MOPS day at the beach

Have I mentioned how much I love summer? Last week, we went with my Mops group to Corona Del Mar beach and had such a great day!

I was so thankful to have my friends there, otherwise I'm not sure I would have been brave enough to go to the beach with all three girls by myself! Especially since previously, Hayden didn't seem to enjoy the sand too much. So while she sat on a friend's lap, Brenna and Logan dug right in  :)

But eventually, with the help of her big sissy, Hayden got the hang of it too....

Logan is so calm and patient with her. She is one lucky girl to have such an amazing big sister.

And while they played, I had Brenna in the Bjorn much of the time. Note to self: If you're going to wear a baby carrier, put on sunscreen so you can avoid those awful tan lines! I had a big X on my back! :)

More than anything though, I just love spending days like this with my little ones.

Fun In the Sun!!!

Okay, well according to Brenna it doesn't seem like much fun. This picture just cracks me up! She certainly is sweet, with a lot of spice!

But to Hayden, there is a ton of fun in the sun!

Since Logan was little, I remember always wishing we had a back yard similar to the one I had growing up. I remember most of our summer days when I was a kid out at the pool day and night. Those really are some of my best childhood memories.

So needless to say, it always made me a bit sad that we never had a backyard to play in. I know she really didn't know the difference, but it was just one of those "mommy" things.

We have lived her three years now and have made (in my opinion) a beautiful backyard....but there was something missing....

A POOL!!!!

Okay, yes, I realize this is not the swimming kind of pool.

Still....it's water. It's days out back in our bathing suits....its happy faces.

Like these....

(Side note: Doesn't Logan look like me in the picture above? For a second when I first saw it, I thought it was me!)

These girls had such a great time this weekend playing out back, and I was thankful to give them those childhood memories that I hope they will look back on with fondness, just as I have....

Look at this bathing beauty! I don't think we want to let her out of the house in a few years!

And below is Brenna. Poor baby can't do all the same things that her big sisters can, which was frustrating for her. But she can ride on her baby toys!!

We even purchased a mini slide that was a perfect addition to our new "pool"!

And of course, summer isn't complete without a SLIP N SLIDE!!!

Here's Logan working it!!

And here's Todd joining in the fun. Can I just say he was about as excited as she was to play on this thing!

(It's hard to see him, but he's up there!)

I'm looking forward to lots of outdoor playing this summer. Granted, mommy didn't get wet, and probably won't if I can help it, but I still like to watch the kids enjoy it! :)

Happy Father's Day!!

Happy Father's Day, first and foremost to my dad....

You always know how to "rally" when things are tough, and you have always taught me how to perservere and not let our own limitations in life define us. Through your love and example, I have learned so many valuable life lessons....I know that it truly is possible to make ammends when it IS necessary, to do away with guilt when it is NOT necessary, and to always be authentic no matter how scary that may seem. You are a great man, Dad, with so many wonderful, courageous qualities worthy of celebrating. Thank you for always loving me, supporting me, and encouraging me. I can always count on you to be my cheerleader when something is going well for me. You are undoubtedly my biggest fan when I need it and for that I am so grateful! It is really because of your love and acceptance that I was able to come out of a very dark time in my life to find who would eventually become the other important father in my life......

To you, Todd.....

You are an amazing dad, and our girls are beyond blessed to have you in their life. I could not have chosen a better man to fill that role..... You are showing our girls such unconditional love and acceptance, which I know without a doubt will help them to grow and thrive in this often scary world. They will always have your safe arms to run to when they need comfort, and your playful humor when they need cheering up. Thank you so much for being the kind of father that God has called you to be. I can't even express how much joy it brings to my heart to watch the look in your eyes when you're playing with them, or to see the pride in your heart when you watch them master a new skill. You are such a rock for us all, and I am very grateful for the security and trust that you have built into our home. I could not be more proud to be your wife, and to share this parenting journey with you. I love you!

And finally, to the other great Dad in my life....Robert.

You have truly made such an important impact in our little girl's life. She just adores you and I am so thankful that you share such a very special bond. You have always shown Logan so much love and undivided attention, and I know that she feels like the princess she is when she is with you. Thank you for making her the apple of your eye, and for always being so emotionally available for her. You bring so much to her life, including your entire family and for that she is so blessed, and so am I to be able to know without a doubt that she has a daddy who will always love her and cherish her no matter what.

Happy Father's day to all of you! May you all truly know how very special you are!!!

Brenna's first word!

Brenna makes a lot of sounds, including mama, which she probably says the most. But I would have to say that "Yaaaaay!" is her first truly, meaningful word that she says in the right context. We tried to capture it here :)

Brenna's first real word from Carleen Maurer on Vimeo.

Hayden's multiple versions of Itsy Bitsy Spider

Hayden loves to sing. She sings all the time, even when she's just talking. Here is her version of the Itsy Bitsy Spider. The first one is her just belting it out, and the second is the rap version. She definitely brings laughter into this house!!

Hayden singing Itsy Bitsy Spider from Carleen Maurer on Vimeo.

Hayden's rap version of Itsy Bitsy from Carleen Maurer on Vimeo.

Aquarium of the Pacific

Yesterday was Logan's first official day of summer break, so to celebrate I took the girls to the Aquarium of the Pacific! It was a beautiful day. There is so much to do out there.

First we had lunch at CPK - one of the girls favorite places to eat!

There were a ton of mini aquariums and attractions to look at. And there were lots of places to play outside as well. Overall a perfect trip for all of us! I only wish Todd could have joined, but daddy was working hard!!!

Here they are looking at the pretty jellyfish

Hayden got a kick out of all the sting-rays. One even said "hi" to her :)

This was one of my favorite aquariums....the fish were all so colorful and beautiful!

Isn't it cute how great Logan is with her little sister??

And though Brenna stayed in the stroller most of the day, we got her out to enjoy the sun :)

The girls had fun in the big yellow boat....

Outside there was a big harbor and we certainly enjoyed the view...

I am SO glad it's fnally SUMMER!!!

Go Fly a Kite!

I have a confession to make.... I have been in the worst mood lately! I think it's a mixture of stress, and lack of sleep, and maybe (just maybe) a certain time of the month. But it really stinks when you know you are in a bad mood, and there's really not much you can do to snap out of it. It is definitely not fun for me, and I know it's not too fun for the rest of the family either.

So on Sunday, I went to run some errands to get out of the house for a bit, and I drove by a family doing something that I haven't done in such a long time. It struck me that it was exactly what I needed to do! And I thought there couldn't be a better way to cheer up the rest of the family as well!

I drove straight to Toys R Us and got us a couple of kites to fly! It was even more fun than I expected!

Todd's neice Jordan was here with us, and even though she's a teenager now, she even enjoyed it!

Logan loves spending time with her!

Hayden and Nama loved watching the kite fly!

Although we got the first one up with ease, the second kite wasn't so user friendly. Here is Logan cracking up at their failed attempts to fly it.

And they kept trying.....

And trying....

And trying.....

And even Hayden got in on it!!

 

But much to Todd's dismay, they never were able to get it to fly. So instead, we focused on the one kite that actually did work, and of course the great family time we got to spend together!!

Don't know who these little boys were, but once Hayden saw them trying to fly "her" kite, she was determined to finally fly it herself!!!

It really was a great afternoon!