So Thankful

Hayden enjoying a cocktail (sparkling juice), sporting his new Disney hatMommy, Hayden, and the Grampster

Three generations of Robb boys (with one missing due to a much-needed nap)

Noah didn't each much turkey, but enjoyed his thumb! Grampy, Hayden, Grammy, and Noah

The day of Thanksgiving brought us a quiet morning to sleep in (sort of, if you call 6:45 sleeping in), followed by the Thanksgiving Day Parade, which I have always loved and have started watching with the boys now as our morning tradition. We then joined Grammy, Grampy, and Uncle Jeff at their house for the rest of the day as well as to enjoy dinner. It was wonderful to be together with part of our family, enjoying yummy snacks while watching the dog show, and then feasting on a delicious meal for dinner. Thank you to Grammy for making everything so tasty!

Thanksgiving is always a time when I reflect on all the blessings God has put in my life. At the top of that list definitely has to be our family and friends. Chris and I are so lucky to have each other; our healthy, happy little boys who bring us such joy and make us laugh at least once a day; his parents who are a constant source of support and will never know how much we love and appreciate them; my parents whom we are separated from in miles, but are with us always in our hearts and show us such love and support regardless of the distance; our siblings and their families whom we love and adore beyond words; and lastly, but certainly not least, our extended family and circle of friends, whom we are fortunate to have in our lives. We are so thankful for each and every one of you! Our wish for you all as we enter this holiday season is for you to experience the true blessing of the season and that your wishes for this Christmas and the new year be yours.

Disneyland

We just returned from three super days at Disneyland, meeting my parents, sister, and brother with his family. It was such a wonderful time to be down at the park, all decorated for the holidays to really get you in the mood for Christmas. The weather was perfect, and we even escaped the rain storms that were expected to roll through Tuesday afternoon - we had our rain ponchos, just in case, but thankfully didn't have to use them! Our boys had such a great time seeing everything there is to see at Disneyland and California Adventure, and Chris and I loved watching them experience it.

Hayden has been once before, though was not quite two when we took him. He still remembers some of it, but this visit was truly more memorable for him. He was tall enough to ride some of the 'bigger' rides, including Thunder Mountain Railroad (which was his first roller coaster ever) and Tower of Terror (which he states he will never ride on again ... poor kid, hope we didn't traumatize him for life with that one!) If you ask him what his favorite ride was, he will tell you the carousel; he and his cousin, Ashley, rode on that a few times together and were pretty much inseparable the entire three days. The highlight for Hayden, and us too, was seeing his two favorite "guys" in the parades: Buzz Lightyear and Lightening McQueen. Watching his face as he saw them both was pure joy - he waved at them as if he was waving to a best friend, with a smile on his face that radiated total happiness. It's something both Chris and I will tell you was one of the best moments of our entire visit.
Noah, on the other hand, (whom we are convinced is going to be our daring child), had fun riding the rockets in Tomorrowland, telling me to "go highewr mama," loved leaning forward to see the little town scene on Peter Pan's Flight, and was not at all fazed by the loud noises or sights in either Pirates of the Caribbean or the Haunted Mansion. He also happened to enjoy looking at, and using, every "bahtich" can in both parks (surprise, surprise), seeing what would happen when he kicked Mickey Mouse's shoes, as well as splashing my parents with fountain water in Toon Town. It's the little things that make us the happiest, right?
In our three days, we were able to fit in everything we wanted to do, and create some wonderful memories that will last us a lifetime. Whenever I go to Disneyland, I instantly remember all the previous times and am transported back to a time when it's okay to "just be a kid." Even as an adult, I still get excited about being in Disneyland and love all of it. To now be able to experience it with my boys just adds to the wonder, and seeing it now through their eyes, is something to truly cherish.

Take a Hike

Our weather here is now absolutely perfect! It truly is the time of year when you can actually enjoy life outdoors in this beautiful desert climate and today we decided to take advantage of it. After breakfast, we drove out to the White Tank Mountain Park for a hike - what a great way to spend time together as a family. We have taken Hayden several times out to the "White Tanks" and he has been asking for some time to go hiking, but each time we've had to tell him "when it's cooler, we'll go hiking." Today, his wish came true and he kept right up with us the entire hike. Noah hitched a ride in the backpack for the first part, then on the way back we let him walk a little bit. He thought it was great to try and keep up with his brother, and for the most part his little legs kept him going. After a few tumbles though he rode up on my shoulders for part of the way back and then in the backpack with Chris. There are some great places to hike and walk around the valley, and now that it is cool enough, we look forward to going back to enjoy another hike together.

Nice Hat

I just have to share this picture. Noah loves to put anything he can on his head and call it his "nice hat" .... today he found an old hat of mine, put it on and said "look at me mommy, nice hat." He looks so cute because the hat is so big on his head, but he loves it and wore it all around the house. Oh, how this boy melts my heart!

The Morning After

So the first thing the boys did this morning upon waking up, of course after Noah got his morning cup of "nilk," was to start playing with the new garbage truck, or "bahtich man" according to Monkey, that Grandma and Grandpa sent Noah for his birthday. Those of you who know my boys well, know their intense love of the garbage man. Strange, I know, but ever since Hayden was two, we have been watching the garbage get picked up twice a week. Noah's obsession (and I am serious when I say obsession!) started sometime this summer when he started talking and began to understand what the sounds of the garbage truck indicated. I tell you it's every Tuesday and Friday we're out on the driveway, sometimes still in our pajamas, watching the garbage get picked up. So, you can imagine both their excitement to have a new truck to play with, one that you can push a lever and it automatically lifts the dumpster and dumps "real" garbage into the back. Who knew I would come to know so much about how a garbage truck works? That's what happens when you have two boys I guess.

After eating breakfast and getting dressed, we ventured outside to enjoy the cool weather before making plans for the day. Noah enjoyed some practice time on his new bike, which you can see is a bit big for him still as his legs kind of just dangle in the air above the pedals. One day soon, we hope, his legs will be long enough to reach. For now, his big brother enjoys "sharing" it with him and it's pretty cute to watch them both go for a ride.

Monkey turns 2!

Today our little monkey celebrated his 2nd birthday! From the moment he woke until the minute he closed his eyes, our little boy was celebrated and loved by many. We brought him into our bed this morning, with big brother too, for some family snuggle time and sang him "Happy Birthday" ... to which he replied "hap birday to you" (with a strong emphasis on the you) over and over. I caught it on our video camera and know we will love looking back in the years to come.

In order to keep things simple, especially since Noah didn't really have a clue about it being "his birthday", this evening we had Grampy and Uncle Jeff over (Grammy is still in Seattle visiting with the new baby and Samuel) and a few friends for dinner, cupcakes, and "mee meem." Everything turned out great for Noah and he was especially proud of himself when he blew his candle out. The smile on his face after we sang to him is one I will forever cherish. Though I wish all of our friends and family could have been with us, please know wherever you are, you are with us in our hearts.

Thinking back two years, and remembering how quickly this little boy of ours entered our lives, in retrospect it fits his personality perfectly. He is on the go constantly, curious and quick to follow his brother everywhere, eager to make a run for it whenever he can, yet also content to be snuggled up in my arms. When I ask Noah, "Who's my baby?" and he replies "I yam," I realize how grateful I am for his life and all that he has brought us in the last two years. May there be many healthy and happy years to come for our two year old boy!

Brother Buddies

I caught a few snapshots this morning of the boys snuggling in our bed. As Noah transitions from two naps down to one, we find him still very sleepy in the late morning. He loves to cuddle up in our bed and go "night night" ... here you can see him laying with Hayden in a rare moment of calm and quiet.

Picnic in the Park

On our way home from picking Hayden up at school, he asked if we could take a picnic to the park and have our lunch there. Chris and I didn't have to think twice about our answer, and as soon as we got home I began making sandwiches and gathering a few other things to take with us down to the park. We loaded the boys in their wagon, with our picnic too, and walked down to enjoy a family lunch together. The weather was beautiful and perfect for eating outdoors. After lunch, the boys enjoyed playing for a little while before it was time to head back home for Noah's nap. Times like this remind me of what it is truly important in my life and I realize that it doesn't matter what we're doing as family, but it's spending time together that matters most. These days with Chris flying and being gone, our time as a family is sometimes limited -- today was a perfect chance for the four of us to just be together and I loved every minute of it.