The Concordia Roommates back together...and all married!

The Wives

Cruise 2009? Yes Please!


We had yet another wedding....I'm loosing count of how many there have been these past 9 months!!! Trav's last roommate from Concordia was married at the end of January. The reception was at the Grand Californian....love this hotel! It was fun seeing people that I hadn't seen since high school and watching Trav with the guys....they are hysterical! We have a break from weddings until October! Whew!

Zoey Adair!

Kris feeding Zoey

waited a long time to hold her!

the nurse let me help with her care!

so precious!

Zoey arrived!!!! ( Ok, it was last month but I have not been on this thing in a LONG time!) She is super cute and is already styling in her Hurley gear! I think we will have a little surfer/tomboy on our hand! She had to spend a week and a half in he NICU so my parents and I went out to AZ during that time. And, it made me want to work in the NICU! Zoey is growing fast and much loved by her big bros!

Christmas Day 2008

Christmas Eve 2008

At the Hardeman's

With Kristel and her boys

Feeding the Reindeer

Mimi, Papa and the boys

Making sure the cookies are out!

Christmas is by far my favorite time of year. I love when the FISH starts playing Christmas Carols or when it finally gets a little bit colder outside ( a rare occasion in SoCal), when my mom pulls out my grandma's Christmas cookie recipe, or shopping and imaging how excited family will be when they open their gifts. I love church services and the joy that seems to fill the pews as we all anxiously await the celebration of our Savior's birth. This year Christmas was extra special. Trav and I got to spend it together with our families, something we were never able to do while dating.

We both come from families that have carried on traditions for many, many years and I love it. I look forward to the years to come where our kids will be joining in on them. Trav had to work till 7pm but I was off at 4 so I joined my parents and my sister w/ her boys for church. It was perfect because we went to the children's service and I was able to take my nephews up front for the message. They had saucers for eyes as they listened to the pastor and sang "Angels We Have Heard on High" Afterwards, we went to my parents for dinner and Trav met up with us after work. Every Christmas Eve, we read the Christmas story from Luke...we take turns reading it each year. Even though I hear it every year, it still has this magical feeling to it. I love looking around and seeing my family snuggling together as we listen to the greatest story. After that, my dad reads the "Night Before Christmas" and now the kids put out cookies and milk in hopes that Santa will come! This year, my mom added the "reindeer food" for Parker and Kody. They sprinkled glitter and oats on the grass...it was pretty cute!

After that, Trav and I headed over to his parents house. As we all curled up on the couches in their living room, his mom got ready to pass out the packages. A Hardeman tradition, that has been passed on since Cindy was little, is that on Christmas Eve everyone receives their first Christmas present, new pajamas. I have to say, this could very easily become one of my favorite traditions as I LOVE pajamas! I also love that everyone's pajamas are matching. The boys were given black sweats this year while the girls showed true Christmas spirit in red. Another tradition is a new game to be played. Thankfully, I grew up playing games and love them because they are definitely a game family and I love it! Snowboarding for Wii was the game this year! Not only is it fascinating to feel as if you are really snowboarding, but you can't stop because you just want to meet the goal or try new tricks! Thanks to that game, Trav and I have had the itch to go "real" snowboarding which we are planning for the end of January!

Six Degrees

Ashley, Mel and I waiting for the ceremony to start

She's graduated!!

Colorado State's grad

Caitlin and I have been friends since we were 2. We started pre-school and were instant friends. Growing up we had our ups and downs, our differences, and of course those awful years when we found out we were in separate classes..which of course was the end of the world when you are a 3rd grader. Cate was always a little shy so when she told me she was going to college at Colorado State, I didn't believe. Little did I know it would be the best thing for her! She has truly made her college years the best years that they could have been. Over the past four years I was never able to head out to CO to visit her because I was in school also so going to her graduation was a priority. Ashley, Melissa, and I flew out there for the weekend to see our best friend complete her college career! I haven't been back to CO since I lived there ( which i was too young to remember) but I loved it! While it was 6 degrees outside, there was snow everywhere and her town of Fort Collins is the cutest little town I have seen! It was great meeting her friends and seeing the places that have been her home for the past 4 years. She is staying in Denver for an internship at the Denver Museum so I have a feeling that won't be my last trip to CO!

( Cate and I made an awesome memory that trip...we completed our collection of graduation pictures. We have one together from Kindergarten, 8th grade, high school, and both of us from college!)

AZ Trip

So, I am a little delayed in updating, but I have a day so I should get caught up in the blogging world! At the beginning of December my mom and I flew to AZ for a whirl wind of a trip! We headed to Lyndsay's house first where we watched sweet Lexi perform in the "Nutcracker"! What a natural dancer she is! For being only 7 her stage presence is amazing! We had fun spending time with Lexi and Tessa, although the time went way too fast. We ventured on to Kristel's side of AZ. Kody turned 2 and we celebrated his birthday at the train park! The next morning, Kristel's friend Stacey threw her a surprise baby shower! And was she ever surprised! After that we were back on a plane, heading back to the OC. While it was a fast trip, we were able to do so much and see everyone! Here are some pictures from the weekend...
Mimi and her little ballerinas

The birthday boy

at the train park

HIs new bike!

Parker was a good helper!

Hudson Has Arrived!!!!

Hud and his Uncle Trav!!!

So Precious!

Little Snuggle Bug!

Such a Sweet Baby!

On November 16 our 10th nephew was born, Hudson Tine Ploog! He had the biggest welcoming party! Hud is the sweetest little boy! He loves to snuggle and it is so fun watching Vander with his new brother! Those two are going to be best buds growing up! We are so thankful for our new nephew and are so blessed for all the nieces/nephews we have in our lives....they have all stolen our hearts!!!!

Vander turns 2!

Last Saturday was Vander's 2nd birthday party!!! Time flies because it feels like he was just born!!! The party was so much fun and Vander had tons of fun playing with all his friends! The place were it was at had a massive bounce house....which the "big kids" enjoyed it too! ( Trav and I still have our battle wounds from it!) With our other nieces and nephews living out of state, it is so fun having Van be just a few minutes away and being able to watch him grow up! And to think he is going to have a new baby brother any day!!! We are anxiously waiting!

Here are some pics from the party :-)

Riding the motorcycle!

He can rock climb!

Weeeeee!

King of the table!

Make a wish!

Present Time!

Mr. and Mrs. Luster!!!!

This past Saturday one of Trav's best friends, Levi, who was his roommate and teammate at Concordia got married! It was a beautiful ceremony and reception in Temecula. Ashley, the bride, arrived in a horse-drawn carriage...talk about fairy tale! The sweetest thing was watching Levi wait for his Bride. The love and excitement he felt was shown all over his face and as he came to tears when seeing his Bride for the first time that day, I think the whole crowd did also! They are such a special couple and great friends to us. Trav was honored to be one of the best men and stand beside Levi. We are excited for the years to come with them!!!


Look at that smile!

Kiss the bride!

Trav's Best Man speech!

Looking good boys!

The beautiful bride!

Nice Levi!

CUI guys

Butterfields hit the pumpkin patch!

It's hard having all the nieces and nephews living out of state! I was spoiled when I had them here in California and now I miss them all like crazy! My sisters are good at sending frequent pictures so that we are kept up to date in their busy lives and can watch the little ones grow up. Leanna and Jon just sent some pictures from their pumpkin patch visit and I have to post them because they are so cute. The kids are growing up way to fast and I wish I could be right by them along the way!


Maddie and Huds

The Butterfield gang!

She is looking older and older!

Sweet Hudsie

Picked a Pumpkin!

Samdog

Sammy and Savi

PuMpKiN cArViNg!!!

With Trav away in Temecula for the pre-wedding events for Levi, the apartment was just too empty! So, Friday night the girls came over for some pumpkin fun! Who said carving pumpkins was just for kids? We had a fun time carefully picking out our pumpkins at the pumpkin patch! We picked up some pizza and some tools and began our challenging pumpkins. We roasted the seeds and threw in a chick flick while we carved...for about 3 hours!!!! In the end, we were pretty impressed with our masterpieces and decided this would be a new tradition...that will carry on even when we all have kids! The night ended with a scary movie....yikes. Thankfully Lindsey spent the night, otherwise I wouldn't have slept!!!! I'm so thankful for the girlfriends in my life and I cherish the times we have when we are together!

Another Disneyland Adventure!

On Friday night we got to have a "date night" with Vander! We took him to Disneyland and had a blast! He is at such a fun age.....and he is more of a daredevil on rides than I am! Thankfully Uncle Trav likes the rockets and flew up high with him! Who knew that the train could be such a fun ride too!?! The dinos were a hit! Afterwards, we went and had dinner at Chick-fil-A and he was just the cutest thing. He picked out the table, sat perfectly still, and ate his chicken and chocolate milk all on his own! When did all of our nieces and nephews grow up?!?! Here is a slide show of our Dland night....yes, I am obsessed with Scrapblog!!!! :-)

Melissa's Shower

This past Saturday, Ashley and I held a shower for our high school friend Melissa at the apartment. We had so much fun planning, decorating, working through all the details, and awaiting the day. With the two of us working together, we are quite the shower machine!

Melissa is marrying her high school sweetheart on November 23 and we are all anxiously awaiting the wedding! It has been so much fun watching them grow as a couple and they are amazing friends! Melissa went to the University of Edinburgh and it has been so neat having her back in the States! The shower was a lovely evening with the girls...and it was fun watching Mel blush!

Wedding season continues on!

Millie Arrived!

Happiest Place!

My sister, Kristel, is in town with her two boys and yesterday was their first trip to Disneyland!!! Parker and Kody LOVED it!!!! Their eyes were like saucers the entire day! It was the absolute perfect day for Disneyland...sunny but cool and the crowd was not bad. I think it's neat being with someone for their first Disneyland trip. The excitement over everything that the boys showed made the whole day that much more fun! These pictures don't capture half of the fun that the day was!



It was a bumpy ride for them with Parker driving! :)

Parker loved Disneyland!

"Cheese!"

Parker and Mimi at lunch!

Kody snuggled up with Papa!

He was in awe!!!

Only the greatest ride there! :)