Chloe's Birthday!

My sweety turned 2 years old!

We had a small celebration with just us Bealls!

Here's the birthday girl trying to hold up 2 fingers.

Somewhere between this picture below and the picture above, she stripped all her clothes off! I decided to keep them off seeing that a spaghetti dinner and birthday cake were coming.

Chowing on her favorite dinner spaghetti!

Her very own heart cake, and our cupcakes that Riley helped decorate.



Finally, her present! She loved it!We couldn't play with until today, because Daddy had to put it together first!

Its now the next day, and she has been on it pretty much ALL morning!

We love you so much Chloe! Our lives have been so blessed because of you!

HaPPy BiRthDay!

Stop messin' San Jose

I don't think I've been in my backyard for at least 2 months, you know because of the rain, wind, and general chilliness!

Well this week it seems as though San Jose has decided that spring has arrived! It was warm enough to go play out there, and to my surprise discovered blossoms on our trees and bushes.

It made me happy to have the warm weather, wanted to get my flip flops & t-shirts out

... oh, except that I know that this city is just messin' with our heads. Cuz in about 2 weeks to a month, you know we'll still be wearing our sweaters, jackets and using umbrellas AGAIN!

I'm not complaining or anything, I do feel bad for those out east that are getting dumped on.

I just don't like being tricked, that's all.

First Valentines

Riley's first Valentines day at school. Mike and I were reminiscing about when we were each in school and we would tape our little brown sacks to our desk, and we would get so excited to see who gave us one and what we got!

She had no idea what this was all about, so sweet and innocent.

{doesn't know what a big deal it will be when she hits about 4th or 5th grade. We are going teach her that it is just about innocent love, and hopefully she won't become overwhelmed by the whole "boy thing" until she's about 25, has graduated from college and has worked a few years ...that's gonna happen right?}

I love that this Valentines (and the ones for a few more years) is about family love

Hope your Valentines was filled with love!

Bump it - From Flat to Fabulous in Seconds!

Have you seen these? They're called Bump its. Crazy walking around with a thing like that on your head!

Funny Story:

I'm at my friends Susan's house, and her little boy asks me -

" Do have a Bumpit on?"

Susan laughs - and I have NO idea what he's talking about.

She says, "have you seen those things on TV? He thinks you have a bumpit on"

OK, yes my hair is thick, but no I do not have a bumpit on. I thought that was funny!

Fast Forward 3 weeks:

Riley's friend is over.

She says this to me (no joke) " You have a bumpit it on don't you, my sister told me that you wear them all the time"

OK Seriously? Is my hair that big? And way to go bumpit for putting your commercials on the kids channels. Now all the little girls can grow up dreaming of wearing them.

I told her that I could make a bumpit for her, so I did! Here they are with the 'best I could do' bumpit, a.k.a teasing the hair like crazy!

Oh those kids!!!

Sweet Chloe

We enjoyed being with Chloe so much while Riley was gone! Its not often that a little sister gets a whole week of alone time with Mom & Dad. Her little personality seemed to just shine. She loves singing songs and playing games.

She loves singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Where is Thumbkin, Patty cake, and various verses of I am Child of God. (These are pretty much only audible to Mom & Dad of course)
One morning I woke up to her singing "A SUNBEAM!!! A SUNBEAM!!!" (You know that little church song) And she now likes to count and play hide and go seek too, imitating Riley.

Our favorite thing was when she imitated me saying "Whatever" one day.

She says it like this : Dut eber

We thinks its so funny that we make her say it all the time now, yesterday she even said
"Dut eber Ri - ee! (Whatever Riley)"

She's so funny! We just love her!

Riley's Trip

She came back!!!

Here are some highlights from my sister:

*She wasn't scared of ANYTHING

*Kept asking to go on the Matterhorn

*She was hungry all day long

* Went on Tower of Terror, didn't show any fear, but said "I never want to go on that ride again" after she got off

*Went on Space mountain:

Traci: Did you like it?

Riley :YES!

Traci: Do you want to go on it again?

Riley: NO!

* Loved seeing Alice, Alice talked to her a bunch while all the other kids were waiting in line!

* Was asleep by 7 each night!

* Pretty much loved everything!!! {Who wouldn't?}

My Big Girl is at Disney land!

About 6 months ago, my sister Traci asked if she could take Riley to Disneyland along with her and her daughter Camryn.

We were very reluctant at first...you know, she's so young, and crrrrazy (maybe she'd run off or something!)

But with some re-assurements from my sister, we sent her - for a whole week!

We are now with only one child, its so weird. But we look forward to some quality time with Chloe, and think about Riley every second, just wondering what she's doing!

Have fun Sweet Girl!

Looks like the sun is in her eyes! :)

2 new faves of mine

Mike and I love food. Often we go places and talk about the yummy food later, and make our mouths water just at the thought of it. Well, we went to a Italian restaurant, and found 2 new things to make our mouth water. I've had them both at other places, but they were soooo yummy on this night, here they are:

Italian Nachos
Crispy pasta chips, Italian sausage, and/or chicken, olives, pepperoncinis, tomatoes, jalapeños, alfredo, mozzarella and parmesan cheese

and

Italian Wedge
Applewood smoked bacon, candied pecans, gorgonzola, roma tomatoes, apple slices with roasted garlic ranch


I surprised Mike and tried to re-create the wedge salad for us, and it wasn't as good, but it was a close second! I only had almonds, so I candied those, and used feta instead of gorgonzola. Try it!

Blessed

This Christmas season was a blast!!! We feel so blessed, because of all that we have, we truly are lucky. We kept busy by seeing family, shopping, eating a ton, playing games, traveling to and from family members...etc. But, man was it crazy! Here it is:

Christmas Eve Nativity
Starring: Mike as Joseph,

Riley as Mary,

Chloe as Shepard,

My Mom as the Angel,

and Jaime as the Narrator

Christmas Day

Its so wonderful to see your kids faces light up!

Princess & the Frog

Mom and I had a girls day at the movies, we loved the movie!

Columbia

We visited my sister in Modesto for a few days, we went to a little mining town in the mountains(called Columbia), it was really cute!

This year was so fun (and crazy) but I kept thinking something was missing, so I've decided I want something different next year. I have been so wrapped up in having:

all the right food,

all the right presents,

all the right decorations,

all the right activities/festivities

and most importantly the right jolly attitude,

I got lost in the true purpose of this Holiday...

My Saviors birth and more important, his mission here on earth. My life has been so blessed and touched by this one Man. The Prince of Peace, I know that he is the only true Savior of this earth, not because people have told me so, but because I have had powerful spiritual experiences that have been so strong, that I have felt this burning testimony within my soul.

He is what my 2010 will be about.

For my Mike, on our 5th Anniversary