Much Needed Rendezvous...

This post is pretty much going to be dedicated to pictures. Mera and Jason came out here for a couple of days and I was snapping so many shots of our little cherubs that for the last 2 hours I've just been staring at my computer, clicking from one picture to the next, trying to pick the best ones! Needless to say, the task has been near impossible so I just decided to add lots and lots.


I've seen nothing more delicious than Leah and Lucia packed nice and snug in our double stroller. I was a smitten kitten! Leah was hamming it up the entire time while little Lucy spent the majority of her time on our stroll in deep thought... contemplating the meaning of life.



We stopped for lunch and allowed the munchkins to scuffle over toys for a bit. They played a rousing game of tug-o-war over and over again. Luckily they both remained cool headed and no injuries were inflicted.


Nothing can really be said about this next group of shots...

Leah is especially happy just out of bed in the morning. Not something she inherited from her dad.

Sadly, this was pretty much the only shot of me and little Doofy... rise and shine.

You can imagine our joy and wonderment upon witnessing Lucy wrangle and saddle little Leah. Child prodigy, I'd say.

The Holidays...

Good grief.  This holiday season was a glorious, hectic hullabaloo.  I'm glad/sad that it's over... sad because I know I'll be whimpering and sniffling for my family in two days time, and glad because 2/3 of our little family spent a good amount of time under the weather.... both from actual sickness and from stuffing ourselves to the point of misery everyday---every meal... always with the same result... Sam and I stumbling away, clutching our bellies, making "the face" and vowing to never eat again--only to perk right up when dessert was presented. I guess it's only to be expected! Anyway, we spent Christmas with the Kaakoush family in Phoenix and then brought my parents home with us to ring in the New Year California style.

Elyza loved carrying Leah around... even though Leah weighs as much as she does.

Little jailbird

Leah--ridin' dirty

This is how they spent most of the trip...

Leah and Olivia

Leah and mama

Leah and Elyza

Leah and Sam's grandpa.  He is such a peach and was smitten with our little heff

 

I was obsessed with Leah at church this last Sunday.  She clearly was as well!

Daddy and Leah 

Sam and Leah at the beach...right before he dunked her... notice Grammy in the background collecting sea glass.  Seriously, I've never seen anyone so happy.  She loves her sea glass...

Grammy and Papa in Muir Woods

Sam and Leah in Muir Woods

We all dressed in like ten layers that day--overdid it a bit

Grammy, Leah and Papa at the Oakland temple

Here Comes Santa Claus!

We were especially excited for our ward Christmas Party because we knew Santa would be there and we couldn't wait to get pictures of our little cherub with the big S.C. We were all giddy and gleeful as we lined up and awaited our turn. Our joy and anticipation was cut short when it became clear Santa couldn't make it this year... instead, he sent his creepy cousin who was visiting from the homeless shelter, Chester Claus, in his place...



You can tell how experienced he was with the little ones by the way he's wrenching Leah's arm behind her back. I didn't feel the need to take more than just this one shot before snatching her up and scurrying away. We love you Chester!



This was the shot taken directly after "the encounter." You can see Leah casting a disdainful stink eye in Chester's direction. Judging by Sam's face, even he was a little traumatized.



All in all we still managed to have a splendid little dinner... though I'll be keeping these pics hidden until Leah is old enough to know the truth...



The beginning of me and Sam's gingerbread house making extravaganza. Which didn't take long to become a gingerbread house making competition... with Sam making every addition to his house in secret so that I "couldn't copy."



The finished product! I was officially duped when Sam unveiled his mind-blowing icicle-making icing technique.... of course I totally played it cool, "I don't WANT icicles on my house." I secretly tried to add a few... didn't work out so well.

Blessed Thanksgiving...

This years Thanksgiving was particularly delightful for me. Our little family packed up and drove to my parent's house in Idaho Falls where we spent a most excellent five days with my mom and Dad, the Christensen clan (Mer, Jason and Little Lucy--or as I have dubber her "Doof." The nickname metamorphosis went as follows--Lucy, Loofy, Doofy, and finally Doof) and my bro, Jesse. This was my first Collard family Thanksgiving in 5 years! Thanks to a combination of my mom and dad gallivanting around from Virginia to Hawaii and my escapades in San Francisco, I have been deprived. SOO, you can imagine my joy and splendor at stuffing my face with the holiday feastings of my childhood. I guess the following clip is the best way to describe my participation in the meal. It went something like this:

Oh yeah... P.S.

While we spent the Thanksgiving holiday sightseeing (haha), soaking in the hot pools at Lava Hot Springs, visiting friends, and being pretty awesome in general, the following is the single, solitary picture I have of the entire week. Tis true... I get a pit in my stomach when I think about it because there were so many fun memories to catch, but all of the cameras joined in conspiracy against us. Mera and Jason forgot theirs.... but Sam and I brought both our digital camera AND our new fancy HD video camera! HOWEVER--after I snapped the following shot my camera battery DIED. Then, when I busted out the video camera, the brand new extra long eight hour battery we installed had somehow managed to die as well. I was sure I had brought the charger but I ripped through my bag like 5 times and found nothing. You can imagine how thrilled I was when I got home and checked in my toiletry bag and there the charger was... pointing and laughing at me. Anyway, at least the following is a splendid little shot of one of the many naps our little beauts took side by side...

Indeed! A week in paradise!

This last week we went to visit Bethany, Walid & Co. in Phoenix. Truthfully, I'm depressed to be home. I'm obsessed with the Kaakoushs. Bethany and I heffed around the streets of Maricopa, herding the munchkins and stuffing our faces with the kids' halloween candy. The only thing missing was Meradith.... and needless to say, we spent a significant amount of time talking shiz about her for leaving our sissy doodle puzzle incomplete! We've decided we're going to build a compound where we can all live together-- by compound I pretty much just mean a house big enough for all of us, not the creepy kind-- and now all we have to do is convince our husbands, which is what we're going to work on this week. Anyway, it was a most delightful trip....

Our "fat fairy." Isn't she munchable?

Halloween was the most splendid/zooish extravaganza imaginable... Leah's face in this next pic right before we all left for trick-or-treating pretty much sums it up.

A couple with mom and dad and our little cherub

Isaiah and Leah had a few moments to bond after the others were finally asleep

The little ladies all ready for church... Look at those bright faces!

Leah was less than thrilled to wake up at Ally's soccer game blinded by the bright AZ sun!

The first night I went up to tuck in the littles and this is what I beheld... is that not the most glorious sight?? I was laughing so hard!