Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Week 4

Welcome back!  We had a really great week last week and are hoping for more of the same. We're still waiting on rain, but it looks like we'll have at least a little in a couple days.  Let's hope it's enough to open the flood gates and bring even more. It seems so crazy the rest of the U.S. is having a super arctic blast of a winter and we're practically enjoying spring here.  It may sound nice and it does feel nice, but it's not normal or healthy, and we'll pay for it later.  We must have winter too!

As I wait for the rain, check out the pictures from last week (spoiler--we did find snow!) :


Day 20- Monday, 1/20/14
The boys and I were home all day for Martin Luther King and this cute puppy was thrilled.  Bella likes it when her family is around and she can be inside playing with them or begging for attention.





Day 21- Tuesday, 1/21/14
Look what came in the mail today.  Tyler is in a teen brain study at the MIND institute and they took images of his brain from a scan done in the fall to put on a shirt for him.  Pretty cool!





Day 22- Wednesday, 1/22/14
These good looking guys helped me celebrate my birthday this evening.  I'm so lucky to be surrounded by so much love.  John worked hard to make a special dinner we could all enjoy and picked me up this lovely Kahlua cake.  Yum!





Day 23- Thursday, 1/23/14
Yesterday afternoon Justin had phase 2 of his braces put on.  It's been a few years since phase 1 so he doesn't really remember how difficult braces can be.  He's trying hard to be a trooper though and even pushed through the pain to manage flashing a great smile for me.





Day 24- Friday, 1/24/14
Road trip!  We're headed to the mountains in search of snow.  It's time for our annual ski trip and we're hoping it's not a total bust.  What would these kids do without their electronics?




Day 25- Saturday, 1/25/14
What an epic day!  "Epic" is Northstar's one little word and it sums our day up beautifully.  We found snow and were surprised at how wonderful it was.  Don't get me wrong, they are still in disparate need of so much more, but at least there was enough for us to still enjoy and have some good family fun in.  Today we went tubing, skiing, and ice-skating!  It was totally exhausting, but also totally awesome and every bit epic ;0)





Day 26- Sunday, 1/26/14
Home sweet home!  I love traveling and getting away, but it's always nice to come back home.  I'm taking a short break between unpacking and starting laundry--the worst part about coming home.



Wait!  One more . . .

January's Family Photo



I had to get a shot of all of us together on our trip.  It was truly a great family adventure everyone enjoyed and will want to remember.




That's sums up another week.  So far 2014 is off to a great start.  Now bring on the rain!
Thanks for stopping by and hope to see you next week.


The Mom Creative


Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Week 3

Welcome back and happy Tuesday!  It's crazy warm here and feels like spring which is kind of scary.  We are breaking records on consecutive dry days and high temps so we really need more rain and cold weather.  No one wants to go into spring and summer with drought conditions.  Still we'll be heading to the mountains for our annual ski trip this weekend.  I have no idea if we'll even get to ski.  Our resort makes it's own snow and has 20 runs open so we'll see.  Pray for rain--a lot of rain!  We need a fantastic February or a March miracle to help get us out of this mess. 

Until then take a look at last week's photos:


Day 13- Monday, 1/13/14
The teachers were kind enough to slowly ease the kids back into homework after the winter break, but now they are cranking it up so they can get everything in before the end of the semester.  This is just the start of a heavy homework week for my busy 4th grader.





Day 14- Tuesday, 1/14/14
These two are always on the lookout for new Skylanders they don't already have and want to constantly check Target's stock.





Day 15- Wednesday, 1/15/14
It's time for an early morning drop off.  Tyler has a test review session before school starts.  It's finals week and he's working hard for an A in his AP European History class.





Day 16- Thursday, 1/16/14
Into week 3 of eating better and working harder.  I use an app by Skimble called Workout Trainer to help me squeeze in some afternoon exercise while I catch up on my recorded TV shows.





Day 17- Friday, 1/17/14
John's out of town for the weekend, Tyler successfully finished finals, and the two younger ones just wrapped up a tennis lesson so we're eating out to kick off our 3-day weekend right.  It's an In-N-Out kinda night--burgers for my boys!





Day 18- Saturday, 1/18/14
Tonight the boys and I watched Despicable Me 2 on DVD.  It was a fun, relaxing, and comfy family movie night.  So many minions!  The boys pointed out there was a DJ minion for John and a picture snapping minion for me.  LOL!





Day 19- Sunday, 1/19/14
Sadly the 49ers lost their playoff game today, but we didn't let that slow us down.  After the game the adults went out for dinner and drinks at Paesanos in Davis.  We all had some great pasta dishes and enjoyed the night.




That's all for this week.  Hopefully next week I'll have some pictures of some fun in the snow.  I'm bound and determined to find a patch or two at least!  


The Mom Creative


Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Week 2

Welcome back and happy Tuesday!  The staff in our department get a free breakfast this morning which is a great way to start the work day.  It's also a beautiful sunny and warm day which helps lift the spirits.  Too bad we need some serious rain and snow.  It's been such a dry winter, and we leave for a ski trip in a little over a week with no storm systems in sight.  Oh well, it will still be fun to go to the mountains and just get away with the family. I'm sure we'll find something to do even if it's not skiing.  Ice-skating and sledding sound fun!

Until then, take a look at last week's pictures:


Day 6- Monday, 1/6/14
I'm starting the year off right with more greens in my diet.  There have been a lot more salads lately which is a good thing. Tonight it was mixed greens and grilled chicken all topped with a yummy dressing we brought back from Hawaii.





Day 7- Tuesday, 1/7/14
This afternoon I pulled out the ski gear and had the boys try their stuff on.  Someone always needs a new pair of boots or gloves or a jacket or snow pants.  This year we got off easy with just having to replace a couple pair of gloves.  





Day 8- Wednesday, 1/8/14
Brandon's Kendama is getting some good use as you can see from all the scratches on the pretty blue color.  He's enjoyed taking it to school for recess and is learning a lot of new tricks.





Day 9- Thursday, 1/9/14
Time for a back-to-work selfie.  Since I was off for the holidays things have been pretty crazy trying to catch up.  Today was the first day back where I felt like I could actually take a breath and relax a bit.  Now it's time to sit at my desk and work on data entry and reporting results.





Day 10- Friday, 1/10/14
It's a beautiful, sunny, and warm day for some tennis.  These two are back in lessons after taking a break in December.  They also now have their own rackets in their favorite colors which of course makes it more fun.





Day 11- Saturday, 1/11/14
Yesterday was so nice and sunny, but today was dreary and cold just in time for Winter Polo!  At least we missed the morning rain and the water was warm.  These boys played 3 games lasting well into the evening hours.  They were glad to be back though and enjoyed competing again with a win for  every game so it was worth it.  I think the parents were actually colder than the players.  It wasn't the best day to be sitting poolside.





Day 12- Sunday, 1/12/14
Game day!  John's a happy boy watching his 49ers win another playoff game.  Hopefully next week will bring more of the same.  Go niners!




That sum's up another week in 2014.  We're plugging right along.  Thanks for stopping by and hope to see you next week.


The Mom Creative


Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Week 1

Welcome to a whole new year in pictures!  Our family had a great two weeks off for the holidays, but now it's time to get back to work and school, back to eating healthy, back to physical activity, and back to reality!  At least there is a 3-day weekend and a ski trip coming up to help us ease back into the swing of things.  I'm excited to think what a new year might bring for family and friends-- where will we travel, what will we achieve, and how will we grow?  There is a whole year of possibilities just waiting for us.  It's nice to have a fresh start and even though it may seem overwhelming to think about at first we'll just take it one week at a time and see what unfolds ;0)

Here is our first week in pictures: 


Day 1- Wednesday, 1/1/14
Happy New Year!  Look at these boys.  They are so grown up, and I can see their different personalities really well in this shot.  Welcome to 2014 kids!





Day 2- Thursday, 1/2/14
Rusty is not too sure about my new best friend.  I got this for Christmas but am just now finding the time to try it out and get it on a schedule.  Technology is a wonderful thing whether the cat thinks so or not.





Day 3- Friday, 1/3/14
Brandon is finishing up the last of the Lego sets he got for Christmas.  He's been a building fool ever since we returned from Hawaii.





Day 4- Saturday, 1/4/14
Bella has mastered one of her new Christmas toys too.  We hide treats or kibble in the different sections and she has to use her nose or paws to move the parts and find the treats.  The instructions say you have to train your dog to do this slowly with only a few treats at first but there was no training required for this smart cookie.  She knew exactly what to do!





Day 5- Sunday, 1/5/14
 Today we had friends over to watch the first playoff game for the 49ers and to celebrate the start of the new year since we couldn't actually get together on the big day.  Lot's of good food, drinks, music, laughs, oh, and football.




That's it for this week.  It was a short one.  Next week will be a full 7 days ;0)  Hope to see you then.


The Mom Creative