Busy, busy, busy!

Well, first....Auntie Patty came down to see us! She just could not keep away during the holiday's! We even tricked the kids with a message from Santa's elf, Snowflake, telling the kids that their mommy was going to the North Pole to bring them back a very speical present. They loved it!

However, Patty did not decide until the Sunday before Christmas that she was going to come down, so planning was in order. Hailee and Ty stayed with us while Em flew up there on Tuesday morning to drive down with Pat and the dogs (she could not find a kennel) and got here on Wednesday evening. Then Em had to go home and get ready for Christmas Eve at her house and church. We went down to Oceanside on Thursday for dinner and gift opening, then back up here, then Christmas on Friday, then dinner here, then clean up on Saturday, and Sunday with the Lee's. All in between that was dinner, entertaining, taking care of dogs, Em coming up and down and Patty getting some friend time in.
However, I being the GREAT Auntie... can not just sit around with my little favorite people around me! So off we went. First, it was to the Discovery Science Center where we saw the most amazing ginger bread houses and so much more!






Then that night we went to dinner, looked at Christmas lights in a great neighborhood down the street (like 5 blocks fully decorated their housese), that was followed by yogurt at our favorite place down the street.



I even got some late night shopping in with Lillian


The next day we went to the market in our PJ'S!!!! The kids loved that one. Then we went by the fire station to say HI:) But it was hilarious before we went to the store because Emma refused to wear her PJ's!


Then it was off to the the La Habra Children's Museum. On a side note, I was really starting to get tired. Where I had never been before and was very impressed with how it was. I loved how it had different rooms that all catered to different interests. Of course Em loved the market area, Hailee loved the dress up room, Drew loved the train and pet rooms (kind of creepy because it is full of large, stuffed, ugly animals), Tyler loved the bus and outside area. I loved that I could sit in each room and just, well, SIT!!





All was worth it though, because I love having my sister here!

Pizza with the Lee's

Man we spend a lot of time wtih family! It seems that all of my posts seems to relate to it! Oh well, that is how I like our life. Then again I do not bust out my camera when I go to Sara's, or coffee with DeAnne or dinner with Mar, or bingo....maybe I should??
Anyways, we went to Zito's in AH over the weekend to see the rest of the Lee family before the new year. It was a lot of fun and I am happy that I chose Zito's because it was big enough to fit all of us, had a game room, an outside area and of course some good food:) We were there forever, but it was fun and the kids loved playing with each other and Em just RAN all over the place! Us adults even got a break from the little one's when Carly, Kels, and Saige took them to get ice cream. By the time we left there we really could have had dinner, but we will save that for another day when we can all get together again:)

All Star Photobooth

This is a link to a family friends new business. Looks like a ton of fun and maybe I could do it for my 30th????!!!!
http://www.allstarphotobooth.com/index2.php#/home/

blah

Am I sad today or just really overwhelmed? My throat kind of hurts, I really need to clean the house for our house guests, I need to go to the market, drop off some hand me downs, drop of the Ayala's gift, go to the post office, make a few lists (which i never follow), I need to have Damon come over to help carry the rest of Drew's bed upstairs, I need to check and see if I can get Drew's dresser delivered, I really wished that Starbucks delivered, Emma is really liking the HUGE life size doll she got from Michelle so much so that she hits Drew with it, Drew keeps having fits over wanting chocolate cookies, I feel like I am losing no weight even though I run three miles 3 or 4 days a week and am on a diet, I feel like the part of my job that I use to love (cleaning) is now all I do, blahblahblahblahblahblah. Well, maybe now that I wrote only half of the crap I need to do I will get up and do it!:)

Harbor Lights Cruise

Before Christmas the some of the Lee, Bray and friends got together to cruise in the Huntington Beach Harbor. It was the first time the kids were able to be on a boat and of course look at HUGE houses all lit up for Christmas. Drew and Em loved it, Lillian just sat in her sling with me, the older kids had fun taking pictures of themselves, some got to view the lights from the upper deck (Robbi in one of the pictures below), Hannah dropped her paci in the ocean, and Michelle hung on to Em while Emma talked up a storm. Afterwards we went to dinner to celebrate Remy's 17th birthday! As always we had a great time and it was so nice to see all of the kids (and some adults) faces all bundled up on the ocean.

Lee Family Christmas Party

Well, what can I say.....I need to go and sort through the kids toys because last night at the Lee Annual Christmas Party the kids got a ton of stuff!!!! Drew got gifts ranging from pj's and some sort of car that climbs up the wall, to hot wheels and a spider man toy. Emma got so many dolls that I am not really sure how many. Em also got clothes and ornaments. Lilly....well, she got some soft baby dolls and some more small things. If the few things I have mentioned sound well 'not that many' I should show everyone our trash cans! So many boxes! They filled up the back of the car and now Drew thinks that Christmas is done! Of course we had our 'adult' Secret Santa gifts and that was a ton of fun! These two pictures are really the only two that I took! My dang camera battery died!

I just love these

Derek never just takes pictres of us, thanks Derek:)

Chris' Beetle

I think Chris would be mad!!! Good thing I do not think he reads my blog!
He just spent a fortune having his beetle painted over the past few months and..well..Jason just had to sit in it while Chris was at work!

Avah Grace Turned 1!

Last Sunday was little Avah's First Birthday party! Last December when I saw both Avah and the Calagna's son, Vince, shortly after being born made me want to have another child....hence Lillian (in case anyone wanted to know why we decided on having a third child). The little princess had a cupcake themed party with a beautiful cake (I did not get a pic of it) and a cake shaped bounce house. The weather was great and even though it rained all day on Saturday there was not a single drop during the party! Avah got a ton of clothes and some pretty good toys. The funniest part was while she was opening up her presents she started to cry (she had just woken up from a nap) so DeAnne put on YoGabaGaba and every child and adult started talking about that CRAZY WACKY show! Happy Birthday Avah!

My second cousin!

Meg had the baby!!!! So excited for her and my cousin Tony this past Sunday. Jillian Claire was born on Dec 6th at 9:24pm and was 6.4 and 18 inches long. I am very happy for them and the rest of the Musante gang out in New England! On a side note---love the name (almost used it) and how small is Meg's first baby--- I could never have a baby that small! In the picture is my Auntie Kim and baby Jill:)

Being sick!!

What a major boooooo having a sick kid is. I feel like we have been inside for days and it is starting to drive me CRAZY!! The only release I have had is jogging! I even went to target and it did not help because I had to hurry through it! Yet, I spent the standard $100 in 20 minutes...hummmmm???!!!
Anyways, Em got sick on Monday morning...prob from the 5 hours she spent outside in the cold on Sunday during family day.

(Nanny turning 79 and Auntie Chris turning 54)

Then trying to get pictures of the kids was horrible...no wonder my poor baby Emma would not corporate! This is how she spent Christmas decorating:(

Derek, Drew and I did have a fun time decorating and Drew was just so dang cute with his laughing and telling us that everything was "so cool or so awesome!"





Then Em woke up and watched some Christmas movies that were on ABC Family and today she is more helpful with Lilly and last night we even had round two of Hot Chocolate. I really hope that she gets well soon because we have 3 parties this weekend!!!

Hailee Monkey!

Hailee has always been Derek's little monkey and I am shocked they have not done this sooner! Just like the picture shows, Hailee Jean is sitting on Derek's lap pretending to be a monkey! It is hilarious to see!! Hailee, sounds like a monkey, does anything Derek says to do and if he says hello to anyone so does his monkey Hailee. They have always had a special bond and I really hope it last forever!!!

My cheers mug!

This glass I got while on vacation to New England with Holly. I always thought I would be very sad if this glass broke. Well, it broke last Friday and I was very bummed. So much has happened since that vacation and it was nice (and little sad) to think about it. Oh life!!! I guess Derek will just have to take me back there at some point to get another one!