NYE 2015

Happy 2015!  We have been scheming this New Year's Eve since last year when we had babysitters to the house to watch all the kiddos upstairs and in the pseudo movie room aka the garage...while in theory it was a great idea, the kids knew we were inside and of course had no interest in being anywhere except in our laps...so we decided this year to have the kiddos down the street at Erin and Greg's and the adults at our house.  It's about a 3 minute drive, so we felt like the three babysitters would be fine and if needed we could be there in a flash....let me just say, it was even better than we could have hoped!  All the kids did great, some even fell asleep during the movie! Our dinner was divine and the adult chit chat and game playing had everyone laughing all night.  I feel so blessed to celebrate with such wonderful friends and to have my sweet family to share another blessed year with!  Cheers!

What are you Thankful for?

We started saying our version of grace before dinner- each person goes around and says what they are thankful for that day.  Little Guy has been observing us and casually participating when he feels like it...Today he went all in-when it was his turn to say what he was thankful for, he said " I'm thankful for my dogs not jumping up and taking my daddy's hat...and I'm thank for my mommy and daddy not being mad at me and Wyatt not pulling my clothes"...he also declared Wyatt as thankful for being able to make a road with the whole roll of paper towels because that makes them both happy.  I love that he is participating in our family dinner routine and I love getting a glimpse into how he sees his day.

Wine Tasting

It was our last day with the whole Indiana crew AND it was Uncle Brian's birthday so we hit up wine tasting right here in local Green Valley.  Not only is it super laid back and welcoming, they are kiddo friendly so the boys were able to hang out for the day as well.  I am sad that Taylore and Joey leave tomorrow, we are already planning our summer trip out to visit!  Here are some shots from the day, including a redo of the annual photos we used to take with the Indiana cousins when we were younger.

Wesley the Tool Man...

Little Guy received tools from Mommy and Daddy and Gigi and Papa this year.  He is now obsessed with fixing anything in our house.  Lucky for him, Papa had a lot of work to do to prep for the new hardwood floor, so Little Guy was put right to work.  I am not sure who loved it more, Papa or Little Guy, but one thing's for sure, I loved watching two of my most favorite dudes working together.

Merry Christmas 2014

Merry Christmas from our family to yours.  What a busy holiday season it has been!!!  We were all anxious for Santa's visit and he certainly did not disappoint!  The festivities kicked off the breakfast at Grandma and Papa's complete with baby snuggles for Patrick's first Christmas and playtime with all the new toys.  We headed to Lauren's for Christmas Eve dinner and had a blast with our friends and family and a special visit from the old man in red himself.  The boys loved playing with all Gracie and Abby's cool stuff and my heart melted to see Little Guy tenderly feed and care for a baby doll before asking me to hold it and diving head first onto the trampoline.  Cookies and milk were left out, don't worry, the boys licked each cookie so any chance Santa had of staying healthy was wiped away and bedtime stories were read.  Mommy and Daddy were too busy, I mean excited, to get much sleep that night, so we all rejoiced when everyone slept in until 7:00 (yes, that's sleeping in in our house).  We came down stairs to Carsland tables, bikes, tool boxes, electronics, and goodies.  This was by far the most fun Christmas morning we've had since Little Guy has been born- he was all about it this year!  I made some snowman pancakes and we spent the day lounging and napping before heading our to Gigi and Papa's.  Uncle Mark had to work so we didn't get to see him, but there was plenty to keep us busy...after we had finished opening gifts at our house, Little Guy wasn't worried because he thought there may be a gift or two at Gigi's house...he was right!  He hasn't let those Bosch power tools out of his sight!  It was a spectacular day filled with family, love, and giggles.  We already miss Oddball the Elf and can't wait to really ramp up the outdoor light decor next year.  Until 2015, Merry Christmas from the DeTars!

Indiana has arrived

It was the first time EVER that all of Indiana made it out to California for a visit and we decided to make the most of it.  We started the week with dinner and catching up at Great Grandma's house.  It felt like no time had passed since we saw everyone in June.  The boys LOVED playing with their older second cousins and I loved chitchatting with my fabulous aunt and soon to be cousin in law (fingers crossed!).  We followed that up the next day with an adventure to the city.  I haven't been to the city in wintertime for MANY years now so I was looking forward to the hustle and bustle of it all.  I certainly got that and more!  The day before Christmas Eve brings out the crowds, but we all loved being together and enjoying the December shorts weather- crazy!  Taylore and Joey spoiled the boys with treats and gifts and those Cars monster trucks have not been out of Little Guy's sight (not even to sleep) for a minute now.  They were also complimented on their son and how much he looked like them on the BART train...Taylore politely informed them she wasn't even blood related to him, but seeing the two of them holding my sweet boy painted a pretty precious picture of their future.  From the shopping to eating to glow in the dark rubber band helicopters, the day was everything I could have asked for in a trip to the city with my family.  There's something about this out of town family, I just feel at home with them and at ease...it was a wonderful feeling to have us all together and to see everyone enjoying what the holidays are really all about!

Candy Cane Lane

We love a good tradition, and the only way to start one is to stick with something every year until it becomes a tradition.  We are going on three years of Candy Cane lane with the Santopadres and this year the Schroeders joined us.  It was a blast to walk the street (we have driven it a few times this year already), and even more fun when you have fresh popcorn and hot chocolate to munch on in the wagon.  Everytime we see these homes I am inspired for the next year, let's see if we can't create a little Candy Cane lane over on the '87 side of town!

Growing too fast

As I reflect on this time of year, I can't help but think we were just returning from Africa last year and Mr. Wyatt Bear was still unable to roll over or eat solid foods...he's now just a crazy dude with energy to match his big brother and a smile that melts every heart he sees.  He's growing every day and has recently started jibber jabbering all day long.  He has mastered "Mama", "Dada", "Brother", "Papa", "Gigi", "Grandma", "Oddball", "Neigh Neigh", "Thank You", "Bye Bye", "Love you", "No", and signs for "More", "please", "juice/water", and "all done".  He's drooling ALL THE TIME as he is trying to cut a whole bunch of molars and keeps himself pretty bruised up as he learns how to climb on EVERYTHING!  I can't imagine what he'll be doing at this time next year, but I know one thing for sure, he'll still be melting hearts wherever he is.

PEP Christmas Program

Little Guy's Christmas program was today and I am not going to lie, I cried...seeing my baby boy walk through the church hand in hand with his best buddy Cohen was just too much.  How he grow up overnight???  Little Guy was surrounded by our family and friends and bless Cari's heart for crying right along with me...we're emotional mamas, what can I say.  After the jingle bell procession, they treated us to some classics like "Jesus was His Name-O", "Happy Birthday Jesus", and "Deck the Halls".  We love Little Guy's preschool and today just cemented how happy we are to be experiencing school with such kind and loving teachers and staff.  It was extra special that both Papas, Grandma, Auntie, Peyton, and Auntie Cari came to watch our sweet boy.  Aside from the nose picking and the fact that his best buddy didn't want to stand up so Little Guy kept him company sitting for a few songs, it was a perfect performance!!!  Now what to do with two weeks off from preschool???

 

He's Back

Daddy is home!  We've missed him so much and had quite the LONG night last night so we are all thrilled he'll be home to help out.  Daddy came straight from the airport to the winter music celebration, and let me just say, the screaming ovation from his two kiddos melted everyone's heart.  I guess it's true what they say, absence makes the heart grow fonder!  Welcome home Daddy.

Polar Express Take 2

The storm of the century that was set to rattle our state and perhaps send fences flying and fields flooding also canceled our Polar Express trip two months in the making...cue the eye roll when the storm was nothing more than a bucket load of water with next to nothing winds and hours of useless weather coverage...okay, I am done with my rant (but still very disappointed we didn't get our pajama train ride!).  In an effort to salvage the idea, we did Polar Express night at the Santopadres' and along with all our little buddies, enjoyed pizza, movies AND a visit from Santa himself.  Santa was so knowledgeable of the kiddos and came with personalized autographed books and a special toy for everyone!  It wasn't what we had originally planned, but in true Heather fashion, it was an extra special night!