san diego: day 1

Zach was chosen to speak at a conference in San Diego and I was fortunate enough to be able to go with him.  By fortunate I mean he was going to be gone on my birthday and I stated that there was no way he was going to California for my birthday alone ;)

After weeks of stressing out about dying in a plane crash and leaving my poor boys orphaned, we headed across the country a day before the conference started so we could get in some extra time.  As soon as we landed we headed to the hotel, dropped off our bags and walked along the bay to the USS Midway Museum.  Zach had been talking about going since we made plans for the trip and my mom had taught me to at least appreciate war movies since they are some of her faves so I was excited too.

The boat/ship/weapon was really cool and I think the boys will LOVE it one day.  The very very best part was talking to one of the volunteers who was not only a veteran but a former pilot who flew jets aboard that very ship.  We just kept asking him questions and he kept telling us stories.  It makes me wish I had thought enough as a young girl to ask and remember more about my Granddaddy and Grandpa's time in WWII.

After the Midway we took a ferry across the bay and made our way to Hotel del Coronado.  It is a very famous (apparently) hotel and it is downright gorgeous!!  It also sits on the beach and we were able to walk on, put our feet in and see a sunset over the Pacific Ocean for the first time ever.  It was AWESOME!!  I found some shells to save for my little fellas and also scooped up a baggie full of Pacific beach sand.  We spent about an hour with me walking around, Zach taking pictures and just standing in awe of the beauty God had created!

After the sun was officially set and even Zach couldn't take another picture we walked around the inside of the Hotel Del and then headed back to our hotel.  Dinner out and then a very early (Cali time) bedtime came to get ready for my 31st birthday day in San Diego.

family photo shoot

When Micah turned one, our neighbor offered to take pictures of him and us for free because she was starting her own photography business and needed some samples.  I am so glad we did because from that shoot came a tradition to have a one year old photoshoot of each of our kids and from those we choose four to put on the wall of our kitchen.  My kitchen photo wall is my absolute favorite thing in my home.Shortly after this Zach got a lot more serious about his own photography hobby so getting great pictures of our family has always been pretty easy.

I knew I wanted to try to do Logan's pictures during our trip to Gainesville because they have an AWESOME park with a nature walk in the woods and on the walk is a covered bridge.  Fall leaves + covered bridge + adorable kids = YES PLEASE!  

Now keep in mind that family photoshoots for pretty much anybody never go smoothly.  There's usually a crier or pouter or goofy cheesy smiler which is why photographers make absolute fools of themselves during these things to make sure everyone looks good.  Our shoot was no different.  Logan wanted to eat crackers and leaves during all the pictures.  Connor refused to smile while all the time telling us he was smiling even though he just had a pained expression on his face.  So while the next pictures do not accurately portray the mood of the moment they are a glimpse of the fun personalities each of us have at our best :)

These are the four I"ve chosen for the Logan's spot on the wall.  While they be in black and white in the house check them out in color here.

Since Zach already had his camera out he suggested to his family that they should get all spiffed up so he could take a picture of each of their little families too.  

Nana, Poppy and their 7 grandchildren

Tony, Jessica, Leah, Elias, and Elana Bermudez

Tom, Linda, and Joel May

Jered, Katie and Elodie McKenna

Andrew, Krista and Annie May

Us

sunday song: Christmas

I have been loving this song since last Christmas.  Andy Gullahorn and Jill Phillips have a great rendition on their Christmas album.  It is just so peaceful and simple.

In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan, 
Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone; 
Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow, 
In the bleak midwinter, long ago. 

Our God, Heaven cannot hold Him, nor earth sustain; 
Heaven and earth shall flee away when He comes to reign. 
In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed 
The Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ. 

Enough for Him, whom cherubim, worship night and day, 
Breastful of milk, and a mangerful of hay; 
Enough for Him, whom angels fall before, 
The ox and ass and camel which adore. 

Angels and archangels may have gathered there, 
Cherubim and seraphim thronged the air; 
But His mother only, in her maiden bliss, 
Worshipped the beloved with a kiss. 

What can I give Him, poor as I am? 
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb; 
If I were a Wise Man, I would do my part; 
Yet what I can I give Him: give my heart.

2nd annual post Thanksgiving pumpkin smash

We started this new tradition last year when I couldn't figure out what with the pumpkins I used for my fall decorating.  Zach suggesting smashing them with bats so obviously it has to become a yearly ritual.

This year Micah got to smash one for real and was so pumped.  We had one super huge pumpkin that we never got around to carving that was too big to throw up and hit so we just let the boys hit it on the ground.  They had a blast and I loved watching them being so manly ;)

thanksgiving 2012

Fun times were had with the May side of the family for Thanksgiving.  It was a great family gathering complete with bonfires, games, conversations, parks, childrens running everywhere, movies and all other random things that happen that just make you smile because it's family. 

Highlights of the week, besides just actually being all together, was listening to everyone grill Joel about his lovelife and realizing that being the first other girl in the family might have been better than being the last ;)  At least no one grilled me as much :)

If I have to pick a low moment, which I don't but I did a high one so it just makes sense, I'll have to go with an almost never ending game of Settlers of Catan Cities and Knights that became just comical because it seriously never actually ended because we finally just claimed someone the winner and messed the board up so no one could argue about it!  Jess feels me on this one ;)

Not everyone gets to have two families that love them and that they love back.  Very blessed to know these people and have them love me back!

puritan man

All of the Kindergarteners at Micah's school did a Thanksgiving program.  The classes were divided into Puritan men and women, turkeys, and Indian men and women.  Micah was a Puritan Man.  They got to pretend to have a gun and say hunt hunt hunt.  He was excited about it.

They also sang 4 or 5 other fun Thanksgiving songs and did motions.  He spotted us as soon as he got on stage and we waved back and forth a few times.  I was so proud of him and how not too nervous he looked.    They all did such a great job and were all oh so cute!