Kids' Tree

 

My two had a blast decorating their Christmas tree this past week! Can't wait to fill the Advent stockings and decorate the line with Christmas art work.

Book Character Day

Today was Literature Day at school where the kids got to dress as their favorite story book character.  Isabella chose to be Fancy Nancy this year! Turned out really cute and I knew all those butterfly clips from college would come in handy one day (last minute hairdo)!

 

 

Las Vegas Weekend!

Chris: "Vegas this weekend?"
Beck: "I think so!"

We headed to Vegas on Friday morning with some very happy children. We stayed at the Palazzo (which was BEAUTIFUL) and did a lot of fun things. Vincent was sick over the weekend with a fever, but the medicine made him feel better and he chugged along. We ate a lot, went to the outlets, mall, bowling, and movies (loved Wreck It Ralph!). I was very happy for a fun family weekend.

 

 

Thanksgiving 2012

 

We had a fabulous Thanksgiving with our family enjoying the fellowship, yummy food, football and children's laughter. My Dad had us in tears as he was crying with his prayer about missing Nick; It was beautiful and touching and we miss him so much.  Thank you Mom and Dad for hosting a very blessed day!
 

Thankful for YOU!

 

We are so blessed and thankful for our family and friends. Love to you all!

Artwork by Isabella :)

Breakfast With Bella

This morning after we dropped Vincent off at Tiny Tots, Isabella and I had some Mommy/Bella time. We headed to Panera for breakfast and then to the book store!

Later in the afternoon, I was on my computer and Isabella on hers when this email popped up. Isabella has an email address, but is only allowed to email specific people. Reading it made my day!!

 

PHEW!!!!

I made it! It was a tough weekend for sure. The beginning of the week I spent sick but running errands and trying to get things prepared for the weekend. Thursday evening we had the Queen Bees over for our end of the year team party - Ice cream social. The girls all had a blast!!

 

Friday morning after dropping Isabella at school, I drove to the salon (because it was absolutely the only time during the week to fit it in) and back home again. Then back to my Parents house after Isabella got out for our Friday night dinner!

Saturday morning we had our last Soccer game. It was a 10am game - Coach Betsy handed out trophies before the game and said a few words about each girl. Chris and I had a wedding to attend at 11am. So, Chris coached the first half in a suit and we left at half time. Talk about stressful right there. My Mom and Dad were awesome enough to stay during the second half and take the kids home with them after the game.

Chris and I hauled to Corona for Amanda and Kasim's wedding and thankfully made it on time. Amanda is Chris' Godparents, Guy and Andrea's daughter. Chris grew up with Amanda; she is an absolute sweetheart and made a beautiful Bride. She cried when she came to our table saying she couldn't believe we were there at her wedding. Her Dad made a great speech about how many wonderful male examples Amanda has had in her life including Joe and Chris. That was really special for me to hear. The evening was spent with a couple of errands, more driving to collect my children and packing up for the next morning. OH, and cheering on UCLA (DVR) for the W-I-N!!! That was amazing in itself!
 

SUNDAY... Well, We had family pictures scheduled on the UCLA Campus Sunday morning at 10:30. Bianca's wedding at 3:30 in Irvine. Being that I was only a guest, it was definitely enough time to take pictures and come home to get freshened up and on to the Wedding.

Well @ 2:30am I got a Facebook message from my friend Christy saying she had broke her toe at a work event and might not be able to coordinate Bianca's wedding but was going to get back to me in the morning. I tossed and turned all morning trying to figure out in my head what was going to happen.

I got up as I had planned and went to the Grocery store to get my 20 balloons blown up for the balloon release in honor of Nick. Came home and we all got ready to head out to UCLA. Our family pictures were trying (Balloon release didn't go as planned. I was very stressed about the wedding, children were acting crazy, not sure what kind of smiles I got from my kids, etc), but the campus was amazingly beautiful and I look forward to seeing all of the buildings in the images.

 It turned out Christy wasn't going to be able to walk on her foot. I emailed the Lady @ Il Fornaio restaurant and told her what was happening. She called me while I was driving home from LA and we chatted for a few minutes. I drove from LA back home (Chris had lunch with the family, then was dropped off at our house and the Calagnas were great enough to watch the kids overnight) and changed in about 5-7 minutes, heated up my coffee, got back in the car and headed to the restaurant. I got there at 2:30pm. The wedding started @ 3:30. The lady had set up a majority of Bianca's items. I double checked everything, set out what I needed and got the wedding started right on time. THANK GOD! Everything went off without a hitch. Bianca looked Gorgeous!!! I was a working guest, but I still enjoyed the day and am beyond happy for her!

 

Are you stressed reading all of that? The moral of the story: we can plan all we want, but things are going to happen as they are and I truly believe 'for a reason'.

CONGRATULATIONS Mr. & Mrs. Bikul and to the "Schallariellos"...We love you!!! Marriage is a wonderful thing and such a blessing. Enjoy it!

Veteran's Salute!

Morale was very low in our family based on the outcome of the Presidential election. There will be tough times ahead, but we will make it through based on family love and faith in God amongst other things.

This Veteran's tribute came at the perfect time and let My Dad and Papa Joe know we will always be Thankful for the time that they served our Country! We started out with refreshments in the School Library where Mr. Wilson gave a very nice and touching speech.



He then asked that the Veteran's line up. They walked through the middle of all the student's while the branch hymns were playing and kids were chanting USA and waving their flags and pictures they had colored! My Mom started crying....I started crying.... I could tell my Dad and Papa Joe were also crying. It was a very touching and emotional time! 

Each person got called up, along with the student that represented them. Mr. Wilson gave some information on each Vet and they were presented a certificate from the student. Isabella, my sweet Angel with a heart of Gold, had tears in her eyes when she came to give Popi a hug.  

 

 

Thank you to the best Father and Father in Law and Grandpas in the World.

 WE LOVE YOU and are so THANKFUL for you!

Last Weekend

Last Friday we had a wonderful Veteran's Salute at Isabella's school (special post to come). I started getting sick and have been sick since but still plugging along. Saturday afternoon we went to Soccer...

Classic Vincent



Isabella played so darn hard that Coach Chris had to award her the MVP!! It was also our snack day... see my 31 Making Memories Cooler? And we headed to Chick Fil A for a quick lunch afterward.

On Sunday we went over to Papa Joe and Grammy Alice's house (our family pictures got cancelled) to celebrate Grandpa Bob's 90th Birthday. He gets around so awesome for being 90! May we all be so lucky and blessed!

 

LOADS of Stuff...

I can not believe a week has past. We'll start with our soccer game last Saturday afternoon. I can hardly believe there are only 2  more games and the season is over! Isabella played so hard and did a great job. She didn't score but was truly hustling.



Afterward, Chris had our Parents over for a BBQ while I got ready to meet Bianca & Co. for her "bachelorette" dinner. Don't laugh at our photos ... we were trying to master a pose. Doesn't Bianca look BEAUTIFUL?! I had to throw a cheer picture in there for good times sake.

Sunday morning, we had a lazy couple of hours before heading to Isabella's Girl Scout meeting. This meeting we donated Canned Food for the St. Paul Food Drive and Candy for the Troops Over Seas. Isabella earned her first two keys and did a fun Thankful craft.

Monday went by fast and then Tuesday morning was our 8th ANNIVERSARY!!

It was the sweetest most thoughtful thing because Isabella got herself up super early and surprised Chris and I with breakfast in bed. She brought it up on a tray. Two bowls of fruit loops, two pieces of toast, coffee for Chris and water for myself. We could not stop laughing later on because the milk had spilt on the toast that was also caked in butter and she made Chris decaf coffee (a little coffee with his creamer) in the Keurig. But she cleaned every bit of it up downstairs! I just love her heart. She is an amazing girl.

I got gorgeous red roses from my Love! We then got ready early and I took the kids with me to vote. Isabella again asked some wonderful questions about voting, the policy and who I was voting for. Vincent was sick, unfortunately and missed school but hung out with me all day. When Chris got home we made a wonderful dinner of Ahi Tuna steak, artichoke hearts, salad and shrimp cocktail. We decided early on to be nerds and watch the Election coverage that night. The Election ended up ruining my evening (my own fault for letting it get the best of me) and you all know my views on that.

Being married to my Husband for 8 years has been so wonderful. I could not imagine going through this journey with anyone else. He is my everything. I remember that beautiful day and those emotions like it were yesterday.

In other news.. I made these adorable invitations for Vincent's 4th Birthday. He is having it at a bouncy place called Party Kingdom that is decorated with animals and therefore a Safari fits the bill. The top right picture shows what happens when Mommy is working and Vincent would like to be in the same room and "help". He is exactly like his sister...loves to cut paper with scissors, to color and paint and to tie ribbon all around my office.

We have been doing our "THANKFULS" every night at dinner. Vincent was sick a couple of days with Diarrhea. One night at dinner when asked what he was thankful for, he very honestly said, "I am thankful for ...Toilet Paper!". Where would we be in the world without Toilet Paper? The very first thing Isabella said on November 1st was "God and Jesus". That swelled my heart.

I hope to teach my kids that when things don't go your way(and they wont a LOT of times) you can be angry and upset, but there is always going to be SOMETHING to be thankful for in your life!

 Good night Y'all! Have a Blessed weekend!

PRICELESS...

A half time pep talk from the Coach :)

 

Halloween 2012

We had a super fun Halloween! Gram and Pop came early because they needed to leave and go see Ry-Ry in her costume! Grammy helped me a bit in the kitchen and Pop helped Isabella carve her Pumpkin.

That morning, Isabella said, "Mom...will you be a pop star?" I said, "How about a country star"? She agreed and so I dressed up! She was so excited to have her friends Lana, Kendal and Maddie over, along with Julian (Lana's Brother) and the boys next door!

Aren't Isabella's wings so beautiful? The kids had a fun time going around the neighborhood and Vincent kept saying, "This is the best Halloween EVER!"

We also ran into some fellow Soccer team mates. They said Hello to "Coach Chris" which I thought was adorable!

And I ended my night with a FABULOUS image! One that is definitely going in Vincent's wedding video to embarrass him!

And so October comes to an end. Welcome NOVEMBER and all that we have to be Thankful for!

2nd Grade Harvest Party

 

Yesterday, Miss Isabella had her 2nd Grade Harvest Party! I kept it completely simple as the Teacher requested. The kids played Bingo with candy corn and had yummy Harvest food: Vegetables, Fruit, Pumpkin and Zucchini bread. They got to take home cute goodie bags and some Monster Munch from Isabella. I am glad my girl had a great time!