Restaurant Reviews, a wonderful visit and E.

A few weekends back Nathan's parents came to visit with a couple of Nate's Aunts. His Aunt Tina and Aunt Laurie, it was a wonderful visit!!! I am so glad that they were able to come to us, it gave us more time to visit. They brought wonderful gifts that all the kids loved! Thank you so much for your visit and we can't wait to meet up again soon!


A couple months ago Nate and I started having "date nights". Well we've been switching off who picks the restaurant and what we do. So I've decided to kind of do a restaurant review blog each time we go out.

I think the first pick was Nate's. It was a Mexican Restaurant named Eva's, in downtown Roseville. We read the reviews and it sounded good. The best part of all of our endeavors on date night is that we're able to go basically anywhere we want because we're not dragging along 4 kids, 3 of which need a highchair. So it was this little place that looked just like the authentic Mexican restaurants back in San Jose that I miss so much. However it was dead! There was one other couple when we walked in but by the time we were leaving there was maybe 4 other couples. It didn't start out good, the chips were really stale... I don't know about you but when you go to an Italian rest. you expect great bread sticks, with Mexican you expect great chips... Not a good start. It did get better though, they had this "sauce" that was in a little squeeze container and was DELICIOUS!!! One of the reviews on Yelp said that they could just squeeze it into their mouths, I actually totally agreed, super yum! Nate loved it too! So we did get another batch of chips and they were better but still just okay. I order the fajitas, which is no surprise for anyone that knows me. They were VERY good! The best I've ever had a restaurant. They were very much like my mom's, I was extremely impressed. I honestly can't remember what Nate had but it was no where near as good as mine. The other thing was the beans, they were obviously made there and SUPER good! They prices were good and we would definitely recommend it. Eva's Mexican Restaurant

The next place we went to was my pick and it waa place my cleaning lady had told me about. It was a steakhouse in Elk Grove. Yes it was a bit of a drive but well worth it! There was a wait but we spent that time at the bar. Apparently they are known for their very large Margarita's but I don't drink tequila so I asked what was good. I got this cactus drink thing and boy was it strong! So like the Mexican restaurant what they give you for "free" in the beginning is a big thing in my book. Well they first gave us a bag of peanuts, shells and all. You were told to throw the shells on the ground--oh yeah! It was a lot of fun and totally felt rebellious doing it. But then they gave us these HOT rolls, right out of the oven with this cinnamon butter... Oh. My. Gosh. the best!!!! I think I ate a whole basket at the bar! We then got seated and ordered the blooming onion thing, it was good and the batter on them was so much better then the Outback one! I ordered the NY steak for dinner and it was okay. I can't say it was the best but it was good. I expect a steakhouse to have GREAT steaks, so it just being okay didn't float my boat. We didn't get dessert but it sure was a fun experience. Texas Roadhouse

So last but not least :-) This last weekend we went out again. It was Nate's pick but we ended up going out to eat later then we had planned. The place we were originally going to go to, was referred to me by our photographer. However when we got there at a little after 8pm on Saturday, they were closed. Apparently they didn't have enough business and closed early, how sad. It was in a great area with a couple new restaurants around them so we were surprised to hear that. Anyways I had gotten the directions of the other place Nate had mentioned so we went there. Nate wanted authentic Italian, a mom and pops type place. The Taste of Tuscany was just that but also a pizza shop and I don't think that was what Nate wanted. When we walked in there was a group of people in the middle of the place and it turned out they were the family of the owners and just sitting around hanging out. I thought that was cool. Nothing free here so we ordered :-) I got a house salad and bread sticks and Nate got a pasta dish with sausage and tomatoes. It was all very good!! The waitress was AWESOME and very very nice! The bread sticks were to die for!! The best I've had. So good that the next morning Jon saw them had a bite and FLIPPED out! "where did you go" he yelled over and over again.. haha. They were very yummy and super cheesy. I would definitely go back! Oh they were out of Diet Pepsi so I do have to ding them for that... oh well :-) Taste of Tuscany

So there you have it.. I'll bet you can't wait for our next date night, I know I can't! I just can't thank our sitter Summer enough. She has been such a blessing to us, and really allowed us these precious nights. I know my kids are in very loving capable hands.

Ethan is now 6 months old!! Here are a couple of pictures I took of him this last week.

A little bit of peace...

I wasn't sure I would be able to blog today but I was just reading another blog about a precious little girl named Sadie http://www.sadiehuish.blogspot.com/ . As I sit here wiping my tears I think of mom. Reading a blog from a mom that has lost a little girl to brain cancer, made me realize why my mom had to go. Heaven had to greet these precious angels and who better to be there but my mom. That's her true calling. Her smile and her laugh with the best hugs around to welcome these beautiful babies. She must be busy and so incredibly happy.
My Aunt Linda was over the other day and was holding Ethan and said how much mom would have just LOVED him! We know that she would have loved all the kids (and of course does from afar) but there something a bit special about Ethan. I totally agreed! I'm not sure exactly what it is, but he would have just stolen her heart. He makes me think of her more then any of the others and so many times I look at him and think, god she would just kiss and hug the stuffing out of you! Maybe it's the red hair, who knows :-)

Mom's been on my mind a lot lately, never a bad thing but it can make for an emotional week! I just miss her terribly, not sure that will ever go away. I kind of hope it doesn't go away, it helps keep her close. I'm going through all this eye stuff with Ethan and I so desperately wish she was here to tell me how I was, and that he'll be okay and that I will too. If I can be half the mom she was then I know I'll be fine, but it just kills me to think that she's not here. So many years later and I still think I'm in denial about her being gone. But I've come so far. I can remember when she first passed and how hard it was just to breath. I screamed and cried and yelled at her for leaving. I cried myself to sleep every night for months. The pain that I felt was so deep and so real. It truly felt like I had a huge ball in my stomach trying to get out. I don't know how I functioned, I know the only reason I did was Jon. I would have had no other reason to get out of bed every morning if it hadn't been for him. I know that the loss of a mother is NOTHING like the loss of a child and my heart goes out to all those moms that have lost a child. My heart just aches for her, but I know she's greeting those kids and babies with open arms, a huge smile and a laugh I can still hear when I close my eyes. That gives my heart just a little more peace.

A 4th grader and a new tooth....

This is how Jake eats his puffs :-)

Yesterday Jake had his hearing test, he passed with flying colors! My friend Barb watched all the other kids and it was so very strange to only have one kid with us. The rides in the car were so quiet and pushing a single stroller is just odd. I think Jake enjoyed his alone time.. he kept running up and down the hall at the doctors waving his arms and just smiling away. Barb said Aly was extremely cuddly and enjoyed her alone time as well. It's so strange, I don't think they've been away from each other for 3 hours before.

Jon on his first day of 4th grade.

Jonathan started school today. 4th grade. wow. He has the same teacher and all the same kids except for a couple more. It's even the same room! I happen to love that it happened this way and absolutely adore his teacher. I don't look forward to building a mission this year but that's why I have creative family I guess.

Nate taking Jon to the bus stop.

Ethan has his 2nd eye appointment with the pediatric Opthamologist on Friday. Not expecting much, it's just a check-up. I'm hoping he'll be in a good mood at least. We'll have the twins with us and that of course will make it an adventure!

The kids are loving playing outside and enjoying all the toys. Aly has mastered the slide! She can climb up it and slide down all by herself. Jake loves the sandbox but even more the sprinkler. The kid can not go outside without getting soaking wet. They both have a ton of new words and are so much fun to be around. Aly started signing ball ( I had to look up the sign) and now says "ba ba baaaa" at the top of her lungs when ever she sees Jon's soccer ball. It's awfully cute! Jake said no the other night, which was adorable... but am pretty confident it will lose it's luster. Aly has a new word that I could really do without.. spider. yep, spider. We do the Itsy bitsy spider song all the time and the only word she's pulled from it is "spider". She'll put her hands up to make the signs for the song and say spiiii eeeerrrr. They also LOVE the "wheels on the bus" song and all the movements that go with it.

Ethan is growing and growing and is just the loviest boy. He has the best smile! He's rolling like crazy and starting to enjoy the tummy time a bit more, which is nice. He's enjoying the jumper thingy.

Our lab Tim with his very favorite toy.

Ethan at 5.5 months

Jon's loving soccer. I haven't been to a practice yet since I've been the one watching all the other kids. Oh well. Nathan really wants me to go, but yet when I tell him all that needs to be done with the kids while I'm gone, he gracefully offers to take Jon. Once it cools down a bit we'll take the little ones too but for now it's just way too hot to chase two crazy toddlers from one end of the soccer field to the other, because we all know they won't run in the same direction.

So little miss Aly has another tooth! She has her two top teeth (which came in first) and her two bottom teeth and I've been waiting for the little ones that go on the sides of those, I think they're called incisors... and nothing. However I was checking Jake for new teeth.. He has 6 on top and just got his 6th tooth on the bottom, and Aly wanted me to check hers. So I reached in and sure enough on the top right a molar is coming in. what?! That explains her mood lately but geesh I guess I can't just guess where she's going to get a tooth I have to go searching.

Have a great week everyone!

Aly in her first pair of flip flops!

--> Aly with Makenzie who put together her outfit!

More cheese and soccer!

It's that time of year again! Things start getting crazy busy.
Yesterday the twins had their 18 month check-up. I had planned on having my cousin Meg watch Ethan and Jon while Nate and I took the twins, but I overslept and didn't have the time. So we took all of them to the doctors. It was a zoo!
Both of them are looking great and we didn't have any referrals this time, yippee!! Aly was weighed first and weighs 20lbs 1oz. Jacob is 22lbs 7oz and he's an inch taller. They both were at the 50% level at 12 months and have dropped. Jake is now in the 25th % and Aly is just barely in the 7th %. So needless to say we have to work on putting some weight on them. High calorie meals are on the menu.
Why is it when I need to lose weight they need to gain it?! Luckily I'm not a fan of cheese and that's what I'm hoping to beef them up with!
They did great and each got 4 shots and Jake had his finger poked. I'm glad it's over. We normally wouldn't go back for another 6 months but we have to go back in 2 months for a weight check.
Boy were they fussy last night! But our life saver was our new sitter named Summer. I could have just about kissed her! She called to offer babysitting this week since her son is at camp and I took her up on it. I warned her the kids were miserable but I had my yearly "girl" exam with my gyn, and really didn't want to drag all the monkey's with me! So she stayed here with them and Nate and I went. It was so nice not to have to bring anything in with me, and just sit.
I know I'm going to ramble a little, so feel free to just scroll down but I ADORE my obgyn!!! He is by far, hands down, the best doctor I have ever had. Not only did he get me through a twin pregnancy... with no bed-rest, no pre-term labor, and to my scheduled 37.5 week c-section. But he also has gotten me through so many struggles- not being able to get pregnant to getting pregnant 4 months after the twins were born, to issues with my incision and to letting me out of the hospital early after my last c-section so I could go home and be with my kids. He just understands me and made me feel so normal when I saw him yesterday. I just adore him and can not put in words how much I respect him and trust him. He also deals with Nate so well! He's the doctor that told us that Nate had super-sperm... yep, thanks for that (roll-eyes)... I also want to say that his nurse, who has been his nurse ever since I've seen him and the only nurse that I've ever had greet me, is AWESOME! She knows my kids names and even what grade Jon is in. I just love them.
So back on track to the crazy life. Today a Vision Specialist/Therapist was here to work with Ethan and she was one of those people that I have so much to learn from. She has a wealth of knowledge and would love to have someone like that as a mentor if I ever went into that field... She gave me a couple of techniques to use to help him adjust and work on his perception of things. Ethan is doing so very well.
Friday I finally am getting my teeth cleaned after having all my icky dental work done. Jon also has a dentist appointment a couple hours after me. Next week Jake has his hearing test on Tuesday and Ethan has his eye appointment on Thursday... Oh did I forget about Jon :-) He starts school next Wednesday!!! My 4th grader.
Jon has also started SOCCER!!! He has practice's every Tuesday and Thursday and his first game is Sept 12th. I'll send out the schedule for the other games when we get them.
No pictures this time... I promise to have a couple more soon!