Happy Birthday HeaBug

Today, she is three!

She is icing on the cake. Not the ridiculously over mixed and over processed, artificial kind... the delectably light, from scratch, soft mix of pure organic sugar whipped with butter (which makes everything better) with hints of lemon zest for kicks, that's made with love.

Chosen to be part of our eternal family even before this life, we knew we loved her even before we met her.
Nohea means "Lovely" which we knew she would be. Maraea honors her great grandmother that lived her life on principals of being kind to others, singing loud, and smiling whenever possible. Kapuaililani is Hawaiian for "flowers falling from the opening rays of heaven". A family name she shares with her momma.

Always our baby and a little sister she isn't one to bite her tongue or not share her opinion. That she gets from daddy.

A fan of princesses, the color yellow, loves wearing skirts, painting her nails, reading Little Critter books, doing gymnastics, watching Super Why, Diego, Yo Gabba Gabba, Little Einsteins and Peppa Pig, flying in planes and sleeping in hotels, splashing in puddles, cooking with Mom, singing melodies from the Little Mermaid, correcting her brother, sword fighting, eating strawberries, visiting the "lotion store" (Bath and Bodyworks) and wearing cowboy boots.

She has completed our family. She brings us such joy even on her grumpiest days because in the end, her sassiness makes us laugh. We know it won't be nearly as funny in 10 years and I swear we're getting on it... But she's probably made you laugh too.

We're so happy to be her parents!

She woke up to the Beatles Birthday Song and ballons all over, had waffles at Polly's, then headed to San Diego for a day at the Zoo, just like brother did when he turned 3! This last week I took her to Kreme de la Kreme in downtown Long Beach to get a manicure and pedicure, she had so much fun! Next weekend we are having a tea party. A whole week of celebration!

Love you lillo girfren, always always.

On the first day she preschooled

Today our little HeaBug became an official big girl when she started preschool! Her 3rd birthday is just around the corner and she was talking about school a lot. I take her to work with me but I felt bad for the long hours she was spending in our office and with the iPad.

After much searching, we found a great little place where she already had a friend, Gman. We enrolled her last week and dropped her off for her first day today. All "nervous" smiles as she met with her new teachers and class. We lingered for just a moment then made our way to the door. The walking away was slow and I knew we were both worrying. Mr B took a glance through the window as we headed to the parking lot. She was crying. All of a sudden there they were, my own tears and boy was I choking them back! Gman's mom waited for us in the lot with support and reassurance. Thank goodness my fear of crying in public saved my face from streaky and scary mascara!

We picked her up after lunchtime and she showed us her paintings and her cubby. She waved goodbye and squeezed me all the way to the car. I am definitely going to miss our little Rock Steady Gal but she's off to bigger and better things. Argh you, Growing Up. It's going by too quickly.

We are gonna skaaate tonight!

JT's Charter school hosted an 80's themed family night at Skate Depot!

HeaBug brought her skates and JT had the rollerblades he's been practicing with since Christmas. It had been years, seriously, many years since the last time Mr. B or myself had gotten our skate on at Skate Depot! It was SO much fun! Both bugs did great, I swear JT sweated out his body weight!

It was an enjoyable evening hanging with pals and getting a serious work out. Our backs are still hurting from the hunched skate position we traded off on to keep the little miss going "faster! Let's go faster" around the rink!

We were totally rad with our side ponies and leather band jacket! Although truth be told, we had nothin'
On the full gold lamè Hammer Time suit or the white linen Crocket suit either ;)

Our school is like totally wicked, fer sure!

Choosing Right

We were so happy to attend the baptism of our nephew D Lane last Sunday!
We visited their ward (church service) today so Mr B could participate in D's confirmation.
HeaBug said very loudly, "D you are so brave!". Yay for congregations with a sense of humor.

Congratulations D, we love you!

"Ever After" Kind of Living

We could start by saying Once Upon a Time but that's how fairy tales begin... And those aren't generally true. 

Back in the day, when were were young... but we're not kids anymore...

We were kids though. Kids who became friends then kids who fell in love. 

I went to see scary movies (which I hate) so that I could sit next to him and hold his arm in terror.

He took me to Disneyland for my 16th birthday.

He took me to sushi for the first time and all I ate was rice. (that has changed)

He is who I kissed when the world was fearing Y2K.

He told me to get a job. Then he got me a puppy.

He took me to the prom, in a dress he had made for me by a costume designer friend. He gave me a necklace that I still wear every day (and through every important life event). We only danced to one song.

I knew I would be his wife.

On January 26, 2002 I laced up my blue converse tennis shoes and put on my white dress. We walked our own aisles of the Jordan Theatre to the stage that we met on and this is what we said:

I, take you, to be my very best friend. I promise to support you in everything you do, to stand by you in good times and in bad. To believe in you, to trust in you and to honor you. I promise to love you until the end of time.

People were so skeptical because the idea of marriage isn't so optimistic anymore. 

We looked like kids up there in front of our family and friends.

It's not right for everyone and I'm not an advocate of marrying young by ANY means, but it was right for us. We were still seeds and with sunshine just happened to grow into the same kind of flower.

We have embraced the adventure of marriage knowing it requires constant care, attention, and work.

It's a very conscious decision that we remake often. 

We've seen marvelous sights.
Lost some very dear to us.
Gotten lots of tattoos.
Been embraced by God's good love.
Sealed our family for eternity.

Our life has grown by two amazing children.

Each bringing light, joy, and a few years of sleep deprivation.

Mostly they make us laugh.

And they eww when we kiss... which we still do a lot.

We've started a business. 

Out of our garage, our computer and two credit cards...

Rock Steady was born.

We work together, we live together, we sleep together, we parent together.

We don't tire of the company. It's nice to not only love each other but to truly like each other.

We're friends.

We work hard to live the life that we want. It doesn't have to be perfect to be wonderful.

We still go on dates. He'll surprise me with flowers. I'll surprise him with Red Bull ;)

We are still adventuring. We've only just begun. There's a lot for us to see and do and experience, but we are doing it together.

To my guy Mr. B. I'm so glad to be Mrs. B.

Thanks for balancing out my crazy.

I love you.

Happy New Year!

Although my Christmas post has yet to be published I am on a mission to be a better poster this year!

It's amazing to thing that this is the 13 New Year that Mr. B and I have rung in together. We remember all the hype surrounding Y2K...

This NYE we enjoyed an early countdown just like we did last year. We enjoyed games and yummy eats, just like last year... We enjoyed the company of our Friends the M's (of Cakestina M)... Looks like we're starting a new tradition!
We planned to do the 9:00pm New York countdown but we were in the middle of Lord of the Rings: Two Towers.We tried again at 9:30, 10:00 and finally at 10:25 we set the iPhone timer to count down... It was fantastic.
Come actual midnight, Mr. B and I were knocked out on a couch with a booth bug asleep next to us. It was a little bit of magic.

Happy New Year! May 2012 offer you adventure, clarity, peace, laughter, love, and prosperity!
And as I heard a friend say... "get rich, or die Mayan". Haha.

All the days of Christmas

Notes from Santa... 

Christmas is always magical for us B's. We enjoy the whole season, get our decorations up as quickly as possible and celebrate everyday.
Over the past few years, we've slowly moved our kids and ourselves away from the shamefully now normal excitement of "getting, gimme, more" and encouraged feelings of "I have enough, what can we give?". It's hard to instill in kids especially when all around them there are examples of excess. We work hard at it though, molding kind, generous, contributing citizens of the world.
This year, we counted down our excitement to Christmas day with a family activity advent calendar. Each morning, the kids opened up the activity for the day. Some were silly (make "snowman soup" aka hot chocolate with marshmallows), some to teach lessons (pick out a brand new toy that you'd really like for yourself, then donate it to the children's hospital), some to make sure we did traditional things of the season (hang mistletoe and sing I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus).
It was an inspired activity and we started off strong. As the month wore on though, our commitment list grew longer and longer. With so many birthdays and parties and holidays in December, by the 13th I felt like a crazy person trying to add yet one more thing to do every day.
Then Mr. B brought it all back home for me after I was stressing completing 3 days worth of activities in one night... He said that it was a great idea and that we were having fun when we did things that were a part of the advent calendar. We were also having fun doing all the other things populating our schedules that weren't on the calendar. Stressing about it was taking away the joy of it. So right then and there, I re-embraced the relaxed, chill, qué sera sera attitude that we had agreed would see us though the season, heck, through life.

Ms. Hea Bug

Don't mind his grumpy face... It's hard to sit by your stuff and not open it cuz mom is taking a picture. lol.

Stuff happens. Things come up. When you're surrounded by people that you live and adore though, it doesn't seem to matter so much. I know what I have and what is important. We didn't accomplish every activity but we did a whole lot of them, together.

We enjoyed Christmas close to home setting out a ginormous cookie for Mr. C. JT wrote an awesome letter offering up Mr. B's Red Bulls and Diet Cokes if he wasn't satisfied with milk. We bid farewell to our Elf on the Shelf, Blue Berry Angus. We woke to french toast casserole and a morning of "one at a time gift opening". The kids were so excited with their treasures. We made the rounds visiting our family and enjoyed a delicious day. We were so happy to spend yet another amazing Christmas in each other's company. This marks 13 that Mr. B and I have spent together... way back since '99. Love him, love my kids, love all the this holiday stands for.

Wishing your family a very Merry Christmas too... Love, Us B's

Awards for the Boy Bug!

Only a far away pic since he was anxious to get back to the playground...

SO proud of JT! We were invited to attend the 1st trimester, 1st grade awards at our Amazing charter school. JT received an award for perfect attendance and the Mathematician award!
I obnoxiously cheered for him (even though we were supposed to be quiet until the appointed clapping time... um way lame) and for the other kids that I knew who they were.
There was a reception directly after in the library. We waited in the line for a bit but as we got closer saw that there was lemonade and nachos. While I personally am a liquid cheese fan, I knew JT would enjoy the pizza packed in his lunch more. So we said goodbye and watches him run off toward the handball court... Or lunch benches.