January Highlights & Part I

Places I love...Part I

I decided since i'm limited on activities these days that i would document with camera and journal (not an actual journal in hand these days due to the limited amount of "free hands", but my mind) some of the places around here and elsewhere that i really enjoy seeing or being. The below is the first.

Avilia Beach with Kids

Growing up in SLO I used to think Avilia was beautiful, but the beach itself wasn't exactly my favorite beach to sit and hang out at...when i was in high school there used to be a family side and kids side and it just felt weird parking a beach towel with friends there...I really disliked going there due to all the out of towners... So... I used to only go there for bomb fires and high school events or other occasions. Now that i'm a mom i have a whole new perspective on it (plus it's been completely re-done), it's perfect for the family. Parking is easy, you can hang out at the park and just enjoy the ocean in the background, tide pools, clean beach and everything is just close so kids can enjoy it all, another plus the people are usually extremely friendly.
These are pictures of the new park they put in awhile back...

The downtown renovation
Tide pools, such a beautiful day for January
Turning 34 in SLO

Dylan and I with ice cream cake (my favorite on my birthday)

80 degree weather in SLO over Martin Luther King weekend...twins cooling off...

98 % of the time they just play by each other without bothering each other at all; it's so interesting...it's such a normal to them to be near each other...they find comfort in it.

Twins at home with Devcon overalls on...

Park Days in January

Park Days in January

You wouldn't know it was January, the weather here has been so great. We headed out to the park, while Jason was hiking up the hill we stayed behind to explore the sand. Dylan was so thrilled to be at the park i couldn't even get a picture of him...

This was the first time the twins had been in the sand.

So i decided to start running distance again with some friends...the twins are just thrilled about it and my new shoes to the right... time to toss the old ones...

Funny Nolan

Dylan was standing Nolan up and he ended up like this it was so funny. Nolan wouldn't move...sorry about the position of the camera...it happened so fast...

Sunglasses...

A New Ornament on the Tree

I don't remember seeing this ornament on the tree last year??? Just goes to show you how clueless we are these days...i have no idea how long this was on the tree and since it is a reflection of the times we just left it there for the remainder of Christmas.

Understanding Christmas

All along I was wondering if Dylan was understanding the true meaning of Christmas and this Christmas it was so cute he ran out into the living room first thing in the morning anxious to open gifts. We came out and before he opened his first gift he said very sweetly,

"Happy Birthday Jesus".

Taking Photos of Three kids

Here's Nolan screaming when I placed him close to the tree. So funny. I would move him away and he would be fine, close and he would cry...Dylan and I thought it was so funny.

So then I decided to try and take photos by themselves...Taryn

Nolan

We had to go out with a bang

We had to finish 2008 with a bang; a lot of great things have happened to our family in 2008, but in the last ten years of marriage we have never spent so much time in the doctor/hospital. We are praying 2009 we stay away from the ER a little more...sorry about all the typos i have a injured finger.

Jason and I had a bunch of fun things planned for Christmas this year. It was going to be our first year since we got married we were going to stay home. Although the house setting isn't our favorite we wanted to stay home nonetheless; so we decided to do so. The weekend before Winter break started Nolan and Taryn came down with a cold, which turned into RSV...before even this Dylan had a cold, which turned a little ugly...okay now we can move onto RSV; so the babies came down with RSV, which moved quickly into Pheumonia. While the kids were sick I was sick...as well. Christmas afternoon Taryn and I spent in the ER with a 103 fever and a chest x-ray...which led to Pheumonia. The day after Christmas Jason came down with a sinus infection...back to the doctor again...

It was crazy we went from the doctor, to the pharmacy, doctor to the pharmacy...all week. It was just crazy. No one could come on Christmas because by that time we were so contagious...

To top of the week I accidentally slammed my finger in the door going into the garage and pulled some legiment, which has to be splented on Monday.

So i've gotten a lot of comments on our Christmas cards this year. I was a little limited in time and tried my best to take photos of the kiddos. The day I took these pictures the tree had just been put up and NOlan was scared to death of it. Every time he looked at it he would start crying...three kids, one mommy and one camera makes it extremely difficult to take a photo. Next year i'll start a month in advance, but this year i'm behind in everything.

A Tribute to my Grandma Mickey Beck

A Tribute to my Grandma

Phil 3:20-21

"For our citizenship is in heaven from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself"

My Grandma died today December 10, 2008 at 87 years old.

She was a very sweet woman, even at the end of her life.

When i was in third grade my grandma taught me how to play jacks on the driveway in Encinitas. We just laughed and laughed.

One of my grandma's favorite things was playing cards and when we would beat her she would say, "pooey"...or "Jerry you cheated".

My grandma LOVED CHOCOLATE; chocolate ice cream, rocky road, nut cluster candies, just loved chocolate. I remember one time at my parents house. She wanted my dad to get her some rocky road and the doctor told her to watch her cholesterol...my dad said we pro baby shouldn't and i said, "come on dad" if she wants chocolate ice cream give her chocolate ice cream, you only live once...Grandma just loved it that i stook up for her and we had a bowl together. I've never know anyone who loved Chocolate as much as my Grandma. I fed her in the hospital on Sunday and she wasn't too into eating anything, but they gave her a little dish of Chocolate ice cream. I said to her "Grandma you've always loved chocolate ice cream, what do you say we go straight to desert." She was so sweet and I fed her four bites. My mom said that was a lot. Chocolate to the end...

Awhile back my mom and i were in San Diego for a wedding and due to a odd situation at my grandma and Aunt's house my mom and I decided we should go back home at 2 am (my mom found a cockroach on her back...we were ready to leave...funny) Anyway, I was in charge of waking my Grandma up and seeing if she would come home with us at 2am, she said, "okay I'm ready" and she wasn't even fully awake. She just perked right up and went along not knowing what time it was, she was always such a good sport. It was such a great trip home, we laughed a lot and stopped at diner for Breakfast. My Grandma was always flexible and went along with the rest of us, no matter how goofy.

When my grandma was eighty for Christmas I gave her a "cool" vest from old navy (i wish i had the picture in a digital print) and she put it on right away and posed for me at eighty, so funny.

Since she moved to San Diego with my Aunt after my grandpa died my grandma was involved in a autobiography class with other people her age. She used to tell me about the people in her class and all the odd things "old people" did in their life.

When I went to visit her for the last time on Sunday, she did something funny that i would like to share. A nurse in the hospital kept saying, "I'm your granddaughter, I'm your granddaughter" and my grandma who barely spoke and was in a lot of pain looked at her and said, "your not my granddaughter". So funny.

She will be greatly missed.

I love you Grandma

We look forward to seeing you again one day.

San Diego two years ago

Pictures...

Jason took this photo of Nolan after a nap. So cute how he has his hand hanging out of the crib. Nolan is such a sleeper...

Bath time at Thanksgiving...o'to have a large sink in the laundry room, so cool.
A day with the cousins...they just love each other so much.
My parents with all their grand kids at my brother and sister in-laws house. Wow...there are one, two, three, four, five and six...they would of never thought to have six grand kids.

Fall Leaves

Fall leaves

Are you done yet Mom?
Let's just play over here, why mom does her thing? (Not really, but o'so sweet) I'm walking she's still watching, i'm walking... Let's try leaves...okay mom cool:)

Pictures of the kiddos

Some pictures of the kiddos

I'm finally getting out more with the kids. The light was perfect for pictures on the lawn. It would of been nice to have Dylan's helmet off, but you know i didn't even notice...isn't that terrible...i think it's cute the way they turned out.

Okay look at his eye in this one, did you get the photo mom!

One more from the 31st...we couldn't get Nolan to sit up...his belly is so big he just likes to lay a lot, he's sitting up more now, but this day he was laying so heavy on Dylan and would not sit up, so funny.

More Fall Photos

School parade

Hey MOM!!!
Picking up our leaves and the neighbors (even though we have a gardener...it's a fun activity to do together) and we needed to burn some time on the 31st.One of Dylan's favorite activites, bike riding. Our street is filled with these beautiful trees. The house is about 60years old along with the rest of the neighborhood, but a lot of the houses have been re-done. In any case, the trees are old and just booming with color in the fall.We like the location of where we live due to being so close the Los Gatos and outdoor activities

Awana Trunk or Treat

Dylan's artwork in the corner

Taryn and Jason handed out candy

31st of October

Dylan just finished winning the piston cup.

Doesn't he look like a real race car driver with the fence in the background. To cute.

This was at his school they had a parade around the playground.

This is the second time Dylan has chosen to be a race car driver.

Note: about the costume, around the number 95 there are lights and in the corner of near his shoulder there is a button for the noise and lights, it makes a car starting up noise and lights up. So when we got the costume he put it on almost every day for a week or so and i would declare, "lightening McQueen's in the house" and Dylan would just laugh and laugh. What a picture though...just classic...