Off Season In Napa

This past off season we had the pleasure of FINALLY spending a long weekend with our friends the Greens (adults only) in Napa. It was their first time experiencing the wine country and we loved every minute of it. I think most of our excitement was due to not having kids with us for once since we all had kids. We really made the most of our trip and got to do tastings at some of the best wineries.

It was close to Christmas and many of the wineries were decorated and festive as you can see here at Silver Oak and their beautiful Christmas Tree.

We enjoyed taking it all in and doing the tours and tastings. My favorite by far was our private tour at Schramsberg. It is incredible to learn about the process, time and dedication that goes into making their champagne. It didn't hurt that it was delicious too!




Not only are the wineries beautiful but so are the vineyards.

We had such a great time from our amazing dinners, to our cooking class, private tours and time catching up. We are so blessed to have such great friends and many memories to share together!

Where To Start..........

Here, almost a year ago is where I attempted to get back into blogging. These pictures are now distant memories, but I figured I would re-live them to get up to date and back on my blogging feet! This picture is from Erika's Bachelorette Party up in Lake Almanor. It was amazing how many of us were able to be together and celebrate this special time with Erika. I am so grateful for these friendships that we have maintained since highschool, people are always shocked to know that so many of us have remained close! I love you GIRLS!! Such great memories from that weekend and for the past *gasp* 20 years!! Are we really that old??

We had the prime location to celebrate, a lakefront house with a private grass area, deck, ski boat and wave runners. (Who can forget the chips and salsa?)

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE these pics!! Although we are grown up I love that we can still have fun like we did as kids!

Here is the day of the wedding, umbrellas, rain boots and all.....Beautiful location, beautiful bride and a beautiful couple. Congrats to Erika and Rich!

Halloween/Emerson's 2nd Birthday Party. We decided to have a costume party with all our friends and it worked out perfect. The kids had a blast and we all went trick-or-treating together after. Might have to be a birthday tradition.

My Dad surprised us and was a BIG hit as DJ Lance from Yo Gabba Gabba. It is even funnier if you are familiar with the show.

Grandma Mary even got into the action :)

Dada loving our new house where he has the opportunity to do his favorite hobby anytime. The Girls have really enjoyed fishing with him as well and Rilyn always seems to catch the most fish!

Silly pics...

Our Girls at 4-1/2 and 2!

Rilyn's Preschool Graduation

This has been a busy month for us between packing up our house, work, fitting in time with close friends and Rilyn's Preschool Graduation. Here is Rilyn on her last day of school. Going to preschool was such a great experience for Rilyn and Jeff and I are so grateful for the time and commitment her teacher's put into making it such a successful year.

Here are pictures from Rilyn's preschool graduation ceremony, although she will be in preschool again next year ;) Great picture of us trying to keep Emerson entertained throughout the ceremony. LOL! Is she practicing winking??

Rilyn's Preschool Class of 2010.

Here Rilyn is receiving her diploma and they asked her what she wanted to be when she grows up, her answer: A Doctor..........hmmm......Did she talk with Gramps before heading to the ceremony?
The kids blowing out cupcake candles to celebrate afterwards.

This is Rilyn's best friend from school, Finley.

What Emerson has been up to this month.

To start off the month Emerson had her first big boo-boo. She took a hard spill off the couch into the coffee table. This picture definitely doesn't do her injuries justice. She is a little bear though, cried for a second then brushed it off. I am sure this will be the first of many boo-boo's for this child. :~(

Rocking her boo-boo proudly.

Don't suckers make it all better??
At first we thought this was cute, sharing her food with the dog, until she started eating off her tray again like the dog. Priceless......

Too cool for words!

Happy 4th Birthday Rilyn!!

Happy Birthday RiRi, 4 already? As fast as time goes, it is easy to be right back at the moment of having you 4 years ago. That was the day I understood the difference between being in love with someone and falling in love. I continue to fall more each day........You are such an amazing little girl, so smart and kind to everyone. You make your Daddy and me so proud each day. Your teachers always tell us how impressed they are by you and all that you know at such a young age. You absorb everything so easily and love to learn. School has been such a great adventure for you this year, but it makes me sad to think in just one short year you will be in school everyday. I love all our time we spend together, I can't get enough. You are such a great friend, so caring and loving, always concerned about everyone. You are the best snuggler and your Dada and I love you so much! I hope you have a fun-filled year of laughter and lots of love. Thank you for being you and being our daughter!!

Rilyn got to celebrate her birthday at school. She loved having everyone sing "Happy Birthday" to her and making cookies to give to everyone. For her party we went to Gymboree and had a princess and princes theme. It was the best party ever, the kids had a blast and I think the parents probably enjoyed themselves just as much.

The actual night of Rilyn's birthday I had to work, so Jeff had a mini chocolate cake for Rilyn.

Now that Rilyn is 4, we figured it was a good time to transition over to her "big girl" bike. She rode it like a pro and loved it!! Emerson wanted in on the action, but she'll have to wait a couple years. :)

Easter and Smores

For Easter this year we had fun decorating eggs with Rilyn after Emerson had gone to bed. She really loved coloring each one and then picking what color to dye it in. We were smart and decided to mark and E on all Emerson's eggs and an R on Rilyn's eggs so there would be no confusion during the Easter morning egg hunt. We spent a nice day with our friends The Rifkins and let the kids play in the pool while we all enjoyed the sun.

The final product.........
I turned my head for a minute while Rilyn was doing crafts with her art box and then turned around to find our little adventurer joining in. Yes, that is her on top of the table!

Before the weather gets too hot Jeff decided to put up our tent in the backyard for a camp out. He also told Rilyn they could roast smores, which when the time came he realized all he had to roast the marshmallows was a candle (still worked though). Notice how Rilyn decided she needed to wear her gardening gloves while roasting.

I think her friend Kayla was less impressed by the candle situation.
It is hard to believe in just one short week, Rilyn will be turning 4. After going into her room one morning to dress herself and coming out looking like this, I didn't know if she was going to be turning 4 or 14? She looks so grown up :(

Our Babies

Here are some recent pictures of our "babies"................

Again, I will apologize for the long delay in updating my blog. I wish I would make more time to keep this up to date! In the past month Emerson has become our little monster, climbing on top of every piece of furniture throughout the house, including the kitchen counters. She is one heck of a daredevil and the cause of my stress. On the other hand, she is the sweetest, cutest and funniest child with quite a personality. For every time she makes my heart stop with fear, she makes my heart melt with love. She is a copycat of her sister, who she adores and wants to be next to all day long. On the days Rilyn has school, when I ask Emerson if she wants to go pick up RiRi, she bolts towards the door in excitement. Rilyn on the other hand is dealing with wanting her privacy, not having to worry about a little sister messing up her stuff.

Rilyn these days is quite the dancer and hip shaker! She very rarely is seen without one hand on the hip and a beat in her step. Her latest love is playing learning games on the computer. Jeff and I continue to be amazed by her and how quickly she learns things. She already knows all the functions of the computer, probably better than us.

She has gotten down writing her name, speaking a lot of words in Spanish, using scissors, spelling purple, go, green and her name of course and multiple other things that seem far beyond her years.

It is hard to believe our baby will be turning 4! I keep telling her to not grow up so fast and she reassures me by saying, "don't worry mom, I will always be your little baby!". :)