It's beginning to look alot like Christmas...

We headed into LA to check out the Grove Mall/Farmer's Market.  It is such a pretty place at Christmas time.  It was kind of strange to walk around in flip flops and look at Christmas decorations, but I think I am loving this.  We had a nice day!

Jax wanted to see Santa, but the line was 4 HOURS LONG!!  Really.  I think he was slightly relieved...I think Santa freaks him out. 

Lunch at the Farmer's Market.  So yummy. 

I think this is the biggest Christmas tree I have ever seen. 

Christmas in LA.

We found this awesome bakery...it had the cutest things in it.  It was magical.

That's what I like about you...

Richie changed the transmission fluid in my car this week.  I love that he knows how to do that...and a million other things.

Have I mentioned that I love him?  I do.  I really do.

Thanksgiving

What a holiday weekend we had!!!!  I think it will go down as one of the best Thanksgivings I have ever had. 
First off, my WHOLE family came to California to be with me for Thanksgiving.  It meant the world to me.  They all drove and flew from all over to come and put the fate of the Thanksgiving dinner in MY hands.  I was so nervous...but it ended up being pretty perfect.
 Everyone got into town late Wednesday, except for Sarah's family who came in a day early (mee mer).  We woke up CRAZY early on Thanksgiving day and made to Disneyland by 8:30am.

The whole family.

Mickey...everywhere.  Love it.

My dad and my niece, Olivia.

My sister, Stacey,  and her husband, Jamey.

We had so much fun.  We rode everything...ate everything...loved everything.  Did I mention we had a good time?

Then came Dinner...on Friday.  I know...we messed with our days...but it is our holiday, right?  We can make the whole weekend Thanksgiving if we want to!!  I can't believe I didn't get more pics of dinner...but I did get the table!!



I made these gingerbread cookies for everyone!  I put their initial on it!

 During the dinner...we had an UGLY SWEATER CONTEST.  The best part of the evening...for sure!  Check it out...hilarious.



The UGLY SWEATER CONTEST.
Jaxon wins...he has TuPac on his sweater.  :)



Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!  We hope it was as wonderful as ours was!!

Marbles and the Wii

Much to his mother's dismay...Jaxon has found...the Wii.  I have managed to keep it a pretty good secret for a while. Not that I hid it or anything, I just never pointed it out.  We play occasionally for family nights, but let me just say that it wasn't getting a whole lot of use in our house.  Until about a month ago.  He found it.  He loves it.  His dad loves that he loves it.  Therefore, I believe I have lost the war.  Notice, I said the War, not the battle.  I believe that  the video games and I are just going have to get along.  As a mother to a son...I am jacked. He loves it, and I have to deal with it!

So...this is how I deal with it!  If any of you know my son, you know that he HATES doing things for himself.  He wants me to do EVERYTHING for him.  It is our daily argument.  So, we started this...

This is our marble jar.  Jaxon gets a marble every time he does something without throwing a fit.  It has been a miracle.  There is marble talk in our house...constantly.  Why?  Because for every marble he earns, he earns 1 minute of this....

It has been a good trade.  Now...I usually only have to listen to between 12-19 minutes of Mario Brothers...depending on our day. 



I think that makes him pretty happy, too. :)



BIG news!!!

Guess who is going to wear these....

And these...

And this...

 And this...

And these...

OUR DAUGHTER...that's who!!!!!!!!!!

After 4 1/2 VERY LONG YEARS...we are adopting again!!!  Our baby girl is due February 17th.  We couldn't be happier or more excited.  Jaxon is ecstatic and is very ready to "feed and help" with our baby. Did you notice that he didn't say anything about changing diapers?  We feel so incredibly blessed.  Our birth mother is such an amazing woman, who we feel so honored to be chosen by.  We will have an open adoption and we couldn't be more thrilled.  We have had so much fun getting to know her and we can't wait for a life time of happiness!  Thank you for all of the prayers said on our behalf.  We love you all so much!

Halloween!!!

We spent all week getting ready for the big night!!  We painted nails, made yummy food for our "spooky food" potluck, played in the rain, and played in costumes non stop!!  My mom made the kids costumes.  Jax went as Luke Skywalker, Olivia was Leah and Sev was Darth Vader.  They had so much fun trick-or-treating.  Jaxon FINALLY trick-or-treated...and actually liked it.  It's about time!!  Thank you mom for such a wonderful Halloween package and such AWESOME costumes. 

Getting the nails ready...black and orange, of course.

Ready for rain.

I LOVE this picture.

Olivia and Sev's Gramma Jan helped the kids make little apple pies.  So cute.



Is it Darth Vader? Is it Frankenstein?  Nope...just Richie Rich.

Look at our Spooky Pizza!!!



Luke Skywalker

Darth Vader

Princess Leah



The crew.



Our Visit with the Lumley's

Jax is off track until the end of November!!!!  That means I don't have be bothered with that pesky school schedule that cramps my traveling schedule! :)  Rich had to go to Houston all week last week, so of course i left town!  Jax and I headed up to my sister's house for the week.  Rich flew in for the weekend, so he didn't miss out on too much.  I love being at Sarah's house.  I always feel like I am home when I am there. We have the same brain...it is kind-of creepy.  I love it.  She always makes me laugh so hard and Jaxon has so much fun while he is with his cousins.  Thanks Lumley crew for such a great week!
The day before Halloween we headed up to San Francisco.  We have been there so many times and have seen so many amazing things, but we have NEVER done the Golden Gate Bridge.  So, my sister indulged me and took us.  It was AMAZING.  So beautiful.  It made me remember how small I am and what an incredible thing the mind is.  The fact that something so massive and grand came from some one's brain is a beautiful thing.


We entertained ourselves in the car. 




We managed to be serious for a couple of shots.  :)




Can they get any cuter??




We couldn't have picked a more beautiful day to be there!! We had so much fun! (Is Rich trying to be a pick pocket? :) )



Black Tie

Richie and I got invited to our first Black Tie event! It was at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles. It was a really cool, old hotel that had a creepy feel to it! It was very Old Hollywood. We had a really nice time. I thought I would share the pics.

The lobby.  So pretty.

The celing.  Loved it.



Getting ready!  This is what happens when you don't have anyone to take your pic!



Rich was thrilled that I kept making him pose for the mirror.



All dolled up.



Mr. Handsome.  How do I get him to wear this everyday?



Someday...

I pulled back the covers to get into bed last night and found this....waiting for me.

My first reaction was of course..."Jaxon!!  Darn kid."
Then I started to giggle.  And then I started to cry.  I do that alot.  How cute it is that I pull back my covers and find all of his little guys in my bed?  And then I got to thinking about what a treasure it is to find his toys in my bed...and that got me thinking all about Jaxon...and how fast he is growing up.
He wants to be a Transformer somedays.
He wants to be a Dinosaur somedays.
He wants to be a Ninja Turtle somedays.

He won't be this little someday.
Someday he will be all grown up, and these toys will be gone.
Someday, I will be wishing that I would I climb into bed and find his toys waiting for me as evidence of an amazing action sequence.
So, I will cherish these little guys today...so I can remember it someday.

We want S'More!

Southern California brought us a little treat this week.  It brought us a little taste of Fall.  It was cool and even windy..okay...well breezy.  I actually wore jeans.  This is a big deal people.  So of course we took this cool weather as a sign that we HAVE to try our our new fire pit.  So we did.  Pulled out the s'more makings and got to it.  So fun.

Yumm!

Check out those flames!!