Real Men.....

Wear cowboy boots......

We have been so busy, I don't know where to start so this will just have to do for now :) We have been going to the zoo, playing at the park, organizing the garage with daddy and re-planting our lawn. Bryan doesn't have to work this week (except today, go figure) so we have been enjoying our time together. Then next Monday the kids and I fly to Wyoming for some much needed Grandma time!! We will be flying back to thaw out at the end of the month. I am not really sure why I decided I needed to go home in the middle of the worst weather of the year, -20 degrees does not sound like my cup of tea anymore! All of my family is going to laugh how acclimated to San Diego I am :(


No children were harmed in taking of this shot. Mom was carefully stationed just out of the lens and daddy took the picture :)

My favorite....

.....picture of the holidays this year. Jayda and her daddy making cookies.....talk about melt my heart!

Could it get any better?

This year we spent our first Christmas with just our family, no visitors (if you don't count the single sailors that were drifting in and out all day, haha). We all had such a great time together. The two days before Christmas were dedicated to making and dropping off cookies....it was so much fun. And it was so amazing to have Bryan home the whole time. This year was truly my favorite Christmas ever. It's indescribable how happy seeing your child happy will make your heart! Jayda was so excited about everything, from the cookies and carrots left out to helping make dinner the next day. We watched Christmas shows all day long and I know for a fact that we all ate and drank WAY too much.....I'm not so found of Bailey's Irish Creme anymore!

Reindeer Food!

Jayda checking out the stuff in her stocking!

She loves lolipops....

My guys!

I LOVE WHIP CREAM AND WAFFLES!

Jayda and Pete

Gonzo had way too much fun....and food

My Family

Happy little guy!!!

Merry Christmas Everyone, I hope you all had a great day as well!!!

Pretty Pretty Princess

My dear friend Dana, at TUTUMONKEY, dropped of the tutu I won for the 12 days of Christmas giveaway! It's the cutest thing I have ever seen! And the pure joy on Jayda's face makes my heart so happy!

THANK YOU DANA!!!!

(don't you just love the crown/headband...it's my favorite part )

Today is....

Our Anniversary!!

It's hard for me to believe that four years ago I woke up getting ready to marry the man of my dreams.

Happy Anniversary Mr. Griffin. If I would have known how wonderful a marriage and life we would share together, I wouldn't have been so nervous :)

I love you.

And this is my present that he MADE me...that's right...handmade!!! I am so incredibly proud of him and I LOVE LOVE LOVE it!!! This is the kind of stuff the country girl in me loves! It stands out a little here, but once we move to Wyoming it will fit right in :)

My first package!!!

So for those of you I haven't gushed to.....I won this awesome give away, 12 Days of Christmas Give Away. I received my first package yesterday, it was so fun opening it! This little necklace is just perfect for my little Jayda bug and going in her stocking this year. It was made by Tracy at crem de la gems, here is the link to her blog and her shop. I am getting so excited!! Thank you so much to all those fabulous ladies who donated for the raffle, this made my whole year :)

Friday Flashback

This is Sam, the most placid horse you will ever see. And the roughest. I can't even begin to remember how many times I have fallen off of him just because I couldn't hang on good enough. My sister and I got him almost fifteen years ago. He has proven to be the best horse we have ever had, even though he's getting grouchy in his old age.

Ya, I'm so awesome I can ride a horse in my pjs and flip flops. Notice how my feet aren't in the stirrups....see dad, I DO listen :)

And Jayda's first time on a horse. I was so happy she got to ride Sammy before he croaked, he's really getting up there in age. He's almost thirty which is pretty old for a horse.

I love Christmas

We have been having a great time doing fun stuff for Christmas. Here are Jayda and Dallyn's foot and hand Reindeer....Jayda helped do Dallyn's too. She is turning into such a great helper!

Hanging up our handmade stockings!

Making a ginger bread house, she was so good! She waited until we finished to even ask to have a piece of candy!

Daddy constructed...

And we decorated :)

Our Christmas Card

Because I am being a scrooge this year, no one gets a real one :) Here's from my family to yours wishing you Happy Holidays!

Homesick

It seems like as soon as the temperature starts dropping back in Wyoming my heart instantly starts getting homesick. It's such an amazing place that most people out here can't even begin to understand. There is just something comforting about being surrounded by people who have known you forever.....as far back as your memory goes......that work everywhere. You never feel alone in a store or worry about someone giving you a rotten deal because you most likely went to school with them or they went to school with your parents. The comfort comes in the form of seasons, snow, leaves falling, and yes.......the smell of horse and cow crap :) Where the biggest traffic jam you will ever come across is running through a cattle drive going the opposite way. I miss seeing my parents sitting on the porch every morning just enjoying the scenery and the fresh air.

My heart longs for the time when we can all move home as a family and be where we all love and thrive. I can't wait to own a horse again and raise a new batch of chickens. I can't wait to take my kids out every morning and teach them about loving animals and helping me gather eggs and feed all of them. Some of my fondest memories as a little kid happened out at the barn on the sled my grandpa used to pull me and the hay around to feed all of the livestock.

I am so scared that my kids will grow up "city kids" and be materialistic and not know the meaning of "a hard days work". I am feel so rushed to cram in every little thing I can when we go home to Wyoming so that they will know where their parents came from. Coming from such a wonderful place it would be so easy for me to take San Diego for granted. I am making my new year's resolution early. I am vowing to never forget how wonderful this place is, even if I don't particularly fit in here. When we first moved here I was so intimidated, it took me almost a year just to drive on the freeways (so PATHETIC, I know). Although, I do have to say that we have the best friends ever and they make being here so much easier :) I wish I could take you all home with me and then you would see why I am so weird, HAHA!!

Recital Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

Recital Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

Happy Birthday Mr. G!

(We all went to dinner and wouldn't fit in the front of my car so my Codgy volunteered to be the illegal in the back :), we couldn't talk him out of it!)

I hope your birthday was as wonderful as you are, you deserve it! You are my best friend, it's hard to believe you had just turned 18 when we started dating and now you are 24....wow! Time sure flies when you are having fun....and babies! Thank you for giving me the best family I could ever have asked for, we are so lucky.

Happy Birthday Mr. Griffin!