memorial day weekend in Claremont

 Sometimes i think about why i do this blog, and have to remind myself it has so many great purposes - one of which is for me to do a little journaling. I was never one to be devoted to writing in a journal (though i have seasons), but for some reason this blog has been a wonderful outlet for me. The other day i was talking to Andy about a family i learned about that lost their 4 year old son to a brain tumor. The tumor was found in January, and the boy died May 13th, 2014. It was a heartbreaking story, and I honestly cried about it more than once. Partly because i was so sad for their loss, but partly because it hit very close to home in reminding me of our scare with hudson two years ago. Talking to Andy about that made me realize how much this blog helped me process some of the things I was feeling. I lost 15 pounds in 2 weeks. I almost stopped eating entirely, and barely moved throughout the day. If my baby couldn't eat food, then neither would I. If he couldn't leave the room and run around, then neither would I. The connection I felt to him during that time was astounding, but i do think, looking back on it now, that somehow I needed this blog. I needed the family and friends around me as well, and the amazing doctor we had. I needed God, and tried hard to trust him through the fear and uncertainty. But the blog helped me work through it and stay connected in a way. SO today as i write this post, i'm thinking about how grateful I am for this simple website of mine. Grateful I'll be able to look back two years from now and see how i was processing and reflecting on life. How I was living it. Appreciating it. Or how I wasn't. Right?

 One thing I have LOVED about being back out in California, and with a home that has a yard, is the garden we've started to grow!! Above is the newest addition (just the plants, the rest was there), and i have actually added a few more things since this picture. It's so cool to be planting foods we can eat, and actually seeing them GROW! Definitely reminds me of how amazing God is, and how on earth he thought all this up when he created the world. Awesome. 

 Stella has started to copy Hudson regularly - here she is showing me an ouchie she had on her finger, because Hudson had one. Oh my. 

 She has also figured out how to say cheese for the camera! Her 5 teether look so adorable when she shows them off!!

 Andy had the great idea of making a chalk road for Hudson - and what a hit!! This kid is "driving" all over the place!! With all that energy he has every day, this is a fun way for him to run some errands for me, build his imagination, and get some wiggles out!! Stella of course is on the road as well, either pushing the shopping cart or vacuum. She tries to get on the train, but Hudson quickly puts a stop to that. Yea, sharing can be hard when you're the first born and all the toys are yours, AND you're 3. But isn't he a cutie pie?? My baby boy. 

my girl

Filling the days with fun

We've been trying to make sure we take advantage of the great things around us to do, be it a local park or Disneyland! Last week I took the kids to the Discovery Science Museum, a local water fountain in town, and to the club we joined that has pools, play areas, and daycare for adults to work out by themselves (secretly my favorite part!). We've also had lots of fun connecting with good friends, and meeting new ones too! This weekend we went to the beach AND took the kids to Disneyland for the first time! We went to California Adventure, and Hudson got see Mater and McQueen in CarsLand, which was a highlight for sure. Stella and Hudson rode their first rides, and some how we made it out of there without spending our life savings on souvenirs! SO we will definitely be going back for more. :)

Mothers day

For Mothers day this year, we went to Balboa beach. It was fantastic. Relaxing, fun, peaceful. Best day ever. Hudson LOVES the water, but wants to hold your hand the entire time he is near it. Stella LOVES everything but the water. It will grow on her. ;)

riding the waves of change

It's been six weeks since we arrived her in Claremont. In some ways it feels like we've been here longer, in other ways i feel like we'll be heading back to Denver any day now. Our house is semi-settled. We've found the grocery stores and parks. Hudson has started going to school two mornings a week, and Andy's now working on his job in Riverside. Life could be semi-normal, depending on how you look at it. Still, we are in transition. I'm still adjusting to life at home. Still adjusting to not being a "professional career woman" at the moment. And Andy is still adjusting to his new team, role, etc. I know it all takes time, but I think the hardest things come in places you don't expect, and that's what makes some days harder than others. Changes in friendships, changes with the kids, etc. Yet that is the way life is, I guess. Ups and downs, cup half full or half empty. It's a matter of perspective, but it can still get you down on occasion. So we'll take it day by day, looking forward to the positives and supporting each other through the challenges. I am thankful to have Andy with me through this journey, I couldn't imagine it with anyone else.

Since we've been here, Stella has taken off walking and is now zooming around on her own! She's been walking with a finger to hold for months, and has taken steps here or there since she was just over 12 months, but for some reason she didn't want to venture out on her own two feet until she was almost 15 months! Can't complain about it though, it's made her so easy to cart around! And we all know Hudson is a lot of work on his own to manage in public settings (and at home, let's face it), so it's been nice to have Stella be more mellow. Hudson continues to amaze us with his growing intellect and vocabulary. He carries on great conversation, and has really gotten into ocean animals, airplanes, and riding his bike, but still loves his cars and trains. He is pretty ready for a bike with pedals, so we will look into that for his birthday most likely.

Stella is now wearing 12-18 month clothes, still in size 3 diaper, and fits her size 4 shoes pretty well now. She sleeps from about 7pm - 6am, then has been taking a 30 min cat nap in the morning and about a 2 hour nap in the afternoon. She still drinks a fair amount of milk, and since she still only has 4 1/2 teeth (one is about half way in), she can't quite eat everything. She is a pretty picky eater too, unlike her brother at this age.

Hudson is in size 4 clothes, sometimes size 5, he's squeezed into his size 11 shoes and just about ready for the next size up, and sleeps from about 7:30 (or whenever he can stop wiggling enough to fall asleep!) to when Stella wakes us all up in the morning. Depending on how hard he plays, he'll take a 1 1/2 − 3 hour nap in the afternoon! He is very energetic, and loves interacting with people. He talks often about his friends and family, and we know for sure he needs people around him!!

T&B Wedding

This last weekend my cousin got married up in Santa Barbara. It was a beautiful wedding and a fun weekend!! Here are some pics!

 Congrats Ted and Brittanny! Wish you the best!

 The heart was a hit with everyone at the wedding! You can see our family took a couple pics with it :) and you can see below how it hung between two palm trees!

 The ceremony took place on the lawn of this house…Dos Pueblos Ranch in Santa Barbara 

 During Brad's toast...

 Great to see Trim and Ambra again! And fun to get to spend some time with Amie and Grandma too!! Andy was wonderful to stay home with the kids, though I missed him and know he would have LOVED the location. 

 what a beautiful backdrop for the cake! They had lighting out to the water and uplighting the trees, creating a lovely effect for photos and viewing!

Friday  night we had a family dinner on a golf course, and it was so fun to have almost everyone together!! Our family continues to grow, and it's great!! You can also see the reception area on the beach as the sun was setting - it was pretty cool!