Tuesday, January 31, 2012

I can't say it enough....

This is why we live in LA.  In early January when in other places it could still be snowing, we decided it was warm enough to hit the beach.  So we called some friends and family and had a great time!!!  The waves were so big, and the kids actually got in the water a bit too.  It ended up being a wonderful afternoon.








Thursday, January 19, 2012

LA ZOO

We became members at the zoo this year again, so we took GG to enjoy a day at the Zoo.  It was so much fun we saw tons of animals, we enjoyed kettle corn (MMM!!! The zoo's is so very very fresh!), and got some exercise after all that holiday food!!

Kurtis checking out the prairie dogs!


 Sarah petting a sheep!
 Kurtis petting a goat!
 GG petting another goat??
 This is the really cool water faucet to wash your hands in.
 They were so excited to have daddy with them on this trip to the zoo!
 They both mashed pennies! (This is our prize we get at every fun adventure we go to!)

 Kurtis foot compared to a monkeys!
 GG favorite to watch!


 Sarah's favorite to see the baby Orangutang.
 My favorite...I always love to see the HIPPO!
 Baby tiger!  There were lots of babies in the zoo this trip!

 GG and Sarah checking out the bear, Sarah looks a little nervous!
 Sarah enjoying the train ride there!

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Christmas Lights and...GLADSTONE'S

Derick and I took the kiddies to see the Christmas Lights at the temple one night.  They were as beautiful as they are every year.  It was a lot of fun, and we enjoyed our family time.




The next day we went to one of GG's favorite spots on Earth...well maybe in California!  Gladstone's...and it was delicious!!  My favorite was the chocolate cake, but the people who love sea foods favorite was the crab, lobster, and shrimp.  Then we took some lovely photos down at the beach just next to Gladstone's!  As you can see it was a very very clear day at the beach!











To finish the night we played memory, a little dancing on the wii and with the beep beep.



Monday, January 2, 2012

Christmas Traditions!!!

A few days before Christmas, GG came to town, and two little children were THRILLED!!!

 We tried out this restaurant that Derick has been to before called Lucille's and it was FABULOUS!!  I recommend the fried pickles and anything with their BBQ sauce, it was really great, and very filling!!  

The kids enjoyed the train too (despite their sad faces).


Normally, you will find us all back East for Christmas with all of my family.  But this year we had to make our own traditions.  We really did miss traveling back to VA and seeing all of my family, some could not make it out here and we love and missed you all!!

Since we couldn't take the plane ride there, we decided to invite some friends over to make christmas cookies, read the nativity from the scriptures, and enjoyed some quality wii entertainment.


Then the kids continued the tradition of opening Nanny's gifts.




We went to sleep and woke up to Santa's goodies, Sarah actually had to be woken up so she was a bit unhappy at first, but notice the baby doll in hand Christmas morning, it is the one she had just opened the night before.  She LOVES babies as you can see from almost all of her gifts.



I also love the just awaken faces for photos on Christmas morning, Kurtis with all of his loot.  He loved absolutely everything!!!


I finally got my Kitchen Aid mixer, YIPPIE, and it has been used many times already.

Kurtis asked me to take a photo of his shirt, and would not smile, so this very serious face is what we got in the photo!

Christmas Day, Derick's family met us at our house for lunch.  It was great to spend time altogether on Christmas Day, something we do not always get to do since we are usually in VA.  The food was good, the company was terrific and we would not have had it any other way! **Pictures from lunch provided by Damon!!  Thanks!!!





We are so very very very blessed.  We both have jobs, we have two beautiful children, we have each other and we are blessed with great family and friends.  We had a wonderful Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day.  Thank you to everyone that called and/or visited us, we love and appreciate all of you!