A Whale of a Day!

Spring Break was almost over, so we decided to fit in one more adventure- something that every kid in school has done- except I hadn't. We went whale watching out of Newport Bay. We woke the kids up early, picked up my parents and headed out for a few hours at sea. I was so excited. We got on the boat- went straight to the seats on the top and took it all in. The scenery was incredible from the homes on the shore, to the water, to the surrounding boats. Everyone loved it- especially when we found a pod of three gray whales. They stayed near us for about half an hour and for all of that time we got about a 100 pictures of dark water ad about 7 with actual whale parts in it. Right about an hour into it the fun ended for me as went below deck and made friends with the boat railing-EWWW, but the family had a blast. Eli kept looking over the upper railing and yelling down to me to ask if I was still sick- I was praying for dry land!! On the way back to shore we saw sea lions too which was fun- the kids barked at them.

Good-bye spring break! Back to real world again...at least until June!

Nice! Me and the sick foreign exchange girl behind me.

Adventure City

Eli's school schedules a field trip once a month and I'm always so sad that I can't go because of work. This month I got to go because I was on spring break. We went to Adventure City in Anaheim, CA. It was a great place for little ones. All of the rides were sized for young kids so it worked for Sierra and Eli. An added bonus we hadn't planned on was the Thomas the train play area- perfect for my little conductor. Eli's favorite part was pretty obvious to anyone who knows him- the train ride and play area. Sierra seemed to like the petting zoo the most. I'm always surprised (and scared) by her courage. She walked right up to the animals and touched them on their faces and tries to give them a hug.

Eli and mommy on the hot air balloon ride- So fun!

The kids got to dress up like fire men while waiting for the fire truck ride.

Sierra is definitely a momma's girl when it comes to
dressing up- we love it!

Sierra wasn't nervous at all about petting that big sheep- but I was a little concerned when it showed us its big teeth!

Work those little arm muscles!

A Day at the Zoo

We have season passes to the LA Zoo, so we took advantage of the break from school and took the kids for the afternoon. Eli is pretty used to the whole thing, so he is usually leading the way to the animals he likes- the nursery, the elephants, and the giraffes. Sierra never really reacted before, but today was her first big girl experience at the zoo where she really seemed to enjoy herself. The day ended with two cranky and tired kids, BUT before they knocked out in the car Eli said, "That was sure a fun day at the zoo, guys!" Rich and I just laughed- he went from not talking very much (last year) to talking like a little man.

Eli & the American Alligator- he thought the alligator was smiling at him.

Eli picked a red-eyed tree frog hat to be like Diego-- Dora the Explorer's cousin.

Sierra was most interested in the Flamingos.

The WILDEST animal of them all!!!

Reduce, Reuse, Recycled Jeep

Rich and I took this old Power Wheels Jeep from our neighbors' trash and the kids were so excited. We really wanted to get it going for them (as opposed to buying a new one!) because Eli loves his single seater Power Wheels so much. We finally got a hold of a battery charger so the old Jeep was ready to go- and so were they!!! After watching the wild ones for a little while, we decided that helmets need to be part of the fun. YIKES!!

Happy Easter

Easter was such fun this year. Both Sierra and Eli "get" the egg hunt thing and loved all the goodies that they found. Eli celebrated at Sonrise Preschool on Friday (Sierra got to hang out with him there too!), and then we had a pajama egg hunt at our house on Sunday morning and then at my parents in the afternoon. We had a wonderful meal thanks to my mom and my grandma and some so-so cookies thanks to Eli and I.

Eli's Easter party at preschool- Sierra looking on.

Coloring eggs at school.

Sassy Sierra on the hunt.

Eli- loved the eggs, not the ears.
They were most excited about the Barbie Jeep we pulled out of a neighbor's trash- and poor things we haven't even got it running yet!


The whole family.

Papa and his princess.Eli loves to help me make cookies and load them up with frosting & sprinkle- he's not supposed to eat them though. How sad!

Rich and I went out to our friend Chris's 30th birthday party on Saturday. It was awesome to go out knowing that the kids are healthy and we get to hang out with each other alone. What a nice moment.

Eli Update

Rich and I want to thank everyone who has prayed for Eli, thought good thoughts, helped us get work covered, made meals, phoned, etc. It was such a humbling experience to have so many people care and want to help us when we were scared and trying to get Elijah the care he needed in the hospital. His current status is truly remarkable. A week ago today he was in the hospital recovering from his blood transfusion and allergic reaction and today he has gained 3 lbs., is playing almost normally, and is not complaining of any pain. We haven't seen any signs of internal bleeding or any further complications with his surgery. It's amazing...that saying about kids being resilient is TRUE! We are still trying to get him to take it easy- so we have been watching a lot of movies. In the picture Sierra was trying to snuggle with Eli during his movie and he wouldn't have it. She could lay by him- but not touch him....Aahhh- normalcy.

If You're Looking For Sierra

Sierra loves to say "Cheese!" Such a silly girl!

Sierra has been a funny little girl this week. She is determined to get attention (even if she isn't sick or hasn't had surgery). Today she was calling, "Mama! Mama!", and I was looking for her and she wasn't in the regular spots. I checked the closet and her brother's room-- only to find her hiding under the sink in the BATHROOM! She's so funny. What would even make her think of that???

Eli's Surgery

Eli and Rich before surgery.

Elijah has always struggles with snoring and breathing problems while he sleeps. He has also always been an ear infection kid, so we finally decided to get him the surgery that he needed to sleep soundly. Last Monday he had the surgery and has been sick all week. He's a tough little guy, though, and we've been so proud of him.

Eli one week after surgery and watching a Thomas movie for the 100th time that week.

Give a Little Bit

My class (along with the rest of Granada Middle School) spent three weeks of January raising funds for Pediatric Leukemia. It was an amazing time for us all to look beyond ourselves and see the needs of others. I was amazed by the generosity of my students and their families. My class did not win the lunch for the most money collected, but I wanted them to see that I appreciated what they were to accomplish. My friend Sara and I gave our students a root beer float treat on a Friday afternoon. It was so much fun.