Monkeys

For Thanksgiving, we enjoyed a trip to LA to have dinner with Jip's Uncle Pablo's family. 30 or so people broke bread (and two turkeys) with each other. The kids had other little ones to play with and we enjoyed light conversation with some fine folks. We were so glad we went.

On Friday, we headed to Indio to have lunch with Jip's grandparents. We picked up some Mimi's Cafe curbside (I love that I could place my order on my phone with just a few clicks on their mobile site!) and ate outside since it was such a beautiful day. We were there less than 2 hours, but I think RJ and Ryleigh totally wore Paul and Anita out with all their running around. Still, I think everyone enjoyed themselves.

The kids needed to burn more energy before the three hour car ride home, so we found a nice park (thanks again, iPhone!) and let the kids play hard. They were both enamored with the monkey bars.

I used the "burst" function on my phone to capture RJ in action. Nifty, huh?

Don't worry--he was fine!

Both kids slept hard on our drive home. It was a great trip all around and they were terrific travelers, as usual.

Christmas Parade

RJ's school had a little part in the Otay Ranch Town Center Christmas Parade on Saturday. Other than having to show up an hour before the parade began (Um, hello? Little fidgety kids, desert chill, and no bathrooms nearby do not mix well.), it was a fun experience for him.

Ryleigh liked the fire trucks and the dogs.

RJ loved handing out candy canes. He liked watching all the people watching him. He immediately said he wanted to do it again.

Moments

A few times over the last few weeks, Jip and I have taken time to say to each other how grateful we are for healthy, happy children. They may not sleep well (thus we don't sleep well) and they may be pills at times, but they are thriving. Various friends and friends of friends have been struggling with their children's health problems, and worse, the loss of a child. We send them our warmest thoughts and love.

We thank our lucky stars for the big and small moments with RJ and Ryleigh. Here are a few photos of some small moments over the last week or so.

You Know You're Near the Mexican Border If...

1) when you enter the freeway, you hope to see a plate with "Baja Mexico" as the state, as they tend to drive more politely and will let you in.

2) you go for a Sunday drive on the back roads and you come across a Border Patrol truck that has parked and the ATV it was hauling is off searching old cow paths for illegals.

3) you get a welcome text message on your cell phone from a Mexican carrier, telling you all about the costs of texts and calls while you are in Mexico--but your phone hasn't left the house for three days.

4) you do a search for the closest Friday's on their website, and the closest one is this one:

Yep--the closest Friday's is in Tijuana.

Buenos Noches!!

Sunny Safari

After a delicious breakfast, we headed north to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. It was a beautiful and quite warm day. We enjoyed walking around, a tram ride, lunch, and more while we were there.

I think the Papas had as much fun as the kiddos. And, I bet the Papas are almost as tired as the kiddos--I know I am!

We didn't get to see all of the park, so a return trip is definitely necessary!

Fun with the Papas

Grandma and Grandpa Downey are visiting! They were kind enough to bring out a daybed and trundle and a playhouse that the M girls outgrew. We are so grateful for the additions to our playroom and our backyard!

Of course, the big purpose of the visit is to see Ryleigh and RJ. Grandpa brought his Catrike and has been having fun with the kids. Yesterday and today, he attached Ryleigh's wagon to the bike and slowly toted her around. RJ has also ridden his bike with Grandpa around the neighborhood a couple times.

Today we went to John's Incredible Pizza for lunch. It's like a Chuck E Cheese, but with better food. The kids had a great time and I had to promise to return soon!

RJ actually played a few games. Ryleigh played a couple, too--with lots of help. Ryleigh was more interested in all the lights and sounds, but I'm sure that won't last. We left with four plastic dinosaurs and two exhausted kids.

More fun to come in the next couple days!

Another Birthday Photo Shoot

It was Ryleigh's turn for a birthday photo shoot last week.  It feels like we just did RJ's, but that was over 3 months ago!

We met our photographer at Lower Otay Lake.  It had been raining almost all day--I know, weird for San Diego--so, we decided to try to time our shoot with a predicted break in the weather.  Not only did the rain break, but it was super sunny.  So, our pictures are a little lighter than we (or our photographer) would have liked, but so it goes.

Of course, Ryleigh wasn't much in the mood for taking pictures.  But, I think we still got a few cute shots.  Enjoy!!