Happy Halloween!!

This year we have a Belle from Beauty and the Beast and a Red Power Ranger in our house. We trick-or-treated at Grandma Kelli's and "friend Tyler" and his mommy, daddy, grandma and new baby sister also joined us. Thanks for the yummy dinner and dessert mom. It was a fun night!

Happy Halloween!

Belle (aka Katelyn)

Red Power Ranger (aka Blake)

Blake and Katelyn

Daddy and his princess.

Tyler and Blake

Pumpkin Carving

Last night we gathered with the family at the Constantino's for our annual pumpkin carving night. Grandpa and myself were the lucky ones that got to carve the kids pumpkins! (Thanks dad!) The kids were really into making sure they looked just like jack-o-lanterns and Blake had fun stabbing the back of his! It was a fun night.

Katelyn and Ella-- BFF!

Getting ready to carve pumpkins.

The finished pumpkins, though Blake has his turned backwards! (L-R: Avery, Ella, Katelyn, Blake, Eli and Shaun)

Ella, Katelyn and Blake

Happy Birthday to me!

There's no sugar coating this-- it's my birthday and I am 30!! There I said it! Oh and by the way, when the heck did 30 years fly by so fast??

So instead of being a downer I decided to list 30 things that you may or may not know about me. So here's to 30 short years! :)

1. Married my best friend, who I have now officially known for half my life! Love you Steve!

2. Gave birth to twins-- with an epidural that did not take... I'll leave it at that!

3. My favorite place I have traveled to is Tahiti-- the most beautiful place on earth!

4. Stood 10 feet away from five living presidents- Bush Sr., Reagan, Carter, Johnson, Nixon-- at the Nixon Library opening.

5. Attended Game 7 of a World Series! (Go Angels!)

6. Completed my bachelor's degree in 4 years and earned a degree in Communications with an emphasis in Public Relations.

7. Am actually using my degree in my current job!

8. I graduated from high school with honors.

9. My favorite colors are red and pink.

10. My favorite movie(s) of all-time-- Grease and Pretty Women, though the Cutting Edge is a close third!

11. I answered the phone at my house once and Tommy Lasorada (Dodgers former baseball head coach) was on the other end!

12. I could eat Mexican food every day.

13. I hate ALL seafood.

14. My favorite dessert is carrot cake.

15. I have a brother who is 16 months younger than me and one who is 16 years younger than me.

16. I once was stuck in the Denver airport at the age of 12-- alone and by myself on the way back from visiting my grandma in Arkansas and sat on the pay phone with my mom the entire delay.

17. I was a cheerleader in high school.

18. I have been inside Disneyland at every hour of the day.

19. I was born to the best parents ever and have an awesome family. (blood-related and non-blood related!)

20. I LOVE being a mom.

21. I really want one more child.

22. I have only lived in one state—California.

23. My one weekly indulgence—People magazine!

24. I am a moderator on an online twins message board.

25. My first car was a Toyota Corolla and I got my drivers license on Halloween. (1994)

26. I have never been snow skiing.

27. I love to water ski. (when I can actually get up!)

28. I am going to be an aunt for the first time in February. :)

29. I share a birthday with soccer great, Pele, Weird Al" Yankovic, Johnny Carson and actor Ryan Reynolds.

30. One of the things I must do before I die is go to the Oprah show! (Hint, hint-- for anyone who wants to make one of my dreams come true... :))

Okay, so there you have it......
Happy Birthday to me!!

Pumpkins and Apples: Fall is here!

Yesterday we headed out to the pumpkin patch. We ventured out to one in Redlands called Live Oak Canyon. It is really cool-- you can actually go out and cut your own pumpkins off the vine if you want. The kids had fun riding in the wheelbarrow, sliding down the slide, driving the John Deer tractors and choosing their pumpkins.

After choosing our pumpkins we then headed up to Oak Glen for some yummy apples. We packed a lunch and had a picnic at one of the orchards. Then our friends, the Bailey's, joined us for some apple picking. Blake was quite the little apple picker, but honestly it was hot and the orchards had these sharp stickers that Katelyn kept getting stuck to her, so apple picking was short-lived for her. Afterward we treated ourselves to some yummy apple pie a la mode. Yummy!!

It was a fun day! Happy Fall from the west coast!

Blake and Katelyn at the entrance to the pumpkin patch.

The Trombly's

Nicole, Katelyn and Blake with our pumpkins!

Riding on the tractor.

Apple picking at the Rileys' at Los Rios Rancho apple orchard in Oak Glen.

Date Night with friends

Steve and I got to have a date night last night with our friends Karen and Troy. We went to Benihana's and let's just say the 'Sake was a flowing' for the men. :) Karen and I both are celebrating a birthday this coming week, so we got a special dessert and the happy birthday song from the waiter and the other people at our table. It was fun.

Karen, I hope you have a very Happy Birthday!

Steve and Troy

Nicole and Karen

Okay, this was the funniest thing-- the waiter took like 6 pictures of the four of us and they all came out like this. The steam at the table next to us just kept coming our way and we could never get a decent picture! :)

Our Dancers

Sorry... I have been slacking with the blog entries... I went back and updated the last week or so-- so keep scrolling down to catch up. We have had a lot going on lately...

We had the show Dancing with the Stars on a couple of weeks ago and Katelyn has sort of become obsessed with the show and asks Steve and I every night if it is on. So, last night she asked and sure enough it was on. Katelyn and Blake decided that they want to be dancers too. I was able to capture this video clip of them dancing and it was just cracking Steve and I up. They were trying very hard to follow the steps of the dancers on the television and were having a lot of fun doing it!

So enjoy our "budding" dancers.
Click here.

Baby Shower - Ashlee

On Sunday I hosted a baby shower for Steve's cousin Ashlee. She is due at the end of the month. It was a fun day and I have never seen so many cute baby girl clothes in my life. Sooo makes me want another baby... but that's a whole other post. :)

We can't wait to meet little Madilyn Marie.

The mommy-to-be and all her gifts. :)

Happy Birthday Grammie!

Happy Birthday to you~
Happy Birthday to you~
Happy Birthday dear Grammie~
Happy Birthday TO YOU!!

Thanks for letting us help you blow out the candles!

John & Rhiona: October 4, 2008

Our good friends John and Rhiona were married in a beautiful ceremony on Saturday at the Japanese Friendship Gardens in San Diego, California. The location was beautiful, Rhiona looked stunning and John so handsome. A good time was had by all despite the rain... (Rhi and John you both were such troopers! :)) We enjoyed many drinks, delicious food and lots of laughs and conversations with many of our high school friends and the happy couple.

John and Rhiona, thanks for letting us share in your special day. We wish you both many years of love and happiness.

The new Mr. and Mrs. John Norum

Their first dance in the rain.

Steve and John

Mr. and Mrs. Trombly