Kitchen pictures before

Summer weekend in Tahoe

We decided to take Liam and ourselves up to Tahoe for a nice relaxing weekend of hiking, biking and swimming. It was absolutely beautiful up there and the weather was perfect. We got into Squaw on Friday afternoon and walked around and played on this new turf they put down with soccer nets, shuffleboard and a big chess board. Liam got to play with all of the above. We then grabbed some lunch before heading up to our rooms for a nap. During nap time my mom and I were lucky enough to get massages! It is always a treat and so relaxing to get a massage especially while on vacation! We then decided to go swimming and try out the slide which was a total hit! Liam loved it so much and he was cracking up the whole way down and loves splashing around in the pool. Squaw also has a big sandbox with toys in it, which Liam also loved!

 We then grabbed dinner and headed back to the hotel and called it a night. Then Saturday we decided to drive into Tahoe City to try out some bike riding! We were all so excited...Liam, not so much. He did like wearing a helmet, or having his feet restricted in velcro straps...so overall it was not as fun as planned. We only rode for about 20 minutes because Liam was over it. But on the way back we were able to stop at a park and Liam was back to his happy self in no time. We then walked our bikes back to the shop so that Liam would not have to be restrained. After bike riding, we decided Liam is more of a water baby than a wheel baby, so we went back to the resort and grabbed some lunch and a nap before heading back to the water! We must have gone on the slide 50 times and he loved it every time! More sand play time and he even got pretty independent in the kiddy pool since it was shallow enough for him to walk from end to end.

Saturday night we went decided to order pizza and eat it in our hotel room and enjoy some downtime, because that is what vacation is all about. We then hit the sack. Sunday morning, we took our time and packed up and ate breakfast and then headed into Truckee. We walked around and shopped a little bit and got Liam a really cute tshirt that says California grown! We then ate lunch, which was kind of a disappointment, but it didnt matter because we had a great weekend. That was the end of the weekend and we headed back to Sacramento and already wished we were back in the cool and calm Lake Tahoe. 

Up to date

We have been very busy at the Barnett house hold the last few weeks. We visited San Diego for my cousins wedding! It was such a fun filled week of family and festivities. Liam made his first debut as a ring bearer and he did not dissapoint. He performed perfectly and definitely brought his momma to tears unintentionally. During the week we completed a lot of firsts including the beach, the aquarium, the wedding debut and meeting lots of family members. We had a blast. We played at the beach, stared at fishies, stayed up late and slept in. We bbq'd, went out, ate donuts, pizza and mexican food. We really had a blast spending time with family and celebrating Lindsay and Ian.
After our San Diego trip, two of my cousins came back to stay with my parents and they were able to visit a few colleges and spend some time with my parents and myself. They seemed to enjoy the California sun and some pool time for their summer break. It was really nice to spend more time with them than we are usually allotted.

The following weekend, Tadd headed down to Irvine to spend some time with his family and celebrate his grandma Cleo's life and attend her memorial. His family had a great time cruising along the river as their grandma loved to do that. They were also able to go bowling, catch a baseball game, go shopping and eat some good food. It was the first time in a very long time that Tadd was able to spend time with his siblings without spouses and kids.

Before we left for San Diego, we decided to renovate our kitchen. We originally thought we would just do the floor and get a new fridge because it was leaking. Once Tadd moved the fridge to the garage and worked his buns off ripping up the floor, we slept one night and woke up and decided to redo the entire kitchen. Ya, i know...crazy! We headed to San Diego before ripping out the cabinets...but then we got back from vacation and we then proceeded to rip out the rest of our cabinets. And then we tore down drywall. And cleaned. And rewired most of the wall. And cleaned. And had a plumber readjust the pipes. And cleaned.  And then replaced drywall. And cleaned. And removed soffits. And cleaned. Basically this was an incredibly messy job. Ps. we found dead rats beneath our cabinets...I had no idea i was living in filth. We actually slept over at my parents house for a week while the house was in shambles, which was really nice. Then we came back and the cabinets were installed for two days...and then we had a group of ladies come and overhaul and clean our house so it was more livable! Now we are back in our house, and the kitchen is still not functional but it is looking more and more pretty and I cannot wait until it is done and I can cook again...which is absurd because I don't like to cook, but I will learn to love it because my kitchen will be so beautiful.

We celebrated the 4th of July in between the kitchen renovation. We headed out to dinner with my parents and their friends to Tahoe Joes. We enjoyed dinner, Liam was the life of the party and we ate a delicious cake with my parents friends as it was her birthday! We then headed home and relaxed on the couch. I know, festive. We did wear red white and blue. So we at least dressed for the occasion.

Next on the list is a weekend trip to Tahoe and maybe a day in the City. Maybe I will get a post up next time before 2015 is over. Yikes. Until then.

Snowflakes and Baby Molars

We took our very first trip to "the snow" or Tahoe last month. The best part was, there was actually snow, and it was the most incredible weekend as it was timed perfectly in order to skip driving in the snow but enjoy the falling snowflakes as Liam experienced it for the first time. Tadd, Liam and I followed via caravan behind my mom and dad up to Squaw Valley Lake Tahoe on Friday around 9:00 am. It was a beautiful day, the sun was shining and not a single drop of rain or snowflake was looming. Once we arrived in Tahoe, we walked around the resort, shopped a little bit and then grabbed some lunch before heading up to our rooms to get situated.  Once we were settled, my mom and I were able to get massages at the spa. It was fantastic. Tadd and my dad hung with Liam and played outside and in the hotel room, taking laps in the hall as Liam is completely mobile and refuses to remain still unless eating or drinking milk or sleeping I suppose. After our massages, we grabbed some dinner and then headed back to the hotel room to get Liam to bed. As we proceed to put Liam to sleep, he starts crying, not the typical cry either, the "I'm in pain" cry. So Tadd goes into his room and attempts to soothe him...but he is very upset. I then comfort Liam as he is definitely a momma's boy at this point in his life...and we snuggle to sleep for the rest of the night. I had already thought that his molars were starting to come in, and of course, I feel inside his mouth and there is a large bump in his mouth. I then realize in the morning that he has an eruption cyst, which is a normal reaction to a tooth erupting, but it is the saddest thing. He was drooling like a maniac and not eating great. I asked my dentist and another friend that is a dentist and they said that the cyst simply has to run its course and then the tooth will erupt...well the molars have not completely erupted but the cyst went away within a few days and he was back to normal. Back to the weekend in the snow! Saturday morning we woke up to snow covered scenery out our window! And it was still snowing. I was so excited because Liam could experience the snow and I wanted to see how he would react. We grabbed some breakfast before getting geared up for the snow. We had just gotten Liam a hat, gloves and a snow jacket, and thank goodness we did because he really needed it! The snow was falling in perfect snowflakes as we headed for the village to walk around and enjoy the busyness of the season. We shopped a little bit, played in the snow, went to the toy shop and then headed back! Liam crashed in the bus on the way back and then napped a bit before we explored some more. Dinner again that night and then bedtime for Liam and a movie for the adults, which of course, puts me right to sleep. Heading Into Sunday, we packed up our things and enjoyed breakfast in the room, then made another round at the resort and the hit the road! It was a perfect weekend! Pictures to come!

Liam's 1st Birthday

One year ago today, Liam Michael was born at 5:07 am at 5 lbs 4 oz and 18.25 inches and he was the most perfect little nugget I had ever met. And exactly one year later, he is still incredible. He has lit up our lives in every way. The first few months of his life were not too difficult minus the fact that you have to get up every few hours in order to feed your child. Which it is totally worth it, just a little harder than anticipated. Pretty tiring, but worth it most definitely. Within the first few weeks of Liam's life, Tadd went out of town for a weekend, our dog Roxy died and my parents went out of town. However, we made it through and Liam was the best baby from the beginning. He didn't really cry very loud because he was 5 weeks early. He just ate and slept and burped and made silly cute noises. He slept in a swing mostly at the beginning and then progressed into a pak and play, then sometimes our bed and then eventually his crib. I could go on and on about how perfect my baby is, but since I have posted every month since he was born, I think I will skip to 12 months, because there are so many fun things now that he is 1 years old.

He walks. He walks and grabs your hand and babbles and screams and laughs and giggles and plays and wrestles and cries and whines and kisses and slobbers and hugs and everything in between. He is an absolute joy to be around and is almost always behaving. Obviously, there are times when babies get tired or are cranky and Liam definitely gets that way, but most of the time he is pretty happy and having fun.

A few fun facts.
1. Liam has started saying gaga and we think dada
2. He has 7 teeth. 4 on top and 3 on the bottom.
3. He knows where his tongue, nose, and eyes are...he also knows how to point to them on other people.
4. He loves to dance and hold hands
5. He pretty much eats anything if you feed it to him.


We had a crayola crayon party for his first birthday party and it was a total success. We had cupcakes and cake and friends and family and toys and coloring and fun! Liam skipped his morning nap and partied all morning until everyone left and then he crashed for two hours before waking up for dinner and heading back to bed! It was a great success. I am so thankful that my sister Jill came up from San Diego, my sister Katie and Dennis were there to help...Katie made the beautiful crayon cake and Jill and I helped with the rest of the desserts. My mom prepped all the food and my aunt, grandma, uncle Tim and Uncle Steve were all there to celebrate Liam. So many friends also came to celebrate my little man. It was a very special day and I can't believe he is already one! It is bittersweet!

To Liam: You have changed my life and have made everything better! I love my baby boy more than you can even imagine. To many more years of celebrating you! xoxo

Disneyland

Last month our whole family went to Disneyland for a long weekend. My dad wanted to plan the trip for Liam even though he is only one...we thought we would take advantage! Everyone was in attendance including my mom and dad, me, Tadd, Liam, Jill, Wes, Katie and Dennis. It was absolute perfection. We stayed at the Disneyland hotel with two rooms with an adjoining common room which was great. We were all able to hang out and then get some nice rest also. Liam was a busy bee on the plane ride, however when we arrived, he took a nap in the car on the way to the hotel. It was really nice to have 6 adults when traveling because you are not alone when trying to coordinate everything for your little one. Once we got to the hotel, we were able to hang out and get situated and then we grabbed dinner and relaxed. Friday we put on our matching raglan baseball shirts and headed to the park! We arrived around 9am and found a few characters to take pictures with including Ariel and Minnie before heading to some of the adult rides before they got too busy. Peter Pan was our first ride and Liam seemed to enjoy it. It is kinda hard to see his face because it was dark but I would imagine that his eyes were very big and he was just looking around and being completed overstimulated, and he loved it! After Peter Pan we headed to Alice in Wonderland which is kind of scary, but we all made it through...then off to some roller coasters. We made it to space mountain, and thunder mountain without waiting long at all, it was great! We then headed to pirates of the Caribbean which I put Liam in the front carrier and he fell asleep on the ride for his first nap! We made it to a few other rides before stopping for lunch and enjoying sandwiches and burgers. Then of course a caramel apple to share! After lunch we made our second round and rode Indiana Jones, the Jungle Cruise, haunted mansion and small world! I think Small World was everyone's favorite to watch Liam because it is bright enough and he can see everything and be completed overstimulated with fun! We also played astro blasters which we competed in and Wes took the cake for winning and shooting the most targets. Around 3pm, everyone rode autotopia and Liam fell asleep again in the carrier for the WIN. I heard autotopia was horrible so I'm glad I was able to rock Liam to sleep and not even miss a good ride! After a few more rides, a churro, pineapple dole whip and lots and lots of water, we were ready to head home. Who would have thought that all that fun could wear you out that much! We headed back to the hotel and were able to rest a little before ordering room service in for the night. I think I fell asleep at 9pm...just a few hours after Liam!

Saturday we planned to go to one of the nice malls in the area and walk around and hang out which is exactly what we did. It was pretty windy, so we just fiddled around the mall and stretched our legs from all the walking from Disneyland. We ended up eating lunch at a restaurant in the mall which was pretty good, but the real plan was to eat at Gullivers later that night. So after lunch we headed back to the hotel and headed to the pool for a short while. Liam got his trunks on and his rash guard since it was kind of windy and we hopped in the pool for a short dip. It was pretty fun, and Liam was splashing around like crazy...and then we got cold and got out. We headed to Gullivers for dinner which has delicious prime rib and creamed corn! Liam was not having a nap, so he was a little wild at dinner, but then he fell asleep on the way home. We all hit the sack pretty early again as we were still tired from the day before. Sunday was another relaxing day of packing and prepping to head out. We got our bags organized and pulled everything together to head out of the hotel. We grabbed some breakfast at Downtown Disney and then jumped in the minivan to head to Fashion Island outdoor mall to meet up with my friend from college and her husband...whom had just gotten married at Disneyland the same day we were there!!! It was so great to see her and her husband and they are just the cutest. We just hung around Nordstrom and chatted and then had some lunch at Nordstrom Cafe, which by the way, is delicious!!! Then we headed to the airport and our fun weekend in Disneyland came to an end. The plane ride home was pretty busy...Liam was bouncing from person to person. Then as we began our descent, he fell asleep. Then he stayed asleep when we put him in the stroller, and the car seat and his crib when we arrived home. Liam was a total dream on this trip and every time I worry he might be hard, he blows my mind and is perfect all over again. Best. Kid. Ever.

2015...

2015 has already begun speeding by...it is already February...and my baby boy has turned 1!!!! I can't believe that this day last year I was delivering the most perfect little baby and what a difference he was going to make in our lives. 2014 was a great year for us and I think 2015 will be just as good and maybe better. We have already begun our year with a trip to Disneyland with my family and a party for Liam's first birthday. And we have more fun trips and activities planned for the whole year. In March, Tadd is heading to Pennsylvania for a training for Ritas Italian Ice and Frozen Custard as our franchise store should be opening this spring. Then in April I get to head to San Diego for my cousins bachelorette and bridal shower. This summer we are heading back to San Diego for the wedding which Liam gets to be in! Moving into the fall, another wedding for one of my best friends, then finishing out the year with a trip to Hawaii and Arizona. Time is definitely flying but how can you complain when everything that happens is fun and exciting.