Maegan

I am from California and am very close to my parents and sister. My Mom is Mexican and my Dad is Irish. I think my family does a great job blending both cultures and traditions. When I first met Joshua, I was immediately welcomed into his family. His nephews have become such an integral part of my life, and I am so honored to be their aunt.

Being a mom is truly my happy place. I have had thrilling adventures like hiking Machu Picchu and snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef, but nothing brings me more joy than experiencing the world next to Elias. I enjoy spending time at the beach or finding unique treasures at antique shops. I feel most at peace hiking and gardening in our backyard with Elias.

I am a Utility Manager and have a master's degree in planning and public administration. Although I get fulfillment in my work, my priority remains my family. I will be staying at home full-time when a baby joins our family. Joshua and I make it a point to attend every activity with Elias as a family and truly love watching him learn and explore new endeavors.

Things that make Maegan happy

 I really enjoy hiking, especially during a brisk day. I love admiring the natural settings of Southern California, whether it is at the beach or mountains. As a family, we try to explore a lot of the local trails and love to do mini-road trips to the mountains for some more adventurous trails. I also really like getting together with friends to walk different neighborhoods in the area. We have fun catching up with our coffee and usually end up at a fun park so the kids can play together and get all their wiggles out.

I love the joy that comes from holidays and celebrations. If there is a reason to celebrate, I am the first one there. I love to make every event memorable and uniquely tailored for that person or occasion. I have had so much fun throwing Elias's birthday parties, such as a Dinosaur Party where we all wore themed outfits and the latest "Reach for the Star" Toy Story party with a huge bouncy house. I had so much fun making a pin the face on Mr. Potato Head and helping my mom make custom cakes for all of the parties. We have fun hosting Christmas and Thanksgiving gatherings at the house, coloring Easter eggs, doing our family's annual tamale party, and sharing special memories at the altar for Dia De Los Muertos. My family is also very into Halloween. Our neighborhood is the place to be as our neighbors all have "movie quality" decor on full display. We have so much fun dressing up, decorating the house, visiting the pumpkin patch, and going trick-or-treating in coordinating outfits!

I love our backyard; it has become an oasis for my family. We created a really fun kid space and playhouse for Elias to run wild on or eat fun dinners in. It is so much fun pushing him on the swings, watching him play pirates in his playhouse, or seeing him cross the bridge into the sandbox we created for him at the bottom of his "Kid Mountain". I have a huge heart for our fur babies. We had a Blue Heeler named Kiah for over 14 years, and she never left our side. She sadly passed away this year, but we still have fond memories of her relaxing in the backyard and putting her in the wagon on her last days to enjoy the scenery and walks. We have a new puppy, Sulley, who loves playing fetch and running up and down the slide with Elias. We have created a wonderful garden that is my happy place. I love watching our vegetables grow from seeds and harvesting the crop with Elias. I feel so blessed that I can provide him with a hands-on experience that teaches him how things grow and how to take care of plants.

I have had some pretty incredible experiences with Josh that I will always cherish. We have had an amazing time in Iceland glacier climbing and enjoying the natural hot springs. We also had unbelievable moments in Peru and Scotland. I love looking back on these pictures and reliving these trips in my mind. We have been blessed to have adventures with Elias. We have done trips to Disneyland, his first plane ride, mountain cabins, family get-togethers at the lake, mining for gold, peddle boating, museums, the zoo, carousel rides, aquariums, water parks, and tons of local markets/events. We really make it a point to plan fun and engaging activities every weekend. I love watching Elias experience these moments for the first time, and I can't wait to make more memories with our new baby!

I love the family traditions Joshua and I have created together. On Christmas morning, I have been making Irish Soda bread for Christmas breakfast. It's so nice eating homemade bread all day and having the smell throughout the house! We top it off with eggs and sausage for a complete Irish Breakfast. Every Sunday for the past 2 years we have been making pancakes. Elias has so much fun measuring out all of the ingredients, mixing the batter, and flipping the pancakes. We play fun music like the soundtrack from the "Guardians of the Galaxy" and do different dance moves as we flip the pancakes. It has become a really fun and cherished part of our week! Another fun tradition that Joshua and I have started since dating is birthday week. We use this week to make the birthday person feel as special as possible. Whether it is leaving a love note, doing a birthday wish in the fountain, getting their favorite chips, or just making sure they have a smile on their face, we try to make every day of the week a really joyful time!