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Best friends and fondue. You can't beat that!!! I love these girls.

Reflection

My birthday last year


The next few weeks will be filled with reflection. Reflection of this time last year spent in a hospital reeling from the news of Riley's brain tumor diagnosis. I of course look back on those 17 days with immense gratitude that Riley is now healthy and thriving. Her tumor is stable. Yet, whenever I think about that time, I cry. Re-living those weeks are hard.
I tell her story with great joy because those weeks, while they were filled with grief, were also filled with incredible joy. We were loved on, prayed for, provided with meals, monetary gifts, but most importantly - time with true friends and community for whom we will be forever in awe of.
As I look back at our blog posts, I can see Jesus. His face is so clear. His constant presence and our ability to cling to Him and know with certainty that He was right beside our sweet Riley was what kept us going.
Thank you again to all those that followed our journey and continue to follow her updates today. We appreciate each one of you!

Cheers to a better birthday this year and a healthy Riley!

Best Friends

Be my Valentine

The tradition is to hide valentines all over the house for the kiddos to find. This was started by my dad years ago when I was little. It was always so fun to search for those valentines. We would find them in the kitchen cupboards, on the inside of the toilet seat, the refrigerator, and tons of other places. This is one of my favorite memories as a kid. I always felt so special and loved. My dad continues this with my kids. My parents dropped them off, along with lots of other fun goodies, and we hid them for the girls the night before. They loved it and we loved watching them search. They each had a nice stash of goodies- lollipops, bubble wands, and disney pencils from Grandma and Grandpa, yummy candy treats and $5 from Grams and Papa, a few cards, and some other fun things.
Jaron made breakfast complete with pink heart pancakes, eggs, bacon, sausage, and hashbrowns. Yes, we did not eat for a week after. :)
Later that night, the girls had a playdate with friends and Jaron and I enjoyed Mongolian BBQ for dinner. Yum!
We love our cutie valentines!

Rough

Riley was hopping in the car with Jaron to pick up sissy from school when she grabbed sissy's booster which was not buckled in. Somehow she fell face first on the driveway. Here is a pic of her road-rash.

Snow Play

Over Jaron's winter break, we were able to meet up with some friends for a few nights at their cabin in Blue Jay. It was great to be in such a beautiful place and enjoy the snow. Unfortunately, Jaron and I were not feeling 100%, but we had a great time despite our sore throats and coughs. The girls loved the snow for the most part. Riley would not walk on the snow. Her new mantra lately is "I can't do it!!" She screams it super loud all the time. Avery loved the snowball fights. It really made us want to buy a cabin in the snow!

Anniversary Getaway

We were fortunate enough to be able to take a night away for our anniversary. We celebrated by driving down to Monterey to stay the night and enjoy a fabulous dinner at Roy's Restaurant (thanks Dad and Mom!!). We took a very relaxing stroll by the beach before heading down to Pebble Beach for dinner. The weather was perfect!

A big thanks to my parents for taking the kiddos so we could enjoy this wonderful getaway!

We did not take any pics of dinner, but I had to search for a pic of this amazing appetizer we devoured! It is a kobe sushi roll filled with tempura asparagus, avocado, and crab then topped with kobe beef. I do not normally enjoy sushi at all, but I could have eaten the entire thing. It was probably one of the best things I have eaten. We also enjoyed szechwan bbq baby back pork ribs and caesar salad. Jaron ordered the lamb and I had the rib eye steak. It was such a fantastic meal. Yum!

Avery's day

A special birthday breakfast followed Avery's scavenger hunt to discover her gifts. Jaron made waffles, eggs, and bacon at Avery's request.

All dressed up and ready for a field trip with school. Avery had her party the following day.

A not so yummy tasting icecream cake made by mom...next time it is Baskin Robbins. :)

Avery really wanted a number 5 candle on her cake. She was very happy to see it was super sparkly.
We had a playgroup-like party with friends. Avery wanted a Hello Kitty party complete with a pinata and cake (not cupcakes like last year.) She told me she will be alternating between cake and cupcakes every year. :)

Friends from preschool - Tristen, Guilia, and Lena

A big hug from our friend, Ocean.

This cake was a much bigger success. Thank goodness Hello Kitty is relatively easy to make.

Here is Riley hiding out in the corner with her cake, Woody doll, and Buzz Lightyear. These are her absolute favorite toys and she does not let them out of her sight.

Natural Bridges

Over Christmas break, we decided to spend a day over the hill in Santa Cruz. We enjoyed beautiful weather while spending some time at Natural Bridges State Beach. The tidepools were a bit disappointing, but the girls absolutely loved the beach. Riley was not so sure about the sand on her bare feet, but Avery would have stripped down and headed into the ocean if we had let her. We went into Capitola after that and watched the sunset and the surfers at Pleasure Point. We ended our day at Aloha Island Grill- one of our favorite restaurants. It was a wonderful day. It makes me miss the ocean and the time we spent living over that way.

Ready for fun!

Tomorrow we celebrate Avery's 5th birthday! We also celebrate our 8th wedding anniversary. Let the fun begin!
I still have balloons to blow up, but everything else is ready for tomorrow morning. I made a happy birthday banner along with a line of pics from Avery's 5 years of life. My creative friend, Kelci, made tissue paper flowers to hang for her daughter Bella's birthday and they were so adorable that I had to do the same! Avery requested a scavenger hunt to find her present so I am making Jaron set that up when he gets home tonight. :) He is also making her birthday breakfast in the morning- waffles and bacon. Yum!
Her birthday outfit is hilarious- cute birthday shirt, pink tulle skirt (which we will pair with leggings) and pink glitter sneakers. I know she will love it.
More to come tomorrow...