"Yes, I can"

Snowmageddon 2012

2012-01-20T08:17:00.000-08:00

This is arguably one of the worst storms I've seen in my life. I remember being a pre-teen (I think?) and we had an ice storm/silver thaw that was super dangerous and crazy cold. This year definitely rivals that one.

Given that our road was shut down and we had no groceries, I had to send my husband out on an adventure. He's always happy to go navigate through the snow because, well, he just loves proving all the weathermen and bad drivers wrong. So, off he went.

When he got to the road closure sign and drove around (hee, hee), he snapped a couple of pictures to share with me. I had to share because I'm just amazed at the damage this whole thing has caused. Here's hoping the rain comes today and we can get back to our normal lives!

Oh, and on top of it, yesterday when it was supposed to be raining it snowed for about 10 hours. Nice. In total, Dan and I think that we got roughly 18 inches of snow. CRAZY!!!

Day of the big birthday day...

2012-01-19T17:24:00.000-08:00

Our little baby girl has officially hit age 2 yesterday! Crazy, crazy, crazy. Cliched I know, but I can't believe she's already two years old. I had to document the day since it was such a milestone.

We were truly snowed in this time. Not just saying that folks. They literally closed our road. A tree fell across the power lines coming down our hill and there were exposed wires and tree bits everywhere.

Maya popped out of bed after we broke into her room singing at the top of our lungs and then she bolted downstairs. Immediately, a gift caught her eye and she didn't even wait for us, she just busted in. She just started sleeping in a big girl bed, so we got her a step stool to keep her from careening off the bed when trying to get down. She was pretty excited!

Mommy made some delicious chocolate chip pancakes and she lapped those right up.

I loved this one. Too adorable.

Then, after destroying the living room, watching a movie, and barely letting us get work done while working from home, she and her dad decided to make a trip outdoors to enjoy the snow a bit more. I've been getting a little nostalgic lately looking at all of her old pictures and getting ready for Baby #2, but I really lost it when I saw this picture. She's such a big girl! Stop growing! Mommy isn't ready for you to be a big girl!!!

Ah, there she is. Waiting by the door for daddy. Still my little girl.

All snowy after coming inside. LOTS of good Daddy-Daughter time on her birthday.

After a great, quiet day at home just laying low and having some great fun, Mommy made some cupcakes and decorated them with some extra candies just for the special birthday girl. She actually blew out the candles this year!

Even though she can use a fork, she went for it with her face. 'Atta girl.

So excited she can hardly stand it.

I love you baby girl. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

And we have lift off.

Savoring every last bite. Or lick, depending on how you look at it.

Top off the day with some jumping into the living room. Her new favorite activity. She and Daddy could do this for hours.

Love this one. These two couldn't love each other more.

Hope you had an amazing birthday little girl. It was really awesome being snowed in for your birthday. I loved getting to spend the entire day with you.

Happy 2nd Birthday Maya Margaret!

2012-01-18T22:24:00.000-08:00

Snowed In!

2012-01-15T18:14:00.000-08:00

Yea for snow! If it's gonna snow, I say snow hard. I don't like any of this dusting stuff that we tend to get. So, when the forecasters were calling for snow, I didn't get revved up since I figured it would be just enough to be annoying. Boy was I wrong! We got at least 6 inches, probably more!!!

This is the first snow in our new house and I'm loving it. Daniel turns into a kid all over again and Maya hasn't really gotten to play in snow, so today was a GREAT day! We live up on a hill in Woodinville, so it was a little slick. We stuck pretty close to home and enjoyed the lazy day, only venturing out to see how bad the roads were (and pick up Maya-beany some snow pants :-)). Definitely some folks struggling out there, but Daniel powered through. Thank goodness, since I don't really like driving in the snow. Then again, I hate driving period, so maybe it's just an excuse.

I digress. Let's get on with the pictures! I stayed clear of the camera since I'm starting to look like the Abonminable Snowman myself, but Dan and Maya had a good time.

Happy WINTER everyone!

Maya was getting ready with all of her pink and purple gear. Didn't much like the gloves though... getting kinda small.

Daddy helping out. You can see how much it's snowing in the background.

Lounging, waiting for daddy to get ready.

Snow angels! Didn't last long...

I took this one of our back yard. The basketball court is totally covered!

My little snow princess. Getting snowed on while Daddy crafts up a snowman in the background.

A couple of years back, Leanne had given us these foam SnowPals decorations in the shape of penguin parts. Finally we had enough snow, and time, to put them to good use. They were awesome!

Hi Mommy!

My two favorite people. Love you both to the moon and back.

Then, just a few crazy shots of the property covered in snow and ice...

Love and miss you all!

Daniel's Award

2012-01-08T23:15:00.000-08:00

Okay, okay, I have to eat my words. Daniel plays fantasy football every year. Typically, he's in multiple leagues and I'm always giving him a hard time about it being a waste of time. I know, I'm a meany. Personally, I don't get it, but then again, I don't get a lot of things.

This year, he was in a league at church and he got the best regular season record. Little did I know, it came with a prize! So this morning after service, he comes up to me, beaming with pride. He'd won a $50 gift card for his awesome record and got his picture taken with Maya. I couldn't believe it!

So awesome. I'm so proud. ;-) I guess I'll have to stop bugging him about it now...

Now if I could just get him to give me the gift card...

Christmas Morning!

2012-01-07T08:29:00.000-08:00

This Christmas was so awesome. What else can I say? Plenty, I'm sure. :-) Maya and William are just getting so big and fun that it makes Christmas all the sweeter. This Christmas, before they fell asleep, they actually knew that Santa was coming to visit them! Now that our house is big enough, we can have the WHOLE family under one roof and it doesn't feel cramped. Finally! That good ol' fashioned Griswold family Christmas that my husband has always dreamed about. Unfortunately, Grandma Barb couldn't come since she wasn't feeling well, and Brie had to spend Christmas with her family, but everyone else made it.

Christmas morning, all the adults were up, so of course, we had to go get the kiddos. Funny that in a couple of years they'll be the ones waking us up! When Dan and I went in to get Maya she was sound asleep, but then we whispered, "Santa came baby girl!" and she shot up like a bolt. That's my girl!

And off to the races... they got some personalized sleeping bags from us...

Maya was a little tired and Kyle's awesome wrapping paper for Dan's gift made its appearance in the background.

Wills was asking for a piggybank for quite awhile. Grandma and Grandpa delivered! Maya, of course, had to get her hands in the mix.

Funny #1: Willy. Funny #2: Willy's Pajamas. Funny #3: The Yule Log in the background. Classic Young Christmas.

Someone didn't want their picture taken whilst opening their tea set from the DeHoog's.

Grandma Carrie and her adorable son. I have to say, my husband is one of the best people to be around on Christmas. For some reason, he's been able to grow up and become an amazing husband and father, but he's also been able to maintain his child-like love of the holidays. He wants to drink it ALL in. The family, the friends, the presents, the traditions, you name it. When I get tired during the holiday season, all I need to do is listen to him for 2 minutes and I'm reenergized. Thanks for making the holidays so fun babe.

Serious spoiling going on at this point. Playing with the tea set, wearing the Elmo Slippers from Uncle Kyle, and Christmas PJs from us. Perfect.

She made me take a close up picture of her new favorite slippers.

Drinking out of her new Mickey Cup. Note: Sippy cups are WAAAAY better than cups with straws. I think we had water, chocolate milk, etc spilled from here to the moon.

The aftermath.

Bill and Elsie came over on Christmas night to enjoy the festivities with us. Sorry we were so exhausted guys!

I'll cap it off with my cheesy daughter. Love you baby girl.

Love and miss you all! Hope you had an AMAZING holiday with your families as well.

Disneyland!!!

2012-01-02T15:49:00.000-08:00

Whoa. Like we didn't have enough going on lately... two days after Christmas, we got up at the crack of dawn and hauled ourselves down to the Happiest Place on Earth! Ryan and Jess had decided to go and really wanted us to tag along. How could we resist. :)

Even though Maya isn't even two years old yet, she's already been imprinted with the Disney brand like you wouldn't believe. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Disney Princesses, you name it. So, as you can imagine, a week of being spoiled rotten and getting to visit some of her favorite Disney characters was right up her alley.

Granted, between wrangling two toddlers, being 7 months pregnant and HUGE waddling around the park, and coming off of 3 months of sheer madness, I must admit, I was tired. But getting to spend some solid family time and see our little girl so excited made the entire trip incredibly worth it.

Not too many pictures, not sure why, but I'll post a few for your enjoyment and my memories. :) Love you all!

WARNING: Some incredibly depressing pictures of a fat pregnant lady are to come. I'm not sure what's happened over the past month... I've ballooned to ridiculous proportions and can't stop the bleed. Oye. Pregnancy is hard.

On the first day, we went to go try and see Mickey. Let me tell you... with the park packed to the brim, he is not an easy character to get to. So we bailed half way through, but Dan and Maya were having a good time in his house, so I got one of the two of them. Even better.

Then, onto Donald's ship...

Dan and Jess were the brave ones here. The kids aren't quite sugared up at this point yet...

And, some licorice to get us going in the morning ought to do it.

The one ride we did get on that day was... the Carousel! Whoopee! Maya loved it of course.

My big girl, riding by herself. She's getting to be quite independent at this point.

Willy fell asleep from so much excitement.

Every morning, we'd hop on the shuttle over to the park and the kids absolutely loved getting to ride in their own seats without being buckled in.

We caved and bought Maya some Minnie Mouse glasses. Oh, and the sucker in her hand, she stole from William.

Over in California Adventure Park on the Pier. Can you tell the baby is coming soon? :-)

That night we went and watched the World of Color show on the water at California Adventure Park after an AMAZING dinner at Ariel's Grotto. Quite the treat. The show was unbelievable and Maya was in love with the music, lights and water show. Those Disney folks sure know how to put on a show. Here we are waiting for the show to start.

The next morning, we ran into Minnie Mouse. Maya was beside herself excited. She didn't want to leave Minnie's side. Finally we had to let the other kids take a turn. So sweet. I cried.

Over to the Jungle ride where Maya was terrified of the animals so we only got a shot of she and Daddy.

We ended up hanging out on Tom Sawyer's Island for quite awhile that day since the other lines were so long. The kids had a blast. Too cute. Such close little buddies.

After a quick nap back in the hotel room, can you tell she's ready to go again?

Feeling better... full of sugar again. Ahhh....

That night we went to a hockey game. The Anaheim Ducks vs the Vancouver Canucks. Ryan and William were pretty cute watching the game together, but the surprising one was actually Maya. We've learned that she LOVES sporting events. She was so excited, dancing to the music, cheering every time a goal was scored, and absolutely loving to watch the players skate around. My little tomboy.

Ryan in all his glory.

Maya getting tired by the second period.

Not really many pictures from the next day. We'd gotten up so early to do our Magic Morning where we got into the park an hour before it opened. We did it because the previous two days were so busy that we couldn't stand in line to get on any rides. Fortunately, we were at least able to get into a few rides that morning; It's a Small World, Finding Nemo, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Monsters Inc. Truthfully, I can't believe that Maya made it through Pirates of the Caribbean. It was really scary and there were two drops that scared even me! She was such a trooper and so proud of herself. She was just beaming afterwards at being so brave. My big girl.

I don't have many pictures from that day, but we did take the kids to a Disney Junior Show that they absolutely flipped out over. We took some video that I'll have to clip and share for later. It was precious.
Later that night, we headed back to the park for the lighted Christmas parade, a dinner on Main Street (where, by the way, the kids got PB&J palattes where they got to craft up their own sandwiches... so cool!), and took a walk by the castle which was all lit up for Christmas. Such a magical day.

Oh yeah, and we bumped into Goofy! Can you tell the kids were really excited about it?

Look at the castle? Isn't it awesome?!?!?

It was a pretty amazing trip to Disneyland and I'll never forget it. Thanks for bearing with me family. I had a total blast.

Christmas Tree 2011!

2011-12-18T07:16:00.000-08:00

Well, this year has definitely been a little... busier... than years past. With the move, the baby coming, the crazy toddler we're chasing, and well, everything else, I can barely keep up. So, we were a little late in getting our tree. However, I will never miss an opportunity to capture our family fun time on camera, so I documented our "very short" trip to the tree farm.

My little cheeseballs

There it is! What a beauty.

She's really starting to look like me I think. I'm so happy! She has always been the spitting image of Dan, so it's nice to know that a little bit of me is in there.

Strapping it to the sleigh

We had to have a candy cane. And another meltdown.

A Maya-sized tree for good measure

And why was our trip so short? Well, given that we were so late...

Who cares? We got a tree!

The SANTA Saga

2011-12-17T07:14:00.000-08:00

You remember the Santa picture from this year, right? Well, there's a story behind everything...
Last year, calm as a cucumber, Maya trooped to see Santa and could've cared less. This year, all talk, no game, she's been talking non-stop about how she wants to go see Santa, tell him she wants a Pony, wants to get candy from him, blah, blah, blah. Well, we gave her two shots to see him and... complete meltdown. I have some friends at church who have stopped taking their kids altogether to see the big man because of this type of meltdown. It'll break my heart if I have to do that, so we'll give her another couple of years. :-)
This year, we first took Maya and Will to the Santa Train in Issaquah. It was so much fun! You get in the train and the conductor reads the Night Before Christmas to all the kids. Then, when you arrive at Santa's workshop, you get hot cocoa and cookies. Then, they have Santa all tucked away in his own little nook for your own private session. We sent the kids in together, but only one made it through unscathed.

On the train, I've never seen her so excited.

Willy on the other hand looked like he was going to freeze from fear

Peeking out the window watching the train roll on

Waiting in line...

Starting to freak a little... we're near the big man...

Mama! HELP!

Poor Santa. Full on meltdown.

And the stoic Willy pushed through and was AMAZING! He talked to Santa and everything!

This is the cutest picture ever

My little family

Santa rode back with us on the way back. Maya was able to tell him she wanted a Pony AND get a candy cane... score! Safely from Daddy's arms of course. :-)

Then, so-as not to leave a bad taste in your mouth, when we took the kids to go see Santa at the mall, you'll be happy to know that Maya and Will had a fantastic time running around playing together before the dreaded incident. I had to include some pictures of their fun filled time together since they were being particularly adorable.

I'm not sure how much sugar they had, but they were being CRAZY!

Perhaps she's pretending to be a rabbit?

Done seeing Santa... time to play with the giant Chess board at Third Place Books. Note the overturned pieces. I love these two.

More later! Love you all.

Santa Pic 2011

2011-12-10T14:45:00.000-08:00

I have so much to blog about that I can hardly stand it. Halloween, the new house, the full makeover with painting, the fact that our cat ran away and we miraculously recovered her, Maya's escapades, a visit from the DeHoog's, Redmond lights, the Santa Train... we've been one busy family!

However, instead of feeling overwhelmed at how behind I've been (mind you, I'm 6 1/2 months pregnant), I'll delight you with a lovely picture of my beautiful daughter and handsome nephew.

We took them to Santa and after waiting in line for an hour and shrieking with excitement at the thought of getting to actually see Santa, my daughter completely melted. What can I say other than she's a big talker, but simply will not deliver on the whole Santa thing. It's okay baby girl. I completely understand. :)

For your viewing pleasure, please do enjoy this lovely photo!

We're HOME!

2011-10-31T08:47:00.000-07:00

We made it! We've still got quite a bit to do, but after a LONG weekend of hauling our stuff from there to here, we've arrived at our new home, safe and sound.

It's weird how you make your house a home over the years. I really thought that I'd get nostalgic and sad as time neared leaving our house in Sammamish. We built that house. It was our first house that we purchased together. We picked out all the fixtures and colors, and filled it with memories over the past five years. We brought our first baby daughter home in that house.

But then, oddly enough, when you're packing up the memories and taking down the pictures, the house just becomes... well, a house. Four walls and a roof. I'm getting older I think, because I just wasn't holding on to the house like I thought I would. Dan and I went back after church yesterday to fix up some stuff before the renters move in tomorrow and I was actually quite happy to be out of there! Who knew?

I was ready to go home. Our new home! This weekend, my parents came down all weekend and were kind enough to help us get settled in. Ryan and Jess were out of town, so we got to have William here all weekend as well. Kyle and Brianna drove down on Saturday for his birthday and we already got to have a celebration in the house. Already filling the house up with memories. And my heart is full.

I, undoubtedly, will be filling up the blog soon with pictures of Maya tearing through the house. I will upload video of Maya and Will traversing the entire length of the house on Maya's little car that grandma and grandpa gave her. I will complain about paint colors and discuss my frustrations with where I'll place furniture to avoid the most tripping for the kids. We're finally home and I couldn't be happier.

This picture says it all!

My Precious Daughter

2011-10-24T13:37:00.000-07:00

Today, I'm dedicating this post to the little one that keeps me up at night. No Maya, not you baby. :-)

Dan, Maya and I made a trip to the doctor this morning to see our sweet baby in action. While I was convinced we were having a boy, Daniel turned out to be right... another baby girl is headed our way! There is something so cool about learning the gender of your baby. For me, I feel like I can bond in a way that I haven't been able to yet, and it puts my mind at ease knowing that she's in there, safe and happy, just waiting patiently to join Team Young out here in this big, crazy world.

After dropping Dan off at work and letting it settle in, I had myself a good cry. Tears of joy, but a good cry nonetheless. Maya said, "Mama? What's wrong?" I got to say for the first time, "Nothing honey, just so happy knowing you have a sister on the way." She smiled.

Weird. Even now, as I type this, it's weird for me to think that Maya is going to have a sister. Dan and I will be parents to two baby girls. We're in for an expensive run with two weddings in our future. :-) Seriously though, even after talking to my mom this morning and she told me that I never wanted a sister growing up, I am ecstatic to know that Maya will have one! Ryan and Kyle were amazing brothers, but I've never had that bond that girls have with their sisters and I'm so excited to watch this unfold.

So, to my new baby daughter: Mama loves you more than you'll ever know. I can hardly wait to see your beautiful face and hold you in my arms. Stay safe, know that your family is here, waiting anxiously for your arrival, and remember that no matter what, I'll always love you to the moon and back.

Have I mentioned how much I hate moving?

2011-10-20T19:50:00.001-07:00

Remind me if I ever try to do it again in the future... NO MORE MOVING!!!

The chaos continues... we close on Monday and are out of here next week! AGGGGGGGGGH!

Whoa! Down the rabbit hole we go...

2011-10-05T22:20:00.000-07:00

So... I feel a little out of body these days. I'm slowly remembering what it means to be pregnant again. I'm getting bigger, more tired, and nervous again all at the same time. Will I be a good parent to this child? Will I be able to grow my capacity for love enough to love this next child as much as Maya? On top of that, I just went through a big organizational change at work and am trying to settle myself and my team into a new level of normal. Will I be able to handle all these new challenges with everything else going on in my life? Am I even worthy of this new position? A lot of people are putting a lot of faith in me, can I do it? Who knows, is the answer to all of these questions. But I figure, it's been working for me so far, so why question it?

And why not heap some more on that pile?!?!? I love a challenge, so why not throw one more curve ball in there to make life interesting. :-)

Here it goes... Dan and I bought a new house! Crazy! We've been looking for quite some time now, trying to find something "just right", but nothing seemed to be the right fit. Then, a house that we thought was completely out of our radar, aka our dream house, became a reality. So we bought it!

Almost every night when we lie down in bed next to each other, we pinch each other and ask How? Then we laugh to ourselves and secretly believe that our life is a dream and we'll wake up soon. Amazing family. Amazing friends. Great careers. Solid faith. And now, our dream house to raise our family in! Down the rabbit hole we go...

So instead of waxing on all night, I'll just share one picture for now. Wish us luck as we embark on a CRAZY year! I'm ready for the ride!

Love and miss you all.

Say WHA?!?!?

2011-09-14T21:37:00.000-07:00

That's right folks! You're not seeing things. :) (Sorry it's a little blurry... we took it with a cell camera really fast because as you can see, our daughter was none too happy)

I am officially 14 weeks along and we're ready for Baby #2! WE ARE SO EXCITED!!!!!

A few lingering pics from Chicago...

2011-09-11T19:32:00.000-07:00

Whoa. The last few days have been insane. We flew back late Thursday night. All day on Thursday we were all feeling a little under the weather. Turns out, we all came back with colds. Unfortunately, Dan, Maya, and Kyle took the brunt of the sickness. Dan came back with the flu and has been quarantined for the past 2 days only emerging this morning. Maya came back with impetigo all over her head. Kyle came back with a wretched cold AND impetigo that he contracted from Maya, the petri dish. And now I fear, my daughter is coming down with more illness.

Nice. Thanks a lot Chicago. And we had such a great time too!

I have a few pics that we snapped on our last day there. We started out shopping and then went over to the Museum of Science and Industry, which is one of the coolest museums in the world in my opinion. The thing is HUGE! You'd need at least 3 days to see the whole thing. Maya was in love since every room had some kind of interactive thing that she could play with. It was fun to see her go nuts. However, she did turn into some kind of devil while she was there because while excellent and practically perfect the entire trip, on Thursday she became Maya the Monster. Not sure what happened. Maybe it was all the travel, maybe it was the onset of sickness, or maybe she just missed her cousin too much. :)

Either way, we had a great time and I'm happy to report that we all arrived home safely. I wish I could say healthy, but... I simply can't. Yesterday was my poor husband's birthday, which we had to postpone since he did not exit the bedroom the entire day. When I went in to check on him and said happy birthday, he looked at me and said, "It's my birthday today?" Poor guy.

As for finishing off the trip, enjoy the pics! More summer adventures to come later. Love and miss you all!

We bought tickets to see the "Green House", which is a house inside the museum that is built to be green friendly. It was really cool to see how many new technological gizmos they have nowadays. Dan and I are lucky if we recycle. :)

Here we are pow-wowing about what to see next.

Maya trying to get away from mommy

Daniel, with the cheesiest smile ever

Kyle and I being hams in the circus section

For those of you that know Kyle, he's fascinated by bolts

I was lucky to catch this one. She doesn't give out kisses to daddy too often, so this was special.

Then we ended up in the petroleum room, which was basically a room where they told you how they made oil. It was floor to ceiling bubbles, dark crazy lights, and loud music. Maya went nuts! I took a series of pictures, but they don't do her justice. :)

Really Kyle?

Dan taking Maya on something that I certainly did not approve of. :)

Playing a game with Uncle Kyle

Interactive life-sized games

And we had to end with Kyle and Dan facing off at the mind games booth. They are battling to see who can relax their brain the fastest and for the longest time. This was a battle of wills I tell you. Both Dan and Kyle are not too anxious, so they battled pretty hard. In the end though... Daniel won!

I wanted to get a few shots of Maya sleeping on her first airplane ride, but the camera battery died. Instead, I had to deal with a semi-sick toddler, wiggling restlessly on me while she slept for 3 hours on the way home. Rough huh? When she was in my arms and we were coming into Seattle, her hot little breath was right in my face, her runny nose had been wiped on me more times than I could count, and her sweet little scrunchy face kept twitching every time some kid behind us cried. I was in heaven. Uncomfortable? Yes. Hot and stuffy? Yes. However, I was looking out the window, counting my blessings that we had a great first family vacation (far away) together and I'd have memories to remember for years to come.

I love you family.

More from the WINDY City!

2011-09-08T07:08:00.000-07:00

Having a blast here in Chicago! We've been doing Chicago things, seeing Chicago sites, and mixing with Chicago folks. Defnitely a friendly people here in the windy city. And man do they have good food! I bet I've gained ten pounds. Oh well, it's totally worth it. :-)

The other night, we loaded up and headed to a Cubs game. They played the Reds. They lost. Bummer. The cool thing was that we arrived a little late, went and bought nosebleed seats, but when we got inside there was practically no one at the game, so we just sat down the infield line. Pretty sweet huh?!?!

One big happy family...

Maya running toward Uncle Kyle

Kyle taking his picture with a random Cubs helper

Wrigley Field Baby!

Kyle thought it would be funny to take Maya's picture next to the Ice Cream sign. It was.

Gratuitous amounts of pictures of the two loves of my life

Me and my Manny

Maya climbed on everything, and since the stadium is so old, there is a LOT of stuff to fall off of... and get dirty from. No wonder she has a cold now...

Showing off her Cubs sticker that she charmed off of some lady. GO CUBS!

The next day, we headed to the American Girl Store. It was HUGE! Maya was in love, but there was no way I was buying a doll for $120. Though I thought I was going to have to when she had an absolute breakdown when it was time to go...

As usual, Maya made a friend right away. I thought they were going to throw down over the stroller (not pictured), but we made it out unscathed.

For those of you that know me well, I must track down the "best cookie in the city" every city I travel to. We drove into an adorable neighborhood and found a place called Sweet Mandy B's. It was an old fashioned bake and ice cream shop. Too cute! It's always what I imagine Jess and I quitting our jobs and doing. But who wants the hours... I digress. Maya climbed up on the step to look at every item. She eventually settled on a purple cupcake.

The first taste of sweet victory.

She made quick work of it after that.

Daddy kept stealing her cupcake and it was the cutest thing I ever saw.

And the Manny was proving quite useful when Maya was running behind the counters trying to steal more treats. Nice job Kyle.

After our sugar rush, we headed across the street to the park. Maya played for a good hour and nearly killed herself a few times, but we all lived. What an adorable neighborhood.

After a long day, Maya and I rested on the bed and read every single book that we brought with us. I love snuggle times.

Love and miss you all!

CHICAGO!!!

2011-09-06T17:05:00.000-07:00

WAHOO!!! We're on vacation in CHICAGO!

We arrived on Saturday and are here till Thursday and we're having a blast! That's probably enough exclamation points for now... Funny enough, I didn't plan at all for what we'd do on vacation, I simply freaked out for about 3 months on how Maya would do on a plane. I'm happy to report that she was great!

After a fairly uneventful plane ride, other than the fact that we were the last people on the plane due to a very, very slow Starbucks, we showed up, unscathed in the windy city. Everyone at work was asking, "Are you going for work?"... No... "Are you visiting family?"... No... "Then why Chicago?" Well people, I'm here to tell you that I have no idea. When Dan and I decided to go on vacation a few months back we wanted to go somewhere we'd never gone before. We didn't want to head to hurricane alley, especially during hurricane season (good choice on our part), and I wanted to head to a big city. There's something cool about getting lost in the hustle and the bustle of all those people. I happy to report that Chicago has not disappointed us.

We went out for deep dish pizza, walked around the city (my favorite being the Magnificent Mile, which all you Oprah fans will be familiar with... yes, I visited the Omni Hotel!), visited the Field Museum, Navy Pier, Lincoln Park Zoo, Millenium Park where we saw "The Bean", and tonight we're headed to a Cubs game. Who knows where the wind will blow us next! And yes, it is windy. :)

Also, we brought along Maya's Nanny, Uncle Kyle. Now named, the Manny. He has been amazing with Maya. Right now, as I sit here blogging, Kyle and Maya are sitting on the couch cuddling, while he plays iPad games with her. She absolutely loves being with her uncle, every morning waking up screaming, "KYLE! KYLE!" It comes out more, "KY-LA! KY-LA!", but you get the idea.

We're having a blast. Chilling out and spending good amounts of family time together. Sometimes I pinch myself and think how lucky we are to get to travel together and see new places. I love my little family.

And now, what you've all been waiting for... PICTURES! Enjoy!

In the hotel room playing with Uncle Kyle, being adorable. Or devilish, we'll let you decide.

Hanging out in her new bed. Hilarious.

Maya's obsessed with the horses (clop, clop) all over the city.

Horrible picture, but given that we laughed the entire time, I had to document. Here I am being Jessie from Toy Story.

Blurry, but we were giggling so hard since we were eave's dropping on her conversation with her dad. He told her to pick out a stuffed animal. She loaded up as many as she could carry, looked at her data as serious as could be and said, "That should do it." :-) I supposed that's what you get when you take your kid to a Disney store the size of the mall.

What do you get when you let Kyle run your camera?
\

My little family... in Chicago!

Quite the nanny huh?

We went on a walk along the water in front of the city. Maya went wild.

She took off running with a jogger...

At Navy Pier, she was climbing every single stair she could find.

At "The Bean" in Millenium Park, we took some cool pics.

This was one of my favs.

And this one...

At the amphitheater in Millenium Park on daddy's shoulders.

Kyle chatting with Dad outside the park. What a city boy.

There was a really cool fountain that Maya got DISGUSTING in.

At least her uncle was kind enough to play with her.

Quite possibly one of my favorite pictures of the trip so far.

Outside the Chicago Theater. Pretty.

Getting ready for a day at the Field Museum. Very cool Dinosaur exhibits. :)

Standing in a dinosaur footprint.

She looked right at this exhibit, pointed and said, "KYLE!"

Climbed into the stroller after hours of straight running wild.

The Field Museum!

A very cool commemorative exhibit on 9/11. I loved this one. Even cried a little. They reconstructed the "Lost Wall" that was posted outside the towers with all the Missing signs that family members posted. It was really touching.

And, we're out...

Alive again! And ready to go!

Maya loved the "Rillas" (aka Gorillas) so she was giving their hands high fives.

Very few pictures of me, so this is all you get for the day. :)

The next day at the zoo! Giraffes with Uncle Kyle.

Shoulders with Uncle Kyle.

At the Gorilla House, hanging with Daddy.

Literally...

Didn't want her shoes anymore.

There they are!

And we'll end with my husband riding a tractor at the Farm. How nice.

We're having a blast. Love and miss you all. More later!

Fort Time!

2011-08-17T17:36:00.000-07:00

We had a BBQ on Saturday since we haven't had one all summer... at least with other people. :) As the evening was winding down, Jess and I took the kids upstairs, made a fort, and popped in Finding Nemo.

The kids lasted about 20 mins, but it was good fun. Given that forts are one of my fav activities, I had to document! I didn't notice until now, but I see that Maya and William are starting to spend a lot of time together, so much so that they're picking up the same mannerisms. Notice it?

Zoo Time Fun!

2011-08-15T14:25:00.000-07:00

Today, Maya and I met William and Jess at the Zoo for some Monday NO WORK fun time! We had a blast! I love going places with the two of them, since the kids get along so well and Jess travels at my pace, and on my, or more importantly Maya's, timeline.

It's crazy that we can drive 25 mins and be at the Woodland Park Zoo. I grew up pretty far away from the city, so I like when we actually take advantage of living near the city. Even better, given that Maya was free and I had a Prime Card... $5 for the both of us! Nice. :)

I only snapped a few pics since we were pretty busy with the two little munchkins, but a few is all you need with these two. When we were leaving, Maya could've cared less about the zoo, she was just screaming because she wanted to see William some more. I love that they are so close.

Enjoy!

We started at the petting zoo with the goats. Maya started out pretty brave, but turned into a total chicken with the cows. It was pretty cute because we hadn't been to the zoo since she was 6 months old, when she could've cared less about any of the animals, but now she was loving some and clinging to me with others. Secretly, I love when she runs to me when she's scared. A girl needs her mama.

Over by the flamingos, they were getting a kick out of the glass walls since they could see everything at their level. Leave it to Maya though... she ended up putting her hands right in the bird poop in the upper left. Gross.

We headed over to the Zoomasium and they had a big stage where they hold little shows. Maya hopped right up there to show off her skills. Then she chickened out again and hopped down.

But it was Aunt Jess to the rescue! They had a big slide and Aunt Jess was gracious enough to ride with Maya more than a few times, even though it was quite a dangerous hike up the mountain. Lucky girl.

Over by the penguins, Jess and Will were watching them swim and dive. I thought this was a cute picture of the two of them. Look at Will holding on tight to his mama.

Maya didn't think as much of the penguins. She sat down and started taking off her shoes.

But then these lucky little devils were spoiled as their mamas waited and took them on the carousel. Both of them totally chickened out on the horses, but were pretty excited to ride on the little seats together.

VERY Maya and William. Big cheesy grin, very serious face. Little do you all know that immediately following this picture Maya had a breakdown and it wasn't until the carousel started that she chilled and actually enjoyed herself. Silly girl!

After this, we had the very quick decline into naptime squirreliness. We made a quick trip to the elephants (by far Maya's favorite) and the giraffees, and called it a day.

Good times at the Zoo. Thanks Jess and Wills! We had a blast. Love you tons.

A Child's Reality

2011-08-10T18:03:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's been a month since I've posted! I guess when you're busy, busy, busy there's just no time to post. Or maybe it's because I haven't felt like it. Either way, I'm back!

This one was just too funny to pass up. But there's a story here...

Ever since William was born, he's been a bit of a picky eater. Always avoiding food and yet hoovering at other moments. However, one thing I can say is that William has never really been particularly excited about food. On the other hand, my sweet precious little girl has always been the exact opposite. I think Maya would eat your hand off if she thought you'd let her. Ever since she was born, the girl just loves to eat. She will eat 20 times a day and never really seem full. Well, apparently this little difference has been picked up by William.

Jess bought William a little sticker/activity book the other day since he's been into them. On two of the pages there was one boy and one girl with empty plates. William decided that he was the boy and Maya was the girl. He was supposed to pick stickers to put in front of them to fill up their plates. He chose strawberries and orange slices for himself. A nice well balanced meal.

For Maya he chose a garden salad, a turkey leg, a loaf of bread, carrot sticks and ranch dressing, grapes, a sandwich, and a dragonfly. Seems about right, don't you think?

I Love Maya

2011-07-13T06:02:00.000-07:00

It's the little moments.

The other day, we were playing in my closet and she tried on my shoes and started walking in them. We did her hair as well, can you tell? Beautiful if you ask me.

Priceless.

Suncadia 2011!

2011-07-11T07:52:00.000-07:00

Over the fourth the family packed up and headed east to a resort in the tiny town of Roslyn; Suncadia. We had a BLAST! I'm going to do everything I can to get us to make this trip a tradition. Hiking, biking, swimming, spaing, golfing, you name it. We soaked up the sun, spent lots of family time together, ate like pigs, and played all day, it was fabulous.

And now for the goods... pictures!

We arrived in the hotel and Maya attacked her dad

We went on walks on the trails pretty much every day. William spotted me pretty quick.

Checking out the fish and boats on the docks. What a cute family!

Couldn't love anything more.

William was obsessed with the boats. So he climbed in!

Of course, Maya can't let William do anything on his own, so she jumped in as well. I wonder what they would've done if we would've just let them float away. Can you imagine. :)

There they are again! What can I say? I can't help but snap pics of the two of them. I just love 'em so much.

Now this was funny... Mom and Dad decided they'd rent a bike together. What a great idea! Dad was taking off and Mom was running behind, then when they'd get to hills, Dad would make Mom push her up the hill. We all thought it was hilarious. I don't think Mom felt the same way. Sorry Mom!

We packed up the kiddos in a pull-behind cart and they were ready to go. Looking thrilled.

Off they go!

Now this was funny... there was a 4th of July Festival in Suncadia on Sunday night, so we hauled the kids over. There were games, clowns, music, and all kinds of fun activities. Jess decided to wait for over an hour to get the kids some balloon animals from the clown. She waited in the sweltering heat like a good Aunt and emerged successful! However, in less than two minutes, Maya had unraveled hers. The end looked like a nipple, so she reverted back to the old days and began sucking away. Alas, in only moments, she'd popped the balloon and it deflated instantly. Like the good younger cousin that she is, Maya moved on quickly to William's balloon and took care of his too. Next time Jess, next time.

Too cute for words.

Not an attractive picture of us, but I needed a memory. :)

William wore his helmet most of the weekend. I dig the individual style Wills!

Two of my favorite girls.

Looking a little more put together. Mom was practicing taking pictures. Not bad Mom!

The ragamuffins. I love 'em.

Before leaving the lodge, I enforced picture time. Some random dude was nice enough to help out. What a fam.

All packed up and ready to go. We had so much fun, I can't wait to go back.

Happy Summer Everyone!

Dad's Flip

2011-06-26T07:29:00.000-07:00

Friday, I received a text from my mom that made my heart sink. Fortunately, everything was okay, but it was an extremely close call. My dad was on a job, by himself, and accidently rolled his excavator down a hillside. This was the type of thing that I was always fearful of when I was a kid. Honestly, I'd mellowed about it in my adult years as I was sure my dad wasn't as risky as he was in years past and with that many years of experience under his belt, I was even more sure it would "never happen to him". Nope. Sometimes we get little reminders thrown at us that put us back in line and show us that we don't know everything.

The important thing is that he's okay with only a few little bumps, bruises, and surface wounds to the hand. His seatbelt, a tree stump, and a whole lot of God's grace saved him and boy are we all glad. I can't imagine what he was thinking as he plummeted over the side, but I can tell you that it would not have been a good way to go.

I love you dad. Please don't scare me like that again.

Loving that tree stump right now...

Close call, huh?

He rolled about 200ft. Lord knows what would've happened if he kept rolling.

Whew. Scary!

Sexy Ladies!

2011-06-20T12:29:00.000-07:00

Two weekends ago, I headed off to a bachelorette party... overnight! It's rare that I will spend the night away from Dan and Maya, but my dear friend Summer is getting married next month and I just had to celebrate with her. :-)

We had a great time! Throughout the night, there were about 15 girls that were in and out of various activities; dinner, movie, staying at a hotel, ... pole dancing. That's right folks, pole dancing! I must admit, I was a little hesitant at first, but it turned out to be a blast! The two girls that were teaching us were pretty unbelievable, flipping and spinning all around the pole. However, this being all of our first lesson, we weren't quite that sophisticated. By the end of the night though, I was doing a spin and sexy little stand up pose like an ol' pro! (*cough* right *cough*)

I didn't snap too many pics from the night, but here are a few that made it.

Here we all are just after the nearly 2 hour lesson. What a workout! I have serious respect for these girls now.

Sexy faces...

Summer, in her SEXIEST pose. :)

All of us at dinner, just before the movie (we went and saw Bridesmaids... hilarious!)

CONGRATS SUMMER! I can't wait for the wedding!

We LOVE the PARK!

2011-06-13T13:26:00.000-07:00

Down here in King County, it is difficult to find property with a lot of land. So, we spend many of our nice afternoons/early evenings hanging out at the park. Lucky for us, there are a ton of great options!

I occasionally bring a camera with me, so as a sampler, I've chosen a couple of our favorite visits. Even though to the naked eye it may seem like a couple of boring trips to the park, they are always cherisable moments that I know I'll remember forever... that is only if I capture them on the blog. :)

Enjoy!

A few weeks ago, we took Maya and Wills to the park up the street. Hilarity ensued.

William wanted to hear Maya's helmet. I think the other park dwellers thought William was a "special" child. Oh my.

Come on... adorable? Yes!

Maya is obsessed with boys. Especially the ones that play sports. So, she made herself at home in their group. *Sigh*

What a good Aunt Jessica! Sliding with Maya...

Swinging with the kiddos and laughing hysterically...

What a cute park outfit huh? Amber gave her this coat before she was born and it finally fits her. I LOVE it!

Ah, can you feel the cousin love? I love when they hug, but it's rare I can catch it in a photo since it happens so fast. :)

William was digging the slide...

Tuckered out in the car afterwards...

Then, on one of our Monday's off together, Maya and I headed to our FAVORITE park ever, Grasslawn Park. Hopefully one day we can own a home over in that neighborhood, but for now we'll have to just be drop-in visitors. There's a little water area that Maya is in love with.

She was playing in the water, but then a dog AND a boy came over! Sensory overload! She was screaming so loud, you could hear her miles away. Thank goodness the other moms just thought she was cute. Whew.

A new buddy...

My little cutie...

Playing on a spinning thingy...

A GIANT swing! This one was her favorite.

We swung by the toy store on the way home and picked up a sprinkler. She just sat there in the overgrown lawn and enjoyed the freezing water.

Too precious. LOVING the warm weather and taking compete advantage of it. More updates soon!

To My Maya Girl

2011-05-18T12:22:00.000-07:00

Lately, I've been reflecting a lot on the past year or so. It's unbelievable to me how quickly time passes when your life is going better than you ever could've expected it to. It's also unbelievable to me how truly big, independent, happy, and fun you're getting. You're about to hit the 16 month mark and I'll have to start referring to you in half-years soon. Wow.

Because I simply do not want to miss or forget any moments in your life, I feel it necessary to itemize the cutest things about you right now. I have a horrible memory and will undoubetedly forget the little things even when I tell myself daily not to forget each little thing as it occurs. Remember that when you're older, these are all the little things that made you who you are. Also remember that your mother loves you so much that she feels compelled to brag about you in a public forum. Embarassing, I know.

So what have you been up to lately...

1. One of your favorite snacks is string cheese. Not a-typical for a toddler. What is a-typical however, is the way you eat the string cheese. I cut it into little flat pieces since you still seem to almost choke on pretty much anything as your molars have not arrived yet, though I see them coming. Then, with surgical precision, you take your index finger and stab those little pieces like you were skewering them with a toothpick and then enjoy your little appetizer at the end of your finger. It's absolutely hilarious and even though you do this every time we sit down to enjoy the cheese, it still makes me belly laugh.

2. You're a dancer/musician/artist. Given that I've always been very left-brained, it's somewhat refreshing to know that you may have a more creative, artistic side to you. Music is your passion right now. Drums, guitars, shakers, tambourines, you name it. Music class at daycare is hands down your favorite time of the week. Your teachers tell us weekly that you don't sit down for the entire hour. You're up dancing and twirling around the room, laughing and bobbing your head from side-to-side. The cutest thing you're doing right now though has to be Ring-Around-the-Rosie. We hold hands and start turning in a circle singing as loud as we can together. That's right, you're singing right now. Given that you can't coherently get much of the song out, you sing the only part that you can... "Ashes, Ashes!" The funny part is... that's how you sing every song. "Ashes, Ashes!" We can try singing Old McDonald, or Twinkle, Twinkle, or The Itsy Bitsy Spider, but the lyrics always come out... "Ashes, Ashes!" We'll be in the car and a song will come on the radio, you'll start bobbing your head and ... "Ashes, Ashes!" It is the cutest thing I've ever seen and I must steal some video of it before you grow out of it. Too precious for words.

3. You've got quite the opinions these days. I'll hand you a toy that you don't want and it's "No, no, no!" with a little finger wagging thrown my way. Try to feed you some vegetables that haven't been dipped in ketchup, ranch, or some other flavor masquerading sauce and it's "No, no, no!" with that wagging finger again. When we sit at the table with you in my lap, you reach and stretch for things you shouldn't be playing with, like the knife, phone, hot tea, etc. Given that you're not quite able to articulate your frustration it just comes out... "Eeeeh! Eh!" I try to make you talk it out, but typically give in since you're so sincere.

4. You're getting attachments to things more and more these days in addition to people. You've never been a binky girl, or have had a teddy bear. You've always had a number of blankets, all of which were good, but none have been must-haves. However, lately, your growing attachment to your blanket is pretty cute. You'll wander into your bedroom and reach way back into your crib and pull it out, drag it behind you and come sit on my lap. It's your way of telling me that you're tired. It always goes up next to your face and then your thumb finds itself safely into its home base, your mouth. All is right in the world.

5. Words right now are crazy numerous. By my count, we're over 20. We've heard the likes of, mama, dada, Addie, kitty, dog, woof, bagel, hi, bye, night-night, bubbles, up, down, Maya, papa, nana, Elmo, light, choo-choo, shoes, fish, baby, cow, duck, and countless others. You're picking up new ones daily and I can hardly believe that you're just months away from sentences. I know that every other kid in the world is probably at the same stage, but I'm secretly convinced you're a genius. A Rhode scholar in the making, I'm telling you!

6. You're OBSESSED with dogs right now. I'm talking 100% infatuated with them. Our nightly ritual consists of you getting out of the car and promptly walking next door to visit the neighbor dog, Daisy. She terrifies you and delights you all at the same time. You're not satisfied unless you've had the chance to pet her, albeit quickly, and get a little lick on your arm or leg. You point, look at me or your dad and screech, "Dog! Dog! Dog! Woof, woof!" Last weekend, we bought you a picture book full of different breeds of dogs and you are in awe of it. Inevitably when I ask you to go get a book, you pick this one and then force me to pour over every single picture. I watch you study that thing like you're going to discover a new dog on every page and am surprised at just how much you love them. The book is an interactive one where you can pull tabs and the dogs will shake their heads, or scratch themselves, and there are little patches of fur that you can rub for some of them. You've successfully managed to rip the legs off of most of them, but I consider it a little love-torturing. It's a labor of love for me reading that book right now since the plot is not all that exciting, but I love watching you get so excited, so I do it anyways.

7. You're extremely social. I watch you with the other kids at daycare and laugh at how much you love interacting with them. It makes me feel like you need a sibling. You're always holding hands, putting your arm around them, giggling and trying to include them in things. This has to be one of my favorite qualities about you. I've always wanted to raise a strong, independent daughter who was also very sweet, kind and compassionate. So far, you're exceeding Mama's expectations. I worry that you might have too much personality for the other kids sometimes, but relax when I see them responding so positively to you. Now if we could just get William to relax around you... :)

8. Your dad and I are starting to call you Bruiser. You bump into everything. Fall off of everything. Whack your head, close doors on your fingers, trip and scrape your knees, and flop over into the sharpest things in your vicinity. I have no idea how to keep you safe, nor have the foggiest clue how you manage to keep most injuries from breaking the skin and revealing too much blood, but you seem to manage. There are always a few tears of course, but then it's off and on to the next great misstep. I sigh, shake my head, and follow behind in anticipation of the injury yet to come.

9. Your dad is your best friend these days, while I'm the love of your life. While I believe that we exchange these titles almost daily, it's very clear to me that you've established roles for us. Or perhaps we've established them for you. I watch you light up like a Christmas tree every time he walks into the room. You giggle and snuggle and pray to be thrown up in the air and dropped onto our bed. He's the fun one, the playmate... your best friend. However, when the bumps come or it's time to rest, you turn to mama. You look for me every time we wake you up, you reach for me when you're the least bit troubled. Sometimes I wish I could have the relationship you have with your dad, but then remind myself that we've got a special little bond of our own going on and I wouldn't change it for the world.

Maya girl, I love you. You're beautiful, fun, sweet and gentle with a little bit of spunk all mixed into one. I want to slow down time, yet can't wait to see you grow into an amazing person. Thanks for making life so full and fun.

Mother's Day 2011

2011-05-14T11:27:00.000-07:00

For some reason, this year felt more like Mother's Day to me than last year. Perhaps it's because I feel like I'm more seasoned. Perhaps it's because I feel like I've earned it more. Or perhaps it's because I received my very first piece of artwork from my daughter as a gift on a holiday. A rite of passage if you will. In any case, the whole weekend was lovely. Not only did I get to spend time with my own mother, but I got to spend lots of quality time with my beautiful baby girl!

The ladies (minus Maya since she's still a little young), headed off for some girlie time. We hit up a fabulous lunch and then headed over to get our toes done. A lovely day if I do say so myself. While over at Bellevue Square, we noticed a crowd, only to discover Tim Gunn was in town! Awesome!

Later that day, we all packed up and went to visit Jess' mom. Even though it was a little rainy, it was beautiful and peaceful out there. When I asked Jess if it was weird to come see her, she said she was getting used to it, but that it was comforting because she felt like this way her mom got to meet and spend time with William.

My heart breaks and melts all over the floor. I love you Jess and your mom loves you too.

Lilies were her favorite.

Back at the house, the kids fought over bubbles...

And finally back at home, daddy caught us in our nightly ritual. Blanket, book, and thumb. Perfect sleepy combo.

Thank you my sweet precious girl for allowing me to be your mommy. You're the light of my life. I love you to pieces.

Easter 2011

2011-04-30T11:37:00.000-07:00

Last year around this time, Maya was a couple of months old and I remember just being so thankful that she was starting to sleep more. Fast forward one year later and she's sleeping like a champ, but now, Dan and I have to wait for HER to get up on exciting mornings like EASTER! Oh how life evolves...

Easter weekend was a funfilled, family weekend of good ol' fashioned egg-cellent fun! Man, even as I type this, I can hear the corny-ness oozing out of the computer. Perhaps there is something about getting older that causes you to become lame and a lover of all things corny. ;-)

We started out the weekend on Saturday heading up to Everett. Jess' Aunt Carol and her two girls, our absolute FAVORITE babysitters, throw a Easter Egg Hunt in their neighborhood. We figured we'd crash the party and bring Maya along. What a fun time! There was an Easter parade and then the kiddos let loose on the eggs. It was the perfect hunt since the eggs weren't very well hidden, so even a 15 month old could enjoy.

Maya immediately left her parents and came back with a boy. Oye. We're doomed already.

No Mama, I wasn't picking up boys. I was making friends. Sure honey, sure.

Here they are plotting their route through the hunt.

Will was ready for the wet grass.

And they're off!

Maya was an excellent hunter. 9 eggs in total. All by herself! With perhaps a little help from Daddy...

Jess, this is a good one. We should definitely get if framed. :-)

Can you believe it was sunny enough for sunglasses? I'm CRAVING the summer heat.

Then, on Easter morning, Dan and I woke up and waited patiently for our daughter. Lucky for us, the Easter bunny came before she woke up and there was a huge basket waiting for her! Too funny...

And this perhaps is my all time favorite picture of Maya. It captures her so well. My sweet, beautiful, baby daughter, I love you to the moon and back. Happy Easter.

After a wonderful sermon from Larry at our church, we headed up north to meet my parents and Kyle for lunch. Unfortunately, our camera was dead by then, so we didn't grab any shots. Shoot. We had a great time eating lots of yummy food and wandering around the PetSmart while Maya screamed "Dog! Dog! Woof! Woof!" a million times. Definitely a non-traditional Easter, but I wouldn't trade it for the world.

My family is awesome. Love you all!

J'aime Paris!

2011-04-17T20:19:00.000-07:00

My Grandma Margaret and Aunt Mary recently got back from a wonderful trip to Paris. While I was extremely jealous and wish that I could've been there to enjoy all the wonderful food, scenery, and amazing wine, I am overjoyed that they were able to go together and have some mother/daughter bonding time. From what I hear, the trip was amazing.

They were extremely generous to the kids and sent them back some Parisian fashion pieces. Last week at church, they both wore their outfits, so of course, we had to have them model a bit. What fashion plates they are!

Please, how adorable!

I love Wills just leaning up against Maya. These two are either going to love each other for life, or hate each others guts. Let's hope for the former.

I can see her walking the Paris catwalk in just 16 years.

Thanks Grandma and Aunt Mary! We love and miss you always.

Random Chaos in the Life of Team Young

2011-04-15T21:00:00.000-07:00

I've had pictures here and there that I haven't blogged, so this is a bit of a random post. However, mostly pictures, so you should enjoy!

Last month (or was it the month before?) we took the kids to the studio to get their pictures taken again. Hilarity ensued. I included a few of about 200 so even though it looks like a lot, I'll leave you with the best. I will say no more. Just please enjoy these two little munchkins.

A couple of weekends ago, we all headed to Mt Vernon to check out the tulips. There were no tulips, but there were some daffodils in a field. Even though it said no tresspassing, I tresspassed anyways. Though I'm looking a little sheepish.

We headed over the mall and hung out for a bit. The kids were being cute (of course) so we snapped a few of them.

And finally, on most days at the home of Team Young we're pretty boring. So, I find myself snapping pictures of Maya eating. Then again, she's always eating. ;-)

Love and miss you all!

My Child is a Brute!

2011-04-10T13:57:00.000-07:00

Lately, she's been tackling her cousin. Given that she's always been the smaller one, this has been... okay. Especially since I've never worried about her doing damage. However, she's getting to be quite a big girl and is starting to match size with him.

Good gracious. Poor William. What do I do?!?!?

Happy Birthday to... ME!

2011-04-08T21:04:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, April 2, 2011... I turned the big 3-0!

Everyone keeps asking me how I feel, if I feel old, am I sad to see my 20s go, etc, etc, etc. I'd be lying if I said it wasn't a little sucky getting older because I think it is for everyone. However, I can honestly say that it doesn't bother me that much. In fact, when I take the chance to refelect back on my life I'm extremely proud of what I've accomplished. I have a beautiful family, complete with an amazing husband and unbelieveably wonderful daughter. I've somehow managed to wrangle myself a job that I love and am figuring out a way to keep things balanced in my life. And I have an absolutely crazy, awesome set of friends that I love spending time with... in fact, I often wish that I could spend more time with them. If I could rotate days throughout the week with my mom, Jess, Amanda and Leanne, I think I'd be set! Just as long as they let me bring Maya along... ;-)

Now, allow me to dote on my husband for a bit. For those of you that know me well, you know that I'm... well... a bit of a... control freak? Is that the right word? I'm the "planner" of the family. I'm often the lightening bolt in the room. Organizing parties, fun little touches for the family, really, I'm the "get things done" and attempt to "make people feel special" kind of gal. Well, while usually my husband is amazing and wonderful and I rarely have complaints, he often tends to let me take the reigns on these types of things. Thus, sometimes around major events, like for example, someone's 30th birthday, I feel incredibly bad for my husband. He often gets nervous that he won't "do it big enough" or "make me feel special enough". I tell him over and over again that he shouldn't worry and that I really don't require much.

Now, I don't want you all to think that I'm not high maintenance, because wow... I am! However, I don't require grand gestures. For example, to this day, one of my absolute most favorite gifts from my husband was tea. Tea, you ask? We used to hit up this tiny, hole-in-the-wall cafe in Redmond after church on Sundays. They had this really yummy tea that I would look forward to every time we ate there. One year, in my stocking, there it was! I'd never seen it at a grocery store and somehow, he managed to track it down. Even as I sit here and write this, I tear up. It may sound dumb to all of you, but these are the things that make me feel like I'm the luckiest girl in the world. Daniel just gets me.

Back to the point... I don't require grand gestures. I just remind him... over and over again... how much I want to feel special and loved. Boy did he hit the nail on the head this time around. I'll gush for a bit. He went above and beyond. He hit this one out of the park. He really put some thought into me getting older. Again, he reminded me of why he is so amazing. This time though... grand gestures ensued. :-)

I showed up to my office last Friday and the whole thing was ridiculously over the top decorated top to bottom. After a little investigating, and a surprise guest appearance from my husband at our leads meeting, I discovered that he'd snuck in overnight and put his decorating skills to work. Then, sometime that afternoon, he sent around some feedback to my team that Bing was not indexing a very special site; http://www.heidiyoungisturning30.com/ It was an uproar of comments from the peanut gallery, and while I was horribly embarassed, I couldn't believe he'd taken the time to do that for me. Reading about my life, our life together really, through his eyes hit me hard.

Then, he'd called my mom and asked her to come down and watch Maya for the night. We headed into Seattle and had an incredibly yummy dinner at one of my favorite restaurants, Cafe Lago, with our good friends, Russell and John. After spending a night in a hotel, getting to sleep in, and going out for a late breakfast, we headed back home to see our little punkin. Pretty awesome way to start a birthday.

Then, as if that weren't enough, Daniel planned a party where some of my nearest and dearest friends and, of course, family got to join in. To top things off, he had a special "Cookie Cake" made for me since I'm such a cookie monster. We had a great night of hanging out, eating great food, and enjoying each others' company. I have to tell you folks... he really outdid himself.

I love you Daniel James. Lord knows how we found each other, or how we made it through those first few years, but I can truly say after 15+ year together, if such a thing exists, you're my soulmate. I love you baby.

And now, for what you probably really wanted... pictures! Here's some from the party. I didn't get everyone, but for those of you who were there, thank you for coming. I love you all more than you'll ever know.

Tom and Amanda came down with the kiddos and gave me a VERY pleasant surprise. A real SHOUT OUT goes to Tom, who insanely drove practically non-stop for who knows how many hours to come down. Thomas Leonard, you're awesome.

Here we are after a few takes. ;-)

Seriously, Maya couldn't have been happier hanging with the family. Especially Grandma.

And, yes, Maya can eat. Given that nothing gives my father more joy than feeding the kids, I think he's in heaven when he gets to hang with Maya.

Isn't Kyle handsome? And I'm so proud of him, he's so mature now that he can wear a purple shirt and still feel confident. What a hottie.

I love this picture because Leanne looks so happy and Werlindo looks like he's shocked at something Brian (not in the picture, but sitting next to Leanne) is saying. Hilarious!

Tom is showing Grace a toy, nothing major. But since he'd been gone most of the week, I loved this picture since she was sticking so close to his side. Precious moments.

Isn't William getting to be such a big boy? Blowing bubbles? Drinking soda? We'll never know...

There's the cake! Doesn't it look like a couple of DELICIOUS cookies?

Grace was my buddy and helped me blow out the candles. Excellent birthday skills Grace!

Everyone needs a cheesy picture on their birthday. Why not?!?!?

Here's to the next 30!

DeHoog Visit - Spring 2011!

2011-04-03T16:21:00.000-07:00

I'm dating this post Spring 2011 since Amanda, Mom and I have decided to make this a more frequent occurrence. Given that I'm always late on things and it's so tough to make all of our lives fit onto the same open calendar day, we'll see how good we are at holding ourselves to that promise. I figure if I write it on here, we'll defnitely do it again!

Amanda, Grace, Vince, and my mom ventured down south last Monday and visited with Maya and I on our day off. WE HAD SO MUCH FUN! I must admit, I do miss my oldest and dearest friend. Letting our kids just hang out and have some fun at the house was awesome. I felt so spoiled having them all to ourselves for a whole day.

Girls, I sincerely appreciate you making the trek down. I know you got caught in that awful accident, and with two kids, you're seriously brave for sticking it out. I was overjoyed to see all of you and absolutely LOVED hanging out and visiting. PLEASE come back any time!

Sending lots of love your way.

Enjoy the pics!

Grace and Maya hanging in the kitchen together

Vince had such a good time... he fell asleep on his mom

Maya and Grandma hanging out together. Maya is starting to be a Grandma's girl...

We hit up the Kid's Cove in the afternoon to let the kids sprawl. Too funny. Vince was loving his little corner of chaos.

Grace was on top of the world on top of the ferry boat

Maya in the funny mirror...

Maya wanted some ferry boat action too!

Shots like this make my heart melt. The girls playing together...

In the tunnel...

I told you Vince was having fun too. Look at those teeth!!!

Hanging with Grandma again... told you, Grandma's girl. :)

Look at that precious face. Grace has to be one of the most patient models ever. I must've made her pose about a million different times.

One of my favs. Drunk off of vanilla milk and overjoyed with happiness. Pretty much sums up the day.

Okay, one more since I can't stand how cute she is. Such a big girl, so sweet, and so happy. I love you Gracie girl!

Did I get a picture with Amanda and I together? No... we tend to avoid the camera if we can. :)

I had so much fun that even almost a week later I'm still thinking about it. Miss you girls (and Vince) so much it hurts!

Wow! Three decades...

2011-04-02T15:58:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that today I'm 30 years old! That's a lot of years. :)

It's been a great day so far and I have a feeling it's about to get even better. My husband was sweet enough to plan a little get together with friends and family to celebrate. What a guy. I love you baby. Thanks for making me feel so special the past couple of days.

He also surprised me with this little treasure: http://www.heidiyoungisturning30.com/

How embarassing!

Prayers please!

2011-03-27T22:05:00.000-07:00

We have a family at a neighboring church that is in desperate need of prayers right now. They were pregnant with twins and unfortunately, the babies were born at 27 weeks. As most of you moms out there know, that's a little early to come and join the world. The twins are in critical condition and are in the hospital fighting to grow healthy and strong. Their parents are dedicated members of the church and are seeking some serious prayers right now.

Please keep them in your prayers as I'm sure they'd greatly appreciate it!

We took a picture after church today to send their way for encouragement. It turned out pretty cute, so I thought I'd share. Enjoy!

Another Orcas Adventure

2011-03-07T15:34:00.000-08:00

This past weekend, we packed up the family and headed to the islands to celebrate Grandma Margaret's 75th Birthday. We were so excited to head out there since we hadn't been since I was on maternity leave.

Check out the difference...

Maya in June of last year, on the ferry heading to Orcas

Maya this year, on the ferry heading to Orcas. Oh what a year!

Taking a walk with Grandma and Grandpa around the ferry...

The girl loves her mama, what can I say? :-)

Eating snacks with Grandpa...

William sharing his snacks and feeding Maya...

Time to run around like banshees...

Whew! We made it to the island and the party began! After a quick trip to Sam and Dustin's new place (BEAUTIFUL home guys), we went to Uncle Con and Lisa's house where we celebrated Grandma's birthday and hung out as a family.

We had a special cake made for Grandma. Check it out!

It was so delicious...

Grandma thought it was pretty cool. Here she is checking it out for the first time...

Aunt Mary planned quite the feast for us. I am still recovering! It was such delicious food and I think we were all rolling out of there we were so stuffed.

The boys played foosball and William won every time.

Sorry for the close-up guys! Sarah came into town. Here she is with Uncle Con. It was so good to see her. It'd been years since I'd seen her last. Crazy...

Sam and Preston hanging out on the couch. Doesn't Preston have gorgeous eyes?

Dad has been traveling and working a ton, so he was tired. Can you tell? Remember folks, Russells are not a quiet bunch and he was right in the middle of all of us.

Adrian and Natalie had just gone swimming in the hot tub. Cuties.

When it came time to do cake, no one wanted to ruin it!

Getting ready... isn't Adrian's face precious in this picture?

Yea! All done!

Jess was the only one brave enough to cut...

Hiding after the cake was annihilated

Dustin looked pretty tired after a day with the family

The next day, after a long night's rest and some recovery, we allowed William and Maya to run wild in the hotel room. Oh man.

The Pack-and-Play tipped on its side made a great fort.

Poor hotels. They must shudder when they see these two walk in. :-)

It was a FABULOUS time. Family, food, fun. It doesn't get much better than that.

This made me chuckle... hard.

2011-02-27T08:19:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was a bit of a lazy day. However, given that we love the Russell's so much, even lazy days become fun and exciting! Nothing too major, we just met up for an early dinner and then came back to our house to hang out. I must say, I love my nephew so much that I could just eat him up. He's getting to be such a little boy that I can hardly believe it. He and Maya are starting to play quite well together and surprise, surprise, can even manage to bug each other from time to time. :-)

Well, let me tell you folks, tonight these two were in rare form. Running around mimicking each other, stealing toys, chasing each other, being two typical little rugrats. Hilarity ensued when we had some naked babies running around. Until... for a little bit of time, they went off and were quiet together. They shut the door to the bathroom and were giggling and playing together. Eventually, Ryan and Dan went down the hall to the bathroom to see what was going on. They opened the bathroom and out they came like nothing was wrong. By the end of the night, they'd worn each other out and left on good terms.

Late last night when Dan and I were winding down the house Daniel turned off the bathroom light and told me to go in and see the bathtub. Puzzled, I asked, "Why?". He said, "Just trust me." So, I went into the bathroom and behold! The work of Maya and William.

Enjoy folks.

Wacky Hair Day

2011-02-26T12:40:00.000-08:00

Too funny for words...

We picked Maya up from daycare yesterday and they'd put her hair up in a Pebbles Ponytail. It was adorable. However, she's had this chapped cheek lately and so we've been having them put Aquafor on it to make it go away. Karen, one of the girls in her room, had a little extra on her hand and wiped it into Maya's hair when she put her hair up in the ponytail, so her hair looked a little greasy. Last night, we took the ponytail out and it stuck. This morning, when she woke up, it was even better! I had to snap a couple of pictures because I've been laughing at her all morning.

I love you Baby Girl! You make me smile. :-)

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T20:19:00.000-08:00

Oye. We've been pretty sick at the Young household for a little over a week now. Finally, today Maya and I started feeling a little better, so we ventured out and about for a bit, but otherwise we've been sticking pretty close to home. I haven't had an ear infection since I was about eight years old, but for some reason, the petri dishes (*cough* children *cough*) at daycare seem to spread to all corners of our home during the winter.

We traveled around today picking out some chocolates for daddy, a few Valentine cards, and some Valentine gifts for Kim and Karon at daycare. Maya missed everyone a lot since she hasn't been in for a week. After a nice long visit with them this afternoon, we headed home for a much needed nap. Two ladies on antibiotics need their rest!

It was a great night of making dinner together as a family, eating and laughing at Maya's new funny faces and words, and exchanging cards together. Daniel got us both cards that made me cry. We're so lucky to have him in our lives.

Finally, we wrapped up the evening with a new pair of elephant and hippo pjs and chasing after mommy and daddy.

Happy Valentine's Everyone!

Coming after mommy...

Fell down to the knees since we're just getting used to running. :-)

Gotcha!

I'm tired Mommy. Too much Valentine fun!

Love and miss you all!

And then they ate cake!

2011-01-24T19:25:00.000-08:00

We had Maya's birthday party this weekend and I'm happy to report that it was FABULOUS! She is absolutely the most adorable baby in the whole world. She was happy the entire time, schmoozing with all of her guests, throwing out some adorable smiles and even some cuddles for a lucky few.

There were a TON of pictures, so I picked a couple for you all to enjoy. Apologies if I didn't get everyone on camera. It was a little crazy that day! Unfortunately, I wasn't thinking and didn't snap a pic of the awesome decorations (if I do say so myself) or her too-cute-for-words party favors (coasters with pictures of Maya on them). :-)

And now, commencement of my beautiful daughter's big day!

Right when Grandma and Grandpa got there, they gave her one of her gifts. It was a book from Hallmark where they recorded their voices so that Maya could always have them read to her whenever she wanted. It is really the most precious gift ever. I must admit, my family was incredibly thoughtful when it came to gift giving. I love you guys!

Aunt Mary just had to get her this adorable hat. It was perfect! She only had it on for a nanosecond, so this was all you got.

We got a cupcake tree from Pinkabella (yummy, yummy, yummy). Maya got a lemon one this time since we did chocolate on her actual birthday. Not the best picture, but notice the big 'M' I got for her. :-)

Away we go!

Stop for a little milk...

Good gracious she's adorable.

You could almost visibly see when the sugar hit her brain and she started waving to everyone

Go Team Young!

Nate was one of the guests and made a break for it...

William got a turn in the highchair and even tried out the hat. To no avail.

Jess got a book made for Maya from Shutterfly. It was her Very Special Family Photo Book. Inside were pictures of each member of her family, including Addie, with a little story about how much they love her. She loves it! I love it because she can learn everyone's names. So thoughtful Jess!

Kissing a little lamb from Grandma Barb

Overwhelmed by gifts...

During the gift opening, Nate had a turn in the highchair with a cupcake. Poor kid! Too much pressure.

Maya would rather eat the gifts instead of unwrapping them

Grandma Margaret gave Maya her very first fur coat!

Uncle Kyle got her a bubble machine and it was a total hit with the kiddos

Aunt Mary and Ronnie got her a shopping cart... it was perfect! Now she can practice before we take her to the islands to visit the OrcasVillage Store. She loves pushing it all over the house!

Uncle Ed and Aunt Lynn got the kids these little scooting animals. They LOVED them! Maya can't stop running around downstairs bumping into things. It is hilarious.

Oh yeah, can't pass up pushing Maya around in the cart. Classic move Ry.

I just couldn't pass up this one... I love you sweet precious girl. Happy Birthday.

Happy 1st Birthday Maya Margaret Young!

2011-01-18T20:46:00.000-08:00

Oh what a year! To my sweet baby girl...

So-as not to bore the blog followers, I will not go on and on about my undying love and devotion to you (I'll just do it in secret instead!). I will simply say, I love you, I cherish every moment that I have with you, and not a day goes by that I don't thank God for you. To your dad and I, you are perfect. You're so happy, so beautiful, and so unbelievably wonderful. I know that your future years will bring many laughs and many cries, but nothing brightens my day more than knowing I get to experience every moment with you.

Happy Birthday Baby Maya. Mama loves you.

Of course... can't turn 1 without cake!

What a difference a year makes! To me, your face still looks the same as the day you were born. Perfectly cute. I love you to the moon and back Baby Girl!

New Year's Eve

2011-01-11T22:23:00.000-08:00

Let's take a quick look back at what Dan and I were doing last year on New Year's Eve...

Oh wait. We fell asleep at about 8:30 on the couch because I was fat, exhausted, swollen, and ready to have a baby.

Now, let's take a quick fast forward into the life and times of the Youngs this New Year's Eve. WE ACTUALLY STAYED UP TILL MIDNIGHT! That's right folks. We're officially still adults! Truthfully though, we had a good time. We decided not to wuss out and actually have some fun. However, given that I hate leaving the Baby Maya, we decided to bring the party to us!

Ry, Jess & William... Jason, Stephanie & Austin... Bill, Elsie & Nate... and... Dan, Maya & I were all in attendance. Four couples, four kids, four happy families. :)

Oddly enough, we didn't document anything other than our belated construction of the gingerbread house. It was a hit! Kids + Candy + Liquid Sugar = Fun!

Happy New Year everyone!

Just starting...

Maya really wanted to eat the candies...

And thus starts the hilarious progression of William pics... oh, and you're pretty cute too Jess.

Finally, score!

Ta-da! A perfect gingerbread house! Maya and I added a couple of peppermint swirls. Other than that, Will and Jess banged this one out. Helpful tip for all you moms out there: Buy the kit. It's way easier. ;)

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T08:00:00.000-08:00

Just thought we'd start off the year with a fresh blog post. I figure if I start off strong, I can maintain momentum at least until... February. ;)

The Orcas Fam sent over this adorable outfit for Maya and I just had to start out 2011 of a few shots of my gorgeous daughter.

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

A Young Family Christmas!

2010-12-31T11:17:00.000-08:00

Well, we can officially check off Maya's first Christmas and file it away under SUCCESSFUL. It was an amazing Christmas full of family, fun, LOTS of food, gifts, and (yes, I'll be corny here) love. :-)

Family started arriving on Thursday and the house was buzzing until Sunday night. I LOVED every single minute of it. The older I get, the more nostalgic I get. The more nostalgic I get, the more sappy I get. The more sappy I get, the more I realize that I'm an old mom now. What could be better than that?!?!?

There was a moment on Christmas morning where I just felt happy and at peace because my family was all together under one roof. Life is good. My mom and I baked and cooked way too much, so everyone was full to the brim. All of us bought way too many gifts, but it was so fun to see the kiddos ripping into the gifts too quickly to even see what was on the inside. It is true when they say that Christmas is a holiday for kids. Seeing it through their eyes is just so fun!

Truthfully, we didn't take too many pictures because we were just enjoying the time together, but Daniel did manage to snap a few on Christmas morning. A few of us were dodging the camera given our hideous appearances at 4:30am on a Saturday morning, so I'll perform roll call to document attendance... we had nine adults and two kids spend the night at one time. Whew! Dan, Heidi, Maya, Carrie, Mom, Dad, Kyle, Ry, Jess, William, and Grandma Barb. And to those of you in attendance coming back to read this post, you are more than welcome to come back and stay as often as you like. Daniel, Maya and I had so much fun and absolutely love when the house is busting at the seams with family. We are so incredibly lucky to have each and every one of you in our lives.

And now for what you really came for... pictures!

William and Grandpa started out the morning with a good old fashioned roll for breakfast. What can I say? He's horribly allergic to eggs and couldn't eat the breakfast casserole I made.

Uncle Kyle slept on the floor in the front room. Poor thing.

Maya wasn't quite up yet, so William started in on his gifts because we just couldn't contain ourselves any more. He got a new Vancouver Canucks jersey! It was a struggle to get him to wear it at first, but then he wouldn't take the thing off. At one point, I looked over and he was wearing his new hockey jersey, holding his hockey stick (aka "shish"), and reading his hockey book. Classic Russell male.

Then, my sweet little girl woke up and started in on the gifts too. She got a new table and chairs for her room (that she honestly can't really even enjoy yet... oh well!). William loved the gift though. ;)

One of the very few times that she was able to steal one of his gifts away. Good job Baby Girl! She nabbed his Thomas the Tank Engine.

I love this picture because William is opening one of his gifts, but he stole away Maya's new cell phone and is keeping it with him just in case she attempts to play with it. Smart man.

Whoops! Maya toppled over amidst the gifts and new furniture. Don't you just love her Christmas PJs? They have a penguin on the butt that says, "Brrr! It's cold outside." Hilarious.

I had to throw this one in to show you all Maya's new face. She's making this scrunchy face all the time now and it just cracks me up. Sh's getting more teeth up top and she likes rubbing her lip on them. It's just too cute.

Chaos.

We got William a ball pit for Christmas. It was a hit... once the kids were used to it. Aunt Heidi had to get into the ball pit and show them that it wasn't scary before they would even go near it. I'm still finding those balls all over my house.

The next day, we headed off to church. My mom has been dying for a picture of all of us for a long time now, so we finally obliged. I pulled Lance, one of our deacons, over and asked him to get one so that ALL of us could be in the picture. Not bad huh?

Love and miss you all. Hope you had a great holiday with your families as well.

A World of FIRSTS

2010-12-30T10:36:00.000-08:00

I was driving home the other day chatting with Maya and Dan on my cell and Dan was mentioning a bunch of Maya's firsts. I started thinking how this is Team Young's Year of Firsts. So, I figured I should list some to remember all the little and BIG moments.

1. Daniel is a father for the first time. And I a mother.
2. Maya took a few of her first steps just the other day.
3. Maya said her first words other than Mama, Dada, and Baba (bottle) a few weeks ago. Appropriately, the first was Kitty. Poor Addie. The other was Bagel. I was feeding her a bagel and clear as a bell, out popped, "Bagel". Unbelievable. Then, after reading a book and reciting all the animals... "Dog" popped out twice. Impressive!
4. For the first time in my life, I feel like I'm finding balance. The old saying, Ask and you shall receive is ringing quite true for me these days. I started working 4 days a week instead of 5, and I couldn't be more excited.
5. Maya recently celebrated her first Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas.
6. This is the first time in my life that I've looked at the next five years of my life and said, 'I have no idea what's next for me.' And the first time that I'm actually okay with that.
7. In the year 2011, it will be the first time Daniel and I will start a new year as parents.

I wonder what kinds of firsts we'll experience this coming year?

Santa Pics!

2010-12-28T11:43:00.000-08:00

Oh man. Maya's first trip to Santa was a doozy. We met the Russell's at the mall and waited in line for a little while before meeting with the Big Man. There's a little Santa Village before you get to sit on his lap and the kids were having a good time, so I snapped a few hilarious moments before the big event.

You know, normally I'd narrate this whole thing. However, most of you know William and Maya. I think you can guess how this turn of events went. Just walk through them one at a time, paying close attention to Maya's headband. It's the main character in this story.

And finally, for your viewing pleasure... the funniest picture in history... wait for it... TA-DA!

How Embarassing...

2010-12-19T23:41:00.000-08:00

I don't know what I was thinking, but I decided to host a Holiday Party for Marco's Leadership team a week or so ago. Marco is my boss for those of you who do not know him. I slaved over hours of cooking by purchasing pre-made appetizers at Trader Joe's and loaded up on a few bottles of wine. Good to go!

We had a blast. Mostly everyone brought their spouses or significant others and many folks brought their kids as well. Kids upstairs, adults downstairs. It was awesome. I'm happy to report that Maya went down at 7pm and never made a peep. What an angel.

Given that we were having a "good time", some of the pictures came out fuzzy. Gee, I wonder why? ;) It was a blast. Not at all like the regular ol' office parties you hear about. The Young's rock the holiday party!

That's Edward, Me, Marco, Gargi, Audrey, Manish, and Igor. What a bunch of Microsoft nerds.

We were having a really good time. :)

Thanks guys! It was too much fun. You're all welcome back any time.

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree...

2010-12-18T07:43:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, we all trudged out into the woods (cough, yuppie Christmas Tree Farm, cough) and chopped ourselves a beaut. No drama, the kids were good, it was nice and clear, and it was just after Thanksgiving so the pickins were aplenty.

Who could love anything more? Even as I write this I become a ball of mush. I love you two more than you'll ever know.

Out into the wild wilderness we trudged

Look at that little lumberjack. Grandpa would be so proud.

Maya was fascinated by the branches. Still is, even now that the tree is up. ;)

I mean, who could pass up this picture?

The Russell's grand prize

And then there was Daniel. What a ham! Honey, I love you so much. You make the holidays so fun. Please don't ever stop being a kid.

Catching up!

2010-12-18T07:30:00.000-08:00

I'm so behind! We've been so busy, that I haven't blogged about any Holiday firsts! However, now that I'm officially down to 4 days in the office, I have a bit more breathing room. So... time to catch up!

Let's start with Thanksgiving... we went to Ryan and Jessica's. For some reason, I was remiss on my picture taking duties, so I don't have anything to share with you. Bummer too, because I think it was my favorite Thanksgiving ever! Jessica did a beautiful job on dinner and everything was just perfect. However, when we went to cut into the turkey... let's just say it wasn't pretty. In the words of my mother, "this is a diseased turkey". I'll be laughing about that one for years to come.

The next day, everyone came over to our house and hung out all day. We were pretty lazy, but I managed to capture a few silly moments. Enjoy!

Maya loves her puffs

Touchdown! Or as William says it... GOAL!

Then, I just couldn't resist this one. His face is so adorable.

They came over pretty early without showering, so my mom was embarassed and wouldn't show her face.

More puffs please.

Given that Dan and I are Microsofties, we can wait two seconds without grabbing the latest greatest technology from the best company on the planet. ;) Ryan and Dan are playing Kinect. It is so funny to watch and EXTREMELY fun to play!

More puffs please.

Maya has never had straight milk before. We've always done breastfeeding and formula. Well, we've discovered that she indeed likes milk. She made a beeline for William's cup and just started hoovering.

This was a good one to end on. Maya was cracking up at her Aunt. Priceless.

All grown up... already?

2010-11-20T15:17:00.000-08:00

Already my little girl is getting SCHOOL PICTURES??? That's right folks, SCHOOL PICTURES! I couldn't believe it when they sent the paper home, but I figured, no time like the present. We dressed her up, sent her off to school, and cried. :-)

The results? Perfect, of course. Enjoy!

All grown up. I love you big girl.

Lord help us...

2010-11-17T21:03:00.000-08:00

A little back story is necessary on this post...

Over the past few years, in our church, we've built up quite the contingent of young families roughly our age. There are so many of us now that I've lost count. A couple of years ago, our preacher started mentioning that we were in for a baby boom since there were only a couple of kids under the age of 4.

He was right.

All of us ladies started getting pregnant, one by one. For awhile it seemed as though we were having a new announcement every single week at church. We all grew our bellies together, shared our excitement together as many of us were first time moms, and commiserated as we began to swell. There were baby showers, patient husbands, and a whole lot of putting our feet up on the pews. Sorry!

Finally, after all of that, our little bundles of joy began arriving by the truckload it seemed. So, one of our most well respected and cherished ladies in the congregation, Jan Bader, proposed that we bring all the kids in under the age of 2 and take a picture so that we could remember this wonderful occasion.

In theory, this was a great idea. Upon reflecting on the idea, it became a superb idea. In practice, it was a hoot.

A whole bunch of dads brought cameras, including Dan, and snapped some pictures of the kids all in their white onesies. Daniel mentioned that it was like taking a picture of an ant hill. Honestly, I think that would've been easier. :-)

And now, without further adieu, the ants in action!

Maya started playing with Nellie and I had to sneak one of just the two of them in. There were so many to choose from...

We started putting them together...

I think these are the best two...

Starting to melt...

Breaking down...

That's all she wrote folks!

And because I can't spend a day without taking pictures of Maya and Maya and I together, I figured I'd throw a few of those in as well. These are the morning before we left for church. Enjoy!

She liked her new dress...

There's my pretty girl!

Baby Ryder

2010-11-11T07:55:00.000-08:00

I'm so behind, it's ridiculous. We went to visit our new little baby nephew, Ryder, a couple of weeks ago. He's too precious for words. As I was holding him, I was feeling that pain you feel knowing that your own child is growing far too fast. Perhaps we should have another? ;) Kidding folks, not yet for Team Young.

Nevertheless, we spent the afternoon cuddling and playing with Ryder and Presley. It was so great to visit with the Pen's, enjoy their beautiful kids, and watch Carrie with 3 of her grandkids. Crazy that there are 5 of them now! Wow!

There's that sweet, precious little man. He was so little and cuddly. Awwww....

Compared to Maya, he was like a feather!

I love this one of Ryder and Carrie

A close up. He's already learning how obnoxious his Aunt and Uncle can be with the camera.

Amber, loving up her little boy

Presley loves her little brother. Isn't she beautiful? What a little cutie pie!

Maya was loving up Grandma like crazy

And her Aunt Amber...

And her Uncle Kris!

This was one of my favs

Look at those eyes. She's gonna be trouble some day. ;)

She was loving Uncle Daniel chasing her in her Barbie Jeep

Too cute for words. I love you Presley!

Love and miss you all!

Happy... Fall!

2010-11-07T19:14:00.000-08:00

This was supposed to be a Halloween post, but since Dan, Maya and I all came down with the flu over about 5 days last weekend, it turned into a Fall post instead. :) We're all on the mend, except Maya started feeling icky again, so here's hoping that she doesn't go down for round two.

We took the kiddos to the pumpkin patch and let them roam around and play. Too fun! I get a kick out of these things as we're still experiencing Maya's first holidays this year. Every single one is special to us. I hope I never lose that sense of fun experiencing the holidays with the kids. They make it so much more fun!

We headed over to Dr. Maze's Corn Maze for the action. There were acres and acres of pumpkins, a petting zoo and a corn maze. We stuck to the pumpkins and the petting zoo. Lord help us if we got lost in a corn maze with Maya and William.

I was impressed by the sheer size of the field

William was hiding from his Aunt Heidi...

Daniel and I posing with our adorable daughter

Forget about getting the kids to look at the camera...

William ran through the pumpkins...

Maya sat there like a pumpkin...

I couldn't pick one, so I'm posting three. Never do they pose like this together, so I had to document the cuteness. I think #3 is my favorite. :)

Love and miss you all! Happy Fall!

Yes, I'm still here!

2010-10-27T07:36:00.000-07:00

I've been on a bit of a blogging hiatus as of late. Busy? Yes. Tired? Yes. Not in a blogging mood? Yup.

Things are slowing down a bit though, so I figured I'd post a couple of pictures of my little munchkin since I'm sure you've all missed her beautiful face! More to come with visits to our new little nephew, a trip to the pumpkin patch, and hopefully I'll be ambitious enough to post video of Maya crawling. She's been doing it for about... a month and a half now, so I'm a little behind, but better late than never.

For now, enjoy the attack of the Maya! I caught her getting into trouble, so she decided to come get mama. :)

Love and miss you all!

My Little Sheepy

2010-10-02T09:39:00.000-07:00

Maya had a rough week of the stomach flu, so at the end of it, I figured I might as well celebrate by putting her in her Halloween costume a bit early. Have you ever seen anything so adorable I ask you?

They are a little blurry since I snapped them from my phone, but I couldn't resist!

Happy Early Halloween Everyone!

Today...

2010-09-27T22:24:00.000-07:00

No pictures today folks. Believe me, you wouldn't want 'em.

Today, I left for work raring to take on the world at work, only to be yelled at for not working over the weekend by someone who doesn't even have anything to do with my area, let alone a family at home to actually enjoy spending time with, so much so that, here's a novel concept, perhaps you don't want to work on the weekend because you work too much as is. Today, I had to leave work early to pick up my sweet, precious baby girl because she was sick and vomiting all over herself. Today, I was vomited on four separate times. Not baby spit up. We're talking full on projectile vomit. Today, I came home, cleaned up my daughter, dumped out her puke filled carseat, figured out how to get that awful cover off of her carseat only to discover that there is a spongy pad underneath the cover that, you guessed it folks, doesn't come off yet has the remarkable ability to soak up anything damp in its path. Today I did three loads of baby laundry as everything my child owns was covered in vomit. Today I got back online to log into work to see if I missed anything only to discover that the issue I was yelled at for this morning didn't mean a damn thing because someone else hadn't done their job last week, so even if I worked this weekend it wouldn't have mattered because nothing was set up correctly anyway. Vindication. Today, I lay on the ground next to my moaning daughter, nose to nose, stroking her beautiful face, telling her that everything was going to be okay, watching her slowly drift off into a queasy, yet peaceful sleep and I reminded myself in a nanosecond that my whole world was on pause because my baby is sick and she needs me.

Today was one for the books. I think I'll stay home tomorrow.

Go Ducks! And some funny kids...

2010-09-18T12:16:00.000-07:00

We went over to Ry and Jess' house last weekend to ring in the football year with a little Oregon Ducks action. Of course, when we arrived there was green and yellow fever everywhere you looked. I love football season. After years and years of fighting it in my childhood, somewhere around college I started to actually enjoy it. Now, sadly enough, I look forward to football season! It doesn't feel like a good weekend if I haven't been listening to ten thousand football games in the background while I putter around the house. Dan is convinced that Maya is a fan already.

During the game, since I thought it would be boring to post shots of the television, I snapped a couple of the two little cuties in action. They are getting too hilarious. Already loving and hating each other at the same time. Jess and I are convinced they'll be best friends.

We've been chatting about what to dress the kids as for Halloween this year. Should William be a monkey and Maya his banana? It's quite a dilemma. So, Jess pulled out William's chicken costume from last year and we decided to play dress up with Maya. She was loving it!

Until... William found out that his mama was holding her. This quite possibly became the funniest montage of photos I've ever seen.

Guess who ended up in the chicken costume after all of that?

Oh boy... then while we were downstairs, William decided to share one of his two firetrucks with his cousin. What a nice boy! He was just so uncertain about his cousin touching his things.

So, off he went!

And we ended the day in Grandpa's arms, nursing a bottle. What a day.

Oh, and the Ducks won! :-)

Fun at the Aquarium!

2010-09-13T21:18:00.000-07:00

Last weekend (or was it the weekend before?) we decided to take the kiddos over to the Seattle Aquarium. It was one of those typical gray Seattle days, so it seemed like a fun thing to do. Now the kids still aren't quite ready to enjoy such outings, but that doesn't stop us!

It was pretty hilarious. William is getting to an age where he actually seems to get what's going on and it was fun to watch him explore. There were a couple of times where he was a little scared, but braved through the action. Maya just stared and smiled, as usual. I'm convinced that she's just taking it all in and one day will pop out with full sentences. "Mom, did you know that the octupus is a cephalopod mollusc?" I'm convinced. A little genius is brewing under those quiet little eyes.

Ry and Wills walking the streets of Seattle

We look awful in this picture, but please note two things. The random seagull over my left shoulder and the sign just to the right of Maya. Too funny.

I absolutely love this picture of William. his face is priceless.

Right when we got into the aquarium, there was a wall of fish. I took William over and we waved to the diver in the tank. He was really scared at first. Eventually he warmed up to the guy and started waving hi back to him.

Touching starfish in the tide pools with Aunt Heidi and Daddy.

Whoa! Big octopus!

Whoa! Cute Octopus!

We never pass up a photo op for a cheesy pic

Maya was so cute. The whole time, you'd take her to an exhibit and her face would just be still. Nothing. She'd just sit there and stare at the fish. I'm telling you people, she's just taking it all in...

William kept talking to the fish...

Bill and Elsie met up with us while William was looking at...

This!

Exploring more exhibits together. Hi Daddy!

Close up of Nate loving up the fishies

We were exhausted by the second building (it's not really that big of an aquarium, we were just pooped), so we plopped ourselves down and had a good ol' time. See William's head darting off to the right?

Maya crawled under the stroller...

And played with Mommy's sweatshirt

Maya and I look tired and ready to go home, Elsie looks perfect... as usual!

One of my favs from the day. Maya would be happy if Daddy would just plop her on his shoulder all day long.

Dads and their kids...

Another one of Maya's favorite positions...

Toward the end of the day, it started raining. William needed his very first Columbia rain jacket, being a Seattlite and all. How stylish.

Perfect pic to cap off the day

Love and miss you all!

To My Maya Girl...

2010-09-11T14:26:00.000-07:00

It's been getting harder and harder to leave you these days. Everyday you get older and do something new and fun. Everyday I love you more than the day before, if you can believe it. There are definitely days where I wish that I could give you the entire world. That you'll grow up and be everything you want to be. And that no one and nothing will ever cause you saddness. However, these days I just pray that you'll be as happy and healthy as you are at about 8 months old. It's remarkable to me how excited you get every single day when your dad and I come into your room in the morning. You're thrilled if we'll carry you around on our shoulders or let you play in your jumperoo. I hope you will never lose that brilliant gummy smile. It fills my heart like you wouldn't believe.

These days, you've been quite active. You've been scooting backwards since you were about 6 months old, but now you're starting to really move. You're still not sure about the forward motion, although last night you made progress and didn't know what to do with yourself.

You're extremely curious, dumping over the diaper caddy, putting EVERYTHING in your mouth, and banging on anything that will take your little slaps of joy. You absolutely love sitting in mommy's lap and laughing at daddy. You know now to close your eyes when daddy starts blowing on your face and to roll away when he starts getting your belly.

That little tuft of hair on top of your head is getting longer and wispy-er every day. You smile ear-to-ear when I curl it up like Elvis and get giant doe eyes when I comb it straight down. However, you still don't have any teeth, but you can bite like you have a mouthful. Those pudgy little cheeks are my absolute favorite thing to kiss and munch on in the morning. You still have remarkably small feet for your age, yet seem to only fit into 18 month old pants. You have the longest eyelashes I've ever seen on a baby and bat them at me while sucking your thumb to make me melt.

I can't imagine that there is a happier baby in the world. You're the best thing that has ever happened to your dad and I. We love you more and more every day, are excited and scared for you to grow up, and want you to know that there is nothing in the world we'd rather be than your mommy and daddy.

Happy Birthday Daddy!

2010-09-10T21:23:00.000-07:00

Hi Daddy!

Happy Birthday!

The Fair

2010-09-01T20:54:00.000-07:00

I haven't been to the Fair in years. I mean years and years. Probably at least 5 years, but I'm thinking it's been even more than that. Mom asked me a couple of weeks ago if we wanted to come up and so we did!

We went straight to the fairgrounds and got to eating and wandering immediately. :)

The tractors were a major hit. Maya was enamored.

My family

William was driving his cousin around

That is one happy kid!

Getting a little tired, so we walked through some exhibits

Maya hanging with Grandma

William liked playing the hay, but kept picking it off of himself

Maya and Will had to end the exciting day at the Fair with a Mum-mum

We'll end with one of my favorite people in the world. What a hottie.