Beach Days

Brooke and Graham laying out!

Us trying to take a family picture but it wasn't working out:)

Brooke and Nonna

Graham checking out the waves!

Miss Brooke

Family Night

Once a week we have a family night! Family night is when the four of us try and do something together like play a game, watch a movie or go on an outing. It was Brooke's turn to pick so last night she picked watch a movie. We had a very fun night!!!

Me and My Babies!!!

Halloween

Halloween in our new home was awesome! I can't begin to tell you how many kids there were. My mom was guessing over 200 kids. All of us ran out of candy!!! And I bought a ton. All parents dressed up and got into the Halloween spirit. I seriously can't wait for next year! We will be dressing up:)

Brooke and Graham

Shane and Krista

The Shadetree Girls

Pumpkin Carving Party!!!

We went to this amazing pumpkin carving party last night. I can't tell you just how much fun we had. Shane and Krista hired two babysitters for all the kids. They decorated the garage for the kids and they played freeze dance to the monster mash and hot potato with a pumpkin. Then Brooke decorated a pumpkin for Graham. It turned out so cute. Lastly we they had a pumpkin contest and our pumpkin got 2nd place!!! The four of us had such a great night:)

Brooke and Daddy


Brooke and Kaitlyn



Graham being Graham!!!



The kids!

Caroline and I

Pumpkin Patch

Today we took the kids to the pumpkin patch with friends Sean and Jenny. The kids had sooo much fun! Can't wait to carve it at tonight's pumpkin carving party:)


Graham picking out his pumpkin!

Brooke, Sophie and Anya


Brooke on the jumpy slide!


The kiddos!!!

Our Family:)

Fun Times!

Brooke and Parker

Sophie and Brooke

The girls singing us a song!!!

Playdate at the park

We met Brooke's friend Ava at the park with her mommy and little brother. The girls had so much fun. Graham had a blast playing in the sand too!

My Graham

This is were Graham likes to play nowadays!!! He's so cute:)

A Fun Weekend!

Our weekend started off with a fun night with Lisa and Eric. They had friends of theirs over who were a lot of fun to hang out with!

Brooke, Makena, and Landon

The kiddos were gearing up for a Halloween movie:) Becca and Ryan's little girl is Reese!


Then we took the kids to wine country for the day! Brooke loved learning all about the grapes. We then had a fun picnic but left the camera in the car so this is the only picture I got. Kids had a blast!

Sunday we had a church function in Orange County and were joined by "the cousins" as Brooke calls them:) It's really cute!
Brooke and Molly

Brooke and Ty!!!

Where's Graham!

So I couldn't find Graham for a quick moment:) and then found him in Brooke's closet sitting in Brooke's clothes and playing with her cell phone! He was pushing the buttons and dancing. It was priceless!!!

Please come if you can!!!!

Kristyn was one of my roommates in college who I went to high school with as well. This means a lot to her and please come if you can:)

This is article published in the Register.

OC Walk To Remember
What: Honors local children lost to stillbirth, infant death and pregnancy loss.
Founded by Kristyn von Rotz of Orange and Lyndsey McLaughlin of Irvine – both lost babies.
Von Rotz gave birth to her baby, Joseph Thomas, at 23 weeks on July 8, 2004. He had a brain abnomality and only lived for a minute. Still she and her husband were able to hold him in their arms.
She and McLaughlin came up with the walk as a place to give parents an opportunity to remember their baby.
"It's difficult when you lose a baby," von Rotz said. "Family and friends never get to hold and see the baby. It's difficult for them to understand your grief. The walk is a safe place for parents to remember and celelbrate their child. Parents bring photos and make signs. It's a wonderful opportunity to share memories of our babies and to share their life, no matter how long or short, with family, friends, and other parents who have experienced a similar loss."
Von Rotz said while parents of living babies can throw birthday parties, those who have lost a child only have a gravesite or an urn with ashes.
"The walk is the one day a year where families can celebrate their child," she said.
Von rotz --since her tragedy -- has had two children: Leah, 3 and Evan 1.
Last years walk raised $13,000. So far this year, von Rotz and McLaughlin have raised $35,000.
Event: The 5K, at UC Irvine begins with a memorial service where more than 60 baby's names will be read. Money raised from the event benefits support groups and hospitals to help parents who have lost babies. These include St. Joseph's Perinatal Hospice Program. The Guild for Infant Survival Orange County, CHOC , St. Jude Medical Center, UCI Medical Center, Saddleback Memorial Hospital, Anaheim Memorial and Hoag Hospital.
Join the walk: Saturday, October 11, 2008
Where: University of California, Irvine
Time: 8 a.m. registration; 9:30 a.m. remembrance; 9:45 a.m. 5K walk
To sign up: Go to www.ocwalktoremember.org
Proceeds: Help provide grief counseling and memory boxes so parents can have footprint kits, photos and other items to remember their babies.
Donations: Please send checks to OC Walk to Remember, P.O. Box 2131, Orange, CA 92859 or go to the Web site. For information on corporate donations or if you would like to volunteer for the walk, please email: info@OCWalkToRemember.org
Contact the writer: eritchie@ocregister.com

Shelly and Keaton

Today we went to the spectrum to meet Shelly and baby Keaton for lunch! Brooke was so thrilled that she got to hold him this time. Last time she saw him he was in the hospital. Keaton will be 1 month is Sunday and is already 9 pounds. He is so sweet!

Playgroup Day!!

So the day started off with the kids dressed in jeans because were gonna go to the park and mostly likely get dirty. I open the garage down to feel a gust of heat! It was already 87 degrees. I'm running late at this point and don't have time to gets shorts for everyone so we leave for the park. I forget my camera so sorry no pics today but we have so much fun. I have never been to this park but it was all fenced in and it had a gate that latched. I like that so no one can wander in or out without everyone noticing.

All the moms ended up sitting under the slide on the sand mind you. All the kids were building sand castles around us. It was fun!!!

Lastly I took the kids to McDonald's which if anyone knows me we just don't do. But Brooke was saying what a great day she was having so I decided to treat her. When we get home she tells me what a great mom I am and that she had the best day. She then preceded to give me a kiss and a hug. So after all that... everything we did was so worth it in the end!

Finally Graham can walk!!!!!!

Beach Day

This morning we took the kids to the beach for a little while. We had so much fun playing in the water and collecting seashells. Here are a few pictures of our morning.

Graham

So...we walked up the hill with Graham and Brooke to get some dip in dots. This is how he returned from the walk. He enjoyed himself too much! I guess that's what happens when you deprive your children from sugar!

It was 98 degrees today!

What a dramatic change from the other day. It was soooooooooooo hot. I was always say when it's hot at the beach it's hot! When is fall coming??????????