TEAM HEILNER

Out to Lunch

2011-06-06T22:28:00.000-07:00

until further notice...
Seems like these days we can barely keep up with our life, let alone our blog...
It was a fun 3+ years while it lasted! TEAM HEILNER is still going strong, but our blog is not... Peace friends!

Tee Ball

2011-04-03T15:29:00.000-07:00

colby's first tee ball game. we have arrived.
(close-ups reveal his tongue sticks out when he's concentrating just like dad!) that's my boy!

.

Christmas 2010

2011-01-13T16:34:00.000-08:00

Our Soccer Boy

2010-10-30T13:46:00.000-07:00

here are some pictures of colby's soccer game just before the rain...

Halloween time again!

2010-10-25T16:04:00.000-07:00

paige at the james marshall fall festival
obi wan kenobi and princess paige

Paige's 3rd Birthday

2010-08-26T21:02:00.000-07:00

My baby is three! Here are some pictures i took of her on her birthday.

check out this wonderful doll cupcake my mom's neighbor made for her:)

enjoying dessert with daddy

lately when i ask her to smile for the camera, the tongue comes out!
gotta love her sense of humor!:)

We're off to school!

2010-08-26T20:51:00.000-07:00

Colby and Paige have both started school. Two big milestones. Kindergarten and Preschool. They are no longer babies and no longer toddlers... they are growing up into their own little individually unique and wonderful selves. And here are their first day of school pictures. I am one proud mama!:)

Beach Weekend

2010-07-12T15:10:00.000-07:00

Our 2nd annual beach weekend to half moon bay was great...

here we are visiting a lighthouse/youth hostel where you can spend the night. the grounds surrounding it were beautiful!

Pacifica

2010-07-12T15:02:00.000-07:00

We stopped in Pacifica on the way up for our first day of beach play... i didn't bring my camera down to the sand in half moon bay so no pictures from there; we just played in the sand and enjoyed ourselves:)

Kindergarten readiness

2010-07-05T15:46:00.000-07:00

Colby did this with the ketchup bottle the other night after dinner. I don't care what all the literature says, in my book, this equates to kindergarten readiness! heron elementary, here we come! my son can write his name with ketchup!

4th of July weekend 2010

2010-07-05T14:52:00.000-07:00

we pitched a tent in our backyard on friday the 3rd, and the kids "camped" outside with daddy- all night long!

we even made s'mores!

paigey by our humble little garden:)

we ate firecracker popsicles that were red, white and blue.
the blue stuck!

Paigey-roo

2010-05-25T19:36:00.000-07:00

Backyard fun

2010-05-25T19:27:00.000-07:00

we took some pictures of our big 5 year old before his big haircut... which turned out to be not so big... 2 inches was all the woman at cool cuts wanted to cut and i was easy to convince, so no "after" pictures needed...

my cuties

upside down!

silly faces:)

Colby's 5th Bday

2010-05-25T19:06:00.000-07:00

Fun times at Planet Gymnastics!

Dyeing Easter Eggs

2010-03-31T17:33:00.000-07:00

sometimes the best ones are the ones you can't plan, i love the spider web design on this one. this was colby's egg, which explains the crack:)

the kids clothes came off after the first big spill; hopefull that dye will come out!

so fun:)

paige's favorite egg

Palm Sunday

2010-03-31T16:00:00.000-07:00

Paige, Colby and our neighbor Evely all ready for the big easter egg hunt after church on Palm Sunday. It was their idea to put their baskets over their heads for the picture!:)

Riding the gondola

2010-03-20T07:45:00.000-07:00

ready to ride the heavenly gondola to the top-

the davii

the kids loved the gondola ride, it was so exciting!

checking things out

View from the top

2010-03-20T07:36:00.000-07:00

The views from the top of Heavenly are amazing- here is our best family shot. I think this was the last time Paige smiled unfortunately; she got so cold we had to cut our trip short.

Not so happy girl:(

The boys were lovin it

gorgeous views

March Snow Weekend

2010-03-20T07:16:00.000-07:00

Colby and Ry

gotcha!

G and Brad at the top of the driveway the morning after it snowed. The condo we stayed in is on the left and so is our pilot (covered in snow)... i never thought it would be so much fun to get caught in a snowstorm!

The boys and men loved playing in the snow...
the girls loved the warm cabin:)

February 2010 Snow Day

2010-03-20T07:08:00.000-07:00

we took the kids to play in the snow near the cabin in feb. we did some sledding and some snow angels and the kids had fun until they got cold. well, colby could have gone all day day but paige only lasted an hour!

Big Girl Bed

2010-02-13T14:15:00.000-08:00

Paige is officially in her big girl bed now, we set it up the same day her cousin Zoe was born, actually. We had been talking to her about it for awhile, and she was ready. She loves snuggling into her new covers and using a grown-up pillow. So cute!

Zoe Paulynn

2010-02-12T15:29:00.000-08:00

my niece, zoe paulynn, was born at 1:02am this morning, weighing 8 lbs 9 oz, and 19 in long. oma and i went to visit her today; she is beautiful... so little, so peaceful, she made so made many cute little noises! i am so proud to be her auntie!

Trimming our plum tree

2010-01-22T21:44:00.000-08:00

Greg had some fun trimming our plum tree with papa's chain saw earlier this month. Colby put together a stack of the branches along the side of the house and then had a blast knocking it down. What a fun winter project!

Christmas Day 2009

2010-01-22T21:33:00.000-08:00

Santa was here! Paige's big gift from santa was a horse; Colby's was a power ranger costume and punching bag (he's training to be a power ranger when he grows up)

Making gingerbread houses out of graham crackers at Oma and Papa's... so fun!

Group shot #1

Group shot #2- my favorite

James Marshall Christmas Party

2009-12-16T22:01:00.000-08:00

Colby and Paige had a wonderful time at the James Marshall Christmas Party tonight. Here they are all dressed up!

Colby did an excellent job doing his hand motions and singing on stage. We were so proud!

Colby was brave as he sat on santa's lap and told him what he wanted for Christmas, the play dough ice cream shop set and power ranger boots. Paige started crying immediately when santa entered the room and of course, did not want to sit on his lap!

My cuties just hanging out!

Its finally fall on Lenmar Court

2009-11-30T19:46:00.000-08:00

when we got home from arizona this year, the air was crisp and there were beautiful yellow leaves all over our yard! what a change from the 80 weather we were having in arizona! it finally feels like fall on lenmar court, and the kids couldn't wait to rake up our leaves and jump in them!

Thanksgiving 2009

2009-11-30T19:34:00.000-08:00

what a fun week with our wonderful family in arizona. we love you all so much!!!

golfcart rides with Grandma

dress-up with Alicia

street football with Jeff and Ryan

Greg and Roscoe:)

Halloween 2009

2009-11-05T15:08:00.000-08:00

This year was best halloween ever! I think its because it fell on a saturday... we did goblin gardens in the morning (free on halloween!), costume party at our home that evening, and trick-or-treating after dark! The princess and the scary spider had SO MUCH fun!!!

Pumpkin patch cuties

2009-11-05T14:39:00.000-08:00

So far, we have gone to Goblin Gardens Pumpkin Patch every yr since Colby was born- this yr we almost didn't make it, but at the last minute, we went...

here are the kiddos Halloween morning-
and here is 3 yr old Colby after choosing his pumpkin with G last yr.
P and I on her first visit to the patch in 2007, she was 2 mos old.
and my favorite...
Colby's first visit in 2005, he was 5 mos old:)

JM Halloween Party

2009-10-29T14:06:00.000-07:00

Colby and Mrs. Brown

Jack was a jack-o-lantern- of course!

P was a "flower princess"

Paige and Papa watching the majician

Costume Parade and Performance

2009-10-29T13:49:00.001-07:00

Practicing their "spooky" songs and prepping to go on stage- can u spot the scary black spider in the middle? Hint: NOT the one with the curly head. Think multiple eyes instead!

He LOVED wearing his spider costume!!!

Colby is not in this picture because he was in the back, but i still like the shot of Mrs. B instructing all the kiddos on stage. Soooo cute!

Family pictures

2009-10-14T16:37:00.000-07:00

Here is great shot Joelle took of all of us, I'm so glad to finally have some pictures with Grandpa and Grandma. They have been so involved in both of our kids' lives since they have been born:)

I love this one because it captures my kids' personalities where they are at right now, both of them are bossy and super-talkative!

my handsome 4 year old

my beautiful 2 year old

West Sac Neighbors Parade

2009-10-09T16:10:00.000-07:00

Colby got to participate in his first ever parade and ride on the float representing James Marshall Preschool. Our theme was "Zoom into Preschool- The Road to Success". JMPPNS took first place!

So fun!

Colby got to sit next to his buddy, Keegan.

He also got to color his own t-shirt- you can tell he had fun with it:)

Hanging out with Grandpa and Grandma

2009-09-21T20:09:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple pictures of the kids hanging out with grandpa and grandma this past week and a half. They did so many things with them and had so much fun- I just wasn't there to capture it with my camera! I was too busy taking some much needed time for myself:)

enjoying snuggle time with grandpa

helping grandma make dessert

Our weekend away:)

2009-09-21T20:00:00.000-07:00

Mrs. Clooney

2009-09-21T14:57:00.000-07:00

Davis Labor Day Race

2009-09-07T13:28:00.000-07:00

Greg's 1st race this year- i hope to join him in another one this fall:)

Mmm, muffins!

Waiting for Greg to run out of the tunnel- where is daddy?

The drummers at the hill above the finish line- so great to listen to as we waited for G!

Fall is just around the corner

2009-09-03T13:01:00.000-07:00

Its September, we made it through our first full week of preschool, my first day as a "working parent" at James Marshall, Colby had his first real dental work done (3 fillings) and I'm feeling pretty good about it all- Colby did AMAZING at his dentist appointment! Fall is just around the corner, and we're ready for it. So I changed my header picture from watermelon to apples- these are growing just above my side yard fence thanks to my neighbor, who says we can pick as many as we want:)

Paige is 2!

2009-08-26T21:24:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures I took of Paige today on her 2 year old birthday. I can hardly believe how big she's getting... tonight after I tucked her in, I said, "sweet dreams, I love you" and she said back to me, "sweet dreams, happy birthday!" It was so cute. I guess she heard it a lot today:)

She had her eye on these Dora cupcakes at Sam's Club for the longest time, so she was so excited to have these for her birthday! We did a playdate at the park this morning and then dessert with family tonight to celebrate. I think she had a great day!

Checking out Colby's bug catcher (there's a spider in there) after dessert.

My little two year old

Close-ups

2009-08-13T00:13:00.000-07:00

Kiddie Pool

2009-08-12T23:57:00.000-07:00

We were goofing around at the club's kiddie pool this evening and I took some pictures... this pool has been a life saver for our family this summer when its too hot to go to the park!

Group shot from Tahoe trip

2009-08-12T22:22:00.000-07:00

Colby at 12 months

2009-08-07T21:19:00.000-07:00

I found these pictures I took of Colby at Burberry Park in May 2006. They are so precious, I just had to post them. Mostly for you, Emma. This was when you were in town for his first birthday. What a little love.

My bath

2009-08-04T16:37:00.000-07:00

When I walked into my bathroom to get ready this morning, I had to chuckle. The kids have been bathing in our tub since the faucet broke right off of theirs, and my little corner of heaven that I have tried so hard to keep kid-free has been invaded... not that I take baths anyways, I'm a shower girl myself, but I like the thought of relaxing in my very own luxurious spa-like bathtub... so funny. I sure hope that baby doll doesn't drown in there!

Emerald Bay

2009-08-04T07:37:00.000-07:00

Greg and I standing above Emerald Bay. We took the 1 mile hike down to the water with Bob and Min to see Vikingsholm and check out the view.

Bob and Mindy. Mindy is due in Feb with baby #2. We can't wait!

Family Vacation

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

We took a family vacation to South Lake Tahoe last weekend. My parents' friends have a condo near the stateline which is close to a wonderful beach, so we stayed there for free. My parents also treated us to lots of fun, yummy food, and mornings where we stayed in bed while they took care of the kiddos. The kids had so much fun, and so did we! Here are some pictures from our trip (we took a group shot on Mindy's cam so I'll have to post that later)...
This picture is my fav- Greg and Colby are out there in the canoe.

Just having a ball playing on the shore...

Bob dug a couple of holes for the kids to play in, they loved it:)

Breakfast time!

Lake Tahoe Beach

2009-08-03T20:47:00.000-07:00

Greg and Colby taking off in the canoe

Paigey diggin' into the sand

Playing catch in the water

Relaxing on the shore

Boys will be boys

2009-07-28T00:34:00.000-07:00

So today while we were at the kiddie pool, Colby, Mitchell and a new friend they had just met decided to team up together and turn the pool water into a chocolate river just like on "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory". This was their actual explanation, which is funny, because Colby's never even seen the movie! Kristie and I were at the tables on the other end of the pool, chatting, taking care of our little ones, getting our lunches unpacked when all of the sudden we realized there were mass amounts of dirt being dumped into the pool. Oh my goodness. Note to self: bucket and shovel do not make good pool toys!

Colby and Ry on 4th of July

2009-07-24T01:14:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of Colby's first enjoyable experience with fireworks. We tried them in 2007 and they were terrifying. So we skipped 2008. But this year we set off some fireworks with the Davii and he loved them! Well, until the neighbors started setting off some really loud, illegal ones. Then he and I watched from a window inside the house:)

Sleepyhead

2009-07-24T01:02:00.000-07:00

I just had to capture this moment since it happens so often but I'm using the one doing the carrying... the transfer from carseat to crib... we are so blessed that she wants to continue sleeping!

Cabin weekend with the Cardenas family

2009-07-23T21:55:00.000-07:00

Well, first let me just say that we had a wonderful time at the cabin last weekend with our dear friends, the Cardenas family. We took hikes, we took naps, we bbq'd, we roasted marshmallows around the campfire, but mostly we just hung out in the river that runs right behind our cabin. And that's why all the pictures are taken at the river... Greg and Raul moved many rocks to complete our swimming hole, especially one very LARGE rock which took many, many hours. It was Greg's nemesis, and he conquered it. And then at the 11th hour, my dad decided it would be a good idea to cut down a dead tree which fell right into our swimming hole area and ruined it. Thanks dad. We'll never forget this one:)

Above: Raul and Kyle panning for gold.
Below: Greg and Raul moving "the rock".

Oma and Paige sitting in a chair, in the river. Paige is thinking, "are these guys seriously still trying to move that rock?"

Our completed swimming hole (the rock was originally in the middle, now its on the left). Pictures courtesy of my mom's camera. Funny how my mom didn't grab the camera to take a picture of the tree after it fell right here...

My little "Grover"

2009-07-23T21:34:00.000-07:00

I don't know if you've ever read "Grover's Own Alphabet", but Colby wanted me to read it before bed tonight. He also wanted to try and make as many of the letters as he could with his own body, just like Grover does in the book. Some of these letters required my assistance, but I was happy to play along as Paige was already down and Greg has softball tonight. It was so much fun!!! He even wanted to put a real ice cube on his head when he made the letter "I". Sometimes I just love how his little brain works!

Colby's letter "I"

Close-up of the ice cube on his head (which he proceeded to eat after we were done)!

Rockstars Paige and Mommy

2009-07-15T14:50:00.000-07:00

Does it get any better than this?

Drake's Beach

2009-07-14T13:16:00.000-07:00

Rachel drove us to Drake's Beach on Monday, a place her family has being going to for years. Colby and Ryland had so much fun running from the waves, digging in the sand and just being boys in general. The girls had a nice time sitting and relaxing while we watched the boys wear themselves out. It was a bit cold and windy at first, but then the wind died down and we were able to enjoy the sunshine and the salty air. What a beautiful day!

What a beautiful day

2009-07-14T13:09:00.000-07:00

Colby's first shell. He brought it to me to save it for him.

Beautiful beach baby

Selah took a little nap on Rachel while we sat. I love this picture. There is nothing more relaxing than a baby sleeping on you... so peaceful...

Paige was with her Oma for the day. I wasn't sure if I could (or wanted to) keep track of two active children at the beach. There will be plenty more times for her to join us:)

Our 4th of July in pictures

2009-07-04T15:31:00.000-07:00

Our flag-

Paige got into my dresser this morning...
Colby wanted to play dress-up, too:)

Colby still likes "helping" Greg mow the lawn. So cute.

Snack time. Fresh cherries are yummy (and messy)!

All smiles

2009-07-02T14:37:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures I snapped a couple weeks ago when I was babysitting Callie during Felicity's ballet recital. Even though Paige is only 6 months older than Callie, she likes to "mother" her quite a bit... the girls played so cute together, though, and I just had to capture it!

Happy Birthday Greg

2009-06-27T21:01:00.000-07:00

G and I went to the River Cats game with Sue and Raul on Fri night to celebrate his 37th bday. You can't beat the dollar hot dogs and ice cream sandwiches! It was a warm evening and we had a good time hanging out with our good friends at the game and at the Streets of London Pub afterwards.

Sue and I sat in front of the guys so we got to hear their running commentary the whole game. Quite entertaining at times.

Sacramento has a beautiful skyline... I love the tower bridge.

Old Fashioned Girl

2009-06-26T00:32:00.000-07:00

Is that Paige or Emma?
The other day we were at the park and a complete stranger told me that me, my mom and Colby all looked so much alike. Then she asked if Paige belonged to me, too, and when I said yes, she said she must look like my husband's side of the family. So true.

Cousins

2009-06-26T00:22:00.000-07:00

I know, I know, another cousin post. These two are just so cute together its hard not to take pictures!

I love this age. I can't belive P is turning 2 in a couple months.

My mom bought Paige this dress... I love this picture because it looks old fashioned like it could have been taken 50 years ago.

Happy Father's Day

2009-06-21T14:01:00.000-07:00

Here's a picture of the kids helping me make breakfast the other morning. So much fun!
Today on Father's Day, Paige and Daddy slept in while Colby and I made eggs, toast and coffee for Greg. Then we served it to him in bed and Paige woke up to join in the fun and share his eggs. Greg is a wonderful father and we are so incredibly blessed because of him:)

Paigey

2009-06-14T16:03:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted any pictures of Paige in a while so I snapped a few this afternoon. Here is our beautiful 21 month old!

A couple more true-to-life shots from graduation

2009-06-14T15:36:00.000-07:00

"My mom is making me pose for this picture... when can I go play with my friends over there???"

"Although they want me to take a picture with my buddy Mitchell, its so much more fun to poke this little girl in the back of her head..."

Preschool Play and Graduation

2009-06-14T15:17:00.000-07:00

Performing "The Little Red Hen". Colby is front and center with the black A's shirt on. The woman on the right in the turquoise outfit is his teacher, Mrs. Brown, (who is 70 years old by the way and amazing!) and the woman holding the prop wearing black was our president of the board last year, and my friend, Dana.

Colby's line: "Job's too big, said Bob the pig, job is just too big".

Mrs. Brown and Colby. Colby just adores her and we couldn't be happier!

The proud graduate:)

Preschool is over...until next year

2009-06-04T19:11:00.000-07:00

Today was Colby's last day of preschool... well, until next year. What a fun day. The children got to play outside in the school yard and have a picnic (while the parents cleaned out the classroom). It was a little sad saying goodbye, but we plan to be at James Marshall for the next 3 years with Colby and Paige, so that made it easier. I guess the parent participation component really makes it hard for some to leave. Talk to me in 3 years and I bet I'll be crying! We LOVE this preschool:) I am on the board of directors this upcoming year as secretary so I will be even more involved. We'll see how that goes...

Last night was the annual end-of-year celebration for both classes. 50 kids and their families. The children performed "The Little Red Hen" complete with songs and props. Everyone "graduated" in caps and gowns to Kindergarten (or to their second year of preschool). Kind of silly, I know, but totally adorable! Colby got to play the part of "Bob the Pig" (there were actually two Bobs... he he he... I had no idea he would be chosen to play a part at all, Mrs. Brown chose them on the spot) and he did a fantastic job. He really impressed us with his stage presence. He was front and center, serious, full of confidence. He sang all the songs and even did the hand motions! He is not the same shy little boy who started preschool last fall... Like I said, we LOVE this preschool!

The Wittenbergs took pictures for us (like I said I had no idea he would be Bob the Pig and he usually hides in the back, so I didn't even bring my camera) so when I get those pictures, I'll post them. For now, I'll say a little prayer for my sleepy 4-year old and hope for another wonderful school year in the fall. Did I mention we LOVE this preschool?

Firestation Fieldtrip

2009-05-13T21:26:00.000-07:00

The day after Colby's birthday, his preschool took a fieldtrip to Firestation 45 in West Sac. I learned the differnce between a fire fighter and an engineer, a fire truck and a fire engine. It was really cool.

They let all the kids take a turn squirting the hose. Colby got a kick out of it.

Mrs. Brown had a go at it, too!

The things I let my children do to me...

2009-05-07T22:37:00.000-07:00

Greg thought this was hilarious and had to get a picture!

Happy Birthday Colby

2009-05-07T22:30:00.000-07:00

Today was all about Colby, as it should have been...

Colby and me at preschool. I brought cupcakes for the whole class.

Colby receiving his birthday crown from Mrs. Brown.

Lounging at the pool.

Blowing out his 4 candles.

Colby's almost 4

2009-05-01T15:03:00.000-07:00

Colby's almost 4 years old and my toddler has disappeared! He is such a little BOY now! We just cut his hair super-short (not pictured) and it broke my heart to see those curls go. But they'll be back:) I was just thinking about my sweet boy and I thought I would post some pictures from the last four years of his life. So here you go.

My crazy 3 year old!

2 years and lovin' it.

1 year and active as ever!

My 1 week old baby. I love this picture because it captures what it was really like for us. Colby was crying and I was clueless. But I was madly in love:)

First time at the dentist

2009-04-21T14:09:00.000-07:00

Looks can be deceiving. That orange mouth is actually cleaner than its ever been! Paige is enjoying a sugar-free lollipop courtesy of Dr. Laura Foster. Yep, Paige went to the dentist for the first time ever today, and she did fabulous. She let the Dr. and hygienist examine & clean her teeth, no problem. Well, the only problem was that she wanted to feel all the instruments with her tongue and that little tongue kept getting in the way! It was actually really cute and made us all laugh. She ran around the office all smiley and chatty and made friends with everyone. Especially the fish. Who knew going to the dentist could be this fun?

"ScreamFree" moments

2009-04-19T13:00:00.000-07:00

So Greg and I have been reading this book, ScreamFree Parenting, and we both feel like there is a lot of valuable stuff in there. Check out the link to the right if you want to see what its all about. We had a couple of wonderful "ScreamFree" moments with our children yesterday evening that I thought I would share...
(First, let me just preface this by saying that Colby has literally been getting dressed all by himself for less than 2 months and he's almost 4. Its been a major struggle for us. And there has been many times that I've "screamed" at him to get dressed.)
So the first "ScreamFree" moment was between Greg and Paige. Mindy and I went to the hairdresser's together and Greg and Bob took the kids over to my parents' home for dinner, where we would meet them after we were done. When I arrived at my parents' house, Paige was wearing the craziest outfit! Her new multi-colored/patterned swim shirt (backwards) and short, red sweat shorts. Greg explained: she was quietly playing in her own room after her bath and when she emerged, she had chosen her own outfit and dressed herself! Now mind you, she is only 1 and a half! So of course, he let her keep her crazy outfit on and took her to dinner that way! I don't think I would have let her leave the house that way. Way to surrender control, Greg, and let her make her own decisions!
The second thing happened to us at bedtime. Greg told Colby it was time to put his pjs on. Colby looked at me and said, "I can put my pjs on whenever I want to, right, mom?". I said to him, "yes, you can choose to put your pjs on whenever you want, but if you choose to wait to put them on, there will not be time to read a book before bed." Pjs went on immediately. Wow. This ScreamFree stuff really works:)

Happy Easter

2009-04-12T20:22:00.000-07:00

We had a blessed Easter Sunday with our wonderful family, good friends, lots of yummy food, two egg hunts and even two "church" services. The kids were of course wiped out by bedtime, and when I was getting ready to tuck Paige in tonight, she gave me a gift. She reminded me what today was, is and will always be about. As we sat down to rock, she said "Jesus" in her sweet little baby voice. As I rocked her back and forth singing "Jesus Loves Me" (because that's what she was asking for), I was able to reflect on the true meaning of Easter and how truly blessed we are. Thank you Lord.

Celebrating Mitchell's birthday

2009-04-11T13:19:00.000-07:00

We were invited to join Mitchell and his cousins at Funderland today to help celebrate Mitchell's birthday. (Being one of Mitchell's best buddies sure has its perks!) Colby and Paige had so much fun!!!

Happy birthday, Mitch!

Easter decorations

2009-04-05T14:05:00.000-07:00

My favorite Easter decorations. Colby made these at preschool and I just had to share them. Aren't they wonderful?

River Church Easter Egg Hunt 2009

2009-04-05T13:50:00.000-07:00

Waiting for the hunt to start

The easter bunny in his balloon

Diving in

Treats!

After the hunt

2009-04-05T13:46:00.000-07:00

Hangin' with friends

Showing Oma

Sharing with Zach

I'm outta here and I'm taking my candy with me!

P.S. No River Church hunt for Paige this year, it was naptime:(
She'll get to look for eggs at Papa & Oma's on Easter Sunday.

Bathtime with Jackson

2009-04-01T14:40:00.000-07:00

After a messy afternoon in the backyard, Jackson and Paige had some good clean fun in the bath together last week.

Jelly Belly Factory Tour

2009-04-01T14:33:00.000-07:00

Maria, Heather and I took the kids on the Jelly Belly Factory tour today. The kids loved it; especially the bag of free jelly beans they each received after the tour was over!

Silly boys!

Checking out the factory down below.

All 9 of us... 10 if you count Bella:)

I love the spring!

2009-03-23T17:19:00.000-07:00

My carolina jasmine is bursting with yellow blossoms on my front porch and it smells wonderful... little blue flowers have started popping up all over the ground cover on my beds...
I love the spring!

Our "bling bling" bird nest

2009-03-23T17:01:00.000-07:00

Our whole family enjoyed watching two beautiful little birds work together to put up this nest in our pergola this weekend. It only took them a couple of days. Greg and I got a kick out of the fact that they used the tinsel that our neighbors hung on their fruit trees to scare the birds away!

Colby loves his Oma

2009-03-19T13:21:00.000-07:00

Colby & Jackson

2009-03-19T12:58:00.000-07:00

Colby & Jackson had a great time playing in our backyard the other day while Paige was napping. Jackson especially loved pushing around Colby's lawnmower. Colby told me recently that Jackson is his "favorite kid". He loves to make silly faces to make Jackson laugh! Here are a few shots of the cousins playing together.

Jackson's pose cracks me up in this picture!

Vroooom!

Hi!

Sandbox play

2009-03-19T12:23:00.000-07:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day 2009

2009-03-16T23:06:00.000-07:00

We had a little fun this year and started a new tradition of "Liam the Leprechaun" visiting on St. Patrick's Day morning. He left the kids each a shamrock at their spot at the table with a clue on the back to help them find some of the treasure from his pot of gold he left behind. He left a trail of glitter and caused a little mischief everywhere he went! Colby got the biggest kick out it and told me he wants to bring his treasure for show and tell on Friday!

Goodbye February, welcome March!

2009-03-01T13:12:00.001-08:00

Well, it has been a lazy, rainy March so far... but its only March 1st! Paige is taking a long nap so I thought I'd sneak away and blog while Greg and Colby are busy playing together. February was such a great month (and I usually hate it). My birthday was actually sunny! Greg and I got away for a kid-free weekend in Tahoe to celebrate my 34th birthday and Valentine's Day and that was fabulous. We slept in, walked all over town, ate yummy food and rode the Heavenly gondola all the way to the top of the mountain for a fantastic view of the lake. Unfortunately, my camera battery died so I don't have any pictures, but the memories will stay with me forever. Such a wonderful weekend together! I also helped Maria host a baby shower for our dear friend, Heather, on Valentine's Day. It was so fun to have a party in honor of Heather and the baby girl that will soon be stirring things up in what is now an an all-boy home! Forgot my camera that day... pictures on Heather's blog. We also had a snow shoe/sledding day at the cabin planned in February, but a big snow storm kept us from going. Hopefully we'll get up there soon before the snow melts away. Something to look forward to in March:)
Happy March everyone!

Born to swing

2009-02-26T17:10:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures of P enjoying one of her favorite pastimes.

flying high

knuckles

all done

Tumble Bunnies

2009-02-26T16:54:00.000-08:00

Paige and I started a toddler tumbling class this month in the mornings while Colby's at preschool. We're having a blast with Oma and Jackson and with Gina and Jack who are all in the class. It seems like just yesterday I was doing this with Colby!

Cousins rule!

Paige checks out Jack on the parachute.

Jackson was diggin' the sticks!

Good morning!

2009-02-26T07:02:00.000-08:00

I served breakfast to Batman and Spidergirl this morning. This makes waking up at 5am well worth it!!!

Rainy Day Field Trip

2009-01-23T14:51:00.000-08:00

Colby's preschool took a field trip to a ceramic studio this week. Colby and Mitchell had fun painting mugs together. It was the perfect field trip for a rainy day. Yes, rain! The weather is finally acting like its supposed to in January! Anyways, I am so glad Kristie brought her camera so that I have pictures to post. As you can tell by the pictures, the boys had a wonderful time. We are so happy that Mitchell has joined us at JM!

Fairytale Town

2009-01-20T12:47:00.000-08:00

We went to Fairytale Town on Monday afternoon since Greg had the day off and we continue to have a warm January here in Sacramento. I just love this place. Being built in the 50's, it has a special charm that modern play areas lack. It is perfect for little busy bodies like my children!

Both kids checked out the sheep first (above). Then it was straight to walking "the crooked mile"with Dad. Colby did it several times.

Paige loved the jack and the beanstalk slide.

Colby loved owl's treehouse slide. We ran into the Clark family there, and Colby had fun running around with Mason and Alex after that.
Here is a picture of Mason and Colby at the top of the slide.

Park Pictures

2009-01-13T21:12:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures that Kristie took of our children at the park today. It has been so unusually warm and sunny for January that my kids have played at the park every day for the last 4 days. Colby keeps asking if we can go swimming! Its been tough to convince him that although it feels warm in the sun, 63 degrees is not exactly pool weather!

Colby and Mitchell

Look at me!

Little climber

Break time for Alexander

Life is way too serious!

2009-01-06T20:53:00.000-08:00

The old me would have never posted this picture, but I have resolved to try and enjoy my children more this year and not take everything so seriously:)

Paige is growing

2009-01-06T10:34:00.000-08:00

Paige's 15 month check-up stats from her December check-up:
31 1/4 inches tall, 24 lbs, and head circumference of 46 cm. I'm not sure what all this means except that she's healthy and she's growing. Her younger cousin Jackson has officially passed her up, which we are ok with. After all, she is a girl! By the way, she didn't even cry for her shots! Way to go Paige!

Snow Day

2009-01-03T17:20:00.000-08:00

We took Colby up to the snow for the very first time today while Paige spent the day with Papa and Oma. Colby has been talking about snow for a while now... when is it going to snow, where does the snow come from, why doesn't it snow where we live etc. We really wanted him to get to experience it firsthand, so we planned a snow day during his winter break from school. Here are some pictures of Colby enjoying the snow.

Wishing you a peaceful New Year!

2008-12-30T19:03:00.000-08:00

Top 10 Team Heilner Memorable Events of 2008

2008-12-29T11:38:00.000-08:00

10. Making Colby's ghost costume for Halloween- he was so proud to wear it!
9. Our first family vacation with just the four of us (Half Moon Bay)
8. When Colby locked us out of our hotel bathroom in Half Moon Bay and we soon discovered along with the hotel staff that a key did not exist!
7. Paige's first steps on the playroom floor
6. When Colby made the decision to wear big boy undies instead of diapers- and stuck to it!
5. When Paige climbed out of her highchair on to our kitchen table, stood up and clapped for herself (highchair seat belt now being used)
4. The discovery of "the morning light"
3. Giving up nursing my last baby
2. The bravery Colby displayed on his first day of preschool
1. When I laid Paige in her crib the other night and said a prayer over her, I opened my eyes and looked down and saw two tiny hands clasped together, praying along with me

Merry Christmas

2008-12-26T15:25:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Jesus!

2008-12-22T08:02:00.000-08:00

We started a new tradition of baking a birthday cake for Jesus this year. Colby was excited to help. Here is the finished product.

The train museum's all decked out for Christmas

2008-12-22T07:49:00.000-08:00

We went on a family outing to the train museum Sunday afternoon in the rain. It was so pretty & festive inside the museum.

Colby and Mrs. Clooney

2008-12-20T08:16:00.000-08:00