The Real Birthday

"Im three"... says owen.

(holding up 5 fingers, making a three with fingers is tough business)

Owen's Big three was his first birthday celebrated in Colorado.

We are settling in (slowly) and trying to find some local spots to call home. Mark has already found his burger joint, and both of us have decided we will gain about 100 lbs. here because we are obsessing over our new local ice cream parlor.

We met up with some friends (pretty much our only friends so far) to celebrate.

Peyton has grown so much in the time we've been here. She crawled on the first day we arrived (perfect timing littles...) and her top teeth popped through. She uses anything as a brace to stand up, and all of the sudden she will not stay put for two seconds. This mama is busy.

Ever since she has been teething these top teeth, she is making this hilarious face we call "the bulldog". Classic, especially with the mohawk.

Dear California...

We miss you... Thank you for your amazing send off.

The month of February was bittersweet (and an absolute whirlwind). Mark received a promotion and an incredible opportunity to grow his career (sweet) which meant that our family was leaving the beach and heading for Colorado (bitter). Mark commuted back and forth for 6 weeks until we found a place in Colorado, which left me as a single mom alone with two little ones during the week. I honestly could not have pulled off this past month without my dad and without Mark's mom... seriously, they were my life line.

When Mark was home on the weekends we spent our last moments in California doing our favorite things.

Enjoying the outdoors of our beach town with bike rides.

One last shot in front of the beach cottage.

Walking to the bluff in the mornings and getting coffee with my munchis.

Our families threw an amazing and heart warming goodbye party...

there were so many of our favorite people in one room (and all of their kids!!), it was completely overwhelming to think of moving away from this community.

We shacked up with family for the last week or so... it was chaos, but it was wonderful to spend those last days with them.

And Peyton turned 8 months (in February, this is late).

Peytee girl, little miss, baby girl, you are our joy.

Your hair is amazing, it grows only in a mohawk pattern and sticks straight up most of the time. You are an observer, you are as tough as you are sweet, and you love just being with our family. You do not like loud noises, you easily scare. You are indifferent to food, which makes you so petite. You love being held by your mama...and you belly laugh with your daddy. You add beauty to our family. You just got your bottom teeth, and dont seem overly eager to move, you are my late bloomer...just so content to be who you are.

I love my girl so much.

ps. sorry you only got to live in cdm for 8 months...

trust me, it was a great 8 months.

Owen's Storytime Birthday

Owen turned the big three in March. Before we left California, we hosted a story time play date to celebrate his birthday with friends. I chose the story time theme because story times were such a marker of this year for us. Every Tuesday or Wednesday (and sometimes both) we would visit the little library behind our house for story time with friends and then head to the coffee and the park. The story time had the sweetest librarian, who reminded me of Mary Poppins, she read books, sang songs, and put on a craft for the kids.

Owen and his Bella.

"Open, Shut them. Open, Shut them.."

"If you're happy and you know it stomp your feet..."

Bella read the stories with so much enthusiasm.

The captivated audience...

Burton Girls.

Miss Liv made an appearance.

Love your cupcake face Mr. Finn.

Owen & Claire. He loves her.

Miss Emma and her brother Luke with Kelly.

Love you so much Gigi and Linds...

Love your kids so much.

The kids enjoyed the playtime and just running around the house after cupcakes.

Owen & Ryder, Buds.

(They look so old in this pic)

Thanks for coming to celebrate Owen. Love you guys.

January

Spent January in the sun... loving those beautiful heat wave days.

I love watching Owen get lost in time while he plays.

Peyton enjoyed her first all girls birthday party.

Dress code...Tutus!!

I love seeing my kids with my friends' kids...it melts my heart.

Sweet ity bity Peytee.

Christmas Season

Celebrating Jesus all month long with these two little munchis,

it doesn't get sweeter.

We had an amazing month, lots of time with friends and family, and lots celebrating. We kicked off December 1st with decorating the tree. I love having the tree inside and feeling all cozy with the lights on, especially on all of those cold, rainy days.

Owen and I had a "date" to Disneyland.

Here is my handsome little man...

Owen was chosen to lead one of the parades with Mickey

and help him conduct his band!!!

We rode four different trains at Disneyland, Owen's dream day. This was Owen waiting for his favorite train of the day, the FAST train,

Thunder Mountain!

(Yes, this two and a half year old is tall enough to ride thunder mountain!)

We enjoyed a night with friends walking the Island and looking at Christmas lights. That is one of my favorite things to do at Christmas.

Owen and I baked cookies for the neighbors... He loved using the cookie cutters and wanted to wear an apron just like mommy. I love the image of his dodger t-shirt underneath my anthropolgie apron. Sweet days.

Christmas morning. Love your smile Bub.

stockings....

Enjoying Monkey Bread...

Chilling together by the fire and opening gifts.

We met up later with both of our families. So much great time with both of our families this season. Here is Santa with his two little elves.

Ended our year on New Years Eve morning enjoying breakfast at the orange circle with friends.

Peyton celebrated her half birthday in December...

how is she already 6 months?

She has us all wrapped around her sweet, tiny fingers. She is the easiest little thing to love. Trying to start her on solid foods, although she is indifferent to eating (and drinking for that matter.) She is rolling around, grabbing toys, attempting to sit, hanging out in her exersaucer and obsessed with her older brother. I love my girl.

Hope your holidays were Merry and Bright.

Peytee Girl

5 months... almost 6!!

Peyton is the sweetest thing, I cant get enough of her. I kiss her all. day. long. This is her new face that she makes as she sucks on her lower lip for teething all of the time. Its seriously cute.

Our girl is a little bundle of sunshine. This last month Owen has grown to love her and want to play with her all of the time. He loves it when she "plays trains" with help standing next to his train table, and he makes her squeal with happiness when he gets close to her face and smiles or hands her a toy. Peyton is always content to be sitting in a lap or playing in her ocean adventure activity mat. Little miss was sleeping great for a while, but now it seems she doesnt need much sleep at all and is still so content... Im hoping thats a VERY temporary thing. Her first year seems to be flying by... Im trying my hardest to capture her baby sweetness, but these past few months it seems I have neglected my camera.

Big Boy Bed

....or man cave.

Just before Peyton arrived last spring, I felt the pressure of moving Owen into a big boy bed on the chance that I would put her straight into her crib (which by the way, Peyton is still sleeping next to us in her cradle. so much for pressure.) To solve the whole sharing a small room dilemma, Mark suggested we remove the doors on the closet of Owen's room and build him a bed. My dad built Owen the coolest little bunk, complete with shelving on the side and storage underneath.

Owen LOVES it.

Its his own little nook in the house where he can rest (and play when he's supposed to be resting). I secretly want one too. At night Mark and I sqeeze in to read to him and snuggle him before bed.

I decorated the wall with nautical charts and he loves to look at the maps and play with his blankets or read in there. Pretty cozy.