Emma and the Animals

Back in November, we had the fun opportunity to take Emma to Discovery Kingdom (aka Marine World).  It was a nice family trip, just the three (well, 4;0) of us for the day and between travels for Tyler.  We thought Emma would just enjoy seeing all the animals (and tix were FREE!)...and boy did she!

This was our first stop: sea lions...she's still doing her 'arc, arc' while clapping and referring to these guys ;0

Next up were the penguins.  Not the best pic, but I had to share because she was so worried about these little guys.  They each had tags on their arms.  She thought they were band aids and, she's so traumatized by 'pokes' from the doctor, that she thought all the penguins had 'pokes'.  She talked about that for SO LONG. Every now and then she still brings it up ;0

To me, this was one of the neatest for her because they were right in front of her! 

she doesn't know that sharks are scary yet, so not too impressed by these guys swimming right above her!

loved seeing the giraffes!  And, PS, this is her 'smile' or 'say cheese' face...love it yeah?!

here she is saying 'roar' ;0

She loved all the animals and the whole day, but, this little girl...when we'd tell her to tell someone about our trip, all she could talk about was getting to hi-five rudolph! ;0  (she just watched Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer movie this year and he's her fave;0)

We don't get many pics together, so had to share this one (see, she's 'smiling' for the camera!)

We ended our day at the Dolphin Show.  We got front row seats....and didn't realize that there was a reason the front row was open!!  

We got splashed....

So sorry that I've been so slow with posting these last few months!  There are several reasons...one is that I'm almost out of room on my photobucket account...so it makes posting pics a little challenging but I don't have time to figure out what to do about it :(  Will try to keep truckin' along here, tho!

Papas Vaca

After some crazy days/hours in June and July, Tyler was granted a well deserved vacation.  it was interesting timing, really.  (Que the background story ;0) Working for JAMZ didn't leave much time for socializing outside of well, JAMZ.  You're so exhausted from everything that you have no desire to do anything on your days off.  Quitting a little over two years ago, I was ready to 'be social'  So many people have heard from us how we want to get together.  Combine being new parents and Tyler working events and side jobs and that left us...putting getting together with people back on the shelf.

It was tough, especially for me being home and feeling a little more lonely, no longer surrounded by people on a daily basis.  I would wait for projects to be done, events to be over, blah, blah.  This summer, after a combination of Emma going down to one nap, me feeling normal again and just realizing there's always a reason to not do things, and you just gotta do them!  I started to be social just Em and I.  

I am NOT blaming Tyler in this.  It was my decision to wait for times that we could all do things as a family... and I'm just kinda sharing a little of where I've been with all this over the past couple of years.  (and apparently turning a post about Tyler's vacation about me;0...um need some adult/conversation time I think!)

ALL THIS TO SAY...as we finally started to go out and do things - Tyler got vacation!  And to kick off our vaca, we got a call from my BFF Kimmy that they were taking their jet skis out to the lake, so we met up with them there!

Minutes after we got there and Em got in, she fell in ;0...

...got her ready to not fear the rest of the day, I guess ;0

We had taken Caden overnight the night before, so we asked if Matt and Charrie wanted to meet us out there...and they did ;0

it was a fun day

it felt like we were really living; doing things as a family.  Going out and just enjoying life.  it felt awesome and it was a phenomenal way to start vacation!

We spent most of our time around the house.  One night, Tyler took us on a date!

Contrary to the look on her face here, Em LOVED her cold stone ;0

We made a family trip to Carmel...it was gorgeous and a WONDERFUL day!

We invited both my sis' and their kiddos and the littles, and awesomely enough, Ann and her crew were already planning to go!  Perfect timing!

Tyler spent his time making this beauty...that everyone wanted to pose around ;0

How talented is he?! 

As always, we forget to try to get a pic of just us!  So, as we were getting in to the car we got one ;0

Just a little of our vaca and August.  Just thought we'd share (and I'd have a little therapy session;0)

Random

Ahh...today is a little 'catch-up' day - just sharing random different things over the past few months.  I don't necessarily enjoy sharing this way, as I am an organizer and like for each thing to be in it's own place tied with it's own bow and easy to find later, if needed.  HOWEVER. ;0  Time's too sweet to spend a month (at the least) 'catching up' to only be behind again!  So here's a (long) posting of pics and fun!

Just because she's ADORABLE ;0 (and lets face it, we're all about posting her cute pics!)

...here are a couple of group cousin and cousin-cousin shots that we took back at the end of May at 

Tio Carlos' 80th birthday!

it was so nice to see Aguirre family...lots of great memories going on vaca to huntington beach or el centro with my parents to spend time with them...and now that we're all grown up, times together are (very) few and far between...

had to share this pic just because it's not often Tia "duck (as em sometimes call her;0)" has her hairs all down and out of her jammies;0

Our little compassionate girl.  

As many of you know, Tyler's just endured a very tiring and long trek of working incredibly hard and long hours/days (long enough to have earned nearly 3 additional weeks of vacation!)....this day he was just tired and having a head ache and Ms Em went to comfort him and rub his head...

The fair

always fun to go see the animals!  Especially when it's 'free before 3':0

one of our first Boyd family outings with the newly arrived Matt, Charrie & Caden!

Emma was not having taking one of these pics...until she saw popi do it too!

little girl is becoming such a big girl!  She's being more and more independent (awesome, yes;0)...just much sooner than we realized she would!  Here she is finally up on a step stool taking control of brushing her teeth

on our way home from san diego (in May) we stopped at downtown disney for a walk and dinner...why not, it was just off of the freeway anyhow!  i rarely get pics WITH em let alone one of her hugging me!

one thing that emma LOVES is going to grandma and grandpas for 1. peaches and 2. to see the cows!

she loves running all about their backyard!

and that day she was particularly interested in grandma being with her;0

...family...love these girls - and i think in the past FIVE years, this is the first pic we've taken!

we were together for Dani's baby shower - so we thought we'd get a full cousin pic including her in it;0

here's Em visiting grandpa (Luis)

While Emma and I don't go visit often, she apparently knows the drill from when she goes with Tere

getting him fresh flowers, and fixing up/wiping down his marker

...can't wait for her to meet him some day!

And there you have it...a few of the random times in our lives over the past 3 months!