Happy Easter!

I was so happy because for Easter weekend our family was FINALLY healthy:) Is it just us or has this flu season by far been the worst??? I pray that was the last round of ugly bugs in the Donegan household. No fun.

Anywho, on Saturday we went to my friend Mimi's for a fun Easter celebration filled with yummy food, an Easter egg hunt and lots of sunshine. Noah adored their dog Rush and Lauren loved all the flowers.

Side note...The kids (and I) had a meltdown right before we left so I wasn't sure if it was a good idea leaving, but it was and we were thankful we pushed through it. Before I had kids I never quite understood what parents meant by "well it all depends on the kids". When I'd hear this I'd think "just figure it out and make it happen". Yeh, now I get it!!! :)

Sunday we went to my mom's in Corona and had a blast. She cooked an amazing ham that was out of this world. They had an Easter Egg hunt and there was some pool time since it was 85 degrees. I was surprised Lauren enjoyed finding eggs as much as she did. Especially when she knew there was chocolate in them! My adorable 76 year old grandfather hand made Easter eggs for all the kids. Bless his heart. Little Lauren wore her Easter hat and Noah was glued to his Auntie Jaymee as he always is. And of course Lauren was exhausted and passed out right when she got in the car.

We hope you all had a Blessed Easter!

Hugs and kisses...

Fun weekend with great friends!

Our dear friends, the Wheelers, visited last weekend from Chicago and we had a blast. It started on Thursday with a quick trip to Mission Beach. Brought everyone back here for a pasta dinner.

The next day we took a trip to Del Mar which is a small beach about 15 miles away.



That night we had a great mexican dinner in Old Town. The mariachi band (and Josh) sang to us. It was a hoot!





Saturday night we were lucky enough to get a sitter. We went to an authentic Italian restaurant in Pacific Beach called Mama Mia's. We have been there several times because the experience is unforgettable. After a great meal we went downtown and enjoyed the city for a bit.





Sunday was church and afterwards we spent the day in La Jolla. It was a perfect trip..with some minor melt downs. With two young kids you never know what your gonna get. Luckily all went well!!!





We were sad to see them leave but it's only the beginning of many more fun trips....

Steamboat Memories!

Where do I even begin??? This was our third annual Steamboat trip and it was by far the best yet! The weather was perfect, snowboarding was awesome and the time with friends I will forever cherish.

We got into Denver early Wednesday morning and took a shuttle to Steamboat.
The drive was perfect.



We got into town and went to eat pizza at the Slopeside Grill. Best pizza in town.

The next day Michael and I went skiing/snowboarding. Bluebird day. Snow was great! It was wonderful getting back on the slopes again with Michael.



Thursday evening our wonderful friends the Austins, Tottens and Epps got into town! Let the party begin! Words can't explain how wonderful it was seeing everybody.

Friday the girls went shopping and then Susie and I decided to go skiing. We met up with my good friend Ann. It was great to see her! And I think Greg enjoyed skiing with us:) What a fun day.





Friday night we went to Strawberry Park to meet the Millers and their friends. We had a blast. We came back to our condo ate pizza, and watched the cat video. Michael had his head cam and was able to video the entire day! Hopefully he can add this to our blog or put it on utube. Later that night the Weeks showed up with their beautiful baby boy Jackson. He was perfect the entire time and was such a joy!






Saturday the boys ski'd the back bowls and Susie and I went on our own. What an amazing day we had! White out conditions, but perfect runs. Everyone went in for lunch and the slopes were ours! Unfortunately I fell and got a hair line fracture on my elbow but who cares. We had fun!







Saturday night we went to an Italian restaurant called Mambo Italiano. Sherree and I giggled most of the time and sweet little Jackson slept through all of our loud cackles. The food was great, but most of all the time spent together was the best part of the trip.







We got to the airport the next day around 1 and off we were to San Diego. The trip went by way to fast. Snow and sand all in one day. We were sad to not have spent more time in Denver. Next time we go we will hopefully see everyone!

Looking forward to another great Steamboat trip in '09!!!

Deceptively Delicious

Wow!! I am truly passionate about this cookbook by Jerry Seinfields wife. My mom bought it for me last week and I have made just about everything. Not really, but it feels like it!! I have a VERY picky son. For about a year and a half all he ate was oatmal. No fun! We had to put Carnation instant breakfast in his milk to bump up his calories. He was always in the 2 percentile, but his energy level was over the charts!!! No worries, just lots of frustration. He finally outgrew 18-24 mth clothing when he turned 3! Lately Noah has had some major poopy problems so I needed to be creative and get some veggies into his belly...

Basically the idea of this cookbook is to sneak ANYTHING healthy into the kids meals without them knowing. Last Sunday, I had a puree party. I pureed cauliflower, broccoli, sweet potatoes, carrots, spinach, etc. Monday was the big test. I made pancakes with sweet potatoes and Noah LOVED them. Then I made chicken nuggets (dipped in pureed spinach and covered with flaxseed and breadcrumbs) and again he inhaled them. I was shocked and thrilled!!! My boy is eating healthy and he doesn't even know it:) I couldn't help but to chuckle as I was watching him eat. And Michael has also loved my applesauce/carrot muffins and tried the chicken last night and was impressed.

Lauren on the other hand eats anything and everything I feed her. At least I have one good eater. I am really making it a point to get healthy foods in the kids meals everyday. The benefits outway the extra work. This is a way for all of us to eat the same thing and be getting the nutrients we need on a daily basis. It's a win win situation!!!

Happy Eating!!

Parties, Potty Training and Prayers

The month started off with relatives visiting from Vegas. It was great to see my step sister Jill and her family. It has been years since we last saw eachother. Lauren fell asleep on Grandpa's lap halfway through the visit.




Then we had a few birthday parties for little Noah. He turned 3 on the 13th! I can't believe my baby is 3. We had a little party-playdate here last Monday which was super fun. He's been all about making silly faces lately.





Then we had a party with family and friends yesterday. There was ice blocking, a scavanger hunt and lots of playing at the park.







He had a fun time, but the poor guy was in a lot of pain. We are potty training and he hadn't gone poopy for 4 days!!! So he was a bit grumpy to say the least. We had to help him out a little (if you know what I mean) and he finally went today. It's been a terrible painful experience for us all, but I am hopeful that his pipes will be clean from this point on.:)

Regarding prayers..to make a long story very short Michael has had a challenging past 8 months with Ace. His co-manager resigned two months ago, which was an answer to prayer. Ace recently hired a replacement and he is AMAZING!!! Michael and Dave hit it off and are going to move mountains together. This is the first time in awhile that we've seen a light at the end of the tunnel. God continues to provide and it's truly amazing to watch. He has both humbled and blessed us beyond belief. We are going to a great church, and have met some sweet friends. We're starting to feel a part of something and it finally feels right. It was so difficult leaving Denver and we miss everyone and everything about it. But we know we are here for a reason. God is revealing that to us day by day.

The Donegans' December

Merry late Christmas!!




Michael's been working super late every night and I have had no time to update our blog. Here is a quick recap of our December.


Noah met Santa for the first time...



I was able to go to my annual girls Christmas party, which started 20 years ago...



Lauren had the flu on Christmas and her new baby made her happy...



When Lauren was feeling well she was the baby with many faces...




Noah got a train table and race car track. He loves them both.





Lauren got a horsy and Princess car, and obviously she didn't love them both.




and the Patriots are having a record winning season! Michael wants this pic framed not because of Noah, but because of Brady!



All in all it was a great and memorable Christmas....



Here's to a wonderful New Year!