Wedding Day!!

Today was the day! JP & Christine got got hitched! We couldn't wait, what a huge event for our family!

Our day started out with 3 soccer games (we don't remember who won their game), racing out of the house and getting to the church for the wedding. What a day!

The wedding was beautiful and the reception party was awesome! We are so happy for JP, Christine is such a beautiful person (inside and out). We wish them love and happiness for the rest of their lives together. I'll let the (fuzzy) pictures speak for themselves.

The vows

"with this ring..."

Our family all dressed up

Ben was the ringbearer

Showing off his wedded-ness with a smile :)

The happy couple with Grandma Rosalie

Best buddies

Siblings!

Tomato hornworm...

Here's a creepy looking thing we found on our tomato plant today. EW. The kids are fascinated as you can tell by the picture. I have never seen anything so large on my plants before it was quite spectacular. No one wanted to touch it even though it is harmless. We are keeping it in a container and feed it tomato plant, we aren't giving it the free-range food that he's used to though...we'll see what happens! The children are quite amazed by it, Rebekah is especially fond of going to look at it. They are supposed to grow into a beautiful moth. Hope we don't kill it!

Rehearsal dinner...

JP is getting married Saturday!! Tonight we went to the rehearsal and dinner at the Boat House in Coronado. It was a great time, we got to know the newest extended members of our family a little better.

The kids were great! They knew that they were going to a fancy restaurant and were on very good behavior. They have been practicing their good manners at home for quite a while so they were very ready. They also had brought some activities to do. They play well with a few little cars and tables that they can get underneath.

They are really excited about the wedding and can not wait for it to come. It is a mysterious occasion for them because they haven't been to one that they can remember well. They have seen weddings on TV and such but being involved and related to those getting married is very exciting. Yay! We can't wait until Saturday!!

dum dum da dum...going down the aisle!

(with Marissa looking on)

Jen and JP

JP with his happy-beyond-belief parents!

JP and Grandma

Bride-to-be Christine and Grandma

Apple picking...

We took off for the local hills this morning, in search of apples...yum! We joined our San Diego FUNschoolers group at Raven Hill Orchard in Julian. We were a bit late but caught up with some of our friends. We bought 3 bags today and filled them to the brim and overflowing with various types of yummy apples. They had Gala, Jonagold, Red & Golden delicious, Pippin as well as some other varieties that I've forgotten. Rebekah got into it and picked her own apples, and when she was done with he one she dropped it to the ground (as was instructed) and went to pick another. We all left with our bags overflowing (and some pockets too!) and our tummies full.

As we were leaving a few of us decided to stop and eat (our real) lunch together. We stopped by Cuyamaca Lake and the kids played on a pier together. The wasps got to be a hassle for some of us so we decided to pack up and leave. It was a lovely day for everyone, I had 3 of my 4 kids asleep in the back of the car when we got home! That never happens to me anymore...

Tomatoes...

Here is just one day of our tomato harvesting this year! Our vines are totally flourishing and we have just one kid in the house who eats them like grapes...but the other kids are trying them every so often, so that is a good thing!

Tomatoes anyone?

Dentist...

We took all 3 older kids to the dentist last week and I was so proud of Noah. It was his first time sitting in the chair by himself as well as lasting through the exam!! We have been trying for 2 years for his teeth to be examined and until now it has ended up in frustration and lots of tears and screaming (somtimes). I'm so thankful that he overcame the fear and let them look in his mouth! He has 20 teeth (has for a while that I've been able to count) and they are nicely spaced. Next time, they will try for pictures...but I'm not holding my breath!

Ben has a broken tooth and many cavities. We have been referred to an orthodontist for his crowded teeth too. Hannah has crowding and has a referral for the same orthodontist. First though, we'll take care of Ben's broken tooth and cavities. They always do well on the Dentists chair.

a little nervous

he warms up to it

Window washing...

I returned from my Zumba class the other morning and the kids were busy washing the back door! They had so much fun! Rebekah loved it especially. She kept saying "buh-boo, buh-boo" while splashing around in the soapy water. They used squeegies too. It kept them busy for quite a while. Rebekah's shoes are all clean and now the back door sparkles!

Desert hike...

Spring break outings are upon us and we decided to go to the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park today. Living in San Diego, we are lucky to be able to travel from the ocean to the desert in about 2 hours. We decided to check out the desert flowers since we've had so much rain this season. They were beautiful. And our children had never been to the desert and they were curious. There were a lot of misconceptions about the desert that we clarified with our trip.

We stopped in at the visitor center and learned a bit about the cacti, the animals from centuries past, the people from long ago and picked up a book and a flower chart. We decided on a hike and headed out after lunch under the ocotillo plants. There were flowers and cacti everywhere. We saw lots of barrel cacti, ocotillo, rock daisies, desert trumpets, wild heliotrope, chuparosa, desert cassia, brittlebrush covered in ladybugs, and so many more. It was such a difference from the last time I was there searching for flowers.

The day was perfect, the weather was beautiful and we all had fun! We stopped to have pizza at Wynola Pizza on our way home, yum! What a great way to start the Easter weekend!

4 kid hikers

Ben and Rebekah

Noah the turtle

Hannah loved the flowers

A Cholla (Silver or Devil, not sure which)

Barrel cactus

Beavertail cactus with flower and view of desert from the top of the hike

Large eagle

Ocotillo in bloom

Iron mammoths running through the desert (there were wild horses too)

Lake Murray

We went to Lake Murray this afternoon for a bike ride and walk. I walked while Corey and the kids rode their bikes around the entire lake. We had so much fun. Hannah, who is usually not into bike rides really wanted to ride today. She was determined to go to the end and make it all the way. So they rode and fed the ducks and birds the bird seed that we brought. The sun was out and the weather was perfect. With all the rain over the last few months the flowers are beautiful and there are blooms everywhere. Here are some pictures in a different format, from the afternoon.

Click here to view these pictures larger

New garden growth...

Walking around the property we can see the tell-tale signs of new growth. A new rotation of crops in the garden. We don't have much in the garden department (unlike our old house) but what we do have is coming alive! We are so excited to have witnessed almost an entire year in this house. April 1st will mark our one year moved-in date!

Since we've had a lot of rain this season and the ground is very soft, we have been working on planting fruit and nut trees now so that they can provide for us in the years to come. There are more trees with new growth out there but below is a small picture sampling of what we have. We love to watch the progress from branch to bud to flower to fruit. It is very exciting :) And the best part is the sampling, we had lots of oranges, lemons and clementines over the last few months, but now they are all gone...so we wait again!

So far we have different types of avocados, apricots, peaches, a grapefruit, a pomegranate, a black walnut, loquats, a kumquat, lemons, oranges and an almond tree. We have plans to plant more trees: apples, figs, tangerines, pluots and more nut trees too. There are two citrus trees that didn't fruit over the last year but they have more flowers and small fruit on them now so we should find out what they are soon enough! It is so exciting!

We are also working on our vegetable garden and have lots of little sprouts in the starter box. We are going to put them in the ground this week and we'll see what success we have with them! The kids have started everything from seed: round zucchini, peas, green beans, sunflowers, pumpkins, tomatoes (for the little lady who LOVES tomatoes), zinnias, larkspurs, snap peas, and there are some others out there too.

We have started an herb garden with rosemary (so far!). I have missed my rosemary bush this last year so I'm really looking forward to having it in my garden and available for cooking and teas.

Yay for gardening!

Hannah's daisies with a visiting bee

Apricot-the only one on the entire tree!

All-in-one Almond (fuzzy part in the middle is the almond growing)

Apricot (gold kist)

Baseball...

Ben is playing baseball this season and he is pretty good at it! He hasn't gone a game without hitting it and making it to 1st base. He has scored a couple of points for his team, but he's a little new at it having never played on a team before. :)

Video of a hit and run to 1st base :)

More random pics...

Hannah's tooth is looth :)

Ben's Pinewood derby car is the one in the middle-it has black and red flames and an orange top, with a little green on the tail...another pic is below

Ben and his 1st pinewood derby car, he came in 2nd in his den

Random recent pictures...

Escondido Children's Museum

Exploring with colors and light

Noah loved the message tube

Magnifying glass

Big bubble

Gardener girl

Bugs found while weeding---ick!

Helping Daddy control weeds

Helping Mommy make bread

Lounging on compost bags

Smile!

Yum, tomatoes

New year...

It has been forever since I've posted anything here. We are all doing great and keeping very busy. The new house is doing well also, lately we have been busy with the yard, pulling weeds and planting trees since it will get hot out there soon. With all the rain it has made for easy plantings.

Ben is still a builder and can be found creating something somewhere out of anything at all times. Hannah loves to paint and draw and sing. Noah loves to play with his Bionicles or Bakugans and ride his two-wheeled bike! Rebekah is growing and walking and exploring all day long. She loves to walk around the property, collect fruit and eat it. Her favorites are tomatoes and oranges, though she is starting to pick apples too. We have been working on signing with her and she loves to say "more" for everything.

I have pictures :)