The Losinwalds take the Capital and more.....

One of my old neighbors, Tammy, gave me some great advice when we moved here. She said, " pretend like you guys are tourists for the next year and try and go and see everything you can because it makes the transition so much easier." So that is just what we have decided to do. One day out of each weekend we are trying to go and discover something new about our new home state (new to us).

We decided to start with the State Capital Building! Unlike Georgia, California's State Capital Building is surrounded by the most beautiful landscape and is safe to walk around and visit. One os every type of tree that is found in California grows on the property.

There are the most beautiful citrus trees, a Cactus garden( Emma's favorite), a rose garden and sculptures throughout. We have not been inside of it yet we are saving that for another day!

We have also named certain days we are all together as a "VANS Day!" We all now own a pair of vans ( Dave is beside himself) and Emma insists that we all wear them at the same time. So if you come to visit, you must leave with a pair of Vans! ( Mimi we will give it another try next time!)

Our next adventure was to a small town called Sutter Creek. It is located in Amador county and is about 30 minutes away. It is an old mining town and most of it was built during the gold rush. It is a beautiful drive. I never thought of California being so picturesque. I guess I always thought of it as LA or San Fran, but driving through the countryside I feel like I am in a foreign country.

We had a great time eating lunch, stopping at the ice cream store and enjoying the day.

Did I mention it is right by the Shenandoah Valley. Hello, WINE TASTING!!!!

Peanut!

Today Ellison and I met our new pediatrician, Dr. O'Malley. We were in for her long over due 9 month appointment. I am happy to report that she checked out perfectly. I titled this post Peanut because, much to my surprise, her measurements were all way under that of her older sisters.

Here are her stats:

Weight: 17 lbs 5.3 oz 15th percentile

Height: 2 feet 3.75 inches 44th percentile

Head Circumference: 17 inches 27Th percentile

For as tiny as she is on the measurement scales her appetite is off the charts. I have never seen anything like it. She loves all finger foods but her favorites right now are blackberries, avocados, perogies, lima beans, carrots, apples, cheese, turkey, chicken and sweet potatoes.

She is crawling around like a pro. This started while I was in New Jersey about 2 days after her 9 month birthday. She also finally had the arrival of her first tooth this morning. She can pull herself up on anything that will hold her weight and she will put everything she can in her mouth. This has made it a lot of fun for us after Gretta eats her treats. If we do not get the crumbs up, Ellison will. YUK!

She is a Mama's girl and loves her big sister! Her squeals of joy can be heard around the block each time she sees her sister first thing in the morning.

And let me not forget to mention Nelda. Nelda is her favorite baby doll. We have to thank Aunt Nancy for this. It is her favorite possession and her sleeping partner.

She is our little peanut and we are so enjoying watching her grow!

Happy Belated Birthday, Miss Loni!

Anyone who knows us, knows Miss Loni! She is part of our family and her birthday was on Sunday and we missed it. Loni, we are so sorry. I do not have a calendar at the house yet so I had it in my mind that it was today! We love you and hope you had a wonderful one.

One thing we did not miss for Loni was her baptism. Modern technology helped us out here. We watched her on the internet. Emma was amazed and we were all so excited for her. Even though we could not be there in person we felt like we were part of her special moment.

I can not say it enough how much Loni has shaped my daughters' lives. She is truly an amazing person and we can not wait for her to visit. She holds a special place in our hearts and we just wanted everyone to know.

Loni, You are the BEST!!!!

Love Bugs!

Happy Valentine's Day!

We had a day full of love and we hope all of our loved ones did too!

Thank you to everyone for the special treats you sent. We are enjoying them all.

It has been a while since I last posted so excuse the length of the next several postings. I am just now feeling like I am starting to get a grip on life. It has been a busy last few months.

So it is Valentine's day and Dave and I are together, my girls are all smiles and of course that means party at school. Kiara ( hopefully our new nanny) and I went to Emma's school for her V- Day party!

Have I mentioned how much she loves her school and how much we do. Who would not with big icing cookies and Friendship salad! But it is really more than that. In the time that we have been here Emma has learned how to read. Yes, read! She has probably known for some time but has been too shy to share this with us. When Miss Perry asked me one day after school," Can Emma read?" I replied, " she likes to read a lot of books with us at home but she has never read anything to us." She said, " No, Stacy, She can read!" And so she can! She came home with her first book, I See You, which made me cry. I am so proud of her for so many reasons, but this one still brings tears of joy to my eyes because she is so proud of herself too!

She really is Awesome Emma!