A day with Mom

I love Fridays, I look forward to Fridays, I count down til Fridays.... it's my day with Grey. So this morning I decided to take on the task of going to Disneyland, just the two of us. This was Geoff and my plan the whole time while getting the passes we did, we needed to be able to go on Fridays so I could take Grey myself.... I just hadn't done it yet. So today was the day, and we had so much fun. He was such a good listener, he had so much patience waiting in line, he followed my direction getting on and off the tram ( a fun task with a jogging stroller, a toddler and no extra hands.) He made it such a fun, memorable day. Now obviously, all the pics are pretty close up cause I don't have that long of an arm, but I had to capture the day.

Us waiting in line for Dumbo... he wanted to go on this ride first. He said no to the train, jungle cruise, pirates of the Carribean and the carousel all at first... he just wanted to ride Dumbo.
Cheese face on Dumbo

waiting in line for Small World

Now this is how Greyson was the entire ride of It's a Small World, no joke. He didn't want to look up at all... he would very carefully peek out of his right eye to see what I was pointing out. Then he would duck right under my arm.

Feeling a little Aloha with the hula girls

oh, he peeked big this time

The absolute best thing about Disneyland passes.... a trip to Dland makes the kid pass the heck out. Best nap ever!!!

Well, we really had a fun day. Three and a half super fun hours. Grey thanks for making it such a special day for Mommy... I love you xoxo

the Daisy water park

We love going to the Daisy water park in Ladera Ranch, it is just a great place to let the kids run around and cool off. Maddy and Greyson have been there twice in three days. They just love to stand on the 'squirters' and fill up their buckets.

" Don't splash me Ga Ga" squiled Maddy

Standing on the water

It is fun to find old pics from last year doing the same thing as this year. Grey was so tiny...

He definately had less fear last year. He is just charging it in the above pic... now he wants to hold my hand and have me come in with him.

OC Fair

On Thursday night we went to the OC Super Fair. We met up with our favorite family, The Rodgers. It is always so fun to see them and it is even better to see Gavin and Greyson together. The older they get, the more they understand how important and fun each other are. These two just ran around with their daddies in tow, and us Mommies enjoyed some conversation.

Playing in the photo booth



Greyson, Gavin and Kayla's feet

This was all I saw... so cute right

Mommy and Daddy enjoying a cold beverage... it was soo hot

The boys parked it right in the middle of the walkway to rock out to the four men singing

I See you

best smile ever

Just being boys

The three pics below are from last years fair. Its just so crazy to see how grown up Grey is looking. Pretty funny to that he is in almost the same attire. =)

Funny that last year he was so close to the cow, and this year Grey was so afraid of the cows

Even though I am not a 'fair ride person' it is still super fun to take a trip at least once a summer to experience it. Just to walk around and see the fair thru Grey's eyes is enough for me. As we did last year, we did take a family photo in the photo booth, its our tradition. If I had a scanner I would upload it, but I don't. It turned out really cute... Grey mastered the 'stick your tongue out' pic.

Just some summer fun

This weekend was packed with fun, summer stuff. Saturday we did beach day down at Riviera Beach in San Clemente. Daddy surfed, Grey "surfed," we ate lunch, dug holes... all that super fun beach day stuff.

Grey caught up on some reading!!!1

1. 
   Sunday we had a pool party at Mommy's friend, Lauren Holbrook's house. Daddy joined us about an hour after we got there. Grey loved the raft.
   
   
   
   
   
   Greyson took his new lawnmower he got for his bday for a spin.
   
   

   
   
   
   

   
   
   

   
   
   
   
   

   
   This was pool day... I can't even remember what day, but it was fun as usual.
   
   
   

   
   
   
   

   
   
   And this is Grey being a pirate...random. It was a fun weekend. I wish it was Friday again already.
   
   
   
   

Just a hello

Today was a better day... its amazing how your personality, circumstances and hormones can make you so sad for one day. And then doing the same thing today, was just an over-all better day. I have to say, as my sister mentioned to me, which is so very true... we have our health. I totally agree and I never forget that. But I said, there are even the most lame days that come about and make we want to cry, then I usually feel better- and today I do.

I thought I would post some random photos of grey and I just doing NOTHING together all week while Geoff has been gone.

Pool time is always fun... and when I get tired of being in the actual pool we always have the water table. Any mom out there that doesn't have one and has a small child... GET ONE. It is the best entertainment ever.

This is my attempt of getting a picture with me and Grey having breakfast on the patio... Look at his curls.

Having his blueberries on his stool

putting together the choo choo track himself... sadly, the choo choo would always fall off his incomplete track =)

We had a play date with Gavin Rodgers. They are BFF's... look at those brown boys.

one of those days

It has just been one of those days.... the kind where you just want it to end. Where its only 8:40 at night and I am ready to say "good night moon," and "good morning sun." Hello to a fresh, new day... make a pot of fresh coffee, get a "hi" and a kiss from Grey, make Grey a wholesome breakfast, feed and walk the dog, pack up the "bags" for the day, and head to the freeway... drop Grey off at his child care, smack a smile across my face as I leave, even though all I want to do is cry... head to work to hang out by myself cause nobody is shopping these days... count down til 3:00pm then leave to go get my "baby" boy. Its all the same stuff I did today, but I hope all the unmentioned circumstances that come with each day bring about a better experience tomorrow.

So with that said... Good night moon, sleep well

Xoxo

Wwwwweeeeee'rrrrreeee Bbbbbbaaaccckkkkk

Ladies and (you few) gents... sit back, relax, grab a drink if you have to... this is going to be a lllllooooonnnnngggg post. I am already exhausted thinking about it. We are back from paradise (the big island of Hawaii.) We left on Monday, June 29 and arrived home late last night, July 5.... that equals not enough time!!!! I swear a week flies by too fast, but we made it last as long as possible by filling every moment with fun. It was a vacation we all ( Reehls, Shwams, Moysas and Wuestefelds) had been looking forward to forever. The time finally arrived after a few crazy days involving birthdays galore. Monday was an early morning... Geoff, Grey and I slept at my parents so that we were already part way to LAX. The airport was super fun... NOT! I swear that place sucks when you are traveling alone, and it royally sucks when you are traveling with kids. Anyway, we made it on the plane and the below pictures are of us gearing up for the fabulous ride.

Celina's fake smile

Celina's true smile.... we made it to Kona Airport

Grey and Maddy were as good as could be expected on a 5 hour flight, they needed a snack

Oh yes.... all the luggage made it. look at all that stuff!!!!

First family photo on the island

Maddy sporting her pretty flower

Grey had to have one too... weirdo

So after we arrived at the Kona airport Mike Shwam went to grab the rental car for us all to squeeze into and Mom took a shuttle to the hotel along with all our luggage. Yes, our luggage needed its own car. But it worked out great and we arrived at our condo, which was fabulous. It had three huge rooms, three bathrooms, a grand room, a lanai and a full outside kitchen (geoff was in heaven.) We decided it was necessary to just dump all our stuff and head to the hotel for a yummy lunch for the adults and dinner for the kids. Got to love a time change.

My beautiful Mommy/ planner/organizer/ best lady in the world. Thanks Mom and of course Dad for such an amazing trip!!!!

After our meal we took the kids to see the parrots that have been there since I was going there as a kid. It was a super cool moment for mom, celina and I, just seeing our kids/grandkids doing something we did when we were little. We said hi to the parrots every morning...

Back at the condo, after the kids went to bed we decided to have a photo shoot infront of the amazing sunset... we all should have planned better cause we were nasty after a long day of traveling, but hey, its memories.

C and Mike Shwam

Alyssa and Casey (Wuestefeld... ha ha) had to do it Cas

Geoff trying to channel 'Twilight' for me... nice job babe
does he not look like he may just become a vampire and bite my neck?

The amazing sunset from our lanai

Casey playing puzzle time with the kids

Geoff and Grey had had a talk outside one morning... it worked, Grey was nicer after that

So each morning we would pack up the car... a mininvan with two toddler seats, an infant seat, three men and three women.... yes that equals 9 in a 7 passenger vehicle. Each time we pulled up to the valet we were like the clown car... when would the people stop exiting the vehicle. We had it mastered though and our drive was all of two minutes... a right and a left. It was fabulous.

Auntie Lou playing with the kids

Grey rocking the glasses

The kids 'surfing' the 'waves

love birds

Daddy and grey over by the rocks looking at the fish

This was the night of the Luau... Geoffs first one to be the exact. He doesn't usually do "touristy" stuff when he goes to Hawaii. We first joined our parents at the Copper Bar for a drink then headed to the Luau.

Another day at the beach, maybe some snorkeling

I can't even explain the relationship between Geoff and grey, it is far too amazing for words. Geoff and Grey were best buds the entire week, which was fine with me since Geoff is gone for the next 11 days. But at some point early in the trip grey began saying Daddy like he was English... DaaahhhDeee. It was hilarious and so cute. I promise I am the one behind the camera everytime, so I was enjoying moments with them

Now this was one of the days early in the week that Grey just became so tired that my mom took him back to her room and this is what I found two hours later.... my swaddled two year old. I wanted to kiss him all over he looked so stinkin cute. And may I also tell you, the lights were on, along with the tv, and five people were in the room and he still slept like this, til I had to pick him up.

The next day we discovered walking him around in the stroller, sitting on a towel also worked, we would then use the towel like a gurney and transfer him to the lounge chair... it was genius.

The crew=

Maddy, Mike, Dad, Brody in the stroller, Me, Geoff, Grey, Alyssa and Casey... Celina was infront of us all enjoying some rays while her two kids slept. Mom was taking the pictures

This was Thursday night at a friend of my parents timeshare celebrating one of my dads team members birthdays

My amazing dad and my hot mom.... check out her sexy shoes

Auntie Lou

C, Mike and Brody

Geoff and alllllll the kids

The cutest cousins rocking their glasses inside the house

Kissing cousins

Friday we decided to take a break from the beach cause we knew the next day, Fourth of July, would be a full day there. So instead we piled 10 people in the minivan... Mom came, which put Casey in the trunk ha ha it was great, and we headed to the Hilton

This hotel is 'ridiculous' in Geoffs term, it has a tram system or a boat system to take you from each place in the hotel, it has waterfalls as pictured above, it has dolphins, a drawbridge over the pool etc. We got a cute family pic though

Under the water fall

Looking at the dolphins

Me and Mom

The ladies and Brodster... such a cutie

Fascinated with the dolphins

Riding the bull

We then headed back to the house, got a cute pic of the men

This is Fourth of July day

The buddies having a snack

Yes, my child did alot of this. We all had to take shifts on who would be in the water with Greyson. Its exhausting keeping up with a two year old who has no fear

Yay.... I made it into a beach photo

Auntie C and Maddy doing what Maddy loves best.... diggin bathtubs on the beach

Running straight into the water

turning around and flopping straight onto his belly

Brody chillin in his walmart buy exersaucer

Fourth of July bbq at the condo... playing with Auntie lou

The girls in their blue dresses

Auntie lou being awesome

Me and the hubby nice and red, sticky and frizzy

Sunset

The kids winding down from a super fun trip. we packed up Sunday morning and were on our way to the airport by 9:30am, didn't walk into our front door till 11:00pm. It was an exhausting day, but so worth the amazing time and memories we made.

Aloha and good night