The Weekend of Concerts and the Beach

Connor chillin' and groovin' with Nina.
Aedyn found some friends at the mall.
Aedyn going into the ocean for the 1st time
He was cold, shivering, but he LOVED it!
Aunty Kathy and Connor (she's using him as a shield from the wind!haha)
(a little fuzzy, Jon, Kat and Aedyn building sandcastles so Aedyn could knock them down)

You can tell it's definitely summer, because everynight this last weekend we were outside at one event or another. This last weekend was great! Full of activities! Thursday, we went to our outdoor concert event at the mall with Nina and Brian where they played some great oldies this week. Friday, we went to an outdoor kids concert, Charlotte Diamond, in Moorpark which was fun. We listen to her music in mommy and me classes, like I Am A Pizza!

Then, Kat and Jon came out late Saturday afternoon and we went to yet another outdoor concert, this time Oak Park, for a Queen cover band called Queen Nation. They were awesome, but it was a long walk to get to the park. We had soo much fun, escpecially Aedyn playing with bubbles. We stayed up late to play some games with Kat and Jon. They brought this new game called Pass the Popcorn, it rocked! Gotta get it! It was amazing that we stayed up until at least midnight! We missed them so much!

The next morning we went to the beach for the first time with Aedyn and Connor. I was so excited! The weather was supposed to be sunny and hot, but that was for Simi not where we ended up to going, Channel islands, so we could take the dogs. It was quite chilly and windy.
Aedyn loves to dig in the dirt so I thought he would love the beach. HE DID NOT like the sand. He didn't want to step in it or play with it at first. I convinced him to eventually help me build a sandcastle. Then, Shane took him to the water. He was scared at first but after he got in, he didn't want to get out, he kept trying to go further out so the waves could hit him. We had to force him out of the freezing water. Connor did like the feel of the sand on his feet though! We didn't stay long because it was so cold but just long enough to have had an adventure. I got a few pictures, but not enough to capture te entire experience. We are so grateful Jon was there with his camera to capture those moments! After we all had lunch at In N' Out, said goodbye to Aunty and Uncle, and then home for naps.

I really relish every moment we get to spend with our family and relish the love and laughter that radiates from our children and the people that surround them.

Father's Day Sunday

On Sunday, Father's Day, we all woke up around 8:30 am and enjoyed some orange cinnamon rolls(Shane's favorite), and then Shane read his virtual card I made him (a PP slideshow) where he learned he was getting a massage that morning. After Shane's massage, Dad drove out to join us for brunch at Eggs N' Things (one of our favorite local eateries). Delicious! Then, we headed to Griffith Park at the Travel Town train museum. I think all the guys had a great time! Aedyn was soooo excited to see all the choo choos. We even got to take a ride on a miniature train around the museum grounds. It was such a gorgeous day out!

The perfect day for a perfect Father, my hubby!

Father's Day Saturday Celebration

This is the second year that Shane has celebrated being a father, and wow looking at the pics from last year seems so nostalgic. We went from a family of 3 to 4 overnight. Aedyn was so little, (well little for Aedyn) then. We spent Saturday up at Mom and Dad Moore's. We just hung out with the family(Mom, Dad, Jason, Kaitlyn, Brayden, Nina, Brian, Charity, Amber, Willow), ate good food (the shrimp rocked), played games, let the little ones run around, opened gifts. The boys made some trinkets for Daddy at Kids Club and Mommy and me class. I got Shane a silver ring that says DAD and has all three of their birthstones (diamond, sapphire, topaz). We ended the day by eating a ridiculously giant chocolate cake form Claim Jumper.

It was great day, a little windy, but fun!

IAC PICNIC

On June 7th we attended the IAC southern California picnic. Mom and our niece, Amber came too. It was actually our first event that we attended with the IAC. Even though we never completed an adoption through them,( and still have an entirely paid for adoption just waiting for us), we wanted to go and experience the community of families who have adopted. It was a great June day in so.cal. gloomy yet warm enough to be pleasant. They had hot dogs with the fixins', and everyone brought a side dish or dessert, or drinks. I must say the new potato salad recipe was a hit , it was totally gone by the first hour.

It was at a park in Long Beach. So there was plenty of places for the kids to explore, like the pond(lake), playground and swings, they even had a bouncy house, but Aedyn is still too small. We got to see some of the people who helped us along our journey like Jennifer bliss who did our homestudy, Lane Mashal who was our coordinator, and Kathleen, the last counselor we spoke with before going on HOLD. It was great! They were shocked to see we had another baby, and that we didn't adopt through them, haha! Of course we told them I delivered Connor.

It was a great experience getting to talk to other adoptive families about their journeys. Everyone has a story, every story is different, and every family is unique and special! Open adoption is truly a beautiful experience and it touched my heart to see so many happy families!

The last few weekends

Angela's first communion, May 31st!
Angela at her church in the mountains waiting to walk inside to take her first communion. (In my opinion she looked the most beautiful, pure and innocent, not overdone looking like she was getting married!)
Grandpa and Aedyn. That day he learned to say grandpa!
Aedyn sporting the tie like Uncle Jon! Cool!
Cousin summer and Connor!
Aedyn loves his stick pony!
Amber, our niece, stayed with us for about 2 weeks to start off her summer. We had a blast. She is so helpful, funny, and intelligent! It was great having her here!
Amber and Aedyn at a FREE outdoor concert at Simi Town Center. That night they played latin jazz. We went the next Thursday too and the band was more of a swing/ Dixieland jazz band.
Amber got up to learn how to do the Merengue'.
The IAC picnic on June 7th in Long Beach. (check out its own blog post)
A ride on the Mark Twain the weekend before (after the IAC picnic).
Connor in the big boy highchair for the first time! He did quite well! My gosh he is long!
Connor was dancing to the groove of the music from the new parade!
Daddy and Aedyn on the bus shuttle we had to take; June 14th @ D-land = so crazy!
Aedyn and Connor with Grammy at D-land waiting for the fireworks!

Update for Connor

Trying to keep up with his growth.
Connor is seven months today, but he comfortable wears any size from 6-12 months right now.

Connor had 2 top teeth now. They eased in fairly quick and without too much pain. He has eaten all the fruits and veggies that are pureed by Gerber and has had no allergic reaction. He, like his brother, loves sweet potatoes and bananas, and pretty much gobbles down his meals!

His hair seems to be a little darker tone these last couple of days, and much fuzzier!

He loves to smile at everything and everyone. He watches every thing like a hawk, as if studying for some research project, or like there will be questions at the end of the day.

He also constantly tries to talk and is quite proficient at it.
We do believe he said purposely both MAMA and DADA!

He loves to make raspberries and gurgling sounds.