Visit with Padillas in Pennsylvania

Right before Christmas, we visited our great friends Colleen, Mike, Kenzie, and Kyle near Philly for a couple of days. It was a blast!

Since we trailed a blizzard on our drive East, the Padilla house had 18 inches of snow to play in. Luckily, we were able to find Larkin a cute snowsuit so the kids got to go outside and play in the snow several times. This was Larkin's first real time playing in the snow and she did really well. This first picture is of the snow bunnies about to go outside for the first time... how adorable are they?! And, the photo of Larkin laying down in the sled and being pulled around was her during her very first sled ride! And, yes, she laid in it!

Colleen and Mike have refinished their basement into a giant, wrap-around playroom for the kids and it's awesome. They really did a great job. The kids really enjoyed horsing around down there and chasing after Sera. One unconventional toy that was a total hit - I totally want one for our house now! - is a giant parachute that Mike would drag around with the kids on it! Kenzie and Kyle "surfed", but Larkin laid there, just like on the sled!

Kenzie and Kyle loved having a dog in the house to play with. They loved petting Sera, chasing her around, and just knowing that she was there. Sera was a good sport too, although she did succeed in snagging a bit of Kyle's food away from him every now or then! The picture directly below is of Sera snuggling up to a giant lion stuffed animal in Kyle's room.... too sweet and ironic at the same time, considering Rhodesian Ridgeback's were bred to hunt lions!

Larkin tried out Play Doh for the first time at the Padilla's house. Despite her trying to eat it once or twice, she thought it was fun. The group of us also tried to have some fun playing "London Bridge" (see video) but Kenzie got a little upset, saying "Capturing a kid is NOT nice!" We thought it was hilarious! But, we thought it best to move on to another game... hiding underneath a blanket/tent! Brian also took the kids for a few fun "Blast Off" rides (see other video). We had so much fun just hanging out and playing game after game. Isn't that what it's all about?

The girls had some fun playing hair dress-up with Kenzie's array of clips and bows.

Larkin found these goggles and felt pretty cool in them, I think. We couldn't resist snapping a shot of the cool chicks together.

And last but certainly not least, the girls walking together hand in hand... I love it. We miss Colleen, Mike, Kenzie, and Kyle already and can't wait to go back!

Road Trip Warriors

We dubbed ourselves the "Road Trip Warriors" because we daringly attempted and successfully completed a 42-hour round-trip drive to the Hampton's (for Christmas) with the two of us, Larkin, and our dog, Sera. And we're all still in one piece! We have some crazy, funny stories to tell (e.g., blizzards, cops, and a completely full truck), but actually, we had a ton of fun... we actually like road-tripping!

Here are the warriors, en route. We split up the 21-hour drive (each way) over two days, so in total we had 4 days of driving. Good thing we were gone for two full weeks.



Larkin absolutely LOVED having her sister, Sera, sooooo close for the whole ride! Sera could have thought of places she would have rather been, I'm sure, but she endured and the two of them bonded even more during the trip. Larkin would often just let her hand lay on Sera, just so they'd be touching... so sweet! There were a few times when they pushed each other aside for something - just like any sibling would do - but, 95% of the time they were all sweet back seat partners. Here they are awake and asleep (the best time for driving)!



Now, as any road tripper knows, the key to happy trailblazers is to have many activities to keep the kiddos entertained. Here are a few pics of Larkin being entertained. Some of her favorites included her Doodle Pro, her light stick, and a good stuffed animal.

The Chevy Avalanche comes with a DVD player for the back seat, so we hoped that a movie or two might entertain Larkin. Well, they did... but for no longer than 20 minutes a pop! Larkin has never really watched TV - it's just not something we really do with her at home, so she really didn't care a whole lot about it in the car either. She did, however, get a bit of amusement from Happy Feet (she loves Mumble because they have a dancing penguin doll at her school) and a couple of Backyardigans episodes. Here are a few pictures of her enjoying the DVD player... don't you love her laid back, foot up look?!

This picture was from a stop when it was so frigid - single digit temps and 40 mph winds - that we nearly didn't get out of the car. But, we had to go to the bathroom and get food. Since we couldn't take Sera inside with us (we hate those "no pets" rules!), we just ate in the car. So, this is a pic of Larkin eating her dinner while standing up in her carseat at the stop. We wanted Larkin to stretch her legs since she was sitting for so long, and she thought it was so fun! Don't worry, she got strapped in again before we got back on the road.

This might be my favorite photo of all from the drive... it's of Larkin walking out from Cracker Barrel. Through all the many road trips we've taken over the years, we've learned a thing or two. One of our secrets is to be picky about where we stop. One place we like to stop at is Cracker Barrel. The secret of Cracker Barrel is that they want you to feel like you're at home, so intentionally (and smartly) they design every single CB exactly the same. By the end of the trip, even Larkin knew that the bathrooms were straight back! We stopped at a few CBs during the trip and despite the frigid weather, I let Larkin walk outside to stretch her legs. So, here she is on one of those walks. Is there anything cuter than Larkin in her faux-fur-trimmed coat?! And, check out her "purse" (it's actually her changing pad)... she insisted on carrying it the entire way in and out of the CB! She turned many a head, cute as she was, walking in with her "purse" and going straight back to the bathrooms. It's a precious memory, for me anyway.

This was a great road-trip and the only thing we'd consider changing next time might be to rent a Winnebago - they sound so practical now... ha!

Books Read in 2009

I love to read. However, with a 1.5 year-old daughter to run around after, I don't have as much time to read as I used to. Not wanting to stress myself into reading a book a month, at the beginning of 2009 I gave myself a goal of reading 8 books during the year. Thanks to a couple of audio books that I listened to while driving and exercising, I actually surpassed my goal and read 10! Here's a low-down on the books I read in 2009. I'd love to hear your thoughts on them too!

2009 Books:

Dear John by Nicholas Sparks
This book is a classic summer chick lit book that's about to be a big Hollywood film starring hot Channing Tatum in the spring of 2010. It's the story of a soldier who falls in love with a girl while he's home on leave visiting his father. The girl helps him come to grips with his father's Asperger's and he helps her find happiness and peace when her own world turns upside down. It's not a happy book, and it's fairly predictable, but it was a quick read and I'm looking forward to seeing the movie.

The Shack by William P. Young
The Shack was a huge bestseller last year that was being heralded everywhere I looked. So I had to read it. Perhaps it's just me, but I didn't get it. I felt like it was two different books. While I was captured by the events of the camping tragedy in the first half, I just could never make sense of the shack adventures in the second half of the book. This author has a true gift for vivid descriptions, but the book just wasn't inspirational at all to me like it seems to have been for other people. I just didn't get it.

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
Brian had I had heard about this teen vampire movie and rented it from Netflix just to see what all the hullabaloo was about... and we LOVED it! We are total Twilight series fans now! So, we actually read the movie before we read the book this time around. The movie follows the book quite closely, and while the writing style is young reader, the love story between Bella and Edward and the vampire action scenes are great. Go see the movie (I actually liked the movie more than the book)!

New Moon by Stephenie Meyer
Since I generally prefer reading the book before seeing the movie, I read New Moon before it came out in the movie theaters this winter. I really liked both, but as with Twilight, I probably preferred the movie a bit more. I thought that this book started off slow in the beginning, but the action in the later half more than made up for it. I really liked the love triangle between Bella, Jacob the werewolf, and Edward the vampire. Again, go see the movie if you haven't!

My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult
This was my first Jodi Picoult book, and I have to say, I think she is one of the most talented authors I've ever read. Her style is refreshing, her stories make you think and want to discuss with others, and she's known for her twists. While this book is an extremely difficult story to read since it's about a teen with cancer, a sister vying for medical emancipation, and their family that's trying so desperately to hold it together, it is powerful. It's a great book, and we thought the movie was done well too (but the book's better!).

Quo Vadis by Henryk Sienkiewicz
This was one of the most difficult books I've ever read in my life. First off, it's long and the first half of the book took me forever to get through. Then, just as I was about to put it down for good, the pace picked up fast. Then, I almost had to put it down in the second half because it was so extremely gruesome. It was about Rome during Nero's time and the persecution of the Christians. The deaths, described in detail, make you sick to your stomach. Yet, at the same time, the power of the story is indelibly written on your heart. I can't say I'd recommend it, but I know I'll never forget it.

Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri
This is a Pulitzer Prize winning collection of short stories that have a flavor of "India" in each one of them. I don't often read short stories, but I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed them. The stories are difficult and sad at times, but some of them are touching too. And they are realistic. I liked a few of the stories quite a bit more than the others... they just spoke to me in a way that the others didn't. They are quick reads and perfect for a book club.

Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
Neil Gaiman is a gifted author and audio book reader. I listened to this on audio book and was transported to the shadow "other world" of London Below. It's a dark tale with pretty sinister bad guys, but you really like the good guys and find yourself immersed in their quests and their adventure. Brian really loves this author and you'll recognize his style if you read another of his famous books (or saw the movie) Coraline.

The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown
What can I say, aside from the fact that Dan Brown is a gifted author. He writes gripping thrillers that keep you on your toes and teach you something fascinating that you didn't already know. I "read" this book via audio tape on my drives to/from work and it was hard to stop my iPod when I arrived. This is another tale with Robert Langdon that is set in Washington, D.C. and focuses on noetic science (fascinating) and the Masons. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend it.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
A strange title at first glance, but after you read a bit, it makes perfect sense. Reading this book was a little like indulging in a guilty pleasure. The book is literally a series of letters between the characters and they are written with such craft. It's a story about the Guernsey Islands (off Great Britain) following WWII, and it develops the characters well and makes you feel as though you learned something about the place, the time, and the people too.


Wicked by Gregory Maguire
The current Broadway hit Wicked is actually based upon a book by Gregory Maguire. It's the story of the Wicked Witch of the West, also known in the book as "Elphaba" or "Elphie". It's the story of how she grew up and came to be a "witch" and why appearances aren't always what they seem. This book has a lot of emotion, a lot of unique ideas and overall is a good read. I haven't seen the musical yet, but I can't wait to now!

Did you read any of the books I read? If so, what were your thoughts on them. And do any of you have suggestions on what I should put on my reading list for 2010?!

Tunnel Love

Brian's parents came over for dinner tonight and I just had to share these great photos. The first one is of a tender moment between Larkin and her Papa (and note the cute Harley Davidson jean dress she has on that her Papa bought for her). The second one is a cool shot we took of Larkin looking up through her crawling tube as it stood on its end!

MRI Christmas Party

Santa has been busy this year! For the second time this week, Larkin got to visit with Santa as he so generously showed up at my work's Christmas Party today. She'd started getting a little fussy while waiting her turn, so the photographer glanced over at us and said "I don't think she'll last very long on his lap..." Little did he know that she was being antsy because she WANTED to sit on his lap! And, as the pictures prove, she was happy as a clam as soon as she planted herself on his knee. Her hand is raised because she was waving "hello" to the camera man. I love it!

Our Staff Activities Committee really did a fabulous job. In addition to Santa, there was food, good company, and crafts of all types at a number of tables. The first picture below is of Larkin and Brian with two good friends of ours, Tom and Jen. Tom is like a surrogate dad to me at work.

An older girl put stickers on Larkin's cheeks and on the backs of her hands, so she now thinks that's the official place for stickers! One of the craft tables was full of stickers and the kids were supposed to put stickers on the background. Larkin thought it was so much fun! Here's the picture of stickers that Larkin did. Take a close look at Santa in the picture.... now look at the candle... yes, I swear, Larkin did it! We got a good chuckle from it, so it will be going in her memory book.

Goddard Christmas Party

For the second year in a row, we attended Larkin's school holiday party. Several of the classes get up on stage to sing toddler versions of Christmas carols and they are ridiculously cute. Then, everyone dives into the treats on the cookie table while waiting their turn for the big event... getting to see Santa! Given that Larkin is 18 months, we had heard from a number of people to expect that she would be scared of Santa. Nope, not our girl! Larkin started squirming, then wriggling, and then channeling a greased pig in her attempts to leap from her Daddy's arms to get to Santa! Thank goodness we were near the front of the line (I had staked out the joint early on so I would know where the line would be forming)! Larkin just LOVED Santa! As you can see from the pictures, she wasn't the least bit afraid, and actually was downright fascinated. If it hadn't been for the candy cane they gave her afterwards, I'm not sure she would have gotten off his lap!