Lyonslove

Halloween Weekend

2009-11-05T16:09:00.000-08:00

I hope all of you had a wonderful Halloween weekend. We sure did. We got to see both sets of Grandparents and the kids looked so cute in their costumes. We got both of their outfits at our local second-hand store for $4.99 each! Peyton is sucking on her first candy, a Smartie.
We went to a Halloween event with my parents and the Novida's. I really wanted Kipp and I to dress up and I thought he looked so cute. I was a snowboarder and Kipp was in the marines.
Peyton, Cyrus and Tanner. Who is that creepy lady on the side who looks like she might take a kid?
Our little P on her first Halloween.
Peyton and I had a slumber party at Grandma and Grandpa Lyons'. She is so cute all sacked out in her Halloween PJ's.
What a Doll!
Tanner with our cute neighbor kids.
Fun family time on Halloween eve.
G and G Lyons having fun with Tanner the Dragon.
They love their little girl.
We hope you had a fun Halloween weekend. Now that Halloween is over it practically Christmas!!

Kipp's Halloween Event

2009-10-25T20:35:00.000-07:00

On Saturday I took the kids to Kipp's Halloween event. It was way too hot for the kids to wear their Dragon and Piglet costume. So Tanner was a surfer and Peyton was a Ballerina Dancer. Tanner loved riding on the pony.
My wonderful parents came to the even to help me with the kids. Tanner loved going trick-or-treating. (I got Tanner his Quiksilver hat for $1 at a yard sale. Yes! I washed it.)
Daddy and his girl!
Hay! What a fun day!

Some of our little friends came to the event too. All of the boys were surfer boys. Brody and Tanner hanging ten on the board. (I got this board for $.10 at a yard sale.)

Peyton and her boys on their first Halloween.
Peyton 8 months
Brody 6 months
Cyrus 2 1/2 months
Does Tanner look like he's 20 or what? What a great big boy.
Look at me with my mom friends. I am lucky to have friends like Jackie and Andi.

A Sign of What's to Come

2009-10-23T15:26:00.000-07:00

I remember when Jen wrote a blog about watching her kids play together. Peyton is 8 months old and she is every where! Tanner loves to play with her. When she gets in his way he says, "No thank you Peyton." I tell him he can move up to the table if her wants to play alone, but he never does. His favorite thing is to make funny faces and do funny voices to make her laugh. Boy does it work! She thinks he is hilarious!
Here they are playing with the train together. When I am in the kitchen I love to hear them playing in the other room.
I let him play pretty rough with her. I figure that she will let him know when it is too rough. I loved growing up with 2 brothers. Having a brother makes for a tough girl!
I love that these two get to grow up together. Family is a pretty great thing!

High School Musical Birthday Party

2009-10-12T21:22:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday India Girl! We had a HSM party for this 3 year old. We had such a good time. Tanner dressed up like Troy and Peyton was a background dancer. India was a cute cheerleader and Jafta was a basketball player.

As part of India's gift I made her treats. I made Star-Dazzle Stick and cupcakes. I was inspired by Jen with the cupcake/cookie combo. I had so much fun making these for her. Kipp was a huge help. I won' t lie, it took forever to make these, but I think they are super cute.

Karis and Peyton had fun playing together. We think that baby Karis looks like Tanner when he was her age.

Kristen put up a big red curtain and the kids stood behind it until the song came on. Then they would come out from backstage to sing and dance.
We're all in this together and we had a wonderful time!
Happy Birthday India!

1 Year Later

2009-10-04T14:56:00.000-07:00

One year ago I found out this thing that was growing in my belly was a little girl and we named her Peyton Elizabeth. Now 1 year later she is a huge part of our life and bring us so much joy! I have never seen such a happy and easy baby.
Yesterday I noticed her first tooth coming in! She is 7 months old and crawls everywhere. She is even standing up while holding things. She is our little dolly. I love putting bows in her hair and giving her hugs!
As she gets older I think Tanner likes her more and more. I think he realizes that she is a little person who is fun to play with. Today they were in the double stroller and Tanner was holding her hand. He is the best big brother.

October 3, 2008
Telling our families that we were having a girl!

Breast Cancer Walk

2009-09-28T20:16:00.000-07:00

On Sunday we walked in Race For The Cure with 20,000 people. My mom is a 5 year survivor. It was a great day to celebrate the journey that we have all been on.
I think Tanner looks so cute with his running shoes on.
I was so proud with Kipp who ran the thing. It was his first real run since his knee surgery in June.

There were so many people who were walking in memory of loved ones and who were walking in celebration of loved ones who had won their fight.
I couldn't believe that Peyton fell asleep. It was so loud-there were bands playing every 1/2 mile and at one point a marching band right next to us. She is such a good girl.
Grandma with some of her kids.
I made the kids some home made shirts. Tanner's says: My Grandma is my HERO!
Peyton's says: Boobies should be full of Milk-Not Cancer.
It was a day full of Hope. I hope that we are one year closer to finding a cure.

Movie in the Park

2009-09-15T14:43:00.000-07:00

We went to our first Movie in the Park. We ran into our friends Nikki and her cute girl Sunny! Nikki and I have been friends since Jr. High. Her son, O'Shea is 4 months older than Tanner and Sunny is 3 months older than Peyton.
Popular Peyton is hanging out with her guy Brody. He stole her favorite toy and she is still a happy girl.
Grandma brought a sack full of treats that kept Tanner happy. We watched Wall-E and both kids loved it.
We got home very late and both kids were so tired! Tanner walked in the house and laid down on the floor. Peyton fell asleep in the car and I had to carry her in. It was such a fun night with friends and family. We will do it again in a few weeks.

Art Center

2009-09-11T13:43:00.000-07:00

I was feeling adventurous so I decided to clean out our downstairs closet and turned it into an Art Center for the Tan Man. He loves to do art and to get messy, I love to have things neat and orderly. Before the Art Center I would make Tanner sit in his old high chair, this is working much better.
(I use the hangers to hang up his wet art work).
I put some of his art work up on the wall. This is his creative place.
I used to have all of his supplies stuffed in one of our kitchen drawers. Now there is a place for everything and everything is in its place.
I printed 2 big pictures of Tan & Kipp and Tanner got to decorate the frames.
Two rule of Art Center:
1.) No shirts while painting
2.) Art supplies stay in Art Center
My old Principal had these people in her office and she gave them to me when she moved to High School. They are the perfect touch!
Tanner's favorite thing to do in his Art Center is to do Play Dough! I love this boy so much.

Family Saturday

2009-09-10T20:31:00.000-07:00

On Saturday we went to Laguna Beach for some family time. We went to a yard sale then to the park at Main Beach. Peyton loves the sand. I would put her in the middle of the blanket and she would crawl to the edge so she could dig in the sand.

What a great Daddy!! I love the weekends when we can all just play together. After our play date we went had lunch at Johnny Rockets.

Are they too young to make us some money?

My Favorite Pictures of the Summer

2009-08-24T16:12:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is my last day of summer before I report back to school for another year. We have a full summer. I have loved learning how to be a mom of 2 kids. I wanted to share some of my favorite pictures of the summer.

In June we had all the cousins together since we added Peyton and Karis to the mix. I love that Tanner and Peyton have so many cousins to grow up with.

Peyton has grown up from a newborn to a cool little baby. She is so mellow and fun. She loves the swings and going to the park. Just like Tanner she loves to be outside.
We had a great 4th of July at Mark and Kristen's block party. This was the 2nd year we went and I am hooked. Tanner loves this girl so much. I can just picture him being the protector for his cousins and sister.
Kipp got free tickets right behind home plate. Kipp, Tan, Jafta and Mark had a great time at the game. I love the friendship that my brother and my husband share. I am so blessed by my family.
Happy 4th of July babies.
Kipp is such a great dad. He loves his little Princess Pey Pey.
Our best friends Derek and Jackie had their baby Cyrus 2 weeks ago and we love him already.
Carson and Tanner playing in the water. Today we were driving to meet my mom at her pool and Tanner asked if Carson would be there.
Our summer involved staying cool in the water. Jafta and Tanner had fun at the fountains.
We went to Disneyland while Kelle and Aaron were here. This may be my favorite picture of the summer. We were sharing a treat and it was my turn for a bite. What a cutie.

Family Vacation

2009-08-22T20:53:00.000-07:00

We went up to Washington like we do every summer and had a wonderful time. The kids love playing together and this year Tanner got to sleep in Caleb's bunk bed. Alex and Caleb loved playing with Tanner but it was very special for them to get to know Peyton. They were down in Cali a few months ago but Peyton is changing so fast. She is 6 months now and she loves to laugh, smile, roll and is starting to crawl.

One day we took a ferry to a cute little town. It was very Grey's Anatomy.

We went to the farm and picked carrots. On a different day we went to pick blueberries. I think the adults got carried away because we brought home buckets full.

We had a wonderful vacation but we are sad to see the summer end. I go back to school next week and I am so blessed to be sharing a contract again with my mom.

Camping on the Coast

2009-08-16T18:16:00.000-07:00

On part of our vacation we got to go to Wei-ne-ma Christian Camp for week of Missions. We were there for 2 days and 1 night and were able to stay in a nice camper. JJ spoke at the camp for Life in Abundance and it was so much fun to hear all of the amazing things that LIA is doing in Africa.
For having 4 kids and 3 adults sleep in one camper we had a pretty good nights sleep. I think Peyton is making the funniest face as she hits Carson in the mouth. Tanner has the best morning hair.
Jen's mom and Grandparents were staying close by so they invited us up for breakfast. Sydney is loving those fresh berries.
Watching Carson and Tanner play together reminds me of watching Kipp and Trent together. They are so funny and love to take each other down.
For those of you that don't know Kipp and I went to College with Jen and Trent. They were both in our wedding and some of our best friends in the world. JJ is also a college friend and Tanner and Peyton's God-Father, self-appointed.
It had been very hot at Jen and Trent's house so it was nice to cool down by the water.
Jen and Sydney touched the wet sand but it was WAY too cold for us girls to get in the water. We had such a wonderful time with these friends. We are so blessed by their friendship. We have known each other for 13 years and now it is so much fun to see our children forming lasting friendships. We miss you already friends.

Our Trip to Or. Part 1

2009-08-15T23:20:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pictures from our trip to the Pacific Northwest. Here is Tanner siting on the steps that lead to the house where Glenda Lyons grew up.
Kipp's Aunt Nadia was so nice to us while we were there. She even drove us over 2 hours to Washington. It was so nice to visit with her and let her play with the kids. The sad part of our visit was when Tanner fell out of his big boy queen size bed onto the wood floor. Nadia ran upstairs to check on him. He ended up sleeping on the floor on some pillows.
Nadia took us to this little stand where we got the most amazing fruit. Tanner loved getting free tastes. That night Nadia made us an amazing pie!!
Nadia and some of her friends planted a community garden near their church where anyone can pick the produce. Tanner loved getting some fresh tomato that we ended up having for dinner. We had a great visit!!

Reunited!!!

2009-07-30T16:11:00.000-07:00

Thank you for all of your warm thought and prayers. It is with great joy and a full heart that I can tell you front pack has made its way back into our lives.

I think the saying goes if you love something set it free, if it comes back to you it was meant to be.

I found the front pack rolled up small in a pocket of my double stroller that I never use. I drove into the garage yesterday and it was like the front pack was calling me. I jumped out of the car and looked in that spot. I am not kidding I got a little teary eyed when I saw it. I have not known how to be a good mom without it. I took Peyton to the store the other day and I just held her because she is too small for the cart.

Front pack carried PeyPey at Disneyland all day yesterday. Now I can go on vacation and carry my girl around the airport in peace. Pacific Northwest please cool down because we are coming up.

R.I.P. Frontpack

2009-07-28T15:03:00.000-07:00

2007-2009
Front-pack thank you for all of the times you carried my children around. You were a good friend and you will be greatly missed. This is one of the last pictures that we have of you. We lost you at the Fair and life will never be the same. Thanks for the memories.

O.C. Fair We Love You!!

2009-07-22T16:30:00.000-07:00

Tanner at 5 months at the OC Fair.
Peyton at 5 months at the OC Fair.

Our litle family of 4.
Holy Cow! I love Tanner's new smile.
We went to the fair with Derek, Jackie, Derek's mom and nephew from Hawaii. All of the boys went down the big slide. We went on canned food drive night. We got in for free and got a free ride.
It was a great night. There were a lot of special people there and we love to people watch. I can see why it isn't Mark and Kristen's favorite place, but we love it!!

HAPPY 4th of JULY!!

2009-07-09T14:19:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful 4th of July with Mark and Kristen. Kipp had to work so we spent the day with the family. The kids got a good lunch before we started all of the fun.
The first thing that we did was a parade around the block. Jafta rode his big boy bike, India rode behind her Daddy, the babies rode in the double stroller and Tanner rode on his scooter.

This is how Tanner started the parade.

This is how we ended the parade. The block was a little long.

I love this little girl. I bought the little girls matching hair bows and they looked so cute.
Little Karis at 2 months old. She is so skinny compared to Peyton. Peyton is not messing around when it comes to her big girl thighs. That's my girl.

India wore two dresses and looked so cute in both of them. I really wish that Tanner loved his cousins!
They are watching/taking part in a marshmallow war.
We had a great day! Happy Birthday America.

Downtown DIsney

2009-07-04T22:41:00.000-07:00

Sorry it has been so long since my last post. To say we have been busy is an understatement. I have had my hands full taking care of my two babies and my hubby. Kipp's knee is getting a lot better but he is still working hard on his recovery. This week we went for our first family outing in weeks. We went to Downtown Disney to meet Uncle Aaron.
This was the first time that Uncle Aaron got to see Peyton. I think it was love at first sight.
Peyton loved watching the fireworks with her daddy.
This is Tanner's new smile. He is such a happy boy and a great brother.
Tanner is 2 and some days he reminds me of that very clearly. We are working on listening and not hitting. That might be the theme of the summer. I think I say, "Hands are for hugging, not hitting," about 100 times a day. He is an amazing boy 99% of the time and the rest of the time he helps me work on my patience.
At Downtown Diseny they have a huge Lego Store that Tan loved playing in.
We have been listening to this kids worship CD a lot lately. After every song Tan says, "Yea Jesus! We love you!"

At Downtown Disney they have musicians all around and we were listening to a singer named Michael. Tanner was dancing to the music then when the song was over he yelled, "Yea Michael, we love you!"

That kid cracks me up every day!

Our Weekend

2009-06-07T22:50:00.000-07:00

We were so blessed to have so much help from our moms this weekend. My mom picked Tanner up from the babysitter on Friday and he had a slumber party with her. She brought him home on Saturday and they hang out for a few hours before Grandma Lyons took him to her house for a slumber party. Kipp and I got a lot of quality time with Peyton. She is 3 1/3 months now and is so cute!
Since Kipp slept a lot this weekend and Tanner was gone Peyton and I went to some Yard Sales this weekend. I got this great new swing for $12. She just learned how to grab onto things. We love this face she makes. We think she is saying. "You wanna mess with me?"
Our blue eyed girl!

Tanner calls both of his Grandmas, Grandma--we don't do Mimi or Nana. So my mom taught him to say Grandma Lyons and Grandma Howerton. When they were all over at the house he started saying Grandma Lyons and Other Grandma.

Kipp is in more pain today. Please pray for him. If you know him at all you know it is killing him to stay still. He wants to run around and go skate with Tanner. It is going to be a long road ahead.

Big Boy Room

2009-06-06T23:51:00.000-07:00

Look at Tanner's big boy room that is finally finished! I love his beach boy room. Tanner is such a big boy and is a wonderful brother to Pey. They look so cute just hanging out together. We were lucky enough to get Tanner big boy bed for FREE from a lady who was moving to a smaller place. It is a trundle bed so we pull out the bottom bed for slumber parties. We just turned the bed the opposite way so there is a railing so Tan doesn't fall out.
He has been in his room for several months now but the new additions are his wall art and his new chair. We got this sticker art from Jen Bunch Tompkins. We wanted something for the walls that he wouldn't knock down. He is a little rowdie and likes to jump on the bed, kick the wall, throw his pillows around, you name it he does it! So the stickers are perfect and he loves them.
His surfer room is now complet with his beach chair and a sand bucket full of books! Stop by and read with us anytime!

Kipp had knee surgery on Friday and Tanner has a hard time being mellow. He is spending the weekend with his grandparents. Kipp and I both agree that things are very quiet when he is not around. We miss out little wild man!

Another Busy Month

2009-06-01T16:57:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that May is over! I only have 3 more weeks of school and I am looking forward to this summer. We had a busy month and I wanted to share some highlights. Here are all 7 of the Howerton/Lyons cousins together for the first time. From left to right, India 2 1/2, Caleb 7, Peyton 3 mo, Tanner 2, Jafta 4, Alex 9 and Karis 1 month. We hadn't seen the Alex and Caleb in 6 months so it was great to visit with them. I know they loved meeting their two newest cousins.
Tanner is giving Aunt Jodie some love. Jodie and her parents ran a 1/2 marathon in the morning. In the afternoon we had a pool party for Caleb's 7th birthday.
Uncle Michael with his two baby girls.
3 month old Peyton with her kitty.
Big boy Tanner at his preschool class. Between My Gym and his preschool we stay busy. We are getting ready for the weather to get nice so we can have some more beach days. I don't know what to do with these 70 degree days that we have been having. Burr!!

A Spring Reception

2009-05-19T13:58:00.000-07:00

My beautiful Lauren got married. She and I have been friends since High School Youth Group. She married a nurse named Robbie who also helped take care of Baby Tanner. Lauren was with me through my labor with Tan, it was so special.
Beth and I have been best friends for years and Beth's sister Wendy and Lauren have also been BFF's. We had a great night! Jackie and Derek watched our kids so we could have a kid free night.
We laugh because Philip and I are the same person and Beth and Kipp are the same person too. We think it's funny that we both married boy who were just like our best friends.
Beth's little sister Wendy drove down from Nor. Cal for the weekend. It was so fun to see her again.
BFF's Kipp and Philip!

Happy Mother's Day

2009-05-12T08:34:00.000-07:00

Ow wa Daddy??

2009-05-06T22:15:00.000-07:00

Last night Tanner started crying around 10:30pm. I went in to see what was wrong.
Me: What's wrong buddy
Tan: Ow wa Daddy
Me: What's an Ow wa??
Tan: Ow wa
Me: Did you hurt yourself??
Tan: No, Ow wa.
Me: What's an Ow wa?
Tanner then proceeded to cry louder say "OW WA, OW WA"
Me: I have no idea what you are saying, say it slower buddy, what is Ow wa?
Tan: Ow wa, Ow wa.
At this point, i have no idea what he is saying. I call Sarah in the room, "I have no idea what he is saying, what is he saying?"
Tan: Mama, Ow wa.
Sarah: Agua?
Tan: Yes, Ow wa. He says with a big smile and a laugh.

Apparently Tanner is now bilingual, and he wants water.

Fast forward to tonight at 10:00 pm.
Tan: Daddy, Ow wa.
Me: Okay Tanner I will get you some Agua.

Our little bilingual boy is growing up so fast.

Karis' Newborn Pictures

2009-05-05T11:46:00.001-07:00

At Kristen's shower my mom and I gave her a gift certificate to get newborn pictures taken of Karis. Please check out Christie's Pictures to see super cute pictures of my new niece. Leave Christie a comment so she know how great they are!