thankful in san diego..

i have been enjoying the fall.. tremendously.. it is by far my favorite part of this year so far.. it is so crisp, dazzling and bright.. the ocean appears to have glitter sprinkled in it, the sky is SO blue.. 

i am so blessed to live here.. i am filled above my eyeballs with gratitude.. for so much.

i am loving everyone expressing thanks this month, it being thanksgiving, people make a point to look at the positive and wonderful things in their lives, people seem to have a skip in their step.. is that why? because we are focusing on the wonderful things?

 the 30 days of thanks game is all over the social media airwaves and i love it.

it is just so nice to hear everyone so happy.

i shot this photo last night..

right at sunset.

driving home from taking makena to soccer practice, i decided to run home, grab my camera and quickly drive down to the beach..

something was in the air and i had to snap it..

guess it's all that gratitude..

my week..

first off.. i plan on this combo to start off my weekend..


but.
 to sum up my crazy week right now....

did you see that andy and tracey's engagement session was featured on project wedding this week?
i am so honored and again, speechless!
you can check it out here if you are so inclined..
such a big juicy cherry on top to get featured..

i actually got a couple photos of my girls this week..
you see.. this blog used to be allll about them..
all about our silly life..
for 3 years..
well now..
that silly has gotten a bit crazy and i really can't get them to sit still long enough to snap a photo..
And it is odd that big daddy camera comes out anyway.. Well, besides a shoot..
this week though I took that there one up top of makena..

makena is a thinker, a negotiator and a social butterfly..
she loves to be the leader and she is very sensitive..
she is the sweetest of sweet..
her fav food is tuna on a hawaiian roll and loves to gorge on junk food if given the opportunity..
her fav outfit is leggings, a tshirt and her converse high tops..


and this one..

chloe is so full of energy.. she is loud and silly..

she has an imagination like you wouldn't believe..

she thinks her hair really glows like rapunzel's under water and her fav food is pesto..

on anything.

i mean anything.

her favorite thing to wear is cheetah anything and her glitter toms..

love those girlies..

hubby and i are planning a very special vacation..
it is our 10 year anniversary later this year..
i can not imagine topping our 9 year..
remember it here?
and can you believe 10 years?
wowza!
time flies..
any suggestions of somewhere fabulous?
i would LOVE to hear..


when i lived in europe.. i used to make coffee every morning in my french press and is was delicious.. i savored it and i miss that..
i love my push of a button keurig but there is something about scooping your coffee grounds into a french press and plunging the water just to pour the perfect cup..
it's the little things..
so don't be surprised next time you are over for a coffee date and i serve you a delicious cup of coffee from my new french press..

:)

have a lovely weekend friends..
xx

just a photo

i snapped these photos today of the girls.. we were shuffling out the door and one was in the garage putting on her shoes.. and i just felt like stopping to taking a photo..

i feel like it's been awhile since i have...

it's been a bit loco in mi casa but. i am learning to juggle pretty well..

{i think?}

well, i am trying to actually be present when the girls are home..

not being on the computer..

reading a book with them..

the simple things..

so for no reason at all.. i took a photo..

not all dolled up.. not with a mess on their face.. no big story to tell..

just them.. on their way to school..

randoms.

 the girls read in bed every night before bed..

they love it..

makena is on to chapter books now..

so crazy..

no pictures?

she reads more than i do..

 chloe reads anything with a tutu, princess or pink on the cover..

lots of pictures..

but last night she picked up a hannah montana chapter book and pretend read..

whatever works!

we ran the la jolla half marathon this weekend..

13.1 miles..

it was amazing and i can't wait to do another one!!

i will have a picture up soon..

i bought a bright turquoise tank for the picture..

err.. race..

makena makes wishes with each bubble she blows..

$1000 is my favorite one so far.

chloe loves to accessorize..

silly bands are the latest favorite..

can't blame a girl for wanting to add a splash of color to an outfit..

pogo stick..

here is grandma holding the sick so carefully so she doesn't literally fly into the house..

so cute..

i love her expressions..

classic.

 i signed damian and i up for the la jolla half marathon..
i am so excited about this.
13.1 miles..
he is quicker than me..
but will it be the turtle or the hare?
:)

love this quote..
to sum it up..
give up on being perfect and begin the work of becoming yourself..

favorite and not so favorite

the girls LOVE to draw..

this is makena's sunset..

for sure a favorite.

books are always a favorite.

right now chloe is obsessed with fancy nancy..

pretty much her twin.

a new favorite.

and if you have not tried this delicious. heavenly. spectacular. coffee cake from trader joe's..

walk away from your computer, grab your keys, get in your car and go buy it.

it is sooo good.

not a favorite.

this is the post it note i got from the photographer from chloe's FIRST school picture..

ya. they were pretty bad.
you could even see her sweet teacher's arm in the picture because she was in her lap.

she was not havin' it..

maybe there is a camera in her face tooo much as it is she was no way going to let SOMEONE else start trying to make her "SAY CHEESE"..

i am still going to order them.
we will laugh with her one day..
:)

soccer 2 yrs. later

so my big little girl.. 

is playing soccer..

damian is coaching and they are having a blast together..

she gets right in there and runs the entire time..

i remember 2 years ago when she was complaining it made her sweaty and was practicing skipping and twirling..

all while the soccer ball rolled through her legs..

they are the "dolphins" and they are so too cute for words.

3 days at the beach and more

this was a great long weekend..

it started with these

multi grain muffins and the fam inhaled them

 recipe here

we went to the beach everyday..

the girls play, play, play and we can now lay, lay, lay..

so exciting.

do you now what a huge milestone that in itself is????

we got our first popsicle from the ice cream man.

Damian spotted an AMAZING vintage steamer trunk down an alley on our way home from the beach yesterday..

i have wanted one of those for as long as i can remember.

we shoved it the back along beach chairs, shovels and our cooler and we were off!

picture coming once i figure out where? to put it.

we had a great neighborhood party..

the last 10 or so kiddos all crashed around 11pm watching a barbie movie on the floor..

 don't you take a lollipop break when riding a bike...

me and my oldest..

open house for my soon to be graduating kindergartner..

best dad ever.. he is volunteering in her class next week..

she is so happy and he is in for it..

:)

soon it will be summer again..

hip hip hooray!!

the weekend

do you see this mirrored table??

i scored it at a garage sale i spotted on our way back from donuts

 {yumm} 

on saturday for $25..

i was literally doing cartwheels to the car..

and that is a fabric covered peg board i threw in for $2..

who ever said donuts are bad for you?

they are wrong.

we are painting rocks for our garden..

i am in love with yellow right now..

finished up some more of these and those..

ohh! more yellow..

i sprayed this mirror yellow and i heart it!!

pizza party..

beatles birthday party..

i love how they are always game for anything..

little chloe graduated to a big girl bed..

she is sooo thrilled about it..

we are really into drinking our milk out of fancy teacups..

have you tried it?

you should..

it is delightful..

:)

train.. train.. don't go away!!

we took the train to old town san diego..

we decided to walk to the train..

ahh-hemm.. not a good decision..

as i rounded the corner.. i see the train pull into the station.. i then grabbed chloe by her little arm, dragged her through prickly shrubs, a parking lot and i think we actually hurdled a bench??!!

 all while screaming to makena to "HURRY UP.. HURRRRRRRYYYY"..

i was sweating..

the girls were in shock..

 and everyone on the train was toally staring..

but..

we made it..

it was a beautiful train ride.. we met damian and had amazing mexican food, bought lots of candy and felt like we were on vacation..

so.. i didn't get any pictures of our actual lunch..

 it is THAT delicious..

i inhaled it 3/4 through before i even had that thought..

:)

spring break cookie sale!

our neighbor had a spring break cookie sale with the help of..

a little cookie stealing blondie..

a ballerina..

and snow white..

how could you NOT buy 1??

although snow white (chloe) was sitting with her feet up most of the time..

not sure if she is worthy of any of the profits..

since she turned 5.

so, about a week before makena turned 5 i realized she had outgrown her shoes..
i did not tell her though..
i also noticed her tops were becoming "mid-riffs" and her dresses were now more like "tunics"..
i did not tell her that either..
the morning of her birthday when she came into our room while i was still snoozing, i peeled open my eyes and with a huge grin, threw myself to the other side of the bed and shouted..
"ohh my gosh makena!!! you are 5.. look how BIG you are!!"
i then grabbed her hands, feet and face and inspected them with all the ooooohh's and ahhhh's

i had the energy for..
"ohh my gosh, you turned 5 last night" i said it over and over again..
"here, pull my hand, see if you are stronger?"
i fell to the floor..
she was ecstatic..
running through the house like a superhero shouting..
"i am 5, i am 5, i am 5"
so we went to go buy shoes and this was my cherry on top!.. i was so excited..
"ohh my gosh! your toes are hanging over your sandals! your feet are too big for your shoes now!!"
ok but can i just tell you?
she skipped a WHOLE size! really..she did!
she went from a 10 to a 12????
ok- cue the screeching record player..
this little girl is growing like a weeeeeed!!
i can't take it! she is starting kindergarten in less than 3 weeks, skipped a shoe size, brushes her own hair, rides a bike, climbs trees, tells ME what her little sister is trying to say and picks veggies by herself from the garden she waters, loves and tends to.

daily i might add...
what's next?

her asking for the car keys?

she actually did ask me the other day if she could go for a walk by herself...

ya, she did...
can you believe that?

ya right..

a walk..

by herself..

loving my library card..

i am really starting to get the hang of this library thing..
the girls and i go, sit at the little tables (yes, even chloe sits!!) pore over tons of books, pick our favorites, check out 1 different book for each day of the week to read, return them all a week later and start all over again..
the girls looove it ..
some books are harder than others to return..
for example, the pinkalicious book above is the cutest book ever..
i think we may have to purchase that one...
I.. (ahh-hem)
i mean..
the girls are obsessed with it!