Sisters Retreat!!!

This year we had our sisters retreat in my backyard: Deer Valley! The first couple of years we had it at my aunt's beach house in So. CA. And it is right on the beach, you can't beat it. Last year we had in Austin TX. Which is where my aunt lives. It has been fun to change it up and it was really nice not to have to get a plane ticket anywhere.


This is my mom's sister, Deborah. Our very favorite hostess with the mostess. She also owns the cabin in Deer Valley. And when I say cabin- it is like nothing you have ever seen before. My Nana insisted on honoring her with a framed picture from our 2003 sisters trip at the beach house.

My mom - also known as where's waldo as of last week, and three of her sisters. Cinny, Annie and Deborah.

Cousins: Heather, Carrie, then me. We were all born just a couple months from each other. And my one and only sister that made it this trip- Jenny!! And lets not forget my cute aunt Whitney.

The sisters putting on quite the show for us.

Jenny and I hit up the bar at noon. And what do you know, we were the only ones there!

Hanging out with my uncle Mike, one of the two males who got to come up for a day. You can kind of see my Grandpa Pook reading his paper in the back.

Me and Heather. She was amazing and cooked huge delicious meals for us all every night.

Jenny and I out in the snow

we made some crafts

Aunt Annie the cutest little snow bunny ever

You get to ski right out the door!


Almost all of us. I went home just a couple hours after this. I want to thank all my sweet gal pals for the most wonderful time. I loved every moment of our tear shedding, movie watching, gallery hopping, Park city, Main street shopping, puzzle doing, pigging out at all hours, laugh attacks, learning that amazing crazy FUN game that I still laugh about to myself, doing NOTHING- but everything, going for walks, our very own yoga master, and hot tub lounging (which I can't believe I missed. I even packed TWO bathing suits. It just sounded so nice to sit in hot bubbly water and watch the snow fall). I just loved every single moment of it all, and I love you all so much. So thank you again. I am counting down the days till the next one, which just happens to be Nov. 2009! Lucky me. Can't come some enough! Love you xoxo

Happy Valentine's Day XO XO OX XO

We woke up to a snowy winter wonderland. Matty made us a sweet breakfast while I made little place settings. And for the first time ever we pulled out the china!


The kids were pretty giddy about the heart-shaped face pancakes. And for some reason having assigned seating makes it feel most definitely out of the ordinary, just makes them feel special that there is a seat made just for them.

Messy guy. Ate his chocolate chip pupils and called it a breakfast.

London! Our sweetest little cousin we had the pleasure to have her over night. She turned 5 on Monday. I love that before I even got out of bed she was dressed and ready for the day. Doesn't she look lovely?!

Little miss muffet, she ate her bacon lips (made mostly from egg whites and soy) and wouldn't touch anything else without loads of syrup.

Our Square Bear! Ate everything in a dash and was out of there. He is so easy! Happy Valentine's Day my little lovies and to all our friends and family~ We love you all so much and hope you are all sharing this day with who you love. xoxoxooxoxoxoxoxoxoxooxxoxooxo

Sundance Film Festival

Sundance!! We always make it at least once during the Film Festival. This year we really enjoyed it because no one was there. Usually it is packed to the max, can't find parking, a place to walk without getting run over. We got to walk on the sidewalk and stay in our little group.

Eating our sweet treats.

My family!!!

My honey getting us something warm to drink.

Last but surely not least. We got $100 for going to a meeting and eating food. The kids were stoked. We gave them their share and hit up the outlets. Just so happens the one toy store was going out of business. They each got a toy, but everything was 80% off so it only cost them like a buck. That money was burning a hole in their pocket so we then went to Harry and David's for some more goodies. Bella and I also got some sunglasses. Which I desperately needed and Bella already has a small collection. It was a happy day. We even ate dinner at Matt's favorite store - Whole Foods. I haven't even told you the best part yet. I ran into the Nard!!!! Thats right - Andy Benard! - from the greatest show ever, The Office. I didn't run into him in Park City but at the airport the day before which made me very excited to go to Sundance the next day. I was secretly hoping to run into him again. He kind of didn't say anything when I told him I loved him! I don't know, maybe I just read him wrong!!!

Oh, we're going to the Zoo, Zoo!

Do you want to come Too, Too? That's a song my mom would sing to us all the time. I love sharing it with my own kids. The sun was out, so, so were we! I know it still looks freezing in our pictures. But we really thought it had warmed up just for us. And we were not about to let it pass us by.

This little red panda was one of my favorites. Among the little monkey I thought was a baby. And a big hairy pig-like animal. At first I thought this was a fox and some little child who didn't look old enough to speak told me otherwise. You just got to love little kids. I didn't know she was talking to me at first, so she had to correct me a few times while I was calling the kids over to come look at this cute fox.

The boys checking out the zebras. I kind of felt bad for them. I always thought zebras lived in warm places. Am I wrong?

The pink ladies.

Oey and the baby bobcat! Too cute. I love watching them study the animals. The Zoo was a fun and easy place. The kids just love running from animal to animal, and there was no crowd. So we didn't have to worry about losing them.

Love having visitors and being the visitees

The first night back from Christmas break and Oey pulls this little stunt. He would get out of bed and join us in ours. That lasted for like a week and he just stopped doing it. Thank goodness.

Adie and Heather came to visit, right after we left them in Placerville. We had the most wonderful time. The one thing Heather wanted to do while here was take us all roller skating. It had been snowing all day so just getting there was an adventure in itself.

here we go. none of us were very good at first.

Jarom tried hard

We had a blast and kept saying how fun it would be to be snowed in at the roller rink.

And yes, they still do the couples skate. Me and my lovey.

Adie and Bella making snow angels, it just kept snowing and snowing.

Adie picking Jarom up from school.

night sledding

Oey and the snowman

They came down like a snow plow

It's a little scary when we first start. Adie and Heather left us and then we left to go to Bend OR.

We were so surprised to see no snow in Bend. They usually have more than us. It was nice and sunny. A good break for us.

This is Jenny in her play called Tina and Tony's Wedding. Matt and I had a ball, and laughed and danced our booties off.

Us with the star of the show.

A shoe tree on the way to Rustin and Suzi's in Baker City OR.

We stopped at the John Day Fossil Beds on the way. Bella in front of some petrified wood.

Jarom taking a look at Sheep Rock.