For a Pessimist, I'm Pretty Optimistic

OK, that's not totally true. However when it comes to a few things, I am a pessimist. One of which is Matt's work schedule. It's nothing either of us can control, but I was fully prepared to spend Christmas by myself with two wild children on my hands. My plan was to get to our church service and then crash my wonderful friend and neighbor's Christmas dinner.

There was a very slim chance that Matt would be able to come home for Christmas Eve and Day. But when it comes to Matt's line of work, if there is "a chance" I usually take that as "a not." I really took it as a "not" when I turned on the news and saw that the visibility flying into town was less than half a mile... "Oh yeah," I said to myself "He's definitely not coming home." 

Will wonders never cease to amaze me? I get a phone call at 10pm from Matt telling me that he landed safely and that he would be home in a hour. It truly was a Christmas miracle! On the morning of Christmas Eve, Lily came into my room to say good morning and she was very startled at the sight of Dad home! Sophie didn't really know what to think but she was thrilled!

So I have put my melodrama on pause for a while. Now I just need a date for New Year's. I'll be kissing that imaginary elephant named Snuffy on Sesame Street come midnight!

My Longest Winter

If you were here

Winter wouldn't pass quite so slow

If you were here

Then I'd have a choice to live

Not be alone

From Winter '05 by Ra Ra Riot

Dear Butters,

We miss you very much...

With Love,

Marge

See I Told You it was COLD!

Poor Stoney... She's so cold that she curled up on the couch when I wasn't looking. 

Yeah, she's NOT ALLOWED ON THE COUCH!

Try telling that to a 120 lb. Great Dane...

It's 19 Degrees Outside!

But it feel like 9 degrees according to Weather.com. We're going to stay inside for the rest of the day because there's no use in putting the kids in heavy coats just to take them off to get into the car and then putting them on again once we arrive at our destination. Luckily it's not wet and icy outside, but it would have been nice to see some snow again.

Sophie was so grumpy from waking up early. I couldn't get her to smile for any pictures. This was the best one!

At the church this morning, there was a children's party to celebrate the birth of Jesus. There was a cake, stories, crafts and Christmas carols to sing! I didn't want the kids to miss the fun so I woke them up for the early service so that they could enjoy the party afterwards. It was a good thing too because there was so much cookies, cake and candy canes there that I knew that the kids wouldn't be able to sit still during the late service. Besides not being able to warm up the entire time we were at church, we all had a great time. 

Well, it's going to be one of those days where I am going to be cold all the time. Time for some hot tea and leftover chili for lunch. I'm sure all of our friends and family in FL are laughing at us right now. We're enjoying the experience, but we sure do miss the beach!

I Graciously Accept the Award for "Mother of the Year"

Leave it up to me to remember to bring the video camera to Lily's preschool Christmas program and then forget how to use it. I had everything set and I even reserved the perfect spot where Lily would be on the stage. I had Sophie at a friend's house so that I could pay all of my attention to Lily on her special day. I pull the video camera out of the case and start recording and after about 20 seconds, it starts beeping at me and stops recording. It didn't shut off and the tape in it was brand new, so there was no excuse for it to malfunction... 

It wasn't until I got home that I realized that it was switched onto recording on the SD card and not the tape. And yes, the SD card was full. This was probably something I should have checked at the school, but no! I didn't even think about it! Well, at least I got a couple of pictures.

Lily was very excited about the candy cane and she felt the need to have it with her in the picture. The program went very well and the kids got to sing all of the Christmas songs they learned in music class. They even sang Feliz Navidad in Spanish and Silent Night in sign language. Yes, they sang Silent Night in sign language. I hope I'm not the only one that finds a little humor in that!

Santa made an appearance, but of course, Lily said that he didn't quite look or sound like the one that visited last week at our friend's house. But she still enjoyed seeing him! 

Well, I don't know but I'm a little burnt out on the Christmas festivities and Christmas hasn't even arrived yet. I'm looking forward to the Christmas break and not having to go anywhere in the cold. But I'm guessing that the cabin fever will set in after a day before I start acting like Jack Torrance from The Shining. Except I won't be armed with an ax or anything like that. My only downfall is the tin full of chocolates destined to be eaten... 

A Pat on the Back

Just had to share... At the gym today our Zumba instructor had called out sick and several of the students asked me to fill in unofficially. A lot of people, including myself, were there just for the class and with the inclement weather (and my cabin fever) I decided not to disappoint. This is a huge deal for me because I'm a natural wallflower.

I got the gym's OK to "practice" and my 5 unofficial students and I went for a full hour! Thank goodness I practiced my choreography all of last night. Heck, I even missed Heros to practice. Typically I would have been so nervous to teach a class, but I really can't miss an opportunity to Zumba. Just ask the husband and the kids...

We all had a great time even with my blunders! Go me!

Ode to December 21st (or How I Plan to Make or Break Christmas)

Winter taking days...

Nights filled with longer hours

Winter solstice

Passing by us

Temperatures dropping

Try us with colder feelings

-From A Jagged Gorgeous Winter by The Main Drag

OK, need I say more? This cold, windy weather makes me want to just curl up on the couch with a warm blanket, a good book, drinking Sleepytime tea with honey in it. Nevermind the holiday festivities and beautiful twinkling Christmas lights; give me warmth!

The weather and the holiday season has left me with a lot of mixed emotions. I am one of those people whose mood heavily depends on the weather and today, I'm feeling a bit ornery. Our pastor's sermon this morning really hit home with me (and with my dear friend who claimed she was "just tired from last night's festivities") and has had me thinking about how I wanted to keep the holiday cheer going for the kids. It has been very hard for me to see past all of the unpleasant stuff going on here to motivate myself back to the festive side of the season. Will I make this Christmas, or break it? 

Despite my tired, grouchy self, I made the most of the day after church and spent it snuggling with Lily on the couch. I helped and watched her play the new Wii game that Grandma and Grandpa gave to us. Sophie was already napping so I got to take this time to strictly focus on being with Lily doing what she enjoys doing at the moment. 

Lily is a complex child with a lot of questions and inquisitive thinking. I often think she's older than she is and expect her to do things that exceed her level of thinking or skill. Silly me when I get upset when she doesn't do what I ask... she's only 5. I never underestimate her though, but I admit that last night's festivities surprised me and leveled my thoughts about Lily.

 There are 2 words that sum up the whole of last night: Santa Clause...

I have already blogged about our Christmas nativity scene at home and how every week a new character in the scene "magically walk" to the stable. Lily still loves looking forward to seeing new things in the scene and still checks on it everyday. Well, last night we went over to a friend's house for a little holiday get together and who would appear but Santa himself! I knew all about the set up and pictured Sophie all bright eyed and full of excitement. I expected Lily, in her analytical way, say that it wasn't Santa. Just a guy dressed up as Santa for the little kids. I feel bad about thinking that way, but that is just the way she is. She has a way of separating things in her world that are real and that are make believe. Santa was just one of those things that she was very skeptical of. So leave it up to Lily to react completely the opposite of how I thought she would react. Maybe it was the fact that HE came to the house and that HE brought My Little Ponies for all of the girls. She was face to face with Santa and it wasn't for a photo at the mall. She was absolutely thrilled!

That crazy Lily... Silly Lily... And so isn't that what the holiday season is supposed to be about? Advent? Anticipation? Patience? Joy? Perhaps this will be the thing to keep me moving for the next 2 weeks because God knows I can get grouchy when it's cold and cloudy. 

Happy Winter Solstice!

It's Christmas, Charlie Brown!

The Russell family will be celebrating Christmas this weekend and the girls and I decided that we needed to spruce up the house a bit. We put up our little "Charlie Brown" Christmas tree and got to thinking that maybe we need to upgrade next year. 

What do you think?

Yeah, we think so too! 

Lily had the great idea to put the silk poinsettia flowers in the tree to fill it up a little... But the girls enjoyed decorating our little fake tree and that's really all that matters! 

We found a Little People Christmas Story set that I put out on the mantle and every couple of days I'm going to add another character to it. Starting with an animal up until the last of the 3 Wise Men. I think that it will keep the kids involved and really get to understand the true meaning of Christmas. In fact, Lily has already started looking for the animals and checks in on the stable every couple of hours. She learned the Christmas story at school and she's totally convinced that the animals, Mary and Joseph are walking to our house to magically appear in our Nativity scene. It makes me happy that Lily is still young enough to play along with me!

Here are some more pictures of the kids decorating the tree!

Did You Know That a Turkey Can Play Rock Band?

Turkey for me...

And turkey for you...

Yes! After a wonderful feast of Thanksgiving Day food, the turkey in her tummy told her to play Rock Band instead of succumbing to the tryptophan coma. We have our good friends Brian and Natalie to thank for that! What a great time we had and our hosts graciously took care of all of us! Here is Lily singing "When You Were Young" by The Killers...

It's indie rock 'n roll for this girl all the way!

Thanksgiving

It's finally getting cold outside and although we are used to the hot sun and warm beaches, we are enjoying watching the leaves turn gold and brown and then gracefully fall to the ground. Having always lived in a place where we didn't see this sort of Autumn celebration, it is so nice to witness this beauty that is so short lived. Soon the trees will be bare (or "neck-ed" as Lily likes to say) and everything will be in hibernation for fear of cold and frost until Spring. 

As the old Thanksgiving rhyme goes: "The year has turned its circle, The seasons come and go..." So does the Russell Family. Every month that goes by I look at my family in a new light and smile at how we have grown together. Even when times get tough, I always have to look at life like a book or seasons: A chapter will end, a season will turn its circle and things will start again. 

I look at this short, quiet time I have as a little hibernation for myself. It's prep time for the busy holiday season ahead. It's not so much the holiday shopping, the entertaining or anything like that. It's more being able to spend quality time as a family. We will be short one Russell family member this Christmas, but so is the life... It feels as though I am rushing to get enough family time together before duty calls. 

I try not to focus on the end of chapters or seasons of life because I enjoy looking forward to the new. There is always potential in something new and something to enjoy and look forward to. These new little chapters in life help keep me on track and continually learn from my family, friends and life experiences.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Just For Fun!

I had to post this picture for fun! It's Sophie in the koala bear sweater that Lisa and Adam got for her while in the land of Aussie's and Roo's. 

What a Cutie!

Better Late Than Never...

Sophie as a little witch

Lily as a peacock

Goodies from Lola

Lola and the girls

Whew! It's November! Can you believe it? It seems like I was just saying, "Can you believe that it's already October?" I'm already planning Thanksgiving and Christmas, but I don't quite feel recovered from Lily's birthday and Halloween. 

Well... Other than being too busy for my own good, here are some pictures from Halloween, Lola's visit and Fall Fun! Enjoy!

At a local Fall event

Sophie as Minnie Mouse (Thanks Grandma and Grampa!)

Lily and Jaxon

Sophie

Lily on a local police cruiser

Each Finger in Every Pie

Call it a thirst for knowledge, call it extended education... I am very proud to say that I have officially become a Zumba Fitness Instructor! 

My family and everyone who knows me well know that as a child, I was obsessed with the musical movie, Annie. The reason? Other than the singing and the story line, it was mostly the tap dancing. I have always wanted to learn how to tap dance (still do...) but it wasn't until about 5 months ago, that I was introduced to Zumba. What does this have to do with tap dancing? To me, a lot!

I first heard about Zumba back in Florida, but when I peeked in on a class I was totally floored and scared. A year later, I decided that I needed to kick up my usual regimen of running and kickboxing and tried the Zumba class. After the second class, I was hooked. Zumba is a lot like dancing, it's based on salsa, merengue and other latin dances. It quenches my thirst for fitness, dancing and has boosted my self esteem. Perhaps now I will sign up for that tap dancing class!

Why did I decide to become an instructor? Well, that goes along with the self esteem thing and it's nice to have this certification in my back pocket. I am still getting my little ducks in a row so that I can actually start teaching classes. I thought that just attending a Zumba class was overwhelming, teaching one is going to be a doozy! 

Yes, obviously I like to keep busy. Between being a SAHM, a small sewing business and now Zumba instructor, I definitely have a finger in every pie on the table. How many more hobbies can a gal have? How many more pies are there?! Hopefully there's a tap dancing pie somewhere in there...

Lily is 5 Years Old Today!

Lily with her "slime!"

How did this happen? It seems like just yesterday she was a baby. Now she's five and will be starting Kindergarden next year. For being a bit of a "high maintenance" baby she's certainly turned out to be a great kid with a lot of enthusiasm and creativity.

Lily's birthday party was at a local play place and she invited all of her classmates and a few other friends. They played in the jungle gym and chased each other around. Even Sophie had a great time playing with the big kids. After playing, it was time to do a science experiment! This was of course Lily's favorite part; they got to make slime! 

On her official birthday-day, we went to church where she got a special birthday pencil at her Sunday School class as a treat. Afterwards, we went out for a delicious lunch that kept us stuffed past our usual dinner time. 

With all of the birthday festivities behind us, we have Halloween ahead! More celebration is in order! 

Happy Birthday Silly Lily!

It's October, Isn't It?

Halloween 2007

 Sophie was propped up against the tree because she was not standing/walking yet.

 I'm getting very excited to snap pictures of the girls in their costumes this year. I'm almost done with them!

My favorite season has always been Fall. Even growing up and living in the urban desert of Arizona where there were no leaves to watch change, Fall was always my favorite. With the Autumn season also brings Halloween; one of my least favorite of holidays. I'm not sure if it was the gory horror movies I subjected myself to at an early age (covering my eyes but peeking through slightly separated fingers) or if it's just the sheer feeling of terror. Knowing that something at any given moment could happen, embarrass, surprise or frighten me. Maybe it's that adrenaline rush of being on edge that I don't like or maybe it's just that I don't like not being in control of a situation. 

I had always felt this way and still do sometimes. The nice thing about having married someone who loves Halloween is that a lot of the terror I feel is diminished and I'm forced to look at something scary as something fun and exciting. A different point of view... Now that we have kids, it's a whole new game. On the one hand I have a child that LOVES scary things. She also has a great way of separating fact from fiction in her mind. We walk down the Halloween isle every time we visit Target and push every button on the animated Halloween decorations. All she talks about is the Haunted House at Disney World and how for every birthday she gets to dress up and go trick or treating. Ahh, Lily's birthday being so close to Halloween may be the reason she loves Halloween so much. 

Sophie is another story. She startles very easily and really does not enjoy walking down the Halloween isle. I try to keep upbeat about it but with Lily pushing all of those buttons and all of those crazy haunting noises coming from everywhere, she gets overwhelmed and starts crying. I don't blame her, she's just like me. Even a grasshopper jumping in the grass startles her. Now that she's old enough to know what scares her and what she's OK with, I'm not really sure how to attack the Halloween situation with her this year without compromising the fun Lily has with it.

I've been reminding myself that there's nothing to be afraid of when it comes to Halloween. There is no such thing as Freddy or Jason, the very things that made me so afraid of Halloween in the first place. Movies like Donnie Darko and Bram Stockers Dracula don't scare me, but would maybe scare someone else. Like most people, it's probably just the association I make with scary things and Halloween. This year, like the last, I intend to enjoy it for all it's worth. I want to make Halloween a positive thing for the girls and not let the irrational scary things over take them. We have a lot of really fun Autumn type activities to look forward to that I never got to experience growing up. Things like pumpkin patches, hay rides on the back of a John Deere and watching the leaves turn colors and fall off the trees. We're going to go trick or treating with friends around the neighborhood and really just be happy with the time we have together. The next couple of months are going to fly by and now is the time to enjoy everything.

Stand Down Maulers: So Long, Farewell...

This Thursday marks the end of an era. Our beloved Maulers (VS32 S-3B Viking) will be decommissioning in Jacksonville FL. Everything about this event makes me reminisce. From a tight knit group of people who were loyal to their missions, a tragic mishap, my Sophie born while Butters served on the USS Enterprise and friendships that will last a lifetime. 

VS32 Maulers: Nothing will compare to this amazing squadron. We like to call the logo "Skully Bones." Our first official squadron as a Navy family was warm and welcoming. We came to love our squadron like a second family. We depended on each other and watched families grow. As with all families, there were misunderstandings and back-stabbing but we always found a way to stay just as tight as a family should be. 

During times of need, we depended on each other for support. Some things have such a profound effect on you, that you have no choice to feel the same pain and suffering as the individual. On September 27 th 2005 we memorialized LCDR Scott "Bitches" Bracher and LCDR Thomas "Cornbus" Blake. This is a time I will never forget and not a day goes by that I do not think about their surviving families. I know our fellow Maulers and Lady Maulers feel the same way. It was a wake up call for some of us knowing that the lives we lead as a military family may heed the same results in the end. 

Sometimes I miss the smell of jet fuel from Butters' flight suit. I know for a fact that he misses doing cat shots from the boat at night. Missing family back home, but doing a job that needs to be done and enjoying every minute of it. We used to make calendar squares for our spouses to mark special days and it would hang in their Ready Room on the boat. Some of us spouses would get together and cut out funny (and sometimes inappropriate... hey we're sailor wives!) pictures to send to the guys. Sophie was born when the Maulers were halfway around the world. Most of them took to calling her Catalina, since this originally was to be her name. But news travels slow to the boat and it wasn't until they came home that they got to meet Sophia Catalina. Butters finally got to hold her when she was almost 3.5 months old.

Those days are now long gone and we have exchanged that life for another which is far more trying with our family. Different squadron, different people, different life. The Maulers really knew how to take care of their people, something which our new squadron severely lacks. To all of our Maulers, we love you and we will miss you dear S-3B Viking. Thanks for the memories!

Is It a Peacock Yet?

It's getting there! Here's the progress of Lily's peacock costume. Thanks to the Pottery Barn Kids catalogue, I have an easy reference on how to make a peacock costume fun and cute. I have decided that Sophie would look cute as a little black Halloween cat. I can already see her little face painted with whiskers. That idea might change, but until Lily's costume is finished I can't seem to focus on anything else. I haven't started the headband with the feathers, but luckily it's not even October. Hooray for time!

A shirt I found at The Children's Place

The tutu

 (I'm not sure why it looks so green in this pic)

Tutu with the peacock "feathers"

The skirt I made to wear under the tutu 

(unless it's too cold in which case she'll wear warm leggings)

Who? Me? Stressed Out?

It's nice to know that in times of stress there are a few things I can always depend on: God taking up some of my burdens, my mom, ice cream and my sewing machine. After hearing some stressful news from my one and only (job related of course...) I turned to all four of these things today. The minute I woke up this morning, I asked God to guide me through my thoughts and to help me to get through this day. Of course... it's Monday!

After considering how I would go about my situation, I decided that the right thing to do was to go to my parents for help. I went about my morning getting the kids ready for the busy day ahead of us and a few hours later, I get a phone call from my mom. She gives me all the answers and comfort I need and I start to feel better. 

I pick Lily and her friend up from school and when we get home, we decide to have a little ice cream. I never turn down ice cream! It was a busy day after all; especially with Lily having her very first day of piano lessons. She very much enjoyed it and before bed she told me all about it when we were going through her homework. I love hearing how excited Lily gets when she learns something new and I take comfort in knowing that I am doing something right when it comes to parenting.

Kids in bed. I get to sit quietly for a few minutes and I think about how I am going to get through my tough time. We as a family have had to confront situations like this many times so I am left wondering why this time is so different. Why do things have to be so difficult sometimes?

So I turn to my sewing machine and this is the result of my stress: a reversible, personalized, kid-sized apron for Lily. My kids are my hope right now and my inspiration. Enjoy!

These are a few of my favorite things!

Lily's best silly face

"OH LA... WE'VE GOT A LOT TO LEARN FROM EACH OTHER... WE HAVE GOT TO STICK TOGETHER..."

Fall Fever

It's ridiculous how much I'm forcing the season of Fall to come. It really is hands down my favorite season. There's nothing more comforting than a fire in the fireplace, kicking back with the family on the couch with a big blanket and hot chocolate. The rainy weather effect that Hurricane Ike brought to Oklahoma made me long for the crisp cold weather and of course, Halloween!

I decided to make the girls Halloween Trick or Treating baskets much like their Easter baskets from last year and seeing them in their finished form makes me excited. Lily decided that she wanted to be a peacock for Halloween, so I am in the process of making her a "peacock-looking" tutu and a headband with some sort of peacock feathers or something on it. I have an adorable vision in my head... Wether or not it turns out like what I am visioning will be a different story! Sophie has been pretty infatuated with spiders and "bugga-buggas" so I will probably make her some sort of insect theme Halloween costume.  I'm sure I will come up with something fun!

With the advent of Fall, comes Lily's 5th birthday. First off, I am floored at the fact that Lily will be 5 years old. It really seems like yesterday that we were going to celebrate her 3rd birthday. Her latest obsession is The Magic Schoolbus and all things science related. So of course she wants a birthday party with a science theme! I am thanking my lucky stars that it's something neat and different rather than a princess or Barbie sort of thing. Not that there is anything wrong with that... 

Well, enjoy my one picture I snapped of the girl's Halloween baskets. I will take pictures of the girls in their costumes as they progress. Happy Fall!

A Fall Song Golden and red trees Nod to the soft breeze, As it whispers, "Winter is near;" And the brown nuts fall At the wind's loud call, For this is the Fall of the year. Good-by, sweet flowers! Through bright Summer hours You have filled our hearts with cheer We shall miss you so,  And yet you must go, For this is the Fall of the year. Now the days grow cold, As the year grows old, And the meadows are brown and sere;  Brave robin redbreast  Has gone from his nest, For this is the Fall of the year. I do softly pray At the close of day, That the little children, so dear, May as purely grow As the fleecy snow That follows the Fall of the year. -Ellen Robena Field-

A Rainy First Day of School

Oh Happy Day! Lily had her first day of preschool today! It was so much fun for her to see friends both old and new. 

Lily picked out her own clothes to wear and it was funny because the high today was about 67 degrees, windy and full of rain. Sophie was excited to visit but cried when I told her it was time to leave. Luckily she will be able to go next year!

Friends: Old and New, plus a little sister sneaking in as a student.

Being the type of girl that she is, Lily was a barrel full of monkeys when we walked into the pre-K corridor. She was very excited and ready to get back into the old routine of going to school. Her classroom was decorated with a rainbow of colors and the afternoon kids even get to take care of a class pet: a frog named "Gilly." Lily took off her sweater and looked for her cubby and hung her sweater on the hook. She then looked for her name tag and put it on and told me and Sophie that we could leave because she was ready to play with her friends! Hugs and kisses later, Sophie and I walked out of the classroom (with Sophie in tears of course...).

More Friends!

I'm so proud of Lily and her assertiveness and confidence going back to school. Long gone are the days where she was painfully shy and anxious. It's so great to see little milestones like this unfold before your eyes. You really see how your children grow and their little personalities flourish. I can't wait to see what new things Lily will learn this school year!

An Engagement!

Exciting news had come this weekend and such an occasion called for a celebration! My lovely sister, Lisa accepted a proposal of marriage from her wonderful boyfriend Adam! No date is set yet, but it will definitely be after they graduate with their Doctorates. We all really enjoyed having Lisa and Adam come and visit and share their happy news with us!

Lisa,

My partner in crime and big sister whose hand I could hold when ever I needed one. You are my shopping buddy and my jobless, Cheesecake Factory binge and Pita Jungle friend (those Timberlake days were a doozy!). We've gone through tough times and happy times, but the latter outnumber the former. You are a wonderful inspiration, a strong role model and a tough cookie (C is for cookie, that's good enough for me...). You have always been understanding and supportive and you are loyal until the end. Adam is a very lucky man to have you and you are very lucky to have found him...

Adam,

My skydiving, bungee jumping, para-gliding, thrill seeking, soon to be brother in law! You don't know how much we like and appreciate you. You are a man wise beyond your years and your trustworthy soul shines through. I like that you are a very committed person: Your strong commitment to your family, your work, your schooling and to my sister. You really stepped up to the plate when you asked my parents for their approval to ask for Lisa's hand in marriage! Both of my parents! I'm so impressed with that! We all can't wait to see what kinds of adventures unfold for you two...

Happy Birthday Sophie!

Happy Birthday Sophie!!!

We Love you Sweet Baby Cakes!

My little baby is two years old! She's grown so much in the past few months that I'm having a hard time convincing myself that she is two. To me she still looks like a baby and considering the fact that she didn't walk until she was a little over 15 months old, I still see her as a baby. But she is learning to be a little chatterbox, just like Lily and has quite the fiery temper just like mom. 

Unlike Lily, I believe that Sophie will have a bout of terrible two's. She knows that she can get away with anything just by flashing that little grin. It melts hearts, I tell you! I say, "Sophie, please put the salt shaker down" when she dumps salt all over the dinner table. She flashes that smile and says, "Sorry, Mom." I just can't help but to smile back. Sophie climbs onto the coffee table and starts dancing and I say, "Sophie, get off the table." She sends me that beaming smile... "Sorry, Mom." I smile back and the next morning, she's at it again!

Today, we went to a birthday party of one of Lily's school friends. It was a beautiful day to spend at the park and afterwards we were treated to a tour of the local fire department (Pictures will be posted soon!). Sophie was running off into a million different places and Lily was asking a million different questions to the firemen. We got to go inside an actual fire truck and they turned on the lights and sounded the horns. It was a lot of fun and I was very impressed with how the firemen were with the kids. 

After that we went home and when Sophie woke from her nap, we went to IHOP for an early bird dinner and ice cream. It was nothing too special, but it was fun! I am hoping to throw her a real birthday party in a few weeks so that she can be with her little friends. I should probably start planning that now! Happy Birthday Sophie!

Disney Days and Wedding Bliss

We are finally home from our big vacation from Florida and boy are we glad to be home. The entire Russell clan met up in Orlando for a few days to visit Disney World and then drove to St Pete's Beach for a wedding. 

The weather was typical for Florida- hot, humid and muggy. The kids got to play with their cousin Cayd and spend time with their Grandma, Grandpa, Great Grandma Lillian, Auntie Megan and Uncle Kevin. It's always so nice to see family and it was even better going to Disney with them. We rarely get to see family, so this was really special.

The first ride we went on was (of course) Pirates of the Caribbean. Lily is usually a fan of pirates, but this ride didn't impress her as much as I thought it would. We then ventured off to an Aladdin Magic Carpet ride and I think Sophie was most impressed with this one. We took a Safari Jungle Cruise and then went to the Haunted Mansion. This by far was Lily's favorite. Who knew this kid would enjoy ghosts?

We decided that Lily was big enough to go on a real roller coaster and she had been looking forward to going on Big Thunder Mountain for a while. Her first roller coaster was at Mickey's Toontown. It was some sort of airplane roller coaster that Grandma and Grandpa took her on 2 years ago and from then on, she was a roller coaster girl. We waited in the Fast Pass line and I could tell that she was getting excited. Once we finally got on, she was a bit nervous. She realized that she was the only "small kid" on it and a lot of the bigger kids were yelling and screaming. It may have just been the adrenaline, but once we got moving she was yelling and screaming herself, putting her hands up in the air and laughing. She really enjoyed her first real roller coaster!

After that and some ice cream, we went back to the hotel room for some naps and dinner. We decided that we would go back that evening once it was cooler for round 2 of Disney and we got to ride Space Mountain with Lily. Again, she had a blast although she didn't like how the roller coaster was "always going down." Before we left, we caught the Light parade and Sophie was in such awe of the lights and seeing Mickey Mouse up close. She got her very first pair of Mickey Mouse ears and proudly wore them for 5 minutes before deciding that it was too hot for a hat. By the time we got back to the hotel, it was almost midnight. 

The next day, we drove to St Pete's to attend a beautiful beach wedding. Everyone was a bit nervous since it started pouring rain a day before the wedding. Typical Florida... You never know when it's going to rain a little or a lot! We spent a lot of time on the beach and I am convinced that we have 2 beach babies on our hands. It's almost like the beach calls them. I guess that's what you get for having one kid born in San Diego and the other born in Jacksonville. We built sand castles, jumped in the waves and soaked up the sun. They didn't even give the pool a second look. They were all about the beach!

At the rehearsal dinner we met the bride to be and reconnected with more family. Lily said that she was an old pro at being a flower girl and said that she didn't need to practice. Sophie on the other hand needed the practice. Instead of scattering flower petals (that was Lily's job) Sophie and Cayd were to scatter seashells. We thought that as long as they made it down the isle together, that would be fine. 

The big day had come and the weather was very cooperative. We spent the morning at the beach then took naps and got ready for the wedding. Everything looked to beautiful and there were a lot of casual beach onlookers watching the wedding. There was definitely love in the air. Lily did a great job scattering the rose petals and both Sophie and Cayd made it down the isle without scattering one seashell. It was cute enough seeing Cayd in his little tux and Sophie all dressed up.

Lily's new dance partner was also the ring bearer: 7 year old David. They had a great time running around chasing each other and then at the wedding reception they danced all night. I mean ALL NIGHT, to every song. Sophie and Cayd danced together, but mostly enjoyed chasing each other around the dinner tables. 

Vacation is always a time to relax and to spend quality time with the family. We are very lucky to have been able to do all that we did in a little over a week. It's really a reminder of how quickly time passes and that we really need to make the most of spending time with our family. 

While we were on vacation we did miss a couple of special events. Two of our friends were blessed with new babies: The Harpers who are now a family of 3 (humans, that is... Sorry Cooper) welcomed Graysen Elizabeth and the Piedmonts who welcomed Ellie. I'm sure in a few years they will be toting their kids around Disney doing the same things we did on our Summer vacation. 

Goodbye 20's. Hello 30's!

Well, I didn't magically change into a princess, nor did I change into a wicked witch. I did however turn 30 this year and I can't tell you how relieved I am to have finally hit this age! It sounds funny, I know. But after so many years of looking like I am 16, I feel more confident about looking and being my age. 

We pretty much spent the day relaxing and "doing whatever Mom wants." It was low key since it was a Wednesday and since Matt was on leave, he took care of feeding, changing and occupying the kids. I got to relax!

My great friend, MaryKay made me her infamous Alton Brown brownies and even topped it with the number 30 on it. The family and I ate it later that night with ice cream and hot fudge. MaryKay knew that the brownies would be consumed in that manner! 

I suppose I should have had a birthday party for myself, but we were so busy getting ready for vacation that I didn't even think about it. I had a great birthday spending it with my family and that was really the best part of it all!

Happy Fourth of July!

Along with the Zoo, we also had a great 4th of July cook out with friends! As a child, I always looked forward to July 4th. It was tradition for our family to go to a barbecue with family friends, swim and at the end, go drive up to the desert and sit on the family station wagon to watch the fireworks display! This year was strikingly similar to my childhood memories, only I was now the parent watching my kids run around getting excited for the fireworks. 

Lily having fun, but being cautious

Sophie not too sure about this...

This year, we ate some delicious BBQ'd ribs made with authentic Kansas love. My Key Lime pie never set and MaryKay's sweet potato-potato salad was crunchy. At least we tried! We're just working out the kinks for next year...

A couple of the guys pitched in and bought firecrackers and sparklers for the kids and we set them off. The kids were all so amazed and the mommies were all so paranoid (fire hazard! fire hazard!). We could still see the various fireworks displays going on around the city and especially on the drive home. We were so tired when we got home and the kids were happy to have had such a fun time. We're all still recuperating from the fun! Matt and I must be getting old if staying out past 11pm makes us tired!

Happy Fourth of July!