san diego!

pictures. lots of pictures. we had a blast. from legoland to sea world, seaport village, and mission beach. here's all the proof of a super fun family spring break. (my first real one, by the way. my family never went anywhere for spring break growing up. it was always my birthday week.)

mini-new york was incredible

when you lay in the sand, you get sand stuck on you. until at least two baths later!


he conked out on the way home.......(so did i!)

a very girly birthday lunch

today, my lovely mother-in-law, sandi and i went to an oh so girly place, arcadia farms, for an early birthday lunch. she surprised me with flowers! we sat out on the patio, with a lovely breeze and warm diffused sunlight. we ate (including yummy dessert) and talked and just enjoyed a leisurely spring afternoon. i didn't take my camera, so i had to make do with my cell phone camera.
a bit about sandi. she's wonderful. one of the best perks of marrying into the coates clan. she married matthew's dad only to lose him just a short year and half years later and inherit his three teenagers. and wow, did she bless their lives. those three teenagers are now all married, college graduates, with a great sense of family- thanks to the gift of unconditional support from their amazing stepmother. our lord truly blessed the coates family by adding her to the fold. and now i get the benefit of calling her family, too.
thank you, sandi-- you're a dreamy mother-in-law and friend!

spring break, aka my birthweek

i love when my birthday is. march 17th always has fantastic weather, always! and people have always worn my favorite color in honor of my birthday(or so i thought as a kid). and my birthday is always during spring break. as a child, i was kinda bummed that i never got to take cupcakes to school for my birthday, when i should have noticed that i never had to get up and go to school on my birthday!
so this year, my little family is taking off to san diego. with half of the valley, i know. but this is the first time any of us will be going to legoland. and my kid will freak out, i'm sure. he loves legos. seriously, spends hours a day involved in legos. i make him go play outside to break up the lego time. so, when he sees a land made of legos, well, i can't wait to see it. we are also going to sea world, which i love. it's an amusement park with some education, and only a few rides, nothing to major. an easy fun day.
we are driving. the classic family road trip. thank goodness it's only 5ish hours. i don't do well after about 6 in a car. i'm sure the weather will be lovely, but i kinda wonder, why leave az during one of the best weather weeks of the year?
toby and i made a countdown poster, which is now down to 5 days! the countdown remains exciting to him, but is starting to remind me i need to start planning and packing.
updates and pictures to follow..............

over a month!

i can't believe it either! i've had lots to say, but after a couple weeks had gone by, i decided to wait until i could post this......................

can you see the little arms and legs sticking out? what a cute little parasite, wouldn't ya' say? he/she is due september 14th, although i'm hoping for the 9th.

pray this little one grows healthy and strong just like our uber excited big brother toby.

happy birthday, toby!

toby is 5. no longer a baby or toddler or preschooler. a kid. it's official. there even was a fabulous party. the indoor swim party was a huge success. lots of fun. lots of dads, in the pool with the kids! how cool.
first, the place was private, just for us, with a sign on the door welcoming the friends and family of toby coates. everyone arrived, and jumped right in the pool. after swimming, it was cake and presents time. toby loved all the toys. we are still opening them- the last one is today. i like to space them out, one or two a day, so it's not so overwhelming, for him or me.

a really fun foam slide in the pool. buddies!!

presents and thank yous. he said thank you to the kids as he opened the gifts, then i had him go around and thank the grown-ups, too. he was a great kid all day. so excited, and really had a great birthday party. thanks swim kids!

holiday pictures!!!

triumphant in opening presents! i love that there's already a ring of shiny candy stain around his mouth.
at the nutcracker in symphony hall. he loved it. he even felt compelled to do a spin in the aisle. he's showing us the map of where the new train goes. he got to build a gingerbread house with grandma and daddy.

and did some art work on our sidewalk. it's supposed to be us, matthew on the left, me on the right and toby apparently riding one of our cats......

i know!

so it's been a really long time, blogosphere-wise, since i last posted. there was nothing about christmas, or new year's, or all the things that happened in between. i'm now at work, so i don't have any pictures on this computer to help tell the stories, so i'll wait until i'm home to officially post about our holidays.
but now, it's 2009, and so far, it's pretty darn great. i did not enjoy 2008, there were lots of things that i wish i could make disappear. but alas, i cannot. so i'm thouroughly enjoying that our lovely new year is trying to diminish the yuck by being super great so far.
my baby turns 5 in only 6 more days. that countdown clock is getting really short on time.
we picked the big party location, and have secured a swim party. in january. cool, right? don't be alarmed, it's an indoor and heated pool facility. with a lifeguard for the party. i ordered a cupcake cake of a swimming pool. and the cake is the only thing i have to do. i love that.
now if people will just hurry up and start rsvp-ing.
my baby is gonna be a kid. next thing i know, he'll be graduating high school and i'll wonder where the time went!