Happy Birthday Quinny!!

Our Quin is now 4 years old. Yesterday, December 8th we celebrated by going to Magianos for some spaghetti and then enjoyed the festive music along Snowflake Lane in Bellevue. It was a fun night. His actual "Birthday Party" or as Quinny calls it his "real" birthday is going to be this Saturday with his cousins.

Quinny got some birthday lemon moon cookies... his favorite at Magianos!
Then on to a few gifts. This one is from Josh's family

Then Speed Racer cars from JoJo and Ry

...and a super gift from Aunt Shelly and Casey...I love his face in this shot

...the Leap Frog letter factory toy. It is the one that sticks to the fridge and he can spell all the 3 letter words he likes. He has wanted this for a while now so that is why he was so excited when he saw it in the bag!

Then it was a short walk outside to the sidewalk to watch the show! Here the snowflake princess stopped to say hello to Josiah. He was so thrilled!!

I took a picture of the polar bear because Quinny wouldn't have anything to do with him! It was too funny. Although, Josiah ran right on up and gave him a big hug!

Then the drummers all came alive! This is the one we stood near. The boys enjoy watching all the drummer men do their thing.

The show is very fun. I love singing all the songs and dancing to the music. The light show is fun to watch too.

Mariah enjoyed it too. She was impressed, which is big coming from a teenager!!

Then the "snow" started to fall... Little Ash-bug and daddy checking out the fake stuff coming down. it really does look like snow from a distance.

I tried to get a picture of the snow... if you look closely you can sort of make it out in the dark parts of the picture.

Quin was having a great time by this point especially since the dancing tambourine girls gave him a lollipop!

Ry's cheesy grin...

Ry and I enjoying the show too!

One of the best parts was at the end of the show two of the tambourine girls came by and gave Josiah and Quin their tambourines to play while they danced around. Quinny was so excited. He did a good job of banging it. Josiah (which I didn't get a picture of) was completely dancing and shaking it all over the place. I wish we had the video camera!!

Then it was time to give it back to the nice lady... but whatever you do, don't take that lollipop out of your mouth!!

After we got home, I found it too funny that Ry and Jo were all over the Leap Frog toy

It was a fun evening! We look forward to his real birthday party this Saturday! (wink)

till later... Nic

Lights are up!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

The annual putting up of the lights went well this year. The boys "helped" and Mariah and I were assistantextraordinares...

Ry used the Expo as a ladder :-)... maybe that should be on his Christmas list!!

Jo and Ry helped feed the lights up to daddy.

Mariah was in the garage with me getting lights ready for the hanging.

Then in the great Griswald fashion, big Ry counted down...

till next time... Nic

Thanksgiving 2008

The great thing about this nation is that we take the time to say "Thank You". Traditions vary from family to family, some do a simple dinner others take the day off and sleep in... but for the California Moore branch, Thanksgiving is "our" holiday. It is a time when all of us make our way back home to give thanks as a family. This year was wonderful! After a few years of delayed festivities, it was nice having it back to "normal" this year. We all cooked and sat at ONE table! The prayer started at about 3:30 and we were eating by 4:00.

Of course the main attraction was the food!

Big Ry gave it a good one-two... but couldn't finish his plate!

Damien and Josh Jr.

Miles and Michelle

Mariah and Big Josh

Little Ry and Quinny

After Dinner crash... The boys! Isaiah, Quinlan, Josiah, Ryan, Alex, Damien and Josh at the bottom

The crash didn't last long... off to play they go!

Sierra relaxing in the living room with us adults

Big Ry spied a toe poking out from the cushions...

... and who's toe is this?

Our sleeping beauty, Ash-bug!

The table slowly cleared away...

Mom and Ry

Mom and Shelly

Asher's little shirt

Ash and daddy

Michelle

Sierra

Sierra and Ash-bug

After dinner we all headed to Josh's house

My thoughts exactly Quinny!!

It was a great trip... even with the hours of traveling on the road to get there and the hours upon hours to get back! It was a good time of laughing, playing games, eating way too much food and just sharing a piece of time with each other.

till later... Nic