Happy 40th Anniversary, Mom and Dad!

My parents are celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary today. What an amazing accomplishment! My parents have been through many ups and downs, and through it all they have been able to stay committed to their faith in God, marriage and family. We had a small party for them with family and close friends, and it was a joy to be able to see my parents so happy. A few of my cousins shared memories about my parents, and the overall theme of the speeches was that the strength of their marriage has kept not only my immediate family together but also our extended family. 

Mom and Dad: Thank you for providing us with a wonderful example of what is a successful marriage. I pray that my own marriage and family will follow in a similar path. We love you! Happy Anniversary! 

Ava: 9 Months!

We're celebrating Ava's 9 month birthday today! She continues to grow leaps and bounds, and she's also so much more interactive. This has been a really fun month. Here are some updates:

• Climbs up steps
• Another 2 teeth came in - making a total of 8!
• Waves "hi!"
• Gives kisses
• Starting to get the concept of clapping
• Said her first word - Ma ma! woohoo!
• Signs "more" and "milk"
• Had her first hair cut! One side of her hair was growing significantly longer than the other side, so we evened it out. 

Ava: What a month this has been! Everyday you seem to accomplish something new, and sometimes I have a difficult time keeping track. Even though you aren't saying words, I feel like we have conversations with each other because you are so engaged and reactive to what we say. You have started to give the sweetest kisses now, and even though they are often wet and booger-y, I can't get enough of them. I can't believe you turn 1 in just 3 months, which means I need to start planning your birthday party! AHH! Happy 9 months, my dear! Love you so much! Mommy

Christmas 2014

Finally... all our stockings together!

Helping trim the tree!

Testing out the new hula hoop.

Opening stockings at Po-po and Gung-gung's.

Testing out her new scooter

Chewing on more presents.

Christmas has come and gone! It went by so fast, but we pretty much had a month long celebration. Here are some pics over the past week or so. This month was filled with traditions, family, friends, food, giving and receiving of many gifts, and most importantly remembering the birth of Jesus. Leah really got into Christmas this year, and I'm pretty sure she'll be really sad to see it go. Ava just tried to eat all her presents. I hope you all had a wonderful holiday celebration with your loved ones!

Foodstirs: Brownie Cupcakes

Leah finally got the chance to bake her Foodstirs kit with my mom. She had so much fun and loved every second of it. She has been really into helping Matt and I in the kitchen, so she wanted to be actively involved in every single step. The first kit in our series was the Brownie Cupcakes. They were so delicious! We ate them with a scoop of ice cream, and they didn't last long! We're looking forward to our next box!

Remember you have until 12/31/14 to get $5 off using the code KELLYKRONICLES! Happy baking!

Ice Skating in Pershing Square

We took the metro to Pershing Square in Downtown LA to take Leah ice skating. I was a little nervous about whether she would even go on the ice, but she was fearless! She stepped right onto the ice and didn't fall once! She was done after about 15 minutes.  I don't blame her. It takes a lot of work for those little legs to go around twice! Afterwards, we walked across the street to eat a little snack and sip on some hot chocolate at the Biltmore Hotel. The hotel is so beautiful during the holidays. Such a fun little morning! I highly recommend checking it out if you're in the area!

Holiday Gift Giving Ideas 2014: Subscription Boxes

Still looking for a last minute gift? Shopping malls and centers are becoming crazy crowded, and the holiday shipping deadline has passed for many stores. Something super easy and fun to give are subscription boxes! You can find a box for everyone, and you can either print out a gift card or email it to the recipient! Here are some I like: 

For Him: Bespoke Post

Bespoke Post provides limited-edition men's lifestyle gear centered around themes such as food, drinks, style and grooming. You can purchase one box for $55, gift cards that start at $55, or you can purchase a box with a gift card starting at $135. {Psst.. use the code LONELY for 30% off your first box}

For Her: Birch Box & Stitch Fix

There are a ton of subscription boxes for women, but I most frequently hear about Birch Box. Each box contains five beauty samples from high-end brands like Benefit, DDF, Kiehl's and more. Gift subscriptions start at just $30 for 3 months!

Stitch Fix is a personal styling service. Their stylists pick items they think you will like based on your profile, you try them on at home, and send back what you don't like. The service costs $20, but that fee is deducted from any items you keep. Gift cards start at $20. 

For Moms, Babies, and Kids: The Honest Company, Citrus Lane, and Kiwi Crate

The Honest Company provides natural and non-toxic diaper bundles for babies and home essential bundles filled with items moms would love to use. They also have pre-packaged gift sets and beautifully made diaper cakes!

Citrus Lane provides boxes containing 4-5 items such as snacks, toys, and books for newborns up to 5 years. These products are reviewed and recommended by real moms. A 3 month gift subscription starts at $81, or you can choose from a variety of other gift options. {Psst.. use the code FIRST for 50% off your first box}

Kiwi Crate provides all the materials you need for activities designed to help kids discover, explore, and create. The crates are designed for kids ages 3-8 and are centered around themes such as music, gardening, and dinosaurs. You can gift a subscription or give a gift card. {Psst.. use the code LASTCHEER for 50% off the first month.}

Hope this helps with any last minute gifts!

Holiday Gift Giving Ideas 2014: Tile App

Have your kids misplaced your keys or wallet or bag, and you end up stuck in the house spending hours searching for the item? Or your kids are going crazy at a restaurant and you leave in a rush and leave your wallet? Tile may be the perfect solution for you. I actually just learned about this from a friend who got his backpack stolen, and he was able to find his items through Tile! 

The Tile is a tiny "chip" you can hook or attach to pretty much anything. Here are just a few reasons why I think Tile is so cool! If you misplace your keys in the house, the Tile will play a melody until you find it! The app also records the last place your phone detected your Tile so you can retrace your steps. The best feature about this app is that the more people who use it, the greater the search range becomes. What?! How is that possible you say? If another user walks past your lost item, your phone will be updated with the location. That person has no idea he/she just helped you.  

Check out the website for more information! 

*No compensation was received for this post. All opinions are my own.

Ava: 8 Months!

These monthly updates are starting to creep up on me so fast, and the photos are getting harder to take! She turned 8 months on November 26th.  Ava's motor skills have developed so much this past month. While she's still my little cuddle bug, she's really enjoying her new skills and shouts with glee every time she stands up! 

• Pulling up to stand and cruising a tiny bit
• Now doing the normal crawling rather than army crawl
• 2 more teeth coming in - making a total of 6
• Continues to love to eat anything I give her! She also enjoys feeding herself
• Still attached to my hip

Little Ava: I got to spend much of the day today with you and Leah. It was so fun to have you to myself for some daddy bonding time, because when mommy is around I am definitely still chopped liver!  I have loved watching you grow and develop over the past 8 months.  What has changed is your ability to crawl around and investigate the world around you, bring yourself up to a stand, and vocalize your emotions (frequent bursts of excitement as you practice and master your new skills). What hasn't changed is your ever-present smile, which you seem to have been born with, and your warm and gentle nature.  Wherever we go, your smiling face literally stops traffic. It has also been so fun to watch you and Leah grow together as sisters.  At first you didn't seem to know quite what to make of her: who is this little dictator telling me what NOT to do all the time, and deciding which toys I can play with and which I can't?  But as time has gone on you two have certainly became big parts of each others lives.  You look at each other and smile and laugh and scream excitedly when we come in to wake you up every morning, and give each other lots of hugs and kisses as the day goes on.  You have been a joy and blessing, and I can't wait for everything the future will bring for you and our family.  Love, Daddy

Cake and Thanksgivings

Photo by Bob Cho

Photo by Bob Cho

Photo by Bob Cho

We decided for Leah's 3rd birthday that we weren't going to throw a big party. Instead, we had a joint playdate with her buddy Cammy {who's 6 days younger} and invited 3 of their closest friends. We held it at Brookside Park in Pasadena where there were plenty of tables and a big playground. We had pizza, a balloon artist, and of course cake. The kids had a lot of fun and didn't seem to notice the lack of a big party.

Unfortunately, Leah ended up falling at the playground and having a clavicle fracture. She took it like a champ and barely complained of any pain after the first day! I'm so proud of her!

On her actual birthday, we had dinner with my parents and enjoyed our favorite ice cream cake! I will try to remember to update with a video of us singing "Happy Birthday" with a crying Ava in the background. ;)

We had Thanksgiving dinner at my parents' house. Leah got to make her first gingerbread house, and she was super patient waiting until after dinner to eat the candies! The kids always have a great time playing with each other, and it's also nice to have extra eyes to watch all of them! 

There are so many things I'm thankful for, but this year, I'm most thankful for the addition of Ava into our family and for having two healthy kids. Our family is complete. 

I hope everyone had a great holiday weekend!