The California Auto Museum With Grandpa!

 

While we were at the auto museum in Reno I kept thinking of my dad and how much he would love to see all the different cars. We brought my dad out to stay with the boys while we were in Reno. We purposely planned on him staying a couple extra days so that we could have some time with him as well. It was perfect! So on January 18th, 2014 we all went to the California Auto Museum in Sacramento with Grandpa. 

It's definitely not as big as the museum in Reno but it was just as fun. There were a lot more hands on exhibits at this museum which the kids seemed to enjoy. Grandpa loved playing with the exhibits too. It was a fun walk through memory lane for him. He remembered growing up with a lot of the cars that were there.

We had a great flashback to the past. It was a day filled with nostalgia and I loved being able to share that with my dad.  I'm so glad that our kids are able to make memories such as this with their grandpa. It's always been so important to me. And I know the kids love it too.

Happy 9th Anniversary To Us!

This year we celebrated our anniversary early. We chose to go to Reno, Nevada. It was a fun little trip. We left on January 14th, 2014 and came home on the 17th. Ron was able to get a pretty good deal at the Siena hotel where we stayed. Sometimes traveling a lot for work has its perks.

It was our first time staying in Reno. We've stopped and passed through on our way to and from Utah. But we've never actually stayed overnight. So with the nickname of "The Biggest Little City In The World" we knew that I would want to walk around at night to see the lights and try my best to get some photos. I loved the bright and fun colors. But it was really cold. We didn't stay out to long. There was no snow, much to our dismay, but it was still a cold January night. It was also our first time staying in a hotel casino so we had some fun gambling. They gave us a gift card for the casino so we used that on the penny slots. We laughed and cheered and cashed out when we got like 80 cents. I think we still have that ticket somewhere. The plan was to frame it. That is such a funny memory.

The National Automobile Museum was just a short walk from our hotel. It's a great museum for anyone who is a car enthusiast. We love history and so it was really fun for us to go back in time with all these amazing cars and trucks.

We took the guided tour and then went back and looked closer at the ones that really caught our eyes. There were so many that I loved and was fascinated with. It was really neat to walk through and see the evolution of the automobile.

Along with the museum we went on one of our long drives to no where in particular. I love going on those rides. We just get in the car and go where ever and explore and just talk about whatever. It will always be one of my favorite things to do with Ron. We also stopped at a thrift store. You can always find a treasure in the thrift store.  I found a set of books that I remember my dad getting for us kids but he ended up selling them later on. I was so happy to find them. I loved those books and I can't wait to share them with our kids.

When it was time to go back home we drove through and made a quick stop at Lake Tahoe. We stopped at a Starbucks so Ron could call into a meeting for work. Then we drove by the lake to enjoy some fresh mountain air for a few minutes. We didn't have much time to stay but it was still a beautiful moment. I love the peace and serenity of the mountains. Our world is a beautiful place. 

It was a wonderful few days away and as much I didn't want it to end I was happy to see my boys again. Happy Anniversary Sweetheat! I love you always and forever!

Jaden's First Big Boy Bed

At the start of the year I decided it was time to turn Jaden's bed into a toddler bed. I kept putting it off but I decided that it was finally time to do it. He loves his bed and is a really good sleeper so I knew he was ready for it. He was so excited to be able to climb in bed all by himself. I was able to sit on the floor next to his bed to read stories. Then I tucked him in like usual and he went to sleep. He stayed there all night and was all smiles in the morning. I love my little noodle. I can't believe how fast he's growing up. Sweet dreams, sleep tight, we love you, good night!

Happy New Year! Welcome 2014!

It's new year's eve once again and we're ready to celebrate and welcome the new coming year.

Ron and the kids spent the afternoon making ham bread for dinner while Jaden played with his trains on the table. Ham bread will always be one of our favorite holiday traditions. The house smells amazing for the entire day and our tummies are filled with yummy goodness. And since it was a celebration there was no shortage of silliness going around. The boys had fun and kept cracking up over drinking their cider and suddenly falling to the floor. 

New years eve at our house is very low key. We enjoy spending the evening at home playing board games together while we wait for the count down. We'll turn on the TV and watch the New York countdown specials when they come on.

This year the kids decided to also party by playing the game Just Dance. It was awesome watching them try to mimic the different dances of the game. We had a lot of laughs that night. As the clock struck midnight I reflected a bit on the year we just had. It was full of change and new opportunities. It was full of new adventures and things to see. I'm so glad I got to share it with our family. Welcome to the new year. I look forward to all 2014 has to offer. Especially with the ones I love the most!

A little Gingerbread Magic!

This year we were surprised by our friend Debby Hill with this amazing Gingerbread house. It was beautiful and festive all lit up with lights. It was so much fun. I loved all the little details and how the windows glowed in the dark when the rest of the lights in the house were turned off. It was one of those things that you couldn't help but smile when you looked at it. It was a special gift and we felt very honored to receive it. We can't say thank you enough for adding some extra magic to our house.

It was the perfect way to show us that Christmas day means so much more!