Newport Beach!

My oh my this post is so long overdue but for my documenting purposes it has to be done (and I got some adorable pictures of my girls that I must share:) Last month we went on our first real family vacation just the four of us to California. I have to admit I was very anti-bringing the kids at first. Selfishly I wanted to leave the girls with the grandparents and spend a whole week reading, lying on the beach, going on romantic dates and just spending time with my hubby. But Matt wasn't budging and insisted that we make it a family vacation (I won't say that part of him regretted that decision by day 3:) Family vacations with a one year old and a three year old are not exactly relaxing (especially when your one especially difficult child is sick) but we bonded in many ways and all in all had a wonderful time and made sooooo many memories...

Rode the merry go round and other rides at Beaumont park

Played in our hotel room


Did lots of snuggling

Played at the beach a TON





Met some good friends at Sea World



Lots of sleeping due to two ear infections :(

Road to the ferry to Balboa Island and went bike riding


Slept in the bathroom (poor Sienna)

Went on lots of picnics

Went to a pumpkin patch


Oh how I just love my family!

Fantasy Football

Those two words pretty much dominate our house from about September-January. Obsessed is an understatement (I'm describing Matt, NOT me!) Matt has been in a Fantasy Football league with his brothers and dad, my brother and dad and several friends for the past 4 years. It's actually quite funny to see how involved they get and how serious they take it.
Each year Matt has always gotten the jersey of his FF quarterback and worn in for Monday night football when his family comes over for dinner and to watch the game. Well, this year he INSISTED that the girls and I get involved. I'm not sure Matt has bought a single article of clothing in the last 12 months but this year he ordered 4 football jerseys all on his own, representing his FF players. Here we are...
Tony Romo and mini Romo (Allie of course had to be the same as daddy)

Maurice Jones-Drew

Jason Witten

Go team!!!

Labor Day Weekend

We had the best Labor Day weekend up in Prescott at my parent's house. It felt like a mini vacaction for just the 4 of us, we had so much fun the whole time.
We...
painted nails

(even Sienna got her first pedicure:)

colored

went on lots of walks and hikes


played tennis

ate spaghetti (I swear this picture is not staged, this kid loves her spaghetti!)

grilled yummy steaks and corn on the cob

ate lunch at Coops

while wearing our 'family brand' :)

read books

watched movies

played golf


played Wii

went swimming


played with cars

finished off with a fantastic Labor Day BBQ lunch at the Ranch House


Happy Labor Day everyone!

Pedicures and Best Friends

I'm super late in posting this but a couple weeks ago it was my sweet god-daughter Bella's 6th birthday. And what better way for girls to celebrate a birthday than with pedicures! Allie and I met Bella and her momma at the nail place and had such a great time. It was Allie's first pedicure at an actual nail salon and it was so cute to see her so interested in what a 'real' pedicure is like. Bella was adorable too sitting in the big chair soaking her cute little toes in the big tub.


After pedicures, we walked around and shopped a little bit and then enjoyed lunch at California Pizza Kitchen. Bella was so sweet to share her iPad with Allie and show her the ropes in playing some of the games.

The highlight of the day was when Allie and Bella were walking in front of Bri and I, they grabbed each other's hands and Allie looked at Bella and said 'you're my best friend'. We almost cried it was so incredibly adorable!

We've been blessed to have spent every single birthday with Bella and are so blessed to have her in our lives. She is already the perfect role model for our girls and I can't wait for our relationship to continue to grow. Happy birthday Bella! We love you!

Daddy-Daughter Weekend

This past weekend Matt did something that I will never forget. He did something that made me fall even more in love with him. We were planning on going up to Prescott to my parent's house but a couple of things came up and I wasn't going to be able to go. Completely to my surprise, Matt said that he still wanted to go...and he wanted to take Allie. My heart just melted when he said that AND when he followed through with it (I kinda thought he might chicken out and change his mind. He proved me wrong:)
He and Allie drove up on Thursday night. On Friday they played by the pool and then Matt took her golfing with him. She only lasted 9 holes but she had so. much. fun. He said she was totally obsessed with the divot replacer stuff and 'driving' the golf cart. She even putted at every hole. They watched Finding Nemo in bed before she completely crashed for the night. Saturday consisted of more playing, playing by the pool, going on a run and more movie watching. Then on Sunday before they drove home, they played in the pool a little more, ate lunch and said goodbye to Prescott (Allie thinks my parent's actual house is Prescott, she doesn't quite get the concept of a town:)
They both had such a good time and Matt said he definitely wants to do it again. Allie has almost been kind of depressed this morning without her daddy. She keeps asking where he is and saying that she misses him :( It's so incredibly adorable.
Of course Matt didn't take a camera but here are some pics he took on his ipad...