Monday, October 24, 2016

September 2016

September felt as quick as a blink of an eye! These months just don't slow down!!
My sweet friend Amy sent me a beautiful card and Lilies after my grandpa passed away.

This next picture was actually taken on 8/31 but I forgot to post it in August. Aubrey had a play date with Violette that afternoon. This was them practicing their duet for our church's Primary Sacrament program on 9/18 after dinner.  They are so cute together!  

Another cute outfit for school!
 With some of my extra time I'm able to make cute little gifts for the ladies I visit teach.  This was for August.  I actually meet my ladies for a nice walk on Bear Creek and gave them a little gift.
 I'm loving my Thursday volunteer days at the kids school! Since I'm there all day we have started mommy and me date lunches.  Since Aubrey and Carter's lunch periods are different they take turns going to lunch with me.  They get to pick the place  (which 99.9% of the time is McDonald's) and we have a fun date together.  Sometimes dad can meet us too.  On September 1st Carter surprisingly picked Panda Express and daddy came too. 
 On that day Carter found out that he was choosen for Student of the week the following week so he went straight to work on his poster.
 9/1 was back to school night.  Daddy had fun seeing both the kids classrooms.

 I feel so lucky that we we get to go to Peterson.  It's a great school and the kids just love it!
 Friday 9/2 Class spirit day!
 Saturday 9/3 we went up to Sonora to celebrate Gaga's birthday and to help go through grandpa's stuff.  It was a hard weekend but nice to be surrounded by family and friends.  Saturday we went out to a nice dinner.
 My mom's best friend Devon was there too.

 Nana and Papa always spoiling the kids with table prizes.



 Sunday was a really emotional day going through grandpa's things.  It was also a special day to remember all the fun times and to see my Uncle and Aunt who we haven't seen in a long time.  After we spent most of the morning at grandpa's house we finished the day at a lunch with the family.  My uncle had brought all the old photo albums so that was a nice treat.
 I thought this picture was really cool with the beams coming down.  I think it was grandma and grandpa looking down on all of us.  This lunch was a big deal.  Mom and her siblings hadn't been in a room together for a long time so it was a huge a step and I'm so proud that they are all working on it and we have plans to be all together at Thanksgiving.
 Monday 9/5 was Labor day.  Amy had wanted us all to do something together and so we planned a day to Island Water Park in Frenso.  Amy and Lynn didn't want to bring there kids and the Chu's don't have kids but we wanted to make it a fun family day so we brought our kids a long.  We had a blast! Our kids are so adventurous and wanted to go on everything.  It scared the crap out of me having Carter on some of those slides! He is tall enough but I'm sure he doesn't reach the weight requirements I was holding on to him with dear life! 





 After a day at the park Eric wanted us all to try a Korean BBQ place.  Spencer was in heaven the kids and I not so much! They charged by the height for the kids.  It was super weird and the food was gross!!! I was worried about salmonella the whole time.  $90 later and a trip through McDonald's drive thru after means we will never do that again!  Good thing the water slides were fun!

 Tuesday 9/6 was the start of Carter's student of the week.  His poster came out so cute!
 Aubrey took the remote to school in her backpack on accident, lol!
 Loving my work out lunch dates with my man! He is strong! 
 Wednesday 9/7 Dr. Rowan surprised us with top braces! He says she should only have them a couple months.  One of her permanent tooth was starting to go back into a cross bite.

 Carter loves catching toads in our front yard and releasing them in our backyard.  It has become one of our night time routines.  He is so good at catching them!!
 Thursday, Fun Day! They had PE this time I was there.

 9/8 Aubrey's lunch date! 
 Making dream catchers at school.


Friday 9/9 for visiting teaching in September we made caramel apples and went on a walk again.
 Oh goodness!! Carter playing dress up!
 Saturday 9/10 I took Aubrey up to Modesto to buy her uniform for dance class and when she brook down in the dressing room I realized I needed to stop pressuring her do something she really didn't want to do anymore.  So instead we made it a fun shopping and treat day in Modesto just us girls!


 Aubrey did decided to continue with girl scouts.
and I enrolled both kids in a pottery class.  There first class was 9/14.  They love it!  Oh and they are doing splash ball too!



 9/15 Carter's date lunch!

 9/16 myself and 10 friends packed the car and headed to Sacramento for Time out For Women.  It was really fun this year because all my Sister in Laws came too.  I was a little nervous how it would all work out with 18 women but it all did perfectly.  I felt like I got to spend time with both groups and I felt very blessed to get to have this little weekend away.
Friday night before the convention we had dinner at a cute Hawaiian place.
I was thrilled to get to meet Hillary Weeks with my sister in law Terry that night.
 after the convention that night we went to that fun dessert diner place and then stayed up way to late talking.  Saturday morning Amy and I woke up early to work out and then went to the convention.
 I had a great time coloring while I lessened.  It was a service project.

 Saturday I went to lunch with the sister's.


 After the convention half of us went shopping and out to dinner.  It was such a fun mini vacation.


  9/18 was the big SMP at church.  
I did it! I wrote my first SMP (Sacrament Meeting Program) for the primary children.  Writing it was fun and taking all the kids pictures and making the program was fun.  Practicing and getting everyone their parts was a challenge.  Also working with some very strong personalities was hard too.  But it all turned out great. 



 More toad catching!
 Tuesday 9/20 was picture day. 
 I helped out that day get the kids all picture perfect.  It was such a fun job!
 It was so sweet Aubrey wore my grandma Janie's necklace that Nana gave her in her pictures.  She looks so beautiful!
 Wednesday 9/21 my dad was coming to Merced for some business and he invited me to lunch.  It was lots of fun just having a father daughter lunch with my dad at Jantz.
 Thursday 9/22 we took a sick day and went to Target lol! Carter was actually really sick and Aubrey was complaining about her tummy so I just keep them home and we went and did some errands and then made fall crafts all afternoon.




Friday 9/23 was my dad's birthday and since my moms is 9/29 we went up to Sonora to celebrate both my parents.  We had a great dinner at Gus's all together.


 and then some homemade peach pie for dessert.  We played games that night.  It was lots of fun.
 Saturday 9/24 we all went to park for a picnic.

 Then when we came home we decided to go to the pet store! Oh no the kids talked us into not just 1 but 2 hamsters! The lady at the pet store told us that they could stay together for 3 months until they were adults but sure enough that only lasted 2 days before they started fighting so as you will see we had to get two cages.
 Meet  Carter's little girl hamster, Kylo/Rocket depending on the day.
 and here is Aubrey's little girl, Chubs.  She is scared to hold her so I was holding her for the picture.
 and here is the 2 cages! 
 The kids are having fun with them but oh how much work they are!
Wednesday 9/28 I had to go down to Fresno to take the CBEST and I passed it!! How do I celebrate? Old Navy, Chick Fil A, and a dole whip.
 Pottery class is in full swing lots of fun!


 9/29 I took a picture to send birthday wishes to Nana that day.
 Aubrey got to come in Ms. Buttrey's class and help me during her recess. 
 Aubrey's date lunch to Pizza Factory.
 Crazy I haven't posted about this yet! We also enrolled the kids in Splash ball for the fall.  We go 2 times a week on Tuesday and Thursday until November.  They are loving it and I love the fact that there are no games on Saturdays. It's really fun to watch them and how much they have improved!


 We ended September with a play date with Molly.
 September was a fun month now time for the fall and all the holidays!!

Monday, October 17, 2016

Grandpa Merv

We lost my Grandpa Merv on August 30, 2016.  He was 89 years old and I feel so blessed that I got to have him as my grandpa and that both my children got to know and love their great grandpa very much. 
I'm so grateful for the time we got to spend with grandpa and that I know he is in heaven now with his sweet heart, grandma Janie.  Grandpa Merv is my moms dad.  He was a civil engineer for the city of San Fransisco.  He spent most of his life living in Burlingame, California and moved up to Sonora to be near my parents the last 3 years of his life.  He loved football with a passion and would watch it 24/7 if he could.  His favorite team was the 49ers.  Sports and being active was his thing.  He loved running and ran 6 miles a day into his 70's.  I got to go and watch him race in the Bay to Breakers once.  He loved to travel and his favorite destination was Hawaii.  He was a sailor and owned a sail boat for a long time.  He even went on an adventure and sailed from Hawaii to San Fransisco.  They actually got lost at sea for a few days but made it home hungry and dehydrated but safe.  My grandma passed away when I was only 5 so he lived without her for 30 years! He had promised never to remarry and he never did.  He had girlfriends but I know he missed grandma Janie more than anything.  That reunion in heaven must have been magical.  Grandpa was a mans man and we would laugh because every time Spencer went in to give him a hug he would stretch his hand out for a hand shake.  Grandpa and Carter had a strong connection.  I think it was their love for sports.  Carter was always asking about great grandpa and wanting to make him stuff all time.  Here are a few of my favorite pictures I have of my grandpa......  





 This was our last picture I have of him on 7/28.  After that visit he had a heart attack and was in the hospital.   
 Easter 2016
Christmas 2015

Thanksgiving 2015

 Christmas 2014



This was Easter 2008 great grandpa meeting Aubrey for the first time.

This was at Joan's (grandpa's girlfriend) 80th birthday party May 2008 
Meeting Carter for the first time June 2010

My Wedding day
Here are some pictures of me and my grandpa when I was a baby.


 It was very hard to lose my grandpa.  We loved him very much and will miss him.  He was always kind and generous to his family.  It's sad that all my grandparents are gone to heaven now but happy that they are with each other for eternity  We are in the process of planning grandpa's celebration of life.  We miss you and love you very much grandpa!

Monday, October 3, 2016

The Rest of August

August was a month of getting back into the swing of things with school, work and Spencer teaching.  It was nice that none of the extracurricular activities had started yet so we could just enjoy lazy afternoons together.
  I can't get enough of these cuties in all their back to school outfits so there are a lot of random pictures of the 2 of them posing together!

 Saturday 8/20 was our friend Carrie's 7th birthday.  They rented a huge water slide and the kids had a blast!


Daddy and I had fun too!
 Poor Carter had his first sick day from Peterson on Wednesday 8/24.  I loved having him home to snuggle with.
I have been wanting to bring craft night back for some time now and I was very excited to finally do it on Thursday 8/25.  We made a California nail art project. 
 It was a big hit! I had 15 ladies at our house.  It was so much fun to all be creative, visit and enjoy the nice summer evening together.


 I wish I could have gotten a picture with all the ladies but everyone left at different times I did mange to grab this quick shot with a few of the girls.  I love how unique and different each of the projects where.  It was a great night! Some ladies stayed passed 11pm talking it was so fun! I can't wait for our next one.
 I love my late morning runs in the garage on the treadmill.  I park the car out in the drive way, open the garage door, turn on 90210, make a deuce a bed and set out for my 3-4 mile run up hill.  It's great and so relaxing.  This particular Friday morning when I turned around to check on Deuce he had a little friend that found her way into our garage. 
 Friday 8/26 Aubrey and I got to meet up with Titi and Nana for some girl time in Modesto.  We do an annual back to school shopping trip.  Nana always spoils the kids like crazy and buys so many fun new outfits.  Aubrey was also excited to take a trip to build a bear workshop.
 She made an adorable bunny that she named Whiskers.
 We had a very yummy dinner at BJ's that night, I love that place! It was a great night and I always feel so blessed to be able to do these fun girl nights with my favorite girls!
 Saturday was a gym and pool kind of day and Sunday 8/28 we had church.  Aubrey looked so pretty in one of her new dresses from Nana.
 After church that day we ventured down to the creek by our house to do a little fishing.  We didn't catch anything but we had fun trying.  Our neighbors (a couple teenagers) told us they have catched fish there but we are thinking they might have fibbed.