Christmas Dinner @ Mom's

Grammy & Popop Maris know Max very well! Anything batman is the way to Max's heart!
Grammy & Mia
Mia pretty much peed her pants when she opened her 'Liana' barbie!
The Three Stooges:)
Simone and Dylan (Bam-chicka-bau-bau!)
We just cannot get Mia to take a normal picture!


My mom hosted an early Christmas dinner at her house...SO YUMMY! It was so great getting together with family and having all the cousins together to open gifts and get psyched for Santa's arrival in three days! I am totally experiencing the magic of Christmas through my kids and feel like a kid myself! I hope you all have a fabulous Christmas!

Baby Van

Here is the latest picture of our little man (I had the ultrasound tech double check that it was indeed a boy!) I just can't wait to meet him!! My doc said I am already 2cm dilated and that when the baby comes, I prob won't even need an epidural because it will come so fast! I then informed my doc that I don't care if I am 10cm dilated and it's half way out, you better give me the freaking epidural! Drugs are good:) Spread the word....

Mia the Artist

Mia is our little artist these days. In the past few weeks, her drawings have actually started to look like something and they are getting so creative! I just had to post this one because I actually thought it was a pretty good self-portrait! I love my little Mia:)

Turkey Day

Our family packed the van and headed up to Roy's parents for Thanksgiving this year! Between the dog, the theater room, and having Mana and Popop at their immediate disposal, I hardly even saw my kids the whole time we were there!
~Mia and Madsen..Best buddies:)
~The kids making a gingerbread house with Rachel and Mana's help!
~Grandmas Wright, Aunt Lou, Roy & Grandpa Wright
~Mia was out cold during Thanksgiving dinner!
~Roy and Max waiting for the cable car
~Cheezey family photo op on the cable car. We are such tourists!

~It was the most gorgeous day in San Francisco!
~On the ferry boat to Alcatraz
~Hopefully Max never sees the other side of those bars:)

Fresh crab...yum!

Rhoades Family Pics

This is our family ATTEMPTING to take a picture. It's a pretty hopeless cause:)

Farewell Rebels!

This was Max's first soccer season, and I have to say, I love being a soccer mom! Max had so much fun being a part of a team, and he especially loved his coaches! Max got a trophy for 'Most Improved' this year! He really did a great job and I look forward to many more seasons hauling him around:)

My Little Award Winner!

These are the moments parents live for:) Max received an 'Achievement Award' at school. I asked the teacher what that was, and she said that Max has been a really good friend and helper in the classroom! Keep up the good work Maxie! I'm proud of you!

BOO!

Happy Halloween!
This year, we decided to trick-or-treat with my sister Tara and her kids. Mia was a scary Lioness (those of you who know Mia know that she does not need to be dressed up like a lion to roar!), and Max put his four year streak of being batman to rest and decided to be Ironman! Max has Halloween DOWN! That kid was booking it so fast we had to run to keep up with him! They had a SPOOK-tacular night!

We FINALLY made it to the Bates Nut Farm! It totally got me into the 'Fall' mood, even though it was 90 degrees outside and sunny! My kids had an absolute blast and got to spend some quality time with my mom, Grammy, Aunt Shari and Aunt Rebecca:)