The Girl Nextdoor

My little Zekie turned 2 years old! We celebrated in our home with family. It was a Winnie the Pooh and dumptruck birthday party...Zeke loves "Ah-Pooh" so we ordered a Winnie the Pooh cake for him and without us discussing anything he received three dumptrucks of three different sizes from Mom & Dad, Grandma & Grandpa, and Aunt Emily & Uncle JD...so funny. He also got a tricycle from Mommy and Daddy. He loves anything with wheels on it!! He is definitely a boy!

He loved everything about his birthday and really enjoyed opening his presents and eating his cake. It was so fun to watch him have such a great time. I sure love that little boy!

Ezekiel, you are my sweet boy. You always make everyone around you happy. You are so loving and always ask for a "huggie". I love your hugs and kisses and can't get enough of them. You are the entertainer in the family and make us all laugh with your fun personality. There is something extra special about you. I am so blessed to be your Mommy. I look forward to watching you grow and to helping you along the way. I love you Ezekiel, your Mommy loves you.

Okay, time again for major catching-up!! Here is a look at what we have been up to since the end of summer...

Barbeques & Swimming

Bike Rides & Campouts

The Wild Animal Park

We spent the afternoon and evening with Grandma Boles and cousins, Abby and Gracie. We had such a fun time! It was one of those perfectly happy days.

More Time With Cousins

Ella and Zeke got some bonding time!

Kai's YMCA Soccer

We're Painting the Room Pink

We got new carpet and vinyl this summer and decided to change the rooms up as well. Kai and Zeke now share a room and Eden now has her very own room. She decided she wanted pink walls! So, thanks to Grandma Eden's walls received a coat of Bubblegum Pink!

From Russia With Love

For those of you who don't know, I taught English to children in Voronezh, Russia in 1995. It was definitely one of the greatest experiences of my life! The children were ages 4-7 years old at that time. Well, do the math and that would make them 18-22 years old now. Over the years I had lost contact with everyone from Russia. Well, thanks to Facebook one of my former students, Natasha found me! She also happened to be living in San Diego for the summer so we were able to spend some time together! It was wonderful to see her again and hug her and talk about the past and how things are in Voronezh now. It was especially wonderful to see what a beautiful, kind young woman she has grown up to be! I love you, Natasha! I'm so thankful for the opportunity I had to teach Natasha and the other Russian children...as much as I may have helped them learn to speak English, they gave me so much more in their love.

First Day of School

For some reason this school year was tough for me...I guess it was a realization of how quickly time is passing. Eden started third grade and Kai started first grade. I remember my third grade year so clearly with Mrs. Berhman as my teacher, it was one of my favorite years of school. It was just crazy to think that Eden would now be making third grade memories. And first grade for Kai meant he was staying at school for the full day which just made him seem so much more grown up. Anyways, I dropped them off and cried a little on the way home. I'm so proud of them and I hope this school year is a happy one for them!

Colorado

Natalie and Jed invited us to travel with them to Colorado for a weekend so we could check it out as a possible place to move and own a home. We are so ready to be able to buy a home and homes are very affordable in Colorado. We love San Diego so much but we went to Colorado with an open mind. It is beautiful!! We looked in the Denver area, specifically Castle Rock and Parker. I absolutely fell in love with Castle Rock and it felt great to look at homes we could actually afford to buy! So, we'll see what happens in the future...Colorado is definitely a very possible option for us.

Out to dinner in downtown Denver