Thanksgiving!

The big kids at Avila Valley Barn

I am always amazed, and a bit dismayed, at just how fleeting time is! It's picking up speed with each passing year. So, before December is over I need to document (with a few posts) the great time our family had when we were all together at Thanksgiving :) 

We had a fun, whirlwind of a week! We visited Avila Barn (above), and then Avila Beach before ending up at the Splash Cafe for dinner...Boy that place was crowded!

We also made it to Refugio State Beach. It was a joy for me to see all of my munchkins running around playing together...

 Look at these silly cousins, playing in their very own beach fort:)

L to R:  Megan, 4; Jake, 3; Caleb, 2; Karaline, 6; Zeke, 4

Of course I can't forget the three new, little cuties~all born this year!

L to R: Max, July 4; Addy, April 15; Josh August 21

Sure wish I had taken a photo with all three of my kid's heads showing, but I guess I was too taken with the babies:) Oops!

All together at last! So much cuteness at one time...I was one happy grandma :)

Sunset at Refugio State Beach Nov. 26, 2011

Even this stunning sunset couldn't compete with the beauty of my grandchildren.

More of our week to follow...

Meet Adelyn Rose

Meet our newest munchkin!

We are so happy to welcome Adelyn Rose (Addy) into our family (born April 15)!  Isn't she just a sweet little doll? :)
Congrats to the proud parents, Summer and Brian, and Addy's three siblings~they love their new baby sister!

We do too:)

Chocolate Giveaway on Munchkin Munchies

 Click the link below to enter for a chance to win! GIVEAWAY ENDED!

http://munchkinmunchies.blogspot.com/2011/01/two-tone-cookie-crinkles-and-chocolate.html#comments

Pt. Sal Hike

After Jesse graduated and before He, Lois and Caleb moved for the summer (for an internship), we were very happy to have them with us for about a month! One thing we wanted to make sure we did together before they moved on was to hike at our favorite local spot, Pt. Sal.

     Just getting started...Caleb has the best seat in the house:)

  Can you see why we love this place?  Only about eight miles from our house, as the crow flies.

  Gorgeous views everywhere you look!

 It's so green in the springtime!

It's so nice to share a place you love with the people you love:)

Happy Trails!

Family First!

Shall we say that I have been a little bit consumed with my foodie blog, Munchkin Munchies?  Coupled with the fact that I am also a Procrastinator(note the capital P)...you get the picture. I surely don't want you to think for one split second that I care more about munchies than my munchkins, so I am going to catch up with the last few seasons (spring, summer, fall) of my family life to set the record straight!  I love my munchkins (big and little)!!!

Let's begin with Jim and I attending three graduations in three different states:

Jesse in Hawaii in April (B.S. in Accounting)!

Brian in Nebraska in May (Dental school)!

and Johnny in California in June (single subject teaching credential)!

(Be sure and take notice of all the cute munchkins!) :)

We are so proud of all of their hard work! It paid off... Jesse now has a job as an accountant(and is attending school toward his masters degree), Brian is working as a practicing dentist, and Johnny is a H.S. English teacher. Blessings all around!  Woo Hoo!

More tomorrow...when Jim helps me find the photos I need in his folders!?!

Happy 1st Birthday, Caleb!

Caleb is a happy little guy that is interested in everything! He has recently had fun honing his skills with a soccer ball and loves the Dodgers:) He looks so cute(above) in his jacket! Caleb is an easy-going little guy and likes to "go with the flow." He likes to read and is quite a "talker" too!
He's a little bundle of love and we love him! So happy to have him in our family! We love you, Caleb! XOXO Grandma and Grandpa Sparks

Jake is Two!

I know you can't see his beautiful eyes, but I just couldn't resist this sweet photo of Jake taken a couple of weeks ago when we were in Nebraska. He fell asleep in the car and I carried him into the house and onto the couch where he slept for a couple of more hours, along with his sister, Megan. What a tuckered out little angel he is! Jake's a happy little guy and a ball of energy! He's very loving and loves to make people laugh. He's also very curious and if you utter an expression such as "Wow!" or "Uh oh" or even "Oops!", Jake wants to know why you said that!?! :)
Happy Birthday Jake! We love you!!! XOXO Grandma and Grandpa