Retirement Party, Thanksgiving, Beach Days, Christmas Tree Hunting, Hudson Playing with his Baby

It's only been 2 1/2 weeks... ha.  So much life to write about when you got little 'uns.



On Friday, November 21st, my mom had her retirement party.  SO much fun!  I organized a little of it since one of her coworkers is a little controlling.  I got a cute cake, blew up her nursing graduation pictures, had a 4 1/2 min slideshow that took forever to make and then wouldn't play, and a 'photo booth' with tons of props and a polaroid camera so people could take a fun picture and leave my mom a message.  I made the pages and then put them into a book.  I had fun with it all, and I think she had a good time too.

The next day we flew to San Diego for Thanksgiving week.  It was a nice visit except that we all were a little under the weather for a few days.  The first night Hudson slept great, but the second, he was up for 3 hours with a cold and I had nothing with me.  (Actually, my packing job sucked this time around.  I forgot so many necessities, including baby tylenol.)  So, at 2:30am, Dave drove into San Diego to get meds for the poor guy.  He never caught up on his lost sleep, so he had a pretty tough week.  Thanksgiving went well, I didn't cook anything, but I did clean up.  We took the girls to a movie, which ended up being 2 movies... and Naomi's first experience in a movie theater. She fell asleep.

We also saw a play, 'How The Grinch Stole Christmas, at The Old Globe Theater.  It was cute, and very well done!  Naomi was a rockstar and she loved it!

We went to the zoo, of course, although we were all feeling kinda crappy.  It was the first time I wasn't very excited about being at the San Diego Zoo, and ready to leave after an hour and half or so.  Kind of a bummer. We got a lot of nice walks in, and it was BEAUTIFUL!  Having left Boise when it was between 1 degree with a high of 20-something, the 75 degree weather in Coronado was such a nice change.  We were hot.  This is how we all felt:

We hung out on the beach under an umbrella playing in the ocean water in our bathing suits.  So amazing.  Both Naomi and Hudson are scared of the waves, but they love the sand, and it was actually a very relaxing couple hours sitting watching them play in the sand; completely content.

 This was trying to keep Hudson out of the Bay (not scared because there are no waves) and he was not happy!

This is the beach:

Another day walking on the beach:

We were supposed to leave Friday afternoon, but after sitting in the airport for 2-3 hours, they finely told us our plane had a maintenance issue and our flight has been cancelled.  OMG.  So, our choice was to leave at 10am the next morning, or wait until Monday at 3pm.  We were ready to get home, and wanted a day before things started up again, but OMG, we didn't get to Boise until 6:30pm.  2 stops, 3, 2 hours flights, Naomi 1 nap, Hudson zero and I was spent. It was such a long hard day. Naomi was AMAZING and just did her own thing while Dave and I spent the entire time trying to keep Hudson entertained and not screaming to be let down.  Also, peeing alone in a regular size airplane bathroom is gross. Peeing with a 3 year old in a very small airplane with no sink is disgusting.  NEVER AGAIN.

We got home, didn't even pick up Liza that night, and went to bed.

Last week was back to normal with the always looming, 'Christmas is coming. Presents. Presents. Presents' that Im sure everyone has in their heads throughout December.

I love Christmas, and I LOVE giving presents.  it's like a game, figuring out what someone will like and then wrapping it up.  I love gifting. seriously love it.  I also love the decorations, the festivities, the feeling Christmas gives me.  But I have to say, this year has been a struggle to get into the mood.  It's is only the 8th, and I do feel ready, but just not super excited to do all the work.  Dave's entire family is coming to Boise for Christmas, and I am a little nervous about that, so maybe that's what the hesitation is about.  It will be A. Lot. Of. Work.  but I'm planning now, so hopefully it will go smoothly and everyone will help.

Last week, I had my second book club meeting.  I love it.  And I'm so proud to say I not only finished the book (Dark Places by Gillian Flynn), I read a second one (finished it a few days later, Gone Girl also by Jillian Flynn).  (The last book group I was in was before kids, and I only finished 1/2 the books we read.)  I had a lot of fun with the ladies too.

I also volunteered for the 1st time in Naomi's YMCA classroom.  It was fun... but tiring.  I may have been tired already from the book club the night before and i think I'm starting to get Migraines, and I had the preemptive migraine symptoms the day I volunteered, so I only stayed for an hour and 15 min.  It was fun though, and I hope to continue it every other week or so.

This weekend, we went Christmas tree hunting with Gdad and Paw-wa (Dad and Paula).  It took 3+ hours to find a tree.  In years past, it's only taken 45 min-1 hour and last year we had the most perfect 12+ foot tree.  Im not sure what this one will be like since it's still on the deck... opps. now on day 2 of not being in our house.

Naomi is excited to decorate and has been asking for days.  Maybe she will push me into the Christmas Spirit!  Love that girl and her nice-deas! "Let's decorate, is that a nice-dea, mom?'




 A few more pictures from the last couple of weeks:

A blurry Family Photo from Thanksgiving in SD:

Naomi rubbing her baby's back just like I do for her:

A walk along the beach while Naomi napped and Hudson screamed:

Date Night!  Out to eat and then to Jersey Boys this past weekend.  We went to Jersey Boys for our 1st 'real date' 8 years ago!

Hudson kissing and hugging his baby.  What a sweetie!