Chez Zachry

Tip Top Tapper

2012-02-18T17:28:00.000-08:00

Paige is very excited about her current tap/ballet class at preschool. I'm not sure how much rhythm she has at this point but she definitely puts her whole heart in to it.
Full concentration here...tongue out and everything.

Paige and her sweet friend Charlotte. These girls have been friends since their first day of preschool as two year olds.

Strike a Pose

2012-02-11T09:08:00.000-08:00

We had a Superbowl get together...the only picture that was taken was of the ladies watching Madonna during halftime. (Christie, where are you?) I don't even think I realized there was a football game going on because I was in the kitchen stuffing my face...until halftime! Girls will be girls, and let's face it...Madonna is so much for more fun to watch then a bunch of men chasing a ball around the field. Just sayin'...

Run, run as fast as you can

2012-02-11T08:31:00.000-08:00

The Superbowl 10k was last weekend and Clay ran in the "buggy pushing group." He made great time (while pushing 80 pounds of children) and placed 11th out of 192. Can you say superhero?

Our dear friends Nicole and Erik ran too. Here is Erik finishing pushing Siena and Sawyer. (I got to stay with sweet Ruby while her parents ran)

Look at this hot mama as she gets ready to cross the finish line. She had her third baby this year. What a superstar!

Daddy and his stroller companion celebrating after the finish. Clay said she talked the entire time and kept saying "go faster, faster!" You've got to love the hat!

On My Own Two Feet

2012-02-03T16:45:00.000-08:00

Since I am having surgery in a few short weeks and will be out of commission for a while, I am trying to do as many things with the kiddos that require me to be completely verticle...ie; that involve walking. We hit the zoo and Disneyland in the same week...(note to self--next time only embark on one major outing per week to avoid total exhaustion!)

Here these two are at the zoo beginning their adventure together. *Note-my daughter is completely responsible for her adorable outfit.

Paige brought her magnifying glass to take a closer look at all her discoveries...

Treats at the end of the day...our friends Hailey and Brandy met up with us. I'm not sure why Paige moved her skirt to her head but she did. And Graham devoured the entire churro himself. Completely.

Still enjoying it...

These kiddos loved Disneyland...it was Graham's first time. He was totally unsure about any of the rides but loved getting in to any type of car that stayed still.

Tinkerbell (Paige) visiting with her beloved Belle...

Daisy Duck made an appearance and P loved that...

And some ice cream to finish off the very hot day we had there...what a blast!

Travel Trifecta

2012-01-28T07:26:00.000-08:00

I have been so lucky over the past few months to go to three cities I have always wanted to visit (sans children, I should add). I went to Savannah, Georgia and New Orleans, and most recently to Portland,Oregon. I really want my kids to have the travel bug that I have and I hope they always have the desire to see and experience new places.

Clay and I went to Portland this past weekend. Of course, we didn't get any pictures. Except one. The hotel where we stayed, Hotel Monaco, has a guest services director named Timmy. He happens to be a yellow labrador. This chalkboard is where Timmy puts the names of the other dogs staying in the hotel each day.

How cool is that? Portland is like a small San Francisco and happens to be an amazing food city. We loved it and hope to visit again. My dear college friend (Beth) and I used to sit around and talk about our "soul cities." These are places you feel connected to even though you may not have even been there. So, here's to you, Beth, and now I am crossing another "soul city" off my list.

"The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page. " -unknown

Next up, Yountville, CA. The French Laundry.

Two!

2012-01-15T18:56:00.000-08:00

Our sweet little angel turned two this weekend. I cannot believe it has been two years since he came in to the world.
At two, he is the sweetest, most polite little guy I know. He has great manners and overall is just a gentle giant. (most people ask me if he is three or four) There is no drama from this little man...he wants to play, eat, and watch Super Why or Barney. That's it. Amazingly simple. Although we have seen the signs of two-year old behavior of late, he is still such an angel.

Here is the little guy as his beach-park birthday breakfast with family. How many two year olds get to have donuts at a park that overlooks the ocean on their birthday? In January.

We followed that up with dinner with friends that night. He loved his Barney pinata.
And his new helmet...he loves to "wide a bike" so the helmet was needed. His head barely fits in to the size for 5 year olds.

Love you Graham, and I LOVE your cake. (seriously Torrance Bakery, the best cakes on the planet)

He's very curious as to what he should do, and of course big sister is very much a part of every move on his birthday. In fact, his birthday has been especially rough for her. Every time a gift or card came this week, she would start to cry. I think sharing attention is becoming tough for her.

Ok, this is the part where I am admitting I think boys may be easier than girls...

It was a group effort to blow the candles out...

Our family is usually a white-on-white cake kind of family. (thanks, Mom) This time I decided to throw in the fudge-ribbon center...it was...well...look for yourself...

Delicious!

We love you Grammers and the joy your bring to our family every day. Happy second birthday!

Santa Delivers

2012-01-06T07:25:00.000-08:00

Santa paid a visit to our house on Christmas and needless to say the kids (Paige especially) was thrilled beyond belief. Here they are being held back (thank you, baby gate) from running down the stairs. I don't think Graham is exactly sure what is going on.
Released!

The toy she wanted the most...her very own walking and barking dog which she named Frenchy. This dog is the newest member of our household. She takes naps, goes with Paige everywhere, and made an appearance at pre-school so Paige could show her friends. Let's not forget we have a real, alive, breathing dog in our house too. I guess that wasn't enough!

The tool set was a big hit too! Just because you're a princess doesn't mean you can't play with tools!

Here the two of them are...busily playing with the new tool set.

December fun...

2012-01-01T16:46:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful December full of so many fun activities for the kids. Who says it doesn't snow in southern California? Our church brought in twenty tons of snow for a fun day for all the kids. Who isn't thrilled about the cold, icy surface he is sitting on? But boy, isn't he cute in his snow hat?

Paige and Sophie decided to take the plunge and sled down the hill. Future snow bunnies?
Paige had her school Christmas program. I think we practiced every night for three weeks. She loved singing on stage with all of her friends.

We had a wonderful holiday season. Highlights include: driving around looking at Christmas lights, watching Rudolph the Rednose Reindeer and Caillou Christmas 500+ times, and our nightly advent calendar. Christmas really is magical with little ones in the house.

5th Annual Cookie Party

2011-12-22T11:59:00.001-08:00

Another year...another fabulous cookie party. This one was a little touch and go as the stomach flu had invaded our house that week. I was determined to let the party go on. Needless to say the ladies were drinking champagne and I was drinking Sprite. At any rate, a group of fabulous ladies came over to partake in the annual event. This year we awarded an overall winner, and a winner for best presentation.

Can you say nepotism?

Here are my mom's vanilla cake pops on top of candy cane snow. She won for presentation. This was her first year to take home a prize. Her cookies are always beautiful.

The overall winner came from my cousin Kelly with these amazing peanut butter chocolate concoctions. Delicious!

The two winners...the votes were tight but these two came out on top.

I love all of these beautiful baking divas...can't wait for next year!

*note--Annie was officially miserable in her Santa suit.

Thank-FULL

2011-11-27T11:23:00.000-08:00

We had a very joyful Thanksgiving...full of family and food. My in-laws came in town from Texas which was so fun for Clay, me and the kiddos. My freezer is now stocked with my mother-in-law's baked goods so not only am I still full from Thanksgiving, it looks like my jeans won't be getting any looser.

(pics courtesy of Clay)

My sister and me...we had fun having all of the kids together this year. I think I see why people say we look alike.

My beautiful mother-in-law, Linda.

Sweet Paige who was very proud of the pumpkin cheese cake she made. It was topped of with "cheese whipped cream" which for some reason is what she calls whipped cream. She proudly served everyone.

My mom got a printer box opened it up for all the kids to play in. It was quite the hit for the kids, and the adults as you can see. My mom and step-dad were brave enough to host the whole family including my two peanuts and cousin Ashton.

Meme and Popz with their non-cooperating grandchildren. Don't they look like they could be the parents? I hope I look this good when I'm a grandmother.

We love all of our family...both near and far! Now, time for a little low-carb action so I can still fit in my clothes by Christmas!

Brilliant

2011-11-10T13:03:00.000-08:00

I suppose the best piece of advice I could give anyone is pretty simple: get a life. A real life, not the manic pursuit of the next promotion, the bigger paycheck, the larger house. Do you think you'd care so very much about those things if you developed an aneurysm one afternoon, or found a lump in your breast while in the shower?

Get a life in which you notice the smell of salt water pushing itself on a breeze over the dunes, a life in which you stop and watch how a red-tailed hawk circles over a pond and a stand of pines. Get a life in which you pay attention to the baby as she scowls with concentration when she tries to pick up a Cheerio with her thumb and first finger.

Turn off your cell phone. Turn off your regular phone, for that matter. Keep still. Be present.

Get a life in which you are not alone. Find people you love, and who love you. And remember that love is not leisure, it is work. Each time I look at my diploma, I remember that I am still a student, still learning every day to be human. Send an e-mail. Write a letter. Kiss your mom. Hug your dad. Get a life in which you are generous.

Look around at the azaleas making fuchsia star bursts in spring; look at a full moon hanging silver in a black sky on a cold night. And realize that life is glorious, and that you have no business taking it for granted.

Thank you Anna Quindlen. Here's to all of you out there who, like me, needed a reminder like this.

Happy Halloween!

2011-11-01T20:21:00.001-07:00

This year we had an army-dog...not too happy about it... A very handsome firefighter...he said "peez and cank you" to everyone as we were trick-or-treating. He didn't even take any candy, he was just ultra polite! Love this little boy!

And my very adorable Madeleine...she picked this costume out herself. I love all things french...maybe I am rubbing off on her. She was so proud of her costume!

My Sweet Nephew

2011-10-30T19:03:00.001-07:00

Look at this sweet little face...my nephew Ashton. This little precious pumpkin had his first birthday this month. He is the sweetest, most mellow, easy baby on the planet!

We love you Ashton! Happy Birthday!

Movie Stars

2011-10-30T18:57:00.000-07:00

We loved having our sweet friends the Brittingham's in town to visit! These girls all played together when they were toddlers. Don't they look like movie stars? I believe we have a Fancy Nancy/Cowgirl, Snow White (very sassy!), and a Snow White/Princess Minnie Mouse. Here's to two Sophies and Paige and to good friends from Seattle who we miss and love!

Go Dolphins!

2011-10-23T17:02:00.000-07:00

Paige is having a blast playing soccer as a member of the Dolphins! Clay is the coach which is so fun to watch. He is incredibly patient with five four year old girls...most of whom are more interested in the snack at the end of the game than the game itself.

Half-time oranges...Paige with our star player Sienna.

Clay is fiercely competitive and is an excellent soccer player. Paige is still focusing on making sure she is kicking the ball to the correct goal. She has made a few goals this season...none of which have been in the right goal.

It is fun for her to be part of her first team sport activity. I don't get to watch too much of the game and I am chasing her brother around the field the entire time...

Here's to many more seasons on the soccer field with Paige and Coach Clay!

Channeling Martha

2011-10-15T20:28:00.000-07:00

Well since the hubby is away I have had some time to spend in the kitchen...after all when your husband is the main cook in the house and he goes out of town what do you do? Make dessert, naturally. We have plenty of canned pumpkin in the house this time of year so what better than to make pumpkin chocolate chip bars courtesy of Martha Stewart? (my children are going to turn in to pumpkins due to all the pumpkin bread I make this time of year). So here was tonight's dinner...

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars

2 cups flour
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
2 sticks butter
1 1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 12oz bag chocolate chips

You know the drill...mix the wet...add the dry...grease the 9x13 pan...bake 35-40 minutes at 35o. Eat one. Then another. Then have that second glass of wine. After all, the hubby is gone another 48 hours.

PS...I would like to thank the pumpkin patch, Pottery Barn Kids featuring "Olivia" for a photo-op, kind neighbors who invited us over for pizza, and anyone else who has helped this mom entertain her kids all weekend solo.

Savannah

2011-10-08T08:44:00.000-07:00

I took the most amazing trip to Savannah with my dear friend Brandy in September. I have been wanting to visit this area of the deep south for many years and was so glad to finally make it happen. I love finding friends who are great travel companions...she likes to take naps...do everything or do nothing...wander around and get lost...eat way too much and sleep in...my kind of traveler!

A great place to stay in Savannah...

This was probably our best meal of the trip...fried green tomatoes, collard greens, lobster...oh my goodness! We took a "foodies" tour of Savannah and visited many notable restaurants and establishments. (note--jeans were tighter at end of trip)

I loved the trees here...they all look like this .

Since we were in the south, you can only imagine the weddings there are over the top. I took this picture of an amazing centerpiece. To gauge the size, notice the regular size centerpieces in the bottom right corner. This thing was huge. *I did make an unsuccessful attempt to get in to this wedding. It did involve climbing up a wall and standing on a trash can. (too many mint juleps?) I even tried to tell the security guard I was getting married the following week there and wanted to check out my venue. He said he couldn't let us in, but did tell me "congratulations!" hee hee

One of many beautiful historic churches in this breathtakingly beautiful city...

I love brick houses with plantation shutters.

This is the place I want to live in. Love the brick, plantation shutters, red door, and topiaries. Maybe a second home in Savannah? We'll see... I don't think my cholesterol or waistline could handle it.

I neglected to take any pictures of Brandy and me. And the next time I travel to such a historic place I will bring my "real" camera and not the point and shoot I used here.

This was a wonderful place that I plan to visit again...

"The South; where tea is sweet and accents are sweeter; summer starts in April; front porches are wide and words are long; macaroni and cheese is a vegetable; Y'all is the only proper pronoun; chicken is fried and biscuits come with gravy; everything is darling and someone is always getting their heart blessed." -unknown

Why we love Bakersfield, Texas

2011-09-13T12:58:00.000-07:00

1. Well Sonic of course!

2. Kids and chaos everywhere. Kids eat cake for breakfast.

3. After two summers of swimming lessons, Paige learns to swim thanks to Nicki.

4. We love our friends that live there!

note***if you are from Texas and live in California, make your way to Bakersfield. You'll feel right at home.

Four under four

2011-09-06T19:25:00.000-07:00

We had such a wonderful visit from Clay's sister and family. All four of them headed west (out of the Texas heat) and it was such a fun time for the four cousins to play for a week. This is my "shout out" to all mothers of four children. I do not think there was one calm day...hardly a calm minute. I realize that I can barely manage my two so I don't know how mothers of large families do it. At any rate, we had a blast watching them all play together.

They enjoyed playing "school bus" in the car...here is a very under-aged driver. (Note Campbell is in the background playing with the garage door opener...up and down...up and down)

I love this picture. I played with the color a bit and loved it's conversion to black and white. Paige is pretending to read while Campbell listens intently to her princess book. How sweet are they? Their good friends drove down from San Francisco to play. Paige loved playing with sweet Lily. I heard Paige tell many people after they left that Lily lives in San Francisco. I'm sure they were thinking "who the heck is Lily?" She has spunk and confidence just like Paige. She finally found her match.

Yours truly had the not-so-brilliant idea of making smores outside for the kids. Paige was so excited about our "pretend campover" outside. *Note to self---smores are messy, gooey, sticky, and hard to clean up.

I love this picture of Campbell. He is so sweet and innocent.

Sweet Ellis was such a joy to have around. She hardly cried at all and let anyone hold her. She is her dad's mini-me.

Here is Graham teaching his baby cousin how to climb up on everything...he is looking at her with a smirk thinking "ha, we'll show them. come on up cousin!"

Please enlarge this picture. Here is lovely Em and JM with all of these rascals. Paige is refusing to smile; Graham seems to be grunting at Ellis. Campbell is happy and content. Love this!

If there's any way to exhaust four kids under four, take them to the beach every day and run them around. That pretty much ensured we all slept at night.

We had so much fun with our family (even actually left the kids with a babysitter one night) and can't wait to do it again soon! We love you!

Sailing

2011-08-28T10:20:00.000-07:00

Some dear friends took us out on their boat a few weeks ago. The kids all had such a fun time. Paige had her first fishing experience...she has been asking to go fishing for a long time. Here she is with her friend Luke. Enjoying lunch after a fun morning on the boat...

Having friends with a boat is priceless...having friends that are brave enough to take four kids on their boat under the age of five...even better.

Thirty-something

2011-08-22T17:53:00.000-07:00

Clay turned 35 last week...that is just 15 years shy of an AARP membership. Paige told everyone her daddy "is turning old" on his birthday.

Of course Clay didn't want a big to-do but we did celebrate with some dear friends...
And Clay will be passing this button on as the aforementioned friend is turning 40 in a few months...

We gave Clay a new universal remote control that has a touch-screen application for his gift. It is supposedly the remote "your wife can figure out." hmmm, I haven't been able to figure it out yet. Happy Birthday Clay! We love you!

The time had come...

2011-08-16T20:55:00.001-07:00

Grammer's hair was starting to get out of control. Although I LOVE his curls, I was trying to avoid the mullet look. I took him for his first official haircut a few days ago.

The before...

And because he won't sit still for a second this was the best shot I could get. I am happy to report he still has some of his curls in the back...he just doesn't look as though he lives in the trailer park. (nothing wrong with that of course...just not my style!) I mean the poor kid is already missing his front tooth.

Sweet Graham with cottage cheese up in his hair...what am I going to do with him?

Contained

2011-08-11T08:03:00.001-07:00

We had some dear friends visit a few weeks ago. They brought their lab Raleigh with them and her crate as well. Graham took a liking to the crate and decided to camp out in it for a while. Why haven't I thought of this?

Here's what you get...

2011-08-02T20:11:00.001-07:00

Here's what you get when you tell your four year old she can wear whatever she wants to have her picture taken...please notice the leopard pants; they are a staple around here. It's not easy to get a shot of Graham actually standing still...this little guy moves a mile a minute. These two are playing together a little now. It's nice for a few minutes until P whacks G over the head or he takes her toys away and then I have to break up the fight. They really do love each other so much and it is so fun to watch them grow up together. Every day with these angels is a gift.

Rags to Riches

2011-07-09T17:44:00.000-07:00

Two and a half years ago this sweet dog was found off the 405 freeway abandoned, flea infested, completely matted, and almost skin and bones. She was picked up by the local animal control and eventually made it to the SPCA in Long Beach. I had been looking online for a dog for our family for a few months as our beloved Ruby had passed away about three months prior. I saw this sweet face online and I nearly had to restrain myself because I wanted to jump through the computer screen! Her name was "Butternutter." I showed up at the SPCA the next day to meet this little dog. She was in a separate room with another potential family. I walked in (trying to keep myself calm) and the lady could clearly read the look on my face. She asked if I was there for "this" dog. I replied yes. She stated they were simply looking for "a" dog for their family. She told the volunteer she would call back the next day and that if I didn't end up adopting her, she was interested. I still want to find that lady and give her an enormous hug. The rest is history. Annie came home with us a few days later.

This dog that came from nothing is now truly an angel here on earth for so many. Annie's painted portrait is now hanging in the entry-way of our local hospital due to her work there as a therapy dog. We are so honored!

We are putting together a fundraiser for my favorite dog rescue Rover Rescue where we will invite our animal loving friends to join us for a night of celebrating a true Rags to Riches story.
(not to mention my husband will be showing off his foodie abilities!) We love Annie and the serendipity that brought us together!

Happy Independence Day!

2011-07-06T20:47:00.000-07:00

We had such a great holiday weekend with Clay's parents in town...too bad we didn't take pictures of them. We love you Meme and Popz!

Paige standing between her two grandmothers...

A very sweet dog celebrating the 4th...

Just a little goofing around and showing off for the family...

Look at this sweet boy holding his flag in honor of the holiday!

We had a great time celebrating the holiday with family and friends.

Happy Independence Day!

The first decade...

2011-06-20T19:49:00.001-07:00

Clay and I celebrated our ten year anniversary last weekend and had the opportunity to get away for the weekend. We headed to Paso Robles...wine country of the central coast and had a wonderful, relaxing weekend.

We stayed at the most amazing, lovely place. If you are ever in the area, you have got to check out Hotel Cheval.
Paso Robles is becoming quite the dog friendly town...

There were so many special places at this hotel...I love this window with red trim completely surrounded by greenery growing up the side. (kind of random I know but I really liked it...)

The rolling hills of Paso Robles...it is like a smaller version of Tuscany. Clay arranged for a private tour of one of our favorite vineyards Adelaida.

It truly is one of the most peaceful places I have been to. It also might have had something to do with the fact that my children were three hours south.

Each of the barrels of wine had a value of about $100,000. I guess that's why they say "the best way to make a small fortune in wine is to spend a large one."

I'm so sad Clay and I didn't get any pictures together. He took a bunch of pictures of me but we neglected to get some shots of us! I really can't believe it has been ten years but truly I couldn't ask for a better husband. He makes me a better person and I wouldn't want to share my life with anyone else.

We came home on Father's Day and Paige was wearing one of her gifts for her daddy...a Cowboys uniform. She is all set for football season!

Influence

2011-06-19T18:50:00.000-07:00

It is amazing how you can have an influence on kids and not even realize it...note Paige's leggings match a pillow from the couch...
And my precious little G is snacking on my favorite cereal...fruit loops.

I love these two little angels!

Love...

2011-06-05T15:16:00.001-07:00

Paige and Clay at the Galaxy soccer game...I love her cheerleader outfit with snow hat!

This sums it up...

2011-05-31T20:38:00.000-07:00

I love my house...I love my family...it seems like I spend as much time cleaning up as I do enjoying them...

This is a great reminder that life is messy and that is okay.

One More...

2011-05-28T08:34:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to our most precious princess!! We love you Paigie-pie!

Snow White is turning four

2011-05-22T16:18:00.000-07:00

Paige had her birthday bash this weekend. Her actual birthday is Memorial Day but we celebrated early to make sure all of her friends would be in town.

Here she is with her brother and cousin...I love this picture of the three cousins. Ashton is so carefree and easy and he LOVES being entertained by Paige.

She, of course, wanted to wear her princess dress for her party.

Grammers getting some swing-time looking a little concerned. I think he was worried about getting a cupcake.

Princess Paige trying to swing at the pinata...it was really Lauren in the background who finally cracked it. For some reason Paige was obsessed with having a pinata at her party...I think it's the ridiculous amount of candy she really wanted.

All of the kiddos rushing in to fill their bags...

P is thinking intently on what she will wish for...prince charming perhaps?

Thankfully my Mom was there to keep Grammers in check during the party. Clearly, he had a good time.

Happy fourth birthday Paige! We couldn't imagine life without your laughter, passion, and joy. We love you!

Mother's Day

2011-05-22T16:02:00.000-07:00

We all headed down to the dog beach on Mother's Day...it is one of my favorite places to be in the world. (Ok well after Paris of course) It is so incredibly peaceful seeing dogs run through the sand and splash in the water. I especially love watching retrievers swim out to catch a ball and gently paddle back in. So we picked up donuts and headed down to Rosie's Beach in Long Beach.

Annie met a friend here...
Grammers thoroughly enjoyed playing in the sand and chasing dogs around.

Clay and Paige are making sure Annie gets her exercise. Paige is getting so good (finally) about asking permission to other dogs. She is really uncertain about whether or not we should add another dog to our family. I am ready but the princess is not!

Overall we had such a great Mother's Day. My husband made my favorite steak house dinner at home...rib eyes, blue cheese wedge salad, and chocolate molten lava cake. Aaaahhh....life is good!

Boy oh Boy

2011-05-09T12:45:00.001-07:00

I love this little boy...sweet Grammers in his pool in the backyard...I don't even think there is any water in it. This little guy is all boy...he climbs on everything, gets in to everything, and just about makes a mess of everything.

Here is what happens to your little boy when he has a big sister with princess everything...

A Royal Dichotomy

2011-04-26T20:47:00.000-07:00

Just in time for the royal wedding tomorrow...sweet Paige in all her Snow White glory...so girly yet so sporty at the same time. I will take credit for all of her girliness and none of her athletic prowess.

Need I say more?

2011-04-15T09:23:00.000-07:00

This is definitely how I feel many days...life can be so crazy...I love this quote!

Spring is here...

2011-04-06T20:47:00.000-07:00

We took the kiddos out last weekend to grab some shots of them for Spring. It was such a beautiful day...I love P and G walking together and having fun.

This is the last actual picture of Grammers with two front teeth. (I love this shot)

He smashed his poor sweet face on this metal bench soon after this shot. We spent the better part of the afternoon at the ER where his entire front tooth (root and all) came out. It took me a little while to realize he will be missing a front tooth until he is likely seven or eight. However we are embracing it and are so glad Grammers is okay otherwise.

I love my little spring chickens!

Current...

2011-03-31T21:11:00.000-07:00

This is my current favorite picture to date. I love how this shows Grammers' little curls (please tell me if you think it's a mullet). My Grammers started walking this week but this picture helps me preserve his infancy. Thanks Clay for taking such a fun shot.

(P.S. Due to an elbow injury blogging/picture taking is a little slow right now...I hope to be back up and running soon!)

Three's a crowd

2011-03-16T08:37:00.000-07:00

It was bath time for my kiddos this weekend...and then I remembered Annie needed to be bathed too because she had to go to "work" on Sunday...so why not bathe them all together?

I love this shot...and I love playing with my editing software to get such a fun finish on it.

This little girl does not like the water...

I'm afraid my kids are going to think all these dog experiences are completely normal. Paige has started to ask for Annie to sleep in her bed...I don't think I can bare the thought of that. Better yet...maybe it's time add another dog to our family so one can sleep in her room and the other in ours. Hmmmm...the wheels are turning...

Consider this...

2011-03-13T10:00:00.000-07:00

Such a lovely couple...and two of my favorite people on the planet! Consider making a donation to their annual Multiple Myeloma fundraiser. Gary has been living with this disease since 2005 and continues to beat the odds!

Their fundraising page is:

www.active.com/donate/2011mmrfAlcatraz/GaryJockers

We love the Jockers!

It's genetic...

2011-03-07T09:18:00.000-08:00

I really hope Paige acquires some of my traits. And of course there's some I hope she doesn't. One thing I really pray is that my children have a love of animals and an understanding of underprivileged ones especially.
Paige told her teachers during the month of February what love means to her...

Needless to say...this melted my heart.

Paige also told me the other day when we were brushing her teeth and looking in the mirror that "We have the same eyes mom. Grammers too." And I said "what about daddy?" Paige replied "Daddy has the same eyes as Annie. The brown ones." My daughter thinks we are related to the dog. I'm actually okay with that.

Mulling it over...

2011-02-27T21:27:00.000-08:00

After mulling it over, I'll just say it...IT'S A MULLET!!!

Yes Paige gave herself her first haircut this week. She was really excited about it and actually kind of proud until she saw the look on my face...horror. Thankfully she only got the left side so on the right she is still the same cute Paige...on the left--well that's pretty self-explanatory.

She is such the individual! We love you Paige!

Austin-tatious!

2011-02-23T08:55:00.000-08:00

We made our annual trip to Austin this past President's Day Weekend! We always have a blast with our friends Cici and Bri Bri...our crew has doubled over the past few years. The nice thing about traveling to see friends with kids is that you just show up and as Clay says "insert kids" in to their house. The down side, of course, is traveling on an airplane with little ones.

Here is Grammers getting ready for the trip. Shame on American Airlines for not having milk on flights past noon. Note to all parents out there--half n' half plus water does not taste like milk to an infant. This results in further screaming and crying until you actually land and bolt over to the closest fast food restaurant and buy milk. Thank goodness he's cute.
When we got to Cici and Bri Bri's, I couldn't resist taking a picture of precious Will's thighs. Aren't they just yummy?? Will is truly an angel and the sweetest little boy.

The kids all loved playing together...I love this picture of Graham following Paige down the driveway. It is so symbolic in so many ways...she is the big sister and he wants to do as she does.

Paige's inaugural roller-skating experience. Here is Cici putting them on. Paige trusted Cici like a mom. That's my Cici...the mom of all mom's. We love you.

The boys were so excited all weekend to get their barbeque fix taken care of. Even though Brian and Corinna were recovering from a stomach bug, Brian made sure good ole' Texas barbeque was part of the picture. We waited an hour and a half for this smoked brisket--I'll even admit it was worth it.

Will and Grammers chillin' out in the stroller...both such troopers at kiddie land --a play area with rides and farm animals. We called it the "Funny Farm" because we were losing our minds trying to manage four kids here.

Paige and Jack played like siblings...kind of a love-hate relationship. At one point Paige told Jack he couldn't come to her birthday party at Disneyland and he didn't have a map to get there any way. Jack put Graham's birthday cake toy in the trash to retaliate.

I captured a moment where they were best friends!

Paige liked looking at the rides but when it came to getting on them, she was a little less confident. I had to ride with her. Let's just say it was a little less than comfortable and I'm pretty sure I exceeded the weight limit.

My new favorite picture of Miss P. She loved riding the pony!

Clay and Grammers on the train...Bri Bri in the background. Gotta love the Funny Farm!

Little Miss P singing "chugga chugga choo choo!"

Buzz Lightyear! This was even funnier when she came down wearing nothing but the wings. We'll keep it g-rated for the blog!

The two most precious one-year olds I know...love these little guys! (note Graham's hole in his pants on his left knee---crawling faster than the speed of light takes a toll on your clothes.)

Another fun moment of the two wild ones...nothing like a calm moment for the parents when these two would settle in to a tv show.

A little post-bath snuggle!

We had such a great time visiting some of our dearest friends. We love you.

Ten Things that Make My Heart Smile...

2011-02-13T21:27:00.001-08:00

This Valentine's Day I want to share many of the things that make my heart smile these days...Sometimes I feel I have been blessed with so much that my heart cannot contain all the joy it feels. Here are just a few things...

1. This precious dog Annie...she is having her portrait painted and it will hang proudly in Torrance Memorial Hospital until 2015. It might sound funny, but I cried when I found out. This dog brings so much joy to our family and to the lives of so many...to have her picture painted and hanging for so many to see feels simply overwhelming. I love this dog.

2. I have been working on a picture wall for our staircase. One of my favorite pieces is this one of my three cockapoos--Yankee and me, Ruby, and Annie. This makes my heart smile every time I pass it.

3. This is my favorite picture of Grammers right now. I love his chubby cheeks, his sweet curls, and the fact that Annie crept in the picture. Perfect.

4. Clay and I are making plans for our ten year anniversary. Wow. Where has the time gone? I get so excited just thinking about getting away and celebrating ten years of marriage. We are truly blessed.

5. Heart-shaped blueberry pancakes...we had so much fun with Paige making these. It has become a Saturday morning tradition to make a fun breakfast. This all started out so innocent...

Hmmm....

I love this face!

6. Family dance parties in our bedroom are becoming pretty regular around here. Paige has some really interesting moves and Graham has started to bounce. I'm thankful no one is video taping us.

7. I have decided that a little "down-time" can really be helpful. I promised myself I would allow (force) myself to watch one tv show a week that wasn't news related. I chose "Selling New York." It's so fun to see how real estate works out there...and in turn makes me feel better about the prices of homes out here! My new mantra "down-time makes me a better mom and wife!"

8. I got GREAT news this week that a dear friend is not moving away after all. After much explaining to Paige, I think she finally understood her friend Hailey would be staying in the neighborhood. I am a cancer, and although I'm not all that in to horoscopes, I DO LOVE MY FRIENDS! I'm so glad you're staying in the City of Angels, Brandy.

9. My heart smiles the most when my children are happy. This weekend Paige and her dear friend Sophie decorated Valentine cupcakes. They each had their own supplies...

the cupcakes...

and most importantly each other.

The end result...just perfect.

10. My family, friends, and kiddos make my heart smile the most. I love all of you!!

Happy Valentines Day!!

Run, run as fast as you can...

2011-02-10T08:01:00.000-08:00

You can't catch Clay he's superman!

A dear friend (and former neighbor) shot some pics of Clay and the kiddos running his 10k last weekend...might I mention that Clay finished #19 out of 170 while pushing 65 pounds of children.

I love this shot...Grammers is sporting his pajamas with a sweatshirt and of course Paige has her tutu on. I wish I had been there to see this for myself.

We're so proud of you Clay!

Mom's weekend away

2011-02-07T09:44:00.000-08:00

I was so lucky this past weekend to be able to get away for a few days to go visit one of my oldest and dearest friends Angela in Colorado... (this picture was taken with my blackberry in a dark restaurant so the quality is pretty bad...) but it certainly captured the moment. I slept in...watched movies...read magazines...all the things I rarely do anymore. It was a pleasure spending time with someone who is like a sister.

Clay stepped up as "Mr. Mom" for the weekend...took the kids to a birthday party, ran a 10k, grocery shopped, had a pizza party with Paige...then picked me up at the airport just in time for a Super Bowl party.

Thank you to my most special Ang for having me and for my husband for taking over!

p.s. Payback on it's way...Clay is going to Vegas for the weekend in a few weeks.

All we need is love...

2011-01-31T20:52:00.001-08:00

In honor of February starting tomorrow...I hung this in my entry way. It's totally cheesy...but also somewhat true. And these two sure do give a lot of love...

Miss P watching "Mary Popsem" and singing along to every song...

And Grammers enjoying his dinner...check out those curls!!!

Yes, love is all you need.

Peaceful

2011-01-25T21:31:00.000-08:00

This is my new favorite picture of Annie...I really think she could be a famous dog-model if she wanted to be. I love this picture because she is particularly peaceful looking...you wouldn't know the chaos surrounding her at the time...Paige running around...Graham screaming and crawling all over the furniture.

I love all the little people that have taken over our house but on this day I love the peace that Annie brings.

Dryer Dude

2011-01-22T21:16:00.000-08:00

Ok so this probably isn't safe...

Grammers likes to crawl in to everything now of course, but thankfully he stays long enough for me to grab my camera. Paige said when she saw him in the dryer "oh Mom, he'll melt!"

Graham's party...

2011-01-19T11:36:00.000-08:00

Well I'm almost a week late in posting these...thank you stomach bug 2011 for taking down our entire family...one member at a time. What a week!

At any rate I am finally able to get my photos from my editing software on to my blog...the quality isn't great on the blog because I have to reduce it in order for the files to fit. (thanks EG!) However at least you can get a peak at some fun pics!!

Here is the sweetest bottom ever on his first birthday...

Mere and her grandbabies...

I love this picture...that sweet little hand of Paige's in the background...it wasn't her day but she sure tried to have a presence wherever she could!

I love this shot...precious Grammers awaiting his first piece of cake ever!

Time to dig in...

This was a multi-media affair!

My absolute favorite...

This boy was so happy all night long! We love you Graham, our precious one year old!

525,600

2011-01-14T13:09:00.000-08:00

I can hardly believe my little precious boy is one today. This past year has just flown by...now that he has been a part of our family for a year I can't remember life before him. Our sweet angel, the "gentle giant", Grammers, Graham Cracker, Gramercy...we love you more than anything!! 525,600 minutes have passed...we are grateful for each one.

To steal a section of my favorite song from the musical "Rent"...

525,600 minutes, 525,000 moments so dear

How do you measure, measure a year?

In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights, in cups of coffee

In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife

In 525,600 minutes-how do you measure a year in the life?

How about love?

PRESS PLAY

Christmas in Texas

2011-01-07T08:17:00.000-08:00

We had a really wonderful Christmas in Texas with family...the cousins all had so much fun playing together...and of course Paige and Campbell are still learning to share.
We visited with our dearest friends Corinna and Brian...here is Graham with Will. Clearly they are really enjoying this photo opportunity. These little angels are just six weeks apart.

Paige, Graham, Campbell, and Ellis...all in their matching jammies.

Paige and Campbell putting out the cookies for Santa and carrots for the reindeer...

Meme proudly holding sweet Ellis...

It was hard to keep these two at the top of the stairs--they were ready to run down and see what Santa had left for them.

Thankfully Santa brought her the Pillow Pet she has been wanting all year!

This pillow pet has hardly left her side and Campbell loved his guitar.

Uncle John Michael getting some help opening his gift from two little helpers...

Grammers seemed to like the princess tent that Santa brought as much as Paige...

This is one of the sweetest pictures...Paige loves her little cousin Ellis...and Campbell loves his Dallas Cowboys helmet. Paige and Campbell were so thrilled to play together every day...it was so sad for them to leave each other. We love you all!

Santa Annie

2011-01-03T20:58:00.000-08:00

I couldn't resist posting this pic of Annie before we left for Christmas. Sweet Martha (our nanny) got her this outfit and she absolutely hated it. I love this shot of Paige holding on to Annie so she would pose for the picture...

*note...even though I am a total dog person, I normally think people who dress up their dogs are freaks. I am not a freak. Thank you.

In it for the Dogs

2010-12-30T20:20:00.000-08:00

How does one find words to talk about someone who has made such a profound impact on your life that you're not quite sure where you were before that person? My dear friend, a true champion for animals, and an inspirational human being lost her courageous battle with cancer this week.

Few people in life ever abandon what they deem as safe and secure for a cause greater than themselves. Even fewer people take a giant leap of faith to say goodbye to what they've worked so hard for to become an advocate for something that has no power to change their own circumstances. This brave lady did just that. A PhD with a successful psychotherapy practice, Cathy decided she could no longer stay on the sideline for animals. She gave up her career and decided to go full-force in to rescuing animals in the Los Angeles area. Thousands of dogs have been saved as a result of her vision.

I have had the honor of spending seven years of my life around Cathy. The funny thing about her is that she was never really a "people person." She didn't enjoy managing the "people" associated with Rover Rescue. She was truly in it for the dogs. Never was that so clear as when dogs she had rescued came back to see her at the adoptions. It was a common sight to see a dog pull his owner through the parking lot to get to Cathy as he would jump on her and virtually accost her until she would pick him up. This happened dozens of times. Even years had gone by and these furry souls could not help but be drawn to this lady they knew had changed the course of their lives.

The imprint on the lives of so many of us that knew her and the countless number of dogs this one person impacted is impossible to measure. I shall carry my memories of Cathy and her passion with me for the rest of my life.

In honor of Cathy, as we say at Rover Rescue

"Until every dog has a home..."

All my eggs in one basket...

2010-12-20T09:57:00.000-08:00

"Twee decorating"

2010-12-16T21:21:00.000-08:00

This sweet little angel was so excited to decorate the Christmas tree. Maybe it wasn't the most organized or catalog-perfect tree (mommy is letting go of the OCD), but this little girl was so proud and careful which each ornament she put on. A little perspective from a three year old...

Here is the little eleven month old trouble maker...he would have crawled in to the fireplace if I would have let him.

If I could wrap these two up in boxes it would be all the Christmas I would ever need! These are my two little angels here on earth.

5th annual Cookie Exchange

2010-12-14T21:28:00.001-08:00

This year marked my fifth annual cookie exchange...(last year we are still counting even though it had to be cancelled...) Although two of the reigning champions didn't make an appearance, we had a blast eating each other's treats, sipping bubbly, and celebrating the season!

These were my contribution...pumpkin whoopie pies! They were delicious and received a respectable amount of votes. (of course I can't win at my own party!)

And the winner is...Brandy's lemon bars. Sounds simple? She squeezed fourteen lemons for this recipe. They were just divine! And the best part of all...this was her first time to the party! I think all the veterans will be working extra hard next year to show up with their best treats.

Sweet Brandy in all her cookie queen glory...

A really fun part of this year was adding a charitable cause to the party. I had all the girls bring toys for a local organization that provides a "shopping mall" for moms who are homeless due to abuse or other heartbreaking circumstances. I hope we were able to make Christmas a little bit "sweeter" with the donations.

What a blessing to have good friends to celebrate the holidays with...and of course loads and loads of cookies!

G-love

2010-12-14T21:18:00.000-08:00

I just had to post this picture of my angel. Look at those sweet curls coming in on the sides. And no, he is not a girl. (thank you lady at Paige's pre-school!) He has started sticking his arm straight out to mimic waving...just like Paige did at this age. He is a wild animal...is all over the place...and has required round-two installation of child locks in the kitchen. However, I can honestly say he is the sweetest little boy on the planet.

Santa baby!

2010-12-04T09:22:00.001-08:00

The kiddos got to see Santa this week at the mall. Paige was super excited...Graham wasn't so sure. In this shot he's just checking the big guy out... It's a little more clear here that he was totally freaked out. I guess this is the "obligatory baby shot" with Santa for Grammers.

Paige, on the other hand, had a long conversation with Santa. She told him she wants a pillow pet, a bike, Tinkerbell jammies, a Hello Kitty toy, a Strawberry Shortcake doll...the list went on and on. Santa proceeded to tell Paige to be nice to her parents because "Christmas is the most stressful time of the year for parents. You need to be nice to them." I'm thinking this Santa needs to go back to Santa-training-101 and stick to subjects like elves, Mrs. Claus, toys, etc.

Paige was thrilled to hear she is currently on the "nice list." I did explain to her later that it is really easy to move to the "naughty list" so she better stay on her best behavior. That lasted about five minutes.

Tap-time

2010-12-04T09:17:00.001-08:00

Paige is taking ballet and tap classes at pre-school on Fridays. She loves talking about it all week and getting her outfit ready the night before. I'm not exactly sure you would call her graceful, but she really enjoys it!

Note--there was no paid stylist for Paige's outfit. Paige conceptualized this outfit on her own including her princess crown.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-26T09:23:00.000-08:00

We enjoyed a fun day at my mom's for Thanksgiving. Last year Paige was the only little person...this year Grammers and Ashton made their way in to the world and enjoyed their first Thanksgiving. I love that my family keeps getting bigger and bigger...
Pere, Paige, and Mere enjoying a game of Christmas bingo...Mere sporting Paige's hat.

Not a bad view...Southern California for the holidays...could be a lot worse!

My little turkey enjoying his first turkey...

This is my favorite picture of all...this captures the essence of Paige. She always likes to be part of the action (helping in the kitchen), she wears whatever the heck she wants, and she has the confidence of someone way beyond her years. I love my little girl and the person she is becoming! (although I could spare a little of her defiance!)

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you! I truly am blessed beyond measure.

Let the festivities begin...

2010-11-22T20:37:00.000-08:00

I got the kiddos all gussied up for holiday pictures this weekend. We were running behind (which is our norm these days) so I madly snapped some shots of them so we could make the Christmas tree lighting. (and it's not even Thanksgiving!)

These little angels looked so precious...it's amazing to me that they both have blue eyes yet the shade is so different.
I loved this little innocent shot...totally impromptu...

I love how Graham is looking adoringly at his sister...he loves to watch her. He loves to be around her, laugh with her, and pretty much do anything she is doing.

What a treasure it is that I get to see these two grow up together. I am looking forward to the holiday season this year and all the joy these two will bring!

Cousins

2010-11-16T20:01:00.000-08:00

Couldn't resist posting this one...look at those thighs... Sweet Ashton can't sit up and Graham is so unhappy!

"Hey, this isn't too bad!"

"Now you look here Ashton, I am the boss!"

My precious nephew Ashton...

Is there anything sweeter in the world?

House Hunter

2010-11-14T20:42:00.000-08:00

Here's what happens...

2010-11-12T07:44:00.000-08:00

when Daddy is in charge of bath time... Gotta love Grammer's hair...he almost has more than Clay now.

Paige wanted to be part of the picture so she brought her little chair over to stand next to daddy...with plenty of hair issues of her own.

Needless to say, I love my two little messes and their dad!!!

Kickin' off the season

2010-11-09T17:25:00.000-08:00

Annie has been gifted three new outfits...(yes I know it's weird but they were gifts!)

Here she is in her Christmas sweater ready to visit all of her friends at the hospital this weekend! She will most definitely be spreading some holiday cheer! Don't you just love that face?

Skip to my Lou

2010-11-07T15:36:00.000-08:00

Our dear friends Stephen and Betsy came in from Dallas this weekend. This was my first time to meet their sweet new baby boy "Lou" who is four months old. If you've followed Betsy's blog at all you might have seen how their family went through the adoption process. Lou is such a precious, loving little baby who now belongs to two people we just adore. He even has Betsy's eyes...

Lou and Graham just hangin' out...Graham wasn't sure about having another baby around.
This precious family at the beach...

I love this shot...I love his chubby little hand resting on his mom's back.

I love Betsy's joie de vivre!

Sweet Grammers who is so fair he practically blends in to the sand.

Paige loved playing at the beach with the babies...there's something about being in endless sand that completely stimulates and exhausts kids!

We had a babysitter one night and all got to go out to dinner. We came home and for some reason decided to relive our college days with stories...music...really bad dancing...here is my husband singing "The road goes on forever and the party never ends." I'm so proud. (other pictures available for private viewing only)

We love you Stephen, Betsy, and baby Lou. (and Paige and I can't stop singing "Lou Lou skip to my Lou...)

Trick or Treat

2010-11-04T09:04:00.001-07:00

Paige going to church on Halloween morning...all set with her monogrammed pumpkin shirt thanks to Meme! Our annual tradition to meet up with friends in "the village" for trick or treating. Here is sweet Payton with Graham and Paige. Isn't she the cutest little witch?

Here is Paige with Lauren and Andrew. (not sure about Paige's hand...)

Isn't this the cutest pumpkin you have ever seen?

We decided to come home early and do some trick-or-treating around the neighborhood. Paige and I went out early and filled her basket up nicely! Apparently not enough for daddy...at about 7:30 we were getting so many knocks on our door for candy. He thought Paige didn't get "the full experience" so he told her to put her costume on again and out they went! About forty-five minutes later she came back with a lot more candy and a lot more energy! (thanks Clay)

Two decades

2010-10-31T19:51:00.000-07:00

My dear friends Angela and Lara... (or Arnie and Larry as I call them)
I cannot believe that we have spent two decades of our lives together...what an amazing blessing! To say that I have history with these two is like saying the Pope is important to Catholicism. These ladies represent my past, my present, and God willing my future.

Thank you Lord for the blessing of friendship that transcends geographical boundaries and decades of time!!

Here's to twenty more years of friendship! xoxoxoxo

Tinkerbell and her Pumpkin

2010-10-30T13:06:00.001-07:00

Paige's pre-school had their annual Halloween parade...here are the proud dads waiting with a ladybug and a pumpkin for their girls to make their respective debuts... Clay, Pere, and the giant pumpkin-head Grammers! I had to keep putting that hat on him to make it stay.

Tinkerbell in all her glory...round one around the circle she decided she needed mommy to escort her and round two she was fine on her own...Notice non-matching princess crown and pink barbie headband as her accessories-du-jour.

"Finally my mom took that silly hat off me!"

Paige and all her friends digging in to sugar and snacks galore. Charlotte was the other Tinkerbell in her class who is Paige's good friend.

Mere came for a visit...clearly all this picture taking was getting in the way of Paige's massive sugar consumption!

I'm not sure how much candy we left with, but according to the wrappers in my back seat, this girl has had enough chocolate to last her for the whole year!

My homemade pumpkin pies...

2010-10-27T17:35:00.000-07:00

Sweeter than pie...my two little angels!!!

School pumpkin patch and bday fun!

2010-10-23T10:07:00.001-07:00

Paige's preschool had a pumpkin patch day complete with goats and donkeys! She was thrilled for me to come and insisted on wearing her new cowgirl hat (complete with princess crown on the front) Grammers came along for the fun too...he loves watching all the kids run around at her school. Paige's teachers are already calling him a "future student".

Paige doing a little "slippery fish" performance...the girl has serious moves.

Not too sure about the polka dot over leopard outfit she is sporting but hey, she's only three.

Later that night was our dear friend Ed's birthday. I insisted he sport the hat all night...he was really excited about it. (insert sarcasm here)

I'm not sure why my daughter ditched her clothes but these gals will find any excuse for a party!

Ed and sweet Aubrey blowing out his candles...(note amount of candles on cake not reflective of his age...we didn't have nearly enough candles!)

Precious, precious Aubrey. Aren't her eyes just stunning?

Happy Birthday Ed! We love you!

Privacy, please

2010-10-21T20:19:00.001-07:00

Hi friends...

Well it's time for me to take this blog private. With little people to protect, it's just the right thing to do!

If you're interested in continuing to read our blog, either leave a comment here or shoot me an email at hillybay@verizon.net

(don't worry--if we are peripheral friends, that's okay too)

xoxoxoxo

He's here...

2010-10-17T20:23:00.000-07:00

Sweet Ashton Lucas Rigg made it in to the world on October 12th shortly before 4 am. It has been a long and tumultuous week for his parents...but we are so happy that mom, dad, and baby are home resting.

Paige got to visit her Nene in the hospital before her cousin came...I just love this shot. Paige looks so concerned with everything. She loved playing with the monitor and just being with her Aunt.

This was my first gift to Ashton...speaks for itself!!!

An intense labor turned in to a c-section. Here is Mere getting Lucas ready for surgery. He was a champ throughout it all!

Precious Ashton just after being born...a spitting image of his dad. I was so honored to get to hold the little guy right away. A breathing issue landed this little guy in the NICU for five days.

Home with his mommy and daddy...sleeping like an angel.

Fussing a little...

Mostly just adjusting to his new life in the world...

We love you precious Ashton and are thankful for the miracle God has brought us!!!

Angel Expansion

2010-10-10T20:34:00.000-07:00

Normally "my angels" refers to these three...

Paigie-pie...
Grammers...

And Annie-bweezer...

And tomorrow I am adding a list to my angels...sweet Ashton is going to be born.

My sister is having her baby...I am so excited I can hardly stand it. I am going to smother him so much with love and affection he won't know what to do with himself.

I am thankful God is sending us another angel from heaven tomorrow...we welcome him with open and loving arms and are profoundly thankful for this new bundle of joy!

La Famille

2010-10-07T21:11:00.000-07:00

Just plain fun...

2010-10-03T21:13:00.000-07:00

We had a great weekend hanging out with friends and our special angels...the warm weather provided us with lots to do! Sweet Paige running around the fountains at the mall... Grammers crawling around desperate to be part of the action...

"Seriously mom, I'm here too!"

Breakfast and a walk on the pier...Paige and Sophie.

These girls are just the best of friends! We thank God for the gift of friends who we get to share our lives with!! xoxo

Coat-de-Texas

2010-09-29T12:43:00.000-07:00

My mom gave Paige this coat for our trip to Texas for Christmas. She loves this coat...she is constantly talking about it and asking when December is coming.

This morning she told me that that she will be wearing this coat on the airplane to get to her Meme's house and that Santa will know she is in Texas because of her pink coat.

(note--yesterday was the hottest day on record here ever--not a good time to be wearing a winter coat)

Summer comes late...

2010-09-26T20:19:00.000-07:00

For whatever reason summer has decided to arrive here right as fall is supposed to...according to the calendar. We have had a hot, sunny weekend. Also arriving soon is my nephew, Ashton. Here is Grammers getting his hands on that baby!

We had a fun night outside at Mere and Pere's... Here we are watching Paige swing to the high-heavens on her swing in Mere's backyard.

Can you imagine how many times she sang "It's a small world" while going back and forth on this swing? (note-- cheerleader costume and non-matching princess shoes)

This is my attempted shot on the porch of my two angels...Paige is trying to convince Graham that things aren't so bad.

Even though we've been in the high 80s for the first time all summer, I'm going by the calendar. Happy fall, y'all!

Submission

2010-09-22T20:37:00.000-07:00

I am taking a photography class once a week to get to know my digital camera a little better. It is so much fun to learn a totally new set of skills. I got to shoot anything I wanted to for the first assignment, so naturally I took shots of Annie. She is the only subject in my house that will sit still. This was my submission... Here's what I've learned so far:

ISO=does not mean "incentive stock options"
A/v=does not refer to making sure your presentation equipment is working properly
f/stop=not a four letter word

After a decade in corporate America what am I supposed to think?

I'm just hoping to get better at taking pictures of my angels and of my furry friends. I'm just looking for progress, not perfection.

Double-dip, drama, and dedication...

2010-09-19T20:15:00.000-07:00

Another week of life with my angels has brought more fun, craziness, and laughs.
This was their first official bath together...I was doing my best to keep my baby up and reach for the camera to capture the moment. As you can see, sweet Graham was terrified of the whole thing. I suppose it could have been his sister pouring water on his head or her trying to get him to swim...hmmm. The bottom line is they both survived and I got it on camera!
Here is our resident drama queen Paige. She sure has given us a run on our patience but I try to remember she is only young once and I will look back on these days with joy and relish them. She was in time-out today and looked at me and said "Mom want to play Candyland with me?" I said not while you're in time out. "But you're my best friend, mama." Ok either an angel or a master manipulator...at any rate I just love her no matter how tough she can be.

Our sweet Graham was dedicated at church today. Here is my adorable family before we headed in to service.

My two favorite men on the planet that I couldn't possibly have more love for...

My sister and Lucas, Mere and Pere all came for the event. We were blessed to share it with dear friends Ed and Sarah who had their Aubrey dedicated today too. (I'm not sure why we didn't get a group picture??)

We love you sweet Grammers and pray every day for your life and future and that God will call you to be His own and guide you in this world.

A day with the princess...

2010-09-17T09:27:00.000-07:00

Paige and I had went to Disneyland this week...she insisted on wearing her purple Princess dress with her crown all day. She was so excited on the tram ride over to the park she could hardly contain herself.
Belle was very happy to see her...it is so amazing to experience Disney with your child. She was completely awestruck by these princesses.

I told her she could have one treat...but I am a sucker (no pun intended) and got her some fun lollipops and we shared a huge ice cream cone. Now that I think of it, she barely let me have any of it!!

We had trouble finding Pluto all day but finally we did! I always forget how "in character" the staff at Disney remains all day. I mentioned to one of the people who was in charge of moving Pluto along how hot he must be in that costume (it was in the mid 80s) . She said "well he has really short fur so he's fine." That's right, Pluto is a real dog. How could I forget?

Minnie was kind enough to walk around with Paige for a while. Paige would have walked with her all day. Minnie was gracious enough to hold her hand a little longer than normal as I explained to Paige that there were other little girls for Minnie to see.

We had a blast...we pretty much chased characters and princesses around all day. We rode a few rides, but she kept just wanting to go back to "It's a small world." I looked over at her during the ride and she was singing at the top of her lungs the entire song. It was pure joy for her, and her mom too!!

It's wine, not whine

2010-09-12T20:47:00.000-07:00

Here is Clay, happy as a clam, at his favorite Tablas Creek.

Clay and I were lucky enough to head up to Paso Robles this weekend for a getaway...we really needed this as we haven't been away alone in two years! Our sweet nanny took over for the weekend and we took off. We had the first night alone and then our dear friends came up and joined us.

We stayed at a place called The Seven Quails Vineyard. We highly recommend it as the owners were a total joy and they made the most delicious breakfasts each morning. (The name seven quails is for their seven children...yikes!)

It is just heavenly there...the rolling hills are kin only to Tuscany in my opinion. It's hard to believe the hustle and bustle of the City of Angels is just three hours away.

This is the beautiful arch outside the bed and breakfast. It was so fun to see wild turkeys, deer, and all kinds of other wildlife.

Ed and Sarah arrived and oh my did we have a fun time! We decided if we had all gone to college together who knows if any of us would have graduated. God brings people in to our lives for certain reasons and His timing is always perfect.

Getting ready to head out to dinner after a day of tasting and exploring...

Special, special friends...

I loved this picture...it was taken of a really special antique store there. I just wanted to capture the word "Reminisce" and I love how the sun beams are coming down on to it.

We loved being away but it was so wonderful to be back with our little ones. Paige was happy to have received her Tinkerbell costume we have been looking for. (I bought it before I left so I'd be able to have something special for her when we came home)

So when the whining begins, I hope to fully be able to reminisce about our fun time away!

Benchwarmer

2010-09-10T09:47:00.001-07:00

Sweet Paige caught a little bug this week...she missed preschool because of her high fever. (she was not happy about this and kept insisting that she felt better) Clearly this little angel didn't feel well as she fell asleep half in pajamas and half in her cheerleader costume watching her favorite Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.

Austin Invasion

2010-09-08T20:47:00.001-07:00

We were happily invaded by our dearest friends from Austin...we loved spending every second with them.

It is so fun that these boys are six weeks apart...Will and Grammers happily smiling for the camera.
Hmmm...I imagine they're thinking "I don't know you that well but my mom talks about you all the time...and hey we're about the same age so we can hang out!"

I had the honor of having sweet baby Will sleep in my arms...this experience still makes me tear up. I have had the honor of knowing his parents for so many years...to hold their baby and actually have him asleep and breathing so innocently in my arms brought a calming peace to me.
Sweet Will in his Texas game-day attire...

This is one of the only shots we got of Cici...it's funny once kids are around all the focus (no pun intended) goes to them. Notice Annie to the far right...these boys sure did love having a dog around!

Bri Bri bear taking a break from running after his two kiddos...

Paige and Jack enjoying their brownie lollipops...these two sure like to antagonize each other.

In the end they were good friends...I hope they'll have many more times together to make fun memories.

Best Friends

2010-08-31T19:40:00.000-07:00

When P isn't torturing her brother, they love to laugh and have fun together. They both have such perfect noses, don't they? (definitely a Zachry trait)

Okay well best friends most of the time...

A little catch-up...

2010-08-29T14:34:00.000-07:00

Things are happening around here a little slower than I would like...but managing my two angels and working has proven to be really tough! So here are some fun moments from the past month that I don't want to forget...

Sweet Graham loves to eat...real food that is. He is not interested in baby food but prefers things like avocados, turkey, etc. He is such a good eater already that I'm sure in a few years he'll be clearing a large pizza all on his own.

Paige and her dear friend Sophie playing so nicely together...these girls really love each other. (although five minutes prior they were probably fighting--typical females)

Clay's birthday was a fun family celebration...we love you Daddy!

Notice my husband in the blurred background as I try to capture the love!

My two angels love to laugh together...I love hearing them cracking each other up. I'm hoping soon they'll be able to contain themselves completely and I can run out and do errands.

My two guys in their matching MMRF shirts (multiple myeloma research foundation).

We love you Gary!

I can hardly believe summer is coming to an end. Paige says fall is coming in "two weeks". I ordered her some clothes online and her package came in the mail. She tells any one who comes over that in two weeks she can wear her new clothes.

Welcome, fall!

And So it Begins...

2010-08-24T19:55:00.001-07:00

Here we go...it's football season!!! I'm so excited...just like watching an extra-thick coat of paint dry. I know my husband is thrilled this year to have some testosterone on his side as he heads in to fantasy football draft this weekend and then the real NFL/college seasons begin. With this little guy, it really doesn't matter what you're watching. He truly is the sweetest little guy around.

The men may rule the tv in our house in the fall, but this little lady can't get enough of her mom regardless of what is on. Here's to all of you "football widows" out there.

(my sweet Annie--victim object of her mom trying to better operate her digital camera)

Prayers

2010-08-19T13:53:00.001-07:00

We pray every night with Paige and she has started saying the cutest prayers. This one made me laugh so I just had to share.

I started and said my usual prayer...thank you for our family, our health, our home...

Then Paige's turn...

"Thank you God for my mommy and daddy. Tomorrow I will be a good listener and have a mint brownie. Amen"

She had failed to be a good listener that day so I told her she wouldn't be having a mint brownie that a friend had made for us. She, of course, was devastated and clearly this was top-of-mind for her.

I suppose it is true that God says to bring all of your requests to Him...the next day she was a good listener and happily devoured her "mint cochlit brownie."

Showers of Love

2010-08-15T13:39:00.000-07:00

My sister is having her baby boy, Ashton, in two months. We had the honor of celebrating with her this weekend at her shower.

As always, my favorite part of any event is the cake...I designed this in my mind and was hoping it would come out the way I had envisioned. I think it's just beautiful and most importantly my sister loved it!

This is me with my beautiful cousin Kelly...she is in sales but I tell her she should be a model!!!

The three Harris ladies...Cristin is almost eight months pregnant and ready to have this baby! I can't wait to get my hands on him.

My mom and her two sisters who came in from Colorado for the shower...all three just beautiful ladies.

My dear sweet Nene...I love you so much and I love your baby so much. I pray that sweet Ashton will arrive in to this world safely and that God will bless each and every day of his life. (and I ask in advance forgiveness for all the smothering I will be doing) xoxoxo

History Repeats Itself

2010-08-08T13:59:00.000-07:00

One of Clay's oldest and dearest friends came in to town last weekend with his wife Allison and their son Luke. Clay and Jeff used to get in to all sorts of trouble growing up...they were speculating about what sort of trouble their boys will get in to together in the years to come. Maybe a little distance between them is a good thing!

They even brought a friend for Annie to play with. Here is Raleigh recovering from an injury. Annie wasn't too sure what to think of her.

Graham and Luke in all their Cowboys' glory!

They are seven weeks apart. Graham's head looks seven times the size of Luke's.

The boys with their boys...

And just because Paige was the odd-girl out didn't mean she would stay out of the spotlight!

We had such a fun time with our friends! Our guest room is getting quite a workout this summer. Chez Zachry is always open to those we love sharing our lives with! xoxoxo

Holding On

2010-08-04T07:38:00.000-07:00

As my sweet Paige continues to grow and change every day, I find myself holding on so tightly to a few things she says. Her vocabulary and pronunciation has become so clear but there are a few words I am not correcting her on because it is just too darn cute!

Mary Popsem=Mary Poppins
Cochlit=chocolate
Hotacato=avocado

She might go to kindergarten saying them this way but that's okay with me!

Kids grow up so fast...she told me the other day she wants to be six. I asked her to stay my baby and live with me forever...she said "oh mom, that's silly."

Newest Family Member...

2010-07-28T13:33:00.000-07:00

Clay and P headed to Texas to meet our new niece, Ellis Jane. I love this picture of all the cousins (minus Graham who stayed back home with me). Cousins goofing around and I'm sure making beautiful music at Meme's house...

Our dear friend Betsy with her new son, Lou. Betsy is a natural and is loving motherhood!

This is Betsy and Stephen's dog, Stella. She happens to be my God-dog. A sweet German short-haired pointer...a loving little soul who I love to visit while I'm in town.

Here is sweet Ellis with Emily...such a little angel. I can't wait to meet her in person!

The whole family eating one of Meme's delicious meals...

Proud Uncle Clay with his nephew and niece...

What's the best way to have two toddlers become completely exhausted?...run races in the backyard!

I'm not sure who the winner was but they both sure are cute!

God-Mama

2010-07-23T21:11:00.000-07:00

Here is how Mr. G and I are spending our weekend. This is sweet Angela (Aunt Angie or Arnie as she is affectionately known by me.) She is visiting us from Colorado while Clay and Miss P are in Texas. Angie is one of Paige's God moms and Graham's too. I have known this amazing lady since I was fourteen. (so just a couple of years...hee hee) To have the gift of life long friends is such an amazing blessing. I am grateful for friends in my past, present, and ones I haven't even met yet. And sweet Angie I love you! The funniest part of our relationship is Ang can sleep in so late and I am a busy-body who has always liked to start the day early. Even in high school at sleep overs I would bust in to Angie's room to get her up. Well this morning I came in to get her up...some things just never change!
Thank you for being a part of my life for so many years and for many to come.

Country Club

2010-07-15T16:35:00.000-07:00

It has been a chilly summer until this week so we decided to officially open our country club...ie fill up the blow-up pool! Here is our bathing beauty enjoying the sun and her pool...

Admission to our country club is free so come join us any time!

Summer Visitors

2010-07-11T08:13:00.000-07:00

Clay's parents came to visit last week...we had such a fun time. Paige loves spending time with her grandparents. She also loves torturing them. I think here she was trying to get Popz to wear her new purple beads.

This little girl sure does love our sweet Annie...she thought Annie was cold so insisted on covering her with a blanket.

She loved wearing Popz's running shoes. Big feet run in our family (well actually just my feet are big) so I'm sure eventually these will fit!

Paige helping Meme make her famous cinnamon rolls...and unfortunately she stocked my freezer with these things and I just can't resist eating them. If you are ever near the Dallas area you should stop by and beg her to make some for you.

Don't they look like they could be the parents??

The kiddos and their dad...

We love you Meme and Popz! Thanks for such a fun visit.

In-box

2010-07-02T07:39:00.000-07:00

I went to bed last night with teary eyes and a heavy heart. As I scrolled through my in-box of emails, it was filled with so much pain and uncertainty. A mother who had just lost her six year old daughter that day...a lady who lost her 25 year old son...a mother trying to help deal with a neurological diagnosis for her nine year old...a husband and wife dealing with a new cancer diagnosis...a friend who is not responding to a cancer clinical trial...and that is just this week.

It caused me to pause in my own life and appreciate all I have around me. I am reminded that when we have our health, a roof over our heads, and food on the table that is all we need! That is it...everything else is just surplus.

So here is my blessing today...a big sister in a fireman outfit while her little brother sports a pink knit cap. They both couldn't be happier about it!! Go find the joy in your day!

Swim School

2010-06-30T09:32:00.000-07:00

Miss P started swim lessons this week. In true Paige fashion, she was the only one who had to have her mom sit by the pool while all of the other parents sat back behind the fence on the bleachers. Thank goodness her instructor is nice...P often says "no" to her during the lesson and won't try any of the skills yet. Finally at the second lesson I was able to sit back with the other parents and Paige spent most of her lesson yelling "hi mommy...I'm in the pool!" So we'll be back again tonight for another attempt! Of course you can't do swim lessons without an Ariel towel!!!

Such a blessing...

2010-06-27T18:01:00.000-07:00

I have to say these last few days spending time with these precious girls from Afghanistan has given me so much perspective on the world. It is amazing to see how God has brought together people to care for these young girls and how His love for them has connected their country with ours.

Here are our dear friends the Arnold's with Nilab. She is the oldest of the bunch and kind of the "ringleader". The Arnolds are such great people...I'd love to live with them for six weeks!
Here are all the precious girls at the pediatrician's office. It was such a pleasure to see this amazing doctor joyfully give up her Saturday for these girls.

And here is Paige sitting next to Sana from Afghanistan. It was so great to see all the kids playing together...it really didn't even matter that they couldn't speak the same language. Kids just know "fun" and that language transcends cultures.

We are so thankful for all of the medical professionals who have come forward to give their services. The weeks ahead are crucial for a couple of the girls so we ask for your prayers as surgeries and treatment begin.

Solace...

2010-06-21T20:23:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow marks a very special day...six precious girls from Afghanistan are coming here for medical and dental treatment for the first time in their lives. This was the vision of a dear friend of mine, Nicole. She and her husband Erik have officially created the Los Angeles branch of Solace for the Children. This is a non-profit group that bring kids to America for treatment and places them in homes for six weeks. Six families from our church will be sharing their homes and time with these wonderful girls as they are shuttled around from appointment to appointment.

I have been fortunate to be a part of this process as the medical coordinator. I can't wait to see how these girls lives are changed through medical treatment (some minor...all the way to major surgeries) and through the love of their host families. God hand picked each of them and allowed this project which once seemed hopeless to come together seamlessly. We are so looking forward to the events of the next six weeks.

Check out the website at solaceforthechildren.org
I will do my best to post pictures and follow up.

Keep these sweet girls, the interpreter, and the host families in your prayers this summer!