The Stallings' Story

Disneyland!!

2012-01-14T07:23:00.000-08:00

So much fun!!! Oh my goodness, we all had such an amazing time!!

We got there Saturday morning...just in time for lunch and naps! Ha! We walked to California Pizza Kitchen and had lunch before heading back for nap time. The kids were so excited to see Grammy & Pappy!

That night was PACKED but we made the best of it. We pretty much just walked around, ate dinner and got on the Winney the Pooh ride. Believe it or not, but this is the only picture we took with the four kids!

Sunday morning Paige and Jeromy got there around 7:30am and had the whole park to themselves! I am so happy they got this time together and the opportunity to ride everything! The rest of us got there around 9:30 and got to hop on a few rides without much of a wait.

Standing in line to ride "It's A Small World" with everyone. It was so amazing with all of the Christmas decorations!!

Tyler's first time to have his face painted...he got a skateboard!

Me and Reyna took the girls to meet the Princesses while eveyone else toom the boys to Mickey's house and met Mickey. J said Tyler was so excited to meet him - waving and smiling- but totally freaked out when it was time to actually get near him!

We got a fast pass earlier to ride Star Tours. That was such a cool ride! So exciting and felt so real!

Reyna looking tough in her 3D glasses

Not sure where thus was but here's Zoey and Tyker laying on the ground...ewwww! Disneyland really wears you out!

Paige pretending to be on the phone with her friend "Sally"

While we were in the hotel with the kiddos, the boys went to California Adventure and quenched their thirst :)

That night we went to the parade!! It was so much fun

Monday we spent the majority of the day at California Adventure. Me and Paigey rode together on the Buzz Lightyear ride...that one was so fun! I was so proud of myself because I got a higher score than Jeormy :)

That night we went to the Bug's Life area and then walked the boardwalk and rode the carousel.

What an unforgettable trip...thank you Grammy & Pappy!!

SURPRISE!!

2012-01-13T16:22:00.000-08:00

Nope, not pregnant! Just wanted to post this picture of the kids getting Tootsie from the airport. I called her the day we got back from Disneyland - Dec 21, and asked her if she and Wally Pop wanted to come out to spend Christmas with us and she landed less than 24 hours later! I think Paige was showing her how long her hair is in this picture...

Kids Christmas Party

2012-01-13T16:19:00.000-08:00

The kids had such a fun Christmas party this year! It's crazy how fast these kids are growing up.

Some of the gals - Paige, Paige, Izzy, Karina and Brooke

The whole gang - all 18 kiddos! This picture was so easy to take believe it or not!

Present time!

This isn't the best picture...I took it on my phone...can't wait for my upgrade in July!...but thought it was cute of all the kids snuggled on the chair watching Elf on the Shelf

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pics from our phones

2012-01-12T17:17:00.000-08:00

Phew, almost all caught up. Just need to do that little day...CHRISTMAS! Maybe tomorrow :) Here are some pics from our phones that we've taken lately.

Miss Thang

Jeromy took Paige to a make-up dance class this past Saturday and Mr. Lewis let Tyler come out on the dance floor and do a few moves at the beginning of class!

Playing school with their backpacks...they love to play with them!

Hopefully he won't mind me posting this!

Playing outside right before we left for Disneyland...oh yeah...gotta post pictures from that minor event too!

Hanging with Dad during Paige's dance class

Meet sweet baby Dylan!!! Isn't he absolutely precious?! I haven't met him yet but this picture says it all. And, doesn't Sarah look like she's glowing! I love this picture.

Grabbing some lunch before going to see the Muppets

Looking for the moon!

Paige got a new carseat and she's really excited about it! Cute pic minus Tyler's finger up his nose!!

Ho, ho, ho and Chugga, Chugga, Choo, Choo!

2012-01-12T17:10:00.000-08:00

On our way home from Ojai, we stopped in Irvine to ride the train to Santa's village. This is always so much fun...wish we weren't so tired from the fun weekend in Ojai!

On our way to Santa's Village!

We're next to see Santa!

Now that I'm finally getting caught up, I'm realizing that I didn't take a picture of the picture we bought with all of us! Oh well...maybe I'll remember to add it next year :)

Weekend in Ojai

2012-01-12T17:03:00.000-08:00

We finally made it up to Ojai to meet baby Irelyn! She is Carrie & Tyler's first baby and is absolutely precious. She is such a snuggle bug and I now know why they don't ever put her down! The minute you pick her up, she snuggles up against you...who would want to ever let go of that?!

What a super fun weekend! Right when we pulled into town, we went to Bret and Leigh's house so the kids could play with Brayden!

Then to Carrie & Tyler's house to meet baby Irelyn! Paige and Tyler loved baby Irelyn. How could you not?! They were both really cute and gentle with her. It was fun to watch. Big Tyler's Mom picked a bunch of cuties from her trees and the kids gobbled them up!

Jammin

Jerm and Tyler took the kids to Jim and Susie's house for a quick visit while me and Carrie finished making dinner. Jim and Susie are Brent's parents...one of Jeromy's childhood best friends. He spent lots of time with them growing up and they are like family to Jeromy. Such sweet people! They had coloring books and crayons for the kids...perfect!

After opening presents Susie played some Christmas carols on the piano

Saturday morning we hit the road early to go get coffee. This morning was probably my favorite part of the weekend. We had so much fun spending time with Tyler and Carrie and other Ojai folks and delicious food both nights but spending the morning with just the 4 of us was pretty special! We rarely get to spend that much time with just the four of us with no plans. We got coffee and bagels, played at the park, cruised downtown Ojai, went to the toy store and just walked around!

Good thing I brought the stroller :)

Getting a burrito at one of Jeromy's favorite places - Rueben's! They are so, so good.

That night we had some friends over for dinner. The Dad's watched all the kids outside while us Momma's made dinner. Here they are in Tyler's little man house in the back. Think he has enough surf boards?!

Jeromy grabbed a few last minute items at the grocery store and bought some poppers with silly gifts inside. I thought it was such a weird thing to buy but the kids loved it! What do I know :)
Sunday morning Jeromy took the kids to meet Andy's kids to play. He let me sleep in!! I think Tyler got up at 4:30am and didn't go back down so he was nice and took the kids out that morning so I could sleep. Thank you Jeromy!
A few last snuggles with baby Irelyn before we hit the road. The kids loved her and so did I!

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Christmas Spirit

2012-01-12T16:38:00.000-08:00

It is so much fun to have toddlers at Christmas time! We have so many fun countdowns and traditions we are starting. Here's a few pics of the first few days of December.

Paige loves to draw snowmen

Looking at the tree before we put any ornaments on

Decorating the trees for their rooms

Snuggled up watching "Elf on the Shelf". We watched that cartoon AT LEAST once a day the entire month of December.

Off to deliver cookies and Christmas cards to our neighborhood :)

I love this time of year!

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A Star is Born

2012-01-12T16:37:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, Jeromy asked me and Paige to help him with something for Qualcomm. We just needed to pretty much stand in front of a green screen and they would do the rest. We told Paige she was going to be a movie star so she was all about it!

In her dressing room making sure her hair was just right. (this was taken on my phone so please excuse the bad quality!)
And, now hard at work!I will say I have a new appreciation for child actors. Even though Paige did great taking direction and cooperated, it took a long time to get everything exactly like it needed to be. And, she'll probably end up being in the clip for about 5 seconds! It was fun :)

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Sea Life & Playdate at the Bakers house

2012-01-12T16:35:00.001-08:00

My Mom treated us all to a fun afternoon at Sea Life Aquarium! The kids had a blast and I know me and my Mom enjoyed it too. It was a little challenging to take their picture there because they were constantly moving checking out the next creature! One of the coolest parts was the tunnel. Even the floor is see-through!

Peek-a-boo!

And, they loved playing in the jungle gym at the exit. What a fun afternoon!

That night we went to Brandon and Christin's house so the kids could play. Sarah and Chess came over too and brought Ty and Stella. The girls played so well together and the boys played great too...but not so much with each other!

Paige and Ella

Stella, Ella & Paige...girly girls!

Happy New Year!

2012-01-12T16:35:00.000-08:00

New Years Eve we went to Nick and Jennifer's house for a delicious dinner party! Quick trip to the grocery store to pick up what I was bringing...

There were 4 couples and 8 kids...perfect! Our kids went home early for bedtime (my parents live around the corner) so we spent the rest of the night kid free! We had so much fun hanging out with them that I didn't take any pictures...oops :) It was so nice to sit at a nice table and eat delicious food without the little munchkins. I love them, of course, but it was fun to have a nice meal! Jennifer took some pics so hopefully I'll be adding it to this post at a later date...wink, wink...in case she reads this!! We celebrated the NY new years and were home by 11:30/11:45. My parents were in the bed watching TV so we hopped in with them and celebrated the official Texas new year with a little shot of champagne. Happy New Year!!

New Years Day I was pretty much a zombie - I had plenty to drink and don't function at peak performance without 9 hours of sleep so I was pretty much worthless :) My parents went to pick up some BBQ for dinner and took the kids. They had to ride the "neigh" as Tyler calls it before heading in.

Jeromy and I at home with no kids?! What to do?? Well, he has asked 100 times to go skeet shooting with him while we are in Texas so I decided I'd better go. I wasn't the biggest fan in the beginning but after I shot 4 in a row, I decided it was kinda fun :) Now I can say I did it and might not have to do it again!

Future Farmers

2012-01-09T16:31:00.000-08:00

The kids had a BLAST at Papa and MeMaw's farm!

Tyler driving the tractor...he was in HEAVEN!!

Then, Papa came over to turned it on and showed Tyler how to rev the engine.

This tractor makes noises too...no way?!

Vroom, vroom

Paige and Papa taking off for a ride

Tyler's turn

Taking a quick lunch break and trying on Papa's hats. Didn't take long for the kids to warm up to Papa and MeMaw either. So cute that they just naturally reach for their hands and want to sit by them. Love that my kids have a relationship with their Great-Grandparents!

And now taking turns holding Papa's bb gun

Now it's time to feed the cows and donkeys

And, now it's time to feed the chickens and see if they have hatched any eggs!

I got one!

And, there was one more for Paige to get! Thank goodness...that might have been WWIII if Tyler got one and Paige didn't.

Okay, all done with our chores...let's go ride the four wheeler!

Hey Mom!

Tyler waiting on the tractor for his turn

Hey Mom!

Thanks for the fun times Papa and MeMaw!! And thank to Tootsie for driving us out there!

8 Moms + 16 Kids + Jumpy House = Chaotic Fun!

2012-01-09T16:01:00.000-08:00

I had the brilliant idea to meet some of my high school girlfriends at a jumpy house place for a playdate. HA! I think we each said about one sentence to each other!! It was fun but that isn't the best environment to try and hold a conversation. There was a unanimous vote to have a Mom's night out next time! I was just thinking the weather was going to be too cold to be outside and this was a good inside option for a variety of ages. Anyway, lesson learned and next time we'll hang out sans kids!

Trying to take pictures at the bounce house was close to impossible but I did get a quick pic of Paige & Addyson.

And, one of Ben & Tyler!

A few of us went to Chick Fil A after for a quick lunch. Phew, I was worn out after that morning of fun!

Night with no KIDS!

2012-01-09T15:38:00.000-08:00

We planned a night with some friends with no kids and ended up just going over to Sarah and Jimmy's house. We played Catch Phrase and drank lots of wine!! Fun times and it was nice to just hang out with friends :)

Christin and Jeromy

Christin, Sarah, Sara and me

Ha, ha...we are so funny!

Jerm just being one of the girls ;)

Day with Nanny and Poppa

2012-01-09T15:31:00.000-08:00

What a fun morning! We started with a trip to the Fire Station! Tyler was in shock and I don't think he said one word the entire time we were there...he loved it! Paige had fun too but was a little scared of the truck so we just looked at it and the fireman showed us all the bells and whistles. The firemen could not have been more friendly and accommodating.

The firemen gave the kids a pencil, eraser, fireman hat and a badge sticker!

The kids love their vibrating chair that is supposed to be for your feet!

Time to bake cupcakes!

How lucky were we that it was trash day and Poppa got to take Tyler out to see the trash truck! Amazing how excited the kids get about the trash truck...
I think it was so cute how short of a time it took the kids to warm up to Nanny & Poppa. They loved them right away! Poppa kept leaving the kitchen area to go get toys and stuff and when he would leave the area Tyler would scream "Poppa"?! and would run to go find him.

Playing tea party

Mmmmm...those are some good cupcakes!

Eating some lunch and Tyler saying "CHEESE"!

And, after lunch, a little park time! We can walk to the park from their house so it was perfect! We would always walk there when we were kids so it's cool that they can walk my kids there now.

One more quick book before we left and took some cupcakes to the firemen to say thanks for their hostility! What a fun day and how special that my kids get to spend this time with their Great-Grandparents ;)

Hardin Christmas

2012-01-09T14:40:00.000-08:00

Nanny and Poppa came over for Christmas dinner and opening presents. We opened all of our presents that morning (did I not take any pictures that morning?? Can't seem to find any!) Tootsie & Wally Pop spoiled us for sure! These kids are so loved :) I got lots of great presents but I want to mention what they got Jeromy. Have you seen these?

Jeromy got roller shoes!! Every time he sees a kid with these on he says he wants some...so I put my request in with Tootsie. He hasn't gotten the hang of them yet but he likes them!! Only Jeromy :)

Nanny got Paige a new fancy dress...that she immediately put on...some books and a night shirt. Paige loves reading books so she asked Nanny to read it to her as soon as she pulled it out of the bag!

We got Nanny & Poppa a 2012 calendar and a photo book. Well...the card said it was from our family but my Mom created and purchased them! I was a little overwhelmed with the idea of making 6 calendars so my Mom made the Great-Grandparents a calendar and photo book. Thanks Toots!

I didn't get a picture of Tyler with his present from them but they got him a UT Football Jersey and some books too.

Tyler showing Nanny how to use an iphone

Paige looks so grown up in this picture!!

Christmas Continues in Texas!

2012-01-09T14:35:00.000-08:00

Santa visited Tootsie & Wally Pop's house on Christmas so there were some gifts out when we first walked in! He brought the kids a chalkboard top activity table, lots of arts and crafts supplies, and 1 big special gift for each kid. Paige got an awesome globe! She asked Santa to bring her globe to Texas and he did! It's an interactive globe with a wand. When you touch the globe with the wand, it tells you about the area that you're touching. It has a keyboard and you can update it. How cool is that?! I need to spend some time on it :) We didn't really take any pictures that night except this one

Yup, that's right...Tyler got a drum set! Paige accidentally knocked it over (I might have pushed her...ha! JK but they are so loud!) so the little drummer boy's act was short lived. He loved it and so did Jeromy!

Where have the Stallings' been up to?

2012-01-08T16:49:00.000-08:00

Lots of fun times! This holiday season has been so fun and packed with activities! We've been in blur since Halloween and we are on a plane to Texas right now (when I wrote this) and Jeromy has both the kids so I'm going to at least update the blog with pictures from my phone. We scored first class seats so I am loving this time alone in first class! Here's J and the kids ( Paige got some Barbie headphones for Christmas)

So, here's some pictures from my phone. More to come from Jeromy's phone and our camera but here's some from now :)

Pretend slumber party by Mom and Dad's bed (I LOVE watching them play together and use their imaginations)

Playing at "Little Locks" while it's Paige's turn to get her hair cut. He got all off the school buses from a big car/truck display

We stopped at 'Guitar Center' for Jeromy one afternoon and the kids had a blast playing in there

My little drummer boy :)

Silly Tyler Bug

One of Paige's preschool buddies, Sarah, had her 4th birthday party with Paige, Lulu and Chloe and the Mom's. They live right by the beach and the weather was beautiful. The Mom's and kids had such a nice afternoon!

Tyler loves to put on his...well actually we are borrowing them from the Szekeres family...boots and fireman hat. Sarah, you'll get them back one day, I promise!

Trying out his new potty

Baking "Santa's Wiskers" and "Peanut Butter Balls" with Aunt Kendyl. We made enough to pass around to our neighborhood and give to Paige's teachers. My Mom would always make These at Christmas time so it was fun for me and my sister to do it!

Danielle brought over Corbin's frog potty for Tyler and he is totally in to it! He hasn't gone in it yet but has started to tell me when he needs to go so I think we'll start training him after the first of the year.

We got back from Disneyland on 12/21 and Jerm was checking his email and saw that my Dad's store was closed Christmas Eve and Christmas. He asked me what they were doing and I told him nothing so he suggested I ask them to come out to Cali. Less than 24 hours later, my Mom was here and my Dad landed the next night!! What a special surprise! And, Kendyl and Paul got off work so we all spent Christmas together at our house. This picture is of Paige and Tyler heading in the airport to get Tootsie. I had them hide around a corner and surprise her when she came down the elevator. So fun!!

This story is hilarious...so my friend Brandi had on a super cute fur vest at Nicole's happy hour the other night so she said I could borrow it and bring it to Texas. Jeromy went to her house to get it from her husband and ended up bringing home a fish too!! Her husband Larry was supposed to give the fish to a neighbor because they were going to be out of town but thought Jeromy would be an easier hand off. They didnt discuss the fact that we were leaving for Texas before Brandi was getting back from AZ so we now had to find coverage for the fish while we will be gone! And, the fish isn't even Brandi's...it's her babysitters!!!!! So, we figured it all out but it was so funny that night. And, as you can see from the picture below, the kids loved having "Purplelicious". That's what we named her :)

Jerm and I decided to clean up our Christmas decorations Yesterday before heading to Texas and Tyler wanted to help vacuum. What a character. And, you may notice his Lightening McQueen under-roos...he saw them in his room and wanted to put them on so I put them over his diaper.

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grammy and pappy's

2012-01-05T16:25:00.000-08:00

After Thanksgiving dinner we drove to Grammy & Pappy's to spend the weekend. Fun times! Friday morning, Paige started her day with some hot chocolate...a tradition she doesn't forget!

Tyler started his day with a little reading and snuggle time with Pappy

Then she moved on to some arts and crafts

All bundled up to go outside for a while

And then, no less than 5 minutes later, Paige looked like this to get in the hot tub!

And, another hot tub later that night (the top to her swimsuit broke)

Sunday morning Grammy took the kids on a little adventure and they collected acorns and pine cones

Their house from the back

Sunday night we stopped at Tom's Farms on the way home- it's a fun spot to stop with shops, restaurants and attractions for family fun. We did a few rides and then bought some wine and snacks and sat and listened to live music for about an hour and then drove the rest of the way home. Totally not what we planned for the night but so fun!

Couples Christmas Party!

2011-12-15T08:55:00.000-08:00

Why do we only do this once a year?! What a fun, fun night!! Danielle and Pat hosted an amazing party and I know everyone had a BLAST!

Paige's actual birthday

2011-12-01T20:32:00.000-08:00

My oh my...I honestly can't believe Paige is FOUR years old. I'm going to loose it next year when she turns 5. She has become the most caring, sweet, entertaining, grateful, beautiful and perfect little girly girl! I love her more than words can describe and I'm so proud of who she has become and look forward to all the years to come. She has truly fulfilled my lifelong dream of being a Mom and every single moment with her is such a gift. I thank God for her everyday and that he chose me to be her Mom. She is such a special, precious gift! Paige turning 4 has made me cherish moments with Tyler even more because it puts in to perspective how truly fast they grow up! I can't listen to the Taylor Swift "Don't ever grow up" song and can't read a few of Paige's books. I open the book and before I can even read one word, I start crying! Paige knows what books and songs make me react like that and she is always protecting me because Jeromy always tries to slip the songs in when I'm not paying attention! Anyway, here are some pics from her actual birthday. LOVE YOU PAIGEY!

Quick trip to Container Store to check out some of the cool stuff Kendyl keeps mentioning...she works there now!

Birthday Lunch at Cheesecake Factory!

Red Velvet Cheesecake...DELICIOUS!

Paige's Princess Tea Party

2011-12-01T20:15:00.000-08:00

GIRLY GIRL GALORE! Oh my goodness, Paige's birthday party was so much fun! We had a princess tea party at our house. We had planned to host it in the backyard but it ended up raining that day so we moved it inside and it took over our whole house!

Before the party, Wally Pop and Tyler were doing some puzzles. Wish I would have had a better camera to take these pictures!

Paige and Tyler playing with the most annoying toy from Nanny! It's a chicken dressed up as a Christmas tree that sings and dances to the chicken dance. Of course, the kids love it!

All ready for her guests to arrive!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-27T09:51:00.000-08:00

We had a great Thanksgiving! We spent it with Reyna's family at her sister Tyra's house. Lots of tasty food, family and fun!

LOVE this picture!

A quick dance game before we hit the road to Grammy & Pappy's house

Three...two...one...

2011-11-27T09:49:00.000-08:00

It's Christmas! Well, we might be a little early to celebrating Christmas but it sure was fun! We went to Fashion Island for the Christmas tree lighting and sat with Santa. Such a fun event we do every year with Blake and Ashley.

Paige did great with Santa! Tyler was a little unsure so we let Paige have a moment with him alone to tell him what she wants. She decided she wants a "globe to learn all about the World, and some hanging stars for her room."

Santa is asking her how big of a globe she wants. "Maybe one this big?!"

Tyler wasn't the biggest fan :) I don't blame him. What a weird experience to have your parents drop you on a strange man's lap and then take pictures!

Tyler did like the riding horse that was in his little cottage though :)

Preschool Thanksgiving Party

2011-11-27T09:43:00.000-08:00

I can't believe Thanksgiving has already come and go! Paige had a party at her preschool last Friday. They passed out their Thanksgiving craft. So cute and I love that Paige said she was thankful for her Mom and Dad! We all know she loves her lil bro too ;)

I wish I would have zoomed in on Tyler in this picture. He's in the stripped sweater back there and has the cutest smile on his face!

hardin photoshoot

2011-11-27T09:03:00.000-08:00

Friday morning Kendyl and Paul came over for a photo shoot for her Christmas cards. I got Paige some shoes for when she's outgrown her sparkle shoes (such a sucker for a sale) and they arrived that morning and she wanted to try them on. She loved them so that's why she has on shoes that look as big as her head!

Love this picture!

Big Sis and Lil Bro. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE you two!

Pic for the Hardin Christmas Card

And we got a pic for our Christmas card! I don't love how I look but I was excited to have a family pic for our card so I went with it.

Waiting for Tootsie

2011-11-27T08:45:00.001-08:00

Much to everyone's surprise...I was early to pick up Tootsie! We usually just pick her up from the street but this time I had enough time to park and go in to greet her.

There she is!!

I think they look like each other in this picture

Her she comes!

She's here, she's here!

And, we're off to the races! Lots to do for Paige's party!!

A quick lunch at our favorite...Chick Fil A!

That night we went to get something from Ava and Ethan and this is how Paige walked down the street

Earlier that day Tyler was playing dress up! I so wish I could have gotten a better picture of him in his fireman gear...minus clothes! (he did this all by himself)

He loves to stand on his head and hold one leg up. Ha!

Working on the poms for the next day

Happy 5th Birthday Austin!

2011-11-27T08:45:00.000-08:00

Austin had his birthday party at the Children's Museum and the kids had a blast! There were tons of fun things but Tyler's favorite was the lego water table. He was soaked by the end of the party!

Paige's favorite was the school house! One of the older kids would be the teacher and all the other kids would sit at their desks. How fun!

Kristen went above and beyond with the decorations! She had the most amazing and creative robot decorations and robot cake pops. Yummy!

What's been going on...

2011-11-27T08:16:00.000-08:00

Most of these are from my phone so they're not that good but here's what we've been up to this month.

Fun times playing dress up

Paige and her friend Chloe wore the same dress to preschool!

They love to play in my closet while I'm getting ready I caught them like this!

Snuggled up for a morning run

Paige loves painting and she will get it all ready and do it all by herself. Here she is painting a Thanksgiving placemat

This was so funny! They woke up early one morning and Paige went in Tyler's room and they started playing. We took advantage of the quiet time and slept in another 20 minutes or so. I went into his room and found this! Paige also had her bathroom stool in there and was rearranging his clothes and hanging them from his dresser. What a fun morning! I love that they love playing together.

Jeromy and all of his Dad buddies had a Dad's day/night out. A few of us went to Sara's house with all the kids and got this quick pic. We had such a fun night over there!

And here's Dad the next morning :)

Paige was playing dress up on night and decided to play with the wedding veils from Nanny.

Lil bro wanted to help her out

I was trying to get them to both look at the camera so I bribed them with a M&M and Tyler threw his arms up in the air and said "YEAH!"

Paige set up a slumber party

Tyler pretending to take a nap. He always face plants it into his blanket and snuggles up with it

This is big news...Paige wore JEANS! She never wants to wear pants and I finally talked her into it because she wanted to wear her boots.

Tyler wanted to get a picture of his outfit too

Izzy and Karina got Paige a ballerina rain coat and umbrella for her birthday. She loves it!

Tyler got a duffle bag from Tootsie and was pretty proud of it :)

Christmas Jammies

2011-11-27T07:38:00.000-08:00

We have no shortage of Christmas jammies in our house (thank you Danielle!) and I'm pretty sure the kids have been wearing them since the beginning of October! Anyway, here are some cute pics of the kiddos in their jammies.

This was so sweet. Paige usually snuggles with me and Tyler while we are reading his bedtime story and the other night she took it upon herself to read it to him! This is his favorite book - a book all about things that go - tractors, trucks...the works.

Ethan and Ava gave us their matching Christmas jammies and Paige loves them because hers is a dress.

This one cracks me up - they look so formal...watching Sesame Street!

And these crack me up because Tyler looks so sweet in the first one and then he starts wrestling his sister!

Girls Just Wanna Have FUN!

2011-11-07T20:13:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we went to Temecula for an all day wine tasting! Thanks to Nicole for organizing...as usual...we all had a BLAST! And thanks to Brandi for providing the entertainment :)

Halloween Day

2011-11-05T21:44:00.000-07:00

What a fun, fun day! We started Halloween with a party at Paigey's preschool.

Tyler thought he was one of the big kids and walked in the parade with everyone.

"What's taking y'all so long?!"

Here I come little bro!

Okay, now wait for me sis!

Guys, guys...wait for me!

Paige and her buddy Finn

And, Paige and her buddy Lulu!

Halloween Night

2011-11-05T20:35:00.000-07:00

So, I might have bribed the kids with M&M's if they smiled but look at what cute pictures I got! And yes, I know they all look the same but I couldn't pick just one so I threw them all in.

Tyler was a little apprehensive at first but once he got the idea of "trick-or-treating", he was all about it! And, it was so cute because he knows what M&M's look like so that's what he would pick out of the basket. And, Paige would grab him a piece if he didn't make it to the basket quick enough. What a sweet big sis ;)

Look who else dressed up?! Nicole LOVES Halloween.

This is Paige jumping up and down because she is so excited. I love seeing her so happy!

Tyler, Paige, Ava, Ethan & Cadence

Chris even wore a wig! The kids thought this was hilarious.

And, so did Nicole's Mom!

This was so cute. At the end of the night, Paige kept saying how tired she was so she sat down in Tyler's car and he started pushing her and would push our hand away when we tried to help.

Taking care of his big sister!

And, now snuggling up to watch the Charger game with Dad.

Carving Night at the Elleraas'

2011-11-05T20:25:00.001-07:00

This is such a fun event that I look forward to every year! Tyler had no problem finding some toys to play with :)

Sunday Funday

2011-10-30T12:02:00.000-07:00

The Sunday my parents were here we had a great day that started with some Sunday morning lounging.

And then we got ready to hit the beach! Paige wanted her hair double braided so Tootsie did it for her just like she used to do mine.

Kendyl and Paul came over to BBQ that night. Paul is so great with the kids!

And, the Elleraas family came over for some fun too!

Believe it or not but this huge mess on his face is from ONE chocolate pretzel!

Okay, lets see if a wipey can do the trick...

Hey, get back here you little rascal!

Fine, I'll just give you a little bath in the sink

And, I'll give you a crazy hair-do

Oh yeah, Mom...I'll get you!

I LOVE that little rascal :)

Seriously?! You guys are crazy.

You think that was crazy?!.......DOGPILE!!!!!!

Tyler, help your Mommy!

Uhhh... that's not quite what I was thinking.

Szekeres Patch Party

2011-10-30T11:47:00.000-07:00

That's right...we actually had one other playdate at the pumpkin patch this year! Sarah rents one of the tents and has super cute decorations and snacks for the kiddos. Such a fun time! And, we went from 2-5 and that's most kids nap time so we pretty much had the entire place to ourselves! So nice just letting the kids run around and know that they were safe.

Tyler finishing up a few texts before we got there

Double Trouble - Tommy & Tyler

Does someone have a stinky diaper?! Ha! I don't know why she was holding her nose but it makes for a funny picture! Brooke is a year older than Tyler and they look the same age in this pic!

It always cracks me up how there are hundreds of things for the kids to do with their wristband and they always want to play on the 50 cent ride on toys! Maybe because there isn't a line or something?!

Tommy & Tyler pimping chicks

Tyler had a BLAST in the jumpy house!!!

Cute pic of Tyler

cute pic of Paige

And a cute pic of the two of them!

The morning after the concert...

2011-10-27T19:45:00.000-07:00

Paige was all about singing and playing music so Jerm completely embraced it. He played some piano while she made up songs and danced.

And, little Tyler bug was looking as cute as ever that morning so I got a few pics of him too.

LOVE this picture of him!

TAYLOR SWIFT CONCERT!!

2011-10-27T19:42:00.000-07:00

What a fun, fun night!!!!! We all three had such an amazing time and I'm so glad (and thankful to Tootsie for buying the tickets for us!!) that we were able to go! It made me realize what a big girl Paige is and made me so proud of the girl she is today.

LOVE this picture and wish it was taken with a good camera and not our phone!

And, I wish so bad we took a camera with a flash! My little camera is being fixed at Best Buy and I didn't even think of taking our nice camera with us so all we got were cell phone pics. BUMMER!

One of the guys that Jeromy works with took his 2 daughters to the concert too and he made these heart flags for the girls. So nice! Taylor Swift is all about hearts so he found a foam heart and put glow stick bracelets around it. So fun and such a great memory for Paige to keep in her room!

AND...believe it or not...

2011-10-27T19:33:00.000-07:00

We went to another pumpkin patch the next day! I think it goes without saying that we are officially pumpkin patch addicts. This time we went with Paige's preschool class. This pumpkin patch had cute decorations and a bunch of jumpy's so my kids were happy!!

Paige and a few buddies from her preschool class. So much fun!

Believe it or not...

2011-10-27T19:28:00.000-07:00

We went back to the SAME pumpkin patch the next day! Nicole organized a group to go so we couldn't say no :)

And, we ran into some of Paige's preschool friends! Here she is with Brady and his little brother Parker.

Brady and Paigey

Pumpkin Patch with the Stallings' Family

2011-10-27T19:25:00.000-07:00

What a fun afternoon! Todd and Clela came in town for the twins birthday party and Sunday afternoon we went to the Pumpkin Patch.

Todd with his granddaughters

And now Grammy got in on the granddaughter love

Tyler makes this face all the time right now

What a poser! She did this all by herself...

Choo-choo!!

Wheeeeeee!!!

Serious face

And, some not so serious faces!

How funny is this...both Paige and Zoey are sticking out their tongues!

We ran into Corbin & Maddie when we were about to leave so they got one fun ride in. They laughed the entire time!

McCallion Halloween Party...round 2

2011-10-27T19:18:00.000-07:00

Danielle threw another Halloween party for the kids and hubby's. Jeromy was a little sick so opted not to go :( We still had fun though and appreciate all Danielle did to make it a fun night!

Sarah has beautiful, long, blonde hair and Maddie and Paige took full advantage and were styling her out.

Tyler was happy to play with all of the cars

A little movie time after dinner

Paige's Drawings

2011-10-27T19:15:00.000-07:00

Paige has been making major improvements in her writing and drawing skills. The other day she wrote "Paige", "Tyler", "Mom" and "Dad". Pretty good if you ask me!

Corvette Diner

2011-10-27T19:11:00.000-07:00

For the twins actual birthday we went to Corvette Diner with them for dinner. Needless to say, my kids (and husbands) favorite part was the chocolate shakes!

Random Pics

2011-10-27T19:09:00.000-07:00

These are from my phone so they aren't that great...but you get the idea!

Matchbox Car fun

Tyler and Isabella watching their sisters during dance class

Paigey taking Tyler for a stroll

Third haircut...handled it like a champ!

Tyler loves playing in his fireman hat

And racing his trash trucks

I almost caught him wearing Paige's pink cowboy hat...too cute

Paige doing flash cards (via Ipad) with Tyler

Tyler's costume has suspenders...I love it!

Tyler snoozing with his Thomas the Train and Thomas shirt

Paige playing Princesses with Tyler's firetruck while Tyler was still napping

The twins are 2!!

2011-10-27T18:59:00.000-07:00

The twins had their second birthday party last weekend and they kids all wore their Halloween costumes. What's cuter than a bunch of toddlers in costumes?!

Did someone call for a fireman?!

If not, Bat Girl is here to help! We decided another dress-up outfit would be better than her hula girl costume for the park.

A cute little fireman and a cute little Minnie Mouse swinging with their Pappy

Bat Girl!! Whoo-hoo! (thank goodness I decided at the last minute to have Paige put on her pink monkey bar shorts...that outfit is so short!)

Decorating a pumpkin

I think Tyler was trying to take his hat off but doesn't he look like he's saying "Well, howdy do"

And, now he's winking!!

Mini Photo Shoot

2011-10-27T18:44:00.000-07:00

The next few posts are going to be a little out of order but they happened within the past 2 weeks so that's good enough for me!

Tootsie and Wally Pop came in for a visit and before they left we had a yummy lunch at Fidel's. I snapped a few pics on my phone and at least one of the three subjects looked cute in them so there are lots! Oh, and Paige's pink flower/bow was a present from Cathy and doesn't exactly go with her outfit but we love it!

Tyler giving Tootsie a hug

Now everyone giving Tyler a hug!

And then, it officially happened...Paige cried...really balled...her eyes out after we dropped Tootsie and Wally Pop off at the airport. The actual good-bye was light hearted but she got a little pouty face and was saying that she missed them and she wished they lived in San Diego and then a few minutes after that, she started crying. Poor baby :( It was the first time she cried because of something other than whining or a boo boo. Poor thing :(

McCallion Halloween Party!

2011-10-13T18:22:00.000-07:00

I love Halloween! Danielle truly loves it and throws the best Halloween party for the kiddos. She has decorations galore and went above and beyond with the snacks, activities and decorations for the kids...thank you Pinterest! Anyway, here are a few thousand pics!

Ava & Paige in front of the haunted house - wish it didn't have the glare:(

Tyler inside the haunted house

Paigey and Maddie - they have such a cute relationship and play so well together. Paige started crying at Stroller Strides the other day because I didn't park our stroller next to Maddie!

Sara and precious baby Emme!

Paige was the first to pop her head in the bucket to bob for apples

After a little direction from big Paige, she got one!

They have a little play fort and Tyler loved being in there! All the other kids would be running around the backyard and Tyler was happy just laughing and peeking out of the window.

Hey Palmer, whadcha find?

Peek-a-boo Mommy!

Look at the treasures I just found!

The kids decorated their own cupcakes which means they probably ate more sprinkles than actual cupcake!

The gang. We had a blast!!

Paige's Paintings

2011-10-13T18:13:00.000-07:00

Here's a few of Paige's latest masterpieces...

Fashion, Fashion, Fashionista!

2011-10-08T14:29:00.000-07:00

Paige got some back to school clothes (Thanks Tootsie!) and we put on a little fashion show to show the boys what we got. Paige was a little uncomfortable and didn't really have much fun doing it. HA! Beware...there are about 100 pictures :)

Tyler walked on the runway too

Ha! This was so funny...

Love those boys!

Wally Pop & Tootsie Visit

2011-10-08T14:25:00.000-07:00

What a fun visit! I've already done a post about this but here are some pictures from my Mom's camera!

Paige & Tyler riding the train after we finished back to school shopping. Paige will swish her hair side to side and make a comment about how long her hair is getting. So, she loves this picture :)

Saturday night we went to the airport to pick up Wally Pop. And, yes Paige wore her leopard, sequin dress :) I LOVE these pictures of them!!

A little morning milk and cartoon time before the bbq

Sunday night, Kendyl, Paul, The Elleraas Famly, The other Stallings family, Tootsie & Wally Pop and me and Jerm had dinner together! Kendyl and Paul brought the meat and veggies and did most of the cooking so that was my favorite part!

Paul also made an apple pie! Special with a "W", birthday candle and "J" for Wally Pop and Jerm's birthday. WOW!

And, the night wouldn't be complete without a dance party ;)

Paige & Tyler Pics

2011-10-08T14:11:00.000-07:00

Paige loves going to the library and this was the first time we got Tyler a book too. He got a Thomas the Train book!

Snuggle time!

We took Ethan to Corbin's bday party - the kids had so much fun in the car together
Getting excited for Halloween!!

Tyler Pics

2011-10-08T14:08:00.000-07:00

Tyler is growing up and changing so much right now! He's started talking more and understanding more. He is 100% BOY. Loves anything with wheels and anything to do with sports. It's so funny how different boys and girls are. I truly love having a little boy and love, love, love Tyler with all of my heart! I've have been so emotional right now (no, I am not pregnant!) about him growing up! I cry (happy cry) almost every night in complete awe at how adorable he is and how blessed I feel to have the amazing kids God chose to be mine!

The kid LOVES football! When he hears it on the TV, he'll come over and pat the couch so that we'll sit him up there so he can watch it. Of course, this doesn't last but about 5 minutes but I think it's so cute! (Longhorn jersey from Tootsie...hope I don't get too much grief from my college friends!)

The other day I was cleaning out the car so Tyler was playing in the garage and he climbed under the Jeep hood and crawled into his hot rod car!
Tyler puts on Paige's backpack everyday and always wants to play at the playground. He's ready for preschool!

Major bedhead!

Hmmm...where did this idea come from?

Paige Pics

2011-10-08T13:52:00.000-07:00

Some cute pics of what Paige has been up to lately...

getting a manicure from Ava

And, her ADORABLE dance picture came in the mail!!

I love this picture ;) And, I just have to document that I had nothing to do with this pose or face...I wasn't even in the room! My little diva ;)

"Cheese!"

A few weeks into preschool, her friend Chloe got some Sketcher Twinkle Toes. And, that's all Paige talked about (and she needed new shoes anyway) so we got her some and she doesn't want to take them off. She LOVES them! And, she calles them Checkers...I don't want to correct her because I don't need a 3 1/2 year old girl who's aware of brands!

1st Day of Preschool! (year 2:))

2011-10-08T13:45:00.000-07:00

Paige was SO excited to start school again and I think it was so cool that Tootsie & Wally Pop were here to share the day! The morning was a little chaotic...shocking, I know...but we made it there on time!

Here are my shoes Tootsie

All ready! Let's get some pictures, Momma!

What do you think kids...did I get enough pictures?! Ha :)

Oh, you're right. We need some at school too!

Little bro wanted in on the pic too :)

And, he hopped right in to the toys too!

Paigey serving some tea to Sarah, Lulu and Tommy

Chloe & Paige

Afternoon in La Jolla

2011-10-08T12:22:00.001-07:00

Last Sunday after Church we went to La Jolla to meet Mark and Tasha for brunch. We got there a little early and took a nice walk around. La Jolla is so beautiful!

Just chillin

2011-10-08T12:20:00.000-07:00

This first picture is random but one afternoon during his nap, Tyler got a little sweaty and his hair was crazy! With a little help from Mom, we styled it just right ;) Oh, and you might notice the passy is back...I gave it back to him when we went to Texas for the flight, etc and he liked it even better than before! But, as of this week, it's OFFICIALLY gone :)

This was just one night we were all hanging out and the kids looked cute :)

Time with G and P

2011-10-08T12:16:00.000-07:00

Grammy & Pappy got some great play time with the kids while they were here! Saturday we didn't leave the house so it was a full day of fun. The boys went and golfed 9 holes with Chris and Jeromy beat Chris!!! They have been playing for a few years and Chris always wins...so Jeromy was super excited about this and rubbed it in Chris' face every way he could :) Boys will be boys!

This is one of Tyler's favorite books. It's a picture book with all things that move. I think Pappy read it to him at least 10 times in a row! That's what Grandparents are for :)

Sunday night Matt, Reyna and kids came over for a bbq. Clela got all the kids Halloween shirts so we attempted to get a picture. None of mine turned out so hopefully Reyna got some!

"Look Tyler, my shirt has a spider on it!"

"No way, mine has one too!"

Hayden, let's cut the small talk. I've got some serious things to discuss with you. (this picture CRACKS me up!)

Checking out a hot air balloon flying over our neighborhood

Look, we've both got belly buttons!

Snuggle time!

We had all the lights turned down so the flash of the camera scared Tyler!