San Diego

Every year my stepdad (ex-step-dad...confusing), Kevin has people come out to San Diego to remember/celebrate my stepbrother Marshall's birthday. He passed away a few years ago and is my age, so he would be turning 26. I think that it is nice for Kevin to be with people at this time. Everyone had a great time and Kevin is beyond a great host. We got to go to the beach, have a fun party, and go to some padre's games. Where is Luke? No, seriously I couldn't find him for awhile. Peek-a-boo!
It is such an easy 5 hour drive to San D.
We went straight to the beach. Luke loved the sand and after a while he realized that there was water and beelined it to the ocean! Dave had to sprint after him. He just kept wandering in deeper and deeper. The water felt like ice but he wouldn't get out. One wave even went over his head and we thought he was crying but sure enough he was laughing really hard!

We heart Coronado Island! These are some dream homes right on the beach.


The view from Kevin's wasn't too shabby either! It was on the beach and overlooked San Diego. Dreammy. When can we move in?

The siblings.

Kevin and Luke
Padres game

How did I forget these ones. The highlight of Dave's trip was this Padre's game. Front row baby and we had to shield Luke's head from the baseball being hit our way. Luke was such a trooper, it was way past his bedtime and after our road trip but he loved it anyway.

Vranes, la coppia di Arese

Here is another funny one that we found of my dad. This is from when he played in Italy. The next one is shorter and way funnier but Nate and I make a nice cameo in this one and I am sporting a super cute perm with a leggings and vest ensemble. Love the music!!

My dad's Ivory soap commercial

I totally forgot about this but Dave found my dad's funny Ivory soap commercial from the eighties... love the shorts and the hair flipping in the shower. This is a keeper!

Easter fun

(our computer is being so weird...all of these pictures are in a very random order) We had the Mortensen's over for a nice Easter dinner in the backyard. Luke, Ella and Sam decided to play in the water in the middle of our Easter dinner.
Naked Easter egg hunt after playing in the water.

Luke's solo hunt after church.


What is this doing again and how do I get it off?!

Dave's school had a fun Easter party on Saturday with the Easter bunny. Jack and Luke bouncing around.
Playing with the spray ball on Saturday after his Easter parties.
Easter morning. He likes his new little chair and brings it everywhere. We catch him sitting on it outside reading books. Note the "Easter bunny pellets" (raisins) that Dave set out.

Ward Easter party
Luke didn't really like the Easter bunny but Dave kept putting his arm around it and later found out it was a girl.

Luke's new favorite toy

...he also hits everything is sight.

6 things that Luke is OBSESSED with!

1. Sunglasses, sunglasses, and sunglasses! He can't get enough of them. He wears them for hours, we can't leave the house without them and he loves to stare at himself in the mirror while he wears them. He doesn't have his own pair so he wears my old ones which is even funnier!

Sometimes he will wear these instead.
2. Lounging around watching Baby Einstein. He would do this all day if I let him.
3. He loves my headbands. He sneaks into the bathroom and comes back looking like this!

4. He loves his dad. He races to the front door as soon as he hears Dave coming home and he totally ignores me when Dave is home for the weekends!
5. He loves the dishwasher and knows how to put the soap in and start it. He also gets mad and Dave and me if we forget to take our shoes off in the house. He points and yells jibberish and our shoes and then puts them in the closet for us. I have taught him well!
6. Beyond obsessed with pretzels. He can't get enough and likes to help himself to them .

More visitors

Creighton came in town last weekend and my mom was here a couple of weeks ago. I always want to cry when my mom leaves. But it is so fun to have friends and family come to visit (hint hint).We had fun with Creighton at the Mariners game.

Creighton has made more visits here than our families but we love it! I am pretty sure he comes here more for the sports than catching up with the Owen family though. Whenever he comes he always wines and dines us. Classic Creighton.

We went to the Wildlife zoo when my mom was here. It is this small zoo that has white tigers and lions surrounded by a chainlink fence!

See what I mean. This rhino is caged in by a log fence that comes up to my waist! Luke loved having my mom tote him all around.

Feeding the giraffes. Not something that you usually get to do. Luke was loving the animals. Dave and Luke are next to the man in the green shirt who was forcing his kids to touch the giraffe's purple tongue! Talk about a germ fest.

He finally SLEEPS!

Luke can finally fall asleep on his own! This is a proud time in our home. To most people, a child falling asleep in a highchair may be a normal sight but for me, the mother of the most stubborn sleeper, it is something that I have never witnessed. He was just eating lunch one day and I left the room for a few minutes and came back to see this. So cute! I just plopped him in his crib and waited for the cry but he kept on sleeping. He did this in the highchair three days in a row and the next day around nap time I just read him books and put him in his crib (awake) with his monkey and he slept. We did it at night too and it has worked like a champ! No more nursing or rocking to sleep after 16 months of that nonsense! I am doing this so much earlier with my next kid. Now he sleeps better than ever and I don't have to lie awake at night worrying about how Luke will still need to be nursed to sleep until he goes away to college. AHHH! (sorry to bore those that have good sleepers)

Valentine's Day

We made our traditional crab legs and fondue for Valentine's. No shellfish for Luke, so he got to have spaghetti!

Dave and Luke got a fish named Blueberry for Valentine's Day. Luke just stares and makes kissing noises all day.

I guess I always take pictures of the table setting. I look forward to that part more than the cooking. This is nothing grand though.
This was a really good dessert that everyone should try! It is puff pastry with strawberries, whipped cream, and melted chocolate. The recipe is on Amy's cookbook junkies blog. We put chocolate on it instead of strawberry jam. The jam was too healthy for us!