all hallow's eve

somehow halloween snuck up on us this week. i don't know how seeing as we have been decorated since september 1st, the costumes have been ready for weeks, and its the topic of all jude conversations. i don't know if its because we were gone so much in october or what but it still managed to sneak up on us. needless to say, the pumpkins needed to be carved and we made sure that tonight it happened.

after a long day at the hospital with my mom's surgery i headed home around 4:30. i had to bust my butt to pick up the kids from yaya's, swing by the store for dinner items, and prepare dinner all before we could start the carving which did not commence until nearly 9pm (late to be starting such a feat with our youngen's). i am just glad we got it done before halloween, even if it was by the skin of our teeth.

prets was the best helper ever....

jude is STILL utterly disgusted by the pumpkins private parts.

jude warms right back up to the pumpkins the second they light up

jude = bat, greta = princess, and trevan = mummy (featuring his very own googly eyes)

let the festivities begin.

another year older and wiser too

it was my birthday yesterday.... i am officially 27 and it feels old. i don't feel like i am 27, but i don't think i have ever felt any age. i have just felt like me. i have done a lot in my 27 years and i am truly blessed and loved and i live a privileged life. i don't feel like i have missed out on anything, except the part where i became an adult.

the actual birthday part of my birthday was a doozy. first off, trevan was in chicago for work and secondly my mom's knee completely gave out (acl) while at my birthday lunch which resulted in us spending the rest of the day in the ER with her.... my poor mommie. trevan got home late and once he was home we fought over the significance of birthdays. it was a bad day, a bad day even if it wasn't my birthday. i don't like my person (i.e. trevan) being gone and i definitely don't like seeing my mom in pain. i guess that's the bad part of growing up, you sort of have to do so. i really hope this year is better than the day.

but alas, don't feel too bad for me because hopefully we are going out tonight to celebrate. that should make things a little better.

so what if i am still a little bit of a big baby?

disneyland meets the gregory's

we did disney for 3 days straight and the only regret is the corn dog that i got food poisoning from. somehow disneyland is new to me every time i go. it's so much fun seeing it through my kids eyes. jude could take or leave most of the rides (with the exception of peter pan and the haunted mansion) but loved everything else. jude loved seeing the characters and he is still upset we missed some. greta loved each and every ride she could go on and giggled the whole way through. she fell in love with disney princesses, tinkerbell, and minnie mouse (how does she know to like them? i certainly don't encourage it. princesses? no. barbie? yes.). and i think we all left the park a little bit better people, but definitely happier.

i hope you noticed jude laying on lightning.... it was sort of adorable.

miss step taker herself and her favorite yaya

i get to be her mom.

poor brennan and his perfectly starched shirt fell victim to the grizzly river run

woody and jude.

i wish i would have brought jude's cowboy boots to show them to woody. the one's with andy's name on one shoe and jude's on the other. its funny how these characters become a part of your life, you wind up loving them almost as much as your kids do.

the pixar parade was 100% amazing.

jude and his first love.... lightning mcqueen. thanks to this trip we are back into cars world at our house and to think i almost packed them up!

the gregory kids and jude's endearing facial expression.

jude and his real father cameron

did you know jude is obsessed with halloween? i think i may have mentioned it (29 times). well, naturally, "nightmare before christmas" is his favorite too.... mostly the soundtrack. its safe to say all of jude's disneyland souvenirs were "nightmare before christmas" themed. pretty sure he looks like he had a shopping spree at hot topic. gorge....

....at least he's cute.

landy and rog

the whole brood

so greta is a bit terrified of people costumes as you can see. we learned this a few weeks back when i tried on my cheer uniform from 8th grade and then followed with my wedding dress, she was horrified (i knew they were tight but certainly not deserving of that reaction). i was a little concerned about the whole disney character thing for her so we steered clear of most of them but when it came to mickey and minnie... who can resist?

jude could finally rest when we found mickey and greta had warmed up a bit or a lot.

a little embarrassed for them right here.

trevan opted out on the tea cups..... we were all offended.

my poor children have nobody to love them.

precious

we went back 2x to the winnie the pooh ride just for greta, she loved it. i think the soft cuddly costumes were easier for her to swallow.

this picture pretty much sums up our trip.... delightful.

thanks for being you disneyland.

p.s. do you think you would like me more if i had less pictures? well too bad.

i'm on a boat aka scott and dina's wedding

the real reason for our jaunt to orange county was to witness the marriage of scott and dina. i figured that event needed its own post....

we dined at a lovely seafood house the eve of their wedding and a lot of good food was eaten and laughs were had. i love this family i married into.

greta and bren

speaking of bren... have you met him? he is oh so handsome and charming. i kind of love him. i am making sure this is his profile picture for match.com.

the lady and the gentleman

terri, mo, and kelly ripa (or at least that's who jude thinks she is)

greta and jude both downed the calamari appetizer. it looked delicious but this hot babe (me) stays clear of all things seafood but apparently my kids feel differently.

cute dina had everything planned down to a tee and i mean everything, she even had birthday presents for me and jude. presents for us at her wedding... unheard of. don't get me started on the amazing mocha ice cream pie that i devoured shortly after my pre-birthday wish.

the following evening we met at electra cruises in newport beach for the actual wedding. the mist over the ocean set a perfect scene for a wedding. it was magical.

mr. & mrs. scott earl

boy II men

omg.

the daughters of the bride and groom, chelsie & marissa.

greta loved hanging over the deck... luckily her dad had a good grip and steady hands.

simply us.