Peter is Six!

We had so much fun celebrating Peter on his sixth birthday!  Six!  How can it be?  He is such a big guy already.  Peter had wanted a basketball and swimming party, so we decided to combing the two and shoot some hoops in the pool.  It was awesome!  We had so many wonderful friends and family there, and the Vanis family stayed the night, so we got to keep the party going really late.  It was so wonderful to see Peter having so much fun with his great buddies.  Peter is so fun to be around!  He loves to play outside and be active.  He's always ready to have an adventure and go exploring.  He's brave and daring, ready to try new things.  Peter has such a sweet heart.  He is so loving to everyone in his family, and is such a kind brother and friend.  We absolutely love being around him, and think he's such a funny, special boy.  We love you, Peter!

Cowgirl Lizzy

Look at that amazing cowgirl up there!  Lizzy had a blast at horse camp this summer.  She loved learning all about the horses, how to take care of them, and how to ride them.  We loved hearing all about her adventures every day.  It takes a lot of courage to get on a van and ride to the barn and try something totally new, and Lizzy did it will exuberance.  We loved getting to watch Lizzy at her horse show at the end of the week.  She was stuck with the most difficult horse, and even though he made it really hard to do all of the tricks, Lizzy stuck with it, and made it through.  We thought she look absolutely awesome out there!

Bike Riders

We spent a lot of time this summer going on long bike rides.  It was so fun to explore our town, and to get to know the bike trails a little bit.  Lizzy and Peter are really awesome now!  They can go for long rides, and Catherine is a great champ on the back of my bike.  Bike riding is so freeing!  It opens a door to you and makes you feel like you can go anywhere and do anything!  Plus, you feel so proud of yourself!  Making it over that huge bike bridge, pedaling on when you didn't think you'd make it that far.....it's the best!  We've ridden to parks, to restaurants, to a museum, and all over.  I can't wait to keep exploring with these guys!

Sporty Friends!

Peter and Andy went to an awesome sports camp together this summer.  They loved it, and had such a great time playing all sorts of sports together!  One year ago, when we first moved here, Peter was so brave and went to this camp all by himself.  He had a good time......but it's so awesome to see how in one year, Peter has found such a great friend in Andy, and they have such a great time together!  Here's to many more adventures together!

Eight is Great!

Lizzy is eight!  Wow!  How did she get so big?  We had a wonderful pool party "under the sea" to celebrate our special girl.  It was such a great day!  We had so many wonderful friends over to celebrate.  We had school friends, family, dear Menlo Park friends.....it was just great!  The kids had so much fun swimming and playing, and it was so fantastic to be surrounded by so much love.  We kept the party going late into the night with the Heinz family!  Lizzy, you are so loved.  We treasure each day we spend with you.  We absolutely love to watch you grown and learn.  You have the most loving, sweet heart, and you are such a caring and thoughtful person.  You are so interesting!  It's so fun to talk with you and hear all your great ideas and observations.  You are so fun!  We love your laugh and the silly way you love to joke around.  You are so very precious, and we love you!  Happy Birthday!

Tahoe Lake

We had a wonderful family trip to Tahoe that we all loved!  I think we're just now getting to the point where we can enjoy longer trips together, and boy did the kids prove to us what great travelers they are.  Pat found a wonderful deal at Tahoe, so right when everyone got out of school, we packed up the car and hit the road.  We loved our hotel room!  Lizzy and Peter had their own room, and we had a huge balcony that we enjoyed eating on and watching all the people from.  We went on two fantastic hikes that were just gorgeous, and we loved spending time playing at the beach.  More than anything, it was just so fun being together, and enjoying time together is such a beautiful place.  I can't wait to go back!

Sleeping Beauty

Because it just doesn't get much better than this......

For You, Peter

Lizzy has a gentle, kind heart.  She is such a loving person, and one of the ways she expresses her love is through extremely thoughtful gifts and surprises.  For Peter's graduation from Kindergarten, Lizzy gave Peter one of the most heartfelt gifts I've ever seen.  Not only did she make him a special card, she designed a personal little lego house for him to build, and she made a lego map for him to follow.  It was spot-on for Peter, and just what he wanted.  Such kindness, such thoughtfulness, such love.  Wow!  What an amazing girl we have here!

Almost Pool Time

It's starting to get hot.....almost time to kick off our favorite season- POOL TIME!

Fort Fun

"Can we sleep here tonight, Mommy?"

Baseball Boy

Peter is a baseball boy, that is for sure!  We have absolutely loved being a part of his baseball team.  He is so lucky that he gets to be on a team with his classmates, and that he has such an awesome coach, Coach Kevin (Andy's dad).  Coach Kevin is gentle, but firm, well organized, and knows a ton about baseball.  Peter has learned so much, and it has been so fun to see him improve on his skills and have such a great time.  By the end of the season, he was even hitting off the tee!  Lizzy loved getting to hang out with the "baseball girls" and run around the park and play, and Catherine is always an excellent cheerleader.  Great job, Peter!

Lizzy's Special Day

Lizzy celebrated her First Communion, and what a special and lovely day it was.  She was so looking forward to this day, and was so excited to be able to receive communion at Mass.  How beautiful she looked!  Lizzy had new, fancy clothes from head to toe.  We loved her beautiful dress and veil, the special sign she made to mark her pew, her sparkly smile and excited heart.  How thankful we all were to share in this amazing day!  Afterwards, we went over to Auntie Elizabeth's house for a party with Caroline.  It was wonderful!  All the cousins swam and swam and played and played and had just the most wonderful day together!  Thank you, God, for our precious Lizzy, and such special time together!

Peter is a Reader!

Way to go, Peter!  Peter is absolutely loving books these days.  He is really putting it together, and it's so awesome to see.  Peter likes Dr. Seuss, Elephant and Piggy, Magic Tree House, and Nate the Great. I love listening to him and seeing him enjoying books.  What a great reader!

Skaters

Caroline had her eighth birthday party at the skating rink.  We knew it would be a big hit with all the girls, but there were some unexpected fans at the party.  While the big girls were showing off all their fancy moves, Peter and Catherine were quietly making their way around the rink.  Boy, were they awesome!  For two tiny skaters, they did a great job, and more importantly, they loved it!  

Giddy-Up!

It's a well known fact that we LOVE the farmers market.  Well, one of our old favorites is the pony rides.  Each kid has absolutely been entranced by the ponies over the years, and now it's Catherine that's fallen under their spell.  Lizzy and Peter are good sports to go along for the ride, as Catherine gleefully takes her turn around and around with the ponies.

Sunsuits and Smiles

Yup, this is pretty much as cute as it gets.  Sunsuits, sandals, little bows in curly hair taking a walk on a lovely sunny day........that's just about as good as it gets!

The Greatest Gifts!

On Mothers Day we went to visit Grandma and Papa, so we could honor one of our favorite mothers- our dear Grandma.  We went to church, and then back to Grandma and Papa's for lunch.  The kids love playing there.  They are all such a great age for the tree house now, that they loved getting to escape up there to watch the birds and play in their own "secret" hideaway.  Papa's yard is a peaceful oasis.  We love to watch the birds and squirrels that visit, and to admire the beautiful flowers blooming.  It's sunny and charming, and one of my favorite places to eat outside.  Looking at those faces, could there possibly be a greater blessing?  Could anything besides treasuring our time together even matter?  I'm so very thankful that I get the honor of being a mother to these beauties that I adore so very much.

Make it Happen

"Let's build a bridge, Mommy!"  You can do it, Lizzy and Peter!  If you can imagine it, and you have the patience to stick with it, you can do it!  I love to see what you can do, and to watch you problem-solve together.  You make the most amazing creations!  I love your wonderful brains!

Rainy Day Fun

Over the kids' spring break, we were itching for an adventure.  It was pouring down rain, and we needed somewhere to go to get out of the house.  We love museums, and haven't visited too many in our new area, so I looked up what I thought might be a good one and we piled in the car to give it a try.  Once we got there, I was immediately apprehensive- it looked tiny, and I worried my "big" kids might not be too interested in what this museum had to offer.  Boy, was I wrong.  We had one of those truly magical days I didn't want to end.  The kids played, and played, and played.  They met up with other kids and created the most amazing imaginary world where Lizzy and Catherine were inside setting up their house, and Peter busied himself picking up and delivering their mail.  They were having so much fun, I didn't want to leave.  When we absolutely had to go, we raced through the rain to one of our favorite hamburger places for lunch.  We laughed and had so much fun being silly together over lunch. What a great day!

Snails!

I love outside play!  I love exploring and discovering and getting carried away with the millions of amazing things that are waiting for you right in your front yard.  One day when we were playing out front, I was enjoying sitting in the rocking chairs and the kids were looking around in the front yard.  All of a sudden, Peter exclaims that he's found something pretty awesome.  In one of our bushes, tons of teeny tiny baby snails were creeping around.  The kids were in heaven!  They found the snails fascinating, and immediately set up a "snail hospital" to nurse the snails back to health (though truth be told those snails were looking pretty good on their own).  All afternoon Lizzy and Peter played with the snails.  I was in heaven.  I loved seeing their excitement, their plans forming, their imaginations and creativity taking off.  Those are the best moments for me, and I do treasure them.

Easter Fun

We love Easter around here, and we always have so much fun.  This year, Grandma and Papa came over and we went to El Macero for a special brunch.  It was very crowded, and a little crazy, but it all worked out in the end.  We found a great table outside where we were able to enjoy our food.  All the kids got to go on an egg hunt too, but we realized it wasn't quite up to Papa's standards of excellence in egg hiding.  Grandma and Papa came back to our house, and Papa skillfully (and quickly) put together a perfect hunt, that stumped all the kids and had them really working hard to find those eggs.  What a wonderful day!

Picnic Day Parade

It's been one year since we made our big move to Davis.  The first weekend that we were in Davis was Picnic Day.  We excitedly, but nervously, made our way downtown.  It was windy, and crowded, but everyone in town was excited and happy.  The people lined the streets, and when the music began, the kids started dancing.  We all loved the parade.  We cheered as Caroline went by with her Daisy troop.  This year, Lizzy got to be in the parade with her Brownie troop.  Catherine, Peter, and I waited for Lizzy to parade by, and we were thrilled when we saw her!  Then we joined them, and we all got to walk in the parade- fun!  It was so awesome to get to see everyone, and to enjoy all the different people walking by.  One year later, now we are a part of the community, we are a part of the town, and it feels so great to be finding our own place where we belong.

Beauty In and Out

Look at this beauty!  Can you believe she is my daughter?!  It's no secret.......I really love Lizzy.  Of course I love her shiny hair, and the sprinkle of freckles across her little nose.  I love the color of her eyes and the sparkle in her smile.  Really, I just love everything.  And I think that's the amazing thing about being a parent.  You could stare and stare at their face, and list a million things you love about them.....things most other people wouldn't even notice.......but to you, is the most remarkable treasure.  But it's also like you have this amazing vision that sees them all at once.  You aren't stuck at their exterior wonder, your mommy vision lets you look deep, deep down, right into their little hearts, and the beauty you see there.......well, that can just knock you out of your socks!  Lizzy is a true beauty from her glorious smile, through to her amazing heart.  It's wondrous to behold.

We Love Legos

We are a lego house.  Some houses, I imagine, are full of all sorts of different activities, but we, we really love legos.  And what's not to love?  Legos are awesome!  I absolutely love when Lizzy and Peter work together with legos.  Their imaginations just catch fire!  They've built full lego towns together, and made up elaborate games with their lego people.  It's so fun to see them playing together and creating their own wonderful imaginary world.  I just love it!

Cute Buddies

These two are pretty cute together.  The other day, we were at the mall and we took a spin on the merry-go-round.  Peter could have picked any animal to ride on, but he decided to sit with Catherine on the bench.  That's often the way he is with her.  He looks out for her, he seeks chances to spend time with her, and he loves to be close with her.  He loves to hold her hand and snuggle her.  He is a sweet big brother, and it's very sweet to see.

Big Guy

Um.......this guy.......in case you can't tell, is getting really, really big.  I've always thought of him a little bit as my little baby boy, but (gasp) even I have to acknowledge there's not too much of the baby left in this little boy.  Every now and then I can still convince him to hold my hand, and he'll still come in for a snuggle once in a while, but he's busy these days.  He's busy playing, and running around, and kicking balls, and riding his bike, and climbing, and jumping, and pretty much just moving.  He's also busy thinking- about his world, about legos, about building things, and more and more, about reading.  He really loves books, and it's so awesome to see him cracking the code and putting it all together.  He is so proud of himself when he gets through a book and figures it all out (Dr. Seuss is a favorite these days).  Boy is it joyful to watch Peter grow and learn.    

Daddy and His Darling(s)

I don't know if my kids will ever totally understand how wonderful their daddy is.  I guess it's a blessing that they can take him for granted.  Do they treasure his jokes and his funny sense of humor?  Do they cherish his eagerness to play with them- throw a ball, go on a bike ride, play a game?  Can they fathom how hard he works?  Getting up at the crack of dawn, working a stressful job all day long, then coming home with a smile on his face ready to hear all about their adventures?  My kids have the most loving, thoughtful, caring, and steadfast father.  He loves them completely- it is truly beautiful to see.  That's why I love so much when he can have a special night that honors just him.  Lizzy and Daddy got to go to the Father/Daughter dance at school.  They went on a double date with Caroline and Uncle John.  They got to wear a special corsage, eat out at a yummy restaurant, and dance the night away.  What an awesome night!  These kids are pretty lucky!

Rockets For Sale

Have you ever been walking down the street and you wished there was a rocket stand nearby where you could fold and decorate your own rocket and then try to blast it off?  No?  Well, me neither, but that's only because I've never seen one before!  Lizzy, Caroline, and Peter had this wonderful idea and set up shop outside Caroline's house.  They waited a long, long, long time.......but finally (and miraculously) they had not one, but TWO groups of customers.  It was awesome!  The kids came, they folded, they colored, and they created.  Our budding entrepreneurs had a wonderful afternoon together at their now famous rocket stand.