Happy New Year From Sunny So CAL

Happy New Year !
We celebrated our First West Coast New Years Eve with our new neighbors last night. The girls had a great time playing with the other children and shooting off their poppers at midnight.


We wish you all Many Blessings this New Year and hope that with all my posts that you will want to come out for a visit. We are enjoying the weather and taking advantage of it when we can. The girls and I hiked to the park on the last day of the year in 640 weather. The girls enjoy the park more then the hiking but as long as we have snacks and water then they're in. My kids love food so we need to stay active! Today we may visit moonlight beach playground while daddy goes mountain biking. Here are my two silly statues on the big rock!

Christmas morning 08

This was our first Christmas in our new home
in California and besides being a little sleepy the girls had a great time opening their gifts. Here is Alyssa opening her train whistle and trying it out first thing. Ashlee also got into the spirit. She was trying to open all the gifts including the yummy gold chocolate coins. (later she did get the coins and also some strawberry chapstick). The girls received some fun board games along with some electronic games, along with movies and lots of over goodies.Mommy and Daddy got new Ipod Shuffles with arm bands so we can start our new year off on the right and left foot. Mommy also got a new pair of running sneakers while daddy got some of his favorite red wine. The girls spent the day in their PJ's and playing with all their new toys. We had dinner together around 3:00 PM and homemade pumpkin pie just shortly after. Alex and I took a little nap in there too. John was in New Jersey this Christmas spending time with his Dad and spending New Years with his friends. We all missed him this morning.

Decorating the tree

The girls had a blast decorating their Christmas tree this year. Alyssa is aware of what is going on and they both look at each ornament and remember where it came from or who made it before they put it on the tree. The dog, dear old Ashlee, on the other had could care less!Daddy was playing Christmas songs on the keyboard as Alyssa put all her ornaments on one side of the tree, we had to spread them out before the tree when lopsided. Too cute.

Old fashion Christmas

Our family attended our new Church's old fashion Christmas party on December 29Th. The Girls got on stage (all the way to the left)to do their happy birthday Jesus song for everyone. After we enjoyed some yummy cookies and punch the girls started dancing off all that sugar. While there was singing on stage our girls found an area off to the side to show off their moves. Here they are taking a break. Then back to making themselves dizzy!

Gingerbread /Spice houses

Here are my beautiful girls making their yearly gingerbread houses. We usually only make one house and decorate it together but this year we decided to make one for each of them. Daddy helped putting on the roof's but we had to kick him out of the kitchen when he started eating the decorations. We used gum drops, candy canes,spice cookies in the shape of trees and little men. It was really hard for them to not each the decorations too. But the icing was everywhere and I am sure some of that made its way into their mouths. It was a good time and a good mess!

Christmas parade

Isabel and Daddy marched in the Encinitas town parade with their Adventure Guides troop. The theme as you can see was a charlie brown Christmas. The pictures are not very clear because I had to copy them from an email but Auntie Beth took them for me while we all enjoyed the parade. The girls carried twigs with one ornament and the dads all carried a wrapped present. John's snoopy had a seat high on the dog house that was pulled on a wagon. We all had a great time, even Alya and Alyssa liked seeing the street cars and lighted floats.

The living nativity

Last week we were invited by our neighbors to visit a nearby church that has a live nativity.The girls first made little lambs then played a few games before we went to eat. Afterward while the adults waited in line to see the nativity, the girls, myself and my neighbor walked around and snacked on many of the treats offered from chocolate covered strawberries and marshmallows to caramel covered apples. Then while in line we of course had hot chocolate and more food, corn dogs and churro's. The girls were quite full by now and ready to see the show. The girls got gold coins to pay the taxes on our way in. Isabel really enjoyed each part of the show where Alyssa was not as interested. There was also camel rides,and some lambs and goats to pet. There was also this baby camel.