Kumquats and such

For our first Christmas in California, we decided to head back to Virginia:) The girls (and Jason and I) have been so spoiled over the past several years spending Christmas with the family, and we weren't ready to skip the traditions just yet... So, we ditched Tommy with Uncle Dan and Aunt Helen at 5am on a Thursday and drove to LAX for what was supposed to be an early flight. We had no trouble checking in and getting to the gate, but after 2+ hours of delays, Jason was fed up and the girls were a bit stir crazy! It was Savannah's first plane ride, and since Reagan's only trip happened when she was 14-months, it was really her first too. They were super excited and despite the continued delays, they stayed happy! I told them to mean mug the camera...I think they nailed it! Once we finally boarded, Savannah and I sat together, Reagan was with Jason. They were thrilled to have free reign to watch whatever they wanted (and it was free thanks to the ...

The Marine Corps may have spread us across the globe, but Leanne, Maureen, and I will ALWAYS find a way to reunite whenever possible! When these kiddos were little and there were only 3, we had more play dates than I could recount. We've added 5 more, and they have only gotten more entertaining and chaotic! We wouldn't have it any other way:) Before Leanne and Greg got on the road to head home after Christmas, we all met at the Donlon's house in Quantico. Maureen and Brian put out a great spread, complete with creamsicle mimosas (which are amazing!). The children completely destroyed Sean Patrick and Cormac's room, but boy did they have a great time! They dressed up, had a "snowball" fight, and more!  Snowball inbound!  The more kiddos we add, the tougher it is to get this picture:) Connor, Reagan, Sean Patrick & Cormac These pictures crack me up! Cormac wasn't so sure about how much love Sav...

As flew home from VA after our Christmas break, Gary Mike and Terry were landing in San Diego from their festivities in CO! We picked up Tommy from Uncle Dan and Aunt Helen's house and drove south to tear down our Christmas decor before they arrived:)  As Jason tossed the tree into the dumpster, their Uber pulled up! Talk about perfect timing! We spent some time driving around to the old places that Gray Mike & Terry lives (Reagan with the boys, and Savannah with the girls). It was fun to see how clearly they recalled everything!  We rang in the new year in our favorite way...watching movies! We even made Jiffy Pop! While the boys cooked, Terry played a fun game with the girls. We were treated to a gourmet meal, and it was nice to see Jason and GM banging around the kitchen again!  Following dinner, we had a quick dance party before the girls headed off to bed.  The next morning, we took Gary Mike and Terry down ...