the smell of garlic...

As soon as we drove into the Gilroy California area...(even with the windows rolled up) GARLIC filled our nostrils.  I love the nostalgic feeling of driving 'home'.
 (my adopted home-Marty's real home)



The {9} hour drive!  Kids were decent. 
Can't really complain about them...I just had a hard time- I hate driving!



Finally at GRANDMAS house!  Charlie got a
 kick out of Anthony(my nephew)...they were little buds:)

We went to Phil's Fish Market (sits right on the coast) on Wednesday....YUM.
{real seafood, says Marty}

It is always a 'treat' to eat here.  I ordered the wrong thing (of course) and salivated over everyone else's food.  Raquel let me eat some of her 'seafood sliders' - SO good.

Then of course we hit the beach next...what a gorgeous day! 
 It was perfect weather.

{Brothers}



So relaxing.  I wish I could live on the coastline...
except for all the sand I'd find in my kids' crevices:)



A little sea crab...

Time to go...

Thanksgiving day was spent with Grandpa Lee and Merry at the
Monterey Bay Aquarium...

Yes, Liam almost dove-in to reach the sting ray's...he wanted to touch one so bad...he finally did but to the expense of his shirt sleeve!

The kids loved their Grandpa time!

We ate our Thanksgiving feast at a seafood place in Monterey...I had a salmon sandwich w/sweet potato fries....hmmm

Ruby lost her first tooth on Thanksgiving!!!!  YAY.
  She's been wanting to lose a tooth for months now...it finally came true.

On Friday, we ate the 'real' feast with everyone at Raquels house.
(we couldn't on Thursday cuz they were with their 'other' family)

I cut out Kim's beautiful face!  The little one's ate in the other room.

More signs that we need to get a dog....Charlie was in heaven with this thing!

These two were a riot.  Always stripping down.  They did a small performance for Thanksgiving.  Pilgrims and Indians. 

I love their sleeping pics...too funny.  They did great on the floor each night.  Grandma made us steeled oats in the mornings...my new fav.

Beautiful hike to Uvas on Saturday. 

My sis-in-laws! Love them, I am so lucky. We missed you Echo and Becca.

This place was incredible.

Back at Raquels...

What a beautiful sunset. 

I hate when it's our last night...:(

Best way to end the trip.  A lizard caught at Grandpas!


 And best way to end this post is with the best recipe ever...for an appetizer/snack

Cranberry Dip

2 blocks cream cheese

1 cup sugar
1 cup cranberries (chopped finely)
3 green onions (chopped)
2 T cilantro (chopped)
1 -2 jalapenos (chopped finely)


Mix the cranberries and sugar. Let sit while you chop and mix all the green ingredients.
Gently stir the green ingredients with the cranberry mix. Place the cream cheese on a plate or platter. Pour the dip over the cream cheese and garish with a little chopped cilantro.


Dip with crackers or baguette bread.  I like with Wheat Thins:)

i heart it, really much...

I love Saint George!  This is what I woke up to one morning
on my run at the end of our street. 
 BEAUTIFUL. 
{Fog reminds me of being in California when we visit Marty's family}

I kept telling Marty how sad I was because I didn't think there was
 a 'FALL' here.  My FAVORITE time of year.  The leaves hadn't
 changed yet and it was Halloween and I was getting worried. 
But now that has ALL changed  There are reds and yellows everywhere! 
 It is gorgeous with the red rock landscape and Spanish style homes...
I am happy again.  And at peace.

We went on a hike Monday for FHE and, other than it getting dark
at 5:30 pm (boooo!),  it is perfect temps right now. 
 Kids are still walking and riding their bikes to school everyday.  I love it. 
November is amazing here,... stunning,... perfect.
This shot doesn't do the fall leaves justice...there are some areas with
 such contrasting colors-I want to just sit and stare,
all day long and soak up FALL. 

I don't know what to say about this little monster...he is becoming such
 a little person, talking and walking and screaming. 
 I can't imagine my life w/out him.

I had to insert these 'cold' pictures...we went up north to see family this last
 weekend and it snowed!  While it was super pretty and the kids loved it...I
 had no intentions of venturing outside in it and was perfectly happy to
leave it when we came home:)  Yes, I will miss having a white
 Christmas but I won't miss any of the aftermath...
(I don't pretend not to miss my family though)

Plus, we can see the snow anytime...just make the trip up north!  Right?!

Another thing I 'heart' lately about this place, is these hot air balloons we've been seeing right outside our door step most mornings.  What a sight they are!

This one 'landed' between the time I took Ruby to school and back. 
We saw the top of it as we were driving back and Liam and I played detective following the 'bubble' above the housetops...come to find out, it landed right in our neighborhood...
SO fun!

2 Frightening Days...

1. Halloween-here they are ready to rock n' roll!

We trick or treated with some friends. 
This little one Karlin has ALWAYS got Charlie attached to her somehow!
  Usually on her skinny little hip.  I swear they probably weigh close to
 the same amount...I love when she's around!



Spooky Spider:)



Liam's best buddy, Trevor, was also an incredible!  What tuff stuff they are as a team.

Our neighborhood is SO fun at Halloween.  The streets are packed with kids.  One family(Drapers) had a BBQ out front of their house offering anyone and everyone -hot dogs, chips and soda.  They had 'How to Train Your Dragon' playing from their projector onto the garage with chairs set up for the kids.  It was such a nice break from running around to just sit and rest for a bit:)  The weather was awesome!  Perfect temperature.  The other picture is a guy from our ward that is always the 'Headless Horseman' in our neighborhood.  He rides around and around on Halloween night; fascinating all the kids.  LOVE it.

Oh yeah...the LOOT. 
 Charlie's first real experience to divulge and not be restrained...
can you tell he was beside himself?

2. The Snow Canyon Half on November 5th in St. George.  My 3rd half marathon!  It was BEAUTIFUL.  Such a gorgeous run through Snow Canyon.  Thanks to Ricki for training with me and pushing me to get ready for it.  I achieved my PR!  (1:44).  It was so exciting and excruciating...all at the same time:)

The weather this day was NOT perfect.  It was FREEZING.  Marty and the kids came to see me finish-poor babies were not happy about the blistering wind.  They didn't last very long and I was ready to hit a HOT bath ASAP. 

visitors and fall fun!

We had THIS going on whilst my sister and her family were enroute to our house!  {REALLY?}  We've never had strep in our household- what immaculate timing.



Soooo, they rented a hotel for two-unplanned nights in a row and we finally spent some time (kidless) Friday for dinner...which was way fun and then we went hiking with them and our kids on Saturday.  It was 24 hours after the antibiotics...so we were in the safe zone:)



The cousins were in heaven when they FINALLY got to see each other.  It was like torture to tell them they were in town but at a hotel!

We hiked at red rock again.  It was different then a month ago when we went w/our friends.  There was water in the pools this time...cold water , but water just the same and kids have to get wet when they see water.

Finally a little glimpse of FALL in ST. GEORGE. ha!  It was beautiful with the red rock background.

Morgan is Ruby's favorite!  She adores her.  Morgan held Ruby's hand most the way back to our car.  Needless to say, Courtney could have used that hand holding- she was so brave when we were swimming...but, cried the entire trek back.  Poor thing was cold and tired.



We went to Staheli Farms for Liam's pre-school class field trip.  Charlie tagged along and spent his time massaging the goats behind and chasing this stray chicken....little stink!



Liam's class...we do a joy-school type thing and switch off teaching every 5 weeks...works out pretty nicely!  The kids showing off their loot from a package from Grandma Sharon and Ric and then days later they got another from Grandpa Lee and Merry...spoiled!  Why trick or treat?

Yes, the incredibles AGAIN.  I know, I know...lame.  But the kids loved it and it wasn't lame to St. Georgian folk...they didn't know us last year!  Liam won a cupcake at the ward cake walk...he was so thrilled.

Charlie was the MAN at handing out candy at the trunk or treat...he picked up the slack from Marty.

Next we had Jared and Ingrid come for the weekend.  We went to Zion's with them.  It was so GORGEOUS>  This is a little stop on the way.  Kind of fun.

We got to feed the animals some carrots...if you look closely in the 'jail' picture above this one...Charlie ate his own-

More leaves!  yay!  I LOVE FALL still. 

After our hike we spent some time by the river...so relaxing, and did I mention beautiful?

We had a little Hallo party at Tasha's on Sunday.  Bobbing for apples and a cake walk...you can't go wrong with the kids!

Marty had to show them how it was done.  They'd never done it before...it took a while to get the hang of it and a lot of 'wetness' to finally accomplish the task!

Liam did it next!  Ruby got it too, but cheated a little by biting the stem, or she was smarter than the others... not sure?

Charlie, well he just got wet... and loved every minute of it.