The Williams Family

Christmas Day 2011

2012-01-08T18:54:00.000-08:00

The week before Christmas we went to a special train exhibit at the Nixon Library in Yorba Linda, CA. Grandma Iottini and Aunt Evelyn invited us to join the for the day. It was a wonderful time!

So sweet and tender!

We went to lunch at Polly's Pies after. Yummy food!

Posing for mommy

A little black and white photography fun

Art work fun at the Copes in Yucaipa.

Christmas Morning!

Santa came!

We let Isabella sleep in (I think until 8am or so) and went down with Alexander at 6am for presents and fun.

Santa brought Alexander a Mickey and Minnie Pirate ship and a double sided Star Wars light saber. Cool! Grandma and Grandpa Bear Williams (AKA Taco) got Alexander an Imaginex Pirate Ship. Now he had 2 pirate ships to fight each other. He loves them!

Santa ate the cinnamon rolls and drank the milk. He even left Alexander and Isabella a sweet little thank you note.

Isabella's stash of gifts from Christmas Eve. Grandma and Grandpa Bear got her the Rapunzel doll and pajamas, pink plaid dress, and the helmet. Andrew and Ariel got her her new favorite Minnie Mouse dress and Aunt Evelyn and Grandma Iottini got her the Minnie Mouse toy. Uncle Stephen on his mission sent a stuffed animal kitty cat for Isabella and some action figures for Mr. Alexander..

Light saber fighting!

Fun with photography!

Merry Christmas Isabella! We went to church at 9am so we played with Santa's gifts before church and opened presents after church. We had the traditional egg and sausage and ham casserole along with hot chocolate and cinnamon rolls (thanks to Grandma Iottini) for breakfast. Isabella got a pink Razor scooter and some pirate Minnie Mouse accessories from Santa.

She also got an orange in her stocking and a whole box of candy canes! When asked what she wanted for Christmas, she often just responded candy canes!

Check out these books Mommy found online! I saw the Alexander one at the library then investigated more. The author only has written 3 books. 1 about Alexander and 2 about Isabella. That is ironic. Both of my kid's names. Of course I had to buy them! The kids love them!

Grandma and Grandpa Shea sent us money for Christmas, so we got the kids this cool computer Disney interactive game called Zippity and a whole bunch of clothes for our growing kiddos. Thank you Sheas!

Daddy got a cute Eeyore doll.

Mommy gave Daddy a Star Wars Darth Vader alarm clock. Cool.

Mommy got a beautiful new apron from Flirty Aprons.com and a Princess Aurora doll. Mommy loves her princesses! They are part of a new collector's line of toddler dolls designed by Disney animators with nice big eyes. The better to see you with, my dear...

That light saber is huge!

We spent Christmas afternoon and evening in Yucaipa. We had the traditional holiday punch, Grandpa Bobik and Ampy came and Ralph and Deb popped by for a brief visit just before we left. Meatballs, shrimp, munchies, and the traditional ham dinner were also served.

We got a Whirly Pop from my parents. Yummy popcorn!

Isabella got her first sleeping bag from Marc and Shay's family. Thank you! Alexander got some fun games from them.

Grandma Leslie and Grandpa Gordon gave Alexander a fun Bug game that is apparently popular. New to me! The kids love it and they can build it is an unlimited amount of designs and attach it to other sets. The bug travel through the maze and glow in the dark.

Having fun with all of our toys.

Kayla (Marc and Shay's youngest)

Merry Christmas everyone!

December Holiday Fun

2012-01-08T17:49:00.000-08:00

Breakfast with Santa at church

The presents are all wrapped and ready!

Alexander fell in love with this choo choo train at Toys R Us. He wanted to take a photo for Santa.

Mr. Cowboy at Preschool

Mr. Incredible

We shopped at a cute toy store in Redlands with groupons we got for the kiddos. They each got a $30 gift for $15 that we paid. Good deal! Isabella got this Cinderella doll with a pony. Alexander got a tool set. We also used some of the money to get a gift for a family in need.

Making cookies with mommy

Just reading my book

Homemade chicken pot pie. Yummy!

Santa craft advent calendars. They glued on one cotton ball per day before Christmas. Very helpful in letting kids know how long until they could open their presents.

The Fall leaves were rather distracting on every time we left preschool. They did have great fun!

Art time with Ms. Kim

These trees turned out great!

Michael's History Dept Christmas party in La Quinta at the Dept. Chair's Home.

2012 Williams Family Calendar Pages

2012-01-08T17:27:00.001-08:00

Grandpa Bobik's 80th Birthday & Pumpkin Patch

2011-12-05T13:34:00.001-08:00

Pumpkin Patch tour at Greenspot Farms in Mentone with preschool.

It was an unseasonable warm day...

Isabella desperately wanted to go night night the whole time. We were so hot and worn out that afterwards we went to A&W fast food and split a large chocolate shake. Yummy!

Photoshoot with baby girl!

Oak Glen photos with Isabella while Alexander was at preschool.

We gathered from near and far to celebrate Grandpa Bobik's 80th Birthday. Craig and Julie drove down from Utah! (It helps that is was the Saturday after Thanksgiving so the kids were out of school for the week.

Bob and Linda

Alexander was not into the portraits that day.

Our little family tree.

Fun with baseball

Happy 80th Birthday Grandpa Bobik!

Christmas decor at Disneyland, Thanksgiving Dinner

2011-12-05T08:46:00.001-08:00

Michael and I had a magical time at Disneyland over Thanksgiving Break

Yo Ho Way to Go... Pirates!

Haunted Mansion Holiday

Best. Restaurant. Ever. Fire and Ice in the Garden Walk in Anaheim. Randomly found it online and used a Restaurant.com certificate to basically get my smoothie, Michael's soda, and our chocolate cake for free! Lunch prices are not bad. $9.95 per adult for an all you can eat salad bar and main dish. You select your meats, veggies, beans, etc... and sauces, and the chef cooks it up on a huge grill right in front of you. The flavor of everything is amazing! I made a salad then had the chef cook up some chicken, thick bacon, and something else yummy to top it off. Best salad ever. Then I had a mouthwatering bacon, pineapple, Hawaiian burger made for me. As long as you get there before 4pm, you get the lunch price. Dinner prices raise drastically to $18/person at 4pm. Kids are $7 each so they are not the cheapest for how little mine would eat there. Best to get a babysitter and go with your sweetheart!

Michael had the best Philly Cheesecake Sandwich made.

The grill. Michael also had his new favorite burrito made with tri tip steak. I was stuffed but tried some grilled Tilapia fish just so I can say I did.

Delicious moist chocolate cake.

AMAZING!

Back to Disneyland for the evening.

So pretty at Christmas time!

It got a little chilly waiting for fireworks and Fantasmic on the cold ground at 8:30pm. We squeezed into some sweet seats. Right in front the of preferred section in the front center of the show!

Photo shoot in the gazebo where we danced while we were dating in Anaheim 7 years ago...

Darth Vader!

Santa Santa Ho Ho Ho!

Unfortunately Pirates, Michael's favorite ride, had been closed for forever and didn't open until Thanksgiving Day, the day our passes expired. So sad! It had been closed since we were able to return in the Fall. Last time we went on it was probably in June 2011.

Craig and Julie decided to be spontaneous and buy annual passes for their family. They had planned to come in June for a week at Disneyland. This way they got in 1 fun full day of Christmas decorations while they were down in Yucaipa for the week for the Thanksgiving Holiday. They came on Wednesday (our 2nd day at the park) and stayed until midnight! Impressive.

Magical parade

I made deviled eggs for Thanksgiving at Courtney and Eric's home in Riverside.

Carving the turkey

Gobble Gobble!

Paige and Scott came down from Utah with Aunt Janice for the holiday. They also spent the week at Disneyland (we ran into them on our first day when they were waiting for lunch. We had no idea they were there with Grandma Iottini and Aunt Evelyn! Surprise!)

Delicious apple pies made by Grandma Iottini

Bella loved it!

Naptime!

Kim Cope's bridal shower in Yucaipa. Fun to see everyone.

I will be the back up photographer at Kim and Matt's weeing December 27. (Luckily with a better camera than I was using that evening!). Kim wants her dad Lewis Cope to be the main photographer. Double duty! Father of the Bride and photographer!

Best answer to the question: How many kids do you want to have?

Novermber Fall 2011

2011-12-04T07:49:00.001-08:00

Living Desert with Daddy!

Petting Zoo

What a funny goat!

New hat!

Mommy and Heather Hartley, a new Signing Time Academy Instructor at a booth for a moms club holiday vendor event in Cherry Valley.

Robin's first turkey! We invited Chase from Michael's work to join us. It was yummy, but finished 1hr late, so we thawed Costco's rotisserie chicken I had frozen in the freezer as back up to keep our tummies happy.

Techno Dog!

Disneyland

I'm a little caterpillar

Making homemade butter in preschool like the pilgrims did! That is a jar with heavy whipping cream and marbles to shake shake shake! Yummy! It worked..

Fancy tortilla teepees

Surprise to Michael! Teresa and Ed babysat the kiddos for 2 days and I took Michael to Disneyland and California Adventure over Thanksgiving Vacation. Lots of people, but we got on all of the rides we wanted to. I had saved up rider switch passes from previous trips with the kids to get us on rides faster. I got a $75 Groupon to the Hotel Menage so we could stay overnight. We walked to and from the hotel to the park. The Groupon included 1 night stay, welcome drinks for 2 (we had virgin strawberry daiquiris) and 2 free meals from their restaurant. We ate huge breakfast burritos for breakfast. Sweet deal! Michael colored that nice picture of Cinderella (my favorite Disney Princess) for me after I told him about the surprise. So cute! My Prince Charming!

Homemade drums in preschool

Thanksgiving Turkeys

Thanksgiving feast with the preschool class.

Yummy quiche with lots of meat.

The tree is up before Thanksgiving! Impressive.

November 2011

2011-12-03T16:02:00.001-08:00

The wind blew over the BBQ

Cute baby girl!

Whole Grain Class - I learned a lot and have used whole grains in our family meals daily since then. Isabella and I eat malt-o-meal mixed with whole wheat cereal every morning.

Papooses they made in preschool

Pretty Fall colors

This pretty tree lasted about a week until the wind blew it bare.

Another trip to Disneyland. This time with just Mommy!

My visiting teachers Audrea and Ashlee.

TeePee at preschool

I lead the kids in making these handprint turkeys at preschool. Too cute! Alexander made the one with the blue hand on the head.

Pilgrim and Indian hats

Daddy saves the day so the tree doesn't blow down.

Signing Time Academy Conference July 2011

2011-12-03T15:28:00.001-08:00

My Gym in Redlands Groupon classes for a month for each kiddo. They loved it!

The First Annual Signing Time Academy Conference was held in Las Vegas, Nevada, July 2011.

The Bellagio Hotel was nice to visit.

Associate Director, Robin Williams and Emilie Brown, co-founder of Signing Time! (Rachel Coleman's sister) at the hotel in Vegas. I am holding Emilie's new baby!

Photos with Rachel Coleman, Alex Brown, and Leah Coleman, stars of Signing Time!

Yes, they cut off my head- I'm 6'3" tall and Rachel is only 5'3" tall!

All of the Associate Directors, the ST Family, and Gwen Cox, our International Director

Rachel Coleman sat in my minivan! We all got lost together trying to find the correct PF Changs (which ended up being behind the hotel - we could have walked!) but instead went on a long journey through a casio, hotel, and shopping mall all in one to find the wrong location that didn't have our reservations. At least we had Rachel with us. They had to wait!

Chocolate dipped yummies for all the ADs.

Special AD dinner at PF Changs. Yummy!

Robin and Emilie Brown again :)

I had my mom's cousin, Jeff White, who lives outside of Vegas, polish up my wedding ring to shine like new!

Rachel Coleman, daughter Lucy, and me!

LeeAnn Mason, Robin, and Gwen Cox.

Gwen's Angels!

My buddies from Utah, Annamarie Schow and Adrienne Donner. They were supposed to be my roommies until we all ended up getting our own rooms. Bonus! But we missed being roomies.

Rachel and her hubby Aaron Coleman

Concert with Rachel at the Hotel

The inside of our impressive hotel.

They have 2 swans that live there. Too cute!

We went to see a Mystere show in downtown Vegas. Pricey, but awesome!

Rachel's new song, with Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star in it.

Now that is a serious hamburger!

Yummy cake...

Elivis!

More My Gym classes

Grandma Leslie's 60th Birthday Party- Surprise!

2011-11-27T17:33:00.001-08:00

Yummy rolls for Leslie Johnson's Surprise 60th Birthday Party! Hosted by Michael and Robin Willliams.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserolle

A little bubbly to celebrate

4 Generation Photo: Great Grandma Bobik, Grandma Leslie, Mommy Robin, and little Isabella.

Ralph and Deb cuddle with Alexander

Bob and Linda lounge on the floor. We had Skype chats with my siblings, Michelle, Marc, and Craig and their families.

Chocolate Satin Pie from Marie Callenders, courtesy of Ralph and Deb

Ralph and Deb gave my mom a priceless gift. Two Happy 30th Birthday cards and a homemade "No Spring Chicken" in a box! Ha ha...

Kisses to the chicken.

Group photo!

Preparing for Signing Time Classes

Johns Incredible Pizza for only $5 a person on Halloween. A $5 fun card was included in the price. Sweet! Place was packed. Good thing we went early.

This is a fun new Halloween Tradition. We went trick or treating when we got home.

Visiting Penny's home for some yummy treats. She gave Alexander a fun light up pumpkin toy and Isabella the beautiful masquerade mask.

Riding her first big girl bike! We got it from a yard sale for a good deal. She fits nicely in Alexander's helmet.

A new sweater from Kohls. Only $10! Sweet deal, 80% off on clearance.

Our little Snow White.

Halloween Fun Continued 2011

2011-11-27T15:36:00.001-08:00

Marissa and Isabella hug at Gabe and Catherine's new home in Corona, CA.

Grandma Shea and the girls.

Grandpa Shea and the girls.

Yummy quiche I made with squash from garden. Kids loved it!

New seating arrangement in the minivan. Yeah for stow and go seating. This allows for the kids to have more leg room and mommy's chair not to get kicked and the kids not to hit each other. Joys of separation.

Roller ball painting in preschool. (marble dipped in paint rolled on paper)

Mommy is cooking something yummy!

Crazy kid!

A ham for the camera (when he is in the mood)

Painting party

Ready for my date with Michael to the Homecoming football game.

Alexander gave his first friend roses and a birthday card. Happy 4th Birthday Riley Fisher! (friend from church who dropped the hint she wanted Alexander to be her boyfriend and give her flowers).

Mommy is training him at a young age to be a gentleman.

Pumpkin chocolate chip muffins for all of our Halloween parties.

Octopus on seaweed! AKA hot dog on top ramen

Moms Club Halloween Party at the park in Oak Glen.

ME TOO! (Isabella's favorite saying for the Fall)

Future Jedi and swordsman...

Mommy dressed up as a wife from The Stepford Wives' movie. Fun stuff.

Pumpkin bowling at preschool.

All of the princesses. Isabella R., Isabella W., and Maya.

Trick or Treating at school

Trunk-or-Treating at Church

The previously mentioned Riley Fisher. Too cute. She is wearing the gorgeous dress her mommy wore when she was a little girl.

Disneyland in the Fall

2011-11-27T15:11:00.001-08:00

Rileys farm in Oak Glen.

Stuffed squash with home grown squash.

Watching a DVD at Grandma and Grandpa Tacos (Williams)

Fun with Marc and Shay's Wii!

Marissa's 2nd birthday party

We love the Wii!

Special outing with Mommy to Fingerprints Museum in Hemet and Dairy Queen for desert.

We went to Disneyland a lot in September, October, and November because our passes expire on Thanksgiving.

Shelby and Shaylyn joined us one day.

A pile of fun!

The Tiki Room

About to be swallowed by a whale! Ahhhh!

Character photos during Halloween Time!

Nice wet spot on my shirt. Isabella leaked through her diaper as we stood in line.

Alexander can organize the drawer like Daddy!

Grandpa Gordon came over for a visit.

Homemade crepes

Daddy came to Disneyland with us on his day off in October.

He made the Jedi Academy again!

Mommy loves the princesses!

Mommy's new apron from www.FlirtyAprons.com

Safari Park & Women's Weekend in Big Bear

2011-11-27T14:27:00.001-08:00

The gorilla had her baby recently. The zoo keepers said she holds the baby constantly and they can't evaluate the baby because of this.

Mommy was brave and took the kids to the Safari Park by myself.

My 2 little monkeys

Captain Jack Sparrow

Fresh squash from the garden.

Dinner time with the kiddos!

Robin went to Women's Weekend with the Moreno Valley Ward. It was so much fun! We crafted all day and slept all night. Yummy food and good friends.

I made a pet turtle.

My cabin

A view of the camp (LDS Girl Camp) from the fire pit.

Nice names of the streets!

More crafts I made

After Women's Weekend, Robin went to the Alpine Slide in Big Bear. So much fun and just $4 to ride up the ski slopes and down the slide.

Ready, set, go!

Happy Halloween! 2011

2011-11-27T14:24:00.001-08:00

Little Mermaid Ride

Alexander was captured by a Storm Trooper!

Special cupcakes for Michael's birthday on September 21. Mommy, Alexander, and Isabella surprised Daddy at work with balloons and treats on his birthday!

Peeling apples for homemade applesauce in preschool.

All dressed up and ready for a Ball.

Favorite part of the Living Desert- free giraffe feeding daily at 10am.

Mommy was brave again and went to the Living Desert with the 2 kiddos alone!

Free time at the Live Oak Canyon Pumpkin Patch. Sweet! All rides included.

These were feisty goats that fought for their food.

Pony Rides, Mr. Incredible, and More!

2011-11-27T14:08:00.001-08:00

Moms Club outing to Brooke's home in Banning. The kids each took turns riding a pony! First pony ride!

Alexander rode all by himself. What a big boy!

Grandma Leslie found this at a yard sale for $1! It has been a costume used daily since!

Want to be just like brother.

Preschool field trip to Los Rios in Oak Glen.

Both kids ate their ENTIRE apples! Core and all. In the past, Alexander had insisted on me peeling his apples. These were delicious! He wanted another one when done. I didn't even know Isabella would know how to eat a whole apple. Smart girl.

Making fresh pressed cider.

Johnny Appleseed took us on a tour.