Happy 50th Mom!!!

My mom turned the big 5-0 this past weekend! Sure, she would say "we don't need to do anything", we all begged to differ. Hey, you only turn 50 once Mom!

My brother, Anthony and I created a letter scrapbook for her. Having our family who live near and far write to her with their birthday wishes and fun memories about her. It became quite a tear jerker and I know she will cherish each page. My grandmother, aunt, and cousin drove in from New Mexico to surprise her. I kept them hidden in my house until later in the evening for the big jump out of the closet and yell "surprise!". We were concerned she may have a heart attack, you know, being 50 and all. Luckily, she survived the big surprise!!


Aunt Holly, my sister Jenna, and the birthday girl...mom!

We took her to a Behind the Scenes Tour of the Phoenix Zoo. Tickets that Anthony and this girlfriend, Kori, got at a silent auction. With 2 private zoo keeper guides, we rode all over the zoo, through the employee areas, seeing things you don't get to experience in a general admission. Going to the zoo will never be the same again....experiencing the elephant barn, feeding them Crystal Light and cookies right into their trunks, walking in exhibits and feeding ancient, giant tortoises. Such a wonderful tour!!







Feeding the tortoises


Aunt Holly, Mom, and Cousin Lauren




Elephant cookies

Anth and I pampered my mom (and our guests) with a homemade brunch, complete with an omelet station and belini bar. Mom was assigned to relax, drink champagne, and don't lift a finger!



Slaving in the kitchen

Just a snapshot of our amazing weekend with family! We laughed so hard, we cried, we ate and ate and ate, played games late into the night, and complained about smelling like elephant!

Happy Birthday Mama! I love you so very much!!

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas!!!

Yeah...Christmas time! This is a season I just LOVE...Christmas trees, lights, holiday music, and the month our Christmas angel, Landon was born. Could it get any better?! Nope. We have a list of our family traditions that are a must this time of year and we are thrilled to get them started.

I was just dying to get the decorations out and the trees decorated. So that we did this weekend. Lando initially thought the disassembled, fake Christmas trees were cactus...he kept frowning and saying "ouch". Once the lights, ribbons, and ornaments were on he just loves to stare at them saying "wow". Good hubby had the light up by Monday. Let me specify, we have become spoiled now and he hires someone to put the light up on the house (such a wonderful treat for both of us being so crazy busy all the time).

This weekend Landon went to his 1st gingerbread house making party, which helped sealed in the festive air. The moms attempted to assemble the houses while Landon and Brody decorated and ate as much candy as their cheeks could hold. His creative house is now on display for all the enjoy!

It's Never Too Early To Give Thanks!

Thanksgiving came a little early this year in the Z house. Since I had to work this year on Thanksgiving, and Scot and I enjoy hosting the holiday at our home, we all decided to celebrate over the weekend. The day seemed much more relaxing that our usual hustle and bustle to prepare the food. My mom and I started early afternoon on our Thanksgiving culinary feast and not a feeling of stress in the air. Family started arriving late afternoon, Corn Toss was initiated in the backyard, and all the family chatter filled the home. Love it when we can all get together!! Sure, this was a much smaller event than some of our previous years and didn't fall on the usual Thursday, but the day felt just as festive!!!

I initially started writing on this post my "Top 10 Things to be Thankful for", which then seemed ridiculous to categorize my life. Here's what I am so grateful for....my life. I have been blessed with everything I always and never knew I wanted. Life is wonderful, magnificent, and beautiful. Each morning I wake up and every night I go to sleep, I am without regret, remorse, and I am filled with contentment. I am thankful for each and every moment!!!

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!!

Toddler Trick or Treatin'

Halloween was such a great time!! We invited over Landon's friends and their parents for a little trick-or-treat fun.....candy, lots of food, and bubbling witches brew for the adults. Chef Landon led the pack door to door, eagerly awaiting the giant candy bowl that he would dive into for his tasty treat. He and his friends, Brody and Cash, had no problem getting into the trick or treat game....the 3 friendliest boys on the block and had all the neighbors admiring how adorable they are!! Yep, 3 little charmers. After my neighbors were tapped out of candy from these boys, it was on to the Z house for running, playing, and eating, until the kids wore the parents out.


Chef Landon and Pirate Brody, devising a trick or treating route to maximize the candy in optimal time!!


And we're off....Chef Landon, Pirate Brody, and Monkey Cash (he boycotted his costume this year).




You don't mind he takes the whole bowl, do you?!

Hope everyone had a wonderful Halloween!!

Not his Halloween costume!!

A picture is worth a thousand words. As I was getting dressed this morning, so was Landon...dressing up like me, that is. Yes, that would be not one, but two of my thongs he put on.

The big dilemma is, do I let him wear those out to run our errands? (I probably would, if they weren't my thongs.) Heeeheeee!

Follow the toddler!

Never a dull, boring moment with Landon near. Our boy is so happy-go-lucky, full of belly laughs, screaming giggles, and ear to ear smiles!! Ohhhh, we just can't get enough of him. From morning to night Landon is full of energy and life....you just can't have a bad day when he is around with his contagious toddler fun.

All his energy has been translated into a cardio workout for us, daily. That's right, we rarely, ever, sit down......he keeps going and going and going and we LOVE every second of it!

Scorpion King

Ugghhh...scorpion season can end at any time. Thank goodness for pest control. This massive creature was near death, twitching it's revolting body, but Scot finished it off with his car and now I'm off to set it on fire....just to send the message to it's fellow creepy crawlers: "NOT WELCOME!"

That's our boy!!

Sushi night for the Z's....As most who know us, know we love food and we are making every effort to expose Landon to a variety of cuisines. Just as Scot and I can't get enough of sushi, neither can Lando. We headed out to Ra at Kierland, Friday night. Loud, hip-hop music blaring, people roaming everywhere....just the place Landon wanted to be. Thinking this was mingling hour, he walked up and down Kierland, talking to strangers, petting the dogs, intrupting happy-hour conversations, and getting his groove on to the music. Quite the social butterfly! Dinners consist of his usual, shrimp tempura, edamame, and California rolls. Feeling brave and no longer a novice in his sushi dining, his palate became tempted by mom and dad's rolls. He was quick to grab a Crunchy Calamari Roll, dip it in the eel sauce, and yumm, ate it right up! He quickly claimed the calamari rolls as his own and placed them on his plate. Such a proud moment for his sushi loving mom and dad!

Back on the blogging saddle....

Here I go....to give you the Cliffs Notes version of our activities. Hours and hours have gone into planning the baby shower of the century, with my mom. My oldest bro, Vince and his leading lady, Melissa, are thrilled for their upcoming arrival of baby Chloe this November. My mom and I had been planning and scheming for weeks to make this shower special for them. They arrived from Connecticut and it was as if they had never left.....well, until the day I had to say "good-bye", then the tears started. Landon's cousin and our first niece, and I feel like, we will miss out on so much, until we see them again. I had to pack in all my unsolicited labor and delivery and baby advice, as I will miss out on all the crucial nosey sister moments. Needless, to say, I miss them and am so thrilled to meet Chloe....I just know I'll be her favorite aunt!

Outside activities are under way with the arrival of great weather. There is no way a week will go by, without some park time. Our boy can't get enough of it. He is being a little too daring, wanting to play with the big kids on the 4 story jungle gym elevation. Yikes, mom and dad still a little nervous to let him tackle all the big kid adventures.... jumping off of the 4 story jungle gym or the massive rock climbing wall. We'll work our way up to that!

So what's Landon into these days, you ask? Barney, Barney, and more Barney. We can probably recite every song the giant, purple dinosaur sings, and name each character with our eyes closed. He loves the show, so naturally, as good parents do, we limited the amount of Barney Lando can watch. Sure we may get a brief tantrum or two, but sitting in front of the TV all day watching imaginary dinosaurs, when you are under two....needs limitations. OK, so it's not Barney all day, Landon is all boy and we can't get enough of him. Cars, trucks, trains, dirt, you name it, he's into it. Still heading to gym class every week, and I notice each week he it getting so much older. He follows along to his teacher's instructions, grasping everthing she says, and his memory is unbelievable.

This is the great month of Halloween and the Zee fam is in decorating mode this week. October starts our favorite time of year and we can't wait to see Landon's reaction to all the decorations and, of course, getting into trick or treating. His friends from Little Gym are coming over this year, along with his Uncle Anth and Aunt Kori....we plan on making a big deal out of trick or treating now that Landon is getting older.

Here's a few randoms from September, as we dive right into October.....

Hangin' at Fairmont's LV Bistro, one of Uncle Anth's restaurants.

Bowl head!

Grandma introduced whipped cream, and now he can't get enough!

Mom in a box...

A vicious game of hide and seek this evening turned into Mom in lock down. HeeHeeHee!! These are the most fun of times...just being totally goofy with your family.

P.S. Yes, the Zee's still exist. We have been a little behind on blogging, but I do vow to post, this week, what we have been up (gotta wait for a day off).

Bath Time with Landon Van Gogh

Zee Bathroom Gallery now showing impressionist painter, Landon, creating his newest watercolor masterpiece. He creates the world's most revered and expensive works of art. His fantastic creations are appreciated by his parents and his reputation is growing amongst the artist community and is an important contributor to toddler art. Amazing work!!

Dusty the Vacuum

Some things you just can't live without.....

Zee Summer Camp Day

The Zee fam had an endless amount of activities today.....it felt like a day of summer camp. To start our morning off, Lando slept until 8:30. Yes, 8:30, which never happens with our boy, but he had a late night dinner party. Landon had dinner plans with his friends from The Little Gym and their parents...teppanyaki! A highly recommended dinner excursion with toddlers. They were mesmerized by the chef, the flames, and immediate food service. They were entertained until the end of cooking...then it was Landon signing for "more" and the kids wanting to go play outside.

So, back to summer camp day. We started the morning with Beasts class at The Little Gym....18 kids in this class. Yikes. Landon followed right along with the older kids, jumping, swinging on the bars, walking on the balance beam, and sitting patiently in line waiting for his stamp. Our little gymnast, is gaining so much coordination, flexibility, and learning how to follow his teacher's instruction.

The afternoon was movie time...Happy Feet. Landon is quite in tune with others emotions. Case in point, the poor lil' "special" penguin, Mumble, tugged at Landon's heart strings. Each time Mumble was teased or made fun of, Landon got such a sad face and would almost cry, until we reassured him this is a happy movie and to watch Mumble dance. It did little consoling him and eventually he had enough of the sad story line and left the room.

It's not movie time, without popcorn and fruit snacks.


The start of Landon's concerned face for Mumble.

On to the next event: swimming. Landon has learned to swim. Well, with floaties, that is. He jumps off the beach step or side, kicks and paddles all over the pool, laughing as he goes!! Next step, weaning off the floaties!!

Otter Pop on a hot day, a must...with a hot daddy!


Floaties on and ready to go!


1, 2, 3....


...jump!


Kick, kick, kick


Seriously, he is just the cutest thing!!!

These are the days...

So excited to see a little morning , monsoon rain. Landon and I headed outside to enjoy the cooler morning air. Splashing in the puddles and catching rain drops is a great way to start the day!

Aunt Bella

Pretty cool for Landon to have an aunt only 8 years older.....they can relate easily! Aunt Bella came for a play date today and Lando was thrilled to find her when he rose from this morning nap. From the moment she entered his day, he grabbed her hand and led her from one activity to the next.....from a vicious game of hide and seek, to tag, to playing sharks in the pool. Whew. She tuckered him out and he loved every moment with her.

We laid him down for his nap and the first words out of her mouth were, "Can we go wake him up now? I'm bored." Since when did big sis become chopped liver and stop being cool to hang with? I replied, "I'll play with you. Do you what to play hide and seek again?" Her response, so casual, "You don't squeal when we play." Really??? Guess, I'm boring and dull until I take up squealing like my 19 month old.

Mini- Family Reunion

Just returning home from Albuquerque, New Mexico, and the trip was just what we needed. A reminder of the most blissful thing in life.....family!! My cousin Lee, eloped to Ireland earlier this year, with his lovely bride, Tiffany. One thing my family loves is a great wedding and following that is a fantastic reception. So that they did. The reception unofficially started on Friday, as family flew in and gathered at Aunt Holly and Uncle John's home. Scot and Landon met many of my relatives for the 1st time, whom I haven't seen in many, many years. Wow, how life has gone so fast. We are all just the same, just seem to have aged....crow's feet forming, grey hairs growing, and have many more life lessons under our belts. We all tried to sum up "what we've been up to" in a matter of minutes, share all our stories, and reminiscing about growing up.

Landon, of course, charmed the hearts of everyone in the room. Oh, he is such a social butterfly and flirt. He was winking at all the ladies and with that little one eye blink, the hearts just melted, following by cheers for more, which he willingly granted. The reception was all about Landon, he danced with anyone near, giving hugs to pretty girls in dresses, and just "working the room". Ha!!

We stayed in neighboring hotel rooms with my bro, Anthony and his girlfriend, Kori. Landon quickly discovered that Uncle Anthony and Aunt Kori's room some how much more exciting. The room quickly became titled the "fun room", as Landon would cry every time Scot or I had to take him to our room. Needless to say, if he wasn't sleeping he was walking across the hall to the "fun room" to hang. Mom and Dad are now not the most exciting things in his life. :(

Leaving today was bittersweet. We were so grateful for the short time we spent with everyone and so sad to leave. Wishful thinking for another mini-family reunion in the near future.

The bride Tiffany, 2nd from the left, and obviously the groom, Lee, in the middle.


Hanging with my cousins, Maggie, Jackie, and Jake.


Girl talk with Kori, Aunt Holly, Aunt Barbara, Mom, and Nannie.



Uncle John passing shots....Swedish caraway infused liquor. Yikes!


Cheers!



Awww!


Landon just getting the party started with Grandma and Papa.


Hanging in the "fun room".


So irresistible!