Happy Birthday Month Sofia

Today kicks off Sofia's birthday month. We had donuts for breakfast, went shopping, started her birthday box, and now we are all napping!
Here she is with her birthday box at the bookstore in downtown:

Huntington Gardens

When we moved to California, there were a lot of things that I was leaving behind that I was REALLY going to miss!!!! God has really provided for us here in California. This was the perfect afternoon of proving that! There was a place in Maryland that was a beautiful garden that I would take Sofia to. I have a lot of really great memories from that place. Today a dear friend, who must have known I needed this, took us to some BEAUTIFUL gardens, and museums in Pasadena. The day was beautiful, the art and gardens were breathtaking, and the best part was the company. We had a great day!


I love this picture because it reminds me of exactly who Sofia is. She has always loved the wizard of oz, so to be "somewhere under the rainbow," is perfect:) And it is just cute!


This is Sofia with her buddy Hank, who she really loves hanging out with.


Here is Emily with her buddy Charlotte. She really loves Charlotte, and kept telling her Hi all day. She looks so dazed in this picture because we had just left the art gallery that she LOVED. I think she is still processing.


I love that she is soooooooo silly!!!!!


I love the look on her face in this picture, she loved watching the fish.


Here is a picture of Emily and I, the green everywhere was beautiful.


Yes that is Sofia putting her foot in the fountain to cool them off. This is the children's garden so it was completely acceptable:)

Santa Monica Pier

We have been told by many people how wonderful Santa Monica Pier is. Chad has wanted to take the girls for sometime now. Well last week my dad was visiting and the weather was beautiful, so we decided to go (minus Chad, he was out of town:( I felt bad going without him). We had so much fun, and both girls loved it, we will definitely be going back. Just maybe not on a Friday of a holiday weekend, it took 45 minutes to get there, and 2 and half hours to drive home!


Sofia and I rode the ferris wheel together. The view was awesome, and she loved it!


View of the ocean from the ferris wheel


She loved it!


A drummer on the pier that sang them the ABC's and twinkle twinkle little star


More ferris wheel view


The girls got to ride the carousel


We got to see this GIANT lizard, he was really cool. The only one who got close was PB:)


I LOVE this picture! The pier in the background and Sofia playing on the rings. It was so fun to run around on the beach.


We had a great time, and can't wait to go back!

Texas Visit

So a couple of weeks ago we got to go visit all of our family in Texas! It was so fun. Sofia loved playing with her cousins Anne and Abby. I barely saw her, she was having so much fun! Emily got to get doted on by Grandma, and Papa. I got to have long afternoons of relaxation with my mother-in-law which I treasure. I finally got to see my sister and brother in law's awesome house. And we even got to see Great Granny and Great Grandma! It was an awesome trip.
Here are some pictures:


Great Granny and Great Grandma at dinner


Chad, Emily and Linda at the zoo (I lOVE the Tyler zoo!)


The "original" Smith gang at the zoo:)


The family at the zoo


The girls playing dress up. It was hard to get all the girls looking and not twirling at the same time.


Grandma and Emily at the Science Explora museum.


Anne and Sofia playing Chef at the museum- it was soooooooo much fun!!!! This was one of my favorite things we did while we were there!


Sofia and Abby at the park


Emily and Grandma at the park


Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Emily loves preschool

The girls and I go to a mommy and me preschool on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It has been a good transition year ( she will go to real preschool next year) for Sofia and a great year of growth for Emily.
Emily now doesn't take a morning nap so she has really blossomed at preschool lately. She now loves it! She eats snack with everyone, plays, and participates in circle time. She took her first steps at preschool last week, and today she did her first painting. She also has dine playdough for the first time, and loves all the stuff she can explore and do. I love watching her! It also helps that now she passes out in the car ride home ( which is literally 5 minute!)

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7

Being mom of two

Being a mom of two has been amazing, and very challenging all at the same time. Like right now I am typing this one handed:) You probably gave noticed that my posts have been less, and shorter.
Somethings that I didn't know but now I do:
Having two is like having 20. The laundry alone I feel like went from annoying to overwhelming. It isn't just more expensive, it is MORE expensive. At the end of the day, my entire body aches from head to toe, and my brain is more like soup, than anything.
I also noticed that there is a lot more laughter, and noise (which I love). I have never felt more like a family. I have become a better mom, and person. And the one thing that I have noticed the most, I never knew I could love two little people more. They make my day, my week, my month, and year. I may feel exhausted, dirty ( it is truly a red letter day when I get a shower), fried, and scared, but never more loved!

Walker!!!!!!

Emily took her first steps today! We were at our mommy and me preschool class, and she just stood up and started to walk over to my friend Christine, who she LOVES! It was so exciting to watch. I am so proud of her.
So here is a video, but I took it with my phone, because I just grabbed something. so it is sideways, sorry.