Love

They just love each other. I know they're going to fight and bicker, but I hope they never stop loving each other. It's so much fun to see your kids enjoying one another....and even liking each other. Hmmmm. Makes me happy just thinking about it.

Neighborhood Fun

Elise and "Pickles" playin' around. They're only a couple months apart.

Owen and Robbie strapping on the pads for a 10 second skate!

Aunt Margaret stopped by too.

We have great neighbors. They all seem to have kids our kids' age. Or kids a bit older who like to play with our kids and dog...it works out great! Lately Rob and Jason (next door) have been into doing bonfires in the front yard, which seems somewhat whitetrash-ish but it's really fun and everyone comes out and roasts a weenie or a marshmallow and the kids tire themselves out. Last Friday for the first time....since I can't remember Rob was home early so he took a lawn chair out and Robbie and his bud Owen next door rode bikes, attempted to skate, and did scooters together. Before you know it---the whole neighborhood is out so we all ordered pizza and did another fire. It was fun. I'm thankful for our fun neighborhood!

Happy Birthday Elise!!

Her two favorite gifts!

LOVING the cupcakes!

Swords and guns, what else?

Little Jane. She and Elise are only 2 days apart in age!

Sean and Brecken got these little sequined pink converse for Elise.

Abigail, she's just a couple months younger than Elise.

Cousins. Almost a year apart. They will have so much fun growing up together!

Robbie LOVES "Annianna"

Elise is one today. One year ago today I was in the hospital having a baby, now she's not so baby anymore. I can't believe it. In some ways she seems like just a baby and how in the world can she be one year old already! In other ways I can't really remember life without her. Wierd. She is such a sweet, happy baby and we just adore her. All of us. Robbie looooves his baby sis. Especially when she has a birthday and he gets cupcakes and to play with her new toys! Our neighbors/friends got Elise this little tea set and it is adorable and makes pouring noises when you "pour" your tea and Robbie loves it! He carries it around making me coffee all the time.

We got Elise a little stroller for babies that she can sit on the floor and play with or "walk" behind. However the walking part isn't coming along very well. She will NOT stand up. If we try to hold her hands and help her "walk" she just holds her feet up. She won't put weight on her feet. So, oh well. No need to rush the baby into growing up!

Last weekend we had a little birthday party for her. Or at least it was supposed to be a "little" party. It ended up being a bash with tons of people. I'm not sure our house has recovered yet but it was a lot of fun hanging out with family --and friends who are like family. Sean and Brecken represented the Laizure side. And Margaret and my sister-in-law Ariella and neice Avianna represented the Allaman side. It's so cute to see Elise's "cousins" Zach and Nate who are girl-phobes fall in love with her. They treat her differently than a boy. While Elise was opening her gifts Nate stood there the whole time just watching her and he was so concerned that we weren't going to sing Happy Birthday to her! So, just so you know--we did. Sing, that is.

I made food and we just hung out and it was complete chaos but I think it was fun.

Today, on her actual birthday we aren't doing anything special. She doesn't know yet, so I can get away with nothing. My dad's coming for dinner so I'm sure she'll show him her tricks of rubbing pasta in her hair. Happy Birthday Elise, We love you so much!

Spaghetti

Well, apparently I've been on an un-planned blogging hiatus. I don't really know what has happened to life but it got busy. And now here I am trying to catch up on all my pictures and recipes. Check out my foodblog if you haven't because I just posted the BEST mac-n-cheese recipe.

Anyway, back to the spaghetti. Every American baby is entitled to their crazy spaghetti pictures so here are Elise's. She was having a ball and needless to say needed a bath afterwards! Her favorite thing is clapping her hands so she would take a big handfull of spaghetti and then clap her hands together and then rub them in her hair. Too funny.

Of course Robbie needed to have his picture taken too while eating his spaghetti!

Almost One

Our baby girl is about to turn one. It seems shocking that it's almost been a whole year! But then wierd that she's only been in our lives for a year too. We love her. She is such a happy girl. Now that she's crawling she is basically dusting the wood floors with her belly all the time because she just drags herself along, so her clothes are impossible to get clean. I can't wait for her to walk because she so badly wants to play at the park and go outside with Robbie! BUT then I know I won't get any rest for a looonnng time once she does. These are just a couple pics of her being her happy little self.

Halloween-palooza

The neighbor gang!

Go Go Power Rangers, Joey & Elijah

Hannah and Jesse stopped by too!

Here's one for the wedding video

Lady's Man

Rob and I dressed as Super Heroes for an adult party the week before. Robbie wanted to join in too.

Grandma and Grandpa Trick-or Treating

Nothing but the healthiest of snacks for my kids.

The happy little fairy

Spiderman was a very popular costume this year!

Halloween week was really something to count down for. Every day we kept track of "sleeps" until the big day. On Thursday Robbie was talking to my mom on the phone and he said, "Grammy what are you being for Halloween? Just Sheri?"

Halloween was a grand celebration this year. It's always a drag for everyone when the day finally comes and then the kids have to wait ALL day to put on costumes and do trick or treating and then go straight to bed. So, my friend Cindy had an idea to do a little Halloween Carnival for the kids during the morning to help kill the day. It was so much fun! Leading up to the grand event Robbie kept asking "When's Aunt Cindy's birthday party?"

She went possibly a tiny bit overboard but it was adorable and she had so many great ideas of cute little Halloween games. Then the kids got a "prize bag" when they completed all of the games and ate lunch and decorated cookies and ate cupcakes and ran around the cul-desac like a bunch of wild animals AND most of all, took reeeaaallly long naps on a day when they would've talked through their naps out of excitement!

Thanks for the par-tay Cindy!

Then Grandma and Grandpa came (Rob's mom Pam and her husband) from Tucson.

Then we had a block party.

Then we went trick-or-treating.

Then we had a bonfire and the kids ate entire buckets of candy.

A little much I know, but hey--it was fun and we got to meet some new neighbors and hang out with the ones we already know! The kids all looked adorable. At one point while trick-or-treating (to a whole five houses) Robbie said, "Hey...there's a train!" Ran up to a kid he'd never met and said, "Hey dude! Nice costume!" Pretty hilarious