Savannah Smiles in Lake Tahoe!

Rod, Savannah & I ditched Baby Will with my parents & headed to Lake Tahoe (a little over an hour from their house) for a special "Savannah Smiles" day! We had such a perfectly fabulous time together!

During the drive, Savannah looked out the window and exclaimed, "Look Mommy & Daddy...pine trees! Little Bear told me about pine trees!!" I hadn't realized until just then that I am raising my children in a part of the country where the cartoons have to educate us about pine trees! Thank goodness for vacations!!

Savannah splashing in the waves (& looking like a bit like a Baywatch Babe!)

Savannah & Mommy burying each other in the sand:

Playing hide & seek on the playground:

What a view!

We got hungry & decided to try out "Lake Taco", which was right there at the park. They made the BEST burritos! I got pretty intense about making Rod pose with his burrito...so much so that this random guy came over & started video taping Rod enjoying his lunch!

We polished off our burritos with frozen fruit bars. They were seriously SO delicious.

Savannah's first kite flying experience! She was so excited to send her Go Diego Go kite soaring up in the air.

Savannah chasing her daddy, her kite & her dreams!

Too precious!

Big hugs for Daddy at the end of the day. What a great trip!

California Living!

We've arrived in California!
Here we are with my parents at Rubio's, our favorite California place to grab a quick mahi mahi taco.
We're having so much fun here!!! (Savannah, as you can see, is completely exhausted from all of the fun!)

 

Go Diego Go! Live on Stage

Several months ago I bought tickets, along with my friend Amanda, to take our girls to see Go Diego Go! Live on Stage.
We've been looking forward to it for such a long time, and Savannah could hardly stand the anticipation. We had a really fun night, and I just truly enjoyed watching Savannah dance, sing, and light up with all the excitement.

Savannah and Harper with their Go Diego Go! Jaguar masks:

After the show, enjoying pink peppermint gelato:

Friday Night Cook-Out & Swim Party

We went to the Orr's place tonight for a Friday Night Cook-Out. Nate Orr grills the BEST burgers I've ever had. Unbelievable. He claims his secret is Stubb's Beef Marinade, but I think there must be something extra to his magic touch! Thanks for the great time!

We got a good laugh out of Savannah's "perfect form" in this picture--check out those pointed toes!

Daddy holding the whole family on his lap. What a cute picture of Baby Will!

This One's for You, Uncle Nate!

So, I have not watched an episode of The Simpsons in at least 8 years. I'm not an anti-fan, I'm just not into it...

That being said, I received the following e-mail from my brother, Nate, a few days ago:

Hey, Jen,
Did you know that you live 2 miles from one of 12 7-11's in the country that
converted into a Simpsons Kwik-E-Mart? Lucky you guys!

The e-mail did get me thinking...Savannah had not yet been introduced to the All-American Slurpee! Growing up, my grandma (Mamoo) had a fabulous tradition of regularly taking the grandkids to the "Speedy" (7-Eleven) for Slurpee runs. It was her special thing to do with us, and I just loved it. They only offered 2 flavors (cherry & cola) & the guy behind the counter served them up. So delicious!

So, after a morning at the pool, we stopped by to check out The Simpsons madness & to grab some refreshment.

Will & me, posing at the store front:

Savannah seriously contemplating her choice of flavor (she went for blue vanilla!):

Savannah posing in front of the special pink donut stand. Just moments later, she burst into a fit of "brain freeze." I couldn't figure out how to look like a non-abusive parent & get a photo of the brain freeze at the same time, so I had to set the camera down & give her hugs.
(Perhaps her brain is still too "fresh" for the Slurpee. I'm thinking teenagers can keep the Slurpee in busines, as they are brain dead enough to handle the cold/sugar onslaught)

My sweet family, with Homer Simpson. Notice Savannah's grumpy face (an after-effect of the brain freeze) & Will's lip licking. He thought it was yummy!!

Family Night

On Monday Evening, we went to our favorite summer spot--the University Park Swimming Pool--for Family Night.
Our wonderful friends, the O'Banions, met us there & fed us this terrific fruit tart!

Savannah was BY FAR the last one standing at the swimming pool. She enjoyed having the entire area to herself as the sun went down:

After we went home, Savannah challenged us to a pretty impressive game of hide-and-seek. She kicked her toys out of their box & hid inside, with a little light. I have to give her some serious credit for a job well done--I honestly couldn't find her this time!

Lunch & Intro to Air Hockey

Savannah has been going to a little "summer camp" program over at her preschool on Mondays & Wednesdays. She absolutely loves it! Today, while she was out, Will & I met up with 2 of my best girlfriends (Amanda & Maria) who work at the accounting firm where I do seasonal, part-time contract work. We had such a fun time catching up--they're just the best!

Afterward, I picked up Savannah & took her to play some "real" air hockey. Real, meaning I actually let her put some quarters in the machine! I must admit, I was pretty impressed with her skills! We had such a fun time, and now everybody is so worn out that I'm at home with 2 sleeping children!!

Super Boys!!

Saturday evening, we went to a special family event at the Dallas Zoo...

Rod the Super Dad!

Will the Super Eater!
(I just can't get over it. The kid will eat & eat & eat...)

Party at the Little Gym

I took Savannah to a birthday party at The Little Gym on Friday evening. I didn't have a sitter for Will, so I decided to let him tag along. Little did I suspect that he would have the TIME OF HIS LIFE at The Little Gym! Seriously, he loved every moment--the music, the kids, the bouncing, the climbing--he was all over the place.

Bright eyed & happy to be alive!

Yep, he's a Hinze for sure! Rod, Savannah & Will all get that "tongue over the upper lip" thing going when they're really focused...

Watching the big kids

Enjoying a good time!

Big Sister & Little Brother

Savannah & Will are so "into" each other these days. Will laughs & lights up for Savannah in a way that's different from any of his other interactions. I spent some time outside with the kids tonight, and Savannah insisted on swinging him, on feeding him, and on bouncing him (Will loves the trampoline)!

Breakfast Fun

A significant part of Savannah's life right now consists of categorizing objects (toys, pencils, cars, food, etc.) into "Mommy", "Daddy", "Big Kid", and "Baby" groupings. So, she was pretty excited when we recently made breakfast & I suggested that we pour some "Baby" pancakes.

As a side note, we LOVE pancakes & we always grind our own wheat to make them. I've been making them for years, and here's the best (easy, yummy, fluffy & healthy!) recipe I've come up with:
1 c whole wheat flour
1 c milk
1 t vanilla
1/2 c applesauce
1 egg
1 T baking powder
1/2 t salt
Just mix, pour & enjoy!!

Growing Up!

Savannah had her hair cut today, and she was just a perfect little angel. She sat still & enjoyed every minute of the attention & fun. She's growing up so much & I really enjoy talking with her, laughing with her, and learning about life with her. So cute!!

Boys...

I could probably let this picture speak for itself--just look at that enthusiasm!
Any time the refrigerator opens up, Will darts over as fast as he can to take a peak. He seriously LOVES the refrigerator. He is so interested in food (in a way Savannah never has been) & he is SUCH a good eater.
Somehow, I have a feeling the love affair between Will & the refrigerator is going to last a REALLY long time!!

8 Months Old & Irresistible!

I am so in love with my Baby Will!
He just turned 8 months old & he is amazing. Will is an expert crawler--so fast & so confident. It's amazing to see how his laser vision can target a teeny tiny bug/button/random sharp object he shouldn't be eating off in the distance & to see how incredibly fast he can reach it. He finds the craziest stuff on the ground! He scales all of the toys, constantly pulls himself up & is a pretty good sport when he falls or gets stuck.
The other day, Rod was home & I wanted to escape alone to run a quick errand. As I climbed in the car, I turned to the kitchen window to see Will standing against the window, hollering out at me. I found it too irresistible--I took a quick picture, picked him up, & took him with me for the ride!

New Napping Strategy

Savannah is a very busy girl & she rarely takes time these days (although she should!) to nap.
HOWEVER, I've discovered that if we're out & about in the car in the late afternoon, she just can't help herself. If she's a little bit too tired, the car puts her right to sleep. I have been successful several times now in lifting Savannah's sleeping body out of the car & into a grocery cart for a good hour+ of very peaceful shopping! This picture is from a Saturday trip to Costco (which is NOT a quiet place to be!). She was so dead asleep that I browsed all of the aisles while other customers admired my "sleeping beauty."
Kids are so funny!

4th of July Fun!

We had an amazing 4th of July this year!
Our wonderful friends, Steve & Jennifer Houghton, invited us out to their ranch at Possom Kingdom (a 2 hour drive from Dallas). They have 3 teenage children & a baby who is just 9 days younger than Will. The Houghtons are an amazing family & we got such a kick out of spending time with them.
Their ranch is seriously one of the most beautiful, fun, relaxing places we have ever visited & we enjoyed each moment of our 3 day vacation.
I wish I had more pictures to document the fabulousness, but here are a few of the highlights:

4th of July Dinner was grilled filet mignon--officially proclaimed by Rod Hinze (who has honestly sampled every steakhouse in Dallas!) as "The Best Steak I've Ever Had."

Enjoying time on the boat--the kids loved watching Mom & Dad waterski!

One exhausted toddler:

Savannah watching Tanner light the "Houghton Fireworks Extravaganza"

Savannah proudly displaying the colored pencil "merry go round" Jennifer let her play with. She seriously spent hours creating multiple works of art at this table! (As soon as we got back to Dallas, Savannah & I headed to Pottery Barn to buy one for her. Somehow, the merry go round is just not as fun here at home!)

Significant time spent climbing the fun stairwell:

Savannah's "dream come true"--an enormous jet bathtub surrounded by candlelight!

Striking a pose on the world's most comfortable bed:

Heading out for a tour of Possom Kingdom:

Steve & Savannah examining a Texas-Sized Tarantula!

Rod & Jen enjoying the view from the look-out: