February 2011

February started off and we were still in Utah.  We took the kids to the children's museum at the Gateway center in SLC.  It was so much fun and the kids had a blast.  James on the climbing wall.

Grandma came.

Using the pully to raise the building blocks.

Cousin Ryan making a tower.

I made the horrible mistake of trying to go blond.  I dyed my hair about 6 times and this is what I got.  I went back to dark the same day!

We went back to the museum.  James making sandwiches.

Johnny riding the horse.

James on the horse.

Johnny in the helicopter,

My dad also took the kids to the living aquarium.  James loved touching the sting rays.  They came right up out of the water for him to touch.

He could have spent hours here.

Johnny playing in the tunnel.

Grandma Shelley reading the boys some stories.

My dad and I also took the kids to the zoo.

We went into the aviary and this bat got out of the area it was supposed to be in.  My dad insisted on getting this close up shot.  It jumped onto his leg right after and he screamed like a girl and shook it off.  It was too funny and my dad was not pleased with me laughing at him. Best zoo visit ever!

Mid-month I flew home alone with the boys.  It was long and I had words with the TSA agent in Chicago over my kid's water bottle (we had just gotten off a flight and rush right back through security to get onto our next flight so of course I had water in the bottle from the last flight).  Anyway, we survived and it went better than I expected (I expected the worst and was pleasantly surprised).
Brian and I celebrated our 9th wedding anniversary on February 16th.  Our good friend, Cati, watched the kids while we went out to a super fancy restaurant for dinner.

James.

We spent a lot of February at the park with our best friends in Geneva.  This is James' best friend, Holli.  She is only 6 weeks younger than him and they lived just a couple streets away from us.

Johnny at the "horse park" as we called it because it was right next to and equestrian center and tennis club.  It also happened to be across the street from our apartments.

James climbing up to his "office" as he called it.  He was going to work like daddy.

Mimi (by best Geneva friend) and Nati who is about 6 months younger than Johnny.

Mimi, Holli and Nati.

We sure do miss them.

The kids at the top of the slide.

Nati just crawling and so happy.

Look at that chubby baby face!  Too cute!

Happy boy.

James and holli on the swings at a different park.

Johnny was so happy to be on the big boy swing.

Johnny is also a big helper.  He is growing up so fast.

Loves cottage cheese!

Oops.  The order got mixed up but these are more pictures from the children's museum.  At the floating ball section of the museum that the kids loved!

See how they just were so fascinated by the balls?

James too.

Playing music.

The kids really like it.

Building.

Even I helped build a bit.

Beep! Beep!

Johnny and Ryan cooking in the kitchen.  They are 5 weeks apart and so cute together.

James is dressed up as an airplane.  And very happy about it.

Water play!

Aunt Wu, Ryan's mom, was there with us.

February was full of family, friends and fun.  

January 2011

Yes, I realize it has been a while.  I'm just going to pretend that it hasn't and start where I left off.  

January 2011 we spent in Utah and California.  We stayed mostly with my parents.  We painted.

We made healthy shakes with Edpa.

We swam in the hot tub.  Yes, that is snow in the background.

We bowled with family.

Grandpa Fila (my dad's dad) came down from Great Falls, Montana for a visit.  James and John got to play a bit with him.

Then we spent a week in California.  We played outside every day and the weather was beautiful.

Cousin Jax.

Swimming!  Outside!  In January!

At the beach!  This is why I have decided (since this trip) that we need to move to So. California.  Johnny.

James.

James flying a kite.

Johnny throwing sand.

James and cousin Lexi flying kites together.

Uncle Nick is burying John-Luke.

James got buried too.

Johnny got buried better than before.

We also went to the San Diego Zoo.

Aunt Nettie helping Pookie feed a goat.

Bubba feeding a goat.

Lexi was chosen as a volunteer during the animal show.  The seal gave her a few kisses.

Jax took Pookie's spot in the stroller so he got to ride on mommy's shoulders.

We ventured out to the farmer's market.  There is a bird man and he lets the kids have the birds on them.  Lexi and the birds.

James with a bird.

Even Johnny.

Back to the beach (I had to go buy swimsuits cuz I was only prepared for winter).

Pink.

So cute!

Pink and my mom and Jax.

Me and Pookie.

Jax.  What a handsome boy!

I got to do Lexi's hair.  Actually, I do her hair every day when we get together.  I like to do hair and she likes to be a princess.  It is a symbiotic relationship.

Beach again.

Examining the sand.

Who knows?  But he looks like he's having fun.

Kicking the sand.  That gets us in trouble.

We also went to Disney Land.  It worked out awesomely since Uncle Nick was able to come and with my mom there we had 1 adult per child.  Pink and her kids with Goofy.

Me and my boys on the Dumbo ride.

Grandma with Jax and Lexi.

Meeting princesses.  James was just as excited as Lexi.

Handy Manny.  Johnny, was petrified of him.

Getting later in the day.  My mom, John (on top of) Uncle Nick. Lexi helping me push James and Jax in the double stroller.

The most convenient part of the day was getting to use the handicap pass to get to the front of every line!  It rocked!!! There were long lines everywhere and the longest we had to wait was 10 minutes!  It was great!  We had a load of fun and the kids were exhausted (and so were the adults).  Me and Mom on the scary fast ride!

We got home from California at the end of January and rested for a few days.  

Also, during January we officially decided that we were going to move back to Texas in August 2011.  It was a hard decision but we felt like it was the right one.  Stay tuned for February 2011.  

Brian is in Paraguay this week so I'll be posting some more!