Home sweet home Chicago

After a long month of moving and Brian driving across the country twice....we are FINALLY all moved in. We are officially once again Chicagoans!!!! Well, it was only appropriate that the first big winter storm decided to come on moving day! Here is just a glimpse of what our backyard looks like in the middle of winter! (For everyone back in California:)

Brian shoveling snow!

I know this post is long overdo, but I had a busy month in December! I am proud to say that I unpacked all of the boxes & even got the Christmas tree up by the time Brian returned to Chicago (for good) just in time for Christmas.

In my family we celebrate St. Nicholas day every year at the beginning of December. It is an old tradition where you put your shoes out before you go to sleep for St. Nick to fill them with goodies. The girls were excited to put their shoes out (especially Olivia) and they were relieved to know that Santa found us at our new house.

In the middle of December my family & I took the girls downtown for their first city visit!! (Unfortunately, Brian had to fly back to Cali to check-out so he didn't get to go with us.) It included a day of shopping, going out to lunch, & spending some quality time together as a family. One of my favorite times to visit the city is around Christmas time. It is so cool to see all of the holiday decorations & window displays especially at night time.

Olivia's 1st trip to the American Girl doll store.

My sister Taylor & I.

Brooklyn's Firsts

Brooklyn has changed so much in the past few months. She has had many new "firsts." While we were staying with my in-laws for the month of November until we moved into our new place, Brooklyn started talking, walking, and becoming more independent. She said her first word "uh-oh" when she dropped her cup during breakfast one morning! It was so cute! Olivia and I just looked at each other and started laughing. Soon after, she was saying "Hi," "Da-Da", "Ma-Ma", "Papa", "Nana", and she now even says "dank du" which is her version of "thank you". It's so cute to see her learning and actually saying words in the right instances and directed towards people. It has become a pattern in our family to talk before walking-go figure! lol We are definitely a talkative family;)

Then, on November 17th at 9 days short of 11 months old, Brooklyn took her very first steps all by herself!! Before we knew it she was walking on her own all over the place. Since then she has mastered walking and tries to go faster by the day in order to catch up with Olivia. Also, she has gotten 6 more teeth within a month and a half! The poor girl! But it didn't stop Brookie from being her normal smiley self, she is one tough cookie!! It is adorable to see her smile with a mouth full of teeth:-)

Brooklyn when she first started walking in November....

Brooklyn walking now....

Brooklyn's 1st Thanksgiving

Almost time for bed-the thumb is in!

And I had to include a picture of Livie....

Olivia & Aunt Kate during our stay @ GG & Papa's.

Catching up....

I am behind on blogging due to the move and I have so much to catch up on....during October we spent a lot of time packing and saying good-bye to our friends. Just before leaving California, we had a pot-luck style dinner with some of our closest friends from church. It was so funny to see all of the babies & kids running all over the place, because when we first met everyone no one had kids yet. God has truly blessed us!

The Moms with the kids....

....and the Dads

We celebrated Brooklyn's first Halloween at the end of October but unfortunately Olivia was sick so we spent most of the day laying around. We had big plans of going to see Dora the Explorer (Olivia's favorite) live, but had to give away our tickets when Livie woke up with a high fever. I think I was even more devastated to miss the show then she was! (lol) So, we took the girls trick-or-treating around the block and then enjoyed a delicious homemade dinner that Brian's mom cooked for us (she flew out to spend Halloween with us and accompany the girls and I to Chicago).

Olivia picking out a pumpkin before Halloween.

Every holiday I get both of the girls a book-it is a little tradition I started since Olivia was born. Brooklyn decided to taste her first Halloween book!!

This year Olivia picked out her own costume....CINDERELLA (of course) & Brooklyn went as the cute little pumpkin that Olivia was on her first Halloween, which was so adorable I couldn't resist using it again:)

On one of our last nights in San Clemente Brian & I had a date night while my Mother-in law watched the girls. We went out to dinner at a local restaurant named Sonny's and then took a walk on the beach. It was very chilly down by the beach so I didn't last very long, but it was so breath-taking to walk along the beach at night in the dark with all of the stars twinkling in the sky and the sound of the waves crashing-it was the perfect way to say good-bye to San Clemente.

Another family photo shoot

Just before leaving California we were able to get one last shoot in with our FAVORITE photographers and good friends, Hayley & Travis Collins. They do amazing work & we are definitely going to miss their talented picture taking skills. Hayley took our pictures down by the beach, because we figured it would be awhile before we would be living so close to the beach again. There were so many good pictures that I loved them all (along with my new blog pic)!! But here are a few of my favorites....

My 25th Birthday!!!!

(Forgive me for being two months behind! lol) On October 28th we celebrated my 25th Birthday!!!! Since Brian had to work until the afternoon, the girls and I went to one of my favorite places....shopping on Del Mar street in downtown San Clemente. We had fun walking around and shopping in the little boutiques. Then, after Brian got off work we enjoyed a nice family dinner at Selma's, which is one of our favorite pizza places in San Clemente (its Chicago style pizza-go figure!) Oh how I will miss Del Mar :(

My family has always made a big deal out of birthdays. So, when we got to Chicago we went out to a local Mexican restaurant and celebrated my Birthday with my family. They put me in a sombrero and everyone sang to me! lol

The joy of moving

Moving is quite the process and I have been dying to get back to my normal organized ways (lol). I have been so BUSY between unpacking, Christmas shopping, & preparing for Brooklyn's 1st Birthday party that I haven't had any time to keep up with blogging so forgive me for my excessive posting in order to catch up on the last couple of months. Brooklyn is growing like a weed!! She is walking and talking now!! It is crazy how fast time flies. I have a lot of pictures and videos to post from the past two months, but in the mean time I just had to post this picture....

We were literally living out of suitcases! lol

So long California

After 6 long months of waiting and trusting in the Lord, we found out....WE WERE MOVING TO CHICAGO!!!! On October 4th, we found out that Brian was chosen for the MECEP program of the Marine Corps. It is such an accomplishment for Brian to be one of the marines chosen out of hundreds of applicants who applied for the program this year. Now that he was selected, we will be moving to Chicago for about 3 and a half years while Brian attends college before moving again to his next training school and duty station where he will then be an officer. He was also accepted to Loyola University and will be majoring in Theology. We are so proud of Brian!! We are so excited to embark on this incredible journey that lies ahead.

Olivia & I baked Brian a cake to celebrate his achievement:)

For the past 5 and a half years, I have lived in California and it has been amazing!! It's where Brian and I lived together for the first time, had both of our children, and made many memories together as a family. I am so excited to move back to the Midwest and be close to our family and friends there. But, it is going to be sad to leave the life we have built in California. We are going to miss all of our friends....we love you guys~keep in touch!!