New, New, New

So, I have been out of touch with the land of blog and its inhabitants for some time now and have missed catching up with all ya'll!  I hope that summer treated everyone well...I just realized that I didn't blog about any of our pre-california summer adventures--hopefully I will get to that someday because we sure had a blast with family and friends on our way out here to CA. 

Our life out here is filled with so many NEW things...it's a little overwhelming to move across the country and have almost everything you've known for the last 3 years change, but we are adjusting and doing well in the land of sunny days and cool nights! 

Here are all the NEW things we are experiencing out here...

NEW baby in her cute NEW bunny towel with her name on it....so cute!(thanks again Kelly!)

NEW friends!

Both of our adjacent neighbors have great kids to play with and it sometimes feels just like one big house as the kids go back and forth and here and there....we are very grateful for our wonderful new neighbors!

This was the night before we moved from our apt. to the house we are in now... the kids were at our friend's house (thank you again Rebecca!) and so Mia enjoyed dinner with Mom and Dad...she loved her lettuce and great conversation :)

NEW bumbo seat...she's so-so about it and doesn't last too long in it, but she looks cute :)

NEW friendship...Mia loves having James around and always gives him the biggest smiles!

NEW School!
The kids started school on August 24th and so far really like it at Barron Park.   James' teacher, Mr. Morris, loves to use music in the classroom and starts the day with songs on his guitar.  James has started using the phrase "doing my personal best"  and I love it. Mr. Morris said he was gregarious the first day and is doing great.
Zanna's teacher, Mrs. Fortune, is a very kind lady with great penmanship :) Zanna got to be the first Star of the Day and came home with a poster all about her favorite things that kids asked her about.  We hung it in her room and she loves it!
The school is very open and inviting to parents and families and I am hoping to help in the classrooms when I can work out handoff schedule with Dave and little Mia.  We love walking or biking to school (it is 0.9 miles away) and look forward to cereal Thursdays where the kids get served cereal, Chocolate Cheerios being the favorite, before school--love it! James has half days until November so going to the school 3 times a day is a little much, especially since Mia is always getting whisked away from a nap, but we are grateful to have such a great place to learn and play. 

Zanna- age 6, first day of 1st Grade

Jameson- age 5, first day of Kindergarten

 

Room 3--Mr. Morris' class

NEW job for Davey!
 I don't have a pic from the hospital, but these are the new scrubs he is sporting these days and he is  LOVING only working 8 shifts a month!! The rest of his days are filled with Ultrasound scan shifts, lectures etc. but he has never been home this much in 7 years and it is SO NICE!
The Hospital and Campus of Stanford are so BEAUTIFUL and we love walking around up there and hope to get to some games this year.

                                                                                   

 New Park!!

We have a little park right around the corner from our house and there are many, many more around town--we are still figuring out our favorites.

New Swing for the Meester...she didn't really love it 

New trick!
Zanna has been working on monkey bars all summer and can finally do it...phew! it's been a little exhausting.

New CAR!
Dave flew out to Utah at the end of August and bought this 2010 GMC Terrain and drove it home the next day.  He was pretty excited about the upgrade from the 1997  blue/green Nissan Altima that we've been driving since we got married 9 years ago.  We also LOVE the fact that we have a NEW hose now at this little house and can wash our cars-- it's a feeling of freedom!

New TOYS!

Mia is just starting to be able to hold toys and sometimes she even gets them into her mouth! Usually she just looks really uncoordinated as the toy flopps around her face or falls to the ground, but she is getting a little better everyday.  She loved her first ride in the bike trailer and we are excited to get riding around here-- it is all people do here in Palo Alto!

So, there you go. I will post some more pics of our new little house with the new, large TV (Dave got a little excited at Best Buy) and other furnishings sometime soon.  We are grateful to be Californians for now and are in the process of deciding what to do next year already...slow down life!!!!

babies are great entertainment...