Things......

don't be Fooled by the gifts under the tree. your real gift is all around you. it's in the air and in the water it's sitting at your dinner table. your gift is an unexpected burst of laughter and a shoulder to cry on. your gift is the family you can see and the family that can only see you. the friends who have shared this year with you and the moments that you share with yourself... these are your gifts. one more chance to say, "i love you." one more chance to be together.

today as i finished wrapping my things to give to you. things that i picked out as tokens of how much i love you. while the baby is napping and i'm getting ready for all the wonders of our christmas holidays to start. i stopped to remember what it is all about. it's all about love. how much God loves us and how we reflect that love to one another. it's about being thankful for the real gifts in our lives. i was struck by something my BFF did last week. she was part of an event that was thrown for families that had lost someone this year in iraq. families who don't know what it's like to have christmas without the one they love... but are getting ready to experience it. i was also moved to tears by a tribute in people magazine to all who fell this year, it put a # and a face to the sadness. my heart is heavy for them. my thoughts are with those families.

i am thankful for you.

Merry Christmas

our friend jade sent us on a secret date on saturday. we had no idea what was up his sleeve. all he said was we need to have a babysitter from 1-4 on saturday afternoon. we dropped woobie off with moppa and jim @ the balboa bay cub. then jade drove us down to the balboa fun zone and handed us a platter of sushi and a bottle of wine and told us to go check in at the balboa boat company. he rented us a duffy boat for an hour!!!! how sweet is that? seriously! once Lo and i got on the boat we were both thinking how much our little woobie would enjoy it. so we boated our little duffy over to the balboa bay club to pick up woobie & moppa. Lo and i pulled up to the dock and woobie was SO excited to see us. we just putted around out front for a few minutes, milo was loving it. then we dropped them off and putted our way around the rest of the harbor. what a perfect perfect treat. to make it even more fun and wonderful the day was sunny and the sky was totally bright blue. it was also pretty cool to see all the boats from the boat parade in the light of day. Lo and i had actually gone to the boat parade the night before so we recognized a lot of the boats...... it's fun to see what mansion they're docking at.

santa is a tranquilizer............ who knew?


i thought we were going to have a screamer but milo was quite the opposite when he met santa last night. when daddy and milo got to the front of the line milo was reaching out for santa and saying, "santa santa santa." he was so excited to see the jolly bearded man. then when santa's helper put milo on santa's lap milo went totally calm and trance like. he seriously could have stayed on santa's lap all night. it was like he didn't even realized all of the commotion going on around, it was just him and santa and he was chillin. when his turn was up santa gave him a big candy cane and he really enjoyed eating it.

Winter Fantasy @ the Sawdust.....

We went to the tree lighting ceremony at the sawdust winter show w/ Pop & Glam. It was the PERFECT way to start the season.

We were spending lots of time at the park before it got super cold. I have to keep Woobie away from the duck pond because he wants to go in.

Here is the 2nd choice for our Christmas Card. As you can see, Milo really enjoyed being confined to my lap. :)

this is a 1st! i've looked forward to the day that my Milo would fall asleep while eating. classic!

Hi! I've already got a ton of December photos that I am going to share in a snapfish album. Here's a video from Balboa Island. We went for a walk on the Island one morning last week and had lots of fun. Milo was really into the Christmas decorations and really into the boats & docks.

how bout a little HOWDY... for the holidays!

truckin along and having SO much fun with this little man. he's got so many words i can't keep up with the whole list. if you get a chance to see him say DOOOOOOO, you will be truly blessed because it's hilarious. we've been going to parks a lot lately and lorin and i have been so impressed with his courage and willingness to try almost anything. it's so fun to watch him play and explore and interact with children on the playground. love our little 16 month old.

xoxo

we had a great Thanksgiving. lots to be thankful for!

just wanted to share a little story about how milo bent down and smeared his hand in a smashed snail yesterday. it was totally disgusting. i screamed and threw up in my mouth a little bit. lovely huh? oh the joys boys!

we were part of this...... by accident. :) oh happy day!

an angel sent me this last year. i'm finding it useful these days..........


Deseradata

Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even the dull and ignorant; they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble, it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.


Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; Many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself.

Especially, do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment, it is perennial as the grass. Take kindly the council of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.

But do not distress yourself with imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars, you have a right to be here. and whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding exactly as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be, and whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul. With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful - Strive to be happy.

Slide Hair

slides really bring out the dandelion in him!



make a wish!

this is what our children are supposed to look like!


What do you think about my little new baby #2?
MakeMeBabies.com - What will your baby look like?

little gardener.......
(please excuse my annoying shrieking..... he was spraying me and it made him laugh when i screamed...... what can i say)

hi!



i need to go to the grocery store. milo keeps pointing at our empty fruit basket and saying, "banana"........ it's pretty funny. going to the store with the monkey. wish me luck!

just wanted to share these amazing pictures of milo's daddy

this picture is off of the newport surf shotswebsite. milo's daddy was the hot shot of the day. :) i would like to emphasize the HOT part.


taken at our friends beautiful wedding last month. milo's daddy was one of the 30 person wedding party. to see more pictures from the wedding check out adam novaks photography (go to clients and type in bell). these are by far the most amazing beach wedding pictures i've ever seen. perfecto!



mooney.......... you're cute!

Rollin W/ the Homies.........


Blake took the babes on a cruzzzzzzzzz! Milo loved being the front seat passenger and took to it like a natural.


Uh oh! Can't you just see these 2 in 16 years!!!!!!! Riley & Milo...... or should I say RiLo

a visit to Pop & Glam's!

we stopped by to sprinkle a little Yoda Joy on Halloween!

favorite spot in the whole house is on top of their coffee table with a silver bell in his mouth!


He just HAD to stick his toes in the freezing pool!