8 is gr8!

well our oldest is 8 now--i feel our parenting shifting into a new phase--scary. but we are so proud of our goosie mooosie. kendra is still just as nurturing and loving to her siblings...now she just has lots of other interests too. on her day her highlights were: the salad shoppe with friends, spa afternoon, and staying up too late with Madison. her birthday was just wonderful. i surprised her with every little edible eight thing i could think of. Grannie Annie took in yum yum popcorn balls to her class and we just showered her with love and good times all day and nite. now we can shift the celebrating to baptism mode which we are all so so excited for.

3 out of 4 in school now!!

Kendra's starting 3rd grade at Mission Park (a new school since new home) Caden is starting a SDL (severe delay of language--its really special ed for kids on the autism spectrum--i'm so so so happy with it) Kinder/First grade class at New Republic in north salinas, and Brady started preschool at Lincoln School. Juggling their drop-off /pick-up schedules, Raylee's mommy & me class, and coaching gymnastics is a little tricky but it's worth it to see all the kids so excited and happy in school.

grannie came as we got the teachers' flowers ready and loaded up

i'm thrilled with how they are all doing just a few days in, and i'm pretty sure my cute kiddos have their teachers wrapped around their little fingers already.

ahhh the love boat

for our 10th anniversary we had to try something new and fun so anchors away we went to Ensanda Mexico, aka the East side of Salinas. we were pretty much forced to relax, eat, OVEReat and relax some more which was good for us. uhhh that's a big boat shopping the strip in Ensanada we just laughed at each other the whole time i adored my towel-agami--it made me miss my babies at home playin' and loungin' and loungin' and playin' always ready to eat, yummm chocolate sushi jared and i feel like newlyweds and still very much in love with each other but at the same time we feel like an old pair of shoes, worn in and very comfortable. we were happy to return home to our mexican wrestlers, find all was well taken care of. muchos gracias to mi familia and amigos that made our getaway a success. here's to the next 10 years of bliss.

a DECADE of dedicated love

well happy 10th anniversary to us! jared is off wakeboarding with the young men, but not to worry, we will be on our first cruise to Baja, Mexico exactly one week from friday. to honor this occasion i thought i'd write up our top 10 memories of our 10 years together. i'm no Dave Letterman, but hey there are some goodies in here

#10 our honeymoon in Hawaii, it's only number 10 cause it seems like such a distant memory.--the sunsets, the PCC, black sand beaches, lava tubes, the temple, and the infamous snorkeling/puking adventure.

#9 converting Jared to Denver Bronco madness--jared surprised me with a Bronco themed 30th b-day party, and when we went to a Bronco/Niner preseason game in San Fran--man were we FANatics!

#8 jared fainting and having the nurses huddled around him while they were giving me the anesthetic before giving birth

#7 galavanting ourselves around utah and arizona (separate trips) totally cluelessly. we are pathetic with directions--pre GPS days--oh holy wild goose chase

#6 dj-ing dances for the youth makes us feel like we are still cool--we started the year after we were married and still totally love doing it --we were cool enough to see the JABBAWOCKEES live ya know

#5 jared trying to teach me to drive a stick and rollerblade--some things are just meant to be done with friends and not spouses

#4 competing in a weight loss challenge with a couple friends, we worked out so hard together every nite--uhh no it hasn't kept up, but it was cool while it lasted

#3 surviving 8 moves in 9 years--holy cumulation of crap and how we love purging it all.

#2 the crazy hard magnificent hike of Half Dome in Yosemite/ and jetskiing for the 1st time

. . . . . drumroll please . . . . . . .

#1 the undescribable spiritual emotional moment when our new baby was held for the first time by the proud mommy & daddy (x4)

i am so happy to have those memories and countless others. i am even MORE happy that i have shared them all with a tender hearted man who knows, understands, respects and loves me. he has treated me like a princess from the beginning of our courtship, that's what stole my heart and we both feel we are living our happily ever after.

Camp-diddy-do-dah!--a HUGE highlight for me this year!

we were on top of the world my girls catching me on the trust fall--so so SO fun sexy girls in our diaper harness thingys from food to flag raising to & crazy fun certification helping and hugging all week long.

TOO TOO many inside jokes and some great spiritual HIGHS made for a FANTASTIC five days. love ya tons my little Bahama Mamas!!