Mexico 2012

It is still so easy to go.  Affordable vacation allowing all of us to play in the sun and sand for a few days. The girls loved the pools and running around, Kuba - well, a bit early to tell, and mom and dad? Happy not to have to think about cooking and cleaning every day.  A little brainless, but so much fun.  Ella was brave enough to go snorkling and Maya dipped herself in the open ocean waters as well.  We are fortunate to have the opportunity to do these little trips!

Last summer weekend

We drove up the coast to Mendocino to play by the ocean a bit.  The girls got a chance to run around on the beaches and Kuba enjoyed some sun as well.  It's the last weekend of the summer - it was fun to celebrate with the ocean breeze in the background!

Up next, EPO and Blood Transfusions

Ok, so I have to admit, I have high aspirations for her....

Ella's First Bike Ride - Click Here

A little bit of ballet

Nothing seems to get Ella more excited then a tutu and someone watching her perform. We figured we had to get her excitement on tape.

Check her out here

Summer pictures...

We had a chance to do a mini photo shoot with our family while in Sioux Falls...some fun pics!

Summer - halfway over!

We have had a lot of fun so far this summer with hot, hot days in the midwest and sunny days in California.  We also spent some time at Clear Lake and some wineries, train town in Sonoma - then finally to Sioux Falls, Lake Okoboji, and Minneapolis.  So many friends - and good times with grandma and grandpa too.

Kuba, almost two months old!

He's growing fast...and the girls seem to be having fun with him too!

Beach Time

A few little trips over the past two months, particularly spending time at the beach.  We've been to Santa Cruz, Lake Tahoe, and Stinson Beach spending lots of time playing and enjoying the weather...

Welcome Jakob!!!

Jakob arrived on Friday, April 27th, at 8:30 am screaming and wanting attention immediately!  The first week has been relatively peaceful, all things considered; we're all having fun, enjoying the baby bliss world for the moment.  All grandparents were on hand to share in the joy, and most importantly, Ella and Maya have been excited to spend time with their baby brother.  We're all grateful for the joys of the expanded family and we're sure that things will get a bit more hectic soon!  Here are some pics from the hospital, the trip home (three car seats!) and the first few days.

Easter 2012

Beautiful weather, many friends, family, eggs, and many Easter Bunnies!  We went to San Francisco to bless our Easter basket, and enjoyed lots of activities the entire weekend.   There were much too much candy all around, but the girls loved every minute of it.

Tahoe, Winter 2012

Not much snow this year and unfortunately we had to postpone our trip a few times as it never came falling...still, we got to go skiing a bit, sledding, and enjoy the lake beach too.  Since mommy is not skiing this year, we'll have to try again next year.

Brithdays at the Smiths!

We celebrated both birthdays in March with Maya turning 2 on March 1 and Ella turning 4 on March 16th.  The best part was a bigger birthday celebration with our friends Milo, Brady, Ella, and Jude and a big clown while skiing in Tahoe!  Brady was a bit scared, but Ella explained to him, "Brady, don't worry, it's not a real clown - it's just a person dressed up as a clown!"  - a bit worried about Santa this winter...

Wine country outing...middle of winter

We're a bit behind in our posts - but we took these fun pics in January this year.  It's great to visit the wine country - we're lucky to live here!

Smith Household - aka Dance Party USA

Somehow our daughters have already started to develop an obsession with Pop/Dance music which I had hoped would evolve much later in their teenage years. Maybe it's Ania turning up Madonna and dancing around every time it comes on Pandora or my self proclaimed "money" dance moves that I pull out for Matisyahu these days, but all it took was a plastic guitar and a little bit of open space and dancing is now the main attraction of family activities. Ella and Maya have even worked out each other's role in the band (Ella is the dancer, Maya is the guitarist). So, of course I had to make a video...

Click Here: http://youtu.be/U0lj2HhNyh0


Oh, and make sure to have your volume on


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December 2011 - not really winter yet

We've been busy with lots of family visiting for the holidays, Santa arriving on a boat, picking out a Christmas tree, trips to Napa, and many trips to the beach. The weather has kept us outdoors and we feel lucky to spend so many days enjoying the sunshine, although this may not work for skiing in Tahoe in the spring! Here are a few pics...