Ice Capades

Another fun highlight was Ice Skating.  It really got me into the Christmas spirit.

The skating crew

 

Charlie picked it up fairly quickly - he did great for his first time!  

 Lukas had a rough start but after his first time around using the "walker" he just wanted to skate with mom and auntie Dena.  We could barely get him off the ice.  By the end he was so proud that he could skate on one leg.

Just about the only times Charlie took a break was to drink his hot chocolate - which was delish by the way!  Here he is patiently waiting for it.

Modesto

We packed in a lot during our time in Modesto.  Some highlights include:

A visit to the trampoline gym, which is always a hit.  Here are some pics of the climbing wall.  If you want to see their flips, check out my Instagram page.

Even Lukas gave the wall a shot.  He got up about half way and his little legs couldn't quite reach a few pegs to go further.  I was so proud that he wanted to try (that is huge for him)!

The weather was perfect for an ice cream cone at the park.

We also made a stop at the fire station and saw the crew there and decided to say hello.  The station got a call while they were visiting which was exciting for the boys to see them all move out.

Grandma

Ok...back to our trip to California. 

We got to make a special visit to see Gigi while in Modesto.  Charlie even got to play a few Christmas songs on the piano for the residents.  They loved it!

Nothin' but Net

Lukas loves playing basketball and especially Coach Kay.  He was excited to be back on the court after our trip.  He's learning a lot and is definitely improving.

Thanksgiving in California

Our Thanksgiving trip was a blast and we are so thankful that family in California live fairly close to one another to make seeing everyone possible.  As always, we like to re-live our fun moments when we return, so stay tuned over the next couple of days.  I will also pepper in current happenings since the end of the year is always so busy with lots to share.

We started our trip in Sonora to visit Paul's family.  The weather was warm and Mimi and Charlie played lots of baseball and football.  Lukas begged for scooter rides any chance he got.

We also took a trip down memory lane and showed the kids a lot of our history -- where it all began!  We showed them where Paul and I first met...where we were married...and our first home that we built.

We only were there a few days but we luckily remembered to snap this pic.  Luckily we'll be seeing them again in a few weeks, but this time they are headed up - how lucky are we!!

Fall Fun

 We found another hidden gem by our house.  Perfect for a brisk fall walk!