Xmas Morning

After a fun-filled Christmas in Tahoe with the grandparents, Keira and Akemi were happy to celebrate again at home with Nip!

 

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Akemi's 1st Birthday - Presents!

Now that we've had our cupcake fix we thought it was time for Akemi to open some presents.

 



Considering Akemi just celebrated her first Christmas she was a pro at opening the wrapping paper all by herself, however, her helpful big sister was there if she needed any assistance.  :)

 





Keira said her favorite present was her new green blanket... but the balloon came in a close second.

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Akemi's 1st Birthday - Cupcake!

We found a bakery in Carmel to pick up some special cupcakes for Akemi's big day.
Keira said the chocolate one was for the birthday girl.



After a fun day at the aquarium we drove to the coast and found a good "cupcake picnic spot" on the beach. It was actually quite warm considering it was the end of December.  We all had a blast running around and playing in the sand.

 







 Can you tell we're getting excited for some sugar?!



How old is Akemi?  ONE!



 Akemi's first bite...

 

 She finished the whole thing! (also note Keira devouring her cupcake)
 

Happy 1st Birthday Akemi!  We love you!



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Akemi's 1st Birthday - Monterey Bay Aquarium

We drove down to Monterey to celebrate Akemi's first birthday. We knew that all the aquatic life would be a big hit with both our girls.

 The day started off with a very large otter spotting
(we really had to twist Naveen's arm for this photo)

 

 The jellies were a hit





 Of course we had to stop by to say hi to the penguins





 Cheers to our little fish... 365 days old!

  

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Dex Pulse #6 and #7

As 2012 comes to an end we realize how truly blessed we are that Keira is such a strong and determined little girl.  She never complains about all her appointments, but looks forward to seeing her LPCH friends.  She takes her medication every single day and only asks for an extra glass of chocolate milk on days when she has to take the really yucky stuff.  She's consistently done better coping with her dex pulses and pretty much sticks with her regular routine and schedule.  She's definitely a bit more cranky and tired but I think it's safe to say she does better than the rest of us would....

We are thankful that OMS has not kept this little girl down... she loves life... she so happy being a big sister... she looks forward to going to school with all her friends... she is an inspiration to us and is a constant reminder that we all need to continue taking One More Step forward in the journey of life.

We hope that you get to spend the final days of 2012 with the people you love most.  

At LPCH saying hello to giraffe all lit up for the holidays!

Little Stompers Winter Performance - Photos

Another great Christmas performance!  We loved every minute of it and are already looking forward to next year.  Thank you Little Stompers Preschool for going above and beyond again!



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Little Stompers Winter Performance - Video

Keira loves singing and it's sweet to hear her practicing her Christmas songs the weeks leading up to the performance. We're so grateful that Mrs. Louise is willing to put in the extra time to give the children the chance to perform for their families. It sure is a special memory!

 

Santa 2012

The tradition continues... and now Akemi and Cyrus get to sit with Santa too!



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Johnson Farm

It's starting to become a V Family tradition to go get our tree the day after Thanksgiving. We've always gone to Johnson Farm to pick out our tree but last year we realize how much fun it is to go on opening day. They have wagon rides, pumpkin bowling and beautiful weather!

This year Naveen and Keira even won a free cookie for getting the pumpkin through the tractor wheel. She was super excited, as I am sure you can imagine any 3 year old would be about a free cookie. :) 

There was a little drama... as you will see in the pictures, the hatch door on the Subaru fell on my nose. Ouch! Luckily, as a good mom, I was prepared for blood and had a band-aid in the diaper bag so we patched me up as best we could, got our tree, and then I got 5 stitches later that night. It looked pretty bad, but I was still surprised that the doctor needed to put in 5 stitches. I'll spare you those pictures!

 

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Thanksgiving 2012

The V's were up early to get prepped and ready for Turkey Day. The girls helped me do some baking in the kitchen. We made mini pumpkin pies and the long time tradition - candy Tom Turkey.

Akemi doesn't look too happy about it, and K is having a cookie for breakfast!

Naveen was outside getting Grillington ready...
we decided to smoke the turkey this year. Should be interesting.

 

Jim and Sumita joined us for our day filled with eating, drinking and celebrating all that we are thankful for!  There's nothing like sharing the holidays with friends that feel like family!

Lunch - Carrot/Crab Soup with Salad
Dinner - Beet Salad, Brussel Sprouts, Green Beans, Stuffing, Cranberries and of course, Turkey! Dessert - Mini Pumpkin Pies with whipped cream, caramel or chocolate sauce







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Hidden Villa

Keira's preschool took a trip out to Hidden Villa. I've always heard great things about the place, but have never been there. It did not disappoint. The docents were wonderful and full of knowledge. The kiddos loved get up close and personal with the animals and in the garden. I'm hoping to get back there sometime with Naveen and Akemi. They have lots of great weekend programs too!

 Wow! That's a big cow!
 

 The goats were very friendly.
 

 I get to pet a chicken!
 

Any eggs?!
 

 This is as close as we were allowed to get to the pigs.

 That's a silly hat!
 

What a fun day!


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