Fresno Zoo and Ventura Beach (pictures from August and September)

We drove up to Fresno to pick up Jason on his way back from Centrifuge so that we could take the girls to the Fresno Zoo. It was really warm but fun to go see the animals. Caelyn really enjoyed going to the zoo in San Diego and she enjoyed seeing the animals again in Fresno...the giraffe is still her favorite!

The Fresno Zoo has an orangoutang and he came right up to the fence for us to see him. The hand picture shows how big an average orangoutang's hand is, then Daddy's hand and little Caelyn's hand!! It was fun to see all of God's creations, we love taking the girls to the zoo.

Uncle Greg had a business trip to Ventura, so we got to go and hang out with Auntie Alyssa and Naomi and enjoy the beach! We had a really fun time spending time with them and enjoying some time away! Looking forward to vacationing, possibly even camping with them in the future! While we were there we had the beach to ourselves, it was beautiful. Caelyn is feeling better about getting sand in her toes although she is apprehensive of getting dirty. Best thing I discovered on pinterest is that baby powder takes sand right off!!

We all loaded into our car to get around Ventura, Uncle Greg and J as pilot and co-pilot, Auntie Alyssa with the two babies, and me and Caelyn in the back seat (which was really fun to be back there with her :))

We flew a kite and Caelyn and Daddy built their first sand castle, which was still there when we went back for a walk along the beach after dinner...Caelyn was happy to show Uncle G!

fun times...I love my husband, my girls and my sister and her family and spending time together is one of my favorite things to do!!

Caelyn turns 2!!

On August 3, 2011 Caelyn turned 2!! So yes these pictures are WAY overdue I know it's November and I am just now posting pictures of August but what can I say...we were suppose to go to camp the week of Caelyn's birthday with J, but it was the fullest week of camp and we weren't able to go because of limited space. So my mom and I took the girls to Morro Bay to celebrate Caelyn's birthday and had a lot of fun! Here are some pictures of the festivities celebrating her wonderful life...

love love love her

Pictures from her birthday party where we celebrated with friends and family, it was a watermelon themed party.

yummy cupcake

August 2, 2011- Family dinner and banana cake to celebrate before we headed to the beach in the morning

Morro Bay with Grammie Pammie and my favorite girlies

digging in the sand with Grandma

Aliyah's first trip to the ocean...and she LOVED the cold cold water, so much so that her sister who isn't sure what she thinks of the ocean decided that she'd try to feel the water between her toes too!

I cannot believe that she is already two years old! What a wonderful two years it has been. She is joy and sunshine in our home! I love to hear her laugh and sing, she is full of personality and is not afraid to engage any stranger in conversation. What a treasure she is!!

Summertime with the McAlpin side of the Family

This is by far one of my most favorite shots of the girls with Grammie Pammie and Pop, they are both looking and smiling....and that can be a rare occasion with 2

little ones to capture in one photo!! They love their grandparents very much! It is really fun to live so close and get to share so much of life together!!

Cousins and sisters are a wonderful thing!! Having Caelyn become apart of our family just 2 years ago has been one of the most wonderful things to ever have happened to us! She is so energetic and full of life, she is my sunshine. And then to have Aliyah and Naomi become part of our families this year, and share that experience with my sister...it couldn't be any better! Right now when you look at the little ones 4 months apart seems like a big difference (although someone has asked us if they were twins)...but when you think of how they will both go to kindergarten the same year and then graduate the same year...how much fun will that be! They very much enjoy babbling with each other and touching each other's face (more so Aliyah trying to pull Naomi's paci out of her mouth :))

I am so glad that the girls are all so close in age, it will be so much fun to watch them grow and change and (hopefully) be close friends...as we very much treasure the friendship we share with the Paradis family!

One of the best things about summer is the chance to get a snow cone from the Snow Biz! Here are some pictures of Aliyah's first "ice cone"! She LOVED it, couldn't get enough!

Jason's mural and Wild Animal Adventure park in San Diego

So it has been awhile, a VERY long while since I updated the blog...but when you have two little ones sometimes that happens!! We had a good summer, a very busy month of August. Jason had been asked to lead worship for a church plant in Southwest Bakersfield, called Rock Harbor Church that was starting August 28th. This is a very exciting opportunity and we have been so blessed, and so excited to be apart of God moving and working in this endeavor. Caelyn turned 2 on August 3rd!! She got her cast off the day before her birthday swim party!! 2011 has just been an incredible blessing to our family...the addition of Aliyah Noelle, the church start...we have seen God answer so many prayers this entire year. We are doing great and just loving life, throughly enjoying our girls!

It is my desire to update the blog so we can catch back up...so here are some pictures of the rest of our adventure in San Diego...the Wild Animal Adventure Park and the mural Jason painted at the church.

Tram ride out to see the animals in their natural habitat

This was amazing, the baby gorilla had been born in the past month and the mom was nursing her and cleaning her baby, it was one of the most incredible things we saw there, probably because you were so close to them...so here is a picture of me with my little baby too :)

We LOVED the zoo and the Safari Park, so glad that the Tucker family blessed us by allowing us to go with them as their guests!! At the Safari Park Jason got as close to a cheetah as he has ever been, that made his day!!

And here is the mural... it made a huge difference in the hallway!

well nap time is ending so I better get going...will post more soon :)

First Baptist Church Mira Mesa

Elisha Rimestad is the pastor of First Baptist Church in San Diego. Elisha and Jason were on staff at Valley Baptist Church together before the Rimestads moved to San Diego. He asked Jason if he'd be interested in painting a mural in the nursery/preschool hallway of the church. My office was closed the week of the 4th of July, so we got to go to San Deigo and stay for 11 days, got paid to paint, and had extra time to have a family vacation too!! It was WAY WAY fun. Here are some pictures of the girls playing at the church.

*peek a boo I see you!*

wheeeeee.....Caelyn loves to slide over and over and over!!!

the love of my life!

This past weekend we've been married seven whole years!!! Yea...it's been the best time of our lives, marriage is truly wonderful. We both graduated from college, bought our first home, got jobs that are very fufilling and we love, and the VERY BEST part of the seven years...having the two little chickadees that bless our lives and make our home so much more joyful and entertaining! I'm looking forward to a lifetime more with him. Jason you are a keeper, I love you more than words could ever express!

I'm going to try to get up the pictures of the completed mural, our trip to the Wild Animal Park and hopefully a picture of Caelyn with her cast off (our next appointment is Thursday and I am really hopeful), before we leave for camp next Monday. But I don't know if it's is too ambitious because the rest of the week is pretty busy with work, doctor's appointments, getting Caleyn's birthday party all put together and celebrated, and packed to be gone for a week (as long as there is a cabin available for us)...but if not I'll have a ton of posts ready to go when we get back! :) Ang

San Diego Zoo

We were really blessed on our trip to San Diego...a family at the church where Jason was painting at offered to take us as their guests to the San Diego Zoo and the Wild Animal Adventure Safari Park since they have annual passes and are able to take one guest a day!! It was a huge huge blessing to our family. Thank you Tucker family you made our day!

Caelyn LOVED the zoo! It was pretty hot so at lunch time we decided to get our hand stamped and go eat lunch and go back to the hotel so that the girls could nap, and then we could go back in the evening when it was cooler. But Caelyn couldn't nap, she just stood in the pack and play saying every name of all the animals she had seen "Giraffe (her fave), lama, zebra, kitty kitty, lion, donkey, cheeta..." Needless to say the only nap she took that day was on the way too and from the zoo, she was just so thrilled to see all the animals! It was way fun!!

looking at the monkeys...making monkey noises with daddy :)

"wook mommy, wook!"

Flamingos...lots and lots of flamingos

Fun times with our chickadees

In the morning when we saw the lion and lioness they were both sleeping. But when we walked back by their cage in the evening they were up, and the lion started pacing!! We stood behind the glass...he is known to spray up to 10 feet, there is a sign posted!! He came right up to the glass before I was taping so we really got a good look at him, it was amazing!

Caelyn was really excited to see the elephants!

We saw them 3 times on this trip to the zoo! :)

Six months old already!

July 8th 2011

Aliyah is already half a year old!! Man how the time flies! She loves talking, watching her big sister, isn't sure what she thinks of rice cereal, likes to roll over and over, is really trying to figure out how to crawl, and we love to hear her giggle!! She is my sunshine, by tiniest beauty, my mini me!

I love you Aliyah.

Hugs and kisses, Mommy