Coronado

We are excited for our trip to Coronado in the morning. It seems like I've spent all day today packing! I'm finally sitting down for a break. Morgan is wrapping up some things for work and then we are off to church this evening. Here are some things that we are looking forward to on our week long vacation...

Sea World, LegoLand, cooler temperatures, fun at the beach and pool, and sharing new experiences through the eyes of two toddlers. Lately, the girls have been telling us, "I had fun!" It's so cute.

I'll try not to work on my computer during our trip. The only reason I am bringing my laptop is because I'll need it to download all the pictures from my camera when my memory stick gets full. Otherwise, I hope to relax, make some treasured memories with my family, and enjoy the end of summer.

Have a wonderful Labor Day weekend!

August Rain

Early in the month, we were showered with thunderstorms and rain. Since we rarely get rain here in the desert, the girls got to outside and play in it. To our surprise, it lasted for more than just a few minutes. It actually lasted for about two hours and at times, it even came down in sheets. It was a nice surprise that cooled us down to a mere 105 high that day. Wouldn't it be fun if we all had a video of the first time we played in the rain?

That's Incredible!

This week in swim class, Faith swam the whole distance of the Athletic Club pool. The pool is 51 feet long! Miss Tanya was amazed and frankly, so was I! I knew that the girls would be able to do it soon, but I thought that it would take several more months before it happened. Since I was in the pool at the time, I couldn't capture it on video so I thought we would try it again in our pool this afternoon. She dove in from the deep end and swam across our 40 foot pool, no problem. She's not even 2.5 years old! I just think that's incredible.
I know that I've posted a lot of swimming videos on the blog but I just think how fun will it be for the girls to look back on these as they grow older. Priceless!

So long, friends...

The girls having lunch at the mall.

Last week, we received some unexpected news. My friend, Samantha and her family made the decision to move to Colorado. While we were gone on our road trip, she and her husband decided that the timing and opportunity was right. By the time we were able to get together, they would be gone in just a week's time. Needless to say, we saw them as much as possible before they left. Samantha is mommy to Emily. The girls love both Emily and Miss Samantha. Every time they saw each other, they would run with arms open, shouting their names, hugging and kissing when they met. We will certainly miss the twinkle in sweet Emily's eyes. Thankfully, being that Sam is a flight attendant, they will be able to visit us from time to time. I suppose this is just the first of many possible friends who may move away one day. Although they will be missed here, the move sounds like a great decision for their family. We are happy and excited for them and wish them lots of love as they make their way to Rocky Mountain state.

Aja & Sydney's Birthday Party

Sydney swipes a goldfish while Faith isn't looking.

A huge kiddie pool.

Faith and Emily having fun.

The birthday girls, Aja & Sydney.

Daddy and his twins.

Grace does a flip.

Faith's turn.

Grace, the Crocodile Hunter.

Faith conquers the croc.

Emily and the girls.

Double Double Trouble.

Faith winks for the camera.

Their very own cupcake.

Playing is hard work... Faith & daddy relax on the hammock.

A beautiful day.

We celebrated Aja & Sydney's one year birthday with a pool party yesterday afternoon. The party was held at the Legacy Villas and boy, was it a great location for a party. It had stunning mountain views and a great big kid's pool with a maximun depth of 3.5 feet. We also got to use the clubhouse and all the amenities. We'll have to keep this in mind for a future event sometime. Despite all the fun and swimming, the girls stayed up way past their bedtime. Yes, folks,

the sugar high is a very real thing and can last for hours!

A good time was had by all!

Summer Chic

The girls got some new sunglasses that they like to wear everyday. They've had them now for a week and they haven't broken them yet. I'd say that's pretty good for the $1.50 that I paid for them. They even blow on them to clean them like we do and then put them on their head, just like mommy does. As you can tell, our little hams are getting much better at posing for their photo shoots, too.

Summer Olympics

They found a cord (attached to their microphone) and started to copy what was on the TV.

Rhythmic Gymnastics.

Then they found another ribbon off their balloon.

Too funny!

Bravo!

We have been enjoying watching the Summer Olympics as a family. The girls have been getting into, too. In memory of my late aunt, Young Nae who won a bronze medal in Volleyball for South Korea in the '76 Olympics, here are Faith and Grace in 4 events...

*Rhythmic Gymnastics (with the rope).

*Track and Field (15 meter dash).

*Synchronized Diving.

*Swimming (the backstroke).

Watch out, Summer 2024!

Just because...

I have the most amazing husband in the world! Everyday he shows me how much he loves and appreciates me and once in a while, he even surprises me with flowers and a very sweet card. I hope and pray that our girls will one day be blessed with a husband who will even come close to their incredible daddy.

Bakersfield to Del Mar

Morgan and Grace get ready to climb down to the beach.

Daddy and his girls.

Looking for seashells and rocks.

Running after birds.
(We climbed those stairs in the distance along the cliff).

Grace sports a sand moustache.

Proof that Morgan really did have to work.

This is a funny picture.

He had to come get the car keys from me after lunch.

Daddy shows the girls how to boogie board.

Hitching a ride.

Tomboy in action.

Faith rides in.

Gotta love those dimples.

Grace, having a ball.

Morgan, in proper beach attire.

Life's a beach!

Grace, the beach bum.

Morgan drove up to Fresno for another appointment while the girls and I stayed in Bakersfield last Wednesday. He was only gone for half the day so our original plan was to pack up and head home when he returned. Just the day before, Morgan found out that he had to be in Del Mar on Thursday for another appointment. At the time, we didn't give it much thought. We just figured that we would all be home on Wednesday night and then he would make the 2 hour drive to Del Mar the next morning. As we left Bakersfield on Wednesday afternoon, we decided that it might be fun to go to Del Mar with him and continue our adventure. We're sure glad that we did! The next morning, we were able to go to beach and take a family stroll.

We also got in some exercise. We carried about 35 pounds (one daughter each) down the stairs to the beach and then back up again. Talk about burn in your thighs! It actually felt great. After lunch, Morgan met up with us on the beach where we spent the last part of our trip before heading home.

All in all, it was a wonderful time of being together and experiencing new things. Sure, it was a lot of work at times but the fun outweighed any labor. The two times that we stayed in a hotel, we stayed at the Courtyard Marriott in Pasadena and Solana Beach. We have stayed in many Marriott properties around the world and typically we do so because our good friend, Emily works for them and gets us a great deal. We especially love the JW properties (who doesn't?). I have to say though, the Courtyard was great, especially for families. The rooms tend to be bigger and they all have a microwave and fridge in each room. It was extremely convenient and also nice that the girls got to eat their normal foods for breakfast and lunch. They also got in plenty of swimming. Everywhere we went, people were amazed and constantly asking us, "How old are they?"

In just a week, I saw a rapid development in their swimming skills. They are swimming much faster than before and getting across the pool in no time. In general, the girls traveled quite well. Normally, I'm not a big fan of much TV or video watching but I have to say that the DVD player in the car is a huge help when traveling for more than 2 hours at a time. Morgan wrapped up a successful week in business but more importantly, we are thankful that we got to be together as a family and make some fun memories along the way.

Pasadena to Bakersfield

At the hotel pool.

Making funny faces.

Shopping at the mall in Bakersfield.

Fire truck stroller.

Swimming in their cousin's pool.

Underwater- one of their favorite places to be.

Splashin' around.

Swinging and having a blast.

Faith.

Grace.

Faith.

Dinner at BJ's.

Faith and mom.

Gracie, my little flower bud.

Faith, my other little flower bud.

We spent the night in a hotel in Old Town Pasadena once we left Newport last Sunday night. It was the girls' first experience sleeping on a blow-up bed that we purchased for them. In addition to having a ball jumping on it, they did very well when it came time to sleep. During our whole trip, they only rolled off a couple of times and even then, it didn't seem to wake them up. The girls are just too big now for the smaller cribs that are available in hotels and not quite ready yet to sleep on a big bed. It all worked out very well. While Morgan left for work on Monday morning, the girls and I spent time swimming in the hotel's pool. We also got to catch up on some sleep. In the afternoon, we drove to Bakersfield and stayed at Ben & Lucy's house for a couple of days. Since they were all still in Newport for the week, we had the whole house to ourselves. We have a running joke in our family when it comes to staying at each other's homes and use terms like "resort" and "amenities" to describe our stay. For example, we were greeted with a warm welcome letter from management, a plate of homemade chocolate chip cookies, and even mints on our pillows! It was wonderful to be able to relax and spread out, all with the comforts and conveniences of home. The girls loved swimming in their beautiful new pool. They also played on the swings in the backyard and enjoyed taking a walk to the neighborhood park. We also went shopping at the mall and looked forward to seeing daddy for dinner in the evenings. Thanks, guys for all your generous hospitality! The only thing missing was you!