Merry Jesus Day

.

I know it's been way too long...life goes by so fast and really if I am not doing something with the kids then I am either sleeping or cleaning the house:-) Blogging is my time to do something I enjoy which I don't get to do often. I hope all of you are enjoying this time with family. Brian and I were talking last night about the true meaning of Christmas and how life gets filled with such meaningless stuff around the holidays that we forget that it's Jesus' birthday! I have instilled that in Aria over the last couple of weeks as talks about Santa and presents become a daily routine. I remind her that it's not about that at all but about the birth of Jesus and that because of that we need to humble ourselves this time of year to do something for others, and more specifically for those less fortunate. To give to those in need, as God gave us Jesus because we needed to be saved! So my prayer is for all of you to remember the true meaning of Christmas and to praise the only one worthy of praise this year and all year long. I know we have all been blessed, even though we have struggles throughout the year, God is so faithful and always gives us comfort whether we are in a good time or a bad time in our life. All you have to do is look up, look around, and He is everywhere. I was reading a devotional this morning and I really liked this portion of it:


"He was born, so we would believe; He died, so we would live; He rose, so we would rise! Therefore, in humility and with pride, boldly keep Christ in Christmas. His birth is your excuse to brag on Jesus."

Brian and I are preparing for a nice quite Christmas. We really miss our family in CA and wish we could be with you. It doesn't feel quite the same without all of my family and Brian's Uncle Johnny that lives in Los Angeles. I really miss my big family gatherings on my Dad's side of the family. For all of the Monell's reading this....I remember the good days and I cherish those days in my heart. What fun it was growing up and having Christmas and Thanksgiving with my cousins, their animals, and just all the chatter of the adults at the table. Diving in to the delicious meals made by my aunt. But for now I enjoy the holidays embracing the family I do have, the wonderful children I have, the beautiful house I have, the great husband I have and of course the great Lord I have for without Him none of this would be possible.

So this week, baking I go....today I am going to make Ina Garten's sour cream coffee cake. I have not made this often and I would like to start coming up with my own version so I am going to play around with her recipe. It got 5 stars...can't wait. But funny thing I noticed is that there is no coffee in it:-) I will fix that!

Aria has school till Wednesday and then she is home till the 3rd. Christmas blessings to all of you! I am posting pictures from Thanksgiving which I forgot to do.

After our meal and a board game Brian, Tom and Matt played music in the family room! Kids had a blast.

Tom (Brian's co-worker who joined us) is on Brian's electric guitar while Brian and Lance sang. I just love those blue eyes!


Lance like the microphone as you can see.

Tom and Daddy playing together. What a treat, they played really well. Tom is a great player and knew some great songs.

Thanksigving dinner...I made everything myself except for the sweet potatoe dish. I made roast turkey, cranberry compote, green bean dish and my cheesy garlic pop overs. It all came out fantastic, and I was very proud. I was pretty nervous as always...I anticipate that first bite and wait for the guests' reaction. It was good!

Brian, Jason and Shari's hair. Jason is Aria's godfather and Brian's best friend. His brother Matt and his wife joined us with their son Elijah. They recently moved to the area for a job from Atlanta. It was really nice to have a full house.

Here is the apple pie I made...turned out great!

Here is my double chocolate cheese cake I made with blueberries on top! Everyone said this was the best. I have to agree but still some tweeks I would like to make to it.

I caught the boys sleeping together one night. We recently bought Kaden a bed so that Lance could sleep in the crib and he kept going to Lance's room. This time I caught him. What a sight. I did end up putting him back in his bed and he stayed. How sweet they are....I LOVE my kids.

Just An Apple A Day Keeps the Doctor Away!

Last Friday the kids and I took Grandma and Grandpa to Crooked Run Orchard in Purcelville. It's a great farm that has been growing local produce for over 200 years! It's free and all you pay for is the food you buy. I normally come here for apples but one of these years would like to catch the blackberries. We left late morning and when we got there we ate lunch at the picnic table and then headed up the hill, literally, with our pails, like Jack and Jill but we went to fetch apples:-) It was fun, and this was Kaden's first time picking apples. The last time we went to this place, Kaden was a few months old. I got some great pics....Of course I had to get up into the trees to get the really good apples! And I put Kaden in the tree to help. Aria was a little scared to go up so high but she went up the first branch and did a great job. It didn't take long to get two buckets full of apples. We picked Gala...those are one of my favorite. Just as we finished the second bucket, lots of kids came in on a bus. So we headed back to pay for the apples and even picked up some of the farms picked butternut and acorn squash! MMMMM Good.

I am sure there is some truth to that nursery rhyme! Either way, my second favorite season is coming near; Autumn! And with Autumn comes cooler days, colorful leaves, fresh apples and many days going to the local farms for lots of fun! Nothing sweeter than fresh food right off the farm! MY FAVORITE!

First thing we did was eat lunch...

Yes it was a bit cool that morning but oh it felt so good after all of our hot summer days!

Kaden sitting next to Papa enjoying his PB&J sandwich.

Aria picking Gala apples...each bucket is about 8lbs and at $1 each can't beat that!

Kaden got the hang of it and did a great job picking the ripe apples.

Kaden had lots of fun...

Heading back to the parking lot to pay for our apples....ahhhh what a great shot! Kaden loves to help Papa.

Kindergarten already?

Wow 5 years goes by fast...Aria had her first day at school yesterday! What a whirlwind of a day. I got up late, and then rushed to dress and feed Aria to get her to the bus stop by 7:15am. Of course I had the other two kids in tow. Then I spent some much needed 1-1 time with Kaden. He made his favorite banana crumb muffins, and if you want the recipe let me know, they are amazing. He literally did everything except level the measurements, and spoon the batter in the tins! He did such a good job and it was fun for both of us. Then at 11am we all headed to the end of our street to pick up Aria. I hear some schools go all day for Kindergarten but not Pinebrook; number 6 in the state and last I heard number 5 in the nation I guess they know what they are doing.

Aria had a great first day of school and loves it! So do I for that matter:-)

Aria going to first day of Kindergarten...she took her packback off and said it was too heavy. She had a lot of stuff to take to class her first day.

Kaden getting ready to mix the batter...camera shy little guy!

He is a natural in the kitchen, he must get that from me:-)

My handsome little chef.



Ta Da! All set to go, and ready to bake!

Mmmm fresh hot muffins out of the oven...he had to blow on it before indulging.

There they are, these were fantastic! Very moist, with a crumb topping, oh so good. In fact they are almost all gone!

Happy 34th My Dear Husband

Yep he finally caught up to me, we are both 34 now! Geez don't tell me it goes down hill from here. I feel like I am at my peak and it can only get better, and I only pray the same for Brian. Brian is my best friend, has been ever since we met back home in San Diego. If you have not heard the story how we met, it's pretty cool, too long to go into now.

Brian is genuine, loving, honoring, fun, funny, adventurous, hard working, a great husband and a great father. I am thankful and proud to have him as my husband and I pray that God will bless you with another great 34 years! Happy Birthday Brian and thank you for being such a great provider, leader, father and husband to your family and those around you. We love you!

Brian and Aria in fire truck in Lewes, DE on our vacation there in 2008.

Daddy and Aria at Busch Gardens, Williamsburg, in 2008.

Brian and Lance taking a break...in our driveway:-) After Aria and Kaden traced his body with chalk.

Brian and Aria...taking her on her first ride on Monday this week. Just down the street to the grocery store.

Ahhh at home after work on Tuesday, chilling out with the kiddos!

My 1st Prince is 2!

The little guy made it to 2 on July 26th...Kaden that is:-) What a trooper he is and what fun he has been this last year as he transitioned from just walking to running and playing with his big sister. His favorite things are playing with cars and making the vroom vroom sounds. He also loves to read books. If I had the time I am sure he would sit in my lap for hours just listening to me read. He is fun, spontaneous, loving (except when Aria and him disagree on sharing a toy), and full of giggles and smiles. This last year has been a great one! Thank you Kaden for all the hugs, and love you have given all of us this last year and we are so looking forward to another year to come!

We LOVE you Kaden and Happy 2nd Birthday!

This is the pull apart car cake I made. I was trying to get the frosting a red color but I guess I didn't add enough drops. Owell. Still came out great. It was a chocolate cake with a cream cheese frosting...homemade of course!

After cake and presents we headed out to the porch to visit with family. Aunt Shari, Auncle Rocco, Aunt Blanche, and Grandma and Grandpa. Thanks everyone for coming out and celebrating with us!

This is Brian's Aunt Blanche whom came down all the way from Watertown, CT with Uncle Rocco!

Aria and Kaden took the bubble wrap that we had and placed it on the ground of the porch and were running back and forth for about an hour enjoying the sounds of the POP from the bubbles popping. It was a lot of fun to watch them both enjoy such a cheap form of entertainment!

Outta Here!

It's been hot, hot, hot here in Virginia and Brian and I wanted to get away for a little vacation. We decided to head to Deep Creek Lake, Maryland. It's about 3 hours from us and although we don't have a boat, we heard there was great hiking, waterfalls, and kayaking there so off we went. First I have to tell you, we rented a cabin off of the vrbo.com website and just a warning for anyone that does rentals, make sure you look for AC! I booked a cabin for us and didn't think to ask the owner if it had AC, figured that was a standard these days. When we got there the cabin was really hot and after looking for an AC unit we realized the place didn't have one. So we opened all the windows and doors to cool it down. So the only negative thing about our trip was lack of sleep due to no AC. The kids slept in the basement where it was cooler but Brian and I were upstairs where it was warmer and the temperature didn't cool down till dew point which was around 3am. I know because I was awake!

Somehow we mustered energy to play with the kids all day and keep them occuppied. We had a lot of fun going on the hikes and exploring this area. We would definitely go again but next time, I will make sure the rental has AC! At least if we go during the warmer months. This area has a ski resort called WISP in the winter. I am not a winter sport person so you won't find me there unless I am there to cheer Brian on the snowboard.

Hope you enjoy the pics. The kids had a great time....it was great to be out in such beautiful country.

First day there, we headed to Swallow Falls State Park; home of 5 waterfalls all on one hike. Here Brian is standing at the top of Muddy Creek Falls.

Lance really enjoyed the hike too! Swallow Falls is home to the hemlock trees. Don't know much about them but they are very pretty and the oldest one is around 300 years old. They are not giant like the sequoia but they are pretty and provided a nice canopy of shade for us summer hikers.

Daddy found a little inlet near a small gap in the rocks. Lance liked the sound of the falls too. He was quite the whole time.

Kaden and I doing some rock exploring...behind him is Muddy Creek Falls.

This is just a small rapid on the river along the hike.

One day we took the kids to Smiley's which is a place that has bumper boats, batting cage, go karts, mini golf and more. This was Aria's first time at one of these and she did great! Even got a hole in one!

All by herself! Go Aria!

Thursday, the grandparents came up to stay with us for one night and we took them out kayaking on the lake at Herrington Manor State Park. Perfect for the kids, it was very calm and we didn't have to worry about being near boats.

Kaden being camera shy, he wouldn't let me take a picture of him!

Lance and I. I took off with everyone else and he was hungry so out I went to feed him. By the time he was done, everyone else was at the far end of the lake. I got in and paddled fast. I think the noise of my paddles put him to sleep, either way he missed the whole adventure. We found several coves with lots of beaver dams, it was cool. Owell maybe next time he will be awake.

Grandma and Grandpa Valletta...they had fun too!

Ahh there is my doll, she had a great time too. She loves skimming her hands on the water.

There they are...my beautiful family:-) Proud mommy!

Daddy and Aria hiked behind Muddy Creek Waterfall...there were tons of swimmers there that day. And it seemed to be a big place for locals to come and swim. This was our second time there. We wanted to take Grandma and Grandpa there too, but this time we wore our bathing suits.

OUT. I was tired from not sleeping, Lance was tired because well that's what babies do, and the rest of them were tired from being in the water. And yes we are all on a rock. It didn't bother me much obviously. Poor Lance got a little too much sun on his nose after this nap I had to put aloe on his little face. Sorry Lance!

Happy Birthday Aria!

Ahhh I remember this day 5 years ago...in the hospital around 10pm and out came Aria at 5:42am. She was precious and I didn't want to see her grow up. I still don't for that matter, but of course God's plan for the little bundle was to grow up against my will:-) And grown she has in to a beautiful little lady that loves horses, barbies, playing with friends, and spending time with Mommy and Daddy. The years go by so fast and because of that I fear how the fast the next 5 years will go. But for now, I try to cherish the moments I have with her, despite the time that her brothers take up. I love to watch her sleep in those peaceful moments and try to imagine the lady that she will become. My prayer every day is that she has a compassionate heart towards all those around her and that she walks on God's path all the days of her life. Aria, your Daddy and I are so proud of you and love you so much....to our dear and precious daughter we are so glad you are our princess and we hope you had a great birthday!

Getting ready for the party...hanging up the birthday sign that I made thanks to some help from Aunt Nova.

The table before it got messy:-)

Eating pizza with Daddy; we had two girls and two boys. Both were neighbor friends that Aria plays with often.

Here are the girls, left to right; Olivia, birthday girl, and Sonya.



I made my first tier cake, I made the buttercream that morning and I was rushed through it. Thank goodness I made the cake the night before...it was ok, I didn't get the colors I wanted too because I divided the buttercream too large. I should have made smaller portions to dye. Owell I learned a lot this time around so next one will be better looking I hope! The taste was great though:-)

Aria standing at her birthday chair!

Cool, thanks Grammy Marilyn! A champion quarter horse Breyer model!

Another one! Yeah!!! Never enough horses in this house; at least till we can afford a real one:-)