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!

Disneyland Tradition-Part Two

Growing up we had a family tradition of going to Disneyland at Christmas time. Unfortunately that ended years ago, but we are happily starting it back up again. My sister, mom, the kids and I went and had a BLAST.






Before children I went and it was fun, but now seeing it all over again through my kids' eyes is amazing. Noah LOVED everything except for the dark tunnels (on the kiddy rides) and the fireworks. He thought they were going to come down and get him. His favorites were the trains, race cars, and boats. Shocker! Lauren danced and smiled the entire time through "It's a small world". I was even able to sneak away and ride on the big kid rides. My faves are Space Mountain, Indiana Jones, Pirates and Star Tours. And the parade was truly magical. I even got giddy! Noah was super excited when it (fake) snowed and Lauren watched every minute of it. I just stared at both of them as they took everything in. What a gift!














At first I thought it may be a little much taking them but Noah did great all day, Lauren took two naps in her stroller and we stayed from dusk till dawn. I guess it really is the happiest place on earth!



Before leaving the park I stopped to take it all in. So many old memories came to mind, but I am thrilled to start new ones for my family and I. The chill in the air, smell of yummy treats, sparkles from the millions of lights, Mickey Mouse ears everywhere, and of course the charm of Main Street made for an unforgettable trip. Goodnight Disneyland..until next year...

A visit from Dede

Michael's dad was here from Maine and we had such a great time. The trip did start off a little scary. When Tom (aka Dede) arrived he wasn't feeling well and the left side of his face went numb. We were of course worried, so we took him to the ER. Fortunately they diagnosed it with a non threatening illness. He has Bell's Palsy. I never heard of it before, but I guess it goes away and is treated with medication:). Thank God!

One night we went to an amazing Italian restaurant called Mama Mia's. Everyone speaks the language and the food is out of this world. Every time we go Michael "thinks" he is an Italian. He made friends with Francesco (the owner) and now they act like brothers! Brings back great memories from our trip.

The trip included a visit to the Midway Carrier, the car museum at Balboa Park, Coronado Island and of course the zoo (our favorite). One good thing about living in a big city is there is a lot to do!










We love spending time with Tom. Noah cried when he woke up yesterday and there was no Dede to be found. Hopefully we will be visiting him and the family in Maine next year.

Busy weekend....

The weekend started with a baby shower on Saturday for our cousin Teresa. We enjoyed playing games, eating great food and hanging out.






Sunday was Lauren's 1st b-day party. I still can't believe she is a year old. The party included a pinata, homemade posters (by Auntie Jaymee), a jumpy, and a beautiful homemade cake (by our baker Nikki). Everyone was having fun but Lauren:( She had a meltdown when we sang Happy Birthday. Guess that's what I get for taking her nap away!









My cousin Lu came to visit from Colorado and she was here in San Diego for two days. Yesterday we spent all day at Sea World and had a blast. Then we enjoyed a yummy mexican dinner in Old Town.




Now I am off to catch up on some chores before the kiddlings wake up! Have a great week!