HONS HOUSEHOLD HAPPENINGS

New House!

2011-11-22T08:46:00.000-08:00

Hello! Well Saurday is the big moving day and we are super excited!!! Here is a slideshow of our house! I will upload more pictures of the house and move next week!!!

Customize your own free digital slideshow

Rental House Search/ College

2011-09-17T21:47:00.000-07:00

So our lease is up on our apartment in November and after dealing with management and not seeing the results we would like, we have decided to move. We are now in the process of trying to find a rental home. As I am sure most of you have been through this process before, it is not fun, espcially with kids. We looked online for some and we found some that we liked and wanted to check out. Either we never hear back from the lanlord or we take a tour and the house does not look like the pictures. We toured one that was in the area we liked and had the 3 bedrooms we were looking for and was yellow which I love! We get inside and it smells like something died in the house. There were cobwebs and spiders everywhere and a big burn spot on the floor in the living room! When we asked the lanlord about maintenance he said we would have to take care of everything ourselves!!! Oh how I wish we can find a house that is reasonably priced with a good lanlord! The search continues and we will let you know when we find one!

In other news, my baby sister moved into her college dorm today. I can't believe how time flies and she is already a freshman!!! I am going to miss her dearly and thank goodness for technology and the invention of skype!!! 3 months is the longest her and I have gone without seeing each other and it is going to be very hard not seeing my sister! I know she is going to have a fantastic time and I can't wait to see her in December. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers as she embarks on this exciting journey!

Baby Food

2011-04-14T01:04:00.000-07:00

So we just started the little man on baby food and he is loving it. I think his favorite so far is bananas, which he likes so much he dives for the spoon! He is still learning what to do with that tongue so a lot of it comes out which makes eating time a messy affair. Of course big sister thinks this is hilarious and has also made it her duty to try each and every food he does. So far she thinks they are all "yucky."

He has more teeth coming in (he has two on the bottom already) which makes him a cranky man at night. So spoiled mommy who had a baby sleeping 12 hours straight at night is now sleeping 4-5 because his teeth hurt :( This comes with the joys of motherhood which just requires more coffee in the morning!

The weather here has been so nice lately that I am worried that it is going to be a hot summer here! Tomorrow it is supposed to be 80 degrees and get up to 88 on Friday so I am glad on days like those our apartment has a swimming pool! Last week Rory even went swimming at 5:30 at night it was so warm.

We took the kids to their first drive-in once we discovered that we have one 5 minutes away! I was so excited to see what Rory thought of it which I soon found out that she could care less where we were seeing a movie she just enjoyed seeing it. We saw Hop and Rango which I think we all enjoyed Hop way more! It was so fun and we are looking forward to doing it more this summer with some friends!

The munchkins are getting so big and Caleb is starting to be more and more aware and loves his big sister immensly. She can always make him amile without even trying and can make him laugh so much when she does try to be funny for him. Most of the time she ends up being just plain old silly but he loves that too. Each day I realize how blessed I am with my wonderful husband and two amazing kids. I look forward to sharing with you our journies each day as they remind me of Life's Simple Pleasures...

Jut to See You Smile

2011-03-16T14:03:00.000-07:00

I can't believe we have been here for 2 1/2 months already! We are settling in quite nice and are enjoying every minute of our new home. Sometimes it gets a little crowded in our 2 bedroom apartment which is why it is nice to have our patio as well as a playground right outside our door. In the summer it will be nice to go out to the pool area as well. I will upload pictures in the next few days because I know all of you want to see it! But for now I will leave you with an adorable picture of the little man who is 4 months old on Friday!

3 weeks old!

2010-12-10T22:56:00.000-08:00

Wow! It has been a long time since I have posted on here. I had this blog on hiatus while I was preggo and I was not going to come back to it until we found out Chris was offered a job. This was fantastic news! The news we had been waiting for over a year! Then I discovered the job is in the I.E. Yes we would now become residents of the nine-oh-nine...yikes! Afetr I got over my initial shock of moving an hour away, I realized how nice this is going to be that we are finally going to be able to start our lives together as a family of now four. So I decided to start the blog again for all our family and friends to keep up to date on our daily happenings while living an hour away. :)
So the apartment hunt was on! I was prepared to look at apartment after apartment for weeks/months on end until we could find one that had everything on our checklist:
-2bd/2ba
-outdoor area
-safe
-kid-friendly
-affordable
-short commute for Chris
Now as you can see we were not asking for much but so many places had some of the factors and not others. The biggie was the outdoor space because we all know that Aurora needs a place to run around!!! So I started looking at all the rental websites and started ruling out ones that were never going to be occupied by our little family. I then picked four that I wanted to spend a day looking at and headed on down to Riverside to meet Chris and look at some apartments. I knew that four was all we could do in one afternoon with a 3 week old and a 3 year old. The first two were busts, the 3rd one was ok, and the 4th one was perfect!!! Not only did it have everything on the checklist but it also had a washer/dryer!!! We were so excited about this (well, I was) that we did not even check if there was a dishwasher but hey I could always wash dishes by hand as long as I don't have to do coin laundry. So we decided to go for it and an apartment opened up that had an even bigger patio than the first! We knew we had to take it. I asked when it was available for move-in and they said the 15th of this month!!! I think my jaw dropped to the floor and Chris could see that I was nervous.
While I was above and beyond excited about the apartment I started thinking about everything I still had to do to be able to move and the fact that the 15th would make little Caleb only 4 weeks old which would mean it would be only 4 weeks after my c/s! How could I possibly move with those two factors as well as Christmas the next week?! Well we decided to take it and decided the kids and I would not move in until 1st of the year, giving me more time to heal and little Caleb a lil more time to grow :)
So the apartment is officially ours on Wednesday and we are super excited about it! The kids and I are meeting Chris there on Wednesday to sign the lease and get the keys so I am going to take some stuff down to start setting up the apartment. I will take pictures that day to share with you all! Thanks for reading and I will keep you updated on The Hons Household Happenings!!!

We found out the gender!!!!

2010-07-27T12:16:00.001-07:00

Free digital greeting made with Smilebox

Digital Scrapbooking

2010-04-11T21:55:00.000-07:00

Hello my fantabulous family! I promise I will update pics soon once I actually ortganize. One thing I am doing to get organized and make things a little easier is digital scrapbooking. It is so fast and easy to do that I am starting to do Rory's scrapbook both traditionally and digitally. I will share some of the layouts once I get them done but for today I want to share 2 layouts I did of the boys. I am on a creative team where I am required to make two layouts per kit and by doing this I get the digital scrapbooking kit for free! Of course this time tho the theme was "Play Ball" which I have no pictures of so I turned to mom and got some cute pics of the boys! I hope you like them :)

Kite Flying

2010-03-09T14:20:00.000-08:00

I hope you like the new look of the blog because it is going to be like this for awhile. It was too much trying to change it each month when I already do that for my craft blog. This post is going to be short because the girl we all love is refusing to take a nap...again. I just wanted to show you a cute layout I made of our kite flying from the weekend. I am beginning to like the digital scrapbooking more and more since this page took me less than 2 minutes to make. Maybe I will do a combo scrapbook for her. We will see! Until next time...Enjoy! (Click picture to enlarge)

Disneyland

2010-03-02T10:07:00.000-08:00

Hello hello! I have no updated in a awhile so I thought I would take this time to share a cute video with you. I will update you more later and inclue a video slideshow that our darling Aurora took herself! She had some fun with my camera lol. But here are two videos from our trip to disneyland last week. The first is on the teacups and the second is on Gadget's Go Coaster. I was so afraid I was going to drop my camera that I accidently pushed the pause button but I was able to get her initial reaction! Enjoy!

Superbowl XLIV

2010-02-07T11:35:00.000-08:00

Happy Sunday! I hope you are all having a wonderful day with your family and are excited in anticipation of the big game. Even though not all of us are football followers I think most of us will be watching the game today so I wanted to share a picture of Rory ready for the game along with a page I did for Chris since he wants the Colts to win. Have a great day!

Finding Joy

2010-02-04T20:09:00.000-08:00

Happy Thursday! I hope you all are getting excited to the end of the week and the beginning of the weekend! I don’t have a normal Rory story today because I would like to talk about a subject that was discussed in our bible study this morning. The speaker Jaimie is also a fellow blogger whom you have to check out at The Wonder Years. She is a mommy of two boys, ages 4 1/2 and 2 1/2. She spoke to us today about Finding Joy.
The first thing she told us was that there are 4 things that cause us to lose our joy:
1) Comparison
-We compare ourselves to other moms constantly. When those moms walk in with their breakfast dish hot, styled hair and clothes, and their 4 kids in tow you start comparing your cold dish, messy hair, sweat-wearing self to her and put yourself down. To make up for it we start putting them down in our minds any way possible to lift ourselves up. We all compare on a daily basis. I compare all the time, especially when it comes to living situation. “My husband is without a job so we have to live with his parents.” This is what I think about my situation. What I should be thinking is “We are lucky to have a roof over our heads and food on our table.” Instead of comparisons, choose contentment!

"I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” Philippians 4:12
2) Isolation
-As most of you fellow moms know we have the tendency to isolate ourselves from the outside world. We have those days when all we want to do is stay inside because it is too much work to get our kids dressed and ready to go let alone ourselves. Another time we feel isolated is when we are one of the only ones out of our friends who has a kid. This is especially true when you are my age (24) and most of my friends are not even married. What we need to do is force ourselves to get out of the house and participate in activities such as MOPS (Mothers of Pre-Schoolers). This is such a wonderful place to interact with other moms who are going through the same thing as you now or have already done it and get guide you! Instead of isolation, choose involvement!

“A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” Proverbs 18:24

3) Mommy-Guilt
-Oh boy how we all have mommy-guilt! We start blaming ourselves for everything bad that happens to our children whether we were there or not. “If I had been there, she would not have been hurt.” So many of us think this on almost a daily basis and we are driving ourselves crazy!!!! We cannot sit here and blame ourselves for things we cannot control. With that being said, we can also not protect or children from everything bad in this world. Sometimes children need to get hurt to learn not to do something. What we might want to stop. God wants them to learn to become wiser. Instead of fear, choose grace.

“The reason I wrote you was to see if you would stand the test and be obedient in everything. If you forgive anyone, I also forgive him. And what I have forgiven—if there was anything to forgive—I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.” 2 Corinthians 2:9-11

4) Fear
-I think Jaimie saved this one for last because it is the most relevant to all moms. Fear: a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real or imagined. I think that sums us mothers up pretty darn well when it comes to our children. We fear for their safety, we fear for their well-being, we fear for their future. Fear, fear, fear! That is a scary word when you think about it and that is how it sometimes overwhelms us. If we walk around fearing the unknown we will never learn to appreciate what is in front of us. All we are seeing is the fear of our child falling off the monkey bars instead of realizing their “big kid” accomplishment. Think of how fearful the Mother of Moses was. She had to hide Moses for 3 months and then place him in a basket in the reeds of the Nile to protect him from being killed by Pharaoh. She had to place her child in God’s hands knowing he would protect Moses, which he did. He was found by Pharaohs daughter and grew up to be a great man of God. Instead of fear, his mother chose faith.

“Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe. “Proverbs 29:25

“For I am the LORD, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.” Isaiah 41:13

So instead of those 4 things that take away our joy let’s make sure we have these four things to keep our joy: Contentment, Involvement, Grace, & Faith. Stay strong in your trust in God and turn to other moms when you are losing your joy. Together we can find our joy!

“There is no way to be a perfect mother, but a million ways to be a great one!”

Here is a video I made about my daughter and those days where I need to make sure I find Joy:

Look-Alike Meter

2010-01-21T21:42:00.001-08:00

I thought this was funny when I saw it on another blog and had to do it even though the results are kinda boring lol!

MyHeritage: Look-alike Meter - Free family tree - Geneology

My Dream Room!!!

2010-01-10T21:43:00.000-08:00

So I have a favorite blog that I look at everyday! This is the blog where I get ideas, recipes, and my adorable fonts that you see all over my page! This blog is called Kevin and Amanda where Amanda is the most creative person ever. She is what I strive to be at someday and the thing I love the most is her scrapbook/sewing/craft room! I am so jealous and hope someday (when all my kids have grown and moved out :/ ) I can have a room like this:

Hello!!! I could sleep in there! I think just standing in there would make anyone feel like sitting down and doing a craft or a scrapbook! I am so jealous but now know why Amanda is so crafty!!! So maybe someday (30 years from now) I will be posting a picture of my craft room just like this one...hey a girl can dream! But in the meantime, Mom and Sharon who I know are reading this blog, your kids will move out sooner than mine! Wink Wink! Enjoy!

Bedroom Craft Area Makeover!

2010-01-07T14:48:00.000-08:00

As you all know my Chris, Aurora, and I live with my in-laws, so we are limited to our room. Now our room is about 11 x 11 feet so there is not much room to do anything but I love a challenge. It all started with my hubby getting a little more than irritated when he would come in to go to bed and all of my scrapbook supplies would be on our bed since I did not have a space to scrap. He decided enough was enough and we needed to make a space for me to scrap, craft, sew, etc. but did not know how with such a small space. Well I love a challenge so I started brain-storming! Here is what the room looked like before (sorry the pictures are with Christmas decorations that is all I have!):

And here is the big reveal:

Bed is now against the back wall (I hate beds against the wall but it is a sacrifice I am willing to make for my craft area!)

My new craft area! A large piece of wood held by our two nightstands and two center brackets for support.

Look at all that space!

That's over 7 feet of work space!

All of my supplies are nice and organized

My new saying!

So there you have it! And all we had to buy was the wood and brakets! Pretty good for 11 x 11 feet. I hope you enjoyed my bedroom makeover and I look forward to having you all over for some scrapbooking!

Happy 3 Year Anniversary My Love!

2010-01-02T10:00:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday, January 2, 2007 I married my love, my life, my best friend. We were married at St. James Catholic Church in Redondo Beach in a beautiful intimate service with 100 family and friends. Our reception was held at Occasions in El Segundo which had a beautiful indoor and outdoor space. It was a beautiful wedding and I felt like the luckiest girl in the world.

Each day I wake up and thank God for my wonderful husband. He is the best husband a girl could ask for and he is my best friend. I am so happy we have been together for 3 years and can't wait to spend the rest of our lives together! I wanted to share some pictures of our special day with you! Happy Anniversary Babe!

I was so excited to marry Chris!

Now introducing for the first time as husband and wife, Mr. & Mrs. Hons

Our Wedding Party: Kaitlin (My Sister), Melissa (My Sister), Phil (Chris' Brother), Stephen (Chris' Cousin)

Chris' Family: Phil, Sharon, & Cory

My Family: John (Dad), Wendy (Mom), Melissa, Kaitlin, Jacob, & Joshua

My Grandparents: Bernice, Fran, Bob, Ruth, & Rudy

Chris' Grandparents: Jack, Jerra, Pat, & Max(went home 2/14/07)

Chris & I at the Reception

Our Sweetheart Table

Leaving for Our Honeymoon!

3 years later we are still looking good!

It's Been Awhile

2010-01-01T21:26:00.000-08:00

Wow! I have not posted in awhile so just to warn you this might be a long one! Lets see, where to begin? Thinking Lets start with our Hons Household Holiday Happenings! I know thats a mouthful but it is so much fun to say! So as most of you who read this blog already know we had 7 Christmases. I know it seems like a lot but we have so much fun spending special time with our entire family and Rory loved seeing all her cousins! I wanted to do a cute poem/song titled "The 4 Days of Christmas" but my brain has been fried since Christmas so it is not very clever but it gives you a re-cap of our wonderful time!

On the 1st day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, a Mexican Dinner with the Lomas Family.

On the 2nd day of Christmas, my true love gave two me, an Italian Dinner with the Vigne Family.

On the 3rd day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, Hons Christmas morning, Constable Family brunch, and a Christmas lunch with the O'Malley's.

On the 4th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, brunch at the Pippards and a traditional dinner with the rest of our family. (too many last names to list)

Sorry I don't have many pictures but I did not get my new camera until the 3rd day of Christmas. Thanks Mom & Dad for my awesome camera!

Now on to the exciting news! After Christmas, during this week off, we decided that it was time to move Aurora into a big girl bed. I so did not want for this to happen because I am not ready for my little princess to be an even bigger girl! I want her to stay a baby forever! Wishful thinking, I know. So even though I was putting it off I have actually had a toddler bed for about a year now. (My mom and I were shopping one day and stumbled upon a fantastic deal that we could not pass up which is why we have had it so long.) So you could say that I was a little hesistant but it was time before she ended up flipping herself out of her crib head first onto the floor. We decided this the night before so I snuck in and took a picture of her in her crib for the last time!

We started by telling her after nap she was going to get a big girl bed and that she could help us take down the crib and put up her big girl bed. So after nap she got her tools out and helped take down the crib, she was so excited to help like a big girl. Once we finished taking down the crib we brought in the big girl bed and made it with her new princess sheets! She ran in and jumped on the bed and exclaimed "Look at my big girl bed!" It was so sweet to see the look on her face and see her jump up for joy!

I was a little nervous about the first night but after some talking to she did go to sleep about an hour later and has been great ever since! And of course being the mom that I am I snuck in and took a picture of her sleeping in her big girl bed! Enjoy!

Daddy Away

2009-12-21T00:20:00.001-08:00

Hey all! I know I made this awhile ago but I wanted to share this photo book that I made for Chris when he came back from Iraq. Enjoy!

Click here to view this photo book larger

Disneyland at Christmas!

2009-12-19T17:28:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday Sara and I took Aurora to Disneyland to see the Christmas parade, fireworks, and snow! I was so excited to see her reaction. It was a fun day, even though it was crowded. I don't want to say much because I just want you to look at the adorable pictures! Enjoy!

Watching Dora on Mommy's phone while waiting for the parade to start.

Tigger & Pooh in the Christmas parade.

Trying to get a picture of Princess Aurora

The adorable reindeer.

Watching the adorable fireworks. Isn't that the cutest face?!

Standing in the snow...even though you can't tell it is snowing in the picture!

Mad that the snow is over. Lol.

Princess Aurora's Castle...she is sleeping in the top haha

Someone was so tired she passed out sitting up on the way out!

We had such a wonderful time and I am glad we were able to go one last time before Christmas!

I'm a Ballerina!

2009-12-13T23:41:00.000-08:00

e brought out the Christmas decorations and Aurora pushed the button on our holiday gingerbread house which plays "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies." She then starts dancing like a ballerina and I had to share it with you. Enjoy!

Hons Household Happenings Part 1

2009-12-11T23:55:00.000-08:00

So I have not posted in a few days so I am going to catch you up on the Hons household happenings. First off was our MOMS Club Christmas Party last week. I was excited to see all our friends and have Aurora see Santa! But I was also nervous about the second part because you know how 2 year olds are with Sants which was the norm at the party. Almost every child cried when Santa called them up to get their present from him. When it was Aurora's turn the word hesitated does not begin to cover it. I literally had to drag her to go see Santa and get her book that Santa (really mommy) got her. After a little arm bending I was able to get her to not only go up to Santa but sit on his lap and take a picture! She did so good for about thirty seconds and then was ready to get off but that was enough for me and I think the picture was so cute, even without the smile.

Our next December event, since there are so many this year which of course I love, was our Mommy & Me Christmas Party. This was not as exciting as our previous party since Santa was not a guest but it was the perfect party for Aurora. She had such a fun time having her regular school day with added pizza, decorating a tree, and recieving a present! She was so cute and I am sad to see it end for now but luckily it is a short break and it starts again in January!

Then, being December, my little princess got a cold, which she is still suffering from. So due to this she was not able to attend our last meeting of MOPS which was sad but that is also ok because that too will start again in January.

To brighten her day on Thursday we decided to take her to Sleepy Hollow to see the Christmas lights! I think this was more for mommy that her but thats ok because she loved it anyway. Almost every house we passed she exclaimed with enthusiasm "How Beautiful!" It was so fun to see her point out all the lights and characters that she saw while eating popcorn and drinking hot chocolate. It was such a fun time and we were able to get some pictures of the lights as well as a picture of my future house (wishful thinking).

This past week we were also able to hang up the Christmas lights! As most of you know this is my favorite time of year and each day time that a new decoration goes up I get so excited! (Mom you need to get on the ball before I come over and take over! Ha ha!) This year Chris and I had a small assistant helping us hang the lights. She was such a good helper and I am so happy to be influencing her to love Christmas as much as I do for the future! I know, you all think I'm crazy! So these are the things that have happned so far but we are only half way through December so there is much more to come! Enjoy!

Christmas Decorations!

2009-12-05T19:30:00.000-08:00

It's Christmas time! As most of you know I love Christmas. Some of you might call it obsessed, I like to call it a fanatic! I love this time of year and was so excited to decorate. Since we are living with Sharon and Cory right now I have our bedroom to decorate so it is a lot for one room but I think it is cute just the same. Here are the pictures that I promised. Enjoy!

My "S" ornament hanging from my night stand.

My winter picture I painted

The most adorable decoratioin of all!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-12-02T22:15:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving! I know I have not done a post in awhile with all the Holiday craziness going on around here so I am doing a post-Thanksgiving post. I hope you all had a wonderful holiday with your family and I know I am now looking forward to the upcoming Christmas season! As most of you know this is my favorite time of year with all the Christmas lights and presents and family time! (If you could not already tell with my layout and my newly discovered falling snow!) I am so excited to see how Aurora is this year with all the Christmas decorations! But I am getting off track so back to Thanksgiving!
We had such a nice time with Chris' family on Thursday. Sharon and I were the hosts this year and I had so much fun putting together the table settings. However, will all the commotion going on I did not take even one picture of the tables. :( I guess I will have to do it again next year and take pictures! Here are some of the pictures that I did remember to take during the day. Enjoy!

Chris playing football in the morning with cousins and friends

Aurora attempting to give baby Jacob his bottle.

Cassidy, Steph, & I

The girls of the family.

The tornado that hit Aurora's room with all her cousins!

The yummy fall cookies I made.

On Saturday we drove to the Valley to celebrate Tanksgiving with my family. I am so glad we decided to do it on Saturday this year so that we could not only go (we alternate every other year) but also because there was no traffic which was so wonderful! We had such a fun time but of course I forgot to borrow the camera so I have no pictures! I can't wait until Christmas when I get my new camera from my mom and dad (that I am supposed to act surprised for even though I picked it out and ordered it myself). With this new camera I will leave it in my purse so I will always have it!

Mama's Holiday Wish List

2009-11-19T00:20:00.000-08:00

Mama’s Holiday Wish List Meme
TodaysMama and Provo Craft are giving away a sleighful of gifts this holiday season and to enter I’m sharing this meme with you.

1. What 5 items are on your holiday wish list this year? digital camera, wii, job, house, car
2. What is your favorite handmade gift you have received? My wooden American Flag from my mother-in-law. It is going to look great in my living room!
3. What handmade gift have you always wanted to tackle? My next project is going to be my "Family Rules" Canvas.
4. What was the best Christmas gift you received as a child? Hmm, probably a scarpbook since I love it so much.
5. What items are on your kid’s wish list this year? Well, since she is 2 it is mainly my wish list for her which consists of mainly clothes and some toys.
6. What is your favorite holiday food? Pie!!! I am excited to make Grasshopper Pie for Thanksgiving next week!
7. What will you be hand-crafting for the holidays? I am making most of my gifts this year due to the tight budget but I know people will love them since they will be all hand made. :)
8. What is your favorite holiday movie? It's a Wonderful Life. I have loved this movie for as long as I can remember.
9. Favorite holiday song? Favorite to sing is Jingle Bells, Favorite to hear is Carol of the Bells.
10. Favorite holiday pastime? Well it is not really a pastime since I now do this with my family, but it is making hot chocolate and driving through Sleepy Hallow every year to see all the Christmas lights.

New Moon Day Date!!!

2009-11-17T16:12:00.000-08:00

Ok so as some of you know I love The Twilight Series. Some people would call me a Twihard: "A serious/obsessive reader of the Twilight Saga, one leap above Twilighters." These so called Twihards are the ones you see camping out since Monday to see New Moon on Friday. I am not one of those people. Not only do I still have my sanity, but I also have a child and a husband so even if I did want to camp out I have no option to do so. :)

Moving on, I guess you could call me a Twilighter: "Fans of the series who are up for debate, free thought, and intelligent discussion rather than mindless praise of who's the hottest character." I have previously read all four books and just started re-reading them again, having just finished new moon in time for Friday. I love the books and the characters in them, and yes I am super excited about Friday, but you will not see me there at the midnight showing (mainly because Chris is already dragging his feet to the Friday showing).

All in all I am super excited, not only about seeing New Moon, but also about being able to go on a lunch and movie date with the hubby. Not that we don't love the munchkin and adore spending time with her, but it will be nice to do something with just Mommy and Daddy. So to share in my excitement I have also included a link to my favorite trailer for New Moon that I hope will get you just as excited as me! :) Enjoy!

Clickheretowatchmyfavoritetrailer:)

Happy Veterans Day Daddy!

2009-11-11T15:18:00.000-08:00

As I am sure you all know today is Veteran's Day. I think this holiday is so important to thank all the men and women who have fought for our country and our freedom. I would first like to start out thanking my hubby Chris. He has done so much for our country and our family. He has sacrificed so much time and effort to keep us safe and continues to do so on a daily basis. I don't think I tell him often enough how proud I am for him for his time spent in the service. It takes a tremendous amount of sacrifice for sometime to give themselves fully to this wonderful cause. I am proud to call him my husband and the father of my little girl. I wanted to do something special for him but what can you give someone that would say thank you enough. I decided to make a picture for him from me, but mainly from Aurora. It has the quote "We can't all be heroes because someone has to sit on the curb and wave as they go by." This quote does not begin to say what Veterans do for this country but it shows how much we admire them. Many people are against the war and everything that is going on right now, but you will not hear about it today. This is the day where we all stand back and look at what they have done for us and our country.

I want to say a special thank you to all the Veterans who have been a special part of my life: Hubby Christopher R Hons (USMC), Grandpa Rudy Villaros (USN), Grandpa John A O'Malley (ARMY), Uncle Andy Hall (ARMY), Cousin Zackary Hons (USAF), Josh Coffey (USMC), Tyler Buck (USMC), Scott Buck (USMC), Matt Duquette (USMC), Chris Stephens (USMC), Leah Stephens (USMC), Patrick Weber (USMC), Jonathan Lane (ARMY), the 2nd Battalion 5th Marines, and anyone else I might have missed. Thank you so much for your service and sacrifice.

So once again thank you to my wonderful, loving, kind, caring, and (sorry about the swearing) bad ass husband. I am so proud of you for everything you have done for us and for this country. I am so lucky to call you my husband. Happy Veterans Day!

Veterans Day Cake for Daddy

2009-11-09T23:34:00.000-08:00

So I know this post comes a few days early but Rory and I were getting antsy about making a cake for Daddy. She had so much fun stirring the batter (and eating it) and making the cake like a big girl. I'm going to keep this blog short for tonight because its late and I have to get a good night sleep for Mommy & Me tomorrow! Goodnight!

Happy Halloween!

2009-11-06T20:00:00.000-08:00

I know this post is a week late but better late than never. We started our celebration a little early on Friday by going to St. Lawrence to go visit cousins at the Oktoberfest party. Aurora was so excited to see her cousins and to play all the games. She had a lot of fun and was quite the little "cowboy girl."

When we were done we drove over to Yukon Elemntary to visit all of mommy's old teachers and Aunt Cathy. We arrived a little early so we went to Aunt Cathy's kindergarten class and she sat at a table and colored with the rest of the kids. She kept smiling so big and was so happy to be a big girl. After we colored we walked over to the field to have the Halloween Parade. She sat with all of the other kids until it was time to parade around the square. She marched the entire time with Aunt Cathy but was not too sure of all the people waving at her. I think she had a little bit of fun and I am glad we went.

On Saturday was Halloween. We started pretty early by going to my mom and dads, my grandpa and grandma, and hic grandma to go show off our little Notre Dame cheerleader. The first thing she said when we walked into my parents was "Beat SC!" Ha Ha! Uncle Jake was not too happy about that comment but how can you get mad at that adorable face?! After we went to the respective houses we came back home and started trick-or-treating around our neighborhood. She did such a good job going up to each house and knocking all on her own. She loved getting all the candy (a little too much in my opinion) and loved walking around seeing all the costumes. It is amazing how much she has changed from last year to this and how much more aware she is of what is going on. I can't wait to see how she is at Christmas time (Yes I know it is early but it is my favorite time of year). We had a fun time and I am glad I get to share it with you!

"Scary Things" and Pumpkin Carving

2009-10-29T22:34:00.001-07:00

So I am sure when you read this title you were thinking "What on earth does she mean by scary things?" Well as some of you know Joshua, Jacob, & Kaitlin are doing a haunted house for the boy scouts and venture crew. Last night, I asked Aurora if she wanted to go and she got really excited and said yes. Of course I had my reservations but I figured worse comes to worse we could just go and see uncles and auntie. We pulled up and she had a look of shock on her face which made me even more nervous. She said she wanted to go in so we paid and held our glow stick. (If you have young children who don't want people jumping out at them they give you a glow stick). As we started to enter we ran into Uncle Jake, who decided it would be a good idea (since she was the only person in the maze because of the freezing cold) to go and have all the workers take off their masks. We continued to walk through and see all the flashing lights and spiders and all the "scary things." The entire time she kept telling me "It's OK Mommy, it's pretend." I was so proud of her! We went through the entire maze saying hi to all the kids on the way and getting a candy when we were done. She had such a good time and I am so glad we went!

For awhile now, Chris and I have been planning on carving pumpkins today. Of course, I did not think ahead of time and waited until the last minute and had a hard time finding pumpkins. I did find some and brought them home for us to carve. I sat Aurora down and asked her what she wants to carve and she said to no surprise "Aurora's Castle." So we found a princess castle template and started scooping the seeds out of the pumpkin. She did not like the feel of the seeds but was such a good helper. We started tracing out the pumpkin and then she got bored and tired and took a nap. Daddy and I finished carving them while Aurora was sleeping and loved the way they came out. Then tonight we let her help light them and she thought they were beautiful. Here are some pictures. Enjoy!

15 Confessions of a Stay at Home Mom

2009-10-27T12:53:00.000-07:00

You know how this works - copy and paste the questions into your own blog. Replace my answers with your own. I'm curious to see your answers too!! :)

15 Confessions of a Stay At Home Mom

Something I let my kids do way too much of sometimes: Watch Dora the Explorer
Something I do too much of sometimes: Get on the Internet
Something I wish I could do more of: Rest
Something I pray for every day: That we will get through this transition period stronger than we were before
My favorite time of day: Bedtime when we read and sing songs
My greatest strength as a mother: The ability to make all the "boo boos" feel better
My greatest weakness as a mother: Sometime I can be over-protective
Favorite stage of childhood (my children’s years): 6 months to 1 year because they are just starting to develop curiosity
A chore I would happily give to someone else: Cleaning the bathroom
One habit I need to break: Always eating on the go / eating bad
What I do when I feel like I’m going crazy: I get impatient
How much sleep I get per night: About 8 hours
How much sleep my kids get per night: 11 hours (still! thank goodness!)
What I love most about my husband: How he loves us and how he helps me so much and allows me my "me time."

Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-21T21:35:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Rory and I went to Mommy & Me class like always. We had our regular class until 10:30 and then we all went over to the pumpkin patch! I took Sharon's camera, since mine is broken and I feel like I am missing a hand without it. (Thank you Sharon for letting me borrow yours!) So we went to the pumpkin patch, with her friends Devon and Ava, and I was excited and also nervous about the pony ride. I really wanted to take her on it but you never know how a 27 month old is going to react.
We went in and bought a package so feed the goats, pony ride, bouncer, and a small pumpkin. The first thing we did was feed the goats. She was fine until she saw the flies. What the deal is with her and flies I don't think I will ever know. She shrieked so loud is was kind of funny.
So after she fed the goats, after some coercion of course, she said she wanted to go on the pony. Now my first thought was back to 1995, when Kaitlin was the same age and cried hysterically on the pony. She went in with the worker, got on the pony and siad "yee-haw!" I was so excited that I did not have a screaming child on the pony. She has such a good time and wanted to go again when we were done.
We finished out the pumpkin patch with the jumper, sitting on hay, throwing the hay, and throwing a tantrum which of course was not the best part of the day but that was ok. All in all we had a fun time and are looking forward to all the Halloween activities we have coming up!

"Mommy! I went potty like a big girl!!"

2009-10-06T21:34:00.000-07:00

Tonight I got home from the first practice for my brother's soccer team that I just took over. It went really well but just reminded me of how much I need to get into shape. Ha ha.
More importantly, I cam home to give Rory a bath and after she says "Mommy I have to go potty." Now if you were in my house you would know that she says this EVERY night and every night she does not go. But this night was different! After her bath I was about to put on her diaper when she said the usual line. So we went into the bathroom, sat on the potty and had the biggest smile in the world. She stood up and looked in the potty and said "Mommy! I went potty like a big girl!" It was the cutest thing ever and she was so proud of herself that she had to tell Daddy, and both sets of Grandparents. She is so cute and I am so excited to share another milestone with you and I can't wait to experience many more!

Baking Cookies

2009-10-03T10:17:00.000-07:00

Last night Aurora wanted to bake some cookies so I had the perfect kind that are already made and she just plops them on. She was so excited to put on her chefs hat and apron. She did a great job putting the cookies on the sheet and even carried them to the oven for me to put in. While we were waiting for the cookies to bake she sang some songs as well. Enjoy!

Original Video - More videos at TinyPic

This is Halloween!!!

2009-10-02T10:46:00.001-07:00

My mom and I took Rory to Disneyland on Wednesday, since I am taking advantage before she turns 3 and is no longer 3! We went to show her all the Halloween decorations. This year is the biggest for Disneyland when it comes to decorations that they even have made Halloween fireworks! We were not able to see it because we did not stay that late but my mom and I are going next week with Katie & the boys to go see them but here is a preview of what we will see that I found on YouTube. Enjoy!
P.S. make sure you mute my play list before watching the video and turn up your volume so you can get the full effect! It is amazing!

First Day of School

2009-09-21T21:11:00.000-07:00

So on Tuesday I discovered that my little baby is now a little girl. Tuesday was her first day of mommy & me preschool. She did such a good job at school and cannot wait back to go tomorrow. So in honor of her first day of school we decided to take pictures! This will be a fun year and I can't wait to see how much she will grow and learn!

Stepping Stone

2009-09-21T20:57:00.000-07:00

So a few weeks ago Aurora found a portion of cement in the backyard where her daddy's hand print and foot print were from when he was about 3 years old. Her foot of course fit perfectly since she takes after me but her hand was a little small. Chris and I really wanted to do something like that with Rory but of course had to come up with a way since we don't have our own place yet. So I was able to find a stepping stone kit that enabled us to do her hand print and foot print and she could decorate it as well. It was a challenge to get her to stay still long enough to do it but it was fun and such a nice keepsake to take with us.

The End and The Beginning

2009-09-02T11:24:00.000-07:00

As of Friday, August 28, 2009, after 4 years and 9 months, Chris is officially no longer in Active service for the United States Marine Corps. I remember the day he told me that he was thinking about joining. We had only been dating for about 6 months when he decided that he was going to enlist. I was so scared but I knew this was something he had wanted to do for his entire life so I was going to support him. When he signed up his recruiter told him he would be leaving for boot camp sometime in January of 2005. In October 2004 we got the dreaded phone call that he would be leaving early. He was due to leave Monday, November 29, 2004, 4 days after Thanksgiving. His last weekend we were able to celebrate his Grandparents 50th wedding anniversary so he was able to see the entire family. Early Monday morning, he left for 13 weeks of boot camp at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego.

The next 13 weeks seemed to take forever, especially to a 19 year old girl. I wrote him letters everyday and he wrote as often as he could. I did not hear his voice for 13 weeks. On Friday, February 25, 2005 he graduated from Boot Camp. I never thought I would be so excited to see someone in my whole life. Little did I know, this would be the shortest time we would be apart. Chris came home for 10 days and then had to report to Camp Pendleton to start School of Infantry for 10 weeks.

After school of Infantry he was stationed with 2nd Battalion 5th Marines out of San Mateo in Camp Pendleton. On December 5, 2005 he was deployed on a 7 month Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU). He was on a naval ship which visited Okinawa, Philippines, Guam, and many other foreign countries while he was away. On July 13, 2006 he came home a day early. I was the only one to greet him on base and I don't think I let go of him for 20 minutes. Once we got back to town the first person we went to see was his mom. She saw him through the front window and ran out to him so fast and hugged him even longer. It was so wonderful to see him again.

Chris was home for a few months and was able to celebrate Christmas with us that year. On January 2, 2007 we were married and one week later he was off to training in 29 Palms. On March 16, 2007 he was deployed to Iraq.

On July 23, 2007 we welcomed our daughter, Aurora Michelle, with my mom and sister as my birthing coaches, while Chris was thousands of miles away. That was the hardest thing I have ever had to endure and hope that it never happens again (knock on wood). On October 4, 2007, when Aurora was a little over 2 months old, she met her Daddy for the first time. I don't think there was not a dry eye there as he embraced his daughter. We moved down to San Clemente with roommates but were soon transferred to Fallbrook for a new position. We were preparing to get out of the Marines on November 28, 2008 when he was given the opportunity to re-deploy. After many discussions and prayer we decided that he would deploy again.

In late October 2008 Chris deployed to Iraq to be personal security detail to a general.

Aurora and I moved in with his parents so I could have some help with her. It was a long seven months watching all her many milestones while he was so far away. We took so many pictures and each month I sent him a video of her so he could see all the cute things she did each day. (I'm biased I know lol.) On May 1, 2009 Chris flied into San Diego Airport. We all drove down there to meet him and as soon as I saw him I ran up to him and almost broke his jaw. I guess I was a little excited haha. At first Aurora was scared but as soon as Chris walked away towards baggage claim she yelled "My Daddy." Seeing them embrace brought tears to every ones eyes.

Soon we were settling back into our routine and this last summer Chris was able to take 40 days off so we could go on a 3 week family road trip with just the three of us. It was such a good bonding time for us and really brought us closer together as a family. Once we came home, Chris only had 3 weeks left.

Each Monday as he left to go down to Camp Pendleton I kept telling myself this was one of the last times I had to do this. I was so excited for the final day to come. Then it finally did. Chris got his final paperwork and threw a pair of boots over the power lines outside of Camp Pendleton like many Marines before him have done.

On Friday, August 28, 2009, he came home for good. As he drove up I saw him in his cammies for the last time. I was filled with happiness, excitement, anticipation and fear. I was happy at the thought of finally having my husband all to myself since out of 32 months of marriage, we have been apart for 15 months. I was excited because now it was my turn to have him, no longer the Marines! I felt anticipation of what the future holds as well as fear of the unknown. Will he get a job? Will we get a house? Will we have a bigger family? This is all very scary because we don't have a set plan anymore. The Marines have been a part of us for almost 5 years and it was kind of comforting. Annoying, of course, but comforting none-the-less.

As I sit here with my husband on my right with his arm around me, and the cutest girl in the world on his lap, I am overjoyed. For even though I fear the unknown, the unknown is fine with me as long as I have him home. So here is to the unknown, the next exciting chapter of our lives and the many memories to come.

P.S. Since I was in the reminiscing mode I decided to include the pictures from the three Marine Corps Birthday balls that Chris and I attended. They are from 2005, 2006, & 2007.

Beach Day!

2009-08-25T20:36:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Amanda and I took Joshua, Jacob, & Rory to the beach. She was so excited to go the beach with uncles! But of course once we got there she was scared to go anywhere near the water. Nevertheless we had a great time building sand castles, running awat from the water, and kicking the soccer ball around!

Splish, Splash

2009-08-22T19:06:00.000-07:00

So today was such a hot day that we decided to fill up Rory's kiddie pool and have her play in the backyard. She had so much fun playing for awhile and decided that she wanted to water her pumpkins which then started in watering the dog and herself and daddy. She also decided that she was going to drink the water from the hose just like the Shoshoni. Needless to say they all got wet, except mommy because she was holding the camera (smart move I know!) We all had a great time outside and can't wait to do it again!

Park Day with Cousins

2009-08-22T18:52:00.000-07:00

On Thursday, Robin and I took Rory, Jonathan, Jacob, Abby, & Catherine to Rocketship Park. They were all so excited to go and play with their cousins at the park. As soon as we got there they all ran straight towards the rocketship and started to climb. Rory climbed 2 steps and started screaming saying no so we decided to go to the slide instead.
About twenty minutes of being there Rory decides she wants to climb the rocketship again but this time wants me to take her. So I stick my camera in my pocket and start to take her up. now fo course this is not meant for parents since each level is only about four in a half feet tall so I am on my knees the entire time. As we go higher and higher Rory gets more and more scared but there is no way I am stopping once we have come this high. We made it all the way to the top and she was so excited that she got to drive the rocketship so I am glad that we went!
Once I got her back down she continued to slide with her cousins, well sort of lol. We stayed ahile longer than came home because daddy came home early for the weekend. :)
All in all it was a fun day at the park with her cousins and we look forward to having another one soon!

Goodbye Melanie :(

2009-08-20T00:39:00.000-07:00

Tonight I went to happy hour at The Elephant Bar to say goodbye to Melanie. It was a bittersweet farewell to a very dear friend that we have all grown to love in MOPS this past year. It is sad to see her go back to Texas and I know that we all hope that she will come back to us soon but we know that God has a greater plan for us all. We wish you love, happiness, and joy in your new adventure. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths." (Proverbs 3:5)

Las Vegas

2009-08-13T00:44:00.000-07:00

So we left Ogden, Utah on Thursday morning to start our 7 hour drive to Las Vegas, which after this vacation seemed like a short drive. This also happened to be Rory's birthday so this was going to be a fun day, we hoped. We got on the road and it went well pretty much the whole drive. We got into Vegas and hit traffic right away but were able to get to our hotel around 3:00 in the afternoon. Rory was so excited because we were staying in the Excalibur so we got to stay in a castle for her birthday. We checked into the room and the first thing she said was "This is Princess Aurora Hons' bed." I think it was the cutest thing she has ever said. After we were settled in the hotel we went out to dinner at The Rainforest Cafe. We were there for about twenty minutes when the rainstorm starting going off and Rory started histarically crying and got so upset she threw up. Needless to say we left and took her back to the room for a little bit. She calmed down enough so that we could drive Chris to his hotel to meet the rest of the guys for the bachelor party that we were there for. We walked him in and said hi to the guys and then Rory and I went off for our girls weekend.
The next morning we decided to take the tram (aka black train) to Mandalay Bay to go see the Shark Reef. Rory loved pointing out all the fishes and alligators that she could find. She was scared of the sharks at first but ended up really liking them. After the shark reef we came back to take a nap and relax a little bit. Rory and I had an early dinner than went downstairs to play some arcade games. Well Rory picked this one game and put in her quarter and ended up winning 650 tickets. So it looks like Rory was luckier than any of us this weekend. She got lots of prizes along with her princess hat that Chris and I bought her for her birthday. She was so excited to have all her tickets and felt like a big girl when she was able to pick out her own prizes. Rory and I went back up to the room and called it a night.
On Saturday we moved into the hotel with Chris so we could be closer to him. The entire day we spent at the pool. It was so nice because it was a beach pool with sand and low water so it was perfect for Rory. I don't think I have ever seen Rory play for that many hours in a row before. It was so nice just to sit and relax after being gone for two weeks.
On Sunday we had to get up early and get back on the road. It was very sad that our vacation was coming to a close but it was going to be nice to get back home. So we got on the road and finally got home around two in the afternoon and collapsed on the couch. It was so nice to be back home and relax and grandma and grandpa were so excited to see her after being gone so long. We did not relax for long because two days later we moved into my parents house for ten days...

Yellowstone

2009-08-11T22:48:00.000-07:00

We woke up on Wednesday morning and left Cody, Wyoming to start our short 45 minute trek to Yellowstone National Park. We arrived to a long line of cars entering the park since it is one of its busiest times at the park. As we were waiting with anticipation and excitement, Rory was rambling off all the animals we were going to look for. She was most excited about seeing all the big trees. We entered the park and right away wished that we could stay an entire week to see all the wonderful things that Yellowstone had to offer. We started with seeing some steam pockets on the side of the road. They were very interesting and very smelly at the same time. As we continued on our beautiful drive we had to slam on our brakes as the traffic was completely stopped. As the traffic started moving we discovered that there was a buffalo on the side of the road. I was in shock! i could not believe that it was just standing there as all of these people were stopping to look at it. I guess it comes to show that Yellowstone is really a popular park, haha. So we continued on our trek and saw the mud pits, many many geysers and then stopped at the most famous one, Old Faithful. Of course we got there ten minutes after it went off so we had an hour to kill. We decided to get some food which is not hard to find since there are now three lodges and many, many shops around Old Faithful. The bad news is that we were not the only ones who needed time to kill so that was the only thing we were able to do was eat lunch. After lunch we walked over and joined the giant crowd to see Old Faithful. We had to wait another 30 minutes because the schedule is estimated so we let Rory run around for awhile in the hot heat. Of course it kept teasing us and bubbling up without startting but once it did it was worth the wait. You never think that seeing water would be interesting but it was amazing. I was so happy that we made the trip to go see it because it made it all worth while. After Old Faithful was done we got back on the road on our way out of Yellowstone and saw not only one buffalo but a family of three Buffalo on the side of the road. "There is the Daddy, the Mommy, and the Baby" said Rory. She was so excited to see the buffalo family and kept comparing them to our little family of three. I think it was the cutest thing I ever heard. Unfortunately we had to keep driving through to get back on the road. We continued on our drive and decided to push thorough and drive to Ogden, UT so we would have a shorter drive the next day. So we got on the road and right away Chris and Rory fell asleep so I drove through the next 5 hours to our hotel in Ogden so we could get a good night sleep again.

updating soon...

2009-08-06T13:09:00.000-07:00

Chris, Rory, and I move back home tomorrow after our much needed, very long family vacation. Once we get settled I will finally update you on the rest of our trip and all the happenings of our lives! I am having so much fun doing this blog and will continue to do up so that everyone can see our adorable daughter as often as they wanted (I am a little biased I know). Talk to you very soon!

Mt. Rushmore

2009-07-29T08:53:00.000-07:00

So I have not updated in a bit since the last leg of our trip was very exhausting. So now that we are home and I am a bit more relaxed I am going to update you on each of the last days of our amazing trip, starting with the beautiful Mt. Rushmore.
We started the day by leaving Murdo, South Dakota and driving towards the famous town of Wall, population 800. Why did we go to Wall you ask? Well, Wall is home to the famous Wall Drug. Wall drug was started in 1931 by Ted & Dorothy Hustead. The first few years their business was un-succesful and they tried to think of an inventive way to get all the people to come from the highway to visit Wall Drug. Dorothy came up with the idea of free ice-water and started putting out signs all over the highway. Soon they had so many customers coming in for the free ice water among other things that Wall Drug sold. Wall drug is no longer an ordinary drug store it is now a block long drug store, clothing, memorabila, travelers chapel, art gallery, and many more things to do. Today, Wall drug serves around 20,000 people per summer day with the famous free ice water and now 5 cent coffee, which is free with a donut to veterens we discovered. So we decided to be three of those 20,000 people that would visit Wall Drug that day and are sure glad we did!
After our journey in Wall, which also left us with our check ingine light on we continued on our journey. We had no choice of course since there was no open car repair shop in Wall. So we continued on praying that our car would get us to Rapid City, SD.
We got to rapid City in one peice and got the car checked. Thankfully the light was nothing major and something that could wait until we got back home. So we started the trek up the big mountain to Mount Rushmore! We were so excited as we neared those famous faces of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln and their invaluable contributions to the United States. We were in awe as we looked way up, since they are far away, at those men who changed our country so much. It was a very moving experience and I am so glad that we were able to see it.
After Mt. Rushmore we continued on our trek to Cody, Wymoing to have a much needed night of rest before our big day at Yellowstone.

2009-07-23T07:33:00.001-07:00

Two years ago today my princess was born! Happy birthday Aurora! On our way to vegas to stay in a castle! :-)

2009-07-22T11:55:00.001-07:00

Yellowstone :-D

2009-07-21T06:10:00.001-07:00

Our check engine light just came on and we have 90 miles til the nearest auto shop...yikes!

Wisconsin, Minnesota, South Dakota

2009-07-20T22:14:00.000-07:00

We left Chicago early Monday morning to get on our long trip to Murdo, South Dakota. We started in Illinois and then got to Wisconsin. Now being in Wisconsin we felt the need to stop and get some Wisconsin cheese, so we did. We stopped in the city of Wisconsin-Dellis which had almost every type of water park imaginable. There are indoor, outdoor, 200 foot slides, everything. Almost every hotel in this town had its own water park which was so interesting, especially with Rory pointing out every slide she saw!
We got back on the road and kept driving and went into Minnesota. We got off in this little town called Austin to go to a big time tourist attraction. Are you ready for this one? We went to the SPAM Museum!!! Oh Yes! They do have a museum dedicated to SPAM and we went! haha! It was actually a very interesting tour and they had a SPAM gift shop at the end which had everything you could imagine with the word SPAM on it. We were happy to settle for a post card.
We continued on our journey and entered in to South Dakota. We stopped in a historic cowboy town which Rory just absolutely loved, except it started sprinkling while we were on the tour. They had all kinds of historic buildings as well as a herd of buffalo. It was very interesting and I am glad we stopped. We continued on to Mithchell to go see the one and only Corn Palace. It had started to rain so we just did a drive-by and took some pictures of the outside which was very interesting and so unique. We got right back on the road since we had another 2 hours til our hotel and it started pouring and thundering and lightning again! We arrived to our hotel around 9 pm and now are going to get a good nights rest to leave tomorrow at 7 am to continue our journey!

The Windy City

2009-07-20T22:03:00.000-07:00

We arrived in Chicago around 1 pm on Sunday and drove straight to the Lincoln park Zoo. We thought it would be a fun thing for Rory to do since we have been doing so many adult activities lately. Rory had such a wonderful time at the zoo seeing all the different animals and riding the train! It was really good for her and tired her out because within 5 minutes of getting back in the car she was passed out.
Chris and I took this opportunity to drive around Chicago and see the many unique buildings. We also drove by the Sears Tower which is no longer called the Sears tower but the Willis tower. We then drove to Navy Pier to see the water and the boardwalk. Chicago is so beautiful but very confusing lol.
After seeing the sights we went to Derek and Wendy's to have dinner and spend the night. As soon as we got there Rory started running around with her cousins Leo and Harper and they all tired each other out and the all went to bed, after a little snuggling of course. Since the kids were all in bed Chris and I were able to sit and chat with Derek and Wendy for a bit which was very fun. I wished we could have stayed longer in Chicago but we had to get on the orad the next morning.

Birthday Bull Ride and Renewal of Vows

2009-07-20T21:42:00.000-07:00

We left Iowa early Thursday morning around 3 am for our long journey to Michigan. We stopped a few places along the way but the big one was The University of Notre Dame. Chris was very excited as we pulled up to the famous stadium, the golden dome, and the touchdown Jesus. I made the comment that Rory should go here someday and I think now he is set on making that his goal for her lol.
We arrived to Three Rivers, Michigan Thursday afternoon and checked in to our hotel for the weekend. After relaxing for about an hour we were off to our first event with dinner at Applebees with most of the wedding party. We of course had Rory wear her Notre Dame cheerleading outfit since Catie is a Michigan fan! After dinner I went out to The Wild Bull for my birthday with everyone, while Chris stayed back with Rory. I had lots of fun and even rode the mechanical bull!!
The next day we drove to South Haven Beach. It was a very cute tourist town but it was an hour in a half away so it made for a long day. We rushed back to town, changed quickly, and drove 20 minutes to the ceremony/reception site on Catie's Aunts farm. The area was beautiful with a great big field and barn and horses, which of course Rory loved! Rory saw the horses and all the guys set up the tent for the reception the following day. Then we had the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner and went back to the hotel and had a hotel party, after putting Rory down of course.
Saturday morning, we woke up and I met Catie at the tanning salon for a quick session since it was supposed to be gloomy all day. After we were done I went back to the hotel and started to get ready since Chris and I had to be there 2 hours early. Why did I have to be there you ask? Well, I wanted to help Catie in any way I could so I ended up becoming the photographer/dj. I had lots of fun participating in the wedding and had even more fun taking pictures of Scott & Catie. I can't wait to see how they come out!

Some bigger, none better....

2009-07-18T20:28:00.000-07:00

So we got to Iowa on Monday in the late afternoon. We arrived at Grandpa and Grandma's house and were so excited to see them again! We were also excited to relax for three days and have some home cooked meals.
We relaxed the first night and the second day we woke up and took Rory to the golf course so she could take a ride on the golf cart aka grandpas snow white car. After that we went Rory to the park for some much needed running around. After that we drove to Sioux City to see a beautiful Catholic garden called St. Josephs. It was huge and was so nice to see all the sculptures and they also had an outdoor church.
The next day was spent relaxing around the house and then having yummy iowa sweet corn and hamburgers for our last meal in Iowa. After dinner we were able to enjoy a mid-western storm and Rory and I ran around in the storm.
The next morning we got up at 2 am (which of course Rory joined us for), packed up the car and got on the road for another long drive to Michigan.
Here are some pictures from Iowa...Enjoy!!!

Dust in the Wind

2009-07-17T19:53:00.000-07:00

So I am a little behind in the blogging because I have been without internet for a couple days. So the first update I am going to do is on Sunday we went to Kansas to visit Josh. We left Colorado Springs Sunday morning to drive to Kansas. As we were entering Kansas we suddenly realized that there was not much to Kansas lol. There was no hills, just lots of fields all over the entire state which we had to drive all the way across because he is on the Kansas/ Missouri broder. We did not do much in Kansas except go to Applebees and hang out at the house but here are some pictures. Oh, and Rory was able to meet some chickens and a pig. Enjoy!

A Children's Museum Storm

2009-07-12T13:52:00.000-07:00

Today we left Grand Junction to head towards Colorado Springs. We got up at 6 am (yes I actually did get up) and ate a yummy breakfast at the hotel. We loaded up the car and started our journey towards Colorado Springs. Within 15 minutes, Aurora was passed out in the back seat. So Chris and I continued to drive towards the denver area while viewing the most beautiful landscape. We continued to drive and stopped in Denver to take Rory to a very special place.

We arrived in Denver around 1:00 and had a small lunch than took Rory to the Children's Museum. This is a museum geared towrads children under age 8 which was perfect for her. There was a fire truck, a work zone, a life size ant farm, a grocery store, and more! She had so much fun and Chris and I were so glad we took her here because it was a nice treat for her after the long drive.

We got on the road again, after driving through downtown Denver, and started on the 45 minute drive towards Colorado Springs. About ten minutes after we started driving we were able to experience our first storm of this road trip. It was not only thundering and lightening, but it was pouring harder than I have ever seen. I was so glad that Chris was driving during this storm. We were able to video tape a little of it so you could experience it with us! Enjoy!

15 hours, a mohawk, and a "riber"

2009-07-10T19:08:00.000-07:00

Last night, as most of you know, Chris, Aurora, and I departed on our two week long summer road trip. I took the first shift (being a night owl and all) while Chris and Rory slept all the way to Barstow. We arrived at Barstow at 12:30 p.m. when Rory decided she wanted to get up and hang out with Mommy and Daddy (who was still sleeping). not ten minutes after we left Barstow did traffic stop, not only completely, but to the point where our cars were off and we were outside in the middle of Highway 15. As I was standing there contemplating waking Chris up to take over the driving, I saw what appeared to be 3 or so clear spiders crawling right by my feet. I walked away with no worries to only later find out, by my always informative hubby, that they were actually baby scorpions! Great....!!! We hung out on the Highway for about ten or so minutes than we were on our way again!

I continued to drive through to Baker and had Chris take over at 2 a.m. so I could try and get some sleep and attempt to get Rory to go back to bed (yes she was still awake!) We continued on our trek through the wonderful sprawling desert filled with nothing but sand and darkness. As we were approaching the city of lights Rory was still awake so we decided to show her a castle which of course she loved and now everything she sees is a castle.

Around 3:30 a.m. Rory and I finally fell asleep as Chris trekked on and got us through to Utah. I awakened just as the sun was starting to come over the mountains which was the most beautiful sight I have ever seen. (I am sure my mind will be swayed once we get to Colorado). We continued on a perilous journey with Rory still sleeping through it all.

We found a few viewing spots along the highway to show Rory some of the beautiful sights that Utah has to offer. As we were approaching the Colorado border, we could hardly contain ourselves with our excitement! We got closer and closer and I pulled out my camera aimed and ready to see the "Welcome to Colorful Colorado" sign. I saw the sign, Chris saw the sign, and even Rory saw the sign, but my camera did not.

Thirty minutes later (around 1:00) we arrived at our beautiful hotel. The first thing Rory wanted to do was look out our window. When she did she proclaimed with great excitement "I see the RIBER!!!" (aka river). Rory and I then passed out for three hours while Chris went and of course, worked out. Even on vacation he has to stay in shape. However. he did proclaim he rebellious nature to start his vacation by having me cut his hair into a Mohawk. This of course raised some eyebrows as he gorged himself at Olive Garden (his words, not mine). I think he has engrossed himself fully into our vacation.

As we sit here in our hotel, with Rory snuggled between us, we look forward to the coming weeks and all the adventures to come.

Vacation!!!!

2009-07-09T13:21:00.000-07:00

(click image to enlarge our route!)
Tonight we leave on our family vacation. I get the first leg which should be inetersting...Vegas here I come! We are levaing at 10 p.m. tonight and driving overnight to Grand Junction, CO. We are hoping to get there around noon or so tomorrow, check in, and relax! We are so excited about this up and coming adventure but I think Rory is confused and worried about what mommy and daddy are doing with all this stuff! Guess we will wait and see! i will update you tomorrow from gorgeous Colorado!!!

Very First Haircut

2009-07-06T20:53:00.000-07:00

Today we took Rory to get her first haircut! She did so good while Karen (who gave me my first haircut) trimmed her hair and gave her bangs! I hope you like it! I think she looks adorable!

New Favorite Website

2009-07-05T21:58:00.000-07:00

So I was browsing the web tonight and I came across a website that I am now in love with! The name is called Nanny Deprived...Embrace the insanity of motherhood! On the home page it has a nanny deprived quiz which consists of 17 questions for you to see if you are truly nanny deprived or not. They have a store filled with not only necessities for moms but clothing for you and your kids. And for those of us moms that need a good laugh now and then this is the site for you! They even have mommy quotes and poetry that will make you laugh histarically which comes in handy after a long day of being a mommy. I hope you all check out this website and love it as much as I do!

Mr. Fireworks, Where Are You?

2009-07-05T12:57:00.000-07:00

Happy 4th of July! I hope everyone had fun last night celebrating our Nation's Independence. We had a wonderful time taking Rory to see the fireworks for the first time that she knew what was going on since last year she was a little too young. She liked them at first until it was too loud and she decided to close her eyes and keep them closed lol.

I took a video of her doing her mr. fireworks bit. Enjoy!

A Cooking Adventure

2009-07-04T12:10:00.000-07:00

This morning I had to make the red velvet cake early for my yummy red, white, and blue trifle. I decided to have Rory help me with this task, which was interesting to say the least. All in all she did great, especially for a two year old (Well less than three weeks from now she will be). So off we went making our red velvet cake, from a box of course. I like to bake but I am nowhere near a pastry chef level.

We had lots of fun making this cake, especially using the mixer which she thought was quite hilarious! I have uploaded some of the pictures and the finished project!

Yummy Fourth of July Desserts

2009-07-03T15:24:00.000-07:00

So Chris and I were sitting on the couch trying to decide what we are going to do tomorrow for the big holiday. The first thing that came to mind was "What are we going to eat?" I mean when you think of American you think of apple pie and all the other yummy food that we all know I love to eat. The good thing is that I only have to bring dessert because we all know I burn almost everything so that main cooking should be left to someone else.

I hopped online and tried to find a dessert item that would not only be yummy, but also very patriotic. I found many things that looked quite yummy but a little too difficult for my liking. I searched and searched until I found the dessert that I think would not only satisfy the yummy factor, but is very patriotic. I wanted to show you a picture of it and once I make it tomorrow I will upload mine and see how much better mine is of course lol.

We Love to Sing...

2009-07-01T21:38:00.000-07:00

So for the past few months Rory has been obsessed with her "Twinkle Star" book. She wants to read it almost every night and even though I am getting a little annoyed by it she loves it. The just last week she started singing it on her own so tonight i was finally able to video tape her singing it to me (with a little help).

I was also able to videotape her reading "Five Little Pumpkins." Yes, this is a Halloween book but she just loves it. Enjoy!

A blog? Me? No!

2009-07-01T21:10:00.000-07:00

When I started thinking about writing a blog I thought I would never have enough things to talk about and I would probably bore everyone to sleep. I probably will still bore everyone but at least this gives me a chance to type a lot instead of talk everyones ear off like we all know I like to do. As I thought about what the name of my blog should be the only ideas that came to mind all centered around Aurora of course. Her being the center of my world and the person that I love the most did not suprise me in the least that I would want to talk non-stop about her.

So, I sat down with Chris and tried to come up with a name. We had to do this fairly quick due to the fact that we are leaving on our road trip in one week and I am nowhere near prepared to be gone, in a car, with a 2 year old, for 3 weeks! Yes, I have been told many times that I am crazy, and no, we are not cancelling the trip. So I sat down with Chris and we threw ideas back and forth at each other. Nothing was sounding good to what our family was about and what we wanted to blog about. So without a name, I started designing the header for my blog. I was picking cute pictures of Rory (which of course took forever since every picture of her is cute) and it came to me. I was looking at pictures of her at the park and how happy she was just playing on the slide. She did not care what was going on in the world around her, or whether or not we are going to find a house, or all the millions of other things going on in my mind right now. All she cared about were "Life's Simple Pleasures" and that is how this blog came to be.

I will use this mainly to showcase my gorgeous daughter and all the cute and funny things she does on a daily basis. I will also be using this blog to update everyone on where we are on our roaptrip along with a few pictures or videos along the way so you can see what we are doing and so that two certain grandmas won't suffer from not seeing their grandduaghter for 3 weeks..eh hem. lol. So I hope you enjoy reading my blog and I hope you get a laugh or at least a smile from our family as we experience "Life's Simple Pleasures."