Day 3 in Carmel...

Brooke planned something fun for us to do and something beautiful for us to see every single day.

Day 3 was spent driving along the coast and seeing some of the most amazing views I have ever seen.

We walked a trail that ran right along the ocean.

This little cove was called China Beach.

Spelunking in the cave.

Brookie, Edie and me...

Bixby Bridge is in the background of this picture.

A cookie and a nappie.

We went to a cafe for lunch and sat outside while eating delicious bacon and blue cheese hamburgers. Then we headed to Lover's Point.

Yet another beautiful place. Can you imagine living in one of those houses?!? I could get used to waking up there everyday.

It was a windy day and wind=tongue out for Indie.

We drove along the coast to Asilomar. I honestly could have sat there all day watching the waves crash into the rocks. It was spectacular.

To be continued...

Carmel by the Sea...

Days One and Two...

For Tony's Spring Break we decided we wanted to go on a real vacation. We called my cousin Brooke and asked if we could come visit her and her family in their beautiful home in Carmel, California. She, being the sweetest person ever said yes, of course. So we packed up and headed to warmer weather.

On Saturday, March 20th we left for the halfway mark...Reno, Nevada. We were hoping to get out of our house by 10 a.m. but in our typical fashion didn't leave until 1:30 p.m. About an hour into the drive both the girls were whining so much Tony found these earplugs and tried to drown out the noise. We were wondering what we had gotten ourselves into.

Thank goodness for portable dvd players. What did people do on road trips without these puppies?!?

We arrived in Reno at about 9 p.m. The normal 5 or 6 hour trip turned into almost 8 hours for us with all the stops and breaks we had to take. So goes traveling with kids. We stayed at a nice little Courtyard Marriot Hotel far enough from downtown Reno that it wasn't ghetto.

Dad and the girls playing around.

Notice our smiling faces...had we known we were in for one of the top 5 worst nights we've ever had with Indie we would not have been smiling. Seriously, I'm not sure what happened but it was awful. Poor Tony wandered the halls of the hotel and drove around town with her so I could get some sleep. We literally debated turning around and heading for home, it was that bad. Luckily we decided to power through.

Edie's tub cribby was a lifesaver. Thankfully, she slept like a champ.

An early morning swim.

Could Eden's smile get any bigger?!? I mean, honestly, she is the cutest little bug ever.

Indie is in a sleep deprived haze.

Bathing beauties...

Five minutes after we got into the car Indie was dead asleep...you've got to sleep sometime right Ind?!?

After another long day of driving, stops and breaks we finally made it to Carmel, right in time for Sunday dinner. We spent the evening settling in and planning out the week.

More to come...

Indie Marie turns 3...

Our little girl is not so little anymore...

Indie turned 3 on March 19th and I honestly can't believe it has already been three years since she joined our family. We celebrated with our closest family and friends.

The Decor: A throw back to Hello Kitty...

The Menu: A smorgasbord of cakes, cupcakes and ice cream...

I've been working with Indie for the last few months on blowing out candles but she is just too mesmerized with the heat from the flame to want to blow out the fire. She gets close enough to feel the heat and then accidentally blows out the candle with her breath. Hey, whatever works, right?!

I love these pictures, Tony even caught the smoke...

Cousin Beck...

Eden and Eliza...

The birthday girl with grandma Smith...

Indie recently learned how to hold up two fingers, one on each hand, when we asked her how old she was. Now we go and throw another year in there, so here she is holding up two and one...kind of. We'll keep working on that.

Opening her gifts...

The guests...

The loot...

We were grateful to have so many people there to celebrate with us. Indie was spoiled as usual so thank you to everyone.

We are beyond blessed to have Indie in our family. She brings a special spirit into our lives and into our home. Anyone that meets her can attest to that. She is an incredible girl and I couldn't be more proud or honored to be her mother.

I love you Boozer.

1st day of pre-school...

Indie had her first day of pre-school on March 17th, St. Patrick's Day. She is in a program called "young 3" at a local elementary where she will finish out the school year with other kids that just turned 3 years old. School will be held twice a week for an hour and a half. I think this will be a perfect transition for her into longer class time next fall.

Here is our big girl, dressed in green and ready for her big day, back pack and all.

She had a small meltdown about 5 minutes before we walked out the door. I hadn't scheduled out our day very well and she had missed her nap so I thought we were hosed.

Once we got to the school she calmed right down. She headed into class and never looked back. I had to hold back the tears. I am so proud of Indie.

Her teacher is adorable and said she did great.

All that schooling makes a girl thirsty.

Sorry for the picture overload but I thought they were all so darling.

All tuckered out on the way home.

Due to spring break, vacation and sickness, Indie missed a few weeks so tomorrow will be her second day. I am really excited for this next step, and I think Indie will continue to grow and learn during this new adventure.

No itch here...

On February 22nd, Tony and I celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary.

We kept hearing about the so-called "7 year itch" and the issues that came along with seven years of marriage. To be honest, this was probably one of the more difficult years we've dealt with. We both voluntarily quit our jobs, moved from a home to a basement apartment, added another child and Tony started pursuing a graduate medical degree. The latter has brought about hours and hours of homework and hours and hours of Tony being away from us.

Despite the difficult life changes we have only grown closer as a couple and as a family.

I cannot believe it has already been 7 years and yet I honestly can't remember life before Tony...sometimes I can't even remember life before kids. Anyways, a lot has happened in 7 years. We've lived in 3 homes, we both graduated college, we added two beautiful daughters to our family and we have made so many memories along the way.

I am beyond grateful that Tony and I have each other.

Every other year we take turns planning a little anniversary getaway. It was Tony's turn this year and he didn't disappoint. He talked me into leaving the girls for two, that's right two, nights, and whisked me away to Vegas and Mesquite. Thankfully his wonderful mother agreed to babysit so I felt perfectly at ease. Thanks Kim!

Turns out my cousin Cortney and her husband Rodger were going to be in Vegas the same weekend so they invited us to stay with them for a night. We stayed at The Wynn Encore and let's just say it was pretty sweet. Probably one of the nicer hotels I've ever stayed in. Thanks Cort and Rodgie!

We took full advantage of being "childless" and walked up and down the entire strip...no strollers, no diaper bags. We went out to eat and actually had time to just talk. It was magical.

The bathroom had a vanity where I could powder my nose while watching t.v.

Cort and I were just kicking back.

Rodger was taking care of a little business...hey, someone had to pay for this sweet room.

Inside the Venetian.

We went to a killer sushi restaurant called RA. I highly recommend it.

We said goodbye to our friends and headed to Mesquite.

The weather could not have been any better for our round of golf at The Palms.

It was so nice to get away but it was also nice to get back to my girls.

Thank you baby for an amazing time.

I love you.