Merry Christmas

Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas! We did. It was a lovely holiday. We did a little something different this year. We traveled to Oregon to visit some old friends. We certainly missed seeing our extended families this Christmas, but did at least have the opportunity to call everyone on Christmas morning from our hotel room in Oregon.

Christmas, and all holidays for that matter, are so different now with children. It's like every emotion, every experience is magnified in its own wonderful way! Everything seems so much more enjoyable, meaningful and special now that we share it with kids!

Paige and Taylor were so sweet and cute to watch this Christmas. They loved every minute of their Christmas in their hotel room (from setting out snacks on Christmas Eve for Santa, sleeping together in a big bed in their very own hotel room (apart from dear ol' mom and dad's room), to waking up Christmas Day to discover that Santa had followed them all the way from California to Oregon just to make sure that they would have plenty of presents to open)!

The twins were thrilled with all their gifts! Thank you to all of our family who gave so many wonderful things to Paige and Taylor this year. And, of course, I'd be remiss if I didn't also say a BIG THANK YOU to the family for all the presents given to Paige and Taylor's mom and dad too!!!

San Diego Vacation - Ghiradelli Ice Cream Shop

Ice cream. What an easy way to make a kid's day, or in this case, both kids' day! On our last day in San Diego, we stopped at Ghiradelli's Ice Cream Shop and the twins enjoyed the largest vanilla and rainbow sprinkles sundae they have ever had!

Paige discovered that dipping a chocolate Ghiradelli square into the ice cream was pretty good too.

I love this picture. Taylor has raised her arm way back, getting ready for the big spoon dive into her ice cream sundae.

I love this picture too. Paige's eyes are closed in this shot as if she's savoring each and every flavorful bite.

San Diego Vacation - Maritime Museum

While in San Diego, the girls and I visited the Maritime Museum. Mike and several of Mike's friends had recommended this museum to us because it contains many of the world's finest collections of historic ships, including the world's oldest active ship The Star of India. The twins loved exploring the ships and loved looking at the many props, costumes, artifacts and exhibits on board each ship. They tugged on the ropes of the massive sails, they stood atop observation decks, they ran in and out of the vessels' cabins, they climbed the stairs of the many decks, and more.

As fun as the day was at the Maritime Museum, it definitely was NOT one of the best photographic experiences. With so much to explore, climb on, over, in, out and under, it was nearly impossible to keep up with them, squat to their eye-level and then shoot the perfect picture at any given moment. So, I didn't even try to because as usual, the twins were in charge of their own exploration on board these ships. I aimed for a good outcome in each shot, but alas, I had to follow their cues and capture pictures when and where I could. Now, with that little photographic *disclaimer* out there, here are the best of the pictures captured from the day....

After all that climbing, exploring, and trekking all over the ships, we finally were on dry land once again and took a few minutes to sit down and enjoy a much-needed snack to restore our energy we'd all expended from the last couple of hours of in, out, under, over, through the many ships of the museum. Phew!

San Diego Vacation - Poolside Fun

I just realized that I didn't mention the digs where we are staying this week in San Diego - the Hilton San Diego Bayfront and it is pretty spectacular! (And, not the type of hotel where the twins and I typically get to stay). The location of the hotel, adjacent to the Gaslamp Quarter, places us in the heart of the city of San Diego yet at the same time with its serene views of the San Diego Bay, we also got to enjoy a little taste of the remote coastal experience right from our hotel. Just check out the pool, and you'll know exactly what I mean. The hotel pool is apparently San Diego's largest salt water pool and with its outdoor terrace and breathtaking views of the San Diego Bay and beyond, plus its poolside cabanas for relaxing and lounging, well, it was casual poolside fun at its very BEST! But, aside from the fabulousness of the pool, the twins finally got to spend some time with their daddy!!! Yes, Mike took some time out in the afternoon today to take Paige and Taylor swimming, and it was a lot of fun. The twins loved splashing in the water and I think Mike also enjoyed a little escape from all things stressful with his work this week. As Mike and the twins played in the water, I took advantage of the opportunity to lounge out at the poolside cabanas and soak up a few rays of sunshine!

Okay, can I just say that with the outdoor plasma screen TV (shown above on pool terrace) and the state-of-the-art stereo sound system, this pool will probably put future swimming pools to shame!

Up and over, swimming from pool to pool.

Pushing off from the edge of the pool, and kick, kick, kick.

Mike takes the kids for a swim in the deep end of the pool. And, just look at those views of the San Diego Bay in the background!

Paige gets a taste of the salt water of the pool.

Mike and the girls played in the pool til sunset.

Getting snuggly warm with daddy after swimming.