Thanksgiving 2010

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving in Palm Desert with the O’Connell clan. Colin, Catie and I flew down to the desert on Wednesday just in time for dinner. We woke up on Thursday morning and B and I starting cooking and waited for Colin’s cousins to arrive. We had a wonderful evening filled with delicious food, amazing wine, and surrounded by family and great stories. The only thing missing was Auntie E and Ken but they arrived on Friday morning to complete the festivities. We spent time talking, relaxing, playing dominoes and even went into the pool (for just a few minutes). It wasn’t really warm out but staying in a complex with a pool next door was torture for Catie who kept yelling “pool”. (thank goodness the pool was heated). Catie was able to spend a couple minutes swimming and she loved jumping off the side into Auntie E’s arms. Thanks Auntie E for swimming with Miss O.

Catie reading Polar Express while I pack for the desert

Walking through SFO carrying her own backpack!!!

Waiting for our flight at SFO


Looking cool



Helping us cook. She has a new apron (thank you B).





Come on mom....it's time to go the pool!





The playground at the Palm Springs airport- genius idea!





Well folks, it’s officially Christmas. As I am sure that everyone knows, Christmas is my favorite time of year and it seems like it is also my daughters (yeah!!!!). When we ask who is coming at Christmas Catie replies “Santa” and then says that she wants a blue bike this year and I bet that she will get one. After all, she’s been a good 2 year old this year. Catie also loves Christmas lights. When we drive by places at night she will scream “Lights, light” and then proceeds to gasp. It’s adorable. She loves listen to her Christmas cd that has her name in every song. I can only image her reaction when we get our Christmas tree on Friday and put Christmas lights up on the front of our house. Don’t worry, I will video tape her reaction and post it next week along with some holiday pictures.

Tis the season!!!!

World Series Champs!!!

It seems that Catie is just like her daddy. She loves baseball. Last night Catie was allowed to stay up past her bedtime to watch history being made. The Giants winning the World Series for the first time ever since coming to San Francisco. Congratulations Giants. Your 2 year old fan loved the game!

Catie watching the game
Is he going to do it???

Yes, the giants win the World Series!!!!

Gooooooo Giants!!!!!!

(Catie's 1st game last season)

Go Giants! Catie is cheering you on!

Fall = a whole lot of pumpkins!

Fall is finally here and so far we are loving it! Last weekend we went to the pumpkin patch in Nicasio Valley and Catie had a wonderful time. We have been going to the same pumpkin patch for the last 3 October’s and we have loved looking at how much she has changed over the years. The pumpkin patch has great organic pumpkins, gourds, hay rides, and hay mazes. It really inspires me to become creative with my pumpkin display at home.

Catie- 2 1/2 months old

Catie 1 year old
Catie 2 years old

(You will note that Catie's face is really red in this year's picture. The reason is that it was in the 80's when we went. I just asked her (ok made her) wear the sweater for a few pictures and then she took it off. So much for going to the pumpkin patch when it's cold out).

My sister Susie and one of my best friends Lizzie joined us and we all got some amazing pumpkins. Our front doors are all set for the holiday!

This past weekend Colin was a busy one. On Friday Catie had music class, playgroup, and we went to another pumpkin patch with the mother’s club. Catie loved the bouncy house and had a great time running around. Colin went to a bachelor party on Saturday for the night so Catie and I spent the day hanging out and playing in the backyard. Good thing we spent a lot of time outside because on Sunday the cold and rain set in (love it). We spent Sunday at a couple’s baby shower and then spent the night watching the Giants games.

Crisp air, fire in the fireplace, scarves, pumpkin spice candles…..I love fall!

Last Month of Summer Recap

Colin and I are truly blessed that his parents (B and Da) watch Catie three days a week for us. It makes it so much easier to go to work when you know that your family is watching your child and loving her, taking care of her, kissing her owies, reading to her, playing with her, etc. Well, B and Da deserved a break for all of their hard work (watching a 2 year old can be exhausting) and they finally got to take one. They went on a trip of a lifetime….3 weeks in Europe. It sounds like they had an amazing time and we loved the gifts that they brought back for us. Catie will be the best dressed girl in town now that she has several amazing outfits from Paris. We are so glad that B and Da are back….we all missed them!

While B and Da were away my mom (Gigi) stepped in and watched Catie for us. Colin, Catie, Auntie Susie, and I headed to Pasadena for Labor Day weekend and then Catie and I stayed and spent the following week hanging out with friends, swimming, spending time with Gigi, Bampa, and her great grandmother Nonnie.

Catie calling to telling Gigi and Bampa that we arrived at the airport on time.

Pool time with Daddy

Snack time

Since Catie loves to clean...why not starting having her do her own dishes?

The next Rachel Zoe

Towards the end of the week Catie caught a stomach bug/ temperature but she is feeling much better now.

We had a wonderful time and normally it is sad to leave but this time wasn’t as bad since Gigi came back up with us! Gigi stayed with us for two weeks and watched Catie while Colin and I worked. We had so much fun and I loved spending so much time with my mom. I felt like I was a kid again….I went off to school (I mean work) and came home and the grocery shopping had been done, my laundry was done, dinner was made. Man….I was spoiled! Mom, we really appreciate you taking 2 weeks off from your hectic schedule to come up and watch Catie (and thank you to my dad for letting us borrow mom). Catie misses you Gigi!

With the heat that we are currently having in Northern California it is hard to believe that summer is over and that fall has begun, but it has. Catie has even started looking through catalogs to help spark ideas of what she wants to be for Halloween….

but catalog shopping can be exhausting!

SF 1/2 Marathon

A couple of weeks ago Colin, Auntie E, and Da ran the San Francisco 1/2 Marathon. They did an amazing job and Catie and I are so proud of them. Congratulations!




Colin and I are heading back up to Tahoe this week for our friend's (Nicole and Andy) wedding. All of Colin's college's friends will be there so he is really excited (and so am I). Catie is staying with B and Da for weekend (thank you so much). It will be so strange not to listen to Barney songs, wheels on the bus, Sid the Science, and Itsy Bitsy Spider all weekend. What is even more strange is that I will be able to sleep in (what's that....I can't remember). xoxo

Oh how the lion cub has grown!

When Catie was almost six months old we took her to the zoo for the first time. We got a zoo pass for Christmas so we try and go more often and Catie loves it (the petting zoo was her favorite this time).

When she was 5 1/2 months old we took this picture

Here is Catie on the same lions a year and a half later.

Catie's first trip to the Children's Petting Zoo

And now....

Catie sure has grown up fast. She is almost as tall as a gorilla!

Lake Tahoe

After Catie's birthday we drove up to Lake Tahoe to spend the rest of the week with B and Da (Colin's parents). Catie LOVED the beach and the pool and did an amazing job swimming. We had such a wonderful time and already counting the days until next summer.

We had several bear sightings while we were up there. This bear was going through the garbage at 8 in the morning. Catie and Da made some new friends at the lake.

Thanks for a great week B and Da. We can't wait for next year!

The BIG 2!

We celebrated Catie's 2nd birthday on Saturday, July 24th. She had a wonderful Birthday BBQ filled with family, friends, Barney and Baby Bop. It is hard to believe that Miss O is now 2 years old. Where has the time gone?

Catie's new playhouse (we spend a lot of time in it)

After Catie's birthday, Gigi (my mom) stayed for a few days to watch Catie for a few days and then we headed up to meet the rest of the O'Connell family in Tahoe. Not a bad birthday week for a 2 year old. Happy birthday Catie. We love you!

Girls Weekend

This past weekend Colin took a road trip to LA with some friends for a guys weekend and my dad flew back East to play some golf for the weekend. This meant that Catie and I were going to be home alone and so was my mom. We decided that it would be fun if we had a girls weekend so Gigi (my mom) flew up to Northern California and my sister came to the burbs. Before Catie and I headed to to pick up Gigi up, we stopped at Starbucks and I got a coffee and Catie had a mini doughnut. As you can see she LOVED the doughnut.

Getting ready to go shopping...such a lady.


At the outdoor mall...playing in the water and eating a hot dog (summer is officially here)

Playing with her new summer toy (her water table). Thank you Bampa and Gigi. Catie LOVES her water table and has played with everyday.

When the water shoots up she tries to drink it like it's a water fountain.

After Gigi left....Catie was beat.

We had a wonderful weekend filled with shopping, chatting, sipping cosmos, eating, laughing, watching chick flicks- it was perfect. Come back soon Gigi...and I guess you can bring Bampa too! We love you.