of puppies up on the website, so since Christian had the day off on Friday, we decided to head down and check it out. We knew we wanted to get a puppy rather than an older dog because we wanted him/her to grow up with our kids and also for the boys to have that experience.

So excited to get a new puppy!

After we walked around the kennels, we decided we'd like to meet Rigby, a Lab/Australian Shepherd (or so they think).

He came right over to us and seemed more calm and friendly than his brothers.

We knew right away he was the dog for us!

We decided to call him Wrigley, because it was similar to his name at the shelter, and because we love Catalina so much! And it was one we all agreed on (just like naming a kid! ;) ) Jake calls him Ribsy :)

He rode home like a champ

He slept like this most of the way.

Getting comfy

This was our adoption packet from the center

He loves to sleep on necks :)

He chews quite a bit so we are constantly giving him this bone.

He loves to sleep on us.

We ordered a crate for him, but it hasn't come yet. I think he'll like having a place to escape to!

We are very happy with this new addition to our family and are adjusting to all the extra work. It really is like having another baby in the house!!

Catalina 2013

We had another wonderful time on the island this summer. The group this time was our family, my parents, Sarah's family, John, Christian's mom and Nicole. We (well, my parents) rented two units which were up and downstairs from each other. We were on Eucalyptus, which is a private road where the only car/golf cart traffic was people parking or workmen. This was really nice for the kids, who ran around like crazy people in front of the condo the whole time!

This year we did something different and got a hotel room at the end for 2 nights. It was fun to experience the island in a different way than we usually do.

Time to go!

Whee!

Grandmas on the boat

The first night Eric woke up and made his way into Mom and Dad's room. He thought it was our room, but he climb right in and went back to sleep :) The next night he climbed in with Oma.

Playing on the beach

Go-Pod = best invention ever! Wish we had it with the boys!

Lunch at the Bluewater (new restaurant that took the place of Busy Bee and Armstrong's)

Hanging in our street

Kiddos in the morning

For some reason they kept kissing this pole

Granny handed out surprises most mornings

Undersea Adventure

So fun!

Some of us spotted a Black Bass (not pictured), that is about7 feet long and has been at Lover's Cove for years and years. It's rare to see him, so that was fun!

Sweet, silly, sunburned girl!

We sure gave the stroller a workout!

Collecting rocks

Descanso Beach

Sun-Bathing Beauty

More rock collecting...

Two of my handsome guys

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The water felt so good!

Uncle John and Lela

The Life

Oma :)

Sharing a Pina Colada

Having a Descanso Destroyer

:)

Christian and I got to go out for a date night one night and we had so much fun! We ate a nice dinner then walked down to Casino Point. We sat there for a while and reminisced about past visits over the past 10 years.

I'm one lucky lady!

After that we walked back to town and had the most amazing chocolate cheesecake and wine.

The kids blew lots of bubbles!

Sweet girl and Gran

At Olaf's (right after they almost tipped this thing over and fell on the sidewalk)

Our hotel room for the last couple days. So beautiful!

Bubbles on the balcony

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HUGE candies

Such a beautiful place!

Eric coloring at lunch wearing my glasses.

So bored with shopping they fell asleep

We did an inland tour up to the Airport in the Sky

We got to have wine together on our balcony at the hotel

X-treme Segway Tour.

They went on old horse trails up above Avalon

Christian and Eric did a Casino tour because Eric really wanted to do it again.

So much ice cream!

Once again we had a wonderful time in one of our most favorite places on earth with our favorite people! Already looking forward to next time!