California Adventure-Day 14

So today is the big party day!! Summer bird for those of you who don’t know is Thanksgiving in the summer hence the name summer bird! My parents rent tables and chairs and go all out in the backyard with decorations, food and beverages to celebrate Thanksgiving in the summer! Basically its a great excuse to party with family and friends! So this morning we again just played in the backyard and helped get ready for the party! The boys went down for naps and when they woke up we went to feed the ducks! We meet the Tutino girls, Jeff and Dana, and George and Jane at the Blackhawk Plaza and let the kids play on the play ground and feed the ducks! It was fun and beautiful outside.  We got home and I put Jonathan down for another nap and I slept for a bit while David watched a show! We put on our party clothes around 5:30 and got ready to party! It was so great to see family I have not seen in a while and friends that I have not seen.  For dinner my parents served up my Dads ribs, turkey, salad, bread, beans and potato salad! My Uncle John and his band played some great dance tunes, we used the deck as our dance floor! Once they were done around 10ish, then we plugged in the iPod and kept on dancing!! We had such a great time! The last dancing crew consisted of Mollie and her friends, the Tutino girls, Me, Renee and Allison! Oh and you can’t forget about the crazy party crashers!

Right after dinner we noticed this young couple and no one seemed to notice who they were.  We asked if they were Mollie’s friends but they weren’t! Finally Aunt Kristen goes to them and introduces herself to get the inside scoop as to who the heck they were, well come to find out they were “Janet’s daughter and boyfriend”! Ok Janet does not live in the court she lives on the cross street about 5 doors down from our court.  Her, her daughter and the boyfriend heard the music and saw the bonfire from their house and decided to come through the golf course to crash the party!  These party crashers decided to get trashed!!!!  They were the oddest family.  The boyfriend was offering my young cousins beer and Janet’s daughter was doing a drunken strip tease during the iPod dance party! Before the party crashers left they piled a bunch of food on a plate and staggered their way home! Although they crashed the party they sure did give us something to laugh at during and after the party! Tonight was so much fun! My family and friends sure do know how to party!!!

California Adventure-Day 13

I was so tired when I woke up this morning! I got to bed late from the girls night out and the boys of course woke up at their normal early time! Today we again just hung out and played in the backyard.  Tomorrow is our big summer bird so we were busy doing last-minute things to get ready for that.  The boys went down for an early nap because they are so exhausted from all the fun they have been having! So when they woke up we just again hung out and played.  They went to bed and I ate dinner and followed shortly behind them.  We are all so tired.  Plus we had to rest up for our big party tomorrow!

California Adventure-Day 12

Today is girls night out!! Yahoo! 7 could not come any faster!  This morning we again hung out in the backyard and the boys played with Auntie Mollie.  Jonathan took a nap while David got to go be Grams’ special helper on her errands!  No nap for David equals early to bed! After the Jonathan’s nap we still didn’t do much just hung out.  I got the boys all ready for bed by 6 and Renee came to pick me up around 6:30.  We had to meet the girls at Chows in Danville by 7 but we were a little late because it is so hard to get ready to go anywhere with little children! The attendees were myself, Allison Auser, Alicia Baker, Amy Moxley, Renee, Ciera, Shiloh and Bree! We sat and talked for hours! It was a blast.  We didn’t leave Chows until 11 and a few had dropped off and were not up for staying out later.  So the real party animals (Ciera, Shiloh, Bree, Renee and I) went to the Hopyard even though it was closed already but Bree was our “in” and sat on the patio and talked some more! Renee and I left there around 12am.  I came home and went straight to bed because I knew I would be up really early with my sweet boys!

California Adventure-Day 11

Today was another laid back day! The boys played in the backyard for a while and went down for naps around 11.  When they got up we went over to Wal-Mart and got some diapers and wipes because these boys can plow through a box of diapers like no ones business!!  After that we headed over to Jeff Tutino’s house to hang out with the girls and let the kids play and burn off some energy.  I fed the boys dinner over there and then came home gave them baths and put them to bed! I was supposed to go back over to Jeff’s house for some of his famous Carbonaro but I was too tired to get off the couch plus no one was home to watch the boys! Minor detail! Mollie flew in today as well.  It was so great to see her and hear about how law school is going.  My mom , Mollie and I were so hungry (because it was 9 and we had no eaten dinner yet!) so we headed over to the Hopyard to sit on the patio and have dinner.  Bree was our fabulous waitress! We came home and then went to bed!

California Adventure-Day 10

Today was a fun-filled day! We started the day off with a walk to Starbucks with Tannya! Yes she did just get married but they are home for a few days before they leave for Cabo and I still had her lip gloss from the wedding, so we made a coffee date!  Tannya came over to my parents house and we walked the boys in the double stroller on the iron horse trail to the Alcosta Starbucks! We just caught up on each others life and being newly married! When we got home Tannya had to leave to run a few errands in preparation for Cabo! After she left then Renee came over with her boys, Shiloh came over with her kids, and Ciera came over with her kids.  It was like a large daycare! It was so great to watch them all play outside.  It was so hot yesterday so we took the kids swimming for a few hours.  Kimberly (Manna) came over and she played with the kids in the pool and got her extra workout for the day.  Bree and her boyfriend Andrew stopped by for a bit but then Bree had to go to work! Everyone went home around 4 because we were all aiming to put our kids in bed early and then meet in Pleasanton for the street fair.  Well that did not work out so well. My kids went to bed at 6:30 but I was far too tired to take a shower and get somewhat dolled up to go walk around downtown Pleasanton.  Renee could not decide what she wanted to do and Ciera and Shiloh were walking out the door to leave when they realized no one was home to be with their sleeping children.  So they sat on the porch waiting for someone to come home.  The street fair ends at 8 so by this time we were working on plan B.  Renee and I went to the grocery store and got stuff for dinner and Ciera, Shiloh, Kimberly and Joseph came over and us girls sat outside and drank wine and laughed for hours! It was so much fun! Oh Joseph sat inside and watched ESPN and let us have our girl time! Renee went home same time as Kimberly and Joseph, while Ciera, Shiloh and I continued to talk for another hour! I did not get to bed until midnight! It was so worth it! This was a fun day!!!

California Adventure-Day 9

Today we hung out with our cousins for a bit in the morning and then headed back to my parents house around 11:30.  We had so much fun with them and we are going to try to get out there to see them again before we leave and this time I will know to bring 5 dollars for the toll!! When we got home everyone was at work so we just hung out at the house and played in the backyard.  I fed the boys dinner and put them to bed.  Shiloh came over after her kids were in bed and we sat and ate pizza and I had a glass of wine and poor Shiloh had water because she is pregnant! One of the many reasons I hate being pregnant! Jonathan woke up around 10 so that quickly ended our grown up time! Oh well it was good to just sit and talk with her and to catch up on life.  I am just loving my time here with my family and friends! I can’t believe how fast the time goes by! I am truly blessed by them!

California Adventure-Day 8

Today we woke up and played with our cousins! It was so much fun to watch David, Jonathan, Kastle, and Cannon all play together! A lot of pictures were taken and I will eventually post the California pictures!  After breakfast we let the kids play outside for a while and then we put them all to bed around 11.  After nap time we fed them lunch and then we headed over to this frozen yogurt place and to see some ducks! We let the kids run around for a while until about 2:45 when we had to leave to go pick up Hannah and Caleb from school.  After we picked them up from school we went to this really cool park with water structures that the kids can play in.  Everyone had so much fun and by the time we left there we could tell that is was definitely going to be an early bedtime for all the young ones! We got home and fed the kids dinner and gave them baths in the kitchen sink and then at 6:15 we put all the little ones in bed! Once they were in bed we were able to sit back relax, drink some wine, eat some dinner and just sit! I am wiped out and ready to head to bed!!

California Adventure-Day 7

The boys woke up at their bright and early normal time of 6:45! I was exhausted because I went to bed at 11:30 which is WAY past my bedtime! Whew! Luckily we had nothing really planned this morning! We played in the backyard for a while and then at about 10, me the boys, my mom, and Sarah went to the bagel bakery to meet up with Shiloh, her kids, and Kimberly! It was so fun to catch up and see each other.  David and Brit got along great and were instant friends.  After bagel bakery the moms dropped off me, Shiloh, Sarah, and all the kids at a park in Dublin to let the boys run off some energy.  After the my mom and Kimberly were done running errands they picked us up at the park and we went back to my parents house.  I laid Jonathan down and Brit, David and Lily played in the backyard.  Bree came over with her boyfriend and all of us hung out for about 2 hours.  At about 2 Shiloh and I and the kids went to Dan and Melissa’s little girls 1st birthday party.  At first it was a little awkward pulling up seeing people who I have not seen for a while but once we got the kids out and started saying hello to everyone it was like we had never spent time apart.  We left there at about 4.   I went home feed the boys dinner, bathed them, and packed a bag for us to go see our family in Sacramento.  We left at 6 to go and see Kari, Brian’s older sister, her husband and their 4 kids and Brian’s youngest sister Caitlin who is living with them this semester.  The drive was not that bad expect I had no idea that the toll is 5 DOLLARS!!!! Oh my gosh I could not believe it.  I pulled up to the toll with 3 dollars and when I saw that is was 5 dollars I honestly almost cried.  I asked the guy what I should do and that I had no idea the toll cost that much.  He said that they would send me a bill for 30 dollars!!!! I had  no choice but to drive through and then pray and pray that they don’t send m a 30 dollar bill!!!  The car that we are borrowing from Renee has no radio in it so my Mom let me borrow her iPod but of course the battery died in Sacramento which just happened to be the time that Jonathan started to cry until we reached their house! Once we got their the boys said hi and played for a while and then off to bed!  So good to see them!  I love them!

California Adventure-Day 6

Today is the big wedding day! Hooray! I had the whole morning to relax and hang out before Bree and Kimberly came over to do my hair and make up at 12.  I had to be dressed, ready and at the wedding site at 2.  My dress was a smidge small in the top so Kimberly had a great idea to put rice in zip lock baggies and stuff my bra, and so I did!! I still had to safety-pin it for it to stay up, and it still kept falling down all night long.  At least I had rice to throw at Tannya and Chris as they left!! Oh and a full looking chest! The wedding was beautiful and Tannya and Chris were so happy that this day had finally come! We danced and laughed and had a great time until they finally left around 11! And now I am exhausted! Whew . . .

California Adventure-Day 5

Today we had another laid back morning! I love these mornings! The boys played outside all morning long! I fed them lunch outside and then put them down for a nap.  While they napped I got ready for the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner for my friend’s wedding.  We had the rehearsal at 4:30 and then drove over to play bocci ball at this really cute place in Livermore.  I had a great time catching up with an old friend, Allison.  It’s so great to have relationships were you can just pick up right where you left off!  We played bocci ball for a bit with wine and appetizers and then sat down to a really nice dinner! It was a fun night! I am so blessed to be a part of Tannya and Chris’ wedding! I could not be more happy for them!