Feliz Dia de los Reyes!

Growing up in Puerto Rico, we always celebrated "el Dia de los Reyes". As the Wise Men traveled through the night on their way to meet baby Jesus, little boys and girls would leave grass + water for the Wise Men's camels...to help them along the way...

...and the Wise Men would often leave behind a little gift under the children's beds!  The camels sometimes made a big mess because it's hard for them to get to that grass tucked away in shoe boxes under tiny beds!!

Check out that bed head!!! *love*

The Wise Men even stopped by Noonie's house!

And left us new games for Family Game Night!!

So happy that my mom has helped continue this tradition with Grace & Hudson!

San Juan, Puerto Rico

While we were in Puerto Rico for my grandma's funeral, we spent an afternoon driving around Old San Juan and the day after my grandma's funeral, Lance and I took the littles to the beach.  It's so bittersweet to look over these pictures. Puerto Rico is beautiful, yet we weren't there to enjoy its beauty, but to say goodbye to my dear grandma.

At one of the little plazas in San Juan...Hudson found a little hermit crab right by this anchor and he was so excited! We tried to get a pic of it but it scurried away under the anchor before we could capture it.

This is Grace, pure and simple. Always dancing!

With Noonie...

I love the streets in Old San Juan...

Love the street signs too!

Waiting for Lance's flight at the airport...
{When we booked our flights, my grandma was still alive but not doing well. Lance and I decided that I would go with the littles since he had just made it back in town from being on a business trip. When my grandma passed, it was too late to get him on the same flights with us since they were sold out, so he flew to Puerto Rico the next day, as did Papa J.}

We buried my sweet grandma the morning of April 11th. Later that afternoon, after we had changed, we decided to take a walk to get some fresh air. We walked down the street from our hotel to a little plaza and we ran into Noonie and Papa J! These pics are bittersweet for me because when you love someone and really know them, you can always tell when there is sadness behind their smiles. I see that in Noonie's face. But my grandma always taught us to smile, even through the pain..."there is always something to smile about...focus on that, no matter how small."

The day after my grandma's funeral, we took the littles to the beach for a couple of hours. They love the ocean and we always want them to have happy memories of our trips to Puerto Rico.

This little guy loves his ice cream...actually, loves ALL sweets! He gets it honest...

The night before we left PR, we all went out to eat together.  The littles with my Uncle Pedro & Aunt Isa...

In addition to my mom and my Uncle Pedro, my grandma and grandpa raised one of their nephews ever since he was itty bitty because his mom died.  I have such sweet memories of my Uncle Manuel because he would always watch cartoons with me when I spent the night at my grandparents' house.  Here he is with the littles and his wife Rosa...

Of all the things to order and the little pumpkin ordered an avocado...and what an avocado it was! Yum!

With my sweet girl! Sunburned nose and all - ha! Apparently I didn't do so well spraying myself with sunblock...

My Uncle Pedro & Aunt Isa gave Grace and Hudson some sweet little stuffed animals that belonged to my grandma. That night, Hudson couldn't wait to snuggle with the little elephant...and he's snuggled with him night after night since! Sweet memories!

I left a little piece of my heart on this beautiful island this trip...

  

Beach Portraits...and our next adventure!

I wanted to take some beach portraits while we were in Puerto Rico but we kept waiting and waiting and next thing you know it was our last day there!  I hated that we waited until then because it rained that day and it was super hOt and hUmiD...translation = frizzy hair! boo!  We didn't get to coordinate our clothes, but we were able to get everyone to the beach just as the sun was setting and we captured some sweet memories nonetheless...


This was my favorite one of the four of us...I can't remember what Noonie was saying to try and get Hudson to smile and stay in the picture, but whatever it was it worked on the rest of us - ha!

Silly boy!

My best girl...

Sweet cuddles from Hudson...

With Noonie and Papa J...

I love, Love, LOVE this one of Noonie and Papa J with my grandma...

Family...

Grace kept laying her head on my grandma's shoulders and closing her eyes...I wish I could have captured it without her noticing, but what I love most is that she really made a connection with her...

They really just wanted to run into those waves, not pose for pictures. 
{check out Hudson's feet..he got a little tan!}

There...that's more like it!

Grace loved hanging out with her cousin Abi the whole time we were there!

Cousins...

Sweet girl...

I think they liked the beach ;)

And just like that it was time to come home... :(
{this was at the airport, just before we boarded our plane}

And now we're ready for our next adventure...here's a {pretty big} hint...

{Photo credits: dress, hats, skirt}

YES, we're headed to Disney in November and we can't wait! We've booked our trip and we're counting down the days.  This will be our first time to take the littles so please share any tips you may have!