Halloween 2011

Halloween - this year represented a whole lot for us :)

Instead of the spooky, scary, tricks that Halloween can mean... instead of partying and the act of dressing up (for some its an excuse to dress with less clothes)... God blessed us and gave us a real meaning to Halloween. One that gives great happiness, treats, and sweetness. A very memorable one!

This year we invited Jay's parents over to my parents along with some friends to announce our big news. It's a GIRL!!! We haven't yet made any public announcements because this pregnancy is very delicate. This is our first outright display of our pregnancy with our 2nd child. And it feels so good to be able to blog about it. But for now I'm only keeping it on the blog, no public announcements, we're just not ready yet. After our next appointment - maybe.

We had an appointment early Halloween morning with our doctor who gave us the news that it is going to be another sweet precious little girl. Both of us are super super excited to be having another girl. Given the circumstances we're honestly happy to be having a baby and that it will be healthy. Since it was halloween we couldn't let the celebrating just be about candy and pumpkins. We decided to have a little gender revealing halloween party.

Jay's dad and stepmom came over to join us for dinner. I made a very yummy beefy harvest chili (it has butternut squash and pumpkin in it) along with halloween themed chips and homemade pumpkin spice chips, with salad. For dessert as you can see from the pictures above we had a chocolate yellow cake filled with pudding (yes, homemade - Jay and I decorated together!). It was a fabulous dinner celebrating our special little girl.

After dinner and announcing we did some more pumpkin carving and trick or treating. I only went to two of our neighbors houses since I'm not suppose to be walking around but I had to see Bri'elle treating just a little bit. This year she totally got it. We practiced with her a little bit teaching her she needs to say trick or treat when the person comes up to the door. It was so darn cute. She would say tik treat. Before we headed out the door to go get treating we had a couple treaters ourselves so I let Bri'elle help me. She was so cute handing them their candy with her hands full. If one fell she immediately picked it up to hand it to them. It was like she didn't want them to miss a single piece. When we went to our first neighbors house - who is my boss, Bri'elle says "tik treat" but instead of getting candy she tried to give them her candy from her little pumpkin bag. We all started laughing and figured it was because I had her help me with treating at our house. Bri'elle was so excited to be out treating and seeing all the other kids in their costumes. She was waving and talking up a storm to everyone. Needless to say, she had a good time.

Once they got back from trick or treating we headed over to my nana & papa's and then Jay's grandma (who unfortunately wasn't home) house so Bri'elle could show them her costume and get some last bit of treating done. She had a blast at my nana's house playing with this pole and trying to give the kitty cereal.

Halloween this year has been the best! We will definitely always remember this one! I hope everyone had a great one as well.

P.S. Bri'elles costume was mine when I was her age. Isn't that a trip or should I say a treat that I was able to share that with her.

New to my Blog World

The blog is really getting somewhere.......

Please let me introduce: Music to our blog!!!!

Yay!!! Slowly I'm learning new things that go into the blogging world. Pretty soon I hope to have this blog all up to speed. For now please enjoy the music as you tap into the blog.  Right now it is Christmas music to set the mood for the holidays that are just around the corner. I will change it up a bit every once in awhile adding new songs. Any suggestions?!?! Also please let me know if the player doesn't load for you when you open the page. I did a test run and it worked but that's usually how it starts. It works for the writer but when the reader tries it its a no go. Just leave a comment and I will try to fix it ASAP! I do have the sound default to start when you load it turned off as a courtesy so it won't startle you when the page loads. If you want to hear music while your reading and checking out the blog just scroll to the bottom of the page and press play.

Here and There.....

10-28-11

I've been everywhere but here..... 

As you can tell I've been catching the blog up since July from our family reunion, to August with lots of birthday celebrations, September full of Jay's life and Vegas, October celebrating a new joy. 

I'm hoping to catch it up a little more...then I will give an update blog post

I also want to try to design the blog a little better and open it up to be public. It's been such a hassle wanting people to read it with having it private. So hopefully I can learn some blogging tricks and have maybe a template made or something. Not sure if I have the energy to try and make everything so we'll see if I find some help in the blog world to get this rolling ASAP. I have added a button for our blog. Help yourself to post it on your own blog to help with some blog traffic. I appreciate it a bunch!

Below are some pictures from Here and There of random activities from the past couple months. They are taken from my camera phone :) something always on hand.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog! 

So serious Ms. Princess!

 She really fell asleep in the bath

 Getting some air from the sun roof. Don't worry we were parked and not moving. Both me and Jay were right there. I guess dogs aren't the only ones who like to stick there head out the window.

 The two belts Bri'elle insisted that daddy needed

 Playing with bracelets at the store. She loves playing with the "pretties".

On our way home from Monterey. Bri'elle fell asleep with her new friend.

Bri'elle hopped in the bath with all her clothes on to play with her toys. I guess that teaches us to not forget to drain the bath when she is finished. 

House sitting for grandpa & grandma Alfonso

Playing with her "stickers" which are mommies school supplies

 Mommy needed to get in on the action

 Where's Bri'elle?

My little princess decided she was going to hide with the other Princesses

 My handsome hubby the night before his birthday picking up his new suits

 Bri'elle went down the waterslide at a church picnic

 Yes, she really is putting deodorant on. She wants to put it on now, its so cute. I think it's because she watches me put it on in the mornings when I get ready.

 I have no clue where she think she's going getting ready. This was so funny. She was watching my sister get ready and wanted some of her mousse. All of a sudden Bri'elle starts doing her own hair.

One day I was doing Bri'elles hair and thought I would do her pigtails differently not realizing that her hair would actually stand up like pippy long stocking. I was laughing so hard when I did the first one Bri'elle kept looking at me like I was a mad woman until I finished and showed her mommy's masterpiece.

Another look at her new hair-do. Oh and my sister said that she wasn't going to take Bri'elle anywhere unless I took them out. So they lasted a whole 10 minutes until they left to get lunch.

 This is such a horrible picture of me but I thought it was funny. The things you learn to do while your on bed rest.

 And one of my favorite candy's. I found Jay's work stash for his candy dish. I really only had one.

 This is Bri'elles idea of breakfast in bed. haha! So sweet!

When Jay took Bri'elle with him running errands she found a feather that she is now trying to use on me to give me a tattoo. 

Bri'elle was in the garage with grammie and next thing my mom knows Bri'elle climbed up and got in the changing table that is storing her old toys. I guess she wanted to play with them. 

 Marshmellow sucker thanks to Auntie

 Feeding her babydoll

Bri'elle said slumber party, so I guess thats what that is.

Bri'elle the butterfly

 Fly away my little butterfly

 This is so precious. She wanted to care for her baby. First by putting lotion on her. She put it on her hands and feet.

 And then she put a diaper on her. It was so cute watching her do this.

At nana and papas taking care of her baby there.

 Papa stepped on a nail and was soaking his foot. Bri'elle wanted to soak her foot too. Then she put her toy fishes in the water. And now papa is teaching her how to fish for fish.

 Bri'elle and papa's feet soaking

Grandma De took Bri'elle to the park when she was watching her and sent me this picture.