Little Beauties

Just some pictures... Because I like to take them, because I like to look at them, because I think my girls are little beauties.

Ahhhh... To be two again.


You should see the production I put on to get a real smile out of this girl. You may think I have issues after watching.

Check out our chunk fresh out of the tub. This may be a favorite.

Nothing like a good read from ol' Shel himself. I love that Sadie picks her nose in 80 percent of the pictures I take. And I love that London is so into the book.

Anyone who wears this towel in our family is designated as "the froggy princess." There is even a song that goes along with it. Oh I just love the chunky stage! I want to eat her up.

Sadie's big number 2!

I can't believe my little baby is 2! Really, I can't believe it. Really! Sometimes I feel like I just had her or maybe I'm confusing it with London, I'm not sure. And then other times I feel like she has been with us for forever. I love this girl! She really makes everyday just a TON more fun! I love you Sadie!!

I know, like one million pictures, but my family really wanted to be there but couldn't due to the fact that we live so dang far away. This is my way of including them.

First off, today I took Sadie to her 2 year check up and she only weighs 19 lbs. 15 oz! London is totally going to pass her up in weight, like tomorrow. Oh and she still fits into her 1 year b-day suit. What a shrimp! I really hopes she passes the 5-foot mark.

So ever since December when I explained to Sadie that she would be turning 2 and that we were going to have a birthday party for her, she has been talking about her "Mickey Mouse party" ever since. Every morning she would wake up and say "My Mickey Mouse party, mommy!!" She would talk about who was coming and the plates, cups etc. Ever since Thanksgiving when we went to Disney World she has become Mickey and Minnie's biggest fan, so a Mickey/Minnie party was only appropriate. A week before the party we started to get ready for the big day. I made her a Minnie Mouse skirt. Big mistake. Showing her too early it made her even more anxious for her party and she had to wear it every day, even to bed. Here is a picture of her a week or so before her party sporting the Minnie mouse skirt in bed. She wanted to wear her Disneyland hat (which she wore to the store the other day) to bed but I tricked her into something a little more comfortable (a beanie).

So needless to say she was very, very excited for her party. We had a fun BBQ with Sadie's cute friends and there families.

whenever I can get her to actually smile for a picture it is this head turned up high cheesiness.

Mickey and Minnie everything. We even had Mickey-shaped cheese and Jello Jigglers.
Mark did a FANTASTIC job on the cake! Sadie couldn't believe her eyes. She especially liked that he had a pink tongue.

Mark came up with some cute games... Mickey skittles toss and Pin the nose on Mickey. No Pinata this year. Last year's pinata slaying was a little too hard on our tender hearted soul.

Sadie loved Pin the nose on Mickey. She kept saying "I did it mommy, I did it!"

Yummy cake! There was so much black die in the frosting. Let's just say Sadie's diaper was very, very dark the next day. Eww!

I helped her blow out her candle.

at the end of the day all she wanted to do was play with all her fun new toys.

I promised her Minnie balloon like forever ago and she loved it. She wants to take it everywhere. It's a little hard to drive with that thing in the car.

My big girl. She is so cute!!

Twinners!!

Birthday Girl

It is 12:13 am and I almost forgot to give a big Birthday shout out to my precious Sadie. Even though we spent all day celebrating the big day. I still want it recorded...

Happy Birthday Sadie!!!!

Because I am tired, because I have been celebrating to my heart's delight, because I have Relief Society lesson for tomorrow on the brain I will make this short and sweet...

2 years ago today, (well technically 2 years ago yesterday since it is past midnight but anyways), you have enriched my life and have made me a happier and better person. You have made me a mother and I love being your mother.

I know, late, late, late. It's almost Valentines Day. I hear you, but here is our Christmas card. We hope everyone had a fantastic Christmas.

Christmas Break 2009- a Christmas to remember

Ramona, CA was on the agenda for Christmas this year, or so we thought...

A little tradition the Ashtons (my family) have every Christmas is that if you hear an extremely loud bell ringing a week or so before Christmas you know fun is about to be had. At the sound of the bell, everyone in the house goes coo coo for coco puffs and runs themselves as fast as they can to the Christmas tree and gets to choose one present to open early. We always try and hint to my dad by strategically placing the bell in places my dad will clearly see it. Well, we flew our 2 girls and ourselves out to sunny San Diego and a few days before Christmas found ourselves among the triumphant bell ringing. Sadie was a little scared because that thing is loud. Anyway, we all opened a present and then my parents said that they had a little surprise for us. My mom pulled out a large black bag and handed each of us a backpack and told us to pack light and be ready by 9AM the next morning. We were also given umbrellas and ponchos and told to bring warm clothing. A surprise trip was on the agenda. I should have known!! The last 2 Christmases were surprise Christmas Vacations. Ever since the house burned down they decided to make Christmas memories by going on trips. I didn't think it was going to be every year so I really had NO idea. So this is how our surprise went:

When we loaded up into the car to leave, I honestly thought we were flying somewhere because of the tips they gave us of only having a carry-on (methought it was so we didn't have to pay for checked bags).

Well, we didn't find ourselves at the airport but the train station instead. Speculations started flying of the whereabouts of the surprise. And we took off, riding the rails toward the great unknown.

Up the coast of California we went. There were parts of the trip where the train goes along the ocean and it truly was so beautiful. Trains are the way to go, I tell you. California is so beautiful and you don't get to see the whole coast driving on the freeway or flying in the sky. Also, if you have kids it's great because you have lots of room to walk around and keep them occupied (and lots of aunts and grandparents to help). It was such a fun way to travel. We played games, talked, laughed, relaxed, slept, watched movies and had a ton of fun.

(relaxing on the train- kids playing with aunties and grandma)

Well, after 6 hours on the railroad, our first stop was...

San Luis Obispo

I have lived in CA most of my life and had never been past Ojai (which is by Ventura). We had always heard a ton about San Luis Obispo from my dad because that is where he went to college and spent a lot of his younger years. We spent the night there and then the next day rented a huge 15 passenger van. We started driving a bit and stopped to enjoy beautiful Morro Bay...

(everyone but Jay who is on a church mission) A few other stops and we found ourselves at...

Hearst Castle!

Hearst castle was spectacular to say the least. I have always enjoyed touring homes, but I think this one was the most extravagant. See for yourself.

After the grand tour we drove one of the prettiest drives ever up highway 1 (the Pacific Coast Highway). Breathtaking! We spent the night in Monterrey and the next morning we found ourselves here...

SAN FRANCISCO- we love you!

(Lombard Street- our van was too big to drive down so we walked it)

(Fisherman's Wharf)

(Pier 39) We took a little boat cruise around the Golden Gate and Alcatraz

(Alcatraz)

After San Francisco we drove up the coast even further up to the Redwoods

(the sisters on Christmas eve)

(Sadie in her new ballet outfit from Santa on Christmas morning)

We found a lovely spot to have a picnic and talk to Jay in Mexico

Bird meeting. Be there. Took a walk through these gigantic beasts... truly magnificent monarchs of the forest.

We decided to drive up to Oregon for Christmas dinner since we were so close. After Christmas we went back down to SF again and walked the bridge. That is when we had our little bird incident as shown in the movie.

(Full House- we are fans. Mary Kate and Ashley we love you!!!!!!!! Wooooooooooo!!)

(back in SD)

Came back to fun stockings...

What a trip! Thanks mom and dad for the fun memories.