park fun

Last week during Sydney's soccer practice I took my camera and snapped some great photos of the Nico & Sophie.  This really made me want to learn how to take great pics.  And have an awesome camera.  Don't get me wrong I love the camera I have but I would love a fancy one.  A girl can dream, but I guess if I had a camera I would have to know how to use it.   Regardless I am really happy with how these turned out.  My babies looked so great.

had to snap her bow

i seriously can't get enough of this guy.  i know every mom thinks their child is gorgeous, but seriously this kid is.

love, love, love

ham it up baby

Welcome Baby Marlie

I am so excited to announce I have a new niece.  Marlie Jenae Garces arrived Saturday afternoon.   She is the first child of Mr. G's brother Stephen and his wife Natalie.  We went out today to visit,  Let me say I want to have my babies at Hoag Hospital in Newport like Natalie. Um ocean view from her room.  So nice.    Marlie is the cutest little baby ever.  She has the roundest face and perfectly pouted lips.  She'll never need lip injections.  And long dark hair.  Just like my babies.  Just so darn adorable.  I can't wait to see her grow up.  And it is so awesome to see Mr. G's littlest brother become a dad.  When I met Mr. G, Stevie was 12 and I loved him then.  I am so proud of the man he's become, he feels like my brother.  Congrats Stevie and Natalie, she's gorgeous.

hello fall

fall is offically here and I am so excited.  this is my favorite time of the year, leaves changing, weather cooling down,  pumpkin patches,  apple cider.  who doesn't love this time of year.  i put my fall decor out this last weekend and it makes me sooo happy.  it's like how i feel when i put christmas during thanksgiving weekend.

so long summer

huh?

I was watching college football with Mr. Garces today and saw a players name that stumped us both.  Tell me what you think.   His name was

KNOWSHON MORENO

What? Knowshon? What the....? His parents just decided to open up a book and find the first word they could and add shon to the end?  KNOWSHON really?   Mr. Garces and I decided we would put our own twist on this name.  So if our next child is a boy....BOYSHON it is and if it's a girl.... natually...GIRLSHON.  Well if they can do it, why can't I? And I'll never forget the childs name.   This could go on forever.  

So tell me, what 'SHON' names would you use if you could?

Quee-ta

I've been meaning to post these for a couple weeks now.  I have more of my great visit with my sister Kelly (aka. queeda)  The weekend she was here Sydney took off on a weekend away with her girl scout troop so Kelly and I took the other kiddies and hit the beach.  On our way to the beach we stopped off in Los Alamitos (our home town) to say what up to our brother Fats at his job and got to the beach for a perfect day.   The weather was fantastic, the kids were great and I couldn't have asked for anything more.

Queeda & my babies

Sleeping beach babe.

I NEVER go in the water.  So here is my proof that I really did.

Baby Love

peace out man

surfs up!!!!

Love you Kelly babe! See you soon.

I need to TOOT my own horn

Today I used this (above) and tackled this (below)

So Nick has been working a ton lately.  Overtime, dj gigs, you name it for some extra cash for our fam.  And as you can bet our yard had been taking the beating.  It missed Nick caring for it.   Our dog was sad that he had to wander in the forrests of our backyard and he is so low to the ground he was getting lost.  If any of you know me at all, all this neglect makes me crazy.  I like my surroundings in a certain order.  I enjoy going to the yard and looking at freshly mowed grass.  I love thursdays because that's when our neighbors gardners come and all the yards on our street look so pretty.   We don't have a gardner, well Nick is ours.  But he has been unavailable.  I have asked him many times to show me how to do it and he has always said no, he would.  

But today was a new day.  In an effort to help my Mr. Garces out I told him I would be mowing the lawns and that was it, so please tell me how.  And he did.   I mowed and edged the backyard with no problems while sophie napped.   And tackled the front yard after dinner when it was cool.  I didn't realize that our front yard is very hilly and that would make my mowing efforts that much more difficult.  I had sweat rolling down my face by the end.   I mowed, edged, swept up, and hosed down all while burning calories and helping Mr. Garces out.  I feel very good right now. And it wasn't that bad.  I kind of enjoyed it. Now I can step back and look at what I accomplished. 

(on a side note: I have been reading the blog of Nie Nie and I love the way she refers to her husband as Mr. Neilson and so I too want to refer to my hubby as Mr. Garces.  It reminds me of the movie Emma and how she refers to her love interest as Her Mr. Knightly. (a great movie, if you ever get a chance).)

Soccer Time

This weekend marked the official start of  soccer season.  My kids are so excited.  And their excitement wasn't even tharwted by the fact that it was 95 degrees at 10:00 am.  But I certainly was miserable.  Luckily we had our umbrella and lots of water.  Sydney's favorite part was asking me to pour water on her head.  She love, love, loves soccer.  As soon as she hit the field you could see the fire in her eyes.   Soccer is her gift.  She really is a great player.  And I'm not just a bragging mom.  She really is THAT good.  Saturday she had 3 assists and 2 goals.  One goal started as she came out of nowhere to block a shot on goal by the other team and then continued to take the ball all the way down field pummeling through everyone else to score.  Pretty insane.  Nick and I were going crazy.

Syd and Nico after their games, all hot and red. But how cute they were holding hands.

Coach Nick.  He thrives on the kids sports.

Sydney in action.

Had to snap a couple of Sophie.

Can't wait for her turn to play.

A coaching moment between dad and daughter.

Nico isn't as intense as Syd, but he was still really bummed he didn't score.

And I called it BOB

Bye Bye hair.  This last week I made my visit to Natalie and told her to chop it all off.  I was ready for a change.  She thought a Jenny McCarthy cut would look really cute so I told her to go for it.  It's still really blond and I am loving it.  I was nervous don't get me wrong, but more nervous that Nick would hate it.  He loves me with long, blond hair.  And I thought if I came home with one of the two he would be happy.  He LOVES it.  Go figure.  He said it's like being married to a different woman.  All right!!! Score!!!

This is when I came home from the salon.  My biggest fear is that I can never reproduce it. but...

here I am the next day doing it myself.  I was really pleased with myself.  And it's looked better everyday I learn more.