What summer days are made of...

I love these days...

Palm Springs Aerial Tram

We decided to take a spur of the moment afternoon trip to Palm Springs. So we all took our first trip up the tram to the top of the mountain to do a little hiking. Joe was not very excited about the tram ride due to his fear of heights, but he soldiered through so we could all have some fun! The kids loved the ride up and couldn't believe how high we were going! Once we were at the top we saw the breathtaking views and spent the next couple hours exploring the park, climbing rocks, searching for animals (but only finding squirrels and birds), and stopping for lots of water/snack breaks. We were all exhausted at the end and decided to drive into town for some dinner. What a fun day...sometimes the best days are the ones when you don't have set plans!

Hmm...what's for dinner?

Zoe decided to make chicken strips from scratch...yummy! That's about as gourmet as it gets for the summer...thanks Zoe!

Lazy Mornings!

One of my favorite things about summer mornings is getting to sleep in a little later, stay in pajamas as long as we want, playing games, and just curling up on the couch. I love this schedule!!

Grandma gets a new dog...

While the girls were at the American Girl store, the boys (Grandpa, Uncle Jeff, Cooper and Jax) were at the movies. Well they decided to surprise Grandma with a new puppy (one she had seen a week earlier)! Welcome to the family Zippy!!
Zoe immediately bonded with this dog. She spent all afternoon and evening taking care of him. She carried him through Petsmart, she fed him, helped bathe him, brushed him, and most importantly, loved him! When it was time to go home and leave him behind she was crushed. My sweet little girl, we'll see him again soon!

American Girl Place!

What a fun day! We made our 3rd annual trip to the American Girl store in Los Angeles today for Zoe's birthday. It was very exciting because the Kit Kittredge, American Girl movie just came out. Zoe had a very difficult time deciding what she wanted this time. There are so many choices! After going through each of the historical periods and looking at all the dolls and accessories, she still wasn't sure. Do I get Kit, Ruthie, Nellie (Samantha's best friend), a new bed, a desk, a stove, some clothes??? What is a girl to do?? We took a break and had a great lunch in the cafe and Zoe even got a special dessert while the waiter sang Happy Birthday to her. After much discussion and debating, (and a Grandma who is very generous) Zoe came out of there with Kit and Ruthie (best friends) and a new trundle bed for them to sleep in. What a lucky girl!









I love our outings to this store. It is such a wonderful place and so much fun to spend girl time together!

Cooper's Karate Belt Ceremony

Well tonight Cooper was tested for the next level in karate. He's in the Little Ninja's program at Extreme Fit which he began 1 1/2 years ago. He now has a camoflauge/orange belt which is at the intermediate level. He did a great job tonight! Miss Carol and Miss Stephanie both said he is doing fantastic and has REALLY strong punches and that he does really well with his combinations. I was even more impressed because he was so tired tonight. In order to beat this 110 degree heat, the only way to cool off is in the pool! So we had fun with some friends today and spent 4 hours swimming. Thanks Jenny for having us over! :)

Cooper, we are so proud of you!

Diva Day!

(Heather, Jaeda, Natalie, Maddyn, ZOE, Jessica, Taylor, Haley, Lacey, Lauryn)

Zoe got to have her 8th birthday party at Diva, Inc. with 9 of her friends. What a great time they had. Their day was filled with getting their hair, nails, and makeup done. They got to sing karaoke, have a dance contest, and dress up and do a fashion show. All this followed up with cupcakes and presents. It was so fun to sit back and watch these girls. They started out kind of quiet and shy, but once things got going and the music started playing, they all got loose and let go and had so much fun. Zoe loved this party so much. She is such a girly-girly, so nothing could have been better. And she is so lucky to have these wonderful girls as her friends. Thank you to all of you who came!
This is such a fun age; still so sweet and innocent...

Zoe is 8! Cooper is 6!

What a special day in the Sommers' household! Today is Zoe AND Cooper's birthday! I still can't believe I managed to deliver them exactly 2 years apart...what a miracle! These two kids really are special. There are so many things to love about each of them. Zoe has the most amazing enthusiasm with all life has to offer. Cooper is so kind and sweet and still loves to cuddle with his mom. I feel so blessed every day that these two are mine!

The day started out with a yummy birthday breakfast of waffles with whipped cream and chocolate chips served on their "Red Special Plates", a tradition in our family.

After going outside to see his first present, Cooper was thrilled with his new basketball hoop. Zoe just wanted to open a small one since they were saving the rest until Daddy got home.

In the afternoon we went to see Kung Fu Panda and had popcorn and icees. We all loved the movie!! For dinner the kids each got to choose a meal, so Zoe chose ravioli and Cooper wanted turkey burgers, so that is what we had! Then it was time to open presents...I think they got everything they wanted. For Zoe: a certificate for a trip to the American Girl store with mom and grandma for brunch and some shopping; her number 8 angel figurine; a digital camera with photo album; webkinz pet; pokeman cards; and a few other little things. For Cooper: a skateboard; ramp; webkinz pet; pokeman cards; and also a few other things. For both of them: Mario Kart for the Wii; legos; pool skateboards. What happy kids I have!




After presents it was time for cake and ice cream. Every year I let them look through a kids birthday cake book and pick out the cake they want me to make. This year Zoe chose an ice cream sundae cake and Cooper chose a video game cake. So that's what we made. Zoe wanted a vanilla cake with a jelly filling. Cooper wanted plain chocolate.



We were lucky enough to have our neighbors over to join us for an impromptu party which even ended with some night swimming. I think the kids had a wonderful birthday!

I love you both so much and can't wait to see what this next year brings! :)

Father's Day

Another day of celebration! We started the morning with a breakfast of scrambled eggs with cheese and some pancakes made from scratch with real maple syrup. Nothing better than that! It was nice to have a morning where we could all sit together and enjoy a leisurely breakfast. During the crazy days of life, it can be a rare treat to all be together in the mornings. Joe opened his presents which consisted of Mexican Train Dominoes, a new game for the Wii, and a gift certificate for a massage. According to him it was the best father's day ever (except of course when Cooper was born!). The kids had fun giving him their homemade cards and giving big "daddy" hugs. The rest of the day has been spent buying video games, going out to CPK for lunch, swimming, and playing games. Just what a Father's Day should be. Thank you Joe for everything you do for our family!
Unfortunately I didn't get to spend today with my dad, but I truly couldn't ask for a better person for a father, and grandpa to my kids. I am so thankful for him!

Cooper's Birthday Party!

Today Cooper got to celebrate his birthday with all his friends. We had a party at Extreme Fit where he takes karate. He loved it because his friends were there; they got to do an obstacle course, learn some karate moves, eat cupcakes and open presents! Mom loved it because I didn't have to do anything but sit back and watch all the smiling faces! Thank you to all of our friends and family for coming to celebrate with us!
After the party we went back to our house with Grandma, Grandpa, and Poppe to open up some more birthday presents. At the top of Cooper's birthday wish list this year was a Nintendo DS and Grandpa and Grandma came through. Boy was he excited!








We finished the day by going out for a bite to eat at Applebee's. We got to celebrate the kids birthdays and and early Father's Day for Joe, my dad, and my grandpa. What a great day!

Last Day of School!

What an emotional day today was! The last day of school is always a hard one for me. But today seemed especially difficult. My "baby" is finished with kindergarten. And my oldest is already halfway through elementary school. I just can't believe how quickly this year went by. The kids have had such great years in kinder and 2nd grade. They have both learned so much. We have had the best teachers and are lucky to attend such an amazing school!

(Zoe and Cooper with their Birthday Books at Friday Flag)

(Mrs. Falciano has been an amazing teacher for Zoe)

(Mrs. Ellevold is the best! It's so hard to leave her!)

On the other hand, I am so excited for summer to be here! I can't wait for lazy, pajama days at home; swimming in our pool; beach days; and just hanging out with friends. We don't have too much planned for the next 8 weeks...all I know is that I want to savor every minute!

Day to Begin!

"Don't put off until tomorrow what you can do today!" That is a motto I do try to live by, but don't always succeed. Well today I finally decided to "celebrate life" and get going on this "blog" thing! It's something I've been wanting to do for a while...and now I look back on how quickly this year has gone by and I truly wish I had started it long before. You see, I actually love to scrapbook. When my kids were born I had the lofty goal of having a scrapbook for each of them, for each year of their lives. Well it didn't take long to realize that that just wasn't going to happen! So far, Zoe has almost 4 books, and poor Cooper only has 2! I still would like to catch up (someday), but for now I thought this would be a good way to help record all the day to day things that make up my crazy, busy life and my wonderful family! I feel so blessed to have the life that I have and I try to take time each day to celebrate everything I have been given! Thank you Chessa, for being my inspiration to start this and giving me ideas!! You're the best!