First Basketball Game!

First basketball game of the season!  I volunteered to coach so I could get both Claire and Miles on my team and have only one practice a week to get to... This logic may have backfired on me because coaching is way more work than sitting in the bleachers for two games.

We didn't win but we had fun. I only had to get sassy with the other coach once and now we are friends. 

Uncle Aaron came to the game too! 

Claire and Miles seem like they really want to learn, especially Miles.  He has been dribbling up and down our street to get better at controlling the ball. He said he was nervous before the game but he hustled and did a good job! Claire was consistent and always in the right spot.  Now to get these boys to pass! 

Milestones- 50 lbs!

Fifty pounds GONE! I am so stinkin' excited! I took this photo to show what 50 lbs is like- I could barely lift it all, how did I walk around carrying it every day? 

My goal is to lose 20 more, hopefully before my reunion in September. My weight loss is slowing down a bit so I plan to start exercising more.  I actually WANT to start! 

Wet n Wild Summer!!

We got season passes this year and it's been really fun! Not as crazy and crowded as I though it would be.

Claire and Miles want to go on every ride and Penelope gets braver each time we go.  She is tall enough to ride most of the rides now.

And me and Bubba just hang out and splash or go on the lazy river.

Signs of a good time- everyone is exhausted! 

Anniversary Trip Part 3: Monterey aka Paradise!

Monterey did not disappoint - we felt worlds away from the desert (it was literally 50 degrees hotter back home than the cool temps by the ocean). We brought our bikes and rode all over the Monterey Trail, visiting Fisherman's Wharf for a whale watching tour, trying new places to eat, and just taking in the scenery and wildlife.

It was so peaceful and calm - we watched otters play in the water below our oceanside table at the outdoor restaurant at our hotel - the Monterey Plaza. Dolphins swam by in the distance while we sat around the fire pit on the hotel patio - yeah, it was awesome.

Our whale watching tour was amazing because not only did we see the anticipated humpback whales but we also saw a pod of killer whales, which is more rare. Our tour guide said that only about 10% of their tours see killer whales. We followed them for awhile and then turned the boat to find the humpback whales who were slower but so huge and impressive!

Betty watched the kids for us and boy did we leave her with a rough week - the morning of the day we were to leave, our air conditioning went out so we had to quickly pack up the kids for two days at Mema's house, then Miles and Henry got sick, our toilet broke and overflowed, what else?? They still had fun and were well taken care of, but it seemed like a doozy of a week... sorry Betty!

I hope we can make time to go away for a few days every year - it was really so good to just focus on each other and make some new memories. It is good to miss the kids. I'd like to miss them at least once a year. :)

Anniversary Trip Part 2: Copa Soccer Game

Bucket list: attend a USA men's soccer team game. Check!!

Matt was like a little kid on Christmas! Even the 75% Colombian crowds and $45 parking couldn't dampen his enthusiasm. It was pretty amazing!

Anniversary Trip Part 1: Disneyland

Matt and I went on a much-needed vacation sans children to celebrate our 11th anniversary - we weren't able to do anything big for our 10th anniversary since Henry was just a month old, so this year we planned a trip to Monterey, CA to revisit the same places we went on our honeymoon. We decided at the last minute to add in a day trip to Disneyland and at first it was weird to not have the kids there, but then we realized we could DO WHATEVER WE WANTED and we just went with it! No extra bathroom breaks or meltdowns or naps or tears. It really was so much fun! We also got to stay two nights with Stephanie, and of course we never took a photo. Thanks for letting us crash at your place Steph!