Half Way Through June

The first part of June has easily felt like the busiest month so far.  Or maybe I am just 10 times as tired as usual so I feel like it has been busier... Who knows?  But with school activities, birthday parties, end of school, finishing up extra-curricular activities, more preparations for baby, and time for fun, we have been kept going almost every day.  

We purchased a new rocker/recliner for our room to help with the baby.  Devin, being the awesome dad that he is, took the box that it came in and made a house for the girls.  They thought it was the coolest thing ever and have loved having their own cardboard box house.

One of the last school activities that was held for this year was Pizza in the Park.  The kindergarten kids walked to a nearby park where they spent the entire day playing games, running through the water fountains, and eating pizza.  It was a fun day and again I was grateful that Quincy and I could be a part of it.

We headed out to the beach one weekend with some friends.  It wasn't the warmest day to start out but any day at the beach is a good day!  We even saw some dolphins swimming close to shore... pretty crazy!

June 10:  I hit 35 weeks and with it has come the swelling, discomfort, heartburn, exhaustion, and roller coaster of emotion.  I am trying so hard to enjoy these last few weeks but it has been a little difficult.  I am ready to be done with pregnancy.  The question is... Am I ready for what comes after it? 

June 11: Adalyn's last day of Kindergarten!  Such a bitter/sweet day for me.  While I have been eagerly waiting for when she would be home all day with us again, I am sad that her first year of school is already over.  I have enjoyed watching her grow in every way throughout this last year.  I am so grateful that we were given the opportunity to be a part of her class on so many occasions.  From "Fun Fridays" to field trips to activities at the school, I have loved all the time that Quincy and I  have been able to spend with the Kindergarteners.  Quincy jumped right in as if the class were her own and it was fun to see her be a part of all of it.  Adalyn LOVED Kindergarten and she developed socially and academically so much!   

Mr. Horn was Adalyn's Kindergarten teacher and we couldn't have asked for a better one.  He helped, encouraged, worked with, and cared for Addie in the way that every parent hopes for.  He even made Quincy feel like she was a part of the class when we were there to volunteer.  

Addie was able to make some good friends this year as well.  

Anna, Addie, Savannah, Yule, and Alondra. 

Quincy, Addie, Sofia, Yule

A few months back Quincy decided she wanted to take some dance classes.  So we signed her up for Community Center Tap/Ballet class and she loved it.  They had a recital and it was so cute.  Can't help but love this girl...

Devin had a meeting in San Francisco one day, and with Addie out of school we decided to take the opportunity to get to the city once more before the baby comes.  No matter how many times I come to the city I don't think that I will ever tire of it.  And the girls love it just as much.  After several hours of being there they begged us to stay longer.  Girls after my own heart!  

Now here we are just 3 weeks until the new baby comes.  The girls are really excited and keep saying, "I wish the baby could just come now!"  But if the rest of this month passes as quickly as the first part, she will be here before we know it.  In the mean time, we will try to keep busy and enjoy it as much as possible.  

Finishing out May

We kept the second half of May almost as busy as the first half.  One thing is for sure... We are making the most of living in California!  

I just can't help loving how close these 2 girls are.  Everywhere we go we are asked if they are twins. So often, in fact, that the girls know that the usual response is, "No, they are 2 years apart," and will often respond themselves.  Rather than this bugging them, they have become more inclined to be the twins that they are so often assumed to be.  It is the best having their relationship be just as close as their age. 

Haircuts for the fam... Dev mentioned that he was going to get a haircut and the girls begged to let them cut their hair short.  So we had a family outing to get haircuts, and of course the girls had to get the same cut!

Another day at California's Great America...

Think Quincy liked this one?

We had a week where the temperatures were blazing so we made some good use of our pool during that time!

Addie's Kindergarten had their last field trip. They rode CalTrain up to a park in Palo Alto.  I have been grateful that I have had the opportunity to help in her class and attend field trips and activities.  It is so great to be able to be a part of the time that she is away from me.

When Addie had a day off of school we headed to the beach (of course).  It was a perfect day (except that Devin was at work)!

We also spend lots of time at the parks around here.  It is so fun watching how much the girls love being with their dad.  

Memorial Day:  With everyone having a day off we headed out early and went down to Monterey where we spent most of the day at the Aquarium, walking through Cannery Row, and hanging out on the beach.  After we had our fill of Monterey we headed out for the 17 Mile Drive, which takes you along the coast from Monterey down to Pebble Beach.  It was gorgeous, and we hope to spend more time down that way. 

May passed equally as fast as the rest of the year has.  Now we find ourselves in June and just a month away from having a newborn in our home.  Nesting has very much set in, and really has made me go a bit overboard (as in I am preparing for the end of the world rather than a new baby!).  Pregnancy is definitely taking its toll, but I am hoping to enjoy and do as much as we can throughout this last month before we are homebound for awhile.   

For Krystal on Mother's Day 2014

Krystal, here are a couple of lines to thank you for everything you are and for all you do...

Thank you for showing me the meaning of hard work,
Thank you for always making me and the kids your first priority,
Thank you for keeping our house in order day after day after day,
Thank you for allowing me to pursue my passion... whenever and wherever that might be,
Thank you for making other people's burdens light,
Thank you for your big heart that can't help but give something to someone in need,
Thank you for teaching our girls about their amazing worth and potential,
Thank you for going through aches, pains, swollen feet, nausea, cravings, and so much more to give birth to our kids,
Thank you for making goals and continually pushing yourself to improve,
Thank you for caring more about God and your family than about money and things,
Thank you for making me feel respected and loved, 
Thank you for keeping Coca Cola in business,
Thank you for your smile,
Thank you for being humble, honest, modest, and loving,
Thank you for being adventurous and always up for anything,
Thank you for wanting to see the world with me,
Thank you for loving God and serving him,
Thank you for reading, cleaning after, dressing, bathing, cooking for, and teaching our kids,
Thank you for openness to different cultures, foods, and people,
Thank you for thinking of me throughout the day,
Thank you for enduring my sports fanaticism,
Thank you for being beautiful in every way,
Thank you for being an amazing wife and mother,
Thank you for so much more that can't fit into this post... I love you!


... and thanks for riding the NYC subway with me (below)

New York City, Baby!

Devin has been wanting to get me to New York for awhile now but we have never found the 'right time', and with a new baby coming soon, wouldn't be finding the 'right time' any time soon.  So when a business trip to New York suddenly came into the works, Devin decided that we should add a quick pre-baby vacation to it.  He planned for his mom to fly to California and stay with the girls so that I could meet up with him in the Big Apple after his work time was done.  It was really sweet of him to put all of this together so that I could have an awesome vacay before baby #3 makes her way into the world.

On Wednesday, I arrived at JFK at 1am to this handsome man waiting for me...

On Thursday morning, Devin had one last business meeting, so I walked around the city a bit on my own.  I got a great view of the Empire State Building...

And loved just sitting in these verandas that they have in the middle of the streets all over NY.  The vibe of the city was awesome and it was great just taking it all in...

Later that day, Devin and I headed over to Times Square, and it is like nothing I have ever seen.  

We stopped in at Junior's where I pounded a 20 oz steak by myself and then we had the most amazing cheesecake I have ever had.  We even came back the next day just for another slice...

After dinner we walked around the Rock.  Unfortunately the timing didn't work out to get to the top, but it was still awesome to see it and the surroundings...

That night we went to see Wicked, and it was incredible...

On Friday we took a Subway over to The World Trade Center...

Then jumped on a ferry that took us out to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island...

We got a great view of the New York skyline...

And the Brooklyn Bridge...

Then we took a bus tour to see the rest of the city...

Our last stop in New York was Grand Central station where we took a train out to New Haven, Connecticut to stay with Ryan and Sara (Devin's brother and sister in law).  

On Saturday we spent some time getting re-acquainted with our niece and nephews, whom we hadn't seen since August 2013.  While 3 out of the 4 were instantly comfortable with us, the youngest, Nathan, wasn't quite sure about us.  Unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures of Devin and I trying to hold him at first, but he had the sweetest sad face you've ever seen.  By the end of our visit, we had made our way into his comfort zone.  It was a blast hanging out with these fun kiddos. We are looking forward to having them return to the West Coast!  

After a trip to The Natural History Museum we stopped for lunch to get my all time favorite: The CT Lobster Roll.  It was divine...

Later the night, we went out on a double date with Ryan and Sara.  These guys were seriously the best hosts and we really loved seeing them.  I was glad to see where they have been living for the past 3 years before they leave in July.  We can't thank them enough for letting us invade their home, eat their food, and shuttling us around everywhere (including back to the airport which is 2 hours away). 

On Sunday, before heading home, we walked around Yale and then had lunch at a park that had a great view of New Haven...

Then we headed back to the West Coast.  After 5 days of continuous traveling and walking I was left with massively swollen feet...

Meanwhile, here in California, the girls were having a blast with Grandma Payne.  They did everything from going to the beach, swimming at the pool, and picnics in the park, to building fairy gardens and making cookies.  The girls loved spending so much time with Grandma and were sad to see her go.  We can't thank her enough for being willing to fly out and take care of our girls so that we could take this trip.  We definitely couldn't have done it without her, and we appreciate her more than we can say.  I also can't thank Devin enough for so thoughtfully putting this trip together.  It was great experiencing New York with him and I am so grateful to him for making it happen.