Flowers and a Name

Here's a picture of some pretty flowers that Catherine painted.  But look down at the bottom there......do you see it?  It says "Catherine!"  Catherine wrote her name all by herself (I helped her remember the order of the letters), and she even added her favorite letter, that tiny "o", just to make it extra special.  Great writing, Catherine!  We are so proud of you!

Yogurt Date

How fun is this?  We ran into all these friends at yogurt after school, and we all had the best time laughing and playing together.  So fun!

The Best Comforter

Peter had a bad day at school, and was feeling pretty sad about it when he got home.  This is always when Lizzy kicks right in.  She always knows just what to do to raise your spirits.  Lizzy got a plastic baggy and filled it all up with adorable and thoughtful little trinkets to make Peter smile.  She included some money (Peter's favorite!), a golf ball (he loves to play), some cool rocks, a smile card, a heart made out of legos, and a little note that said "I love you."  Peter couldn't help but feel loved and taken care of, and he cheered right up.  Thank goodness for such a loving and kind girl that we are so thankful to have in our family!

"Catherine" A Self Portrait

"This is me, mommy, with my curly hair."

Tea With The Ladies

Lizzy and Caroline's cute friend, Kaylin, wanted to check out one of our favorite spots to enjoy afternoon tea.  We went all together, the three girls and the three moms, and had a wonderful afternoon.  What a treat to do something special with just Lizzy, and to enjoy such a beautiful day with such adorable girls!

Picnic Day

We moved to our town in April, and right after we moved in, it was Picnic Day.  The first year we were there, we liked to believe that the whole town was throwing a party just for us, and we've loved Picnic Day ever since.  This year it was great.  Peter had a game in the morning, then we zipped downtown to catch the parade- always a fun thing to see.  We had a yummy lunch at the Farmer's Market, then went to our cousins' house for swimming and a BBQ.  What a great way to spend a fabulous day.

Pixie Playland

Grandma is fun, and she's always up for a good time.  When we were visiting her and Papa for lunch, Grandma suggested a quick trip to Pixie Playland for a little fun.  Although Lizzy and Peter were a little too big for some of the rides, we all loved the Dragon Rollercoaster, and the kids loved the Frog Hopper and the train.  Not a bad way to spend an afternoon!

Happy Birthday, Grandma!

It was our Grandma's birthday, so we had a big party for her!  Grandma loves birthdays, and she loves parties, so we were excited to get to throw her a surprise party at our house.  Everyone came, and when Grandma drove up she was greeted with a huge birthday banner and all the kids yelling, "Surprise!"  She was thrilled.  We had transformed our dining room into a perfect princess room with lots of cute decorations.  Uncle Brian brought a delicious cake, and we all had a fun time together.  Happy Birthday, Sweet Grandma:)

Fun at Tea

I've had this happen to me a million times.  I can get bogged down with chores, and laundry, and grocery shopping, and cleaning, and all the zillions of little things it takes to run the show.  I like to be on top of things, so when those chores start piling up, I don't like it one bit.  On Friday of our spring break, Auntie Elizabeth wondered if we wanted to go to the Academy of Sciences and then to the Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park.  I didn't leap at the chance.  There were errands to run, and then if we went it would be tough to get everyone ready to go, and then there's that long drive.......and on and on and on.  Thank goodness Auntie Elizabeth knows me so well.  She knows I love a good adventure, and she's great at putting things in perspective.  With a little encouragement from her, we were off on a fabulous day.  We loved the museum.  The butterflies were a huge hit!  We all loved the tea garden!  We could have walked around those beautiful paths all day, and it was so fun to stop for tea and treats.  Chores can always wait!  Don't waste a beautiful day.

Easter Brunch

We've gotten into a fun tradition of going over to El Macero for their Easter brunch.  This year, Grandma Susan, Grandma, and Papa all joined us.  It was a beautiful afternoon!  We got to play in the oak trees where they had set up treats, a bouncy house, and even some dye for eggs.  They had a big Easter egg hunt, and Peter found the golden egg!  He won a free dessert- yum!- and was so excited for his big find.  We ate breakfast together inside, and everyone had so much fun laughing and talking and playing shuffle board.  Even though none of us could top daddy's skills, it was a super fun day!

Those Lazy Arboretum Days

Days together exploring the arboretum......man, I just love them so much.  I will never get over the joy of taking a walk together, being awed and amazed by nature, getting back to what really matters, the simple, everyday joy of being together and enjoying the world around us.  It is a treasure.

The Best St. Patrick's Day

I will always look at St. Patrick's Day in a different way now, after celebrating with Lizzy and her classmates.  We don't often get to do things with just Lizzy.  We tend to travel in a pack, which is usually how I like it.  I like being all together, I love watching the kids play and interact together, and we feel best when we're all together.  But sometimes, it's really special to get to enjoy time with just one of our children.  Lizzy's class prepared a special prayer service for the day, and we loved watching the kids work together, and getting to hear Lizzy read in church.  Afterwards, we were all treated to a fabulous traditional Irish tea.  What fun, and what joy!  The stars aligned, and daddy and Grandma were able to be there too, and we all had such a wonderful time.  You could feel the magic in the air, and you knew it was one of those special days we'd remember for a long time.