Merry Christmas

Taken today:

This week in photos

This week was free at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

The Aquarium is about a mile away from our house so Ha Jyn and I made sure to hit it up often.

She is OBSESSED with fish and octopus. So the Aquarium is heaven for her. 

Celine came with us one day. Celine loved the huge fish and giant octopus. 

I love this picture. They both conked out on the way home. 

Ha Jyn resting after watching the Penguins swim. 

These cracked me up.

The Gingerbread house making party. 

Jason and Ha Jyn enjoying a some candy.

Actually it was more like a gingerbread house eating party.

Either way lots of fun and sugar for the kids and adults too.

 A little ice cream to top it all off.

Thanksgiving and the pre-christmas festivities

Thanksgiving was great. We started it off with a little parade in a big shirt.

 And ended it with a ton of great food! 

An action shot of Celine and Ha Jyn.

This year I am thankful for:

friends

family

companies that give employees good health care

Jobs 

people who give people without jobs, jobs

science 

medicine 

hope 

Monterey is crazy with free holiday activities.

I am slowly morphing into my mother and am taking 

Ha Jyn and Boo to all of them

The Monterey tree lighting party. 

These days Ha Jyn is crazy over fish and octopus. There was a balloon

man at the party. While most little girls came away with their princess and butterfly 

balloons, mine got a giant octopus. It was not a pretty day when her octopus 

had to be thrown out.

My noodle Queen

 One morning Ha Jyn  refused to leave for our run without her purse.

It goes so well with her cow hat! 

Yesterday at another free event. 

This one included petting zoo, Santa and fair and horse rides.

Ha Jyn was very timid at first with the animals. 

But towards the end warmed up to a huge bunny.

Boo preferred the mid-sized bunny, while I loved the tiny chicken. 

 Ha Jyn and Boo on the horse ride.

 A sneak peak at this years Christmas pictures.

We almost got her to look at the camera...almost.

 Tonight we walked down to watch the annual Christmas boat parade. 

The tiny triangles are actually boats.

The boats were a little far off for Ha Jyn to enjoy. 

Boo and I loved it. We decided to make it a tradition and to go next year.

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Re-crapping my crap goes furniture

I got really annoyed with the fact NONE of our furniture matched.

All of our furniture is either: given, craig listed or cheap ikea.

Having been out of college for some time I am a little past the mis-matched phase.

Anyways thirty dollars of paint later we have matching furniture.

Ha Jyn's pink and kelli green room. 

 Our red bedroom

Teal and brown living room.

Not pictured: our matching entertainment center. 

This is my color inspiration for the living room. 

Time to bring in the Orange! 

Now I am working on the wall decor.

I am just to lazy to paint the walls knowing that we will be moving in 

a couple years.

Any wall ideas? I am thinking removable wall decals, re-vamped

paintings from thrift stores etc. 

New York to see the New Niece Natalia

Ha Jyn and I got back from our New York trip last week.

Before my new niece was born my sister asked if I would want her to fly

Ha Jyn and I out to meet the new baby. It took half a mili-second to answer. 

We had a WONDERFUL time! 

Thanks so much to Jenn for flying us out and having such great kids!

I regret that I did not get even one close up of Natalia.

She is a great little baby. Now out of nowhere Ha Jyn will say, "I LOVE Baby Talia."

Ha Jyn loved sharing her toys with Baby Talia and pointing out her eyes, toes and fingers. 

I loved holding her and bribing her to let me be her favorite Aunt.

Annika and Ha Jyn pretending to go "night night" together. 

Annika Bannanika

The swings at the park right by Jenny's house. I am SO

jealous of all the great playgrounds Annika gets to play on.

Story time with Uncle Destin

Annika and Ha Jyn showing off the new way to eat.

 Nap time in Annika's new ride.

I came in one night to find Ha Jyn having fallen asleep with 

her sock on her hand. 

The babysitting party. Little kid apps with Uncle Justin and Destin working hard to entertain.

Relaxing after the kids went to sleep. 

Annika in SoHo

Matching Turkey shirts. 

Destin and Ha Jyn after my traditional stop 

at the Pearl River Mart. 

Saying goodbye to Destin.

Ha Jyn  hanging with a new friend at the "meet the Breeds" dog show.

Admiring Annika's new lion.

Prospect Park right before we had to leave.

Napping in the beautiful fall colors.

Trying to exhaust Ha Jyn before our last flight.