good faith

Blake Turns 4!!

2012-01-16T16:11:00.000-08:00

We had a BLAST celebrating our little man's 4th birthday last weekend!! He decided on a 'robot' theme, and a fine choice it was......

Blake's favorite robots- the utensil holder robot and doggie napkin holder. :)

Robot fuel

I found the best FREE robot printables from The Couture Cakery!!

We had so much fun creating all these "unique" robots, and the best part- they were all FREE!! We just used odds and ends from around the house. An awesome way to reuse and recycle!


Our HAPPY Birthday boy

Happy Birthday Blake!

We love you to the moon and back!!! :)

Resolution

2012-01-01T23:54:00.000-08:00

So it's been like, FOREVER, since I blogged. Today is the start of a new year, however, and I am REALLY going to try to keep up this time- I swear!!! So much has happened over the last year, I can't believe we are where we are today. I was sitting here thinking of how blessed we are- amazing and crazy helpful family, awesome and supportive friends, roof, jobs, food, health... what more is there, really? I am beyond words.
If anyone else has spent hours on Pinterest then you will understand my fascination. One of the things I love about it is finding inspirational sayings. Something about making art out of words is totally awesome. So here are some of my favs that hopefully will bring in this new year with hope and encouragement...

So Happy New Year, everyone!!

Here's to promises kept, goals met, changes made, and gifts given.

May God bless you in 2012!

Mother's Day Tea

2011-05-09T11:16:00.000-07:00

Every year I enjoy hosting a Mother's Day Tea for all of our moms, sisters, aunties, cousins and friends. I always have a great time decorating and putting on a special day for all our special people.

What better way to celebrate the moms than with girls and food??? :)

Thank you to all the ladies that could make it-

you are all wonderful and I couldn't imagine life without you!!

And for those who couldn't make it- we missed you, and there's always next year!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!

The Big "Reveal"

2011-04-11T15:32:00.000-07:00

When I first found out I was pregnant I remembered an idea that I had seen on a few blogs about having a baby gender "reveal" party. I KNEW I wanted to do one (of course another excuse to party!!) when we found out this past week what we were having. We just invited our closest friends and family, and it ended up being SO much fun!! The kids really got into it, and Camryn had so much fun helping me plan all the little details. It was a great way to announce our 4th and FINAL!!

I went with a "cravings" theme for the dessert bar. I had seen that idea on a couple

of other blogs and thought it was cute.

The color scheme was yellow (my FAV, and very neutral:) and gray- perfect for Spring!!

Thanks to my friend Stacey for all her help!!

The signs for the table read: Sweet (cupcakes), Salty (kettle corn), Sour (lemon bars),

and Chewy (chocolate-dipped marshmallows).

I made a banner on the mantle and added some of the ultrasound pictures we've had taken.

Everyone had fun "searching" for the RIGHT picture to guess if it was a boy or girl.

(It, obviously, wasn't on there... ;)

We also had a tally board with clips so everyone could cast their "votes".

A couple of other little details...

For the reveal I had a couple of different ideas, but decided to go with...

PINK balloons!!!!!!

We were SO excited to find out we're having

our 2nd little girl!!!!!!!!

I would say the kids were a little excited too..... ;)

All I can say is we feel so blessed- 2 and 2!!

Here's praying for a healthy little girl! :)

Fun Times...

2011-03-06T21:37:00.000-08:00

My Dad and Stepmom came to visit the end of January. We had a great time, despite me feeling a little "under the weather". The kids had a blast just hanging out...

One of Cami's favorites- art with Grandpa!

Another fav- puzzles...

We took a trip over to Irvine Regional Park for some fishing and the train ride, of course. :)

We took a little detour to Sprinkles, too...

And celebrated Grandpa's BIG 6-0!!!

(Not one of my prettiest cakes, but everyone liked it! :)

Grandma Diane enjoyed a little 'girl time' with Cami :)

We love you Grandpa and Grandma!! :)

Happy BeLATEd Birthday Blake!

2011-03-06T21:21:00.000-08:00

On January 7th, our baby boy turned a whopping 3 years old!!

Happy Birthday Blake!!!

We love you!!!

Celebrating at pre-school...

He is in love with Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, so here was his 'Mod-Mickey' party.

I just LOVED the way it came out, and I think he liked it too... ;)

The dessert bar- thanks to my mom and sis for all their help!

LOVE Thomas the Tank Engine!

Thank you everyone!!

"Baby" Education

2011-02-27T22:07:00.000-08:00

As you can probably guess, with an 8 year old (girl, I might add), I've had a lot of "explaining" to do lately. Don't get me wrong, Camryn and I have an amazingly open relationship, but something about the most recent events in our lives have had me a bit nervous. I made sure that if she had ANY questions, she was more than welcome to ask me anything at all. I also have been showing her the antiquated book, "A Child is Born" written in the 1970s. With it's very graphic pictures, I am perfectly comfortable describing female anatomy and birth events (thanks to my job, of course). I am thoroughly enjoying this bonding experience with her and we've even had conversations about her being in the room when her brother or sister is born. Just wanted to share some of her questions/comments that I thought were adorable...

1. "Mom, why does the baby have to be down low?"

(I had to have her describe what she meant by "down low"...)

2. "Mom, if I'm in the room (when the baby's born)... and Daddy's in the room... he's gonna be with you, right? So who's gonna be with me???"

3. After seeing pictures of Blake right after birth- "Mommy, I'm ok with being in the room when the baby's born- as long as it doesn't look gross like THAT."

4. "Mom, I still don't understand how the baby gets food from your blood."

(No, I didn't get into a talk about the physiology of maternal-fetal blood exchange...)

5. "So, Mom, if the baby is still really small, then why is your tummy big already???"

(Yay.)

I'm sure there will be many more "interesting" questions pop up, but for now I'm having fun with it. :)

Happy New Year (in February...;)!!!

2011-02-18T11:53:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year, everyone!!

Ok, I know it's February and all, but we've kinda had a lot going on lately. "How busy", you ask? Well our Valentine's Day card should answer a few questions:

YES!! It's true! We're crazy enough to "add a fourth" or "even out the crew"! Matt and I (and I think the kids even MORE) are so excited. It's been a lot of adjusting lately as I have pretty much been "out of commission" most of the time. All I can say is that I have the most AMAZING husband!! I am starting to feel a little better, so it's been nice to return to my world of inspiration. As you can probably guess, cakes aren't exactly what I'm talking about (even the smallest speck of frosting makes me gag...). So the next few months should be fun in our household- getting ready for a new little one HAS to include some redecorating, right??? ;)

One thing I have to say is that we've been getting A LOT of mixed reactions to our news. Mostly it's been great, but you know- there's always a few... I stumbled on this article a few weeks back and got a kick out of it. Actually, Matt more than I, but he REQUESTED that I copy it onto our blog... :)

Written by Kylie Orr for EssentialBaby.com

For anyone who is tactfully deficient, I have included a list of answers to some of the questions I have been asked with the announcement of our fourth pregnancy.

Let me know if I have missed anything!

Yes, it was planned.
No, we are not crazy, insane, demented or a sandwich short of a picnic.
Yes, they all have the same father.
No, we didn’t have anything better to do (what would you rather be doing?).
Yes, we own a TV.
No, the power was not out that night.
Yes, we know how babies are made.
No, we don’t rely on the rhythm method.
Yes, we understand the concept of contraception.
Yes, we know that four children is a lot.
No, I wasn’t that attached to my pelvic floor.
Yes, we know we may have another boy.
No, we didn’t “try for a girl”, we’re not “hoping for a pink one”, or “praying for more oestrogen in the house” (but of course, a girl would be lovely, as would another boy).
Yes, we have sorted out names.
No, we won’t be finding out the gender.
Yes, this will be our last.
No, we are not hoping to start a football team.
Yes, we realise how much money children cost.
No, we didn’t do it for the plasma bonus.
Yes, we know about the need for a bigger car.
No, we will not have to buy a mini-bus.
Yes, we’ll have our hands full.
No we don’t value sleep, we’ve forgotten what it is.
Yes, we have enough space (is it illegal for kids to share a bedroom?)
No, we are not gluttons for punishment (you see children as a punishment?).
Yes, we’re taking congratulations!

Holy Macaron!

2010-12-14T22:20:00.000-08:00

I've seen these little guys slowly creeping in the 'dessert bar' mania lately.

French Macarons!!!

They're just SO stinkin' cute!!! I am bound and determined to try my hand at these- and what better time than the holidays??

Oh, the color combinations.... and presentation displays.....

such decisions!!!

In glass jars....

...boxed, and sorted...

...stacked by colors...

...or on platters...

...or TOWERS!!!!

Wish me luck- and, yes, I'll post pictures soon.... :)

Etsy Favs

2010-12-14T21:40:00.000-08:00

I've been completely and utterly OBSESSED with Etsy lately... I could attribute it to Christmas shopping, but can never decide on one thing! For those of you who have never been on that site-

go NOW!! Or, maybe you shouldn't...

Here are just a few of the things I'm in love with at the moment:

Party packages from one of my favorites Totful Memories
(Hint, hint... Blake's party:)

Holiday tags from Green Apple Paperie

Crocheted flower headbands
(Lots of different styles)

Hand stamped jewelry
(TONS of different styles:)

HAPPY CHRISTMAS SHOPPING!!

Photobribery

2010-12-01T23:06:00.000-08:00

So............... what does it take to get three active, just-got-home-from-school, fussy kids to HAPPILY take pictures for their photo-happy mother for Christmas cards???

That's right people- I'm not afraid to admit it!!! And Happy Meal toys by themselves are cheaper than buying the whole thing, anyways. Here's a few of the shots I got...

...and now to CHOOSE!!!

Gotta Lovett

2010-12-01T22:52:00.000-08:00

A couple of weekends ago we got to spend some time with my cousin, her husband and their newly fostered children. Yes, I said CHILDREN. After many twisting circumstances only God knows reasons for, they are fostering and planning to adopt these THREE precious kids. Amazing, I know.

I seriously didn't know how that weekend would impact me as much as it did. Honestly, I was just thinking (and sort of dreading) having 6 kids in one house!! When we got there we were greeted with the warmest welcome ever- "COUSINS!!!!!!!!!!!" And the HUGEST hugs from the SMALLEST person I have ever gotten. I'll call her "Wee One" for now (I'm not allowed to post names or pics until their adoption is final). From the very start that little girl stole my heart. One word to describe her- SUNSHINE! Her and Blake had a blast together. And the middle one (we'll call her "Fancy Girl") was an instant connect for Camryn. They had so much fun listening to music, drawing & coloring, and of course deciding what to wear. The oldest one, "Little Man" was a perfect fit for Tyler too. Of course, they had their share of video games and Sponge Bob. :)

One of the highlights of the trip for me was the Sand Ceremony that my aunt had arranged at their "Welcome Party". There were dozens of little bags filled with sand, and everyone there poured them individually in a jar to symbolize the blending of family, friends, and support they all now have. It was beautiful...

Another favorite was this poem written by a friend of my aunt...

...but the BEST part was the blessing of their new family. Tara and Michael presented the two older kids with their first Bible. The look on their faces of surprise, confusion and curiosity was priceless. I never experienced before the true, raw love of Jesus given to children for the very first time. It literally brought me to tears. What an amazing gift. And even more, what an amazing GIFT these CHILDREN are.

Blessings, Lovett Family

Fancy Feast

2010-11-15T22:19:00.000-08:00

Have you've ever Googled something and been completely and utterly overwhelmed by the response of ideas/pictures that came up? Here's just a peek at a few SUPER CUTE Thanksgiving decor ideas that I fell head-over-heels for.......

Love, love, LOVE it...

Adorable, but is it difficult to actually hollow out those things???

I think the kids would love these!

Ok, now that is TOTALLY doable...


Veggies?!?! How stinkin' cute!!! I especially love the artichoke.

And, well, these are just speaking my language...

While I won't be using any of these ideas for my Thanksgiving table (well, maybe the cake pops... ;), I do love looking at all the crazy cute things out there. I am sticking to my guns and my motto- Reuse, Repurpose, Recycle. I will be borrowing my good friend Amy's "fancy fall" decor and adding a few fresh flowers to the mix (from the budget flower mart, of course!). Don't worry- pictures to follow... :)

Starting Over...

2010-11-13T23:34:00.000-08:00

Okay..... I am seriously going to keep up this time! I have decided to take a different route (or just a different mindset, I suppose) with this blog. I'm tired of the "this is what we've done" posts. I have SO much going on in my brain, that I have decided to use this blog to make sense of it all. Either that or just to empty it all out... whatever works. So if you stumble upon one of my ramblings, please forgive my overwhelmed mind.

Before I move on to that, I'd better get caught up on what we've been doing lately... :)

Our little girl just turned, wait for it...........

8 years old!!!!!!
I can hardly believe it! I feel so truly blessed and grateful to have her in our lives. She is such a good, caring, lively, smart, creative, brave little girl. Of course I could go on and on...
This year we indulged in a Selena Gomez concert (*scream*) for her birthday, so we just "laid low" for her party and had a few of her friends over for a slumber party.
Here's my idea of "laying low"......

Simple, easy party........... ;)

Happy 8th Birthday Camryn!

We love you!!!!!

For Halloween we DID lay low, I promise! Actually, my new motto (along with the rest of the world) has been Reuse, Reduce, Recycle. I am very proud to say that all of the kiddos costumes followed it!

Cami's costume was inspired by the character "Fancy Nancy" (from the books), and was completely from her own collection! Grammie made her a tutu for her birthday that went perfectly, too. We happened to come across both the boys' costumes from the closet of their cousins Mickey and Nolan. Tyler was Peter Pan and Blake a "baseball payer". Thank God they didn't mind- such good sports!

Soccer fun :)

Our latest do-it-yourself project- COMPLETED!!

We just love how this openeing has "opened" up our home so much!

Thanks to Matt's mom Linda (ok, and Dan, Dan the Drywall Man....) it came out so great!!

...from the other side :)

Now I'm having a problem finishing our front room re-do..

Lord, give me the patience (and the budget!)...

Since Valentine's Day....

2010-07-03T16:24:00.000-07:00

...a lot has happened!! I'm really bad at updating our family blog, so this is for everyone who's been asking. It will also fulfill my goal to update many things this summer... :)

Back in February was the "L" School Musical 2- Both kids got to be a part of this awesome musical the school does every year! Camryn was a school bus driver, and Tyler was a teacher.

Tyler was on the Angels this year (with much debate in our family;) and had a GREAT time! By the end of the season he had accrued 2 game balls and a definite boost in confidence!!

St Patrick's Day
Of course I had to involve something with cake for the kids to do. :) We tried out this rainbow cake- it was a little complicated, but the kids got a kick out of it!!

Easter...
Here's the kids lined up and ready for the egg hunt!!

Easter morning- Blake wasn' t too sure, I guess.. :)

Ready for church!

Family outing to San Pedro and Long Beach
We had breakfast at a "Triple-D" spot (think Food Network), Schooner or Later. It was great- right on the marina so the kids got to check out all the boats.

Then headed to the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium in San Pedro...

...and the tide pools nearby.

And finally to Belmont Shore for some pizza and cupcakes!! It was a super fun day!!

Tyler's Kindergarten Farm Day

They made butter, ice cream, lemonade, visors, and had a petting zoo!!

Camryn got Student of the Month for April!! They all celebrated by having "Pizza with the Principal". So exciting!!

Our Ty-man turned 6!!
Festivities started with a celebration at school..

...then a dinosaur party for all his class friends!!

Happy 6th Birthday Tyler!!!!!

Tyler's Kindergarten Graduation- *tear*

One of the BEST kindergarten teachers EVER!!!
Mrs. Ancich rocks!!

There will be many more posts this summer, and now I might be able to keep up!!!!

Here's to SUMMERTIME-
WOO HOO!!!!!!!!

My "Valentines"

2010-02-18T14:03:00.000-08:00

My "Valentines" and I spent the day doing our traditional: heart shaped pizzas, decorating a heart cake and watching movies. I LOVE this day with my kids. It somehow made the fact that Matt was working not so bad. (This year we decided NOT to go surprise him at the station. Not he safest place, it turns out...) Having been super busy the past few days, I REALLY needed this break!! I just LOVE these kiddos!!!!!!!!!!!

Blake's Cowboy Bash!

2010-01-11T21:11:00.001-08:00

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Merry Christmas 2009!!!

2009-12-23T23:20:00.001-08:00

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Awesome Arizona!!!

2009-12-23T20:34:00.001-08:00

At the beginning of this month we took an awesome trip to Arizona with my sister and her family, to meet my dad and stepmom. It ended up being an amazing trip!! Here are just some of the highlights...

Before boarding the Polar Express we had a cozy, homestyle dinner at the Pine Country Restaurant in Williams, AZ. It was so yummy, especially their mile-high pies!!

Dad and "Aunt-Grandma" :)

All aboard!! (We couldn't wait to escape the 15 degree weather and head inside the warm train!)

Santa giving the kids their bells

Eyes in amazement...

Cuddling cozy on the train

Sipping super yummy hot chocolate!!
The picture we're missing here is Grandpa John stepping up to the microphone to "help" out with some Christmas tunes.... sheesh!!

The next day we headed to the Grand Canyon. What a beautiful drive from Flagstaff!!

Trying out the trolley..

Our family in front of the Grand Canyon!

The following day we headed to see this awesome meteor crater (the one in Starman, for those of you that remember that movie:)

It was VERY interesting, and the kids actually loved it!!

After the crater, we headed down to Sedona. Yet another beautiful drive!

Daddy's girls :)

We got to meet up with my cousin Andrea and her hubby Chad, and their new baby Jake! It was so fun to catch up with them and spend time with them too!!

Our last day we headed over to one last stop called Walnut Canyon. They were beautiful canyons where Indians used to live in the sides of the mountains. Amazing!! As my kids were running around I couldn't help but think how it would have been to LIVE there, on the side of a cliff, with kids.... WOW!!

Our trek down....

We had such a fun time (despite the frigid weather!) seeing Grandpa John and "Aunt Grandma" Diane in Arizona. It ended up being one of our most memorable family trips so far. As the kids get older it's so fun to see their little minds absorbing all the beauty of this earth.

Dancing at Disney!

2009-12-08T14:51:00.001-08:00

Anytime we get the opportunity to go to the 'Happiest Place on Earth' we go!!! Camryn's dance academy was invited to dance a portion of their Nutcracker show last month, so my mom and I were the lucky ones to join the fun.

SOOO excited!!

Gathering the Mirlitons and their Lambs

Just love Mommy-Daughter time!!!

Halloween!

2009-12-08T14:35:00.000-08:00

Ok, I'm really getting caught up this time!!

Here's Halloween night in LV!! (Can you tell Ty wasn't feeling so good??) We all had a great time with Aunt Cathy, Uncle Larry, Tara & Mike.

My little angel, pirate and firefighter at Cam's dance party.

Cam's "Little Purple People Eater" dance

Building gingerbread haunted houses in LV. Of course Daddy had to help with construction...

...and Mommy only helped a little with decorating; ;)

Blake's favorite part- candied apples!!

Our Baby Girl is 7!!!!!

2009-10-25T22:32:00.001-07:00

Camryn's birthday was last week, and I can't help but feel a little bit sad as I look over her pictures as a baby girl. She is 7. Officially a girl. Not a baby, not a toddler, not a preschooler. A little girl. My little girl. I remember thinking when she was a baby, "I wonder what she will be like when she's 2, 5, 7?" I think back to then, and I think that I never would have imagined her being as beautiful, smart, witty, caring, silly, thoughtful, and sassy as she is now. This tiny little thing has grown before our very eyes into a beautiful and big girl. Camryn is turning into a wonderful person, and I feel so fortunate to be her mom- to be able to see her discoveries, her sorrows, her joys, and her accomplishments. I am so proud to not only call her my daughter, but one of my best companions. I can't even begin to describe how lucky I am every day to have her.

Happy Birthday Camryn Nicole!!!
Mommy & Daddy love you with our whole hearts...

On to the details of her fabulous Build-A-Bear party...
Here are the excited group of girls on our way there!!

The birthday girl!!

Of course she picked the pink one ;)

Showering her with love..

Our group pic

The whole store singing "Happy Birthday, dear Camryn...."

Ready for pizza & cake!!

Cami's special cake- made by Mommy, of course!!

The "girls"

Cami with her cake (and after her outfit change:)

SO blessed with all her gifts!!!

...and how I found her at the end of the day!! :)

Mommy Day

2009-10-22T21:04:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday I decided to take the kiddos out and about around the OC. Matt was working, so I thought it would be a great day to spend some time with them. Our first stop was to a Pumpkin Patch and train ride with my MOPS group. Since the older two were in school, it was just Blake & I for a change! Auntie Jill-Nicole came along too, which made it super fun! Blake absolutely LOVES trains right now, so it was fun to see his little face light up when he saw the "choo-choo". After the kids got out of school, I dropped a tired little Blakey off with Grandma Nana, and Cami, Ty & I headed off to Disneyland! The weather was fabulous, the park was not packed, and the kids were wonderful!!! We had such a fun time that day, and came home exhausted!!! I am so glad we had such a fun time together- it makes being a mom so much fun!!!

Cami & Ty @ DL with some beautiful Fall decor.
(And Ty flashing his "cool" hand signs... :)

We actually stood in line this time to meet TinkerBell!
(It's usually a no-go, considering it's always an hour-long wait!)
Needless to say, Cam was SUPER excited!!

The view down Main Street, and two tired kiddos ready to go home!

Blake at the pumpkin patch- ready for the train ride!

Auntie Jill and a squirmy Blakey!!

CHOO-CHOO!!

He looks like such a big boy in this picture!!!

He was cooperating so well, "Cheese!!!"

Contemplating throwing the pumpkins.... "No Blakey... it's not a ball..."

"Ok, I'm done. No more pictures please."

I had a great day with my babies, and as Camryn said, "...I'll remember it always!"

Our Little Cheerleader

2009-10-22T20:51:00.000-07:00

On my birthday we got to spend the evening at a football game for one of our local high schools. Cam had attended their "Jr Cheer Camp" this summer, and part of their performance was at a Fall football game! I was so cute to see her out there on the field. She had a blast with all the cheerleaders, and we had a blast watching. It was crazy to be back there... It seemed like not that long ago I was on that field. I swear, we wore more clothing back then though!!!

Ty being silly :) Or was it bored??

Me & my Ty

For some reason he was being shy with Daddy

And Blakey? Smiling and laughing, as usual!!

All in all, it was a fun evening, and I didn't even mind spending my birthday there. We went out to dinner afterwards, which was nice too!!

Taking Flight

2009-10-22T20:43:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of the month Matt decided to take Tyler on a mini day-vacation down to the Miramar Air Show. He took him to one last year and since he remembers doing that with his Dad as a kid, he thought he would start the same tradition with Ty (&Blakey too, later:). Grandpa got to tag along for the ride too, so it was extra fun! This time, I asked him to take some pictures so I could post them, and well, here they are...

I was so glad he spent this time with him, and he seemed to really like it. He went on and on (like we all know Tyler can do:) about the planes, and showed me his "special"jet that Daddy bought for him. Here's to a new tradition- I LOVE that!!!!

Papa Bonafede

2009-09-28T11:33:00.001-07:00

We lost a member of our family- 'Papa' Carl Bonafede, this past Saturday evening. Matt's grandfather had been an exceptional athlete in high school (which I just recently learned), a soldier in the Marines during WWII, husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather to many. There are many things that we can thank him for (Matt's family's love of sports and music), and others we will remember him for (his love of golf and USC). We know he is definitely in a better place now, at peace and at rest. He will be missed!!

Not So Private...

2009-09-14T22:35:00.000-07:00

Since I have had many people saying that they cannot log in to see our blog (many of which I do the blog for in the first place), I have decided to make it open for anyone to read. I will just have to censor it so crazy people won't be trying to find my family!! Anyways, hope you all enjoy!! :)

Construction Zone!!

2009-09-14T21:56:00.000-07:00

Anyone who knows me, knows that I just can't sit still when things have been the same for too long. What can I say- I love change!! That being said, I think we bit off a little more than we could chew with this project. I had the hair-brained idea that we would open up a wall from our front living room to our kitchen. Sounds simple, you say? Did I mention that entails closing off a door to outside, moving the plumbing, electrical, gas for the washer & dryer, and modifying cabinets? Not so easy I guess... Here's some pics of our "not-so-easy" project:

The "Before"

Here's that plumbing stuff I was talking about...

Matt has spent 2 full days under our house... not so fun!

Here's the advertisement for the importance of wearing safety goggles!! (The day before Linda managed to get something in her eye, which scratched her cornea. Two trips to the Dr. later...)

Chloe doesn't know what to think of all this madness! She's NOT a fan of change- it makes her nervous (just like most Weimeraners, I'm told).

Our new view from the kitchen into our front room- GLORIOUS!

And our new doorway into the kitchen...

I will post more pics of the finished product when it's done (hopefully soon). Until then, Matt will be under the house once more while he repairs some of the mistakes he made- OOPS!! I give him credit for trying at least...

School Days...

2009-09-02T15:21:00.000-07:00

School starts today!!! We had an awesome morning- the kids were excited to wake up, had a nice walk to school, and a teary send-off (for Mommy anyways). All made for a great first day of school. I still can't believe Camryn is in 1st grade and my little man Ty is a Kindergartener!! They were both very excited and had NO problems whatsoever!!

Ty & his teacher Mrs. Ancich

At his desk...

...and reading their first story together :)

Here's Camryn meeting her teacher, Mrs. Osborn (who also had Uncle Kyle and cousin Mikayla as students!).

"Bye, Mom & Dad!!"

At her new "big girl" desk

We can't wait to see how this year will unfold- I'm sure with LOTS of adventure!!!!

Last Days of Summer...

2009-09-01T21:41:00.000-07:00

In my last ditch effort to keep up with our blog before school starts, I have included some (tons) of pictures of the activities we did this summer. It truly went by SO fast!!!

Let's start with Tyler's karate graduation. He earned his yellow belt (his first SOLID color!) a few weeks ago, and was so proud! It has been amazing to see the transformation in him over this past year and a half! He has changed from a shy, timid boy to a full fledged karate champion...

He also did swim lessons this year...

Here's us at the OC Fair on the kids' favorite ride!

This summer we got to spend an awesome day with Auntie Jill-Nicole! Had lunch at Fashion Island, got Sprinkles cupcakes (YUM!) and hung out at the beach.

This was the day there were record 20 foot high waves! (Check out the top of the waves hitting the bottom of the pier!)

Cami was so proud of her sunflower she planted- it was taller than her!!

Cami was part of the Junior Cheerleading Camp at La Serna last week. She had a blast, and Mommy had a blast... from the PAST!!

So many good memories in that gym... but I feel old!!

One of our last outings was Ice Skating!! The kids had been asking to go this summer, so we finally gave in. Daddy was super excited to take the kids to his old stomping grounds and showed them how it was done!

And last, but not least, Camryn had her 'Diva Dance' performance at the Community Center tonight. She was SO cute, and had a great time rockin' out to a Hannah Montana song!

The cupcakes I made...

Cami with her teachers Tiffany & Bri

The Little Divas!!

So that about sums it up, and now we are ready for school!!! Stay tuned for much more....

Bonafede Campers

2009-08-06T06:23:00.001-07:00

Having just come home from camping, I am relishing every moment in my cozy, dry, bug-free home!! We had a great time this past week at the Montana de Oro State Park in Los Osos (near Morro Bay/SLO). I did, however, figure out that we will most probably never camp in a "primitive" site ever again without some sort of trailer/camper/motorhome. Yes, call me a wimp! :) Having said all that, we had a great time just hanging out with friends... and nature! Here's just a few snapshots of some of the memories we made:

Matt pitching the tent (yes, I helped- I just cobviously couldn't BE in the picture too!)

The very friendly squirrels of Morro Rock.

One of our very lovely views of the Morro Coast.

Our visit to the Elfin Forest. The kids had a great time spotting lizards and almost extinct indiginous plants to the California Central Coast. (We also told them that bad children get turned into bushes here because Camryn had a horrible attitude that day. I know, horrible parents...)

The beautiful view of Morro Rock from the Elfin Forest.

Thursday night we went into San Luis Obispo (SLO) for their infamous Farmer's Market. What an awesome place!! We met our friends, the Witts, there and enjoyed dinner and walking around. We also collected a great assortment of fruits and veggies for the rest of our trip!

The next day we headed into SLO again, this time to just browse the shops and have lunch. We ate at a yummy BBQ place. Here's Camryn & Kailey enjoying their matching (of course!) root beers.

The whole clan (minus me:)

Here's me and Blakey. Yes, I did go on this vacation! (I join the rest of the mothers out there who never end up in the pictures because we take them all!)

One of our yummy camping dinners

I had this brainhaired idea to attempt these orange cakes I had heard of a while back.
Step 1: Hollow out oranges and fill with cake batter (boxed, of course!)

Step 2: Wrap in foil and set in campfire

Step 3: Open up and devour!! They were pretty good, except when you got to the bitter pithy part of the orange. Not sure if I would attemp these again... but they were fun to try!

Blakey's FAVORITE part of the entire trip- BIRDS!!

On our little hike to see the tidepools

View from our hike

There were awesome tidepools that the kids had a great time looking at.

The two peas-in-a-pod!

Riley, Tyler, Kailey and Camryn- BUDS!!

Daddy showing one of the many creatures he always seems to know all about :)

Blake loved the sea star!

And Ty's favorite were the hermit crabs!!

One of my favorite pictures- he is a great age to snap pics of!

My three beauties!!

All in all we had a great time- nothing's better than wonderful memories!!!

3rd of July Quakes Game

2009-07-14T15:09:00.000-07:00

Our 4th of July was pretty mellow this year, considering Matt had to work, so we decided to do most of our celebrating on the 3rd. My mom had invited us to a Rancho Cucamonga Quakes minor league baseball game for that night, and it worked out perfect! What's better than hotdogs, family, and a spectacular fireworks show?? The kids had a blast, and it was actually a really good game!

Cam & Ty excited before the game

Blakey, say "cheese"!!

We invited Matt's dad, Dave, to join us since he was flying solo while Linda was in Minnesota.

Best cuzzies

That Sunday, we also celebrated my mom's birthday...
Happy Birthday Mom!

Summer- In a Nutshell

2009-07-14T14:52:00.001-07:00

So, in order to keep myself updated, I have decided to just give you all I've got! Here's a bunch of pics of the things that have been keeping us busy this summer thus far:

For our anniversary Matt & I got a night out on the town! After walking around, people watching, and a wonderful dinner at the Grove in LA, we stopped at this really cool dessert shop in LA called MILK. It was so neat! They had all kinds of homemade ice cream, desserts and even sandwiches! I had to take pictures...

The fabulous red velvet cupcake I had...

Happy 8 years!!

Ty' swimming lessons...

Every once and a while we get to steal Gillian for a day or so. The kids decided to make this strawberry shortcake from a recipe that was in the back of a book they read together.

It was so cute watching them, and came out really yummy, too!!

Blake's new favorite pastime. I think he's going to be our ball player...

I could take a million pictures of him doing this! He's just SO cute!!!

Blake at his "Tumbling Toddlers" class

Ty at his gymnastics class

Our first beach trip this summer

We decided to go for a bonfire, and take Grandma Nana with us!

Smile!! She had a great time...

And, last but not least, water fun in the backyard!! (This takes up most of our time...)

And sometimes, we even have friends over to join us!

Nothing better that Big Sticks in the summer!!!

8 years ago today....

2009-07-07T13:03:00.000-07:00

...I made the BEST decision ever. To spend the rest of my life with the greatest guy in the whole world- my best friend. A guy who puts up with my crap, makes me laugh, is an awesome Daddy and I never get tired of being with.

Happy Anniversary Matt,
I love you more today than ever!!!

Here's to many more years of happiness...

Last Days of School

2009-07-06T10:11:00.001-07:00

Finally I get to posting the end of the school year! I know, I'm such a slacker... But I'm trying to get caught up with the "now"! Anyways, we had a lot of hustle and bustle that last week!! My dad was here visiting, we had Ty's last day of pre-school, Cam's Gold Medal ceremony, graduation and water day- all in the span of five days! My poor dad... I think he thinks our lives are always that crazy!

Here's Cam with her Gold Medal she earned. They had to do a list of about 10 things to earn this award. Tying their shoes, knowing their address & phone number, and counting by 2s, 5s & 10s, just to name a few. She was VERY proud of herself, and we were too!!

They had a "Water Day" the last day of school, and had a BLAST!!
Even the teachers got wet (which the kids loved!). I hope Mrs Ancich forgives Matt for pelting her in the head with a water balloon... :( (He did say sorry) And when the water balloons ran out, Matt graciously helped by using his firefighting skills to douse the kids with the hose... they LOVED it!!!!!

The teachers also provided each kid with a water squirter. Fun times!!
Cam's Kindergarten Graduation- Hawaiian style! They sung the cutest songs...

Receiving her "diploma"

Cousin Brooklynn (along with Auntie Christa & Mikayla, of course) came to help celebrate too :)

Mrs. Ancich & Mrs. Lloyd- what a team!!

Buds for life- Dylan & Camryn

The boys- Owen, Jake & Tyler

Happy Birthday Tyler!!

2009-07-06T09:55:00.000-07:00

Our big boy turned 5!! I can't believe it's been that long since this little guy came into our lives- what a blessing he is to us! Tyler is definitely full of life- with his love of Legos and building things, fascination with Star Wars and bugs, and BIG green-blue eyes, he never ceases to amaze us! I can't wait to see how great of a person he's going to grow up to be. Ok, so now that I need a whole kleenex box...

Ty at his preschool celebration, wearing his special 'birthday hat'

Ty in the center of the circle for his special birthday song

We had a small get together at our house on his Bday. I had to do a Star Wars cake, of course!! (Even though at the last minute he wanted dirt bikes... ha ha!)

"...Happy Birthday Dear Tyler..."

His sweet new Bug Vacuum!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TYLER!!!
WE LOVE YOU SWEETIE!!

Land of LEGOS

2009-07-06T09:29:00.000-07:00

In lieu of a massive birthday party with all his friends, Tyler chose to go to Legoland this year. If any of you have talked to him lately, this isn't a huge surprise- the kid is OBSESSED with Legos!! And considering we have never been, we decided to take a trip to Carlsbad.

Here's Ty in his own little heaven...

...we had to pry his hands off of the light saber to let the next person have their turn. (And so we could see the rest of the park!)

This was a "Firefighter Relay" ride, in which the KIDS were supposed to pump the engine to get it across, then shoot water into a window, then pump back across to win. Needless to say, I was laughing my you-know-what off as Matt "helped" the kids. He just oozes competition, and a good one it was not!! Hilarious!! I guess the kids need a little more 'firefighter training' before we try that one again...

My big boy inside a Lego shark head. (Not shown is the complete terror right before this picture when I thought I lost him.)

Blakey, pooped!!

The kids loved these miniature cities- all made out of Legos. Obviously this one is DC...

Our final snapshot with Thomas the Train

Cami's Farm Day & Open House

2009-06-01T01:22:00.001-07:00

The school year is officially coming to an end, and with that comes fun stuff! Last week we had Camryn's Annual Kindergarten Farm Day. They had been planning for this day for a long time- learning all about plants, cows, pigs, sheep, etc. All the kids were so excited!!

The teachers helped all the kids make their own special t-shirts for the day!

Mrs. Ancich & Mrs. Lloyd's Kindergarten class of 2008-09

Making lemonade (the following picture would have showed her spilling her entire cup all over herself). :(

Petting the animals in the petting 'farm'

Shake, shake, shake the butter!

This was the 'coolest' thing! It was a round contraption that you fill with ice and salt on one side, and cream, sugar and vanilla on the other side. Kick it around, and voila!! You have homemade ice cream!! Too cool...

Ready for the Father-Daughter Dance
and Open House

Daddy and his girl

All the dads and girls

Go Cami!

And for those of you who want to see Matt shake his thing- I have it on video, don't worry!

The New Mr. and Mrs. Bonafede!!

2009-06-01T01:05:00.001-07:00

So I'm happy to say that Gena and Kyle's wedding was fabulous and beautiful, but I'm really sad it's over! We had such a great time that day, and I had the best time planning with Gena. All of the little details I was able to help with really made it a special day for me, personally. All five of us were IN the wedding, which made for an interesting day of delegating for me, but it all turned out great in the end. (Thank God for family!)

Some of the guys, pre-wedding

Blake and Uncle Kyle

The candy bar

Beautiful table setting

Blake being silly

The girls did a FAB job!

Ty was SO brave... he almost didn't go down, but after seeing Daddy he RAN to meet him!

Gena & her Daddy

The Kiss

The wedding party

The cupcake cake- made by moi'!

The beautiful couple

...again :)

The girls posing by the fountain

Mr. & Mrs. Bonafede

Ty & Daddy

Father-daughter dance

The Bros

"See ya later!!"

The wedding was a hit, and we wish Kyle & Gena the best! Love you guys!!

Crazy Cousins

2009-05-19T21:51:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago we had the privilege of having Georgie & Gillian over to spend the weekend with us. I always LOVE having them, not only because they help me tremendously, but because they are the most wonderful kids to have around! I love having their influence around my kids and we had such a great time with them. It's also fun to see what our lives are going to be like in a few years... (BUSY!!)

Georgie is now quite the musician (wonder where he gets that from:). He is in band at school playing the saxophone, in a jazz band as well as a ukulele band! He is one crazy talented kid, and manages to run in track and cross country, too! Matt's ran with him a couple of times and calls him a "deer". I tell him it's okay, that he's just getting older...

One of the many times Georgie brought out his guitar (yah, he plays that too) and was just singing with the kids. Our neighbors must have thought there was a concert in our backyard! The kids LOVED it, and they spent a WHILE just listening to him. It was nice for me- I cracked open a window and had great music while I was doing dishes!

I brought out the chalk after we went to the local carnival, and the kids had a great time drawing. I think I still have the "Mac Daddy of Funk" insignia on my driveway... teenagers! :)

...again- TEENAGERS!

Blakey's ready to ride a bike!

He left that darn helmet on the whole time, HA HA!!

Tyler's FAVORITE pastime with his cousin. I think Georgie was probably SO tired of light sabers by the time they left!

My sweet Goddaughter Gillian Rose...
She is getting so big and beautiful, and FUNNY! She has me cracking up all the time- spouting off her little one-liners. You have to ask her to do her 'Anjelah Johnson' routine next time you see her. Kid is hilarious... and the best babysitter!

Jazz and George, you must be SO proud of your kids... I only pray that mine are as sweet, caring, loving, faithful, gentle, committed, helpful and genuinely kind as yours are. Love you guys!!

Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-19T21:24:00.000-07:00

I had the BEST Mother's Day ever this year!! It started off with a very special Mom's Day Tea, put on by Camryn's Kindergarten class. They had the tables set with hand-made placemats, painted mugs with flowers and then served us cookies with strawberries and punch! They even had a video of all the kids saying something special about their moms! The teachers outdid themselves, but it was so cute to see how excited the kids were!

Then I decided to host a '1st Annual Mother's Day Tea' (kinda last minute) so our family could celebrate on Saturday and have all te girls together. You all know I LOVE to do this kind of stuff, so I had a blast! We will do it again next year for sure, so anyone who can make it is more than welcome!

The table set and ready

Our yummy spread of food

Everyone enjoying the beautiful day!

Cami, Linda, and I

The girls
Amy, me & Cami, my mom (Linda), Grandma Nana, Gillian & Jasmine

On Sunday, I woke up (at 8:00, no less!) with the smell of bacon in the air, my husband missing next to me, and the pitter patter of kid feet. I decided I would cherish every moment, so I whipped out my Better Homes & Gardens and waited...
Here's what was waiting for me in the kitchen after I opened the hand-strung bracelet from Tyler and necklace from Cam:

My big boys

My girl :)

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO ALL!!!!! WE LOVE YOU!!! :)

Feliz Cinco de Mayo!

2009-05-19T21:18:00.000-07:00

Every year it's kinda become a tradition to celebrate this "holiday", but I'm starting to think it's just so we can have an excuse to eat Mexican food! Ha ha... This year we got to take grandma Nana along with us to a local fave (after checking out a couple others that were MUCH too crowded!). It's always a treat to have her with us!

Nana & Cami cuddling cozy

Tyler & I being cheesy..

...and Blake realizing that he loves to dip ANYTHING (even salsa!!!!).
Oh, and btw, it wasn't that spicy... :)

Playing Catch Up!

2009-04-28T00:26:00.000-07:00

So, I know I've been slacking with the blog pasts lately... SORRY!! Between cakes & kids my life is pretty crazy! I think (as I'm writing this at 12:30 am) I'm finally caught up! Thanks for keeping up with us, and don't forget to leave comments!!! :) Aly

Showers of Happiness

2009-04-28T00:03:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I had the pleasure of helping with my sis-in-law to-be's bridal shower. (I also helped with her 1st one, but still need to get those pics:) I helped her maid & matron of honor, Brittney & Christina, plan the whole thing. We had such a blast doing it all, especially because we kept most of it secret from Gena!! I was so excited to help and felt so lucky to be able to do it for her. It was held at Christina's mom's beautiful home in the "Hills", and was a Japanese Cherry Blossom theme. We decided to stick with the Asian theme all the way around, and it turned out great!

Here was the gift table, set up with a beautiful cherry blossom centerpiece. It looked so nice centered around the plants and wonderful atmosphere.

We came up with these centerpieces for the tables. Simple, yet dramatic.

For favors, we used Chinese style take-out boxes and filled them with chocolate covered fortune cookies handmade by us:) (Sorry, forgot to take a pic of those..) We also set out chop sticks and edamame with vintage lotus flower bowls that belonged to Christina's late grandmother. They added such a beautiful touch!

Table set up

This was the food table- we had lettuce wraps, egg rolls, teriyaki meatballs, california rolls, Chinese chicken salad, and fruit skewers. The food was perfect- not too heavy, but filling!

The patio was something out of a magazine.. It was one of my favorite parties I've helped plan!

Of course, I had to include the cake- with the bride-to-be!!
Can't wait for the big day... :)

New Loo

2009-04-27T23:52:00.000-07:00

Some other things that were taking up A LOT of our time lately were our bathroom projects. We decided to fix up the bathrooms "really quick" in case we did decide to try and sell this summer. For a modest budget we really added some well deserved upgrades, thanks to Matt's handywork! Unfortunately I forgot to take 'before' pics, but here's some 'afters'.

This is the hall bathroom after the "remodel". We decided to have the tub and tile re-glazed to cover up the old pink and turquiose lovelies that were there 50+ years ago. It came out really nice, and will work for now. If you don't remember what it was before, think pink sponge paint... YUCK! It's much better now... :)

Here's our master bath. Matt ripped some ugly tile off the walls and countertop, replaced the cabinet and countertop, painted and installed all the new fixures. Thanks to some help from our very own "Home Diva" (aka. MIL Linda) he busted it out in 4 days!

Stick 'Em Up!

2009-04-27T23:46:00.000-07:00

Last week I got a phone call from my bro-in-law, Vinnie, asking if we were home. He was on his way home from court in Murrieta and wanted to stop by to say "hi" to Ty in his patrol car. I thought it was so sweet of him to think of Tyler! Ty had fun looking around the police car and seeing what Uncle Vinnie rides around in. He really got a kick out of it... Thanks again, Vince!

BTW... the nosey neighbors just HAD to know what was going on... funny!! :)

Happy Easter!

2009-04-27T22:56:00.001-07:00

The day before Easter we had our annual "eggstravaganza" at our church. They always make it so fun for the kids!

They started off by decorating crosses with stickers. Even Blake got in on the action! (Well, sort of:)

Then there was a table set up so the kids could see what kinds of foods they had at the Last Supper back in Jesus' time. It was very creative, with dried fruits, juices, fresh fruit and homemade matzah bread. They loved the grapes, but wouldn't even come close to the dried fig...

Then they got a chance to make their own matzah bread! That was a really fun activity for the kids, although they weren't fans when it came to actually eating it. I guess enriched and bleached white flour tastes a little different than what they had back then...

More making matzah...

Mmm.. yum...

Outiside they had little fishing games. Ty especially liked it :)

On to the finale... the EGG hunt! Blake figured out rather quickly that it wasn't the actual egg that was important, but what was inside the egg!

"Pretty pink"

After all that I thought we could actually get a group shot... I thought wrong- Oh well! It was a great day over all!

...and the Easter Bunny came after all!

Spring Break!

2009-04-14T16:18:00.000-07:00

For Spring Break we decided to take the kids to the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach. We just love it there, and haven't been in a while.

Such a 'loving' brother & sister... ;)

The kids loved touching the sea stars and urchins.

Here's us trying to touch the bat rays, although the kids were petrified..
(And according to Tyler, this is my "crazy hair". Ha ha!!)

Go figure, wouldn't touch a bat ray, but he'll touch a shark!?!?

Blakey enjoying the beautiful day (and my sunglasses:)

I think the quote was, "Bird if you bite me I'm gonna..."
The things we do for our kids. :)

Our big girl!

Blake LOVED the fish!

My new favorite picture!
All 3 looking AND smiling! Amazing!!

...and the car ride home. Great day!!

Happy Birthday Gilly Rose!

2009-04-14T15:58:00.000-07:00

So I apologize, I haven't blogged on our family site in quite awhile! And if you've been keeping up with my cake site you'll know why... Anyhoooo.. the end of March was a special little goddaughter's birthday- Gillian Rose! She turned 11 (can't believe it!) and she asked if I could come over for her "friends" party to teach them how to make some cupcakes. I was so excited to share some decorating tips with them! I made up some frosting and Jazz made the cupcakes, and of course I had to bring enough sprinkles to cover a small country... She had about 5 friends (and Camryn, of course:) come for the fun. It was the perfect number!

Blake came along to enjoy the cupcakes, too...

The sweet 'mama hostess'!

Here's the girls with all of their beautiful (and interesting) creations. They had a lot of fun!

Me and the birthday girl :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GILLIAN... I LOVE YOU SWEETIE!!! :)

St Patrick's Day

2009-03-22T19:10:00.001-07:00

Well the 1/4 of Irish in me felt very compelled to celebrate St Patrick's Day this year. Not traditionally, per se, but just for fun with the kids. (No corned beef & cabbage here!) We started the morning with green eggs and ham, as requested by Camryn. I was quite worried as to whether or not they would actually EAT the green eggs, but surprisingly they all gobbled them up! They actually asked for them the following morning too!

Then, that evening I invited the Witts over for some stuffed green shells, salad and a pastacio pudding trifle. They all loved the green and the kids really got a kick out of it.

Blake especially loved the trifle!!

Too bad Matt had to miss out... there's always next year!
Irish Blessings to all!!

World (sized) Buffet

2009-03-07T22:48:00.000-08:00

We celebrated Vince's birthday last night, at a place called the "World Buffet". This place was no joke- everything from all types of Chinese food and sushi to pot roast and french fries. I'm usually not a buffet type of person, but I have to say, once in a while it's pretty fun. The kids had a great time picking at all different types of things. I think by the end we all rolled out of there!

Blakey with Auntie & Uncle

Are we full yet??

Mickey, the squid leg just tastes like chicken- we promise...

Chow down kiddos!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY VINNIE!!!
WE LOVE YOU! :)

New Sport: Couch Jumping

2009-03-07T22:44:00.000-08:00

Just goes to show you how a dreaded task of vaccuming the couch can turn into loads of fun for the kids. Who needs Disneyland?

...and for the launch!!

Even Blakey got in on the action!

LW School Musical 2!!

2009-03-07T22:35:00.000-08:00

Camryn had her little musical at school last week- she was a super star out there! They had each grade level do a song/dance from a different decade from the 50's to current. It was really cute to see all the kids out there. Even the staff performed a little diddy, too! Cam's group was the 50's, so all the girls wore pink poodle skirts and the boys wore jeans and had Elvis sideburns & glasses. It was too cute!

Cami the Superstar!

Go Yankees!

2009-02-16T15:18:00.000-08:00

Ty started his t-ball this week, he was SO adorable! His team is the Yankees (calm down Red Sox fans!) so we had to invest in some Yankee-wear. He was hesitant at first (as usual) but really enjoyed it. His friends Jake and Owen are on the team too so it made it a little easier. This will definitely be something new for us, considering neither one of us did baseball when we were young. (Although Grandpa Dave & Uncle Kyle are VERY excited!) It should be fun watching the tiny "T's" trying to hit the ball and run. You'll be seeing more later...

Valentine's Day... without Daddy :(

2009-02-16T15:07:00.001-08:00

With Matt working this Valentine's Day, I decided I would come up with some fun stuff to do with the kids. (Not that we do anything major, anyways!) So, I decided to surprise Matt and made cupcakes (see bsweetcakes for pix :) to take to the fire station. We had never been to his new station so it was a good excuse to make a trip down there.

He gave us a tour of the station, as well as "his" engine.
The kids always have fun looking around.

Matt got to take us for a ride around the block.. thank goodness he didn't get any
calls while we were out!

After our outing, I decided I was too tired to do anything for dinner. We stopped by Lascari's and got some pizza dough and sauce (super cheap!) and made ourselves some heart shaped pizzas. The kids really got a kick out of that...

Then I let Camryn go to town and decorate an extra cake I had. I think she used up a whole container of sprinkles, but she loved it & was so proud of her cake!

All in all it was a fun day, better than I thought it would be!! I just love Valentine's Day!!

XOXOXO!!

2009-02-13T15:16:00.000-08:00

Make a Smilebox greeting

Boredom Bliss

2009-02-09T21:55:00.000-08:00

So I decided to surprise Matt this weekend with a night away in Newport Beach. I think I needed it more than him, but oh well! He was surprised and we had a really good time. We stayed at a really great Marriott near the bay, with super nice rooms that had recently been re-done. We felt like we were royalty! We had fun just eating out by ourselves and walking around shopping. Boring, I know, but nice for a change.
I realized that we were close to a Sprinkles Cupcakes, and considering we had never indulged in the novelty, I dragged Matt along for a taste. I felt like a little kid at his first trip to Disneyland!

The stylish bag and box that come along with the $3.25 cupcake price.

We decided on the Peanut Butter Chip and Chocolate Coconut flavors- which we shared of course! The only thing missing was some milk! Definitely one of the best cupcakes I've ever eaten!

While walking around at Fashion Island, we came upon this kids clothing store called "Peek... aren't you curious?". It not only had adorable (but pricy) kids clothes, but some of the cutest quotes plastered around the walls of the store! Matt and I had fun just reading all of the quotes, including the one outside that lured us in:

Isn't that the truth...

Blocks and Boo-boos

2009-02-09T21:26:00.001-08:00

Here is my future engineer/architect boy! He absolutely LOVES his legos, and along with his Star Wars toys, enjoys playing with them every day. I can't remember exactly what he told me this particular creation was (usually it's a space ship or something) but he was extremely proud of it! Makes me so proud of him. He has such a great imagination!

Here's the little "boo-boo" (literally) after he took a tumble down the steps at my mom's house. Poor thing, his nose looked twice as big as normal! I guess this won't be the last time with a kiddo that's walking wobbly everywhere!

Girly Girls

2009-02-09T21:18:00.000-08:00

This is my big girl, proving to me that she is still my little girl. Her friend Kailey came over and they had a tea party in the back yard- complete with juice, cheeze-its and teddy graham crackers. It just reminded me of when I was little, so free and full of imagination!!

Green Belt

2009-01-27T22:13:00.000-08:00

Tyler had another karate graduation the yesterday. He got his green-striped belt, which he was very proud of! It's been so much fun to see his progress in his coordination and confidence over the past year! He is getting better at his focus level (a little) and we can really see him coming out of his shell a little more every month. His friend Jake, who is in his pre-school class (& also my friend Gina's son), also does karate in the same class and I think that has helped a little too. Our little guy is growin' up!!

Hay yah!!

Breaking his board

GREEN belt!

Tyler and Jake

This spring should be fun- stay tuned for some T-Ball pics soon... :)

Check it out!

2009-01-25T21:00:00.000-08:00

So if any of you are wondering, "Hasn't Aly done any cakes lately?", you need to know a little new info- I started a new blog just for all of my cakes! I have been doing so many of them I just decided to put them all in one spot. It's been a lot easier that way, and I can actually tell people one place to see all of my work.
I am having a blast with these cakes, and so far I have averaged about one cake a week (usually on the weekend). I haven't really blogged much about our family lately because, quite frankly, we haven't been doing much! It's been nice to slow down for a change.
So from now on, you'll have to visit my cake blog at www.bsweetcakes.blogspot.com to see my newest creations. And, let me tell you, I've got some good ones coming up! (You can also click on the 'B Sweet Cakes' link on the right side of this blog.) Thanks everyone!!!

Meet Mr. Mustang

2009-01-20T12:02:00.000-08:00

So apparently, I forgot to blog about the newest member of our family- Mr. Mustang (I got the 10th degree). In December, Matt and his dad drove to Sacramento to look at, and purchase, this little beauty:
After selling his Harley, we agreed that eventually he would buy a classic car- something that could take the family in. Of course "eventually" to Matt means now, so he was online looking soon after that. He found this one, and after some twisting of my arms (and legs) he convinced me! It is a 1966 Fastback Mustang (not FLATback), and as some of you might recognize it's the same car he had in college.
We are having a lot of fun with it. It's very nostalgic to have Kyle come over and have them tinkering on the car together in the garage. Fun times, fun memories.

This past weekend we had my hospital's 50th anniversary festival, including a car show. Matt entered his car along with many other good lookin' cars. It was fun, having the kids there and reminiscing about when we used to do the same thing back when we were dating.

Our friends Gina & Larry came out with their kids (Gina's dad headed the show). The kids had fun climbing all over the car.

It's a Boy!

2009-01-13T23:18:00.000-08:00

On Friday my good friend Gina had her fourth baby. She had three boys at home already and they were surprised (sort of :) to find out this one was another BOY! Gina is such a great mom, always so mellow, so if anyone could have 4 boys it's her. They are all so good too..
Anyways, I got to be there for the delivery, which was so fun! I was so excited, and honored when she called me to come. I'm so glad I was there! Gina is one of my closest and best friends, and I am so glad I could be there for her like she is for me!! Here's the handsome boy...

Grady James
January 9, 2009 6:04 pm
8 lbs. 20 1/2 in.

I decided I would make them a cake (surprising) for their 'welcome home' gift. (Can you tell I had some fondant left over from Blake's cake??)
I really wanted to try the bear, so this was the perfect occasion!
Hope they like it!

Our Little Monkey is 1!!

2009-01-11T21:35:00.000-08:00

On Saturday we had a little party for Blake's 1st birthday at our house. I decided to do a monkey theme, which turned out SOOO cute! I found a Martha Stewart Crafts monkey birthday party kit online (on sale, no less!) and it made my life so easy. I loved the color scheme and it was just the right cuteness for his 1st B-Day! It came with the invites, favor bags & tags, cups, plates & napkins, little cupcake picks, and even some extra stickers. The best deal I've found in a long time! It all turned out so cute...

I made the cake, smash cake and cupcakes to match the motif...

Here's a close up of the cake. And yes, I made the monkey, too!

I decided to do caramel apples for the favors (with Gena's suggestion) and they turned out to be a big hit! Even the adults wanted one :)

The birthday boy in his monkey shirt :)

He was a little reluctant to dig in at first, but liked the little monkey on top!

Blakey with his favorite gift of the day- a little LeapFrog Guitar from the Simmons'.
I think we have a little musician on our hands...

Time flies....

2009-01-07T23:03:00.001-08:00

One year ago today...

Blake Matthew
came into the world
at 3:35 pm

8 lbs. 10 oz. ~ 20 inches

And still continues to steal our hearts!!!

6 months

1 year old!

Blake enjoying his 1st cupcake!
(It took him a total of 30 seconds to demolish it... anyone surprised? :)

Happy 1st Birthday Blakey!
We love you!!

Pretty in Pink

2009-01-07T22:29:00.001-08:00

This past Saturday we went out to Menifee for our niece Brooklynn's 6th birthday party. Camryn was REALLY looking forward to this one because the party was at a place called 'Libby Lu'. If some of you aren't familiar with this place, it is the mecca of everything pink and girly!! The girls (they had a group of 9 girls total) each got to dress in a little pink sequened top, get their hair style of choice and some cute "make up" applied. Then they each got a little pink satin bag that they got to fill with 5 little toys and pick out an accessory. Of course Camryn picked the Britney Spears-style microphone headset...

Here's a snapshot of a few of the "divas"
l-r: Roxie, Brooklynn, Camryn, Sierra

Camryn getting her hair done... It's amazing how fast those girls work! BTW, all us moms decided that would be the funnest place to work for a teenager!

After getting their hair done, they were ready for the show! The workers took them outside at the mall entrance and taught them dances. It really was SO incredibly cute!

The whole glittery group!
Even cousin Hannah (2yrs old) got in on the fun!
And the best/worst part- all the Libby Lu stores in So Cal are going out of business so everything in the whole store (including the party!) was 50-75% off! Needless to say, we walked out of there with more glitter anyone could handle!

After the Libby Lu event, we headed back to Aaron & Christa's for some pizza and cake.
(Anyone recognize the cake?)

We all had a really great time, especially Camryn!!
Thanks guys! :)

Sweet Streak

2009-01-05T23:17:00.000-08:00

I've been slacking with the cake posts, and after many comments I'm ready to debut my most recent creations! I figured I might as well just put them all together in one big, sweet, buttercream-y post, so here goes!!

Made this for Jazz & George- her "Done with School" celebration.
Yellow cake with chocolate frosting, dots are made with fondant.

After seing George's cake, I got an order for a baby shower cake for a girl at George's work that same week. It came out cute... I think :)

For our Christmas celebration at the Bonafede's I decided to tackle
my first fondant covered cake. Wasn't so bad...
(The bow was a little flat, though)

I did this cake for my friend Riva's little girl, Lynnea's 1st birthday. By far, one of my favorite cakes I've ever made! This is totally what I would call my 'style' of cake!!
It was strawberry flavored cake filled with buttercream icing & covered in fondant.
I also made some cupcakes to go with the cake.
Riva, I hope you loved it as much as I did!

This was the little "smash" cake for Lynnea to grab her itty bitty fingers into!

And last, but definitely not least, Brooklynn's purse cake! I had a blast making this cake, and like I told Matt, I could probably be happy just making different purse cakes forever! Another 'Aly' cake for sure!! It was rainbow chip flavor filled with buttercream & covered in fondant.
I even found the edible glitter too! Brooklynn told me she loved it, made my day!

Next is Blake's 1st birthday this weekend. Monkey theme- we'll see what I come up with!!

Feliz Navidad!

2009-01-05T22:58:00.000-08:00

So what kids don't want to wake up on Christmas morning!?! Mine, apparently, and this is what our room looked like on C-Day:
Hilarious, I have to say, and with just a tiny bit of coaxing (and a reminder about Santa's arrival) they were up and adam in no time! It's weird to think that this was Blake's first Christmas, with him being almost one year old already! He was definitely a fun addition this year...
We're just going to do "greatest hits" version of ou Christmas morning, and to start us off will be Tyler's:
If you are all laughing as much as we did, don't feel bad. He is the cutest thing in his helmet and "shooter"! The funniest part though, is to see him put the darn thing on over his glasses and try to actually look out of it... hours of comedy I tell you!

Camryn's was her "My Pod" that we gave her. Don't worry all- it's a total fakie! It came in this set with Tinkerbell books, kaleidescope, and this little fairy music player. She told me she wanted an iPod for Christmas (choke.. yah right) and this was the closest she got. It was actually perfect for her- she thought she looked so cool listening to her classical 'fairy' tunes!
Blakey got his wheels that he (mommy) wanted. :) Perfect for walks around the neighborhood and he already loves it!
The family hit- a remote controlled race track! Daddy had fun putting it together, and the kids actually LOVED it! I thought it was kind of a 'whatever' gift, but Matt & the kids couldn't stop playing with the thing! Well worth the money...
And here is my living room post-Christmas:
Note the GINORMOUS Star Wars tent that Santa brought (thanks Santa!). I'm still cleaning up, but all in all we had a great day!

'Twas the Night Before Christmas

2009-01-04T23:00:00.000-08:00

On Christmas Eve we all (my familia) gathered at our house for our annual "before church" festivities with, of course, tamales! (And a little ham, cheesy potatoes and whatever else we could throw in there...) We ventured over to church to see the kids sing (which i forgot to get pictures of- I'm fired!), then came back to our house for dessert. It always seems so crazy, but we would never have it any other way, right guys??

The best picture I could get of all my kids in their "Christmas outfits"

The 'cool guy' section

The 'cool grandma' section

The CRAZY people section!!!

Gillian & Vanessa snuggling close with their (almost) matching beanies

Nessie with Blakey (so ready for bed!)

Christmas at the Bonafedes

2009-01-04T22:44:00.000-08:00

On Christmas Eve Eve, we got together at Matt's parents for our family Christmas celebration. Linda always makes her lasagne (delizioso!) for dinner, and we had a great time opening presents by the fire. Matt's aunt Jill and uncle Jerry were in town from Tennessee, too. It was so great to see them again! Hi guys!! :)

Cami and B looking cute as ever

Jill & Jerry :)

Blakey's new bulldog jammies

Not sure who's more excited, Camryn or Mikayla! :o)

Ty & his new Star Wars (of course) shirt

Cami & B couldn't wait to play with their matching 'Littlest Pet Shop' toys...
under the dining room table!

Tamale Day

2009-01-04T22:34:00.001-08:00

In keeping with our Mexican heritage, we decided to tackle the tedious (yet so rewarding) project of making our favorite "present"- tamales!! With Grandma Irma/Nana's guidance and a crew of many hands, we gathered at our house for the festivities. Turns out Camryn has a secret love for tamale-making, which will definitely come in handy in the future! She had a great time with all the kids "kneading" the masa and making a huge mess!
The tamales turned out wonderful (as always), as well as the memories we all made doing it together! I just love this tradition of Christmas... Thanks everyone for being such good sports!

Jazz and my friend Amy doing some prep work

Is there anything more fun than being messy?

Grandma Nana and Auntie Thelma in 'la cocina'

Before the fun (notice how clean everything is:)

"Jingle Bells"

2009-01-04T22:27:00.000-08:00

Tyler's Christmas show was, needless to say, adorable! He was very apprehensive at first, which made me doubt he would get up there and sing at all. After a few encouraging words and a hug from mommy, he stood next to his best buddy Jake and whispered a few numbers. They were all precious and, as you will see, pictures are worth a thousand...

He even "jingled" the bells!

Tyler & Jake before the show...

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T21:00:00.000-08:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL!!
WE LOVE ALL OF YOU AND WISH YOU MANY BLESSINGS THIS COMING YEAR!

Thank you to all of you who touched our lives this Christmas. It was wonderful spending time with all the ones we love!

(Keep posted for some fun holidays pictures- I have a ton!)

Christmas Letter 2008

2008-12-19T20:35:00.000-08:00

So instead of writing a letter on paper this year, I opted to do it via the internet (gotta love technology!). A lot has happened in our family this year, so for all of you new to our blog-site, welcome!
Our year started off with a very big event- on January 7 little Blake Matthew was born! He has not stopped blessing our family since. He is the happiest little boy and has brought us nothing but joy! His brother and sister love him to death (sometimes a little too much). We are both
amazed at how much we have gotten to enjoy him! We chalk it up to the 3rd kid syndrome. We'll see if it rubs off on us for a #4...
In April, Matt got a promotion at work. He is now an engineer with the LAFD at station 57. He still remains stationed in South LA (by choice) and enjoys his new crew. They are younger guys than his old station, which was a nice change compared to his 'old guys' at 14's. He loves his job- lots of numbers, math, etc. It's right up his alley.
Camryn turned 6 and started kindergarten this fall and absolutely loves it! She is such a social butterfly. We have had some "issues" already with her 'strong-willed' personality, but we just keep reminding ourselves that her will will carry her a long way some day! She is a good girl, and enjoyed playing soccer for her 2nd year. She is looking forward to starting dance again next year.
Tyler is 4 1/2 now and is as active as ever! He is in pre-school 3 days a week, karate once a week and likes to "play" with his little brother. He just recently discovered Star Wars and was instantly hooked! Just today he was quoting Yoda, "Hard to see, the dark side is" (with the voice and all). He definitely keeps humor alive in our family. We are starting to see a little more shyness in him lately, but it doesn't take much to get him talking!
I'm still working in L&D at Whittier Presbyterian, just one day a week. It's the best job ever! I get to stay home with my kids for the most part, use my brain a little, and even make some extra money! It has definitely been a blessing for us. I have also taken up cake decorating recently. It's fun and lets me use a little creativity. The smell of buttercream icing has been getting to me a little lately though. :) I love being a mom and have enjoyed doing all the fun stuff with the kids.
That's just our lives in a nutshell, for now. Please keep checking back on our blogsite, I try to keep it as updated as possible. And don't forget to leave your comments!! May you all have a blessed Christmas and healthy New Year!!

Code Yellow

2008-12-13T21:34:00.000-08:00

One of my biggest fears actually happened today, and while I had always dreaded this moment, I knew it would happen someday. We were in Target (Tyler, Blake and myself) doing some Christmas shopping, and I had already caught Tyler wandering off twice. I was browsing in the book/DVD section when I turned around and, once again, Tyler was gone. SOOO frustrating!!!! I looked the next aisle over, then the next, and the next, and the next.... no Tyler! There were tons of people there too, which made it even worse! Then I quickly sped up my pace as I ran over to the toy (Star Wars) area, and again, no Tyler. As I'm yelling his name at this point, I start panicking, thinking the worst. Then I thought, "Oh my God, what if he walked outside?!?" I ran over to the customer service area (since they were sans security guard at that moment) and told them my son was missing. The girl quickly piped up on the walkie-talkie and announced, "Code yellow, code yellow!" Oh my gosh, how embarrassing. She asked me what he was wearing, which she, again, announced over the walkie-talkie and I swear about 10 seconds later, she said they found him. And where was he you ask? "Ma'am, he's in the very back, in the Star Wars toy section." Of course he is. And not just the toy section- the LAST aisle of toys section! I proceed to run to the back with a bunch of merchandise on my stroller, only to find about 10 Target employees surrounding Tyler. As my eyes start to well up, I can't decide if I want to hug him or kill him. And of course all the workers were like, "He is SO cute!" Yah, a cute 'wander-off-to-the-Star-Wars-section-by-himself' kid!! I was mortified, embarrassed, relieved and raging mad all at the same time. But, I have to say, I was very impressed with the swiftness of all the Target employees. I wonder if they've done that before?? Just another reason to say Target is still my favorite store! Another day in the life of a busy mom...

Christmas Cheer

2008-12-13T21:08:00.000-08:00

I finally got all of the finishing touches done on our Christmas decor, thanks in part to 1) my MOPS party, and 2) a great 60% off sale at Michael's. I am not the traditional 'holly-wreath-and-pine-cone' type of girl, so of course I had to put a small twist on things. I had borrowed Gena's table linens from her bridesmaid's dinner for MOPS (picture soon to come), so I asked if I could use them just a bit longer. I took this idea from the current wedding fad to do a Christmas-themed 'Candy Bar'. It's all the rage at weddings these days to do glass containers filled with candies in the wedding colors so I thought, how cute would it be for Christmas? I got all the glass containers I could find and filled them with red and silver ornaments, candies, and candles. It came out pretty cute, I think, and it's a great treat for guests when they come over!

The Christmas 'Candy Bar'

I decided against getting the whole city out this year so here's just a few neighbors. Of course my favs, the firehouse, chapel and country cottage. Very woodsy feel... add a fire and it's just faaabulous!! Got to love this time of year...

Fondant Fun

2008-12-13T17:16:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I couldn't wait! I just happened to be at Michael's today and had two 40% off coupons that were going to expire, sooooo, I thought I would stock up on cake decorating paraphernalia. And, of course, I couldn't just stare at it on my countertop! I ripped those babies open and got to work!! I just happened to have an extra little cake from my red velvets, so I iced her up and started to play! I had so much fun!!!!!!! I seriously cannot wait to start doing this more! I already have three cakes lined up for January- my friend Riva's little girl Lynnea's 1st birthday cake, then Blakey's, then Brooklynn's. Yay, I'm so excited....

P.S.- Turns out You Tube has 'how-to' videos on fondant... I'm in love!

Red Velvet-y Goodness

2008-12-13T15:38:00.001-08:00

I made my first batch of homemade, from scratch cupcakes the other day and were they GOOD! They were for my MOPS Leadership Christmas party that I hosted on Friday night at our house. I have been wanting to try red velvet cake, so I decided it would be cute and festive for Christmas. After using up one whole bottle of red food coloring and being VERY careful with where I got the batter (stains everything!), here's what I got:

They turned out really cute and tasted so yummy with my cream cheese frosting! For future reference, cupcakes are so much easier than a cake... but I still love them anyway!