Busy Summer So Far!

Birthday Girl!
California Adventure
So Proud!

Our summer has been busy and full of fun family activities! I really love the summer because I really get to spend a lot of time with my grandkiddies. The week after Jake got out of school he came down and stayed with us for a week, we hung out, worked on leggos and he spent a night at Sage and Jer's and while there Jer helped him make his boxwood derby truck. We made a quick trip to Disneyland then met up with Amber to celebrate her birthday at Farrell's Ice Cream Parlor---Wheww! Jake returned home to go to Scout Camp (he's now in Cub Scouts) and Ella came down for the next week and we went beach camping at the Silver Strand.

Gymnast

Ella has been in gymnastics this year and the gym had their Spring Showcase. She is such a Cutie Pie and did a really great job!

Book Signing

Teresa Giudice was at Warwick's in La Jolla for a book signing of her new cookbook Fabulicious and I really wanted to see her as I am slightly addicted to all of the Housewives on Bravo TV. I purchased two books for autographs, one for Sage and one for Amber and after waiting about an hour I met her and got the books signed. She is adorable and very sweet and I'm glad I went to the signing. While I was in line I met some really neat ladies and two really cute sisters. One of the girls Denice has a really great food blog: Ourdailyfeed.blogspot.com Please check it out.

Mother's Day

My little loves-Addison was not liking the picture taking!

I hope one of these days to get a photo of everyone smiling with their eyes open (me included)

All of the girls

Our Mother's Day weekend was busy and fun! Addison's birthday was on Mother's Day and Sage had her 1st Birthday Party on Saturday. On Mother's Day we went to breakfast and then to Sage's to hang out for a few hours before Amber and her family headed home. It is always so fun for us all to be together.

Easter

Sage with Addison it's her 1st Easter

Ivy's 1st Easter also

After our Easter Egg hunt we found Ivy in a basket

Love my girls and their kiddies

Ella, Addison and Jake with their Easter Baskets

The Birthday Girl

Sage celebrated this birthday for the first time as a Mommy!

Ivy's Blessing

Amber's sweet family

Little Ivy on her blessing day

The family minus Ben (he was getting the ham ready)

Amber and Sage with their darlings

I haven't blogged in such a long time--there is probably way too much to catch up on so I'll just hit the most recent events. The 1st being Ivy's blessing on April 10th which was also Sage's birthday. We went to Amber's ward for the blessing then had a family gathering at Amber's.

Weekend at Amber's

On saturday I went to Amber's for a weekend visit. We went for Sushi on saturday night, on sunday we just hung out and Am's made a fantastic pizza and on monday I helped Jake get his Lil Passport Map on his new bulletin board. Jake as always is so fun and easy, Ella is my adorable little princess, and Ivy is the sweetest with those BIG blue eyes. I always wish we lived closer so I could see them more and give Amber a helping hand every now and then! Leaving is sad but I always start planning my next visit on the drive home.

My New Obsession?

I have a relatively new and recent obsession BLOGS. I am obsessed with decorating and style blogs. There are so many amazing and creative bloggers out there that do so many fabulous projects. I am seriously so inspired by them! A few of my favorites have even been featured on The Nate Burkus Show (another fav). Censational Girl, Pen and Paper Flowers, Bella Inspirations, Happy Homemaker, My Life-My Loves, Little Green Notebook, Dear Lizzy, The Farm Chicks, My Sweet Savannah, Dreamy Whites and others are just so fun to take a peek at. Now I just need to put some of these fabulous ideas into action!

Sick Baby!

Addy and Ivy before sick week!!

Last week was really difficult~~our little Ivy was in the hospital. She finally came home on Sunday and their lives are getting back to normal. Our whole family has had miserable colds with Ivy and Addison being the sickest!

Visit and a Project!

Two weeks after Ivy's arrival I went back up to visit. Sage, Jer and Addison also went along so we had a fun family week-end. While we were there Jake had a school project to do and the family was encouraged to help. The project was to make a building you would see in your town. He was given a small cereal box to use the rest was up to him. Jake came up with the ideas and Sage on the computer and me with scissors and exacto knife helped Jake create his project. We really had fun and I think it is pretty amazing!

Our New Granddaughter!

We are so excited to welcome our new granddaughter! She was a week early, Mom and Baby are doing great! Big Brother Jake and Sister Ella are thrilled to have a new baby sister!

Ivy Elizabeth Lowry

January 7, 2011

4:00 PM

7 lbs. 10 oz.

19 ins.

It's a New Year!

I was planning to blog about resolutions-you know to make some or not, cause I'm not the best at keeping them! Instead I thought I would reflect a little on 2010. This was still a difficult year for many and like most folks these days I have been more conservative in many areas of my life. When I reflect on this year for our family it was filled with many blessings, we have a beautiful new granddaughter Addison. Sage and Jer are loving parenthood and Addison just makes life happy and fun for all of us. Jake, our handsome grandson, was baptised in December. Honestly, Jake is just the most delightful child, I wish everyone a child like him. Ella is my darling Minners, she is such a little girly, girl. In November she turned 3 and had a Princess Party and she is every inch the Princess, or at times our little Diva! Love her so much. Addison will be 8 months old on the 8th and she is really coming into her own--she is crawling like crazy, takes fewer snoozes and is already free standing when she's not thinking about it! We look forward to a new granddaughter in a few days-so we are starting 2011 with lots of hugs, kisses and joy with her arrival. I feel so lucky to have this family and all the joy it brings me. And so after reflecting a bit this is what I resolve for 2011--to continue to love and enjoy my husband, children and darling grandchildren. Anything else that I would resolve to do would probably fall by the wayside anyway. However, I do resolve to live 2011 as joyously and as happily as possible and I hope all of you do the same!

Christmas Morning

Sweet cousins sharing toys!

Whata surprise from Santa Xbox 360

Addy loves the paper!

Trying to help Jake read the note from Santa!

Addison's 1st present!

A room full of presents!

Ben and Am's--baby due in 2-3 weeks

Papa with a couple of cutie bugs!

For the last 3 years we have gone to Amber's for Christmas morning. We get up early, early load the truck and drive to Amber's. It is so much fun for us all to be together and watch the kids open their presents. After gifting, we have a huge Christmas breakfast, relax for a bit, then Dana and I drive home. Sage, Jer and Addison stay for the day-they have a little tradition of taking the kids to see Christmas lights and eat Jack in the Box for dinner-gotta love traditions, the funny the better.

Christmas Eve!

Sage, Jer and Addison

Hey! Where's my food, Papa?

Okay guys watch out now I can crawl!

Our Christmas Luv!

Christmas Eve was at Sage and Jer's, this is Addison's 1st Christmas and to make it all the more fun for her Mommy and Daddy she is crawling and can get into everything!

Pictures with Santa

I scanned this picture-the size isn't right and it's crooked but the kiddies are the cutest, we even got Addison smiling! This is the best Santa picture-no tears!

Waiting for our turn to sit on Santa's lap!

Christmas at Disneyland!

Jake and Ella

My girls both love Minnie!

Waiting with my luv's to see Minnie!

We always make a visit to Disneyland in December-the decorations are so pretty and it just feels so Christmasy. It is so fun no matter how crowded and this year it was pretty dang crowded!