All Grown Up

Having mixed feelings about today! All three of my boys are in school today for the first time. Not quite sure how this happened so fast...

I'm so proud that they are all so independent and excited for school. They are kind to their friends and teachers, they love learning and are excited to share what they know with whoever will listen!

Not sure what I'm going to do with my life now that they're busy with their own, but I'll keep you posted. 

Off to bake some treats for after school so they'll tell me about their day!

The Big Move

We're in! I've been unpacking, decorating, painting, and planting to my heart's content. It's been a busy few weeks but we're starting to feel settled. 

Here's a peek at what I've been up to. More coming soon...

Weekend Update

I love a weekend where you actually have enough time to get a little bored. In our family it usually takes a four day weekend to accomplish that. The following run-down is going to look busy, but there was plenty of time for the kids to bug each other and John and I to assess each other's faults and make comments on them. 

Friday was devoted to playing with friends and working on these chairs with Jessica and date night. John and I hit up the happy hour at Jayne's Gastropub (best one in SD in my humble opinion) and saw The Grey. The ultimate man's equivalent to a chick flick. (Spoiler alert: I skipped the Milk Duds which was a huge mistake because I really needed them during the wolf killing scenes. All 50 of them.) 

Saturday involved attending lots of kids sporting events and Sunday was all about doing the chores we'd been putting off until "spring". There were occasional bouts of "I'm bored" or "my stomach hurts" (as chores commenced). 

We finished off the marathon weekend with a family trip to the zoo. Apparently the rest of San Diego decided to do the same thing. Highlights included the most fantastic bag of kettle corn ever, animals with spring fever (Harrison, "Mom, those monkeys sure do like to hug!"), and a round trip skyfari ride over the zoo. 

Happy Tuesday!  

January

It's been birthday central around here and everyone got a little spoiled this year. 

Lincoln got us started on the 5th with a family sushi night and his first slumber party complete with ice blocking and xbox marathon. 

John followed on the 31st with family dinner at Cucina Urbana. Best place for a nice birthday dinner ever! My new favorite restaurant. It was loud enough to not feel self conscious about our noisy family, the kids menu was as appetizing as the adults and the atmosphere is amazing. Highly recommend. 

John and I enjoyed a week in Orlando for Young Life's all staff conference. It was awesome. Time away together, fun with friends, Harry Potter world...yes. 

Because he wasn't feeling it on his 40th birthday last year, we decided to do John's 41st up in style. We took over the party room at Hive Sushi and then finished with dessert by Heaven Sent at our house after. I handed out "John Fav's" goodie bags complete with his favorite snacks from pre-triathalon days (hostess fruit pies and fig newtons), post-triathon (almonds and banana), and a few that have survived both stages (oatmeal raisin cookies and beer!). Such a fun night and 41's looking to be an even better year. :)

Ben brought up the rear on the birthday's this past week. He enjoyed a raging dance party at school (cake in the face), family dinner at Luigi's and a day at Disney. Happy 7th big boy! 

A great month. Blessed to have all of these boys in my life. Having a mani/pedi tomorrow to celebrate a little more. :)

Christmas Update + Theo

Meet the newest member of the Byard household, Theo. 
(Theodore Roosevelt Byard, but you can call him Theo. You know we have a thing about presidents around here.)

Favorites things...snuggling on the couch, peeing in the yard (yippee!), chewing on his pug stuffed animal, sleeping in his bed, chasing the kids at the park. 


Seriously, we somehow got the easiest puppy ever born. He's 11 weeks and 90% housebroken, sleeps in his kennel all night without a peep, and chews on his toys. (nerf gun bullets are the exception to that rule) Someone must have known a bad puppy wouldn't have made it very long in our house! 


Getting a puppy was the obvious highlight to Christmas for us, but it's also been a lovely, low-key week around here. Hanging out with friends, playing lots of words with friends, eating left-overs, staying in pajamas till almost lunch time and watching movies together at night. I like a little time with no agendas or to-do lists. 


All comments about our adorable puppy are welcome. I think I'm going to end up being one of "those" dog people I always made fun of :) 

December Happenings

Back from my blogging hiatus. It's been a busy December! So busy I've even forgotten to take pictures. So unlike me.

I'm back in the blogging mood this week with a ton of projects lined up in my head, baking to do, and kids to keep busy...see you soon :) 

Until then, here are a few of my favorites from these past few weeks...

John and I at the Young Life Yuletide Affair. My dance moves were a little 1993. 

Riding to the YL Staff Party with Jordan & AJ. Good times. 

San Diego Bay boat parade. Mom, can we go home yet? 

Seeing old friends this weekend. Our YL kids that now have 8 of their own kids....

Captured | Halloween Edition

So many choices, so little time 

Young Life games come in handy at class parties 

New hairstyle 

Pirate Booty 

Raising Boys

You know you're raising boys when the punch card in your wallet is for mice.

Captured

Snake Show & Tell 

I Heart Turtles 

Arizona Sunset

Weekend Re-Cap

Not exactly a restful weekend, but definitely fun! We started out by cheering John on at his first triathalon. We were so proud. Under three hours for his first time. He looked great right afterwards, and then slept all afternoon. If a mile swim, 30 mile bike ride and 6 mile run isn't a reason for a nap I don't know what is...


Yesterday we were treated to a Padres game by our pediatrician's office. They picked Ben cause he's so handsome. :) We pigged out on hot dogs, cotton candy and snow cones. Padres gave it up to the Diamondbacks, but we still used our foam finger like we were totally winning. 


Happy International "Talk Like a Pirate" Day! Yes, it does exist. (thanks Jessica)

Beach Camping

We survived! Four nights and five days in the "wild". We camped in the sycamores, yet were so close to the beach we could hear the waves crashing at night. Did all the classic camping stuff....games, Beiber songs around the campfire, s'mores (highly recommend the french version!), hiking, etc. We hit the beach every day to add a little sand to the dirt covering our bodies. 

Camping is great. Coming home is even better. :) 

Year in Pictures

Our family art wall has turn into a photo gallery. Printed the year's best pictures out in black & white, different sizes  and mounted on black foam core. My favorites are the square 12 x 12's.  Added in a few quotes from the Queen Bee Market. John pointed out that I didn't include any pictures of myself. Oops. I guess I'll be doing a little more printing...

Creative Camping

We're heading out to the "wilderness" next weekend for what could become our annual camping trip. (Beach camping in Malibu...is that camping?) John and I have different opinions about what you can classify as "camping". I'd like to pitch one of these spring bar tents & he'd like to rent the teardrop trailer to sleep in. I'm thinking we'll probably end up in our big family tent as usual! 

I'll definitely be trying these french style s'mores, and a top priority is a  campsite with trees large enough to hang a hammock.  

Have you done any camping this summer? Any equipment you can't live without? 

Spring bar tent + quilts via Martawrites  

French style s'mores with Petit Ecolier Cookies via Steph Modo 

Teardrop trailer kitchen + bed for two 

Hammock Camping via Soule Mama

Weekend Re-Cap

Sullivan and Bear rockin' it western style 

We're wrapping up week three here at Oakbridge, and we did the weekend up right. My kids are starting to think it's normal to have cotton candy, snow cones and a carnival on a weekly basis. 

We took a girl's trip up to Julian on Saturday for shopping and lunch at the Julian Grille. Highly recommend it if you're traveling up that way anytime soon. The portobello veggie grilled sandwich and potato leek soup were incredible. 

Lincoln adopted a newborn Rosy Boa that was found here at camp as his new pet. Yes, that's a snake. A real, live boa constrictor. But a very friendly breed, and is starting to grow on me. That's a good thing since it's about six inches now, but will eventually be 4 feet long :) Boys are awesome. 

Looking forward to our final week of camp! 

Captured | Oakbridge Edition

"Mom, shiver me timbers"

Yes, the mustache is real

Bench pressing 80 lbs. of boy

Ben's favorite new mode of transportation

Washington Summers

It's been a busy July....we started our month at Oakbridge, Young Life's Jr. High camp in Ramona, CA. I took a break from camp last week to fly with the boys up to Seattle for Betsy's wedding. She was the most beautiful bride! It was an incredible wedding that I felt blessed to attend. 

Spent the rest of the week hanging out with my sister and her family. Six kids between the two of us...good times. We had a family party, a friend party, and a trip to Point Defiance Zoo to end on a high note. I love visiting Seattle in the summer.  It reminds me of growing up. Gorgeous hanging baskets on every porch, fresh blueberries and peaches, and the occasional glorious, sunny day.

One sunny day out of five, not bad Seattle. 

Captured | Beach Edition

 Tough guys

 Bear's future profession

Hand-me-down swim trunks

Fourth of July Favorites

image via Bon Appetit 

Hope you had a great weekend! We had a great time together, hitting the beach at Coronado and South Mission, an evening concert and picnic in North Park, friends over for a fourth of July barbeque and ending with watching four fireworks displays in Balboa Park last night. So fun! My kids are exhausted today :) 

We had full bellies after our barbeque yesterday...sliders on kaiser rolls, salmon burgers, marinated roast chicken, fruit salad, berry flag cake...yum. My favorite item on the menu was the most simple. Roasted corn with olive oil, sprinkled with a mixture of lime zest and sea salt. So good.