A Day At The Beach!!

We all got the stomach flu on July 5th. Happy Holidays to us. We all got it within 2 hours of each other, except Zach, luckily. It was pretty miserable when all day Sunday we were cooped up in the house sick to death. Nate fortunately took Monday off and after the rotten time we all had, we decided to go to the beach!!

We packed up the tent, the lotion, the boogie boards, the sheets, the camera's, the squirt bottles, the baby clothes, diapers, food, towels, extra clothes, extra food, more food and diet coke, books to read...you get the point. When the Randles go to the beach, we GO TO THE BEACH for the whole day!

We had a great time! It was Zach's second vistit, but his first visit with the sand...eating ensued!

Hmmmm sand....

Tasting pretty good....Enjoying it....

Going for one more handful....


realizing it's finally sand.....

PRICELESS.....

What a FUN, FUN day!

What the....TWLIGHT???

Someone shoot me. I started reading the Twlight series when my sister came to town last week. I like all the rest of you finished all three within three days. So now I patiently (or should I say freaking out to read the next one) wait to read the final book coming out Aug 2nd. (who's with me at Barnes and Noble 12am?)
I'm pretty sure there are subtle messages about not eating, sleeping, or talking to your kids in these books, but I got SUCKED in. She should write a diet book......
So I think about this sad story every morning while I run and I'll be honest, when the marine layer is in, I look around to see if there are any pale people looking for breakfast....what if I say that I think she will end up with the werewolf?
(My husband is going to laugh his head off when he reads this one....sorry dear, I couldn't resist.)
The countdown begins......who will she choose???

Nate & his BFF

Nate had a commercial shoot with his BFF last week - Phil Mickelson...or as Nate calls him - Mick.

He's always telling us how busy he is at work and then we find out he's doing stuff like this. Pretty tough life to hang out at the US Open and do filming sessions with PM...poor little husband.

Ella's Pre-school Graduation! YEAHHHHHH!

Ella and her best friend Julia at Graduation! Julia

wanted to come support Ella and watch her get her diploma!!! Ella is going to Kindergarten. I am more upset than she is since we found out that she will be going all day from 8:58am-3:22pm. ( Really, does my five year old really need to be at school that long? But apparently, it's better for the moms who work! I am one of those parents who would actually like to have my child around for the day...but I guess I'm the minority around here. Sorry, a little tangent.)
We sure will miss Ms. Carol and Ms. Melissa, they became a big part of Ella's life the last couple of years. Ms. Carol was so great to her after we lost Kate. She understood so well, her little twins were also stillborn, and she took Ella under her wing. I still remember the day I dropped her off in the summer for the first time. Kate had died 3 months earlier and I had already signed her up for the summer session. It was one of the hardest days of my life. I had planned to have a little baby to occupy my time, but now I was alone with my daughter at preschool. I parked in front of Walmart and cried for the whole 3 hours....where did the time go? Now 2 1/2 years later, she will be going to Kindergarten. I love you little Ella and will miss you immensely.

And who starts school at 8:58am--can't we just start at 9am? I so don't get it!Ella's friends-- Jack, Dalin, Jake, Ella, Ashland, and Anna

Daddy, Zach, and Ella! Congratulation little Rosie!

New York! New York!

So one of my FAVORITE places in the world is New York. When I found out that Nate had to go back there for work, I jumped at the chance to go with him (okay begged). So I called my sweet sister in Arizona and asked her if she would take Ella and Zach. She is right in the middle of a HUGE remodel and had no stove, carpet, -pretty much her whole kitchen was gone-, but she said she would love to take them.
I was really worried about leaving Zach (as those of you at church know)...but he did great, and loves his aunty Shell.
Here are a few highlights from our trip. It was less touristy and more cool little spots that we had never gone to but always wanted to do! Lucky for us we were there for the heat wave in early June...I have NEVER EVER felt anything like that in my life. 102 degrees with some crazy humity, so when we look like we are glowing, you will know why!


I had to go to Serendipity to have the frozen hot chocolate. I was not disappointed, those things are the greatest. And yes, I had to go see where the movie was filmed.

This is Nate in Central Park! I made him take me rowing in 102 degrees! I've always wanted to do this! It really was so fun and a pretty cheap was to entertain ourselves.
This is Dylan's Candy Bar--it's about 2 blocks from Serendipity. I took this shot for my friend Jenn, because I knew that if she were there I would have had to do this for her! I should post the bomb scare that I got on video. Leave it to the Randles to stick around and videotape the bomb squad in Columbus Circle.

Anyway, the candy is built into the floors, and the shop has EVERYTHING you could possibly remember from childhood. They even keep "Peeps" from Easter there!

Yankee Stadium was a MUST for Nate. It was really cool to see the stadium before the new one opens next year! We also had great seats; first base line and second row.

But this was what the seat in front of me said! I guess I couldn't read after all! :)

I can't wait to go back again! It was so great to be able to be with Nate and still have so much fun together...even though he would tell you that I pouted on the way to the game...so not true, it was 300 degrees and I needed a hat. That's all I'll say!

Purple Pixies Finish Their Season!!

Yeah, we made it through the soccer season. I was lucky (?) to have been Ella's coach for her first year of soccer. I'm pretty sure that she could have learned a lot more about the game from someone that actually plays soccer, but I was so pleased to have the extra time with her. She was such a trooper and improved 100 percent over the season.

She went from not even knowing how to kick the ball to running her guts out and kicking that ball down the field!

Also she was able to play with her "BEST" friend Julia Newbold, who is like one of my own kids. Julia is one year older than Ella, so to be able to have them on the same team this year was so fun! Julia's mom Mandy, was my assistant coach and I could NOT have made it through without her.

I really need to be more thankful for the opportunities that I have to do this with Ella, and that she wants me around so much...it will surely be different in 5 more years. I couldn't have a greater daughter...Ella, I'm really proud that you pushed through all of your fears about soccer and kept with the game! GO PIXIES!

Dancing with the Stars...and Deanna!

Nate was able to score some great tickets to Dancing with the stars from Kenny Mayne (THANK YOU!) and thanks to my friend Mandy who had to watch my 7 month old Zach, and Ella from 12:45pm to 10pm at night. We had to drive to LA and be in our seats by 4:30pm...so it was a long day. Zach loves his mom, (as many at church can attest to), so we were really nervous to leave him that long.

Luckily, he loved Mandy and didn't cry too much....just when she put him down! :)

Nate and I had great seats on the front row, right behind the judges...you couldn't see us because it was always dark there, but we sure had fun! I love The Grove mall and the whole area, and it was great to get away and spend some FUN times with my hubby.

Anyway, I was a dork and made Nate take some pictures of me...lucky us we had VIP wristbands so that we could stay after and meet people...so here I go....

This is me and my new BFF...keep in mind I'm 5'9'' to everyone's 5'0''. And she is so tiny little, but really nice and very pretty in person.

Okay Deanna, hope you find someone nicer than Brad! HAHAHAH

And it's a toss up to who's wearing more eye make-up!
Next year Tony!!!!

Samantha Harris had a baby 8 days before I did...I can't believe they let her back on TV without losing all her baby weight! Seriously!

Jason Taylor and Eddeattyay (something like that)-- if I could choose a brand new body, she's my first pick...and I could use her spray tan too! This is obviously Nate's pick. Not sure if it's for him or her!

And finally a shout out to all those Mormon girls who want fame and fortune....

Julianne tells us her album comes out May 20th (today) and that she will NOT be on the show next year, as she is touring with Brad Paisley... I'm almost kneeling down to meet her and she's on her tippy toes. But yes, she is just as pretty in person, and dating the kid from the Bruno/Carrieanne summer show...remember Zach from Utah who won in that singing group?? yeah, nobody else does either. (But he has a great name!) I should have asked her if her brothers new girlfriend will make another appearance in American Pie 12??

Well, that's it. It was super fun and I hope one day to be able to do it again!!!

XOXO

Here's to the Toothfairy!!

Here is my beautiful cousin Jenn, her husband Scott, and her 1 year old Bryce. We are SOOO lucky that Scott is our great dentist in Utah...(yes, I know we live in California, but once you find a great dentist, you don't move!) Sometime I'll have to take a video of Nate on the gas...I've never actually seen him but I've heard great stories from ALL of the staff! :)

Anyway, when Ella was 18 months she fell really hard on her front teeth at LegoLand and the front tooth died...well, while we were in Utah for the wedding we were wrestling and Ella hit the SAME tooth on my leg. I really didn't think anything of it, we knew that she had knocked it really loose, but she started to complain about it hurting. I just thought because it was going to fall out soon that it was hurting a little....NO..not the case...

On the morning we were flying back to California, Ella woke up with huge swollen lips, swollen cheeks, and a horrible abcessed tooth. Everything was full of puss (Jenn is loving this story) Luckily, we rushed her into Dr. Scott and had to throw her on some gas and pull the tooth out! It really was the craziest thing I've ever seen. It's amazing how one tiny tooth and a nasty infection can cause so much swelling. Needless to say it all shot out when he pulled the tooth and just a few hours later she was good as new---minus a tooth! So my baby's first tooth is out, and the toothfairy made her first stop at the Randle house. We weren't sure what the going rate for teeth are these days so she got what Zach had in his piggy bank (how sad that the toothfairy never has cash around) a two dollar bill!

I have NO idea what I would have done if I had been in California....I guess I really need to see about a new dentist...NAHHHH. I'll keep the one we have! Thanks Scott!

Nice job little Ella!!!

Wedding Bliss!

This is Sarah Burke (Nate's little sis) we were all dressed up as bridemaids for the BIG day. Nate's brother Spencer got married to Stephanie Rogers on May 3rd, in the Timpanogas temple. It really was a beautiful wedding, and a lot of fun to be able to share it with them! We also got to go to both of their graduations at the U of U, and both of their endowments.So we felt really blessed to be a part of it all!

Her parents house was really beautiful and everything was pretty amazing. Considering that 2 days before it snowed and was 34 degrees, they got lucky with a beautiful day, sunny and about 60 degrees. They had it outside and had the food in a heated tent...so that's where you could find me...between the food and the heat!