Bridgford Family

Family Pictures

2012-02-04T23:22:00.000-08:00

We were so very fortunate to take pictures with Kevin from Kevin Warn Photography again. He's taken Ellie's pictures since she was 1 month old. He's great with our girls and the pictures still amaze me every time. How the heck did he capture such beautiful images when the girls were running around like crazy people getting dirty and wanting to do their own thing? Actually, the girls were on great behavior. They both listened pretty well. I have to remember they are 5 and 2!

We brought along Ellie's guitar; it's her current obsession.

I love that Ellie wrote "Sisters" and each of their names and ages.

Papa kept these girls smiling the whole time.

One lucky girl

Classic Buggy pretending to go to sleep to avoid listening

What happened to our baby girl? She's absolutely stunning.

Ellie's posing in these next ones...where the heck does she get this?

The next Taylor Swift

I LOVE THIS PICTURE!

They just get better!

We love them so.

Our Mini-Mes

He couldn't help himself. ;)

Disneyland

2012-01-23T20:46:00.000-08:00

What fun we have when we take spontaneous evening trips to Disneyland!

Ellie and I rode "Soaring Over California" together. Minutes later she face-planted because she was doing this. After a loud outburst, she had a fat lip. It was a perfect excuse to get icy cold ice cream!

Lillie tried to get Daddy to take her on the carousel last time. It didn't happen so Mommy made sure to make a pit stop there!

Minnie's House

This child is the sweetest! She backed into Mickey's arms, gave him a big hug and even kissed his nose!

Daddy always treats the girls to Haagen Daz before heading home. Tonight was no different! :)

Rainy Day Fun

2012-01-21T22:34:00.000-08:00

Mike has been "itching" to get Lillie outside to play in the rain. He remembers his first time playing with Ellie outside in the pouring rain...Buggy's old enough to get tackled now!

Playgroup @ the Bridgfords

2012-01-21T07:56:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, we hosted our new playgroup. The theme of the month is bears, birds, safety, brown, #3 and the letter "b." Logan and Lauren came to the house to hang out as well. Lillie was one happy girl!

We made stop lights and played "Red Light, Green Light!" It was a great day together!

Lillie waved "good-bye" to all of her friends as they left the house.

Auntie Jo's Birthday Weekend

2012-01-14T07:58:00.000-08:00

We had the awesome chance to visit our besties, Jo and Aram, in Solana Beach for Jo's 30th birthday celebration without the kiddos! We drove down on Friday evening, hung out with sweet Kalea and then the folks started showing up!

After a while, we headed to a local sushi spot where we ate yummy rolls and sipped some bubbly! If that wasn't enough, we headed over to the Belly Up, a local joint where live bands play. That night, there was a Sublime cover band. Fun, fun, fun!

Just when I thought we were ready for bed, we were driven to a Korean BBQ place where you can karaoke! Unfortunately, we did not karaoke. We did, however, try lots of new foods. Some I liked and some not so much. I don't think we left until after 3 a.m. Woo!

Jo and Aram, thank you so very much for treating us to a night on the town. I am amazed at your generosity and genuine love for your friends. Love you both so much!

This cake was ADORABLE! It shows Jo and Kalea at Stroller Strides! :)

I get very excited about champagne! Aram shared this bottle with us before dinner. Nice!

Our dear friends, Jo & Aram

The Three Amigos

Aram gave the nicest toast to Jo!

The Belly Up

Good times, good friends!

Our Girls

2012-01-12T12:52:00.000-08:00

Why do these girls have to grow up? Part of me is happy to see my girls moving on to bigger and better stages in their short lives. The other part is sad to say goodbye to what was.
At Lillie's age, she is changing rapidly. Her vocabulary and speech improves overnight sometimes. It amazes me how much she can put together in words.
Over the last month, Lillie has blossomed! Seriously, I can't believe my eyes sometimes! I never thought she'd be the type to talk to strangers. All of a sudden, we're in a store and she's rambling off her recent trip to Disneyland. Most people can understand what she's saying (with a little help from Mommy). Ellie was never talkative around strangers and neither was Lillie up to this point.
Lillie can recognize several letters and can tell you the sounds they make.
When Lillie doesn't want to do what you say, she says, "Goodnight!" and looks away while closing her eyes. It is absolutely adorable, but also incredibly frustrating when you're trying to get her to cooperate!

The sweetest development is Lillie thanking me for every little thing. She'll say, "Thank you, park, Mommy." It is absolutely adorable and melts my heart every time.

We're proud to say Lillie's longest sentence was 8 words long! Go Lillie!

They can be seen doing this quite often.

Lillie sits nicely in the circle at Kindergym. She's never distracted and listens well.

This may seem small to most, but my baby will hold my hand and patiently wait in line at Kindergym! It' s a huge hurdle we've gotten over since she began. There are at least 20 kids in front of us and she'll still wait. I'm telling you! She's growing up!

Somersaults without the squishy roller!

Lillie laughs just like Mommy

Elle Belle's new haircut

Lillie's new haircut she wouldn't let us capture

Ellie recorded this video on Alexa's iPad while Mommy was off doing other things. It's hilarious!

"Mom's Workout Buddy!"

New haircuts!

Kindergym

2012-01-10T23:49:00.000-08:00

We are back at it! Kindergym began for the winter session. Buggy is sad that she doesn't see Do-do anymore, but excited that Mommy isn't blabbing with her mommy friends! ;) We don't know anyone in this class personally and that leaves lots of time for Mommy to focus solely on her Buggy.

In this new age group, the kids get to sit in a circle in front of the teacher.

For a while, I wished away the trying stages we've had with Buggy. Now, I'm sad at how grown-up she is. She sat there like such a big girl.

"Look at my nails." -Buggy

Babysitting Do-do

2012-01-10T12:05:00.000-08:00

Auntie Lauren and Uncle Josh had the opportunity to go to Staples Center to watch a Laker game...in a suite! How could they pass it up? They asked us to take care of Logan while they were gone.

Logan came over and had dinner with us. We all played and had lots of fun! The girls and Logan even took a bath together!

Logan didn't cry or ask for his mommy and daddy once...until bedtime. We toyed with the idea of having Logan sleep in the pack-in-play at our house. After rocking him and trying to put him down more than once, I couldn't bear to hear him fuss. I decided to take Logan over to his house and put him down in his own cozy crib.

Our Little Chapel Helper

2012-01-04T00:00:00.000-08:00

Ellie's back at school and this week she gets to be a chapel helper. Her duty included holding the Christian flag during the pledges. She takes all tasks very seriously! I managed to get a few smiles out of her.

Happy New Year!

2012-01-02T23:57:00.000-08:00

It's 2012! Ellie is beginning the second half of Kindergarten and Lillie is talking in sentences like crazy! She is always showing us more of her personality. We think she's going to have quite the sense of humor.

Around Ellie's 5th birthday, I interviewed her by asking her general questions about herself. I want to begin a new tradition where I interview the girls on film at the start of each new year to see how they grow over the years and how their answers change. Here are the videos. Enjoy! (Ellie is in 3 parts because she took her time answering the questions.)

New Years Eve

2011-12-31T09:52:00.000-08:00

This New Years Eve, we celebrated Mike's 30th birthday. He wanted to spend his time with his best guy friends. We first dined at 240 South for dinner with the Murtys and Sextons. After, we returned home to meet Mike's "boys." :)

The girls played L-C-R with our "dirty thirty" mustaches on. The guys played ping pong in the garage. We all gathered for the ball drop which was rudely interrupted by a taping of "Eastbound and Down." It was hilarious! Oh well. We all got the point and cheered in the new year.

Thanks to everyone who came out to celebrate my boy's big birthday!

Cool wine dispensers at 240 South

Love this girl! (Missed you, Jo!)

The Sweeties

Fun times with these girls

Ben, Mike & Josh

The food was soooo yummy. I can't wait to go back.

I love my mustache necklace.

Happy New Year!

Akachi & Nella

Ben & Mindy

It was a surprise to see these two! Fun, fun with Grant & Brooke!

Nick & Danielle

Their friend, Marce

Andrew & Liz

We had a great time reconnecting with Akachi and meeting Nella. We miss you, Kach!

Lauren & Josh

Thanks to Gammy & Papa for having the girls over for a sleepover.

Daddy's Birthday Week

2011-12-30T09:52:00.000-08:00

It has become tradition for Mike to take the entire week off after Christmas. I so look forward to this time with Mike and the girls. This year did not disappoint.
We started the week by cleaning up a bit and putting away our Christmas loot. As the week progressed, we lounged a bit, put Christmas away, dined at Woodranch, exercised a bit, went to a soft opening of a new BBQ joint with the Murtys, had lunch at Ruby's on the pier (Mommy stayed home sick) and ended the week with an overnight stay at the Fairmont in Newport Beach!
Last year, we stayed at the Fairmont and this year we were treated by the Penarandas. Thank you guys so much!
During the summer, I got the idea to do something very special for Mike's 30th birthday. I wanted to gather special notes and wishes from 30 special people in Mike's life. I contacted everyone in November so they knew what to receive. Each person received a special envelope and paper to write their birthday wishes and memories.
I didn't open any of the letters because I wanted to be just as surprised as Mike! FINALLY, I gave them to him when we arrived at the hotel. It was one of the most special moments in our relationship. He was beyond thrilled and touched. I was also touched by the words and memories shared by everyone. I already know how special Mike is, but hearing what everyone said made me realize even more how blessed I am to be married to Mike and to have him as a Daddy for our girls. Wow.
Thanks to Gammy, Papa and Sha-Sha for helping out so we could stay overnight.

Tears

Some of them were HILARIOUS!

Stacy's was awesome!

Touched by so many!

We couldn't imagine the night getting any better! It did because we dined at Mastro's Ocean Club on the Newport Coast. The meal was delicious. Thanks, Dad, for helping us pay for dinner. Very thoughtful of you! It was a wonderful time together celebrating.

Christmas Day

2011-12-26T09:52:00.000-08:00

Check it out! Santa ate almost all of the cookies and drank the milk!

Lillie finished what Santa didn't. :)

Santa left a trace of what he did to the girls' rooms...

They both had to bust through the streamers left by Santa. So fun!

Lillie looking at all of the gifts left by Santa

Daddy bought Ellie an XBox game they could play together. It has "LIFE," "Twister" and lots more. She was very happy since she doesn't usually get to play the XBox.

Lillie was soooo excited to finally open Christmas presents. The presents wrapped by Mommy over the past month were torturing this sweet girl.

Ellie made this gift at school for Mike and me. She couldn't wait to give it to us. In fact, she wanted us to open it before she opened her gifts. Sweet girl!

This is one of the gifts she made us along with a special candle.

This cow sings, "Don't just stand there. Bust a moooooooooove." She loved it most.

We discovered Santa left a note for Ellie in the Christmas tree. It told her to go searching in the village...

...then in the microwave...

...next to her bedroom...

...on to the bathroom...

...and to our bedroom. The big gift from Santa was waiting at our doorstep!

Daddy opening his annual calendar from the girls

DJ Hero for the big kid

Yay! More Stroller Strides gear for Mommy! Thanks, Babe, for always making Christmas special for me. I still get to feel like a kid ripping open my presents. My favorite gifts (besides the new computer and printer!!!) are the clothes you picked out for me. What a guy. :)

Mouths too full with candy from their stockings. They certainly feel like it's the most wonderful time of the year. Ha!

Annual Christmas jammies made by Mommy

After we have our own little Christmas together, we head over to Gammy & Papa's for an indulgent Christmas breakfast. Each of the items are only eaten Christmas morning which makes them very special. We ate caramel rolls, homemade monkey bread, pear rolls, egg casserole, bacon, grapefruit and OJ. Yum. This year, Gaddy and Stacy joined us. Thanks to Mom and Papa for the delicious breakfast and wonderful gifts. Thanks to everyone else for making Christmas great!

Our Christmas Cutie

Papa & Lillie enjoying the beautiful weather.

Ellie giving Papa a new golf shirt

Stacy read Lillie one of her new books.

New TOMS!

Thank you, Santa, for these totally awesome drinking glasses!

Mike was set to celebrate a milestone birthday. Gaddy and Stacy bought him his own fridge for the man cave.

I am so thankful for these girls.

Off to G-Ma's house we go...we met Andrea and Dana at Mom's. She served them tamales for breakfast. When we arrived, I was ready for a mimosa. We enjoyed a mimosa and lots of laughs. Good times.

My Mom gave me a new Apple keyboard and mouse. Definitely needed!

My preschool ornament

We remember my brother on Christmas. He would have turned 20 years old on December 29th.

Another fun picture my Mom has on display at Christmastime. Buggy and I are twinsies!

Thanks, Mom, for hosting a fun Christmas morning. The gifts were great, but having you all to ourselves was pretty special. Family time is the best gift of all! Love you!

Merry Christmas from the Bridgfords!

2011-12-25T22:43:00.000-08:00

Wishing You Merry Christmas Card

Quick and easy: Christmas photo cards at Shutterfly.

View the entire collection of cards.

Christmas Eve

2011-12-24T09:49:00.000-08:00

I love Christmas Eve because the girls and I bake for the neighbors and mailman. This year, we gave the mailman these special treats (frosted candy bar cookie cups) and a Starbucks gift card!

This year, I had a few people in mind for a little something special. Our Stroller Strides owner, Ali, is a great friend of mine. She has done so much for our franchise and is an inspiration to us all. She's a great mom and friend!

Also, there's a special friend we have grown to know over the last year at Chick Fil-A. He's an employee who works the floor...always there to help us out with our trays and anything else we need. It sounds silly, but he's always there smiling and laughing...just an all around nice older gentleman!

With these two in mind, I bought special Starbucks hot cocoa and wrapped it in cardstock covered in words describing these two. I topped it with a bow, special wishes and instructions for the cocoa!

The most special thing happened when I went to Chick Fil-A to give Jaime his gift. At first, we saw him taking the trash out. I wasn't planning on getting out since both girls were sick AND Buggy was sleeping. I ate my lunch in the car and was planning on running in. Lillie woke up and wouldn't let me run in. With both girls in tow, we went inside. I asked the manager to find him since he wasn't on the floor. He came looking surprised to see us, not sure why we were calling him from a break probably. I told him 'Merry Christmas' and explained how nice he is when we see him, how much I appreciate his kindness, smiling face and laughter each time we're there. I handed him the gift and told him 'thank you.' He was extremely grateful to us and started to cry. It was the most touching experience for us girls this holiday season. I know he doesn't make much money or need to go above and beyond what he's called to do, but I sincerely appreciate his kindness.

Every year on Christmas Eve, we are in the car going from place to place. We weren't even sure we were going anywhere since both of the girls weren't feeling well. After naps, we decided the girls were in good spirits and without fevers so off we went!

We usually start at Aunt Paula's house where we catch up with Papi J's side of the family. It is a real treat seeing everyone. Thank you Aunt Paula, Uncle Fred, Aunt Sandy, Grandma Linda, Grandma Irene and the rest of the family for having us.

Our next stop landed us at Auntie Cindy's house. Buggy started to feel awful again. Her fever spiked, so we weren't able to stay for very long. :( I was soooo looking forward to playing "Minute to Win It" games! Ellie did get to play a little before leaving.
Auntie Cindy is quite the lady. She is a great cook and hostess. I wish I had taken a picture of her food spread. I did, however, capture the awesome prizes she gave out for the winners!

Alivia & Ellie competed side-by-side against the clock!

The gifts for the winners of the "MTWI" games were awesome. Check 'em out:

Girly gift: bath salts, lip balm, nail polish and chocolate!

Saucy gift: Corona beer, spicy nuts and candy

Manly gift: Bridgford Beef Jerky, Big Hunk candy bar and more!

Health nut: Diet Snapple, fruit and nut mix and more

Sweet gift: Shock Top orange beer, tangerine and more

Sportsy: sunflower seeds, Bud Light, chocolate and more

Even though Buggy had a fever, she was still excited to open her gifts from Lee-shee!

Thanks for this cool gift, Lysee!

Christmas Baking

2011-12-23T09:51:00.000-08:00

We love baking on Christmas Eve. This year, we started on Christmas Eve Eve. The girls...ok, I love Rice Krispie Treats. I never eat them, so what a great excuse to make pops!

The girls each put on their aprons and helped pour the ingredients. This year was fun because Buggy is old enough to follow directions. I couldn't stop smiling while we made these. I enjoyed every minute and didn't care about the messes. Why can't I be like this all of the time?!

Thanks to the Estradas for this super cute baking set!

Success! These were easy and yummy.

Christmas Lights in Naples

2011-12-21T09:51:00.000-08:00

As tradition would have it, we visited Naples to see the beautiful homes and Christmas lights. This year, we invited Lauren, Josh and Logan to come along. The weather was perfect and the company even better.

Between sipping yummy hot chocolate and managing meltdowns (Lillie), we had a great time!

Here are some of our favorite homes and pictures.

"What's wrong with her?"

Do-do wearing the hat and jacket we gave him

Waiting for the mini Mickey roller coaster. It was turned off. Bummer.

I believe this house was being renovated last year. This year, they went all out showcasing their new home and lights. They didn't leave one detail out about the Griswold Christmas!

Our annual pic in front of "the house."

OUR HOUSE! Great job, Babe!

Family Pics

2011-12-18T13:07:00.000-08:00

One of my Mom's wishes for Christmas was for her family (including the dogs) to take a family portrait. My sister is a fab photographer so naturally we used her camera and equipment. Here are some of our favorite shots from the shoot.

Breakfast With the Brinks!

2011-12-18T00:34:00.000-08:00

This year, my Dad and Michele thought to have breakfast together with Gram and the kids. We haven't had Gram over in quite a while, so it was the perfect opportunity to make it happen.

I made pancakes, egg, sausage and broccoli "muffins" and Bridgford Monkey Bread. Michele brought fruit. We all had a wonderful time eating, chatting and opening gifts. I hope we'll make this an annual tradition.

I love my family very much. Sometimes I wish things were as simple as they seemed when I was a kid. Even though our family dynamic has changed, I enjoy any time I get to spend with my family.

Another Christmas Par-tay!

2011-12-17T18:03:00.000-08:00

Our dear friends, Lauren and Josh, have friends (some Josh has known since grade school) that we've gotten to know over the years. Each year, they get together for a Christmas party. The hosts, Emily and Ryan, were kind enough to invite us again this year.

Their group is expanding quite quickly. Last year, there were only 3 babies and now there are more with 5 on the way! It was fun seeing the kids play and for the grown-ups to eat all of the yummy food shared. The boys even played a game of football in the dark.

Thanks to everyone for including us in your annual tradition! A big thanks to Em and Kristy for thinking of our girls. You certainly didn't have to, but thank you for making them feel special!

Do-do was sitting on Buggy as she picked her nose!

Here's a good one!

Breakfast With Santa

2011-12-17T17:07:00.000-08:00

All of the Stroller Strides families gathered at Tri-City Park for Breakfast with Santa. Each year, we have a potluck-style breakfast and later Santa comes bearing gifts for all of the children.

This year, we brought "M-E-R-R-Y C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S" and Christmas tree pancakes to share with our friends. Santa brought Lillie a Mickey Mouse animated book and Ellie received her first "Ramona & Beezus" book.

We love our SS family!

Our awesome owner, Allison, reading "The Night Before Christmas" to the children.

Lillie was pushing her way to the front.

Do-do

Ellie told Lillie Santa was there. Look at the excitement between these two!

Santa!!!

Lillie was petrified of Santa at the mall. Today, she was delighted to talk and sit with him.

Santa gave Lillie an interactive Mickey Mouse book.

Ellie received Ramona & Beezus book.

Ellie playing with Nick and Cooper

Lillie is Talking Like Crazy!

2011-12-17T00:18:00.000-08:00

Snowman Class Party

2011-12-16T17:54:00.000-08:00

I was lucky enough to be the party coordinator for Ellie's class' Christmas party. We decided on a snowman theme. The children ate bagels disguised as snowman faces. They also received other snacks...snowman parts! The raisins represented buttons, oranges represented a smile, pretzel sticks the arms and bacon slices the scarves. Each child also received a snowman mug with their name on it. We had a hot chocolate station where they could top the hot chocolate with crushed candy cane, chocolate chips, marshmallows and whipped cream. What a party!

The day before the party, I decorated their desks with wrapping paper using blue as a base and a striped paper as the "runner." I also hung homemade garland from the ceiling above the desks (not pictured!).

Our room mom created snowman doorstops using pavers.

Ellie's table

Ellie & Cali

Ellie & Akila

Ellie & Nathan D.

Charlotte, Ellie & Maddie

Ellie's own creation

Snowman doorstop craft

Mrs. Lukas...best teacher!

Our girls

Ellie's Christmas Program

2011-12-15T16:03:00.000-08:00

Before I had children, I dreamed of many experiences we'd share. One that stuck out in my head was/is the annual Christmas program. I know that sounds weird, but it's one of those momentous occasions you talk about years later.

Wednesday arrived and I couldn't have been more excited. I dropped Ellie with her class and found seats on the front, left side of the worship center. Mike and I were worried the seats wouldn't be good enough. It turns out, FCS thinks of everything. From any vantage point in the room, all children could be seen.

Mommy, Daddy, Lillie, Gammy, Alexa, Auntie Lauren, Logan, Auntie Andrea, Gaddy and Stacy were all in attendance. Auntie Jo, Kalea and Papa were all there in spirit!

The program began with the first graders on stage and quickly progressed to the Kindergarten class. They sang Christmas songs and eventually led into my favorite part: reciting Luke 2:8-14. It was one the most angelic and moving experiences for me...to hear all 4 Kindergarten classes reciting such important scripture from the Bible. I still get teary-eyed thinking about it.

Ellie was so funny! She annunciated every word sang making big "o's" with her mouth during certain parts. She stood next to her partner-in-crime, Akila. They had the best time performing.

All of us parents were taking pictures like crazy!

Lillie praying

She sees us!

Ellie singing BIG!

Ellie & Akila

Ellie's Entourage

The performance was magical and one I won't soon forget. Mike leaned over to me during the performance and said, "I am so in love with that child." We are incredibly proud of Ellie and the wonderful experiences we are sharing with her! It was even better than I had imagined it years ago.

The BridgMurAnda Annual Christmas Party

2011-12-11T23:21:00.001-08:00

We have all been looking forward to our annual get-together with our best friends in the world! This year, it was the Bridgford family's turn to host--yay!

This is our 9th year getting together. Every year, our group grows. We now have 4 kiddos running around!

I wanted to go all out and prepare a wonderful meal for our besties. Mike decorated our patio with Christmas lights. We moved the dining table out there and topped it with a fresh wreath for the centerpiece. I haven't brought out my Christmas dishes since our last year hosting in 2008, so I was thrilled to dress our table with all of my goodies.

As for the meal, we started with a cauliflower soup shooter and followed that with a meal of beef wellington, asparagus wrapped in pancetta covered with a citronette sauce, field salad with walnuts and pancetta and potato fennel gratin. I even made the kiddos their own individual beef wellingtons they enjoyed at the kids table.

Joelle and Lauren brought lots of yummy mixers to make a signature cocktail. We had a pomegranate champagne punch with dinner. It tasted like juice which made it quite dangerous! For dessert, Lauren served up grown-up root beer floats. Seriously delish!

The best was seeing the kids open their gifts. Ellie and Lillie received Pottery Barn stockings and goodies from the Penarandas and adorable outfits from the Murtys! The adults did a Groupon exchange this year. The Penarandas gave us a night at the Fairmont in Newport Beach. Thanks to you all for the lovely gifts.

Shortly after, we put the kids to bed, Ellie went for a sleepover at Gammy and Papa's and the grown-ups dabbled with a cookie race, Rap Star, Madden and finally Taboo.

I couldn't have imagined our lives blossoming the way they have over the last 17 years. We have so much to be thankful for. Thanks for your continued love and support over the years. Cheers to many more memories to come!

It's a miracle of a picture!

Kalea wearing the hat we gave her.

The little love birds

Thanks, Murtys, for the adorable clothes and this hat!

Logan and Kalea wearing the pajama bottoms I made for them.

What fun it was to spend time with Kalea. She's growing up so fast. Look at this sweet face!

Let the games begin!

Almost, Ang!

The grown-up floats: vanilla ice cream, root beer, vanilla vodka, whipped cream and a cherry on top!

Ellie, Ellie, Ellie!

2011-12-10T01:00:00.001-08:00

On Thursday, Mike excitedly helped out in Mrs. Lukas' Kindergarten class. Here is his take on the day:

About a month ago, Ellie came home from school and Ang asked her if Milan’s mommy had helped out in class during the day. Ellie said, “No, her daddy did, and when he left, I said “I wish my daddy could help in the class”.” That sealed the deal for me. I immediately set it up with Mrs. Lukas, and last Thursday was my day.

I took Ellie to school and reported for duty. My first task was to do some folding, cutting and gluing to put together a Christmas book they were going to read at a later date. I haven’t used a paper cutter in like 15 years, so that was pretty cool.

Next up was letter worksheets. I would say a word, and the kids would have to fill in the missing letter on the sheets. The words either started or ended with the letters “l” or “n”. I worked with 3 kids at a time. They were all pretty attentive, which I wasn’t expecting.

The difference between boys and girls is hilarious. Having only really been around girls for the past 5 years, I found it pretty comical to observe the differences between the two during story time. While the girls talked to each other a little and fidgeted a little and paid attention a little, the boys were a completely different animal. One boy tilted his head straight back so that he was looking at me upside down. Another decided it was nap time, so he folded his arms to make a pillow and placed his head on the desk. A third boy balanced his chair on two legs and then swayed back and forth without falling. That’s kind of how I act while I’m in meetings, so I guess some things never change.

After class, it was off to Disneyland for the four of us. Ellie’s about 1/8 of an inch too short to go on Indiana Jones, so she’s pretty bummed about that. Next time!

I had a great time in class that day. I’m so thankful that Ellie and her classmates are in an environment that promotes education, self-control (to some extent) and the Word of God. I also can’t wait to get another opportunity to go back and do it all again!

Disneyland at Christmas

2011-12-08T17:31:00.000-08:00

On Thursday, after Daddy worked in Ellie's class, we visited Disneyland. It has been months since we all went together.

Main Street is decorated beautifully at Christmastime. It feels magical walking along with the family.

Ellie has been eating her veggies and fruits to make sure she is tall enough to go on "Indiana Jones." Those pesky park workers denied her a ride. :(

I'd say she's tall enough!

Winnie the Pooh!

The absolute joy radiating from Lillie's little body was so fun to watch. We waited in a long line so she could meet Tigger and Pooh. It's definitely not something Daddy likes doing. I convinced him and the pictures show just how special it was!

My favorite picture of Buggy...look at that face?!

"Small World"

After a long afternoon of rides and dinner these girls were spent!

Ellie is STUDENT of the WEEK!

2011-12-07T23:55:00.000-08:00

Mrs. Lukas informed me, as I walked into Ellie's class on Monday, Ellie would be honored in chapel on Wednesday as "Student of the Week." The character trait for the week is joyfulness. Anybody who knows Ellie would agree this fits her perfectly.
As Mrs. Lukas was telling me the great news, she said, "Just look at her." She motioned over towards the cubby area where Ellie was reunited with her friends after a long weekend. She was giggling and hugging her friends. It was a sweet moment!

Proud Mommy & Daddy

What a treat it was to have Papa there!

Logan and Auntie Lauren also came for Ellie's big day! Love you both!

Between Gammy, Papa & Auntie Lauren, these two were on their best behavior!

Ellie assisted with a "meaning of Christmas" demonstration.

The proud family

As Student of the Week, Ellie had the wonderful opportunity to have lunch with Mrs. Lukas after class.

One day this girly will have Mrs. Lukas for Kindergarten (we hope!). She can't wait!

Thanks to Gammy for this appropriate gift!

A special thanks to Lysee for making Ellie's hair fabulous. It was beautiful! And, thanks to G-Ma for the potted rose plant and goodies for Ellie's special day. She's blessed to have you all as her family.

Christmas at Hacienda with Gammy & Papa

2011-12-03T14:12:00.001-08:00

Today, Gammy & Papa took Ellie to Hacienda Golf Club for their annual Christmas luncheon for kids. Ellie met Santa Claus...

...made ornaments...

...and more! Ellie's favorite part is the marionette show and getting her face painted. We can't wait until next year when Buggy can join them!

2 Year Stats

2011-12-02T14:02:00.000-08:00

Mike and I took Lillie to Dr. Wu's office for her 2-year check-up. It was strange not having Ellie there, but we could tell Lillie loved the one-on-one time with her Mommy and Daddy. She was amazingly pleasant and patient!

Here are Lillie's latest stats and her sister's at the same age:

Lillie
Weight: 27.8 lbs.
Height: 35 in.
Head: not sure, but she's in the 90th percentile

Ellie
Weight: 28.25 lbs.
Height: 35.75 in.
Head: 48.5 cm

Thanks to the Keenans for her super cute outfit!

This little gal took her poke in the finger and shot like a champ!

A New Playgroup

2011-12-02T12:00:00.000-08:00

A good friend of mine, Erica, recently started her own playgroup. It's for moms of kids ages 2-4. Each week, one mom hosts the playgroup at their home incorporating our set theme, number and letter. We had to miss the first meeting, but had a great time at our first meeting at the Uvalle's home.

Lillie with Lyla & Carter

Maggie, Carter and Natale had us over for a fun Christmas themed playdate. The kids made a reindeer magnet using their foot and hands. They also made personalized gift tags using their thumbprint. The kids decorated #2 cookies, munched on yummy snacks, played outside, colored snowmen and more!

Thanks for a fun morning, Uvalle Family!

Christmas Decorating Day

2011-11-27T00:21:00.000-08:00

Without fail, we decorate for Christmas the day after Thanksgiving. This year, Lillie's birthday landed on that day. In between celebrating, Daddy put up the Christmas lights on the house. By the end of the weekend, we picked up our Christmas tree and decorated the house. It feels like Christmas around here!

Timber!

She's a stinker!

Our 13th year getting personalized ornaments

Great job, Daddy & Ellie!

Our annual visit to see Santa

Lillie wasn't thrilled to sit on Santa's lap, but was very excited to talk with him!

Nothing a sucker can't fix!

Happy 2nd Birthday, Lillie!

2011-11-25T16:45:00.000-08:00

Buggy's birthday is always going to land around Thanksgiving time. Mike and I are the hosts for Thanksgiving each year, so sometimes the effort I put into her parties aren't the same as with Ellie (or at least it feels that way).

This year, Mom offered to have it at her house. She invited us for dinner and we invited my sisters, Mom and the Murtys. I was pleasantly surprised to see a Hello Kitty party all set up for our Buggy. Mom made it super special. She made our favorite appetizer: slow roasted tomatoes with garlic and bur rata. We chowed down on steaks, pan-fried polenta, couscous, asparagus, and mashed butternut squash. For dessert, we had cupcakes and macaroons from Merely Sweets!

Thank you to Mom and Papa for hosting such a wonderful party for our girl. I can't wait to tell her about it when she's older. She has the best Gammy & Papa!!!

On another note, Papa sent Buggy a birthday card for EVERY SINGLE DAY of the month of November! We had so much fun reading all of the names on the front of the cards!

Good morning and happy birthday!

Getting ready to leave for her birthday lunch at Island's

What a big girl!

This is the outfit the Penarandas gave Lillie for her birthday.

G-Ma & Lillie

Mommy's homemade cake for Buggy

Do-do & Ellie

"Did you just see that play, Lillie?!"

Mommy let Buggy have cake before dinner. It's called "Second-Child Rules."

Yay!!!

The Best Gammy & Papa!!

Thank you to everyone for making Buggy's 2nd birthday a special one.

Bridgford Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-24T11:59:00.000-08:00

I cannot believe we are celebrating Thanksgiving again. It feels like the months are flying by. Buggy is turning two, for goodness sake!

Our Thanksgiving morning started off with a little exercise. We met some friends at Hurless Barton for what we hope to become a new tradition--our own Turkey Trot! We started off by running almost 3 miles. The ladies dropped the kids and hubbies off at the playground and continued for another 4 miles. The feeling was mutual amongst the mamas: we were ready to feast and feel good about doing it! Thanks to the Murtys, Estradas, Altenbachs, Anne, and Brooke for the wonderful company.

When we returned home, I had a peach french toast casserole waiting for us. It was scrumptious, but I'll try something else next year.

As for our Thanksgiving meal, we had a large feast for a small crowd. The little Bridgfords (Mike, Ang, Ellie & Lillie) joined the big Bridgfords (Gammy & Papa) along with the Vander Meers (Mom, Alexa & Alyse).

Every year, I learn what to do better next year and what not to do. This year, I prepped a lot of the meal ahead of time making Thanksgiving a lot less stressful! Also, Mom prepared the yummy potato dish and Bridgford rolls. Thanks, Mom, for also buying the birds! My Mom brought her delicious chipotle raspberry cream cheese dish and a to-die-for Sangria. Thanks to you both!

French toast casserole

Ellie's self-portrait

Our turkey centerpiece inspired by Amber Bushman's!

Turkey #1

Our TG spread: potato gratin, sourdough stuffing with pears & sausage, sweet potato casserole, fall salad and rolls!

Turkey #2

Daddy always looks forward to the sweet potato casserole!

Kids' table

Our Thankfulness Tree

Honey & Pine Nut Tart (not pictured: homemade pumpkin pie)

Kindergym

2011-11-21T17:17:00.000-08:00

Buggy graduated from another session of Kindergym with her pals...Logan being one of them! We are sad that we'll be moving up to the next age bracket with out our sweet Do-do. In the fall, we'll be reunited again!

Here are the kiddos in action at Kindergym!

Bubble time is our favorite time!

"Jack-in-the-box"

Another certificate for Buggy

Buggy wanted to sit on Auntie Lauren's lap, so she sat down. Do-do wasn't sure what to do!

Logan, Jillian & Lillie

Ellie had the week off and enjoyed KG with us. She wanted to know why she didn't get a certificate. I explained she's been in school for 2 months and isn't a part of KG anymore. :(

Lillie's 2nd Birthday Party

2011-11-19T16:18:00.000-08:00

In February, we attended a kids fair in Brea where I won $100 off a birthday party at My Gym in Yorba Linda. I decided then we'd have Lillie's birthday there.

It's hard to believe it is finally here!

Tonight, we celebrated with 20+ kids and their parents for 2 hours! The kids started in a circle where they had to introduce themselves and fly around the circle like an airplane.
The MyGym staff created the coolest tent area where the kids could go inside and play with puppets in addition to the other fun activities in the room. It reminded me of a plane hangar.
After lots of playing and fun, we all gathered to eat a yummy birthday meal. I made my Mom's (Susan) spaghetti sauce with whole wheat pasta, asiago cheese bread, salad and fruit. (Thanks to Mom for making the cheese spread and salad!) The kids and adults ate and then indulged in yummy cupcakes before heading back to the play area.

My favorite part of the evening happened when the staff took Buggy and me in the back room. We placed Lillie on a saucer that had an airplane seat on it. They carted her around the room while playing "Come Fly Away." What a sweet moment for all to see.

Next, the kids each had a turn riding in the airplane down the zipline. Buggy wasn't a fan, but she did it anyway.

When the party was over, each child took home a little "luggage" filled with peanuts and a beverage...just like you would get on a flight.

Jake & Ellie

Mindy & Allie

Ottis

Lauren

Do-do (Logan)

Wyatt "flying" around the room

There goes Carter!

Logan got the best ride of all!

Thanks to Auntie Lauren for capturing this sweet moment!

Can you believe this outfit?! Thanks to the Murtys!

Lillie loves her Papa so much. Logan loves Lillie! Just look at him putting her headband on!

Holly & her daddy, Jordan

Wyatt

Nick

Bridgfords & Murtys

Yeah! Bubble time!

Taylor & her daddy, Christian

Daddy couldn't wait to jump in!

"Come Fly Away..."

Best moment of the night!

Our family

After dinner, it was back to playing. This time on the "airplane" and zipline!

Sweet Ella!!!

Avery

Ethan

Nick

Carter

Brooke was a good sport!

Her favorite gift! Thanks to Michele & Ottis! She sleeps with her EVERY night!

Ottis, Lillie & Grandpa Jerry

Opening gifts is fun!

Thanks to all of our family and friends for coming out to celebrate our girl. We're blessed to be surrounded and supported by such lovely people!

Lillie's Birthday Lunch

2011-11-17T22:46:00.000-08:00

It was a treat meeting up with Kalea and Jo in San Juan Capistrano to celebrate Lillie's 2nd birthday. Their family can't make it to Lillie's party at Kindergym, so along with Lauren and Logan, we met the Penaranda ladies at the Hummingbird Cafe. We were all pleasantly surprised to find Greek food on the menu!

There was open seating outside where the kids could roam freely. Our lunch wasn't without chaos, but we laughed it off. It's crazy how life has changed in the last few years. I love them and their families so much. Thanks to Auntie Jo, Kalea, Lauren and Logan for coming together to celebrate our Buggy.

I love you girls.

Lillie was so sweet with Kalea.

Here's Lillie gushing over her new shoes from the Murtys!

Capturing a picture of all 4 kids is nearly impossible. Here's our best attempt!

Thanksgiving Fun at Friends Christian School

2011-11-17T16:15:00.000-08:00

Today was Ellie's Thanksgiving Feast at school. I was in charge of having a fun craft for the children to do before the feast began. I chose this ADORABLE handprint craft where the kiddos glued feathers to 4 of their fingers, an eye and lips on the thumbs and decorated clothespins for legs.

Each of the children made a pilgrim outfit and a Native American headress. They had to chose what they'd adorn themselves in for the feast. Ellie chose to wear the pilgrim bonnet and top.

The kids feasted on drumsticks, corn muffins, carrots and ranch dip, apples with caramel, a turkey cookie, pumpkin pie and more!

Ellie & her best pal, Nathan D.

Mrs. Lukas with some of her sweet students

OUR sweet pilgrim

The Native Americans

The pilgrims

Ellie was chosen to be the pilgrim girl to pray for the feast. Talk about a precious moment!

Here's Ellie saying her part of the prayer.

Finger lickin' good food!

The handprint turkeys!

I know I've said this before...I absolutely love being at school with Ellie. The teachers and parents are simply the best.

School Fun!

2011-11-14T20:07:00.001-08:00

Ellie has so much going on at school these days. Recently, she got another "PR" award for helping her friend, Cali. We're proud of Ellie for continuing to be a great friend to everyone she knows!

Our room mom is awesome and very organized. This last month she planned a park playdate after school. The kids had way too much fun, and not surprisingly, Ellie was leading the kids in song and dance. I couldn't believe how the kids listened to her every word without protest. They love her! I was a proud mommy, of course, but then wondered if I should be a little worried by her controlling ways. So far, it seems to work for her. The one thing we need to work on is understanding our friends still like us even if they don't want to do imitate our every move. :)

Ellie instructed the boys to lay on the ground. When they got up, they'd dance like mummies.
The "judges"

Dance, dance, dance!
Enjoying popsicles together...
...now with Maddie too!

When was the last time you had this much fun? What a great day! (The girls are practicing for their chapel debut. Here, they are singing "This Little Light of Mine."

At the end of this month, Ellie's Kindergarten class hosted the weekly chapel service. Their topic of discussion was attentiveness. Ellie played a part in the presentation. She proudly held up her picture with the cutest grin on her face. It was a special time that Daddy, Gammy, Mommy, Lillie and Gaddy all got to see.

Ellie loves reciting all of the pledges and singing during chapel.

There's our girl!
Ellie's BFF, Akila

Every month, I get to help in the class. Last week, it was my turn. We started the day by helping the children with their "Meet the Masters" art program. They had to draw a cat's face step-by-step. The drawings were inspired by an artist named Boneur. It also happened to be the day all of the kids would receive their Bible awards. (I know it is small and not important, but I really enjoyed getting to help them line up single file and tell them when to walk on stage. I love being involved in any way I can! It brings me so much joy.)

Gammy's Birthday!

2011-11-10T14:22:00.000-08:00

We celebrated one of our favorite people today. It's Gammy's birthday! We lunched at Cheesecake Factory and what's cool is Daddy joined us!

Gammy does so much for all of us every day of the year. She's the best mom to Mike, MIL to me and Gammy to our girls! Thanks, Mom, for all you do. We love you!

Instructor of the Year Nomination

2011-11-01T00:05:00.001-07:00

This year will be my 4th year being nominated as Instructor of the Year. I've never actually won the title, but am absolutely honored by the things my clients have said about me. I have created friendships with these phenomenal women and their families. It is a true honor to be among great women who love/love-to-hate working out.

Stroller Strides Corporate asked for nominees to put together a 2-minute video of teaching and that is it! I decided to use a piece of my 80's themed class. Here's my submission:

http://youtu.be/YyFE57oddfo

Here are the wonderful comments submitted (makes me cry!):

Not only is she a great mom/instructor and totally dedicated 2 health, but she helps u push urself without making u feel akward for not being in great shape. She's so sweet and loving and really makes my day!
Angela has so much energy and passion for teaching strollers strides. She motivates each person to do their best while supporting the various athletic abilities in the class. She comes up with new and creative ways to exercise and adds in fun theme classes to mix things up and keep things new and fun for the members.
Angela is an example of fitness for us all. She teaches multiple classes a week, leads the L.E.A.N. mommmy program, and keeps up with the needs of her own family. She is compasionate and personable. She made me feel immediately welcomed at my first class and genuinely cares about each member. Angela is a big reason why I keep coming back!
I would like to nominate Angela Bridgford as Instructor of the Year. Angela is committed to being a healthy, positive mom. She leads each class with a smile and never ending energy. She encourages each mama present to do her best and be her personal best. She makes workouts fun and new and designs such creative workouts to compliment every Luna Moms Play Group theme. At class or around town she is always a great model of what being a healthy, fit mama is all about!

Halloween 2011

2011-10-31T00:17:00.000-07:00

Our fun day began with Daddy leaving very early for the airport. I have to admit I was sad to see him go on one of our favorite family holidays. On the bright side, we planned on spending most of our day with Gammy and the Murtys.

Our regularly scheduled Kindergym class was canceled, so we headed to Stroller Strides for a fun, themed Halloween class. The kids went stroller trick-or-treating and gathered lots of healthy loot.

Our Cinderella

Family Fun Fest 2011

Lillie and Ellie played a few games at the FFF. Just seconds after I took this picture, Lillie fell onto this game and it collapsed. It was pretty funny since she wasn't hurt.

Ellie is a protective sister. She's usually showing Lillie what things are or telling her what to do. :)

You can see all 3 kiddos in this pic: Logan, Lillie and Ellie.

Gammy's always with us at the FFF. Thank God for Gammy!

This year, Logan and Lauren came. It's so fun to do things like this together. We love the Murtys!
It's time to trick-or-treat!
Our pumpkins this year: fairy castle for Ellie, Minnie Mouse for Lillie, a "B" for Mommy and a Charger Bolt for Daddy (painted and not pictured here).

Lillie wanted to go inside every house. She sounded so sweet saying, "Trick-or treat."

3rd Annual Halloween Party

2011-10-29T00:17:00.000-07:00

We hosted our 3rd annual Halloween party this year! Mike goes all out wearing the most outrageous costume he can find. He did not disappoint this year! Check out the costumes!

Ang: "J-Lo" when she was on "In Living Color" & Mike: a Chippendale's dancer

Lex, "Katy Perry"
The Bells: pirates!
The Banans: 80's couple (Amir is George Michael!)
The Murtys: Lauren, a Playboy bunny & Josh, "Sponge Bob Squarepants"
The Nesselroads: Em, "Humpty Dumpty" & Ryan, "All the Kings Men"
The Wagners: SNL Cheerleaders!
The Estradas: UCLA vs. USC!
The Benneys: Theresa, Geisha & Bryan in a Japanese kimono
The Merrells: Jessica, "Wonder Woman" & Dan, "Joe Dirt"

The Sextons: Mindy, nurse & Ben, doctor
The Martins: Nikki, "Little Red Riding Hood" & Luis, "The Big, Bad Wolf"

The Grandpas' Birthdays

2011-10-26T00:04:00.000-07:00

October is filled with lots of fun AND both of Ellie and Lillie's grandpas' birthdays!

We celebrated my Dad's birthday at Red Lobster with Lex, Ellie, Ottis, me and my Dad. As always, we laugh and have a great time together.

Later that day, we celebrated Papa's birthday at Outback. It was Mike, me, Ellie, Gammy and Papa. The food was delish as usual and the company even better.

My girls are blessed to have such great grandpas. We love you both!

23 Months Old

2011-10-25T00:02:00.000-07:00

I am happy to report that Lillie followed in her sister's footsteps in the best way. She is potty trained! We did the 3daypottytraining.com program again. Lillie was already asking us to use the toilet and understanding the process quite well. She started day 1 where Ellie was on day 3 of our potty training bootcamp. :) The three days were rough, but NOTHING compared to the 30+ accidents Ellie had her first day.

After a week, she is dry half of the time during naps and averages 1 accident a day. We are so close to going a whole day without an accident!

Buggy's personality is shining through these days. She is overly sweet and funny as heck. On the flip side, when she gets upset sometimes she can't calm herself down. We're working on avoiding those situations as much as possible.

Funny things Buggy says:
"Peace out"
"Mommy, get up...of bed"
"Ah, man!"
"Apple juice" or "apple cider"...it's so funny to hear her say these words!

Sweet moments:

Buggy will randomly come up to you and give you a loud, sweet kiss...many times over.

When I put her down for a nap, I zip up the crib tent and bend down next to her face. We kiss through the net a few times and I tell her to "not let the bed bugs bite!" She always says, "OK, Mommy."

When we pull on to the street at the back of Ellie's school, Lillie quickly tells Ellie, "Goodbye, Sister!" She also knows where Gammy and Papa and G-Ma and Lysee live. She'll declare it a mile before we reach the destination.

Lillie continues to love her buddy, Logan. Those two are so fun to watch at Stroller Strides and at our homes. They are drawn to each other! Since September the two of them also get to see each other at Kindergym! She'll say, "Oh, Do-do (her name for Logan)." She'll sing "Mommy, loves you," a song I sing to her, and she'll replace "Mommy" with "Logan, loves you."

Love for Mr. Logan
Lillie's latest obsession is taking pictures of herself. Like this one...

Pumpkin Patch Fun!

2011-10-22T09:32:00.001-07:00

Lauren, Logan and us girlies visited a nearby pumpkin patch after nap time. We all walked over to pet some animals, ride tractors, check out turkeys, bounce in a bouncey house and more. Not too bad for what would've been a boring Monday afternoon! :)

Lillie drove like a typical first-time driver. She went and stopped...went and stopped. Logan loved being along for the ride.

The best picture we could capture of all 3.
These turkeys were this close to us. They weren't afraid of anybody and made the funniest noises!

Harvest Activity Day

2011-10-19T14:42:00.000-07:00

Today, I got to spend the ENTIRE day with my Ellie girl at school. Mrs. Lukas had me come in first thing to help in the class which also meant I could tag along for chapel. I then volunteered to stay to help at the Harvest Round-Up, a fun recess time with the kids where they could pet animals, bob for apples, milk a cow, toss corn, bowl with gourds and more! Shortly after, the kids returned to class for their party. It was great seeing so many parents turn out for the party. I love Ellie's teachers, the parents and that school!

Singing "5 Little Pumpkins"
Owl art by Ellie Bridgford
A couple of Ellie's friends: Amber and Charlotte
All lined up and ready to have fun!
Ellie and this boy, Nathan, are like two peas in a pod. She talks about him non-stop!
Mrs. Lukas' Kindergarten class
Pumpkin Fishing
Bobbing for Apples

"Milking" a cow

Ellie's buddies, Kiley and Linsey
Thank you to Sha-Sha and Gammy for helping with Lillie so I could be at school with Ellie all day.
Party time!

A Weekend of Parties

2011-10-17T22:56:00.001-07:00

We had a busy, exciting weekend! First, the kids played at Pump It Up for Jakey's birthday. Next, we headed to Kristine Iwai's 60th birthday party. Kristine is Joelle's mom and like a second mom to me. She's a doll and has always made me feel like one of her own. It was awesome to celebrate with her and their family. Lastly, we headed to Whittier to celebrate my friend, Jessica's birthday. We danced our little hearts out until we felt old and had to go home. ;)

Auntie Ang took Logan down the BIIIGGGG slide!
Jakey's mommy, Mindy

Kristine's 60th Party!

Ellie Gets An Award!

2011-10-13T07:18:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago, Ellie came home from school and randomly declared she had won a Personal Responsibility (PR) award. I became so filled with joy and excitement that I was demanding she tell me everything right then! I was just at chapel the week before when I learned about these awards.

A PR award is given to students randomly when a teacher sees a student doing something noteworthy. In Ellie's case, her teacher saw her helping a friend (Akila) after she had fallen down on the playground. Apparently, she helped her friend up and called the teacher over.

As luck would have it, Ellie's PR was drawn randomly and she was recognized at a chapel service I WAS NOT AT. :( Luckily, one of the first grade teachers took a picture of our girl on stage.

Still waiting on the picture...

Tanaka Farms

2011-10-10T14:55:00.000-07:00

Today, we visited Tanaka Farms for the first time during the fall season. We had Ellie's 2nd birthday party here during watermelon picking and visited in the spring and picked strawberries. I was very excited to visit during pumpkin season!

There isn't a lot we haven't done with Ellie around the holidays. Finally, there is one thing I've done with Lillie that I haven't done with Ellie!

Lillie seemed to be more interested in buckling herself in her stroller than checking out the vast farm area while riding on a huge wagon. Oh well.

I learned something new about Lillie today: she doesn't like unfamiliar animals close to her face! This petting took a lot of convincing.
Do-do (Logan) loved the animals!
Lillie would NOT give me a smile. This is as good as it gets. Little stinker!
We attempted a group pic at the end of the petting zoo tour. I was so focused on getting Lillie to look that I cut a couple kiddos out on the right side (sorry Nick and Lucas!). Isn't this photo hilarious?
A close-up of the drama

I got lucky and caught Buggy smiling! She was happy to stand next to the scarecrow for quite a while.
At the end, we picked carrots and green beans from the farm. They sure were delcious at dinnertime!

Our Stroller Strides group

Journey Concert

2011-10-09T20:42:00.000-07:00

We truly have the best pals. Lauren and I were invited by Joelle and Aram to see "Journey" in concert down in San Diego. It was a birthday gift of Aram's that he generously gave to us for a girls' night out.

Thank you, Aram, for watching all 3 girls for a couple of hours so we could have girl time!

Here are some pics and videos from our super fun night!

"Foreigner" opened for Journey!

"Open Arms"

"Don't Stop Believin"

Our Reading Machine!

2011-10-02T20:40:00.000-07:00

Ellie has been reading like crazy. She and I have started to read a daily Bible devotional together. Her favorite part is opening up the Bible to find the verses that inspire the devotional. Here is Ellie reading in Matthew. I'm filming her from behind because she gets shy when "performing."