Huntington Beach Feb 2011

We like to take a winter trip to Huntington Beach every year, which is always rejuvenating in so many ways.  It's nice to get away, it's nice to have warmer weather, and most of all, it's nice to see green plants!!!  February tends to be a dreary month in Utah.  The inversion is ugly.  The plants are ugly.  The weather is just plain cold and ugly.  It's so nice to get away to our little slice of heaven!

This is a total classic Will face.  He's our little goofball!

I love these brothers!  

Cuteness by the fountain.

I love my little buddies!  

Caution: Extreme Cuteness

I may be a little obsessive about it after having two boys, but I love all the girly, cutesie stuff that I get to do with Molly!  I love headbands and curlers and flowers...the whole shebang.  And I love that she loves it!  Today she told me her favorite color is pink.  Pink!  Ah, so girly.  So great.
(I wouldn't care if she loved blue and bugs...but I've done that, twice.  It's so fun to have a change!)

Winter Cluster

Every year we have a "winter cluster" birthday party in the Clayton family.  Because it's when all the cool people have birthdays!  Within a month, all of us get to celebrate!  This picture does not include Thomas or Jeff, whose birthdays are in the cluster within the cluster (Thomas: Jan 25, Mike & Jeff: Jan 26, Molly: Jan 27), or Alta.  Also, one person in the picture is officially out of the cluster.  But he wasn't technically part of the family anyway...

Daddy and his little Princess!  I can't help but just love her little piggies.  They're so cute on her!!

The boys thought it was hilarious to pretend to be Papa and wear his reading glasses.
(Sorry Jane, he was in a lot of my pictures!)
(Sorry Nelson, I know you wish you could be part of a real cluster too.  Maybe some day we'll have enough Spring birthdays to form one officially.)

California Girls...

Ain't got nothin' on this Utah girl!  (Don't you hate it when you get really dumb songs stuck in your head?  Thanks Katy Perry.)

I got some great pictures from our February trip to Huntington Beach (which I still need to blog), but this one is my fave!  These boys love their sister!  Molly is hilarious, she can definitely hold her own against them!  They're really cute with her though.  Even when she's bugging them, they seem to have extra patience with her that they just don't have for each other.  Baby steps, right?

Good Times

It's always fun to see what kids come up with when they dress up...

Little Miss Accessories.  This kid always has something on her head, wrist or ankle.  Often all three.  And she loves to wear "goggles" which could mean actual swimming goggles or sunglasses.  As long as she can wear it, she doesn't care!

I was out in the garage for a minute, and when I came back in I discovered Molly dancing in a puddle of chocolate milk on the counter.  2 is such a fun age!

Just a Little Behind...

And now I can't even remember exactly when we took the kids hiking.  This one was probably September, and it was a lot of fun!  We've taken them on this hike before and they love it.  It's up Little Cottonwood Canyon. 

 Molly was patting the back of his neck and saying, "Mama."  Haha, Mike didn't love the whole "mama" thing!

 Close up of where Mike took the boys while Molly and I waited at the bottom.

 The boys are a tiny dot up in the left corner, just below the trees.

My awesome little hikers!  They lead the way and set a good pace for the rest of us!

This video was when Molly and I were waiting for the boys to come back for their steep excursion.  I think it's hilarious, but Mike isn't amused.  He's glad she calls him the correct name now!

Dear Emily,

It was so nice of you to let me run to Costco while you stayed at my house with my kids.  And it was so nice of you to warn me that everything Sam colored on with blue sharpie was washable.  And it was so nice of you to encourage me to enjoy my alone time running errands.  You are wonderful! 

Be sure to notice the "watches" as Sam gave one to each of them, and was very proud of them!

And if it makes you feel any better...this is what we usually do with markers!

At least this was blue magic marker.  Which doesn't actually wash off as easily as you might think.  Well, when it's on that thick.  :)

This was the day after your blue sharpie incident...I found Will sitting on my bed coloring on himself and Molly.  Amazingly, blue sharpie didn't get on anything but skin!

Thanks for being so great!

Much Love, 

Becky

P.S. Jane, I am gathering courage to start catching up on pictures since...oh, probably October.  I'll do it, I swear!  :)