our story

It all began on the evening of Nov 29th 2003, at former Chat Noir French Restaurant in Costa Mesa, CA. Brad approached me [Jana] and we instantly connected; it was love at first sight. The next 4 years that followed were a whirlwind of romance, growing pains, and adventures. We circled the globe, traveling to South America, Europe, and Asia. Then one night, Brad surprised me with a romantic beachside proposal. We made it official on August 23rd 2008 with an intimate wedding at a hip art gallery in Laguna Beach. A year later we finished redesigning our home in the beach village of Corona del Mar.

On May 18th, 2010, we were blessed with a sweet little miracle of our own, our baby boy Taj Leon. He stole our hearts and took our breath away! Then, 19 months later, his incredible little brother, Jax Franz, arrived on Christmas morning (December 25th) 2011. What an amazing gift we received! In an effort to slow down the clock and enjoy our beautiful family, in Spring of 2012, we sold our CA seaside home and moved across the country to our dream lake house in Brad's hometown of Bemus Point, a resort village on Chautauqua Lake in Western New York! Even though we are living a more slow paced life, we are living a life far from ordinary!

From the West Coast to the East Coast, our Grover family adventures continue! So won't you come along and join us on this journey of love, family, and travel we like to call our La Vida Grover!

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Our [tiny] supermodel


check out Taj's debut into the modeling world! :) His online professional newborn photo gallery can be found on www.babyasart.com

click on Client Proofing, then enter password: babytaj
ENJOY! I love so many of them..... but my favorite is the Father-Son pic, so precious!!!

Monday, June 21, 2010

Taji turns 1 month old!


Happy Birthday to our little Taj! I cannot believe how quickly this month has flown by, days turned into weeks, and now we are counting in months! At 1 month old, our Taji dude weighs 9 1/2 lbs, and is a big eater. At his 2 week mark we had a bit of a hernia scare that was luckily just a false alarm. He also developed a mild case of colic, that makes him irritable, fussy, and gassy at random times of the day. (I'm hopeful that probiotics and time will clear this up.) Taji loves going on stroller walks, riding in the car, napping on us during the day, and his nightly baths. He also loves getting his diaper changed and hanging out on the changing table- hilarious! He sleeps in his own crib overnight and enjoys our cuddly-sleepy time in our family bed in the early mornings. Taji has impressed us with his tummy time being able to roll over from his tummy to his back! He is cooing and the beginnings of a social smile are emerging! Taj loves to suck on all his stylish pacifiers, and since breastfeeding has been successful from the beginning (fortunately), he now receives a bottle of pumped milk once a day (given by either daddy or "babi"- my mom). Here is our little munchkin with the homemade cupcakes I made for his 1 month celebration:


our family portrait with our 1 month old:


mama's boy!:



and this post wouldn't be complete without a "month-in-review" slideshow! (you can also click on the slideshow to see the picasa album):

Celebration Weekend

This past weekend was a busy one for the Grover trio :) We celebrated Taji's 1 month milestone and celebrated many "firsts" starting with Taj's first lunch date, at none other than the fabulous Pelican Hill Resort's Colisseum Grill (of course, Taj's first lunch outing would be at a 5 star resort, ha ha) He was the ladies man, as he had his mommy, babi, and our two girlfriends Eva & Diane gushing over him. He loved stretching out in his bassinet stroller, listening to the ladies chat, and the live pool music. A big congratulations to Diane & Ryan on their new house!!




Then, later that evening, thanks to my wonderful mom (who is staying with us this summer and helping us out), Brad and I went out on our first date night since Taj was born! We dined at nearby and new restaurant Summer House, I even enjoyed my first glass of pinot noir in almost 10 months. And if you are wondering, Taji was an angel for my mom that evening.... he was completely unaware that mommy and daddy were out playing :)


We ended the weekend with a celebration of Brad's first Father's Day! Taj and I took him out for brunch at Pacific Whey Cafe, and got him cards from each of us and a "Father" picture frame :) Brad is a great daddy, spending time with his mini-me, while mommy enjoyed a much deserved spa day and massage with her sister & mom! :)

Friday, June 11, 2010

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

yes, I'm such a doting mother and Taj's crew of paparazzi! :) I captured this video at today's naptime, just as he was falling asleep. He not only likes my singing voice (ha ha) but seems to really enjoy the Twinkle Twinkle Little Star song.... count how many times he smiles! (this one's dedicated to my sister who sang this to Chloe as a baby and she loved it too)

Taji's 3rd week

big boy! gaining weight and starting to fit in his snazzy outfits :)

first "official" bath.... loves his nightly bathing ritual



and being close to mommy's heart via the moby wrap..... another great method of transportation!
sleeping and playing in his crib.... no more bassinet!

Monday, June 7, 2010

Lights, Camera, Action!

Taji's playtime in his crib, at almost 3 weeks.

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Lilypie - Personal pictureLilypie Third Birthday tickers Lilypie - Personal pictureLilypie First Birthday tickers