Author: pazmeyer

halls decked

Time to decorate the house for Christmas. I always dread doing it. I’m a simple gal and I like my decorations to be minimal and I don’t like clutter. When I walk through Pier 1 it feels likes I’m at a garage sale and I nearly have a panic attack. Where do people put all this junk in their houses???? Too much, too much, too much. Woo, sorry…I digress…
The girls love decorating for Christmas and quickly bring me out of my bah humbug state of mind. They are so excited to decorate the little trees in their rooms, and love looking at all the picture ornaments we have for the tree. This year they were so excited about the ornaments, we got more for the outside and they decorated our bushes. They are really hounding us for lights on the house this year, so we’re going to need to get a really tall ladder! 

no breck

Our plan was to arrive home, unpack, repack, and head to Breckenridge for a night. My dad and Melissa were spending the holiday weekend up there and we wanted to visit while they were in town. And go to one of our favorite restaurants, Briar Rose. So tasty. 
Then I got sick. Really sick. Out of commission for the entire day. Luckily it was just a 24 hour bug and luckily my dad and Melissa offered to drive down to visit the girls at our house. They also came bearing lots of gifts. They sure do know how to make some little girls happy. 
They received lots of crafts and books and Gwyneth got her new tiara helmet which is a must have for any little girl on your Christmas list. 

happy turkey day

Our plan for our last day of vacation was to head to the San Diego zoo. The girls requested a beach day with their cousins instead and we were happy to oblige. This was a busy trip and a day on the beach didn’t sound bad at all. 

We had a wonderful trip! Such an adventure and I’m glad we were able to share it with my sister and her family. We don’t live in the same state but I’m thankful we still get our families together so often. There’s a lot of love between these cousins.

sea world

We stayed at a great hotel in San Diego right off the bay and just steps from the Gas Lamp district. We spent the day at Sea World which none of us had done before. We got pretty lucky with lines and crowds until the very end….and then it got crowded. 
Gwyneth absolutely loved the dolphin show. Ever since YaYa brought her a stuffed dolphin from Hawaii she has been a bit obsessed. As we watched the man standing with one foot on each dolphin and riding them around the pool, she told  me “this is my dream. When I was sleeping last night I had a dream about a man  riding two dolphins. I have always wanted to see this. This is my dream.” I almost cried I was laughing so hard. Even when we returned home and I asked what her favorite part of the trip was she said “the man on the dolphins. it was a dream come true”. Such a silly girl. 

Doing a little dance sea world. 
rockin’ it
Gabriela always has someone in her face.

Getting five little girls in one picture is much more difficult than you would think….
Flamingos just walking through the park
Th 4D Arctic Helicopter ride
Hanging out in the Polar Bear’s Den

more tea cups
Spending some time on the beach with their cousins

Our hotel had a pool and I’m pretty sure that was Annabelle’s favorite part. This girl loves to swim and only terrifies me a bit with her bravery. She had a blast splashing around. It was a bit cold for the rest of us, but she didn’t mind at all.

legoland

This trip has been about 12 years in the making. B took his sister, Chriss and nephew, Nathan to Legoland 12 years ago when we lived in Redondo, but I never got to see it for myself. B talked it up and I was so excited to take our girls. It was well worth the trip. The girls loved the rides and all the mini lego sculptures. 
Of course I had to make my girls lego monogrammed tee’s. That’s just how we roll. 
Meeting one of the lego men
Gwyneth exclaimed “we’ve been there!”. There two little lego men cleaning out Washington’s ear with a q-tip. Funny stuff!

Enjoying the 3D show
tea cups…or the lego equivalent. I did a lot of spinning this week!
airplanes
the frog hopper. always a favorite

there were tons of famous buildings made of legos and Gwyneth could have spent all day there. She loved it!
with Shrek
Annabelle and Maeva went to ride the roller coaster and Eliana went for ice cream. Gwyneth wanted to ride these horses. She loves this peaceful little rides. 

rogers hotel

Our very hospitable friends, Sammy and Rebecca opened their home to our family. We took a much needed  break from the craziness of the trip and had a quiet and relaxing night at their house. 
Sammy went to college with us and was in our wedding. We met Rebecca just two years later and B and I were both in their wedding. We hung out often when we lived in California, but several moves and lots of distance has kept us from visiting as often as we’d like. 
This is the first opportunity for all our kiddos to meet. They had a blast. 
Milynn (4), Annabelle (5), Nola (6 months), Ella (almost 6), Charlotte (almost 2), Gwyneth (4)

Thank you Rogers family for being so kind and welcoming to our crazy crew. We had a blast and it was so wonderful to see you!

disneyland with cousins

On our final day at the Happiest Place on Earth, we were joined by Stacy’s family. My girls were thrilled to spend the day with Maeva, Eliana, and Gabriela! 
We had a character breakfast, rode many many rides, met more princesses, and enjoyed many treats. We truly had a fabulous visit. The girls were so happy and B promised to take them back again….in 2015. I guess a guy can only take so many princess sightings! 
Meeting Minnie
Eeyore 
Chip going in for a big hug…
I think that’s Chip?….or maybe Dale?  They should be labeled
Max, Goofy’s weird son
Winnie The Pooh….by the way, Gwyneth had no idea he was behind her. Surprise!!!
The Fairy Godmother
A penguin….from which movie I’m not sure?
Cutie cousins ready for their day of Disney!
Auntie Stacy and the little sisters
Me with the big sisters
Star Wars ride. Eliana was not tall enough and Gwyneth opted not to ride. She doesn’t like “the wars”. 
Ready for some serious fun!
Just try and keep up…

Outside Sleeping Beauty’s castle

Gabriela and I became fast friends this weekend. All the nieces love me now…and all is right in the world again. 
Meeting Aladdin. 
Gabriela even let Uncle B hold her….What?!?!? This is the happiest place on earth.

lunch time
Winnie the Pooh’s honey pot ride
Gwyneth and Eliana at Goofy’s house while the big girls rode Goofy’s roller coaster
Cousin ride waiting to meet Rapunzel
Meeting Rapunzel
Annabelle loved her hair so this was her favorite part of the trip. It’s my favorite picture from our trip too!

Parade
Dinner in the park

A happy ending to a happy day and trip!

redondo

Once upon a time, a long long time ago, when B and I had been married for a year and we were so so young, we lived in a little one bedroom apartment across from the ocean on Redondo Beach. We lived there just a short amount of time, but we have such fond memories of our stay there and wanted to share it with our girls. 
We spent the day exploring the Redondo Beach Pier, the beach, The Santa Monica Pier, having lunch at Dukes and meeting some great friends for dinner. 
Redondo Beach

Annabelle is a little California girl at heart. She felt right at home on the beach. Gwyneth was more cautious of the water but was happy with her sister by her side.

Lunch at Duke’s in Malibu. Best fish tacos E.V.E.R! 

Annabelle is afraid of all things fluffy that bark or meow, but loves bugs. What the heck? We ate outside and after our meal she found this ant on the ground (I doubt you can even see it on her finger). No dogs, but bring on the bugs. Sometimes I don’t know about this girl.

Santa Monica Pier

Ending our night back at Redondo Beach.

vacation

We have been planning this trip for a really long time. We did a lot of planning and searching and organizing and were so excited to take the girls to California. We waited for Miss Annabelle to get out of school and headed to the airport. It was a late travel night and Annabelle was exhausted after a busy, busy day. 
Miss Gwyneth was quite a different story. She had Disney on the brain and was way too excited for sleep. It took a super long time to get her calmed down. 
Just a bit excited…

croup

We had big plans for Annabelle’s day off school….and then she woke up with croup. She had that nasty barking cough and labored breathing. No fun at all. Doctor’s orders were to stay on the couch, no running around and just relax. Yeah, easier said that done for a five year old. 
She watched a movie and enjoyed some popcorn and counted down the minutes until her sister got home from preschool. 

We had to cancel a playdate with the Johnson’s and when Kristen found out Annabelle was sick she rushed right over with a delicious meal for us. She made fresh bread, minestrone soup, and delicious berry muffins. Kristen is so kind and caring and such a dear friend. She is far too good to us.