The Oswood Family

Christmas Train in the Rain

2012-01-04T21:41:00.000-08:00

The Metrolink has a Christmas Train that visits various stations in the area. This was at our local San Bernardino depot. It was a bit too rainy, so they called off the cheesy show (darn!) but we still got to see the lights. Santa and some other dressed up characters came into the train station to mingle with the crowd. West wanted to see them, but when you got close his whole body tensed up and he was ready to go the other direction.

Something about the Christmas train puts Owen in a bad mood.
The last time we saw it a few years ago he was not happy.
I think he lives in "opposite world" sometimes.

Sorry buddy, no show today.

A Boy, his Balloon, and Breakfast

2012-01-04T20:14:00.000-08:00

Citrus State Park

2012-01-04T20:13:00.000-08:00

A nice day trip to the Citrus State Historical Park in Riverside is the perfect thing on a warm Fall day.

West and his "CHEESE" face.

Hiding in the orange tree.

Frolicking in the orchard.

Daddy juggling oranges.

Playing in the museum.

West followed Owen to the storm drain and sat down. He always wants
to be right next to big brother.

Discovery Science Museum

2012-01-03T21:38:00.000-08:00

Another day, another children's museum. This time we took the grandparents and kiddos to the Discovery Science Center in Santa Ana. This pass we bought is really paying off. We have free admission to many children's museums and science centers for the year. Get ready for more pictures along these lines....

Ah yes, the beach ball blow in the air thingy. An important part of
every kids museum.

This was cool, trying out the bed of nails. We tried to get West on it,
but he knew better.

Mark and West inside the Dinosaur's digestive system.

Sliding down the dino tail.

Weeeeeeeee!!

They really want you to know how dinosaurs work.
Owen is standing on the pile of dino "poop" at the back end.
When we told him what it was, he jumped right down.

I think they would watch the ball go around this thing
all day if we let them.

Playing some sort of grocery/recycling game.

Mark's hand and face up top, Owen's bunch of handprints
down below.

My turn to try the bed of nails.

Yay for kids museums!

Beautiful Soccer Pics (Courtesy of Erin)

2011-12-18T21:13:00.000-08:00

Owen showed a lot of improvement from the beginning of the soccer season. During his final game Mark told him to count how many times he could kick the ball. His goal was 10 kicks and he did it! It was a good ploy, except after every kick he wanted to give Mark a high five instead of paying attention to the game.

Getting some encouragement from coach.

Owen and David - little buddies.

Kicking the ball and going the right way!

More pep talk.

Game's over, running through the cheer tunnels!

Cute Pictures of West

2011-12-18T19:27:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas!!

2011-12-17T15:29:00.001-08:00

Pumpkin Carving

2011-12-12T21:46:00.000-08:00

West has to do whatever Owen is doing.

Owen drew an example of the pumpkin he wanted. Mark carved it
for him.

Pumpkin mouth!

Pumpkin head!

Time to clean up!

Pumpkin Patch 2011

2011-12-12T21:39:00.000-08:00

Same weekend as Knott's we did the pumpkin patch. Notice the shorts and no sleeve shirts. That's the benefit of So. Cal. in October. In fact, it was a little too warm. The boys both loved it. West was just a little guy last year, so he had a great time. He must have spent a good 20 minutes taking all of our pumpkins out of the wagon and then making Grandma help him put them back in.

Every time we asked Owen which pumpkin he wanted to choose, he went
back to this one.

Owen and Daddy did the maze.

West tolerated his first pony ride, but he wanted off the whole time.

Pumpkin on Daddy's head.

Pumpkin on Owen's head.

Pumpkin on Mommy's head!!

Knott's Berry Farm

2011-12-12T21:32:00.000-08:00

The Oswood's were down visiting and we all took a trip to Knott's Berry Farm. It's been a few years since we've been there. Owen was probably about West's age the last time we went.

Owen loved this ride!

Right before this he had ridden a roller coaster twice in a row.
Mark did too, and he wasn't quite the same the rest of the day.

West LOVED the rides. Especially going fast!

I love the look he's giving Maureen.

My cute boy and handsome husband!

This bus ride goes around in a big circle. I think West rode it three or
four times. Mark and I had to switch off so we did get sick.
We're so OLD!

Fall Harvest in Oak Glen

2011-12-02T20:03:00.001-08:00

We love going to our local foothills at harvest time. Oak Glen is a great area with lots of apple orchards and fun things for the Oswoods to do. West takes in the simple pleasures...like a HUGE pumpkin! Mom! Do you see the size of this thing?!

Daddy been bad.

Mommy and Owen riding the tractor/hay wagon to the apple orchard at Riley's Farm. Daddy and West took the stroller route.

Enjoying some delicious BBQ after our apple pickin.


Daddy and Owen got to ride the tractor back down the hill.

No Pictures!!

2011-12-02T19:21:00.001-08:00

Daddy and Owen Visit the Fair

2011-11-21T20:18:00.001-08:00

Owen and Mark had a special day at the LA County Fair, just the two of them.

Climbing like a big boy.

Riding the giant slide all by himself!

Up on the Ferris Wheel

Owen's perspective.

Self-portrait

Daddy as a cow (moooo). Photo by Owen.

Mark was instructed to take a picture of Owen dropping hay.

This is what happens when I leave these two alone together...

Kidspace Museum in Pasadena

2011-11-21T19:55:00.001-08:00

The boys had such a great time exploring this Museum in Pasadena. There were lots of fun tunnels to crawl through and thing to climb up. Of course Owen decided to have a major meltdown about an hour after we arrived. That's parenting for you! :-) I guess that means we'll just have to go back another time and explore more.

West digging for dinosaur bones.

Playing with the "pin" flowers.

Climbing the raindrops.

This is why we always bring a change of clothes.

Having fun before we got busted for not wearing shoes.

Owen hopped on this trike and just pedaled like a madman around and around.
He was super hot and sweaty when he was all done.

One More School Picture...

2011-11-21T19:31:00.001-08:00

Not a great scan, but here is the "smiling" one of West.

School Pictures - 2011

2011-11-15T19:37:00.001-08:00

Love this one!!! Can you believe these little cuties?? The teachers told me that West was not doing very well
with the photographer, but once they brought Owen in, he was all smiles.

He got a scrape below his nose about a week before pictures.

18 Month Comparison

2011-11-13T20:20:00.001-08:00

Just for fun - here are the boys, both around 18 months old.

WEST

OWEN

Halloween

2011-11-06T18:37:00.000-08:00

I'm so behind on the blog and this is completely out of order (which you know bugs me!). But I must post the Halloween pics.

Laverne and Shirley (aka Karen and Kara)

Brandon (Power Ranger) and Owen

Fearless crusaders.

West sat in the wagon and had this look on his face the whole time.

Helping our "customers".

West's First Haircut

2011-11-01T20:54:00.000-07:00

Here is my baby boy getting his first haircut, courtesy of Nana. She was reluctant to cut off his cute little curls in the back, but it was just looking too mullet-y for my taste. It had to go.

We tried to keep him still by bribing him with a popsicle.
It sort of worked for maybe 10 seconds.

ALL DONE!

Friends again, skipping down the patio.

Owen the Soccer Player

2011-10-29T20:10:00.000-07:00

Owen started soccer this past September. He's in an under 6 league. The boys on his team range from 4 to 6 years old. Some of his teammates are in their third year of soccer. Others, like Owen, are playing for the first time. We had a bit of a rough start. Owen didn't want to follow the ball and would just stand in the middle of the field. But he's getting the hang of it now. He now manages to follow the action and even kick the ball a few times during the game. He really likes soccer practice where he gets to "BAM" the ball and score goals.

Rolling down the hill at the soccer fields.

Team banner. Team name is "Fire-n-Ice".

Getting a pre-game pep talk from the coach.

Standing....

Put me in coach!

Random Bonanza Pictures

2011-10-28T20:48:00.000-07:00

Here are a few more photos from the Bonanza! (Kara and Mark's 10-year anniversary weekend).

Even though we couldn't afford to go to Hawaii, this was just as good! We had such a great time with family and friends. It was a great way to celebrate our special anniversary.

Playing guitar with Jimmy.

I like the river!

Ooooooo, the river is cold!

This picture makes me giggle.

Boys in a boat.

The crew at dinner. We went back to Tortilla Flats where our rehearsal dinner was held.

Cute, sweet Molly. The doggy at the Coloma Country Inn.

Troublemaker!

Playing in the sprinkler at the Inn.

Washing dishes with Nana.

Cracking up at the rafting pictures.

10 Years Later....

2011-10-28T20:27:00.000-07:00

The exact spot where we got married - 10 years later. The gazebo is a bit crooked now, but we're still going strong! My sweet sister, Erin, took these great shots for us.

This is right before West started pulling my hair.

Me and my sweet hubby.

West's Words

2011-10-24T20:05:00.000-07:00

Our little West is getting more words everyday. I think I can safely say his first word was "ball". He is completely obsessed with balls of any kind. He loves to kick, throw and collect them. Everyday we go out in the backyard, he gets in the wagon and orders us to pull him around while we collect every ball in sight. Then he happily sits in his wagon full o' balls.

His other words right now are: bubble, more, hi, Dada, owl, and Elmo. He can say Elmo pretty good. It didn't make it into this video though. His other word, "more", is quite handy. He can say "more dada" and "more Elmo" and we know what he means! The last few days he's been putting two words together like "hi dada" and "more ball". It's pretty cute and so amazing to watch him grow!

Gold Rush Days - Old Town Sacramento

2011-10-19T21:18:00.000-07:00

The Calvary is Coming!

Old time bowling.
Thank goodness for the invention of bumpers.
Owen got a lot of gutter balls.

Riding on the covered wagon.

Railroad museum

Bye Old Town Sacramento. West is all tuckered out.
Now on to Coloma!!

The Sacramento Zoo and Fairytale Town

2011-10-19T20:43:00.000-07:00

Grandma and Grandpa were able to join us for a day of fun at the Sacramento Zoo and Fairytale Town.

Checking out the chimps.

Flamingo viewing

West as a Butterfly

Owen as a tarantula

He could have stayed here forever.

I love it when the tiger sits up in the window.
So close!

Look at these cute kids!

Here is a real life picture.
Waiting FOREVER for the carousel to start.

Here is the happy version...wheeeeee!

Fairytale Town is located right across the street from the zoo.
Owen had a great time going down all the slides and running down
the crooked mile. West would have had fun too, but he slept
through the entire visit.

Sliding down from Owl's house.

Daddy sliding.

Grandpa sliding!

King O

Back at the hotel, we had a fun day!

Ahhhhh, Sacramento...

2011-10-09T14:13:00.000-07:00

We love Sacramento! We loved living there and had such a great time going back and visiting the people and places we miss. It was fun to show the boys around too.

Playing around at the Capital.

We met up with our friend Tanya for dinner.
West took to her immediately, just like every kid on earth.
Tanya has that special way.

Look Ma, Tanya put me in the tree!

Playing hide and seek.

Dinner at one of the yummy mid-town restaurants, Paesano's.

Owen has made it to the future.
Our hotel lobby had a table you could touch and manipulate.

Visiting the State Capital building. Here is our county!

In the Capital, a little blurry. Photo by Owen.

Capital grounds.

West and Doug, my IMAX boss from back in the day.

Swimming in our hotel pool.
The hotel gym had windows overlooking the pool.
West spent most of his time waving at the folks on the treadmills.

Getting a tour of "The Well", the new Rec Center at Sac State.

Outside The Well.

Playing with the Peak Adventures stuff.

Meeting my friend, Adam at Rick's Dessert Diner - YUM!

Too Much Time in the Car!

2011-10-09T13:11:00.000-07:00

Bakersfield Tourism

2011-10-09T13:06:00.000-07:00

Spent a little time "vacationing" in Bakersfield this Summer. I think I've been to the Kern County Museum maybe once. Mark and the boys have never been. It was pretty fun! There was a nice kids area. Plus we were able to buy a pass that gives us entry to other kid's museums around California. Mark is already planning our year in order to visit as many as possible.

Running toward the clock tower.

Checking out the touch table.

A puzzle map = happy Owen

I did it!

Playing in the "Kid City" vet office.

Hello?

Da duh ba da da.

Schooling Daddy

Visting Aunt Erin, Uncle Guy and the Jimmy

2011-10-02T13:45:00.000-07:00

The boys loved visiting their Aunt Erin and Uncle Guy. They even got to play Jimmy's drums and guitar. A major highlight!

Owen schooling Guy on putting together Lego Lightning McQueen

West kept trying to get through that little spot.

Surprisingly good on the drums.

I get to bang stuff.

The sensitive artist.

The crew getting some yogurt after din din.

Accidental Twin Day

2011-10-01T14:18:00.000-07:00

The boys ended up in the same orange muscle shirt. I was amused.

Soccer "Practice"

2011-10-01T13:43:00.000-07:00

Taking the new cleats, shin guards and socks for a test run in the backyard.

Making up his own game.

Score!

Aren't I cool?

Park Play

2011-10-01T13:25:00.000-07:00

Love this shot.

West - Master of Mischief

2011-10-01T13:17:00.000-07:00

West - Master of the Straw

2011-10-01T13:11:00.000-07:00

Big Bear Camping

2011-09-27T19:48:00.000-07:00

We had our "camping party" earlier in the Summer. After that test run, we decided to go "real camping" in Big Bear. It's been on our 'to do' list for awhile, but we couldn't find a suitable campground that had spaces available. Luckily, Mark works at a place that goes camping all the time. A trip got cancelled at work, so some spots were available for us!

Walking on the dock of the lake.

West and Owen "fishing" with their toy net.

A trip to Big Bear is not complete without a visit to the Alpine Slide!
Mark and Owen went down five times in a row.

West checking out the chairs outside the candy shop.

Our campsite - I'm sitting up there in the chair. West is napping in the tent. Owen had such a great time just exploring. It's true about boys. Just give them some rocks, dirt, and sticks and they'll be entertained.

Owen's friend, Brandon and his mom Vanessa, joined us for camping. Mark set up this tent for the boys to play in. Here is West experiencing the rest of his life....wanting to be where the big boys are.

Silly boys. They loved those headlamps. Brandon didn't take his off all day.

An attempt to make ice cream. That ball is an ice cream maker. You're supposed to kick it around for awhile and end up with ice cream....it didn't work. But the kids had fun! (Mark did not)

West laying an 'ice cream ball' egg.

Our night in the tent was a sleepless one. Well, at least it was for Mark, West and I. Owen slept like a little log. Around 8am the next morning we had to wake him up. He never sleeps that late! Something about the tent I guess. Mark on the other hand, spent half the night driving West around in the car trying to get him back to sleep. I think we'll wait awhile for trying the camping again.

Our little fisherman, Brandon. He really got the hang of it quickly. Too bad none of the adults really knew much about fishing. Needless to say, we didn't catch anything.

Best Buddies.

Of course we picked the one weekend it rained out of the entire Summer. Sunday morning it started coming down pretty hard. We were driven out of the great outdoors and into the bowling alley.

This was their bowling strategy. I think it was working (I'm sure the bumpers helped too).

Bowling babes.

He's So Cute!!

2011-09-13T19:43:00.000-07:00

Our little West. He's so darn cute and yet so frustrating right now. Talk about busy! The kid does not stop moving or getting into things. He is communicating better and better each day. His favorite word is "hi". This little one will wave and say hi to every person that passes within 5 feet of him. When we're at a restaurant, he will twist all around to waive at every server and hostess that passes.

But being an almost 16 month old is tough too. He's having a hard time adjusting to his new room at school. He act like a little monkey and attaches himself to me when I try to leave. After I do leave he screams so loud I can hear him in the lobby as I leave. I hope he'll get used to the routine soon. The teacher's say he is fine during the day and has a great time.

He's just our little love!

Laguna Beach Day

2011-09-08T13:00:00.000-07:00

Hello! I'm wearing Mommy's hat - we're going to the beach!

We met some UCR friends in Laguna Beach for a nice Saturday. I think this is a record for Oswood beach visits in one summer. Once we got there, we had a great time. But the traffic was horrendous. So we had to keep busy in the car. Owen entertained us with his silly faces.

My favorite.

ugh.

We're finally here! West had such a great time. Mark and I had an OK time too, as long as West wasn't trying to run directly into the ocean. At one point, Owen got knocked down by a wave. I didn't see it happen, but he came walking up to me all wet and covered in sand. He wasn't too traumatized though, when we asked what his favorite part of the day was, he said it was when to went underwater! I asked him why, and he said it made him feel like a scuba diver.

Mark using our sad kiddie shovel.

After using Bart's master sand digger, Owen was buried a lot further. He loved it!

The Cove Waterpark (and our new couch)

2011-09-08T12:49:00.000-07:00

We visited The Cove waterpark in Riverside twice this summer. The boys loved it, and we did too. The water playground was the best, with a zero entry pool that West could just walk right into. And he did that first thing when we got there. We had to keep him from walking right under the water!

Owen loved going down the slides too. He was such a big boy waiting in line to go down all by himself. About every 2 minutes or so, a bell would ring, and that big brown bucket would tip over and send water everywhere! The boys learned to listen for the bell and run over to get drenched.

Owen's goofy pose.

And we finally got our new couch! It's huge and comfy, we love it! I pretty much park myself on the chaise section as soon as the kiddos are sleeping.

Camping Party

2011-08-24T21:59:00.001-07:00

Owen become obsessed with the idea of having a "camping party". We're not sure where he got the idea, but he bugged us for weeks about it. So of course we invited some friends over and had a camp party!

Dinner in the backyard.

Getting the campfire going.

Marshmallows!

Brandon and Owen trying to play tug-of-war.
I don't think anyone is going to win this battle.

Lots of playing in the big blue ball!

Owen is running down the sidewalk after Brandon's car.
They had so much fun, he didn't want them to leave!

Owen and I slept out in the tent that night. Mark was on West duty inside. Owen slept like a little log all night. I, however, was awakened around midnight by some sniffing outside the tent. Animals in the backyard, geez! I don't know what it was. Probably a skunk or opossum maybe. For about a week after, Owen would say, "That camp party was a great idea right?". He just loved it! That's our boy.

More Family Fun!

2011-08-22T21:08:00.001-07:00

A few more pictures of family time up north...

Loving the kiddie pool.

Owen got really attached to Grandpa's old wagon. He wanted to pull it around the yard all day. Then he started getting really into it and asked if we could repaint it and make other modifications.

Grandma is being very brave with a half-naked West. Watch out for the pee pee!

I think every kid in the family does this with the lifesavers!
The adults try to do it too.

Tired boy! He doesn't want to nap anymore, but some days he really needs it.

Fake moustaches showed up and we had some fun.

West had a healthy obsession with the stairs and banister by the time we left.
He won't let go!

Family Vacation Continues....

2011-08-15T19:16:00.001-07:00

After the 4th in Bakersfield we headed up north for more family fun!

The boys couldn't wait to get into the pool!

We headed to other side of the GG Bridge for the free day at the Bay Area Children's Discovery Museum. There were A LOT of other kids there, but we had a great time. What a beautiful spot!

Ready to get out.

This building area was fun, but stressful too. If you left your blocks another kid would swoop in and take stuff. I think Owen spent more time guarding his area than actually building anything.

Chasing birds.

After the museum we headed into the city. There were a few sea lions at Pier 39. Not as many in years past, but we saw one jump out of the water and onto a platform. Owen thought that was pretty cool. Yes, West is holding a bottle brush in this picture. For some reason he wouldn't let go of it that day.

Pier 39 carousel.

Over by the tall ships. Mark was on "make sure West doesn't drown" duty. That kid will run straight for any body of water. He would just keep right on going if we didn't stop him.

It was a beautiful day in the city.

We had a great time seeing some sight we haven't been to in awhile.

4th of July - 2011

2011-08-08T20:36:00.001-07:00

We got back to our boys on the 4th of July - just in time for fireworks!!

Owen quickly went though six or so boxes of sparklers.
Less sparklers next year Nana....

Feeling very patriotic.

West was already conked out sleeping.
He'll have to wait until next year to have his first fireworks experience!

Yellowstone Itinerary (if you have one day)

2011-08-08T20:17:00.000-07:00

After the wedding we spent a lovely Sunday in Yellowstone. We were in the northern, Mammoth Lakes area of the park. It was a beautiful day! We got to see an area that we were not able to visit two years ago when we were last in Yellowstone.

Bunson Peak Trail - yes, snow in July!

Some hoodoos...and Mark.

View from the top. That's the Yellowstone river on the left.

We got down on the peak and visited some pools. Mark really wanted me to take this picture, not sure why.

Here we are post rafting eating ice cream, of course. We had a great little afternoon trip down the Yellowstone River. The flow was around 24,000. That's really fast! The river was super high and moving quick. As a result, many of the rapids were not as big as normal, but we had nice guides and beautiful scenery.

In an attempt to break up the drive back to Spokane for our flight, Mark found us some inexpensive lodging for the night. These teepees were close to Missoula. We got here, crashed, woke up early the next morning, had a great breakfast in downtown Missoula, then booked it back for our 12pm flight out of Spokane. Once we arrived back in Ontario (via Phoenix), it was another few hours of driving to make it back to our boys in Bakersfield. Whew!! We had such a great trip!

Montana Wedding and NO KIDS!

2011-07-25T15:52:00.000-07:00

Want some ice Papa? Yes? OK, let me shove a whole bunch into your mouth!

West got reacquainted with Papa pretty quickly when we met for the GREAT KID HAND-OFF halfway between San Bernardino and Bakersfield. My very tolerant parents agreed to watch the kids for four days while Mark and I journeyed to Montana for our friend Tara's wedding.

After dropping off the kids, Mark and I drove back home and caught a flight early the next morning. After flying into Spokane, meeting a guy from the IE working at the car rental counter, getting a free upgrade as a result, stopping at Best Buy for an axillary cable (yay), and driving approximately 7 hours through Washington, Idaho and Montana, we arrived in Livingston, MT!

First item of business - meet the groom! Then we took in the scenery and ate some yummy turkey burgers at the after, after party for the rehearsal dinner. The rehearsal dinner and wedding were held at the groom's parents home in Pray, MT. We so much enjoyed meeting everyone and marveling at the spectacular neighborhood, tucked up against the Yellowstone River.

Mark hanging with Ranger (Tara's puppy)

Downtown Livingston, MT. Our hotel was in this town, about 30 minutes from the wedding location. Very cute and historic looking downtown area. We walked through what can only be described as a VERY Montana craft faire.

Free train museum in the historic downtown depot.

Classic.

Chico Hot Springs and the Chico Resort. Chico is a small town next to Pray and is known for this resort and hot springs. The water in the pool is straight from a spring. The pool is emptied each night and new water flows in. The other pool under the cover to the left is where the REALLY hot water is. Mark and I toughed it out in there for about 5 minutes.

Ready for the wedding!

Yellowstone River in the backyard. There were a bunch of these birdhouses in the trees.

Tara and Eivind get married! Yay!! He's from a good Norwegian family, what's not to love?
Notice Ranger and the ring bearer there on the right. He had a custom tux!

The "I Heart U" wedding food tradition continues.

They had some amazing pies and desserts to choose from. Yum!

Looking back at the house and teepee from the river.
The wedding reception tent is out of frame to the left.

We danced a lot.

The day after the wedding, Mark and I were able to spend the day in Yellowstone. I'll post those photos eventually.... We had such a great time visiting this beautiful part of the country. Many thanks again to my parents for watching the boys. We missed our babies, but we survived! :-)
When we got back I told Owen that I had missed him and he said, "I missed you too, but I had a really great time!". What else can a mommy ask for!

Swim Lessons 2011

2011-07-17T17:32:00.001-07:00

Owen LOVED swim lessons this year. He had the same teacher as last year, Ms. Christina. He was in a class with four other kids. Mark said the first day was a little shaky, but after that he was jumping right in without hesitation.

The "starfish float" was perfected this year.

He even jumped off the diving board a bunch of times.

Aunt Dani and the Big Blue Ball

2011-07-16T10:38:00.000-07:00

Aunt Dani and Maureen came for a fun visit. They got to experience Owen for an entire day and brought us a big, blue ball!

West loved playing keep-away, even though it was away from him.

Big Boy Bike

2011-06-18T19:46:00.000-07:00

Since Owen's birthday is in December, we decided to randomly get him a bike in June. Plus the kid was looking pretty nerdy wheeling around the neighborhood on his little trike, but don't tell him that. :-)

West was just as excited as Owen.

It cracks me up to see him ride. He reminds me of Kermit the Frog or Elmo, when you see their whole body. He's got those skinny little legs pedaling away.

He's doing good riding. Only a few spills so far, but no injuries. He really likes to get going fast and then slam on the brakes to make a skid. When I'm riding my bike behind him I have to be really alert. You never know when he's going to stop super fast!

Grandma is Awesome

2011-06-18T19:15:00.000-07:00

All Grandma's love their grandchildren - but Owen's Grandma went above and beyond recently.

Ok Grandma - just run right through there.

Now stand there while you get soaking wet.

Now put your hand in the spray so you get even more wet!

Now run!

Now let's use an umbrella, but somehow end up even more wet than before.

Love you Grandma!

Thanks for running in the sprinkler with me!!

-Owen

Beach Visit - Memorial Day

2011-06-17T20:13:00.001-07:00

Mark and I have lived in So. Cal. since 2002, and can probably count the number of times we've been to the beach on one hand. I don't know what it is, some people are just beach people. I guess we're not. But the kids absolutely love it, so we decided to try and get there more often. Memorial Day weekend we took a trip out to Newport. It was a gorgeous day and we had lots of fun.

Here we are just hitting the sand. If you look closely, you can see Owen half submerged in the waves. He was soaking wet in no time at all.

Mark buried West's feet.

Mark and I had to switch off keeping West from drowning in the ocean. He would just run straight for it, no fear at all. When you picked him up, he would just squirm and wiggle until his feet were back in the water.

Owen hard at work on his hole.

Smashing Daddy's castle.

Riding the ferris wheel in Newport.

Owen is having fun and holding tightly onto his $2 bill.

2 for 1 stroller ride

Boys and a Bucket

2011-06-05T14:07:00.000-07:00

Doesn't take much.....

Sandbox etc...

2011-06-05T13:41:00.000-07:00

Mark is an awesome daddy and built the boys a sandbox in the backyard. The fort is next!

This is Owen mid-smash.

Post-bath antics

West's new best friend - talking Elmo.

Disneyland Trip #2

2011-05-29T07:58:00.001-07:00

We took advantage of the So. Cal. 2/day deal and visited Disneyland twice in April. We had such a great time! Aunt Dani was able to join us for this trip.

Owen took a little time to warm up to the idea of a second visit.

West immediately zeroed in on the fountain by the tram drop-off.

While everyone else rode Toy Story, West and I did Triton's carousel three times.

Still riding!

In between rides, West obsessed over this fountain.

Still obsessing!

Riding the "big" swings.

Owen and I checking out the water in front of Sleeping Beauty's castle.

Watching the Athenian choir. Owen wanted me to take his picture in this pose.

I think he likes the singing?

Casey Jr. Train.

Yes, it's dark and we're still here! West was a trooper and loved the Zephyr ride in DCA.

Waiting for the World of Color show. It was our goal to make it this long.

Watching the show.

Owen made it to the Golden Gate Bridge on our way out of DCA.

Slept the rest of the way home... Night Disneyland!

West's 1st Birthday

2011-05-26T20:05:00.001-07:00

Our little baby turned one on May 20th!! No matter how many times people tell you, it's hard to believe how fast the time goes by! It just seems like yesterday we were coming home from the hospital and meeting our little guy.

West is walking now. He likes to point at things and say "duh" and "da". Lately he has been waving a lot, especially "bye bye". My favorite is the two-handed wave he gives when excited. He can clap too. Such a big boy!

Most of the photos below were taken by my wonderful sister, Erin. Love you sis!! Thanks for being the official family photographer. :-)

Mommy and Daddy got West this tricycle for his birthday. We were at a birthday party for one of Owen's friends. West kept getting on all the little bikes and toys they had in the yard. At that point we decided he needed a wheeled vehicle of his own. Of course now Owen likes to scoot around on this one and West wants to be pushed on Owen's trike.

It's really funny how different the two boys are. Owen got a big wheel when he was around 18 months old. Didn't touch the thing. It just sat outside and gathered cobwebs. He just recently started riding the trike we got him for his birthday. In contrast, West is obsessed with riding around on stuff!

West's other obsession of the moment is our talking Elmo. Here he gazes lovingly at it.

Starting to get silly with the hats...

Ahhhh!!!! Bubble attack!

West loved playing with the ball and bat that Papa got him.

Plus they glow in the dark! Bonus!!

Starting in on the cake.

West loves the toy from Aunt Pat and Uncle Ken! Thank you guys!!

A boy and his balloon.

Owen and Daddy playing games with the balloons.

Getting REALLY silly with the hats.

Here you go Dani, the view from the back.

You can see all four hats on his head.

Owen and his buddy Brandon having fun on the computer.

West had a great little birthday party, thanks to everyone for coming and celebrating with us!

At his one year doctor appointment he weighed 28 lbs and was 32 inches long. Same height as Owen at this age, but three pounds heavier! Yikes. I think maybe the little brother will be winning at wrestling sooner rather than later.

love love!!

Easter - Through Erin's Eyes

2011-05-22T21:10:00.000-07:00

My sister, Erin, has an awesome new camera. Here are her shots from Easter. It just makes everything look better!

HAPPY EASTER!!

Easter 2011

2011-05-22T19:51:00.001-07:00

West's first Easter was a lot of fun. Of course, he slept through egg coloring, picture taking, and egg hunting. But the rest of us had a great time!

At Nana and Papa's house. For some reason he was obsessed with this general area of the family room. The side table was especially tempting. He just had to crawl around in there.

This is all you need when you're a baby.

Water is also majorly tempting when you're a baby.
We started out just splashing around in the spa.

Which led to more splashing and the shirt coming off.

So of course Daddy and Owen wanted to get in!

And now West's pants are off. After much worrying about boiling the baby....

....the boys all got in and had a great time.
West is trying to lick Owen's face for some reason.

And suck on it too.

So much silly fun!

Everybody got dried off and we took the doggies (and boy) for a walk.
Here is Owen in the wheat field.

Egg coloring. Owen wasn't super into it this year.
But he helped us finish the dozen and went off to play.

I think he was a little tired. :-)

More of the baby wonderland that is Nana and Papa's - ROCKS!!

Easter baskets. Owen acting silly and eating jelly beans.

Very excited that the "Handy Dandy Notebook" from Blues Clues is in his basket.

West is excited about anything.

Family shot pre-church. My dad got this one on the first try!

West was not really into the service.
But he really liked hearing Nana sing in the choir.

Owen rode the train, hunted for eggs, and jumped in the bounce house in record time.

Egg hunting in the backyard.

West was just taking some steps at this time.
Guy put on the cool construction helmet so West would walk over to him.
He made it!

West really liked Erin and Jimmy's little dogs - Bugs and Wickett

Joshua Tree

2011-05-04T20:21:00.001-07:00

We decided to take advantage of the free admission during National Park Week and head out to Joshua Tree. It only about an hour and 20 minute drive from our house. Owen was really excited to see "the desert".

Heading out on our mile long hike around Barker Dam.

Owen did pretty good. He's getting the hang of staying on the trail.

At the dam.

Our little backpack boy. West did OK until the end. Then he was done with riding and wanted to get out!

Climbing rocks with Rainbow Frog.

In the distance you can see a snow capped mountain. It's either Mt. San Gorgonio or Mt. San Jacinto, not sure which. You could see both from our hike. They are two of the highest peaks in Southern California.

Posing by the petroglyphs.

Cheese and Quackers!

Owen wanted to take pictures of the desert. Here is a landscape shot.

More scenery.

My little cutie.

Owen did pretty good on the hike. He almost made it the whole way. But of course wanted a shoulder ride at the end.

Playing in the rocks. Can you spot Owen?

West loved playing in the dirt and rocks.

Yum!

After the hike we made a stop for some ice cream. Owen really enjoyed his.

Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of our afternoon. We went to a hotel in the city of Desert Hot Springs where you can pay just to use the pools. They have several pools and hot tubs of varying temperatures. Both Owen and West LOVED swimming in the pools. West's little arms didn't stop splashing the entire time. Owen had such a great time, he was pretty pouty when we had to leave. A delightful day in the desert!

Disneyland - Day 1 of April Overload

2011-05-02T19:16:00.000-07:00

For some reason we had a super busy April. Lots to do and see. These are the pics from our first Disneyland trip of the month. Lots of folks came to the park with us - Nana, Papa, Grandma, Grandpa, and Grandma C all had a great time riding the rides!

Look at these cute kids!

First stop - Nemo submarine

The crew

Our day didn't start off too well. Owen hated every minute of the submarine ride. He thought sharks were going to come and get him. There was some pretty loud screaming from his end of the submarine. West on the other hand loved it! Here is his face pressed up against the porthole. He was that way basically the entire time.

Waiting for the car with Papa.

Crazy lady drivers.

In line for Buzz Lightyear. West's face is hilarious. He's really liking the big Buzz that talks.

So we thought Owen could handle the bobsleds. We showed him the ride and he seemed OK with going. This picture is right before the ride started. Still smiling....

This is during the ride - he looks a little freaked. Nana is holding his head to stop it from flopping all over the place. Near the end he kept asking when it was going to be over.

And right after the ride. Owen looks pretty white in the face and quite spent. Poor baby. He wasn't too traumatized though and had a good rest of the day. :-)

Killing time waiting for Small World.

REALLY excited for Small World.

I'm excited, are you!!!!!??

What the heck is this place??

We took the grandparents into ToonTown. I don't anything any of them had ever been back there. We're climbing up on a ship and everyone is down below waiving at us.

Kiss Kiss Nana

Yep, special day. The baby gets ice cream.

Waiting for Pirates. Owen loved the ride. We did it twice and proclaimed it to be his favorite ride.

West liked POTC so much he fell asleep.

Jungle Cruise. Both boys really liked this ride. Owen had to keep checking that the animals were fake though.

This picture cracks me up - good vs. evil.

Baby is busy, can't smile right now.

Got my ears!

With my name!

I got some ears too!

Can't pass up the water play area. Good thing mommy brings extra clothes.

Grandpa wearing the magical ears!

Goodnight Disneyland, see you in a few weeks!

G, G & G.C. Visit - Early Easter

2011-05-01T12:12:00.000-07:00

Tom's Farm in Temecula. Rainbow Frog is having fun.

Don't jump Rainbow Frog!

Owen operating the heavy machinery.

By far the biggest hit. Owen didn't want to do the slide at first, then we couldn't get him off it. Daddy took West first to get Owen to try it.

West really liked it.

Owen and Mommy's turn.

Taking Grandpa to check out the produce.

Back for more on the slide.

Easter egg hunt

Sampling the goods.

I like shaking these things.

UCR Botanic Gardens Plant Sale

2011-05-01T11:57:00.001-07:00

We've been to the UCR Botanic Gardens many times. It's a beautiful and fun way to spend an afternoon. The gardens holds a plant sale about twice a year. We decided to check it out and get some new greenery for the yard.

View from the top - looking down towards campus.

Strolling down the hill.

Another view

Pushing West in the stroller.

Pushing Owen in the wheelbarrow.

This was the highlight of the trip for him.

Meeting an Entomology student and her cockroach friend, Joe.

West checking out some plants.

And a fountain - he's happy.

Even More Random Cuteness!!

2011-05-01T11:34:00.000-07:00

They really are having fun in this picture, promise.

I love this, West looks totally guilty, but really Owen made the mess.

Checking out what big brother is doing.

Clown baby!

OK, I'm ready for bed!

This is what happens when he gets himself dressed.

West riding the carousel at John's Pizza.

Boys at the park, feeding the ducks.

This picture is SO Owen! Love it.

This is my current favorite picture of West. He's just having so much fun and loving life. Being a baby rocks!

Stuffed Animals

2011-04-16T20:12:00.000-07:00

The boys took Grandma and Grandpa to see the stuffed animals at the San Bernardino County Museum.

Ducks!

Let me at those ducks!!

Checking out the displays.

Showing off his zebra riding skills.

Travel Town

2011-04-16T19:46:00.000-07:00

We visited Travel Town awhile ago - the same day we went to the LA Zoo. I'm just now realizing I never posted the pictures. Travel Town is a city park in LA. They have a bunch of old trains you can go inside. And of course there is a train you can ride. After a long day at the zoo, the boys were a little tired. But we're glad we stopped to check it out.

Owen on a train, driving the car he got at the zoo.

Riding on the train. West loved it!

I'm having fun mommy!!

West-ward Ho!

2011-04-02T13:34:00.000-07:00

West took some steps yesterday morning! No, I'm not April Fooling. He was holding onto our bathroom tub and I was sitting on the floor about two feet away. I held my hands out and said "come here!" He just turned, let go of the tub and took about three steps. It was super cute, but no one else was there to witness it! Mark and Owen were getting ready for school in Owen's room. We went in there and tried to replicate, but West just leaned over like a tree falling.

It's so cute when babies start taking steps. They are super happy and pleased with themselves. West was just giggling about the whole thing. I'm trying to get some video, but so far he has not been cooperative. We'll keep trying.

He's standing pretty good and getting more and more brave about letting go of things. Maybe walking by Easter? We'll see....

Two boys, one basket

2011-03-27T19:49:00.000-07:00

Owen (10 months)

West (10 months)