July 2016 1


Hi My babies!

This month was busy busy busy!! So much to tell, maybe that’s why it’s taken me 5 months to work up the nerve to get all the photos together, and try to write a post, hahaha!  Starting from the beginning of the month, your new friend Grayson Barkley was born to Auntie Alaina!  Yay! A new friend to play with.  I was so happy that he was scheduled to be born the day before we left on vacation so that I could meet him!   Also that day my college roommate, Amber, and her daughter Charlie, and Charlie’s Daddy, Jeff. Stopped through to visit us.  It was so fun to watch you all play with Charlie in our backyard.  They live in Florida, so they were just stopping through for the day.  We ate some lunch, and watched you kids have fun.   Maybe one day soon we’ll get to go visit them in Orlando, and maybe, just maybe see a certain Mouse you both love.

So, moving on in the month-  early July we left for VACATION! Woooooo!   Mama’s favorite thing in the world is to go on vacation.  It was Emme’s first time on a plane, and both of yours first time out to California or Mexico.  We flew in to San Diego and rented a minivan.  Your Dammy met us at the airport and we all drove down to Granny Gooch and Grampa’s house in Ensenada.   It was SO amazing to have you both there.   When we woke up the next morning, it made my heart happy to see you two run the patio the same way myself, and your aunt and uncles did when we were kids.  You guys loved the house, and especially loved the patio, the ocean, the hummingbirds.  What’s not to love?!?   Oh, and guess what!  Uncle Joey came down to surprise you too!!!  How awesome is that?!?   Grammy took us around to allllllllll of our favorite places.   We ate Tacos El Norteno, we got elephant ears from the bakery along with fresh bolios, we got fresh oranges, so Lucas and Daddy could make us fresh OJ every day.     We went to the rocky beach and played with rocks, and watch surfers, we went to the fresh fish market, and then walked the waterfront to see all the beautiful boats, and scenery.   Lucas, you especially loved hiking the hill with Uncle Joey!  You guys would take your walking sticks and walk the cobblestone road.   We took a family hike up to the top of the hill to the cemetery where Grampa, Aunt Peggy, and Uncle Dan are buried.  I was worried about Emme on the cobblestone, but she was insistent on walking all by herself-  that girl is determined! LOL!

The weather was incredible while we were there, we got to visit a bunch of incredible wineries in the Guadalupe Valley, and taste many different wines (well, me, Daddy, Dammy, and Uncle Joey got to taste the wines, you guys enjoyed running around), you even got to meet Juventino, who has been the family gardener for 35+ years.   One night we went to Hotel Coral and got a suite, we swam in the pools, and ate yummy food.  Grammy watched you two, and Daddy and I went out on a date night.  We brought a bottle of wine, and walked to the ocean, climbed up a huge rack wall that bordered the resort from the water, and sat atop of it watching the sun go down, and marveling at how amazing our life is.     We ended up getting a fast pass from the hotel to cross the border, so when we left Mexico we crossed the border in less than 5 minutes.  It was INSANE.  Never in the history of our family crossing the border, has it ever come close to being that fast.   Our time in Mexico with Grammy and Uncle Joey was phenomenal.  It was everything I had hoped for, and more!  I will never forget your squeals of delight as you guys played on the patio.   We can’t wait to go back.

After leaving Mexico and passing the border in record time, we drove straight up to our hotel in Santa Ana where Granny Gooch lives.  We checked in to the hotel, then headed back out to visit with Goochie.   It was your guys’ first time every meeting your Great Grandmother.   She has dementia, so she wasn’t entirely sure who we all were, but she was super happy to have visitors.  She showed us off to all of the other ladies who live at the senior living center with her.  We went on multiple tours of the place.  And when I say multiple, I mean MULTIPLE. hahaha!  She would forget that she had already showed us something so we would continue to see it over and over.  Luckily you guys didn’t mind and we all just went in circles spending time with Granny Gooch.   Granny used to be a speed walker when she was younger, she would walk everywhere almost faster than I could run.   She now walks with a walker because she’s a bit unsteady on her feet.   As we head down one of her hallways, I expect to walk slow (as most people with walkers do), but nope!  She takes off like a bullet out of a gun, speed walking that walker right on down the hallway.  She then stops, turns to me, and says “do you think you can keep up?” hahahaha it was so funny!  Granny Gooch still speed walking at the age of 93!   All the other old ladies loved you guys as well.  One lady (I couldn’t quite decipher if her and Granny were friends or not), followed us around the entire time, pulling on Lucas, and pretending she was going to steal him, she hung from your leg as Daddy picked you up.  Sweet ladies loved you kids, you guys yelled out the window, LOVE YOU GRANNY GOOCH as we left, and she beamed ear to ear.  I’m so happy we finally made it out there for you to meet her.

That night we headed to Downtown Disney to explore a bit, and to do a bit of Disney shopping before our Disneyland adventure the next day.  The next day was Daddy’s 36th birthday.  What an awesome day for your FIRST TIME IN DISNEY!!  The excitement was unreal.  We were all dressed in our Mickey/Minnie Mouse clothes, and you both had personalized mouse ear hats that said Lucas and Emme on them.  We woke up early for our breakfast with Mickey reservation.  Lucas, you couldn’t believe you were going to meet Mickey Mouse!   The restaurant was awesome, all the food was shaped like Mickey.  The characters would even come up to our table and interact with you.  Emme, you didn’t know what to think of all these huge things hahaha.  You guys got to meet Mickey, Minnie, Daisy, and Stitch.  After leaving our character breakfast, we headed to Disneyland!!!   You guys were so excited!  Our first ride was in Tomorrowland, where all 4 of us got to ride in a rocketship.   On the rides where Emme was too small, one of us got to take Lucas, and then the other parent could switch out and go on the same ride with him but bump to the front of the line.  So lucky Lucas got to go twice!  Lucas you loved the astroblaster with Buzz Lightyear, and driving the cars, you also loved my favorites Pirates of the Caribbean (Emme, you were a bit scared on this one haha), and the Haunted Mansion.   We had such a great day!   We had been given super important advice of leaving in the middle of the day when it got hot and crowded, to let you guys nap, and we decided to do that.  We left for probably 4-5 hours, got everyone rested and fed, then we headed back.  It changed the entire outlook of the day.  We were all refreshed and headed back to tackle all the rest of the rides.  As everyone lined up for the nighttime parade, the lines shortened, so we got to run around to all the best rides and wait mere minutes to go on them.  At the very last minute we went to find a place to watch the parade, Daddy took Emme to find a place to store the stroller, and Lucas and I walked down the middle of the street trying to find somewhere to sit.  We ended up having the most PHENOMENAL seats.  People had waited for hours and hours to reserve seats on a bench, some teenagers offered to move over for us, so Lucas you sat with me front and center on a bench, and Daddy and Emme sat directly next to us on the curb.  Seriously, we could not have had better seats if we paid for them!!! This nighttime disney parade of lights was one of the happiest moments in my life.   Me and your Dad kept looking at each other with tears in our eyes, not believing this amazing experience we were having.  Watching you both in awe of the lights, the music, the characters, and everything Disney!!  The only way to describe the day was perfect and magical.   Emme, you hardly knew who Mickey was before going to Disneyland.  As soon as we got back Mickey and Minnie were your most favorite things in the world!  You get so excited if you see them on TV, or a stuffed animal.  You call them Meece! Meece!  Mickey Meece!   To this day (5 months later) you still sleep with your now multitude of Minnie stuffed animals, and your favorite favorite show is Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.   I’ll tell you what kids, no matter what happens, we will be getting you back to Disney soon.  It was so so so so awesome to see you guys enjoy it.

Lucas, just a week and a half after we got back from vacation, you turned 4 years old!   We threw you a Superhero party at a local children’s museum.  All of your guests came in superhero costumes.  Lucas, you were batman, and Emme was Robin (in a tutu of course!) Everyone had a great time!   I can’t believe it’s been 4 years since we brought you in to this world.  You’re such an amazing, funny, and smart little boy.  I’m so lucky to be your Mama.

In fact, I’m so lucky to be both of your guys’ Mama.  I love you both to the moon, and to the stars, and to infinity and beyond!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


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One thought on “July 2016

  • Therese Evanoff

    Sarah,
    These are GREAT photos! I love your Christmas card photos too.. it’s on my fridge. Every time I look at the kids it puts a smile on my face. Good job, you guys. Thanks for sharing!
    Love You Lots,
    Therese