I'm not convinced...

This afternoon after enjoying the local bounce house extravaganza, Cody tried to convince me that he no longer needed to take naps. Literally less than five minutes later this is what I found...

Second Honeymoon

Though we certainly didn't plan this trip as an official "second honeymoon," that is most certainly what it became as soon as we boarded our plane. Our resort was amazing, the weather was phenomenal, the activities were awesome, and my date was handsome, charming, and fun! We truly had an extraordinary experience. We logged six SCUBA dives, including a night dive (which freaked me out, and I never want to do again). On these various dives we saw all kinds of fabulous creatures, as well as some truly beautiful coral. Some of our favorite sightings were the 2 sea turtles we saw on the second day, the tiny seahorses, the lionfish, the splendid toadfish, and the crazy, creepy, batfish. Besides SCUBA diving, we spent a day out on the catamaran snorkeling, sunning, and drinking margaritas. We spent a day in town bargain shopping, walking around town, and drinking margaritas. We spent lots of time in the hotel pool swimming, making friends, and drinking margaritas. We also spent lots of time at the beach napping in the tiki hut, swimming and snorkeling, resting in the hammocks, and drinking margaritas. It was truly a perfect vacation, and as much as we missed our children, we were sad to say goodbye to the alone time, the sleeping in, the fun in the sun, and yep, the margaritas!

The view from our room.

At the restaurant on the beach.

Pretty sunset!

On the catamaran going to and from snorkeling.

At the fancy restaurant.

Margaritaville

Super strong margarita..hee,hee!

This one's for Cousin Kurt-

you now occupy a place of honor at the bar inside Margaritaville, Cozumel

(or at least a buck with your name on it does.)

Hamming it up with the band!

Now this is the life!

The O.C.

Our visit with my family was great. My sister Mary (AKA Auntie Meems) and I always have a great time together. She has always been the person who held the keys to my heart. She was awesome with the kids, and even won Emma over immediately upon our arrival. The cousins: Jake, Scarlett, Samantha, and Nattaleigh were also great at helping to keep Cody and Emma distracted and entertained while we were away. They all enjoyed their time together which included a trip to Disneyland, playday at Jake's school, and lots of mini-adventures and photoshoots. (I'll post some cute pics from the photoshoots as soon as I get them.)

Before Jay and I left, Mary threw Emma a fabulous 1st birthday party complete with tiaras, feather boas, and decadent cupcakes. All the kids had fun at the park, and the adults were pretty happy to watch them all play together and to catch up.

The birthday girl!

The Rowan clan also spent a day at the beach in Balboa, riding the ferry, the ferris wheel and the carousel, walking on the pier, and eating Balboa Bars - yummy!

It was a quick but fun few days, and then we were off to Cozumel.

Getting ready...

Tomorrow we are leaving for our vacation. Our first stop will be in Lake Forest where we'll spend four days visiting with my family and acclimating the kids to my sister, my mom, and the cousins. Then Jay and I leave for Cozumel, Mexico for a week. I have conflicting emotions about this trip...On one hand I'm thrilled with the idea of spending some quality time with my husband. After all, we haven't really been anywhere alone since our honeymoon - I'd say we've earned this trip. On the other hand, I've never really left either of the children for any length of time, and I'm really nervous about how I'll fare being away from them for so long. But, the bags are packed, the tickets are purchased, and the ocean is calling for me, so here we go!

Kindergarten, here I come!

Today was Cody's last day of preschool. His teachers prepared a commencement ceremony to celebrate the little ones that will be heading off to kindergarten in the fall. They sang songs in both English and Spanish, read poems written by the children, presented certificates, and ate cake and ice cream. The celebration was delightful for us parents and it was obvious that the teachers and children had worked very hard to prepare. Here are some of my favorite photos and a video clip of them singing "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" in Spanish.

The grande entrance.

Getting his certificate from Miss Noelle.

Hamming it up for the cameras.

With his teachers Miss Noelle and Miss Marylou.

Proud Daddy!

Proud Mommy!

Truman, Evan, Cody and Dawson have been in the same class since they were 1 1/2 years old.

Paper people!

"Twinkle Twinkle"

Watch Me Grow - 1 year

Birthday Princess

Happy Birthday pretty girl! Today is Emma's first birthday and I can't help but feel a little sadness amidst all the joy and excitement. It seems as if just yesterday I was rocking her in my arms as she slept, unwilling and unable to put her down for fear that she was an illusion. Oh wait...that WAS yesterday. It struck me this morning as I prepared to write Emma's first birthday letter how in awe I am of her. I still can't believe how tremendous my love for her is. In truth there was a period of time while I was pregnant that I wondered whether I could possibly love another child with as much force as I love Cody. It appears that I can. I do. We do. Emma has brought us so much joy in this year. She makes us laugh, smile, and occasionally want to pull out our hair. She is passionate and persistent, eager and elegant, dainty and diabolical, happy and hard-headed. She is all that I had hoped for and more. I can't wait to see what's in store for us as she grows from baby to child. Happy birthday Emma.

Mmmmm, cake!

Season Finally

Tonight was the end of season party for Cody's T-ball team. The Giants and their families celebrated with pizza, cake, games, and prizes. The piece de resistance...TROPHIES! Cody was so excited to get his trophy. He posed with it, danced around with it, hugged it, and showed it to anyone who would look. When he finally stopped long enough to really check it out himself, a HUGE grin broke out all over his face as he read the inscription...CODY ROWAN. It was a priceless moment. Unfortunately it all happened rather quickly and the pictures are blurry, but the image is forever etched on my brain. So cute!

bathing beauty

Emma took her first dip in the pool today. She loved splashing and being toted around by her daddy.

Here she is throwing daddy a kiss to show her appreciation.

Karate Kid

Cody has been taking karate for a few months now. Today he tested for his yellow belt and passed with flying colors. (He actually got the highest score.) Not only is he enjoying karate, but he is learning to work hard and to take pride in his accomplishments. We are very proud of our little ninja.

Watch Me Grow - 11 months

At 11 months Emma has begun to gain some independence. She is now mobile in every way. She rolls, she crawls, she scoots, she walks. She is pretty fascinated by pretty much everything that we consider off limits for babies. (i.e. television buttons, remote controls, pantry, dog dish, electrical outlets, toilets, etc.) Though it is cute to watch her as she has one hand on the TV while the other points and says, "no,no, no," we're ready to move on. She loves when we say no to her. She thinks it is the funniest thing ever, and it usually prompts her to repeat whatever behavior we are trying correct. Ah, the joys of parenthood. Here she is in all her 11 month old glory...

We love you baby girl!

Look out! Here he comes!

Cody decided this morning that he was ready to ride his bike with no training wheels. Jay quickly took them off and the boys headed out to "practice." Emma and I walked out to the street about 5 seconds behind them and this is what we saw...

Seriously, on the very first try he totally rode by himself. I guess when he said he was ready, he really knew what he was talking about. (Like his sister, he also enjoyed all the clapping.)

Look out! Here she comes!

Emma got her first set of wheels today. She is SO happy to be becoming more and more mobile and independent. (Plus, she loves all the clapping.)

1st Annual Easter Weekend Campout

Well the campout was a huge success! I know, shocking. Emma was super well behaved and slept peacefully in the tent. Cody had a blast running around with all the other kiddos. I survived the dirt and even learned to not hate camping. The only glitch...on the very last day Jay woke up with THE WORST stomach flu I've ever known him to have. Overall is was great fun for everyone and it looks like there may just be a 2nd Annual Easter Weekend Campout in our future.