Monterey Bay Aquarium - Our Visit

Welcome to our trip to the Aquarium. That's Ryan, in the red hat,  holding Zoe.

This post will be long and with lots of pictures and funny things about Zoe while we were there. The first stop was to this big tank. It's actually the otter tank. We did get to watch the otter feeding although there were only 2 otters, so it didn't last that long.

Zoe loved seeing all the fish. She kept saying, "Good Boy," whenever the sharks would swim by. We left the house at at 6am, and Ryan bought her candy on the drive up, so she was a little wired when we got there. She could have sat in front of that big tank all day. That big tank actually had different panels sectioned off, and she thought every panel was a different tanks and different fish than the ones she had just seen inches away.

Such a pretty view. This is from one of the observation decks outside. It's been a long time since we've seen the ocean. On the drive in, as we passed by the wharf, and saw tons of boats, Zoe said, "I can pick one?" ( A lot of times we give her a choice and tell her to "pick one")



Zoe really enjoyed the kids area where they had a playground and water tables for the kids to play in. She touched several starfish in the little "hands on" area. I didn't know starfish came in every color.

For lunch, we went out to Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. While we were waiting in line, Cousin Taylor climbed up onto one of the bar stools and had a little pout. The bartenders thought she was pretty funny.

Also at lunch, seated near us, was a ridiculously hilarious mullet. Short and spikey on the top, long and curly on the bottom. Here's our attempt at a sly picture.

My favorite exhibit was the Jelly Room. They just glow and float. They are so beautiful. It took me until the end of our visit to figure out how to get decent pictures of the exhibits on my new camera. Which is why these are the only fish pictures I'm posting.

Jellyfish always remind me of two movies, 1. Finding Nemo and 2. Sphere. Both movies have filled me with a fear of these creatures but they are quite beautiful, behind glass :)



Zoe had maxed out by the time we reached the seahorses, so we ended up leaving shortly after that. Next time I think we'll try to go down the day before and spend some more time on cannery row and sightseeing Monterey. We had so much fun spending the day with the Humbert side. We don't often get to spend the whole day with the whole family (minus Cole, we missed you!) so it was a nice treat!



Oh and too add, we told Zoe she could pick sometime out of the giftshop to take home, and guess what she picked....

Yep, the hammer-head shark stuffed animal. That's my girl.

I'm pretty sure it had something to do with the fact that we've been watching Shark Week on Discovery Channel.



And I think in a moment of crazy exhaustion, I decided to make bread. No, I'm not super woman, I was just too lazy to get out of my pajamas and drive to the store. Ryan makes sandwiches for lunch and we didn't have any bread. I found the recipe online and it's called Oatmeal Bread, and it is yummy and I highly recommend it!



XOXO,

Holly & Co.

coming out of the fog...

I'm finally starting to feel a little better.



My dear friend Annalee and her adorable daughter Lilly came over to play on Wed.

Lilly made me laugh so hard, every time I tried to take her picture, this was the face I got. 

I won a spot in this class:

I've been slow at scrapping lately and I have tons of pictures so I'm hoping this class will help a little bit.

Look at my 2 favorite people, aren't they adorable.

I'll be back later with a more interesting update.

XOXO,

Holly & Co.

Shh....Weekend Ahead

And I couldn't be more ready.

 Zoe in her new shades

Ryan is back from Scout Camp and we have NOTHING on the agenda for the next 2 days. :::big sigh:::



We've been having a great summer, but we have been so busy we're in need of some R&R.



I'm planning on being in my pajamas until at least 11am tomorrow :)



I do have something crafty to post, but I've been too busy to even snap a picture. So that will get done when my agenda free weekend is over.





Hope you all have a wonderful weekend too!



XOXO,

Holly & Co

An important letter & a date night

Last night, we all gathered at the Humbert's house anxiously awaiting for Brok, Ryan's brother to open his mission call.

Brok has been called to the Mexico Hermosillo mission, he reports to the MTC, in the late fall. We're so proud of Brok and not so secretly happy that we'll have a few more months with him here.









After the family gathering, Grandma Julie, graciously kept Zoe overnight so Ryan and I could go out on a date. We headed to Folsom to go to Fat's Asian Bistro.



Our appetizer was amazing. We were less impressed with our entrees. I got Sesame Chicken, which was good, but dry and Ryan got Thai Basil chicken and lo mein, it smelled like hot dogs and it tasted like hot dogs. He liked it, and thinks I'm crazy when I say it tasted and smelled like hot dogs, but each to his own I guess. Maybe we'll try it again and go for something different, but I was not impressed. Although the decor and service were great. Side note: make sure you go in the right bathroom, Ryan made that mistake. :)



I actually got some scrapbooking done today. That's the first time in a couple weeks I've actually scrapbooked. It seems like I've been working on lots of other craft projects and I've been getting behind in my scrapbooking.



Oh! I almost forgot, in the middle of our dinner date, my sister Jenni called, she is going to be having a little girl at the end of November. Yeah! More babies! More bows to make!



Ok well enough rambling for now...I've gotta put the little one to bed and finish making pizza..mmm...



Hope you're all having a great weekend. I promise pictures with the next post :)



XOXO,

Holly & Co.

Day off

Monday, I had the day off because of the holiday. 

It was nice to finally be able to check things off my to do list.

Packed maternity clothes for my sister...check.

Cut vinyl for mom....check.

Edit pictures....check.

We took our normally Saturday day trip to Roseville, stopped at Noodles & Co. and Costco.

Came home for a nap, then off to cousin Asher's birthday party. 

 Zoe waiting for the cupcakes.

And the smiling birthday boy.

That night, I got an exciting e-mail. Pamela from ScrapStreet.com Magazine, requested to publish one of my scrapbook layouts! I'm not sure which issue it will be in, I'll let you all know. I'm over the moon excited.

I've got some baking/cooking to do tonight for a shower tomorrow, so I should probably get started on that.

Night.

XOXO,

Holly & Co.

Happy 4th of July

Happy 4th of July!

We had a delicious dinner over at the Humbert's house tonight.

After dinner, the kids took a little swim.

Zoe got to show off her new bathing suit. {It was a steal! Under $5.00)

She had fun killing ants with cousin Taylor.

Do you see what I mean, her hair is just crazy curly when it's wet!



We had tons of fun tonight. We didn't keep Zoe up for the fireworks, she wouldn't have lasted. But I can hear them now and I'm thinking they are loud enough that she might wake up.



Off to watch the show!



XOXO,

Holly & Co.

Mommy Daughter Date

Check out her new digs...She picked them out all on her own.



Last night, Ryan needed to get some reading done, so Zoe and I had a Mommy Daughter date.

We went over to Sunrise Mall and did some shopping. Starting her out early :)

Isn't she adorable? Her hair is getting curlier and curlier. I love it!



ooo Banana Bread is done!



Happy 4th to everyone! Missing all the festivities in Provo, :::sniff::: Proud to be an American and so grateful for all the men and women who have fought for the freedoms we enjoy.



XOXO,

Holly & Co.

Welcome to Summer

The sign at San Juan High School said it was 109° on the way home.

That is way too hot for my snow loving blood.

We headed straight to the pool armed with some cold lemonade.

I grabbed a couple of pictures of Zoe swimming. She's such a water baby.

***********************

I've been scrapping lately. I have lots of pages to share, but I'll do it a little at a time.

***Giveaway is still open until 12 pm tonight***

XOXO,

Holly & Co.

my daddy & me

Happy Father's Day to the best Daddy ever.

I Love you!

P.S. We need to take as new picture, this one is 3 years old :)

XOXO,

Holly & Co.

Getting out of dodge....

Thanks to a little nudge from a good friend, we decided to get out of town today.

We needed a break from our regular routine. 

So bright and early this morning, we packed the car and headed up to Tahoe for the day.

First stop - miniature golf . 

We chose the Storybook course which had everything from nursery rhymes to Stonehenge.

We didn't keep track of strokes but Ryan had 3 hole-in-ones.

Next stop - Lunch.

We were excited to try someplace new, but ended up at Chevy's.

I guess we were both a little afraid of the unknown.

{BTW - Chevy's deep fried ice cream is delicious and humongous!}

Last Stop - Shopping

We walked around a few shopping centers and the car show. 

Zoe ended up with a small pink piggy bank that says "Lake Tahoe" on the side.

Her choice.

We also got to stop into a gallery that had a Dr. Suess exhibit. 

Apparently, Theodore Geisel was quite an artist and had a much larger career than just writing Dr. Suess books.

Who knew?

Then back home we came.

It was great to spend some time up in the mountains.

It made me feel like I was back in Colorado again.

It also got me out a a little funk I was in, so back to crafting I go.

XOXO,

Holly & Co.

Goodbye Campbell

y 

We've decided to find a new home for Campbell Dog.

We're moving (just to a different apartment) but we decided that Campbell needed more space and attention than we can currently give her.

She will be missed.

Campbell is going to her new home tonight. Her new family is really excited.

I know this is the best option for all of us but I'm a little sad. Especially for Zoe.

 She is going to miss Campbell.

More words on moving a little later....

XOXO,

Holly & CO.

Welcome Baby Corrine!

We had a new niece born this weekend,

Corrine Mae Berg.

Her stay may not be long, but we are hopeful, and grateful for her safe arrival.

Corrine's arrival and Jen's blog throughout her pregnancy, has made my faith even stronger and my gratitude for our belief in eternal families, multiply greatly.

It's made me hug my family tighter and say more, "I love you"s.

Congratulations Berg Family, we love you and are praying for you all.

XOXO,

Holly & Co.

It only took two and a half years....

Thursday night, we FINALLY got to go out on a double date with the Stauffers. We have spent lots of fun days and nights with the Stauffer's over the years, but have never been able to get away just us adults. We went to celebrate Preston's birthday.

We had dinner at Mas (at our suggestion :) then, headed over to Sunsplash for laser tag & mini golf. I'm proud to say that I won laser tag! I beat both our video game husbands at a shooter game. Yeah, I was happy. I have the score cards to prove it. Jamie came in at a close second to me.

Mini golf was ended at around hole 12...it was cold and getting late and we'd already lost like 3 or 4 balls. I never even asked Jamie who won..who won Jamie?







Today we decided to venture to Trader Joe's for the first time. It was packed in there, but we did come away with a few gems. Cold pressed olive oil, cinnamon letter cookies, mango lemonade, and prosciutto with pesto ravioli...yum. So tonight we're enjoying some milk & cookies while watching Monsters, INC. Zoe took a 4+ hour nap today so she'll be up for awhile.



I'm proud to report that I finished my bedroom makeover and Ryan loved it! I'll take some pictures tomorrow. I also reorganized Zoe's room and packed away all her baby clothes that have been piling up in the closet.

It seems like lately it's hitting me how fast she's growing up. I love the stage she's in, but I do miss those newborn moments. seeing those little sleepers made my heart ache a little. But then I remember the funny things she does now. How she dances whenever there's music. How she likes to come "tickle" me. How she says sorry. How she splashes in the tub and makes bubble beards. She definitely belongs in our family.



In family news, well you should probably check Natalie's blog in the near future.



XOXO,

Holly & Co.

In this house, we bleed Blue.

*This post is meant to be light-hearted and non-offensive to those who have a differing opinion:)

Thanks to uncle Brok, Zoe is sporting her true colors :)GO Cougars!

Our cougar blood goes back several generations and maybe one day (hopefully soon) We'll be joining the ranks.

XOXO,

Holly & Co.

Christmas Recap

We've been so busy with family and getting back to our routine, I haven't had a chance to post about our Christmas this year.



Christmas eve, I had to work, so I didn't get home until the late afternoon. After I got home, we all got changed and headed over to the Humbert"s. We had homemade pizza for dinner, we each got to make our own. I went with my standard pepperoni and black olive :) We enjoyed spending time with Ryan's family that evening, Great Grandma Humbert was there too. Zoe always has a good time there. Grandma read her some Christmas stories even though she was a little distracted. When the evening was winding down, we took Zoe home and put her to bed in her cute Christmas jammies.

Then Ryan and I got to work. We filled stockings and pulled out all the remaining gifts. We cuddled up and watched a movie and headed to bed.

Christmas morning, 8 am. Zoe was still sleeping, and we had to get over to the in-laws by 9am. so we woke her up. She's a lot like her mama, and doesn't appreciate being woken up. She started crying and I had to carry her out to the family rooom to show her her presents.

She stopped crying as soon as she saw her tricycle. We had stacked up some of her other presents on the seat of the bike and she pushed them off so she could sit on it! I was so happy that she loved it! Now she sits on it and says, " Vroom, Vroom." She can barely reach the pedals but she loves to sit on it.

Then we headed over to the Humbert's again, in our pjs and enjoyed a yummy breakfast and lots of presents.

After that, Naps for all!!



It was a wonderful Christmas filled with lots of joy and cheer. We did take our Christmas tree down the day after Christmas, it was getting a little to crispy for my comfort. Since the tree was going down, all the rest of the decorations came down too. So we're ready for our fresh start in 2010.

Happy Thanksgiving & Trip re-cap

We're Back!

And I forgot our camera when we left for Utah, so we didn't take many pictures. Hopefully we'll get some from relatives soon.



So back to the trip re-cap. Unfortunately, a violent stomach bug held a dark cloud over the trip. It started with me and bounced through my whole family, and is on to my extended family. (Sorry guys!)

But we still managed to have a good time anyway.

We did some shopping at the outlets.

We got to see extended family from both sides.

We ate a lot.

We met Gary.

We played games. (although not as many as I would have liked)

We visited Gardener Mill.

We had lots of pie.

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving feast.

Zoe played with cousins.

Zoe learned to ride the rocking horse all by herself.

We scored BIG on Black Friday.

Ryan attended the "Holy War" (BYU vs. U of U game)

We watched the snow fall.

We laughed.



Overall it was a great trip. My parents new house is Highland has a great view of the mountains. It was lovely to wake up to that landscape every morning. We got to see antelope run through the backyard, too. Zoe got to see horses outside every day.



We're glad to be home though. My package from Studio Calico came and I just held all the pretty stuff. I can't wait to use it.

Thanks to my in-laws for babysitting Campbell, she's a handful, I really appreciate it.



As tomorrow starts December, I'm hoping to get up some Christmas decorations tonight and get our tree up before the weekend. I have high hopes for my decorating this year as well as family pictures. I have Zoe's Christmas dress picked out already, now I just need a matching tie for Ryan and we're golden. We haven't ever sent out Christmas cards, but maybe I'll get to it this year.



XOXO,

Holly & Co.

Nursery Try Out

Zoe turns 17 months this week, so we got to start visiting nursery.

She did surprisingly well, we probably could have snuck out and she would have been fine. She even sat at the table most of the lesson and colored a picture. It was a positive experience and we're hopeful that after a few more weeks, she'll have no problem transitioning.



Our Ward Halloween Party was last night. It went smoothly and I was home by 8:15. We didn't dress Zoe up, she was too cranky and tired, but there were so many great costumes.



We also celebrated Grandpa Humbert's birthday with a yummy dinner at Buca di Beppo before the ward party.



Wow, we've been so busy this week it's been hard to keep up.



XOXO,

Holly & Co.

Saturday Outing

Today, we wanted to get out of the house on such a nice day, so we headed up to Roseville to the Fountains shopping center. Besides the expensive boutique stores, the Fountains houses one of our favorite restaurants, Noodles & Company.

Zoe playing with chopsticks.

Japanese Pan Noodles

Wisconsin Mac &Cheese

Happy Saturday!

Zoe is cutting her 15th tooth, so we're being soft on letting her have her binky all the time.



Zoe is growing again, which is reducing her wardrobe significantly. I've been repurposing some of her clothes so they can stay in the dresser a little longer. (Pictures to come)



XOXO,

Holly & Co.

Friday Night Movie

This is how we spent our night. We had family movie night and watched "The Little Mermaid" I was afraid Zoe would get scared by Ursula, but when she came on, Zoe clapped. hmmm...

We had lots of cuddles and popcorn. We even talked about this becoming a regular thing, we had so much fun!



XOXO,

Holly & Co.

Apple Hill (part 2)

We took lots of pictures so I added them into collages so you don't have to scroll through a bunch of photos.

We came home with lots of apples, apple donuts, apple pumpkin butter and apple juice. We love Apples!

I'll leave you with this cute photo of Zoe watching the horses.

XOXO,

Holly & Co.