Siena's 4th birthday party

This year we have decided to do both kids parties away from our home since they are now at the age where they have friends to invite and the house is too dang small.  We had the party at the Placer Nature Center.  The ladies there set up a great party for us and all we had to do was show with with food!

We decided on a butterfly & bumblebee theme for Siena.  I loved the country table cloths, mismatched napkins and flowers.

They looked at a working beehive.

Looked for bugs

Had worm races

Played in the Maidu Indian replica village

She loved her table set up

The girls made butterfly masks and the boys made owls

Cupcake time!  I had these made by a bakery.  I bought the sugar bees on line at Amazon.

For the price I paid, I wont be doing that again.  I could have made better ones.

Auntie Alix

Grandma and Grandpa Next Door

Grandma and Grandpa Way Far

L Class

During the last day of school before Christmas break I got a phone call from the speech therapist at Cole's school.  She said that they had been monitoring the kids and she felt Cole would benefit from speech therapy for his "L's".  We were not opposed to it so I turned in the paperwork after the break.  I had not heard anything about it since and today Cole says to me "Mom, I went to the L class today.  She asked me a lot of questions.  I answered them all right and she gave me a stamp and told me I didn't have to come back"  Apparently we stressed the L sound enough over the break that he didn't need the therapy!

Home alone

I have stayed home from work the past 2 Mondays because of school holidays or day care closures.  Today Siena and I had the house to ourselves and I think she was quite content being the only one at home.  

Pajama Day

Since this was a holiday weekend it was pretty lazy for us.  The kids have practically been in pj's for 2 days now.  I had to bribe them with tootsie pops to take this photo.

I did not ask them to pose this way with their hands crossed.  It looks like they were trained to pose at Sears.  

Yosemite Trip #1 in 2013

Travel is part of a wedding photographers job.  Luckily we are huge fans of traveling and day trips so last weekend we got up very early and drove down to Yosemite Valley for a meeting that I had at noon with a 2013 bride.  Since they are planning their wedding from out of the area this was the only time we would be meeting before the wedding.

We had never been to Yosemite in the winter, even Mike who lived there in the summers for half his life had not seen the valley with snow.  What a treat!  It was so pretty!  But it was cold.  Very very cold.  I wish I had been better prepared for it.  The kids had a blast.  They love Yosemite.

We headed in on HWY 120 out of Groveland

Big Oak Flat entrance station.

HWY 120 in the park.  A sheet of ice.  And only 4 cars passed us the other direction.

El Capitan

I guess there is still a need for payphones.....  no cell service

The Yosemite chapel is down right adorable!  Can you imagine this as your wedding backdrop?  In fact there was a wedding there that day!

The wedding that I booked is at the Ahwahnee with the same amazing staff that worked on my last Yosemite wedding that is featured in Real Weddings!

Upper and Lower Yosemite Falls

Upper Yosemite Falls

HWY 140 heading of the park and down to El Portal

Sweet baby Annabelle

Skunky and Hanuta

Remodel Progress!!!

Yesterday we had the septic guy come out to give us a quote for a septic replacement. Since the "box" that is our current septic is too close to the house and it's considered useable by todays standards, we have to replace it before we can begin the addition on the house. If everything goes as planned we should have a new septic with in a few weeks and the final plans ready to send to the county! Can not wait to get this ball rolling!! Ideally we'd like to have it finished before our trip in July! But I am not getting my hopes up for that. I am very excited to show before and after pictures once it all begins!!!

The best big brother

Today was an amazing day with the kids.  We have finally decided that tv on school mornings does not work well with our kids.  The turn in to zombies and things get crazy real fast.  So this morning while I was in the shower, Cole got Siena dressed for school.  Socks included.  He also took the step ladder in the bedroom and got down a princess dress for her (Belle).  They then played with Siena's new Disney Princess dolls for the next 30 minutes with out a single fight.  It was so wonderful to see.  Cole looked up and me and said "Mom, Siena told me I was her best friend".  A little while later I whispered to him that he was an amazing big brother his response was to whisper back to me "thank you".  Ahhhh I wished we could have stayed home to enjoy this!

Siena Ballerina

Back in early 2012 (I think), Siena suddenly had an obsession with ballet.  Angelina Ballerina was her favorite thing to watch or read about.  So we put her in to a ballet and tap class.  She loved it!  She was always so excited to go.  Then in the fall she suddenly disliked it.  She would cry when I told her it was time to get ready for ballet.  She threw fits.  It was so sad.  So we stopped ballet.  But last week she tells me that she loves ballet and that I am supposed to take her on Thursdays.  So while she is willing to wear the ballet gear, I'm going to capture it!

Jurassic Park

Cole requested I take a photo of his lego creation so he can send it to Lego Magazine.

Pretend Play

Siena is finally getting in to pretend play by herself.  She has always been a kid who doesn't like to be alone so this was such a treat to find her doing.