OBX day one

Brrrrrrrrrrrrr!
We had our first family getaway to the Outer Banks last weekend! Auntie Sue Ward came to visit us and then we drove her to her mom's house on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. We had a fantastic time! It was FREEEEEZZZING cold at the beach, but really beautiful. We got a Days Inn Hotel right on the beach and our room's balcony overlooked the ocean.

We toured the Wright Brother's National Park... Very cool!
This is an awesome play experience for the kids to climb on. They really do a nice job here.
Next we went to the Bodie Island Lighthouse.

Up next... Bill and the boys true purpose of our trip... Ocean fishing!

I was sooooo thankful that they didn't catch anything because Bill would absolutely have scaled, de-boned and roasted it right there on the beach. NASTY!! They did have fun though. We are really ready for our Dittbrenner cousins to come and go fishing with us when the weather gets a little warmer. Uncle Wayne is a master fisherman!

A fair is a fair is a smorgasboard, morgasboard!

Name that movie!!!

The first thing to mention is that we were not some of the deadly cases who got E Coli from the fair food, which really is amazing since we practically ate throughout the entire fair!!! Apparently there have been 25plus cases reported, and a few deaths from the fair food.

However, we LOVED munching on everything from classic favorites like corn dogs, snow cones and cotton candy to new adventures "gater on a stick" (Bill's dream come true....) and fudge made from the Amish people (Charise's absolute heaven!!!)





Anyone who knows us well would know that we LOVE a fair. We never missed the fair in Orange county, and we were so excited to go the week before we moved away. Imagine our surprise to find out that the NORTH CAROLINA STATE FAIR was the second month we moved here. We have county fairs in California. Here in the South there are state fairs. Kind of the same thing, but with a VERY SOUTHERN TWIST.

There was almost no shopping. I know!!! Carrie Collins and I have spent SO MANY HOURS shopping the fair together. Carrie, I really don't know that you would have loved this fair. Where were all the demo products booths? All the rows and rows of fabulous things you can only seem to buy at the fair? (Steve's miracle sponge, our fantastic pots and pans, plumaria trees, mat and frame cutting systems, car organizers, tortilla warmers, hand carved wooden name frames, hawaiian matching family outfits, scrapbook tools you can't find anywhere else.) What does it say about Bill and I that we lovingly remember buying each of these items and think fondly of the fair every time we use any of them.

There was however TONS of Dairy/Cow/Farming demonstrations and booths and exhibits. Like TONS of them!

It was very new and different to have the fair in the fall. Instead of our normal patriotic USA outfits we wear every year to the fair, we got to dress in Halloween colors. Instead of sweating in the heat, we were very crisp and chilly. It was such a fun adventure!

They did not have any community groups performing. No stages at all. No hypnotist, no Chineese acrobats, no grunge bands. It was all just very different. Not bad different, just different.

They had SO MANY free sample of foods. For example, hushpuppies, soda taste tests, candy samples, sausages, dips, hushpuppies, salsa's, cheeses, jerky, and so much more. You could sample throughout the fair! (Did I mention free hushpuppies everywhere you went? Yum-EE!)

We always bring the wagon, tricked out with everything we will need for the day. I think for us, the fair is like what most people feel when they go to Disneyland. We prep for it. We save for it. We make it a HUGE event in our lives.


Our family tradition is that at the end of the day, before we go home, each of the kids get to choose one ride to go on. This is our incentive for them to be on their best behavior all day. It seriously works so well! Any time we sense a meltdown coming on, we redirect them by pointing to some of the rides (You can see them from every spot on the fairgrounds.) and talk about which ride they will choose at the end of the day.

This time both boys wanted to ride the log flume. It was crazy cold, but they both thought it looked wonderful! Brighton was kind of undecided throughout the day, but Cole said the water boat roller coaster when we caw it from the car before we even parked, and nothing could change his mind. All day as we would go past new rides we would ask him if he wanted this instead of the log flume, but nope... he insisted that the water boat roller coaster was the ride of his dreams. In the end I think his persistence made Bright realize it must be the best if Cole was so determined to ride it.



Here is Cole telling daddy how it felt!

We love the fair. Simply. Love. the. Fair.

4th of July!

I KNOW!!!!! SHE IS PERFECTION!!!!
Honestly, I can't get enough of her. I wake up in the middle of the night and I miss her. (Yes, she is in the next room, and yes, I can hear her snoring over the baby monitor. But I get excited about when it will be morning and I will get to go in and get her. She is perfection and delicious in every way!)

Coolest looking cake ever!!!
Cole is hilarious. He loves to be the center of attention, and make people laugh.
Again... perfection.
I love this family!
We performed at the Mission Viejo Street Fair with Kids Are Music tonight. The kids did a great job on the show. Bill went this morning at 9:30 to set up, and then stayed all day in the crazy hot weather to watch over our equiptment. I brought the kids at 5:00pm. Man, I married so well!! And then, when everyone else was having to park over a mile away by that time, I pull up to the front... litterally the FRONT SPACE, and there is a cone blocking the space, that yes, my husband had reserved for me. I am so crazy in love with that man!!! He came up and met me at the front and said, "See the coned off first space..." and I was like, "No you didn't!" I adore him in every way!!!

Happy Independence Day!!!

Road Trip!!!

My darling husband LOVES a good road trip. LOVES IT!
Here are some highlights from our last one.

We stopped by a stream below Zion National Park and played for a while. So much fun!

The water was FREEZING!!!



Of course another highlight... fun treaties!

Our last two days of Disneyland before we move back East!!!

We have LOVED being so close to this amazing park for the duration of our adult lives. We will really miss every neat experience there is to be had at the happiest place on Earth.

Ok, one word: CRAZY

The crowds at Dland today were OUT OF CONTROL! Seriously, 2 hours wait time for Pirates. I remember when I was a little girl and the line wound around like that. It was out past the Haunted Mansion, and then it also wrapped around the back of the jungle cruise area. CRAZY!

And the line for Star tours, it puts the Finding Nemo opening month lines to shame. I believe there are people who waited in that line for 4 hours today. INSANE!!!

Note: Loving my son Cole right now and his special needs pass. WOW! He is worth every minute we spend with doctors! :)

Ricky,
Star Tours IS AWESOME!!!!!! Totally worth the hype!!!
Cole was very nervous, but I made him do it. Brighton and I loved it! Brighton got to go twice, since we did a baby swap with Billy.
We are gonna go back and do it a few times tomorrow. So great!!!

Savvy LOVES the parade. (And I should mention, so do I. Disney got it right with this one... expect, does anyone else feel like they forgot to have an ending? I mean, even a repeat of the awesome drum line that starts the show would be a good finale. As it is... what , is that it? But LOVE the tangled float, and the Tiana float!)
Peter Pan is hilarious. He loves to wear it, but he DOES NOT LIKE to be acknowledged for it. He gives a serious stink eye when people talk to him about it. Funny kid.

I have been wanting to try the Monte Cristo dinner at the New Orlean's Cafe, and if was so yummy and worth the wait. We had a table overlooking the park, and it was a really fun dinner for our little family. Plus, We all shared our entree and one kids meal, so it did not cost too much.
As always, Savvy looked so ADORABLE! People often stop and point at her. She is just a cutie.
Is it maybe just the size of the bows that make people stop and stare and tell her she is darling?
We wanted to do all our favorites, that we often overlook due to rushing to get on the more popular rides. On of my boys favorites is the shooting arcade. They both love it!
Something funky is going on with my camera. Hopefully I can fix it for tomorrow's LAST DAY AT DISNEYLAND!

Easter with our Fresno Family

Over the years we have spent a few Eater weekend's with Grandma Vicki, Mamo Linda and Bill's little brothers and sisters. It is always lots of fun.

For a quick update on Billy family dynamics: here is a quick refresher course:

1. Bill was raised by his grandmother, Linda whome he called "Mom" and we now call Mamo and his Great Grandma who he called Nana. She passed away the morning of our wedding. (Which is another story, which is kind of hilarious in a sweet, sentimental way. If you want to hear it, you'll need to call me for the story.)

2. Bill's mother, Vicki, is only 15 years older than me, so she and I get along more like sisters than anything else. She is wonderful. When Bill was 16 years old, she gave birth to twin girls, Chantel and Michelle.

3. When Bill was 35 she adopted 4 children, Christian, Melissa, Angelina and Ryan. They are close in age to our kids ages. I.E. Brighton has an Uncle Ryan who is 2 years younger than him. CRAZY!

4. Michelle is married to Michael and they have a baby named Aaron. Adorable!!! Michael's family are the one's who have the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory in Fresno, and thus, my hook up for perks and recipes!!! Yummy!

5. Chantel has a darling little girl Mackenzie who is 4 years old. They live in Oklahoma City. We miss them a lot.

6. Other than that, we have Aunt Pam, one year older that Vicki. One cousin, Tina, Bill's age. Her son Zoey who is about 26 now, and his son. Sorry, I don't know the name.

And that is the full list of Billy's side of the family. Whew! We love them a lot, and my boys especially LOVE playing with Christian and Ryan. We wish we could spend lots more time with them!!!

Left to right: Christian 12, Brighton 7, Melissa 9, Cole 5, Ryan 5.
Ryan on the slide.
Lina in the jacuzzi.
Easter Dinner: Bill, Brighton, Christian, Cole, Ryan, Mamo (Linda), Angelina, Vicki, Melissa, Savannah.
Savvy after eating her chocolate easter treats.
Cole snuggling daddy with Mamo (Linda).
Christian and Cole.

Brighton and Melissa