Great Grandparents are Great!

My most loyal blog follower (or at least the most vocal of those requesting new and updated posts...;) is my Grandma Fifield.  She and Grandpa came to visit us this week so this post is dedicated to them!

If a grandparent's mandate is to spoil the grandchild, the GREAT grandparent's mandate is to spoil them even more.  G&G did a great job of that!  They arrived with toys in hand to thrill and delight the boys (we fired balloon rockets for a couple of hours until the adults were too tired of blowing up balloons). 

The next day we visited our favorite shopping center.  Grandma bought lollipops Mom would never have considered! 

Grandpa was a little afraid of the giant ferris wheel, but Benjamin helped him be brave!

Bryan had a great time on the rides, but was mostly just interested in his lollipop   He was exhausted on the way home but wouldn't fall asleep until the lollipop was safely in Great Grandma's care.  Then when he startled awake as we arrived home it was tears and trauma until Grandma returned the lollipop: "Mine oye-pop, oye-pop!"

Good ole' Red Robin for lunch.  Lollipop in one fist and a balloon in the other...the boys were in heaven.

The spoiling didn't stop with the great-grandchildren.  The grandchildren got spoiled too!  They took Doug and I out for dinner (leaving the great kids at home with a sitter).  A seriously spoiling treat for mommy!!  We indulged in fabulous Italian (gluten-free noodles!) complete with appetizer and dessert.

Then today we made a visit to the Carlsbad Flower Fields.  They are pretty breathtaking!

I had great hopes of getting darling pics of the boys and flowers, but let's be real: boys-- flowers and cameras vs. tractor and gravel path...  Mom never had a chance ;).

Bryan's absolute favorite was the tractor ride.  He declined additional activities to go on the tractor a second time with Grandpa (also Grandpa's favorite part!).

Look closely in the horizon of this photo to see the ocean.  The flowers grow up a field and from the top (here) you can look out to the ocean.

Benjamin rocked the sweet pea maze.  He declined a second tractor ride to go to the maze.  He helped Mom get out since she got lost ;).

 Thanks for the wonderful (although too short) visit, Grandma and Grandpa!  You are Great!  We love you!!

Merry Christmas!

Stationery card

View the entire collection of cards.

Merry Christmas everyone!  Just like last year, I finished my card before Christmas, but there is no way they will mail in time unless Santa doesn't mind picking them up when he visits our house Christmas Eve!  Watch for them in the mail and don't be offended that we are late!  If you have a new address and wouldn't mind sending me your update, that would be helpful.

Lots of love!

Today's Harvest…WHAT!

I have neglected the garden for the last several weeks. I needed a break. But when I went over today what a treat to discover all these tomatoes! My little plant is happily growing away here in almost-December!

As the Garden Grows

We brought home some beautiful lettuce today.  I'm also getting super excited about the baby cucumbers and baby watermelon that we found.  I still have a few things left to plant but gardening is in full swing! 

Today's Harvest

General Conference weekend

Yeay for General Conference!  We're having a great weekend. We had gf aebleskivers for breakfast and enjoyed the morning sessions while Bryan napped. Ben loved watching the organ and pretended to speak at the makeshift pulpet (sorry the picture of that is blurry). He even made us all microphones out of duplos.  We went outside to stretch our legs between sessions and the boys has a blast riding bikes.  Now they are both napping and I'm getting good work done on the blanket I'm crocheting.

Too bad this time only comes twice a year!

Spring is here!

Spring comes early here southern California, in fact I don't know if you can even count it as spring since there was no winter. But picking fresh flowers from my backyard sure feels like spring to me!