MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Hi Friends and Family, hope this finds you well.

We've had a lot going on the last few years. Here's a little update with what we've been up to.

We'll start with Mike....

For the last 6 months Mike has had to put all his hobbies; surfing, football, mixing, etc, on the back burner. He is working hard day and night to provide for his fam. He never complains though and has been promoted twice in the last few months. Recently he and Rob, our brother in law, started a DJing biz on the side. In this economy it has been slow but they are having fun with it. Aside from work Mike is the best daddy in the world!! Mason lights up whenever he comes in the room and cries when he leaves. They have a special bond going.

As for me... I'm a stay at home mom. I have a licensed daycare but it has been slow going so we'll see how long it will last. I used to have hobbies but after Mase came along they have dwindled. I do think it is important for mom's to have interests of their own, so I have two New Years resolutions.. Learn the guitar that has been collecting dust, and hike as much as possible... at least walk on a new path every week. I've never been successful with resolutions, but I am determined with these two, so we'll see.

MASON!! Our little joy!! He'll be 9 months on the 24th. The latest maneuver he's picked up is standing on his own. He also likes to escape us when we're changing his diaper. And changing his clothes starts an all out war... As hard as it is to wrestle this 23 pound baby, I have to admire his determination.
There was a time when Mase said dada and mama... Now when I say "say mama" he says "dada" clear as day. I feel punk'd. He's a funny kid and loves to make us laugh. We love every minute with him.



This pic above...So I run to grab the camera and I came back to find him peeing on the bed skirt. The joys of having a boy, I guess!!


Brodie, our 100 pound puppy will be 3 next month. He has taken a back seat to Mase but still gets a lot of love. He has been a good guard dog alerting us to anyone that comes to the door and anyone riding their bike past our house or walking and even growls and barks when the neighbors come home. You could say he's a little over zealous with his guard dog duties but we are grateful he keeps the bad guys away, at least.

Brodie's activities include war on the grey squirrels, trips to the dog park, walks around the neighborhood, chasing shadows, playing catch, and laying around the house.




KeKe, our fat, fluffy kitty just turned 2. She is the princess of the house. We think she has a thing for abuse because she lays next to Mase and lets him pull her hair and squish her... and it takes her awhile before she's had enough and moves on. It's the weirdest thing.

Well that is us all the way down to our pets. We hope you enjoy the Holidays!! Much Love!!

We are Thankful for...

FAMILY, and all that comes with it!!!

Thanksgiving weekend we had a full house....

Wednesday: The Johnson's came (Bekie-my sister, Marcus-her husband,and their 4 kids- Emmalee, Jordan, Ethan, Tyler). They also brought Tami (my youngest sister) and their two dogs, Milo and Lucy.
They arrived more then 2 hours ahead of schedule... I scrambled to get last minute errands done and rushed home to find them already in the driveway. Then the real Chaos began... Just kidding, it wasn't that bad. Luckily we had a playroom for the kids. An RV parked in the back for Bek and Marcus. And a spot for all the dogs in the garage- due to the rain. Before we knew it we were able to relax, and catch up. These guys were exhausted though. Apparently they had left at 5am, hence their early arrival.

Thursday: Thanksgiving dinner at the Cacioppo's. They were kind enough to have us all over at their house. What a spread!! SO much delicious food and tons of family around. It was great to mesh our families together and enjoy an excellent holiday! We have SO much to be thankful for.
Thursday night: Larisa and Jack arrive!! With their little chi doggie - named- Max or Flea or FleaMax.

The kids had a blast in their make-shift playroom!

Friday: San Francisco. We were tourists! Fisherman's Wharf. Golden Gate. Lombard St. and saw a bit of China town. Mase was a trooper!! He was a happy guy all the way to the end.

Tami is an awesome photographer and took all of the photos you see (except this one of course). She has done all our families photos since Mike and I were engaged.

Reese, Jack and Max. (left)

It's not easy moving around the city, with a group.

Four out of Eight isn't Bad.......(left)

I have so many photos from SF I'll have to make a slide show for the rest.

Saturday: Coloma- Sutter's Mill. Dinner at Pizzeria Classico in old town Folsom.

The weekend went by way too fast. We enjoyed every minute these guys were here. My only regret is that I hadn't taken more pictures to document it all. Mason loved all the attention he got from his Aunties, Uncles and especially his Cousins - they had him completely captivated. Can't wait to see them again.

Grammy and Grampy

Last weekend we got a visit from my parents... aka Grammy and Grampy Bowerbank. They arrived early Friday evening and it was SO great to see them!! We only had a short time with them so starting early Saturday we packed in the activities.

Sutter's Mill... we've been here a few times and didn't know they did these re-enactments...( a bit bizarre) but seeing the people in costume gave us a taste of what it was like back in the gold rush days... and we learned a lot about the different groups that migrated to the area for gold. Polynesians, Chinese, and so many others from all different races and backgrounds. It was quite a big melting pot...and explains the great diversity that is still here.

Ate the MOST delicious ice cream here! YUM.

Mom, checking out the seamstress house... pretty interesting!

Dad, lookin like he belongs here.

Gomez and Mase taking a breather.

Inside the Mormon cabin. About 10x10 feet and six guys lived here!

A replica of The Mill.

Such a pretty area... we'd like to own some land out here someday.

We later enjoyed dinner, at The Hacienda in Old Town Folsom, with my parents who love to treat us whenever they get the chance. Then with full belly's we headed to the Sacramento Temple which is absolutely beautiful!! I always love to go to the Temple with my Mom and Dad. They are such great examples to us. And it is always a treat to go to such a beautiful place and feel so much peace.

Halloween

Mason's first Halloween! What a fun day we had!

We took the left over chili Gomez made from the chili cook off and brought it to Mike's work for a luncheon they were having. We got to meet Mike's co-workers (who were all very nice) and Mason was the center of attention. We didn't dress him up though because it was 80 something degrees and his costume is a heater.
When we got home Mas took a good nap and then it was off to trick or treat with the Cacioppos.
Papa Gomez and Mimi met us there and brought pizzas! Mason was a skeleton and Lilian a beautiful ballerina. It was fun to see the neighborhood full of kids running from house to house decked out in costume.

The pea pod outfit... I bought this for him in August thinking I was so ahead of the game. I didn't take into account that he is growing at warp speed. I had to take this one back. So cute though!



Mason would disagree.... He'd rather be in his birthday suit!!

6 month check up at 7 months!

Mason just had his 6 month check up. We were running behind due to the move, etc. He weighs in at 21 lbs which puts him in the 90th percent of weight for his age. His height is 28 in and that is the 75th percentile. The doctor says he is a good looking healthy baby boy! I'm always happy to hear that. They gave him 4 different shots and Mas was not a happy camper... but he got over it pretty fast.

He passed a few milestones these last few weeks. He is now able to sit up on his own and semi crawl. He does a good army crawl and also does the downward dog position (for those that know yoga)- aka- the stink bug.

Pumpkin Farm #2

Last Saturday we were invited to go to the pumpkin patch in Citrus Heights with some friends, Ellie, Tommy and Jason. Unfortunately Mike had a long week at work and needed some rest so he couldn't go. He missed out, it was a lot of fun!!

This was our second time to the farm but a totally different experience. We fed the goats and rode the train. Mason met a few new buddies and I'm glad that I did too. It was a nice hot day and I think Mas got his first little tan.




Here's a few pictures from that day...

(From left to right: Danielle and Owen, Ellie and Jason, Me and Mason, Yulia and Lev.)


Jason feeding the goats (left)














Four cute lil boys! It's amazing they all stayed put for this picture! Clockwise from the top is Jason, Lev, Mason and Owen. (Mas and Owen are only 4 days apart!! They look like they could be twins.)