The Riesenberg Family

Jack's 3rd Star Wars Party!

2011-12-11T20:44:00.000-08:00

I think the pics explain it all. Star Wars. Bounce House. Cupcakes. Food. Preasants. Darth Vader pinata. What more could a 3 year old want on his birthday?

Happy Easter 2011

2011-11-05T20:08:00.000-07:00

Annie

2011-09-25T16:34:00.000-07:00

What can I say? Our family loves the theatre. Courtney and I had a great time seeing Annie in theatre. If Courtney wasn't so shy I think she would be a great little actress and singer. I hear her singing all of the time at home. We had a great time and we both love the movie, so it was even better live on stage!

Spring Break 2011-- San Diego

2011-09-03T21:00:00.000-07:00

La Jolla Shores

Lifeguard 32 - ours forever!

Courtney and Makaili

Sarah and Brit poolside

Luca with the Ladies

my bestest workout/eating partners

Ashley is such a pig!

We don't need a man to make our fire :)

The kids had fun putting out the fire

Ash gets a workout in whenever she can

Mr. Frosty's. Luca da man!

Beautiful girls

My dirt cup

Xander's house

Cousins Jared, Kate and Audrey

Spring Break this year was a blast. Dad had to work so it was me off to CA all by myself to see my BFF. The morning I got up to leave there was a crazy huge snowstorm. I decided to brave the weather. It took me 2 hours to make it past Provo. The roads were slick and covered with snow and ice. It took me 15 hours to get there but when I did it was sure worth the wait!! The weather in San Diego was beautiful. Between Ashley, Sarah and I we had 8 kids for the week! We packed a lot in. We had a beach day, pool day, park day and had fun at the firepit and also managed to get several great workouts in. It was crazy trying to manage all these kids...........but we did and they had a blast! I think I will be trying it again next year.

Fancy Nancy

2011-09-03T20:56:00.000-07:00

Courtney had to dress up as her favorite book character for school. Well, I don't know if Fancy Nancy is necessarily HER favorite, but she sure is mine!

Baby Braxton

2011-09-03T20:49:00.000-07:00

There's nothing sweeter than a newborn baby. I'm so glad to be past the point of my own newborn babies, and rejoicing in holding the newest nieces or nephews of my siblings or friends now. I think newborns are my most favorite age. They are seriously straight from heaven and so perfect in every way. I love their tiny hands and feet and fingernails. And they smell so sweet. Congrats to Jesse and Mindie on their perfect baby boy, Braxton. I hope I get to babysit!

Deidra's 30th Girls Trip -- Cabo!

2011-08-14T14:42:00.000-07:00

First of all, it's crazy that all my friends are super hot. And we have the best time together. Cabo 2011 was no exception. It was a non stop party for Deidra's birthday. Tons of hot sun, ocean, swimming pool with slides, shopping in San Jose, private chefs for the birthday dinner, Cabo Wabo, Nick San Sushi, creating our own Bachelor show, boating, laughing, tanning, reading.....the fun never ends. I love my best girlfriends. Happy 30th Deidra.

My Kids are Cool

2011-06-15T20:27:00.000-07:00

2011-06-12T15:34:00.000-07:00

We had our first ski season! We bought season passes to Solitude ski resort! I was worried because I hadn't been since I was a kid. But people kept saying it was like riding a bike and it was! It only took one run before I was flying down the mountain! Connor and Courtney took ski school through all the weekends in December and had a great time. We only managed to get up there a few times because the little boys were too little to go and it was a challenge getting babysitting but we can't wait to get them going too next year! If you have to live in Utah you may as well make the best of it.....and hit the mountain!

Britany/ 32

2011-06-12T15:29:00.000-07:00

Well I'm about 6 months behind on my blogging. I'm actually almost 32.5 now. I had a great birthday this year. My husband took me out to eat at Market Street Grill and then all my girlfriends and I went to Benihana that weekend! It snowed a boatload and I spent a couple hours shoveling snow off the driveway. I had a great birthday for my first Utah birthday. Here's to Hawaii and Mexico trips on my future birthdays!

My appliance boy

2011-06-12T15:23:00.000-07:00

Here is Owen. He loves appliances. But mostly washers and dryers. He is mad if I try to do any laundry behind his back. Sometimes he will sit and watch the laundry for up to 30 minutes. He likes to visit others and find out what kind of washers and dryers they have and in what colors. He loves to operate the buttons. He does not like to fold clothes or put them away.

Waimea Canyon

2011-04-29T21:32:00.000-07:00

The Island of Kauai is so magnificient. There are so many different landforms there. Waimea Canyon was no exception. It was similar to the Grand Canyon. You would never expect to find something like that on an island. After that trip, we headed back to our favorite beach at Poipu where we saw people jumping off the cliff. We didn't think it looked that crazy so we hiked on up to the top to jump ourselves. I won't lie. I totally chickened out. It was so freaky from up there. But Tyson did it. Twice. You can see him falling in the picture above. Then he had to swim back to shore. What an awesome adventure!

Dinner at Dukes

2011-03-25T15:01:00.000-07:00

My favorite meal of the week: Duke's Kauai! Their salad bar is too die for. Mmmm....licking my lips right now. And my handsome hubby= perfect night!

Kayaking up the Wailua River

2011-03-25T14:50:00.000-07:00

We had a great time kayaking up the Wailua River. It was a lot of work and our tour guide was awesome! He was a native who knew positively everything about the island. He even picked us banans and found us a nut tree. It was a great learning experience. After kayaking we took a fun but dirty hike to a beautiful waterfall. Tyson and Dad were brave enough to go stand underneath the waterfall. What a beautiful island!

Our Favorite Beach on the Island--Poipu

2011-03-25T14:45:00.000-07:00

Ziplining on Kauai--so fun!

2011-03-25T14:24:00.000-07:00

Hot Tub Hopping and Resort Crashing

2011-03-22T21:25:00.001-07:00

Marriott Kauai

Grand Hyatt Kauai

St. Regis, Princeville

My claim to fame this trip was sneaking into all the hot tubs at all the nicest resorts! And never getting caught! My favorite pool ever was at the Grand Hyatt. The grounds were beautiful and they had a walk-in beach/lagoon. The best view ever was at the St. Regis in Princeville. Hanalei Bay was quite a beautiful sight. Love my hot tubs!

Kauai: Trip up to the North Shore

2011-03-22T21:07:00.000-07:00

One day we took a trip up to the North Shore of Kauai. We made many stops on the way.....we saw many beautiful waterfalls, took a tour of the St. Regis, checked out the real estate (thanks to Wayne), saw some beautiful caves and beaches and even stopped for my favorite Pineapple Dole Whip on the way back. The coastline was beautiful and I loved the little towns along the way :)

Kauai: Na Pali Coast Boat Tour!

2011-03-22T20:43:00.000-07:00

Our Kauai trip this year was nothing short of amazing! We saw everything we ever wanted to see and had a great time with my parents tagging along! We took an 8 hour boat ride up the Na Pali Coast and over the mysterious and inhabited island across the way. We saw a beautiful sunrise and dolphins along the way. The water was beautiful and I loved Kauai even more than Oahu. The Na Pali Coast can only be seen by boat or helicopter....and was definitely worth the price. One of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen.

Christmas 2010 Highlights

2011-03-02T11:26:00.000-08:00

Santa came to our Christmas Party!

2011-03-01T19:55:00.000-08:00

Grandma Chali hosted a great Christmas Party this year with the best Santa ever! All the kids got to sit on his lap, no one cried, and everyone got a little gift from Santa!

MY first Thanksgiving

2011-03-01T19:47:00.000-08:00

I'm so proud of myself because 2010 is the first year I have hosted Thanksgiving in my brand new house! It was a lot of work but tons of fun. I made turkey, mashed potatoes, pretzel jello salad, creamed corn, green bean casserole, pumpkin pie, apple pie, and Tyson's family tradition of seafood cocktail. It was all delicious and so exciting to fit everyone around my table and in my house!

Connor and Tyson do Chicago and Notre Dame!

2011-03-01T19:23:00.000-08:00

You may be asking yourself, "Wasn't the college football season forever ago?" Well the answer is yes, but I am just getting around to blogging pics from last November. I wasn't invited on this boy trip, so Tyson will have to get on the blog soon and write about all the fun. Until then, just enjoy the pics!

Courtney turns 8!

2011-02-01T21:01:00.000-08:00

Court got her ears pierced!

Here she is! My beautiful 8 year old girl!

Courtney's Baptism

2011-02-01T20:06:00.000-08:00

Here is my adorable 8 year old Courtney! She's about as close to a perfect daughter as you can get. She is the smartest little thing (reads on a 7th grade reading level), obedient, helpful, clean, cute as a button, and just a complete joy to have around. Everyone loves Courtney. Everyone wants to be her best friend. I'm so proud of her that she chose to get baptized. She looked really beautiful that day. Happy birthday Court :)

My First Weightlifting Competition

2010-12-14T21:19:00.000-08:00

getting ready for the clean and jerk
squatting it out

ready for the jerk! I nailed it!

Yeah!

My fans: Sarah and Ashley

Another fan: Trainer Jill from the Y!

Coach Bob: introduced me to the sport

Won my first medal: 3rd place!

getting a good back crack :)

So as if my life weren't crazy enough, I decided to start training for my first competition all while moving and raising four kids (one of which was a biter and banned from the playcare at the Y). I have always been a competitor and love working out. I decided to become a runner. I trained my butt off in the beginning of the year for the La Jolla Half Marathon with one of my trainers, Doug, and a friend of mine, Isa. It is one of the hardest half marathons in the country with a huge 600 foot incline right in the middle of the race that was a mile long. My goal was to finish in under two hours (and also to beat my friends, remember I'm competitive). Well I accomplished all of the above. Shortly after the race, I met a man named Bob.

Bob told me I wasn't a runner. Initially it hurt my feelings. Of course I was a runner. I trained really hard for that race and did rather well. I'll never forget this quote that he said to me, "You can't turn a pitbull into a greyhound. You'll never amount to anything as a runner." He told me I was built for weightlifting. So slowly, he introduced me to the sport of Olympic Weightlifting. I had never heard of it or been exposed to it really. It took a while, but then I was hooked. I bought some weightlifting shoes and a singlet and committed to competing in my first competition after only a couple months of training.

I was a nervous wreck the day of the meet. I dropped weight consecutively week after week before the competition. I was the lightest lifter in my weight class. (a real disadvantage). I had a serious case of stage fright. I went to do my first lift, the snatch, and completely bombed. You get 3 lifts so I tried again and bombed the second lift too. The bar was set at 48 kilos and just minutes before in warmups I nailed a 50 kilo lift. On my third attempt I made it! It wasn't my prettiest or best lift but I made it up. Initially, the lift was disqualified. Then I had to go out and do my 2nd lift. I was pretty disappointed after the first lift and felt a lot of pressure to perform well on my next one. I didn't want to disappoint Bob who spent countless hours training me for free for this competition. On the clean and jerk I started with 61 kilos and nailed it. They added two kilos to the bar, for 63kg, and missed my second attempt. Finally, I made my last attempt and went out with a bang.

When they called me up for the medal I was so surprised! I took third place! And the first place winner was a 24 year old who had been lifting since she was six. And the 2nd place winner had been lifting for about 9 years. Both girls had impressive resumes and championships, etc. So I was pretty proud of myself after only a few months of training.

Anyhow, I have fallend in love with the sport and have discovered a new talent! It's been really great for me. My body fat lowered by 4% from 18 to 14 since starting weightlifting and I never have to run again! Sometimes I miss it, but I seriously LOVE lifting heavy weights. It is such a release for me. I have a new coach here in Utah and hope to train for future competitions. I'll keep everyone posted.

Halloween 2010

2010-11-16T13:46:00.000-08:00

Jack the train conductor!

School Halloween Parade

Court makes a perfect Tinkerbell!

Halloween this year was a bit chaotic for us. Between Owen in preschool, the big kids in 4th and 2nd grade, moving and a huge weightlifting competition, it was hard to make Halloween a priority. It's sad because I love Halloween but there was just too much going on! Fortunately, Jack fit in Owen's costume from last year and Owen wanted to be a skeleton which is what Connor was when he was four. We literally had moving, the trunk or treat and my weightlifting competition all in the same day! The ward put on a trunk or treat that was amazing! They had carnival games, face painting, crafts, etc. and then a nice chili dinner followed by a trunk or treat! We left straight from the trunk or treat to Vegas and then on to Utah Halloween day. Next year I am going to have a big party and do it right!

13 year anniversary

2010-10-25T20:32:00.000-07:00

Tyson's seafood platter

For those of you who keep track, our anniversary was actually in August. But, since I was gone that weekend buying a house, we didn't get around to celebrating until recently. And since it was our last anniversary here in La Jolla, we had to do something kind of cool. We always wanted to eat the the Crab Catcher overlooking La Jolla Cove. We spared no expense and got lobster, crab and filet mignon. Then after walking around La Jolla and eating gelato, Tyson surprised me with a massage! We both got massages. It's exactly what I needed because of all the training I am doing. It's too bad you can't see the view behind us in the pictures. It's beautiful La Jolla.

Back To School

2010-10-02T13:50:00.000-07:00

The "Owen" Face
Jack wishes he could go to preschool

We weren't too invested in the school year here since we are moving at the end of October, but nonetheless, the kids started and have great teachers. Connor is in 4th grade this year and finally admitted that I have great style and picked out great clothes for back to school. He said he should have listened to me in years past when he chose to dress like a nerd. Glad that got resolved before the teenage years! We had a great time shopping for clothes. Courtney is in 2nd grade this year and cuter than ever. She's one of the stars of her soccer team and makes lots of new friends everywhere she goes. Owen is in preschool at a new place this year and goes 5 days per week! You would think that would give me some relief, but really, it just means that Jack is lonely and I must find ways to entertain him. Although it's nice to have no one fighting for a few hours everyday. I don't think summer could have been any longer. Yeah for back to school!

Last Days of Summer

2010-09-30T15:24:00.000-07:00

This summer wasn't the greatest we've had here in La Jolla, but there were definitely some good days. I am going to miss my own personal spot in front of Lifeguard tower 32. Hopefully from now on that spot will remain vacant as a memorial dedicated to the last nine years I have spent many summer days there. Before I move I am going to sit in that spot and shed some tears and then bury them so I can move on. La Jolla Shores Forever!

Owen

2010-09-09T17:04:00.000-07:00

This is Owen. He is four. And he says the cutest things. Just recently my old vacuum fell apart and so I sent Owen with his dad to Costco to buy a new one. He's been obsesesed ever since. He asks often about the "vacanoon". He wants me to clean up every little crumb he spots on the floor. He likes to talk about what color it is and is excited to bring it out and clean. I just love to vacanoon! Also, every time he uses the bathroom, he asks "Where does the pee/poop go?" And we say "to the sewer" and then he repeats "to the sewer". I just love this age. They say the funniest things.

Connor's 10th Birthday!

2010-09-02T21:02:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I have a freaking ten year old! Someone pointed out to me on my facebook that I could be a grandma in ten to 15 years! What? It's true though. So Connor really appreciates the fine things in life at an early age. He wanted lobster for his birthday dinner so we took him out with Grandpa to Red Lobster. He ordered off of the adult menu and everything! We went camping the night before (which happens for me once every ten years) and then had a swim party with cake and ice cream!

This year Connor really improved at baseball. He went to two weeks of baseball camp at UCSD and loved every minute of it. He loves legos, video games, and Nickelodeon. Especially iCarly his favorie show. He is genius smart, and loves to read. He likes to come up with inventions and tell everyone his great ideas in GREAT detail. He is a good friend and definitely a leader. He loves to hang out with the grown ups and tries to make jokes. He loves to play games too. His little brothers idolize him and constantly want him to make them lego planes, boats, and cars. He loves his sister Courtney but would never admit it and he teases her all the time. Connor is a great kid and we love him a lot!

Fun with Xander

2010-08-24T21:02:00.000-07:00

The little boys have been having so much fun getting into trouble with their cousin Xander. And now with another little boy on the way soon, it's going to be TROUBLE for these boys and all their sword fighting and crazy ways. Owen is the leader of the pack. Can't wait for them to get older and wilder!

Vote for your favorite Riesenberg Family Pic

2010-08-08T19:23:00.000-07:00

Number 1
Number 2

Number 3

Number 4

Number 5

Number 6

Number 7

So these are our most recent family pics done by my amazing sister and photographer Vanessa! There were honestly hundreds of photos to choose from, and each of these photos had several to choose from. So if someone is not looking at the camera or smiling chances are I probably have where we all are. It is amazing that we even have so many good ones to choose from considering I have active 4 and 2 year old boys! I really want to blow one of these up into a giant canvas to hang in my new home (not yet decided on) in Utah so that I never forget my time here in San Diego. These photos were taken at Windansea beach in La Jolla. Please comment and let me know which family photos is your favorite to help me narrow it down. Thanks!

San Diego Zoo with Cousins

2010-07-30T16:44:00.000-07:00

Windansea Beach with the cousins

2010-07-25T20:46:00.000-07:00

The kids had a fun-filled (but absolutely crazy for me) week with all their Honda cousins: Jared, Kate and Audrey. On Day one of this week long extravaganza we took a day trip to Windansea beach in La Jolla! The kids had a great time climbing rocks and exploring hidden caves!

Connor's cub scout sleepover on the Midway

2010-07-20T14:00:00.001-07:00

Connor got to combine two of his most favorite things last week, scouts and the military! Connor and Tyson took part in the San Diego Imperial Council's celebration of the 100 years of scouting with an overnighter on the flight deck of the Midway. Connor got to fly in the simulator, sit in several cockpits and generally explore all over the ship. One of his favorite parts was the seeing how the ship had a two suite operating room, must get that from somewhere. Lights out were not until after a midnight showing of UP! Then they camped under the stars on the flight deck under an F-4. He had a great time with his dad!

Top 10 Highlights from Vegas

2010-07-20T13:50:00.000-07:00

1. Our upgrade from the cheapest room which we were all going to squish into, to the penthouse suite baby! My girls are awesome (i.e. Meagan) that they can work this!

2. The club "Wasted Space" at the Hard Rock

3. Brunettes won in a blonde vs. brunette competition that lasted the weekend. Who knew? I thought blondes were hotter!

4. Then, some random guys asked Meagan if she would take his picture with "the blondes" (Brit and Ash)

5. the guy who fell hard for "Flower"

6. staying up til 3 a.m. and waking up before 9 everyday because us moms can't handle sleeping in

7. coming out of my "cheap" comfort zone and spending more than $30 on my dinner

8. my girls dancing up on stage at Tao with their long skirts and cardigans. They are soooo hot!

9. getting hit on by guys who would never even have a chance

10. spending time with the funnest girls ever! I love you guys!

Vegas Girls Trip 2010

2010-06-13T15:59:00.000-07:00

Deidra, Ashley, Brit, Meagan and Leslie

our food at Tao

the blondes

the brunettes

my girls on stage at Tao

random british guy we met at the casino

penthouse suite at Mandalay Bay

chillin by the pool

Beatles LOVE

Father and Kids Camping

2010-05-28T20:21:00.001-07:00

Tyson had a great weekend camping with the kids (minus Jack, who will get to go next year giving Mommy a night off). He organized the whole event including smores for the campfire and breakfast for everyone the next morning. This was Owen's first time ever camping. This is a great way for Tyson to spend quality time with the kids. They had a blast with all their friends who will be missed when we finally move. We never even knew there were these great campgrounds only 50 minutes away from our house!

Happy Mothers Day to me.

2010-05-14T13:44:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I have four kids. At Target yesterday a man said, "Wow! That's a lot of kids. Are they all yours?" And I respond with "Absolutely". I am proud of being a mom of four kids even though I don't do the best job all of the time. I am used to getting comments when I am out with all of them (we aren't in Utah you know, people here aren't used to this kind of thing). But I wouldn't have it any other way. I am so glad I have each one of my children and I am glad that they came when they did. I always wanted to be a young mom. 4 before 30. Being a mom is the best thing that has ever happened to me. It's exactly what I wanted to be when I grew up. Mission accomplished.

Owen's 4th Birthday--Pirate Party!

2010-05-11T13:13:00.000-07:00

My Terrible Two

2010-05-10T21:40:00.001-07:00

Enough said. If it's quiet around here, it can't be good news.

La Jolla Half

2010-04-29T14:21:00.000-07:00

I started training for the La Jolla Half Marathon in January. I used to hate running. I can actually say now that I LOVE it. It all started after Courtney was born. My friend Meagan and I would go walking with our jogging strollers. Slowly, she would encourage us to just run to the end of the street until one day, we became runners. Two kids later, I would run in hopes of dropping the baby weight. After I lost the baby weight, I wanted to run for a purpose and so......I signed up with some friends for the La Jolla Half Marathon (which is one of the hardest in the country). There were lots of hills and one HUGE hill. I woke up at 2 in the morning for the big race. It was the hardest thing I have ever done. I was so determined to finish in under two hours. I kept checking my time and really had to push it at the end. My final time was 1:58:01. I am pretty happy with my time and don't think I could have pushed myself any harder. Tyson is happy that it is finally over. My weekly long runs were taking a toll on him. Well, he will get a short break until I sign up for the next one! I think I want to try an easier course and improve my time. Until then....I'll just keep running!

Jack Jack turns 2!

2010-04-25T16:55:00.000-07:00

My baby Jack turned into a full-fledged toddler this week! Daddy was out of town taking his board exam in Atlanta so we didn't do much celebrating until the weekend. Brandon, Sara, and Xander came down to go with us to the zoo. The zoo is Jack's favorite place right now. He loves animals and learning how to say their names and their sounds. We came home after for cake and ice cream! At two years old, Jack really knows how to throw a tantrum. In fact, if he doesn't get his way he screams, "Ow! Ow!" It's annoying because everybody thinks we are hurting him or something. He is particularly clingy to his mom and suddenly cries if I leave the room or try and leave him at the playcare at the gym or even with Dad. He is a thrill seeker and rough houser and loves to be thrown, tossed, wrestled, etc. He is a big boy and I am constantly asked whether or not the boys are twins. Sometimes I feel like they are. Only I had to be pregnant twice and lose all the weight twice. His laugh is contagious and his dimples are maybe the cutest in the entire world. Some lucky lady is gonna love those someday. His favorite pastime is teasing the other kids. He loves to steal their toys and run away laughing. His favorite toys are animal and dinosaur figures. He loves babies, too bad Jack. No more around here. He is always smiling and we love him to death. Happy Birthday Jack-Jack!

My husband is HOT!

2010-04-11T21:02:00.001-07:00

Who can manage being a full-time doctor studying for boards, father of four, husband to a super high maintenance wife, elders qourum president and lose almost 50 pounds in less than six months? My HOT husband, that's who! I am so proud of him. He is skinnier now that when we got married! And that's impressive considering all that he has to do each day. He has been so dedicated to working out and getting healthy (and getting the cheapest life insurance policy with the best value) and is such a great example to everyone. The daddy gut is gone. I love him.

Easter in Arizona

2010-04-11T20:35:00.001-07:00

Spring Break 2010 was great this year! We spent a few days at home taking each of the kids on a special outing with mom and dad. We took Courtney out for frozen yogurt, to play tennis, and to look at the pet store. The next day we took Connor to Subway and play mini-golf. Then we took off to Arizona to visit great Grandma Anderson and Grandma and Grandpa Siggard. As always, the weekend was packed with great food, lots of games, and fun. We saw How to Train your Dragon which we all loved. We dyed easter eggs, had an Easter egg hunt, and watched conference. We got a chance to go to an indoor wave pool and play at the park. The highlight of the trip for Connor was picking fresh grapefruits, oranges, and lemons off of Grandma's trees and jucing them and eating them. The weather was beautiful but the best part was catching up with the family who we hadn't seen in awhile. Here are some highlights:

Owen's Green Shoes

2010-04-11T20:25:00.000-07:00

We were at the mall last week getting Connor some new shoes. While Connor was trying on shoes, Owen found some green adidas at Nordstrom and wouldn't put them down. I have never seen Owen want anything more in his entire life. It was like a kid in a toy store. But it was shoes. He may end up being a shoe fetish just like his mama. I know that they don't go with much, but it could be worse. He could have wanted Thomas the Tank Engine shoes or something. I can put up with green adidas. Needless to say, Tyson (the sucker) bought him the green shoes and Owen thinks he can run really fast now. I couldn't be a prouder mom!

Ballet Days are Over : RIP

2010-03-26T14:43:00.000-07:00

Courtney at age 3

Courtney ate age 7

When I was pregnant with Courtney, I longed for the day that I could put her in a tutu in ballet. I don't know why, I wasn't a ballerina and in fact I hated ballet. I started her as soon as she was three years old. She is actually very talented too. She informed me a year ago that she wanted to quit ballet but I have been able to bribe her for each session since then. I dunno, maybe it's just that she is my only girl and I wanted her to do something really girlie. But, she has informed me that her passion is soccer. I have three boys to play ball sports. Oh well. I want her to do what she wants. I just keep hoping she will change her mind....if that ever happens. So for now, rest in peace baby ballerina.

Riesenberg "Model Family"

2010-03-15T21:54:00.000-07:00

So this famous photographer, Sandy Puc, goes on tour all over the country teaching other photographers about photography. She contacted my sister Vanessa, also a photographer (and one of the best, will someday be famous) in need of a model family. All we had to do was show up at the Del Mar Hilton dressed in black and she would demonstrate family photos for the crowd. I have to say it was quite wierd taking photos in front of all those people. But I was more concerned about all four of my kids behaving to get a decent shot. Well, she had her work cut out for her. I am surprised that any of them turned out. I guess that's why she's a professional. We got a free disc with pictures and a slideshow. It was worth the hassle. We felt really special being "models" and everything.

Disney fun with the kids

2010-03-07T21:51:00.000-08:00

We are trying to soak up our last moments at Disneyland before we move off to Utah! It was an 80 degree February day at Disneyland. The kids had a blast with their cousins and the ferris wheel at California Adventure was the biggest hit of the day!

I Can Move to Utah Now

2010-02-15T21:41:00.000-08:00

For my birthday this year, my sister-in-law and awesome hairstylist bought me some Bumpits! She said that now that I am moving to Utah I will need these to fit in! Sorry Utahns but it's true! Anyways, here is my hair styled with my new bumpits. I can't wait to pull it off. Hahahahaha!

Jack is so cute playing with his dinosaurs

2010-02-14T18:43:00.000-08:00

I love watching Jack play with his dinosaurs. He makes the cutest little Rarrrrrrr noise. I don't want him to grow up too fast. But he is. I've got a full fledged toddler on my hands. Baby times are now over.

Happy Birthday to Me

2010-02-07T14:53:00.000-08:00

Well, my birthday was a couple of weeks ago. My son, Connor made me a birthday card that said this:

to: our beloved mother
from: your annoying sons

(poem)

Sometimes you can be a pain in the butt
but we love you no matter what!

Tyson and I are cool

2010-01-25T21:47:00.000-08:00

Tyson and I have had so much success at the YMCA with the Biggest Loser Team Challenge that they chose to feature us as their success story. Tyson lost 35 lbs. in 2 months and I wasn't that cool, but I did lose all my baby weight plus more. We wrote a blurb and they sent it out to all the YMCA members. We're pretty cool. The End.

Owen's First Day of Preschool

2010-01-15T21:58:00.000-08:00

Well, I was going to start Owen in preschool in the fall, but I just didn't think he was ready yet. Well, ready or not, he is going to preschool now! He has been talking about going to preschool for a couple of months now. I don't know that he really knew what it was all about but he was talking about going. Jack has finally reached an age where I just can't manage two crazy toddlers anywhere in public that isn't a park or somewhere that they can run wild and be free. After an exasperating month of December full of Christmas shopping and losing one of the boys at the mall at least three times, I signed him up for the first preschool that had an opening in January. This picture is on his first day. He got a cute new Thomas backpack from Grandma Chali for Christmas and just looooves it. He puts his trains and his blankey in there to take to school. After his first day, I asked him if he loved it and couldn't wait to go back. He said, "No, no more preschool." Well too bad! I so needed this few hours to run errands like grocery shopping and such, and even though I still have one crazy boy, it is still much better than two. And at Trader Joe's they don't offer double seats in the carts so this solved my problem of shopping there. Wow, just one more kid to go and I might actually get to experience real freedom again. But honestly, I am in no rush for my last baby to grow up and be out of the house. After two weeks of preschool, Owen is finally getting used to the structure and is starting to like it. Yeah for Owen!

Utah is Cold!!!

2010-01-13T13:28:00.000-08:00

Utah was so cold this winter, that we didn't even do half the things that we planned on doing. On our drive up there, we actually went through -9 degree temperatures! It snowed a lot while we were there and the temperatures were freezing so we didn't go snowmobiling or skiing like we had planned. I told Tyson that we have a liftetime for that, let's get back to the beach! Nothing is better than getting home to San Diego. But, the kids did have a really good time playing in the snow. They went with all their cousins to a sledding hill and had a blast. Even Owen, who kept tearing off all his snow clothes before we left, exclaimed when he got there, "I wanna do that!" We'll find out next winter who are the California kids and who are the Utah kids. And we will actually learn to do snow things and enjoy it. It took all week long to get out in the snow (although I was getting a pedicure during the sledding) and then we had to leave. I am in no rush to befriend the snow, if it happens it happens.

Christmas 2009

2010-01-10T21:29:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve at Sea World

2010-01-10T21:13:00.000-08:00

For the past few years, our family tradition for Christmas Eve has been going to Sea World. We usually get our family Christmas party out of the way earlier in the month and so Christmas Eve we are left by ourselves to come up with our own traditions. Of course, after this year we will have to come up with something new since we won't be living near Sea World anymore. We woke up early this year and had breakfast at Brockton Villa in La Jolla and then had a fun-filled day at Sea World with all the holiday shows. We came home and watched a DVD on the birth of Christ and opened up a pair of new pajamas for Christmas morning pictures! It was great having a quiet Christmas Eve together with our little family.

2009 Annual UCSD Anesthesia Christmas Party

2009-12-23T14:44:00.000-08:00

Every year, the anesthesia department at UCSD hosts a really nice Christmas dinner and party at the Westgate Hotel, downtown San Diego. It's always really nice to get dressed up and have a date night with my smart and hot hubby. They always have a really nice dinner and it's finally fun now that I know all his colleagues. This was our last year now that we will be moving on this summer! You can't tell in the pictures, but our Christmas tree once again looks like crap. The tree itself is beautiful, but I have a pile or ornaments that need to be glued back together and Jack loves to undecorate the tree. Owen actually threw a football at it and demolished several ornaments. I give up on tree decorating a tree until the boys are a little bit older. I think I will just stick to lights for the next few years!

All Jack Wants for Christmas....

2009-12-23T14:24:00.000-08:00

is a nativity set! And no, not the Little People Nativity that we have set up under the Christmas tree! He will go to all lengths to get to our nice and expensisve nativity set! Funny kid.

American Girl

2009-12-07T21:03:00.000-08:00

Ready to go on our trip to LA
Right as we walked in the front doors of American Girl Place!

We just purchased her look alike doll.

Outside by the front window

Inside by the girlie Christmas tree

Just seated at the cafe!

They have special chairs for the dolls to sit in:)

How cute is the cafe?

Courtney's doll, she named her Lacey

The lunch was way overpriced!

The birthday dessert

Flower pot chocolate mousse, sugar cookie, and cake!

Every mom and daughter needs to have the American Girl experience. This year for Courtney's birthday, we planned a trip to the American Girl store. Originally, we were not supposed to have a party too, but if you know me, you know that I just can't help myself. Especially when it comes to girl parties! Courtney recently became interested in the American Girl dolls. She didn't know exactly which one she wanted so it made the trip lots of fun to decide once we got there. The store was amazing! It was little girl heaven. Two floors of dolls, accessories and clothes to look at. Courtney finally decided on the doll that looks most like her. They have so many dolls with hair color, length, skin complexion, eye color, etc. to choose from. She also really wanted the Rebecca doll. I let her choose one outfit too. After blowing $150 on the doll and outfit, we had lunch at the cafe. Even though it was really overpriced, it was definitely worth it. The waiters make it so special for the girls. They have a doll seat that connects to the table, they even serve the dolls some drinks. The food wasn't great, but it was soooo cute in there. They brought out a cute little question box with questions for the mom and daughter to ask each other to encourage dinner conversation. It was adorable. Seeing the millions of girls with their dolls and their moms just made me smile. I crave these girlie times with my daughter because I know it is only going to happen once. She's only turning 7 once! I'm up to my ears with boy time! Anyways, I highly recommend that if you have a daughter this age, this trip is a good one! Courtney hasn't put down her doll since we got home. And thanks to Grandma Chali, we have many outfit changes per day including pajamas at bedtime. I just love being a girl!

You're invited to a Cupcake Party!

2009-12-01T21:18:00.000-08:00

Who: All the cutest little girls on the block!

Where: My apartment of course!

What: Courtney and five of her closest friends got together for a cupcake party! They arrived and sat down for lunch of pigs in a blanket, watermelon skewers and pink lemonade. Then we cleared the table for cupcake decorating. We had three different colors of frosting: hot pink, lavender purple, and teal blue. We had an assortment of toppings like mini chocolate chips, marshmallows, m&ms, gummy bears and every kind of sprinkle there is. I didn't know if the girls would have the attention span to decorate many cupcakes, but they loved it! Each girl got to bring home a whole box of their custom cupcakes. We then played games like pin the cherry on the cupcake and pass the parcel (passing a present around to music and then when the music stops, the girl holding the present unwraps it. I wrapped the present about ten times and the last girl to unwrap it wins!). I just loved planning the party and making the decorations. Teresa once again made the cutest invites! I can never buy store invitations again. Every year my only girl gets older, the more I feel like I have to cram the girly stuff in as much as possible. It turned out great! I can't believe my baby girl is already 7. She is such a cutie.

New Moon

2009-12-01T21:11:00.000-08:00

I did go to the midnight showing of New Moon. I will never go to a movie that late ever again. I am too old. I did really like the movie but I would have enjoyed it more if I weren't dead tired. Tyson and I flew up to Salt Lake for a job interview and made it up there just in time to hit the show with some friends. It was a frenzy! Tons and tons of girls all dressed up like vampires and everything. The theatre was showing about 20 premieres and it was jam-packed. Meagan had a cafe rented out for the night and we all had sandwiches and gelatos before the movie! We all had a great time.

End of soccer season

2009-12-01T21:03:00.000-08:00

Wow! What a great season! Courtney's team almost made it to the championship game. They missed it by one point. She was probably the fastest and most fearless player on the team. We are so proud of her. All the girls on the team were so cute and they were all such good friends. Connor's team (w/ Tyson as assistant coach) made it to the championship game and lost it right at the end! I rarely made it to his games because Courtney was playing at another field and their times often conflicted. There was some amazing talent on his team. It was actually fun to watch. Both the kids improved tons this season on their skills and can't wait to play again next year!

Happy Halloween 2009

2009-11-10T13:07:00.001-08:00

Owen's first time trick-or-treating!
Connor and Courtney carved their very own pumpkins this year

Jack HATED his cute turtle costume, so he opted for scary skull pajamas ainstead!

The three kids ready to rake in some candy!

Ready to trick-or-treat

Owen the train conductor! He loved his train hat!

Connor loved his Harry Potter Costume, he really looked the part!

Courtney was a cat at first, but then decided to be a cheerleader. She really plays the part too!

Happy Halloween everybody! The kids had a great time this year. They got tons of candy, so much that they actually gave half of it to their sick friends who were unable to go trick or treating. We had "Dinner in a Pumpkin" at the Rizzo's followed by a major haul around the neighborhood.

Fun Day at the Patch with the Boys

2009-10-30T13:37:00.000-07:00

It was 90 degrees that day at the Pumpkin Patch in Del Mar! The boys had sooo much fun. Owen's favorite part was the giant slide and Jack's favorite was the petting zoo. He kept trying to feed all the animals hay, it was really cute. And you can never go wrong with little boys anywhere there is a choo-choo train!

How Cute are my kids?....seriously.

2009-10-25T14:42:00.000-07:00

Connor all grown up!

2009-10-25T14:36:00.001-07:00

I just had to brag that my 3rd grader just finished book 7 of the Harry Potter series. When summer started, we tried to get him motivated to read. We told him that if he read all seven Harry Potter books we would pay him $5 per book. Well, once he started, we couldn't get him to stop. He was reading sometimes 5-6 hours per day. He loves Harry Potter so much that he is dressing up like him for Halloween. I also wanted to show some of his Lego creations. He is sooo stinkin' creative. I loved this plane design he came up with. I think we are going to send it into the magazine. What a smart kid!

Courtney writes the Tooth Fairy

2009-10-25T14:28:00.000-07:00

In the last several weeks, Courtney has lost a lot of teeth! She decided to write the tooth fairy and ask her some questions. She asked what her name was, if she was a boy or a girl, and what island she lived on! To her surprise, the tooth fairy wrote back. With the help of my clever friend Deidra, we came up with some good answers. In no time, Deidra found the name "Fatina" on the internet which means tooth fairy in italian. We decided that she lived in Pearltopia since everyone loves pearly whites, and of course a fairy has to be a girl! I cut some hot pink cardstock into a cute design, wrote very small and then sprayed it with glitter. Courtney woke up extra early the next morning to find a personal letter from the tooth fairy!

Family Photos

2009-10-14T20:37:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! My sister is an amazing photographer who lives in Newport Beach but photographs all over southern California! She has some amazing deals for Christmas time or anytime. Check out her website at http://www.hondaphotoart.com/ or her blog at www.hondaphotoart.shsites.net/wordpress/?page_id=33. Check out all the cute pics of my family that she has done recently!

Soccer Season in Full Swing

2009-09-19T21:16:00.000-07:00

I actually live for my kids sporting events. I am so competitive that I AM that psycho mom on the field that is completely upset at a bad call or when the team isn't playing well. When Connor was born, Tyson and I talked about the days when we would be able to watch our kids playing sports and it seemed so far away. Today, Connor is in his fifth year of soccer and Courtney in her second. Tyson is the assistant coach (once again) for Connor's team. The head coach is amazing. He takes his job very seriously and teaches the boys really well. Connor is a great teammate and is improving a lot. Some of the boys have some amazing skills and have made some great shots. His team is called the Red Devils. It's really fun to watch the progression from pee wee soccer when they run in packs to the ball to now where they play in their positions. Connor is having a great time. Courtney plays for the Fearless Tigers. And that's exactly what she is. When we showed up for the first practice, I wasn't so sure they put her on the right team. She was so small compared to the other girls. But size has no matter. This girl is fierce and has already proven her spot on the team as one of the best. She attacks the ball at all times and at all cost. Today she played goalie and was VERY impressive. Everyone was astounded at her skill. She was crazy diving at balls and after catching one had girls kicking at her face while she was holding the ball. Hmmm, I wonder where she got that competitive edge from? I take full credit because I am proud of it! I only wish I could watch more of the game instead of chasing around crazy toddlers. It's funny, here in California, that in the all seasons of baseball, basketball and soccer, I am the only mom at all of these games that has young babies with me. The joke's on us, they were all smart and stopped after two kids! j/k. sort of. We'll update the season as it goes along, but so far we are off to a great start.

First Day of School 09

2009-09-13T12:20:00.001-07:00

Connor just started 3rd grade and Courtney started 1st grade! You can't quite tell in the picture, but Courtney woke up on the first day of school with a majorly swollen eye! It was sooo puffy and red around here eye that you could hardly even see her eyeball. We figured out that she had been bitten by a spider. I was worried about the other kids teasing her but when I picked her up at the end of the day she said she had a great day! Both kids love their teachers this year. Connor's teacher was a Naval Officer for 20 years and Courtney's teacher used to teach kindergarten. I think that they are both perfect for each of the kids. I don't think I could have handled even one more week of summer with everyone home! Yeah for school!

Summer Fun With Cousins

2009-09-13T12:07:00.000-07:00

This summer the kids were able to spend some fun time with their cousins. First the kids went to the Honda's house while I packed for our vacation and went to Wicked with Tyson and then the Honda kids came to our house after the beach house for Connor's birthday party. The kids get along so well and have so much fun together. We went to the Reuben H. Fleet Science center and Natural History Museum. The kids loved it! It's sad that I have lived in San Diego this long and have not really explored the museums here. The kids can't wait to do another "kid swap" next time.

12 Years!!!

2009-09-13T12:03:00.001-07:00

I know exactly what you're thinking. We look way too young and awesome to be such an old married couple! I can't believe we have been married twelve years. Pretty soon, we'll have been married for half of my life! For our anniversary this year, we went to Piatti's for dinner with my mom and dad and Brandon and Sara and then saw Wicked at the San Diego Civic Theatre! We had awesome seats (front and center) and the show was amazing! I loved the music and costumes. We all had a great time.