Leila's "Bird-day" Birthday

For the first of three of installments of birthday fun, I took Leila to the Pixley National Wildlife Refuge to watch the sandhill cranes come in at sunset. Instead of a traditional birthday party, we invited our friends to the refuge to enjoy a beautiful sunset with thousands of sandhill cranes. As we ooohed and aaahhhed over the seemingly ceaseless waves of birds flying overhead, we sipped hot chocolate and noshed on cupcakes. It couldn't have been better! And then, a little pizza party to cap the evening off.

Post-Christmas KOP Romp

Leila and I made a wonderful trip out to Kaweah Oaks Preserve the day after Christmas with some friends. It was beautiful! And all of the dry oak leaves and wild grapevine canopies provided endless entertainment and adventure for the kids. Regardless of how fabulous everyone's Christmas gifts were, these leaves, dirt and smiles proved equally as fabulous! (Thanks Katia, Karin, Chloe and Rozzie for a great day!)

Merry Christmas!!

Christmas was even more magical this year than it was last year. The anticipation built up so exquisitely throughout the month of December as Leila opened up each new window of her advent calendar and eagerly consumed a piece of chocolate within minutes of crawling out of bed. As if chocolate before breakfast wasn't magical enough, Santa's impending arrival inspired magnanimous levels of excitement. Throughout the month, we watched Christmas movies (Polar Express was a favorite) and listened to holiday music (12 Days of Christmas was a favorite, though we struggled a bit getting past the 5 golden rings). And alas, it was Christmas morning. The bike from Santa's elves was definitely the highlight, though she was also a pretty big fan of all things found in her two stockings (one at our house and the other at Nana/Popo's house). And of course, it was great to spend some time with my brother and Leila's beloved Uncle Kris (on crutches due to a nasty skiing accident). Here's a glimpse of Leila's 4th Christmas...