Spring Break 2016

We just got home from a glorious mini-vacation in Santa Barbara. It was so much fun to take the kids there but it made me feel kind of old.... has it really been 15 YEARS since I was in college there?! It was fun to walk down State Street and remember all the date nights Dave and I spent when we were so young... and throwing two wild boys in the mix definitely made me view the city in a new light!
First, we checked into El Capitan Canyon campgrounds. I had heard great things about this place but had never been. After our brief stay I totally recommend it and am already trying to plan our return trip! The campgrounds are situated a little north of downtown SB, and although you are at the beach, the campgrounds are across the freeway and hidden in the beautiful hills and trees. This is NOT your average campground... it is "glamping" and it is glorious! There are cabins, yurts, and  canvas tents. We stayed in a yurt and it was huge! Big tall domed ceiling, three beds, wood floors, electricity, a small fridge, and a heater. The boys were eager to get the firepit going and we roasted hot dogs and marshmallows. I think my favorite part about this campground (besides the gorgeous scenery) was the market and restaurant. It was really nice to wake up in the morning and just run down to the restaurant for coffee and a really tasty breakfast! Next time we plan on bringing hardly any food and just ordering our meals from the market. (I know the true campers will think this is crazy but seriously, this is my style of camping!)
We checked out the next morning and headed to the Santa Barbara zoo. It was breezy and sunny and beautiful and we had a blast. Then we checked into the Montecito Inn (designed by Charlie Chaplin!) and showered and relaxed before spending a fun evening on State Street. The next morning as we were having breakfast with the other hotel guests (who were mostly older people) Archie exclaimed loudly, "WHERE DO BABIES COME FROM?!" The entire restaurant was laughing which of course egged him on and he asked that same question like three more times to my total embarrassment!

Road trip ready!

Our adventure yurt!

The campground had a great playground and even a pool!

Their funny face selfies always crack me up!

Nothing beats snuggles by a fire!

Archie is an early bird. He's eating donuts in the morning while everyone else sleeps!

I woke up to the sunlight streaming in through the roof.  

My early bird went to the market with me to get coffee and OJ! 

Nothing beats bacon, breakfast burritos, and pancakes!

The elephants are so cute!

The Santa Barbara zoo grounds are beautiful! 

Awesome hill with cardboard surfboards!

Watching cartoons in their undies!

Our hotel was lovely and it felt great to relax!

Super yummy ice cream!

The weather was absolutely perfect.

Soaking up the warm sun!

When we got home, Dave and I had a fun day date (just the two of us!) at the Segerstrom Center and watched the Book of Mormon musical. Sadly, today is Sunday and I am having a hard time getting this family back in our reality routine of work and school. We sure did love spending this week together... I'm looking forward to planning another getaway soon!

That's a wrap!

Holiday Highlights 2015/2016

Once again, I lag when it comes to updating this blog. But I'm busy busy busy which at least means life is not boring and dull, right? (Always trying to be positive!) My personal motto for the year is achieving a happy and healthy balance in my life... more exercise, more fun time with my family, and less overall stress and anxiety. Cheers to that!

We had an absolutely awesome Christmas season this year. The build-up to Christmas day was the best... baking, decorating, movies, Christmas stories, etc. Christmas morning was fabulous... the boys were thrilled with their gifts from Santa, we ate yummy food, watched Christmas Vacation, baked cookies, and snuggled on the couch in our pjs all day. Perfection!

I love my home.

Our elf was a huge hit this year! Such fun!

Carter had a holiday performance at school. His teacher was concerned that he might get stage fright (as he tends to be a little soft spoken and sometimes shy) but he memorized his speaking part and did great!



We have Disneyland passes and are making good use of them! I took the boys after school the other day and the park was wonderfully non-crowded and we had a blast. Carter got to participate in the opening ceremony for the Wilderness Explorer ceremony:

Churro and ice cream sandwich=best after-school snack ever!

Oh and did I mention how thrilling the new Star Wars movie was?! We loved it.

The fancy movie theater by our house!

And to top it all off, Dave and I celebrated 10 years of marriage! It's been a blast and I'm looking forward to all the many years to come!

Birthday Boys are 4 and 6!

4 and 6 but yes, they still ride in a stroller!

I can't believe another year has flown by! (And yes I say this every year but seriously... it's insane.)
I have lost my blogging momentum as the years go by (also because Instagram and Facebook are much easier) but the kids love to go back and watch videos and see pictures of themselves so I've at least got to keep up with the important things... like BIRTHDAYS!

Carter Francis Hill... 6 years old! I will never forgot what he looked like when he was born. It's burned into my memory... especially because I had to wait days before I ever got to hold him in my arms. Today, he is thriving in life. He has many friends, loves Kindergarten, is learning to read and write, and is becoming more independent each day. He is definitely a mini-Dave and loves to tell jokes and even scare and surprise people. But he is sweet and empathetic and always makes sure everyone is happy and having fun.

Archer Anderson Hill... 4 years old! This kid is pure excitement and energy and he definitely has the most amazing memory. He makes us laugh daily with the silly things he says. He still loves all things Batman and Star Wars and knows everything about every character and every story line. He is super outgoing when he is comfortable but tends to get very shy and reserved and grumpy when he is feeling out of sorts or nervous. He is starting preschool next month for just a couple of weeks as a trial run. We'll see how he does away from home and me and in a new environment!

The best attribute of both boys? Their love for each other! They are truly each other's number one defender. They both have the "don't mess with my brother" attitude and honestly, they really do get along very well. I hope this lasts forever!

This year we bought Disneyland annual passes for the boys' birthday. It's been a year since we've had passes and with the crazy price increase, this will be our last year of Disneyland (at least until the new Star Wars land opens up!). The magic hasn't faded but the crowds are a little crazy which can make things frustrating (I refuse to wait in a line that's longer than 30 minutes!) When I told the boys that instead of a party, we'd be going to Disneyland, they were thrilled until they realized that we were the only ones going. They were bummed that they didn't have friends joining us.

So I pulled together a very last minute birthday party in the park. In the midst of a horribly hot fall season, the day I chose to have the party was freezing cold and nearly rainy. It turned out great though as the kids pretended to be jedis and ran around the park for hours and never complained once about being cold (us adults were freezing though!) We had some humorous moments (I made light sabers out of bubble wands by painting the handles chrome. They looked awesome but the silver spray paint stained everyone's hands! Not sure why but oh well. Pinterest fail.) I also brought a Keurig machine to make hot cocoa and coffee to combat the cold weather but despite all of our valiant attempts at getting electricity, we never managed to get enough power to brew one cup! Ugh. That being said, everyone had a blast and the boys were so pleased to get to spend some time with kids and not just boring old mom and dad!

Rebel Alliance cupcakes vs Dark Side cupcakes

Star Wars snacks, decorations, and bubble wand light sabers

I laugh every time the kids wear this mask!

Basketball with the guys

Everyone looks ridiculously bored here but it really was fun!!!

Disneyland was a big hit too because they opened Seasons of the Force in Tomorrowland. Dave ate a Jedi chicken sandwich served out of a Han Solo carbonite box, we had popcorn served in a tie fighter, and we watched a cool Star Wars video and explored all the new Star Wars merchandise. We met Lord Vader and the boys were super nervous to talk to him! The biggest hit of the day was Archie's first ride on Star Tours. He is still under 40 inches and isn't a fan of fast rides so he's never cared that he can't go on certain rides. But he begs for Star Tours. So we gave him some boots, put extra socks and an orthopedic lift inside, spiked his hair, and told him to use the Force and stand as tall as possible. He was height checked twice and they were extremely hesitant to let him ride but we managed to get him on! He LOVED it. Seeing his grin as he got in his seat and put on the 3D glasses was priceless. Definitely my favorite part of the day.

Dave's multi-tasking skills--can steer a ship,
check his phone, and hold his kids at the same time.

Both boys love "Jack's house" which is the Haunted Mansion
turned into Nightmare Before Christmas.

Carter had a full conversation with Spiderman but Archie wouldn't even look at him!

Potential Christmas card? Merry Sithmas?!

School's in Session!

Kindergarten has begun! We decided to try out the tiny little school in the canyon. When I mean tiny... there are only three classrooms and a hundred kids in the whole school. The school opened in 1879.  Pretty awesome, right? So far I am completely in love. Driving down into the canyon in the morning is so serene. There are huge pumpkins growing in someone's garden along the roadside and the school has its own farm (with animals!). The campus is beautiful and there are big shady trees and pine cones everywhere. It's so fun to watch the kids swinging on the swings as the rooster crows in the background. We gather together as a group in the morning for the announcements and the pledge. It feels like a little community.

Archie is stuck with me all day but we are making the most of it!

Labor Day weekend was lovely. It was hard to get back to work and school today. Yesterday we had a BBQ with my mom and then spent a fun afternoon bowling with the cousins. I'm excited that my boys like bowling. I have some fun memories of bowling when I was younger.  It's a sport that I can handle!