The extreme.

There is nothing like going from warm short wearing weather to freezing parka wearing weather! It is totally not cool and I wouldn't recommend it. But, that is exactly what we experienced coming home from California. Ava liked building a snowman so that was a bonus. I can't wait till summer!

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Wild Animal Park

For our last day we decided to go to the wild animal park. It was a lot better than the San Diego zoo. We got to see the animals out in a big field. It was cool to see how all the different groups of animals were together. We went on a 25 min ride through the park to watch them. Sadly we are on our way home now. It has been fun and we created a lot of memories.

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Disneyland 3 days done!

So we decided to go back to Disneyland for 1 last day. There were still quite a few rides the kids didn't get to do. We hit the Buzz Lightyear ride... which Cash loved. We hit Its a small world... which Ava and Cash both loved. The kids got to talk to Crush the Nemo turtle. They also got to meet Buzz Lightyear. Overall I think the kids loved Disneyland.

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Sea World

Ok I have to admit sea world was not near as cool as last year. The shows were shorter and not near as good. However I think the kids had a great time. There was a playground that the kids absolutely loved! We got home earlier and gave the kids a chance to go swim!

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Day 2

We had a blast today. We spent most our time in California adventure park. The kids loved all the rides...of course ... the bugs life movie was cool. It really freaked cash out. I have a few pictures but the good pictures will be posted later by Rachel. Cash really liked the rollercoaster in toon town... so much in fact his aunt Jill had to take him on again right after he finished his first time. I do have to say I am proud of myself for not getting motion sickness this year. I went on the cool rollercoaster and didn't get sick. I was really shocked that my dad went on it too! Anyway we ended the day with the cool water color fountain show. Ava loved it the most! Well today we are off to Sea world!

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Disney day 1

We survived day 1. At first it seemed like it was going to be a stressful day...with the typical no nap meltdowns but overall it was a great day. I'm just glad both sets of grandparents and aunt Jill are here to help out. The kids really liked the haunted ride. They love nightmare before Christmas. The parade was really cool too. Not sure if the kids were more excited to see Santa or buzz lightyear. We are off again in a few minutes to hit it again. I can see why you need 3 days at Disneyland.

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We made it.

After driving forever we finally made it to Oceanside late last night. The traffic from Vegas to here was stop and go a lot. Everyone was pooped and sick of driving. We basically unpacked our stuff when we got here and hit the sack! When we woke up we realized we had a pretty good view of the ocean. Well we are off to the big D-land! Will hopefully get some good pics of the kids and stuff!

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Off to Disneyland

After packing for what seemed like 3 solid days we woke at the crack of dawn to head off to the happiest place on earth. We rented a mini van with Rachels parents. Here are a few pics of the kids when they woke up. They were excited to say the least.

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Cash floating on back with Ava belly flopping off the diving board in the background

I wish I got better pics but Ava would bellyflop every time she jumped off the diving board. It had to hurt!

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Cash's favorite cereal

Cash loves Quaker cinnamon oatmeal squares. He picks this cereal out every time we go to the store!

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Sunday morning

So I just got this free blogger app for my phone and thought it would be a great way for me to use our blog more for keeping memories etc.. Anyway Rachel had to work on Sunday so I had to get the kiddos ready for church. Cash is easy. I'm not very good at fixing girl hair yet. I'm trying...

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BIRTHDAYS!

Recently, both Ava and Cash have celebrated their birthdays (well Cash will next week, but we already had his party.) Ava turned 3 and Cash 2. Ava chose to have a Spongebob birthday and of course Cash chose Yo Gabba Gabba. I wish I would have taken a picture of the cupcakes I made for Cash's party, they turned out pretty cute. I made cupcakes with each of the characters faces from Yo Gabba Gabba. I was quite proud of myself. Mike and I enjoyed seeing how much fun both of them had at their parties.

Here are a few pictures from their parties...

Catch up

OK, I know I haven't been the best at updating my blog lately, but I will try and be better. Just a quick blog about what we have been up to lately. Mike and I are both still working and being a mom and dad. We are working on finishing our backyard, and have actually taken a liking to landscaping/gardening, it is fun! Ava is taking dance and swimming lessons. She will also be starting Preschool in a few months (she is so excited). She also LOVES playing with her cousin Max. We are sad that they will be leaving us in a few weeks, but wish them the best, and we will have to do lots of Skyping, and have occasional visits. Cash is also taking swimming, loves to be outside, and enjoys watching Yo Gabba Gabba, and Toy Story. It amazes me how fast kids grow up and how fast they learn, and don't forget the never ending supply of energy! Chief (our dog), on the other hand, has had better days. About 7 months ago he started having some seizures, which eventually got bad enough that he had to spend 3-4 days in the dog hospital. Now he is on medication and they seem to be under control, just a few little ones here and there. But doing much better.

No big summer plans, just having fun, camping trips, and playing with family and friends. We do have a few trips planned towards the end of the year, Oregon and Disney Land, so we are looking forward to those.

A New Year

I can't believe another year has come and gone. It went by so quickly. Overall it was a pretty good year. Of course we had our ups and downs, but we made it through. The kids are growing up so fast and continue to entertain and amaze me everyday. Mike and I stay busy working, spending time with the family, and working out. Ava loves to play with her new kitchen set she got for Christmas, put on make-up, do mom's hair, play with play-dough, and boss everyone around!! Cash can't get enough of Yo Gabba Gabba, he LOVES to read books, wrestle with dad, and copy anything Ava does. And poor Chief (I feel really guilty about not spending much time with him), I know he is a dog, but I love him very much. He is doing ok, we have had a few scares with him, healthwise, and it makes me sad to know he won't be around forever:( I am excited to start this new year and can't wait to see what it holds for the Butler family. Here are some pictures of Christmas and miscellaneous things. Happy New Year everyone!